MCPS students to vote on next year’s calendar
By Jasper Bernstein, Assistant Observations Editor
November 13, 2019
MCPS has given students a choice of the next school calendar after the change in Maryland policy. To effectively compare schedules across different years, The Observer has added up the amount of days off for each MCPS school year since 2013. Each day off counts as one point, and each half day counts as a half point...
Tech updates needed within this technological age
By Ohio Meshanko, Promotions Manager
November 6, 2019
In recent years, many MCPS classrooms have been completely overhauled to accommodate a modern learning and teaching experience. The widespread adoption of Promethean boards and chromebooks, specifically, have allowed for lessons to be planned and organized faster and cleaner than with markers or ch...
MCPS redistricting considered to quell inequity issues
By Fatima Yazdi, Editor-in-Chief
May 8, 2019
Montgomery County Public Schools such as WCHS have consistently ranked among the best in the country and are growing at high speeds, though a great divide exists between schools in wealthy areas and schools in less wealthy ones. Recently, this divide has sparked debate over whether or not Montgomery...
MCPS modifies assailant situation procedures
By Sophie Liss, Editor-in-Chief
February 8, 2019
If you are an MCPS student, the phrase “lockdown” likely generates memories of covering classroom windows, locking the door and sitting silently under desks during drills and emergencies. However, MCPS is now making changes to active assailant situation procedures coinciding with the “Maryland...
MCPS school buses need to install seat belts
By Miranda Chung, Assistant Opinions Editor
December 21, 2018
The Oct. 8 limo crash in New York is considered to be the deadliest U.S. car accident in nine years according to the New York Times. After killing 20 people, including the driver of the vehicle and two pedestrians, the horrifying incident directed much needed attention on transportation safety. ...
MCPS considers extending spring break
By Bradley Furgerson, Features Editor
November 21, 2018
Following student and staff input in relation to which holidays the most students are absent, MCPS is considering two proposals for the 2019-2020 calendar. Both have 182 days of instruction, which is two days over the 180 state-mandated number of school days, start on Sep. 3, 2019 and end on June 15, 2020....
MCPS distributes free summer meals
By Vicky Gunawan, Observations Editor
October 18, 2018
Starting Jun. 18, 2019 free meals will be distributed during the summer at approximately 120 sites throughout Montgomery County. The county will provide meals to students attending summer school or recreation programs as part of a new program called the Montgomery County Summer Food Program. This...
Md. education resource disparity causes teachers to strike
By Jenna Greenzaid, Editor In Chief
May 9, 2018
MCPS has a $2.519 billion operating budget for Fiscal Year 2018 to fund operations for the 204 schools included in the county. While MCPS may be adequately funded, there are still alarming disparities within the county concerning planned distribution of resources to schools and funding for such resources. “My...
MCPS supplies free ACT, SAT vouchers to students
By Brandon Li, Online News Editor
February 8, 2018
MCPS is now offering a free SAT or ACT voucher for every junior. In order to receive the free voucher, students must apply through the Counseling Department or the College/Career Center. Students complete a form, including a photo, and return it to the College/Career Center. The voucher only ...
MCPS adopts new grade-viewing system
By Sophie Liss, Sports Editor
October 5, 2017
MCPS has created and implemented a new platform for reporting grades posting assignments:myMCPS Classroom. This will replace the use of Edline for the 2017-2018 school year. The new system is more cost effective than Edline was, allows teachers to annotate and write comments on documents as they gr...
Ultimate Frisbee Petitions MCPS for Official Sport Status
By Will Hyland, Production Editor
May 31, 2016
The idea that ultimate frisbee would become a recognized MCPS sport has been tossed around for a while, and with the recent announcement by the Olympic committee declaring frisbee an olympic sport, now may be the most likely time for a change to be made. CHS ultimate frisbee captain junior Jacob Gl...