The School Newspaper of Winston Churchill High School.

The Observer

The School Newspaper of Winston Churchill High School.

The Observer

The School Newspaper of Winston Churchill High School.

The Observer

WCHS sophomore’s Maithri Verma and Michaela Levy compare their new second semester schedules on StudentVUE.

Second semester schedule changes cause unnecessary disruptions

By Brianna Frank, Adverising and Subscriptions Manager February 21, 2023

January 30th, 2023, the day everyone dreads: semester two schedule changes. Students scramble to find out who their new teachers are and which friends they have in their classes. It feels like the first...

A “Keep Calm and Get a 5 on the AP Exam” poster designed to encourage AP Exam Prep Club members to succeed.

How can WCHS help students prepare for AP exams?

By Collin Chen, Online Editor February 7, 2023

It’s almost that time of the year again. Students busting out their textbooks, reviewing Khan Academy, making quizlets, and doing whatever it takes to cram a year’s worth of knowledge for one special...

With packed assignment schedules all throughout the month of December, it can be draining for students to take tests right before a long break.

Tests before break: Yay or Nay?

By Ryan Weiner, Editor-in-Chief January 4, 2023

It’s 7:45 am on Dec 19. The bell ringing symbolizes the start of what many consider to be the longest four days of the school year, the week before Winter Break. While many students simply want to show...

On Naviance, a college and career preparation website used by WCHS, students can see where they fall on an SAT/ACT score and GPA scattergram. Not only do these graphs make students feel a sense of inferior, they are also an inaccurate representation of what is needed to get into that college.

Naviance scatters students’ perceptions on college

By Jordan Pashkoff, Editor-in-Chief December 9, 2022

A 1430 SAT and 4.61 weighted GPA. 1540 and 4.74 weighted. Both are marked on the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor scattergram for WCHS applicants. Who got in? Who got rejected? Why would someone with...

Santa and a stuffed bear look over the world in a jungle of beautiful leaves.

Proving the haters wrong: Santa is real

By Nate Levine, Promotions Manager December 9, 2022

Parents convince their children that Santa is the one who puts presents under the tree, and they are telling the truth, not the elaborate story many assume parents make. Some argue that Santa is fake...

An MCPS press release provides a visual diagram of how semester grades began getting calculated starting the 2016 school year.

MCPS grades are inflated and that needs to change

By Rachel Mattison, Online Editor-in-Chief December 6, 2022

In a world where college admission is already so difficult with so many high-achieving students, MCPS’ current grading system puts its top students at a disadvantage. With no differential in a 10% grading...

Taking AP Exams have many benefits for students such as receiving college credit and standing out to colleges. However, the early registration deadline places unnecessary limitations on students abilities to take exams.

Observer Opinion: An Advanced Placement inconvenience

By Caitlin Murphy, Copy Editor December 2, 2022

Every fall, high school students across the country are forced to make a choice: whether or not to register for AP Exams. Along with it being the start of a new month and an early action college application...

A news conference was held at the MCPS office on Sept. 21, 2022, revealing the new athletic events security plans. This conference went into detail about athletic event guidelines that have now gone into effect.

WCHS new tight athletic regulations force students to go to extreme measures

By Brianna Frank, Advertising and Subscriptions Manager December 2, 2022

Following the fight between the Gaithersburg and Northwest High School football teams and coaches, MCPS has tightened security at all athletic events, specifically football games. The new security rules...

SAT and ACT studying resources are stacked on top of each other in abundance, on Oct. 31, 2022.  Should self-studying be the major form of preparation for these standardized tests, or should high schoolers opt for paid tutors?

Students can do well on the SAT without the price tag of a tutor

By Amir Abbas-Yazdi, Assistant Opinions Editor November 15, 2022

Standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT have always been a hot topic of discussion for high school students. Students are constantly concerned about how well they can score on these tests so that they...

Tutors give students an abundance of practice test to do at home to strengthen their test taking skills.

SAT/ACT tutors are a worthwhile investment in a student’s future

By Nate Levine, Promotions Manager November 15, 2022

It is common knowledge that SAT/ACT scores play a large role in college admissions. While the SAT/ACT are largely regarded as poor tests of intelligence, many colleges look at the scores as one of the...

Gap years, a time before high school and college, are a great time to experience the world and find yourself.

Gap years offer positive time to recover from academic burnout

By Leah Kreisler November 11, 2022

After four grueling years of high school, many WCHS graduates go onto four more years of demanding education in college. While for some this transition is healthy and productive, a break from homework...

Most WCHS classrooms have predominantly right-handed desks which do not accommodate left-handed students.

WCHS is anti-lefties

By Julia Levi, Assistant Observations Editor November 9, 2022

Using spiral notebooks, cutting with scissors and dealing with ink smudges while writing are just a few of the struggles that left-handers have to deal with. Navigating a world with man-made objects primarily...

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