Official response to Black Lives Matter movement
June 18, 2020
Dear Churchill community, As your school newspaper, we have an obligation to take a stand on current issues. We want to make it explicitly clear that The Observer supports the Black Lives Matter movement. While many are unable to attend protests due to health and safety concerns, there are actions that can ...
WCHS English teacher wins MCCPTA Teacher of the Year
By Melissa Redlich, Sports Editor
May 29, 2020
Need Grant Goodman in a nutshell? Read his last name: good man. WCHS’s very own Grant Goodman became the first teacher to get the Montgomery County Council Of Parent-Teacher Associations (MCCPTA) Teacher of the Year Award. According to Daria Daniel, the MCCPTA Awards Committee Chair, MCPS teachers and ...
Zoom meetings connect Principal Heckert and students
By Jeremy Fredricks, Copy Editor
May 29, 2020
Three months ago, Zoom was a virtually unknown app. Now, it is being used to host events and meetings throughout the world. It has become so popular that Principal Brandice Heckert is using it to reconnect with WCHS students and staff in grade-level meetings. These half-hour sessions include Principal H...
Covid Cadets volunteer to help those in need
By Aliki Dimitoglou, Advertising and Subscriptions Manager
May 29, 2020
Everyone is asking about Covid-19. Where did it start? What can I do to stay safe? What will happen to my business and family? How can I help? There is an answer to the last question: students from around MCPS have stepped in to help their community, through a volunteer program called the Covid Cadets...
WCHS students help communties affected by pandemic
By Ari Dimitoglou, Photo Manager
May 29, 2020
Since the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, WCHS communities have been instructed by Gov. Larry Hogan to stay home and self-quarantine as the virus continues to spread. While the quarantine has kept people separated, it has also brought them together in many new ways. As a way to help oth...
Colleges waive testing requirements for fall applicants
By Ally Salzberg, Assistant Online Editor
May 13, 2020
During this quarantine, students have had a lot of extra time on their hands. Most people are trying to continue with their normal routine as much as they can, while others are taking the time to catch up on missed sleep. This time would have been perfect for high school juniors to get in some much nee...
MCPS student town hall meeting discusses school closures
By Ela Jalil, Assistant News Editor
May 13, 2020
On Weds. April 22, Councilmember Tom Hucker and Lynn Harris, hosted a virtual student town hall that allowed student activist groups to introduce their agenda and to answer questions that students had about how Montgomery County is handling the school closures. Councilman Hucker has held a couple of town ...
New MCPS LGBTQ+ Studies course makes history
By Trevor Gardemal, Social Media Manager
May 13, 2020
Over the past few years, MCPS has made efforts to diversify their curriculum. These changes include the introduction of books written by women and people in color into English curriculums, and the introduction of history courses beyond what is normally taught. In 2021, MCPS will extend this to member...
New and improved vending machines make it to WCHS
By Trevor Gardemal, Social Media Manager
March 9, 2020
Many WCHS students tend to satisfy their daily hunger with snacks from the vending machines spread throughout the school. With multiple machines and a variety of contents in each, it is hard to be unhappy with the selection. However, after recent replacements of the vending machines, students have start...
SMOB nominating convention: the final two
By Quinn Cook, Staff Writer
March 5, 2020
On Feb. 12, delegates from schools around the county went to the annual nominating convention for the 43rd Student Member of the Board (SMOB) position. Held at Watkins Mill Elementary School, the convention decided the final two candidates in the SMOB race. The SMOB position allows a Montgomery County stud...
Churchill for Climate raises awareness for a hot issue
By Allison Jacobs, News Editor
March 4, 2020
Recently, climate change and environmental issues have caused a sense of panic. From threats of the world ending in 50 years to never-ending forest fires, climate change and environmental issues are a constant topic of discussion. Many are always asking what they can do to stop climate change or help ...
MCPS continues to fight to keep summer short and sweet
By Charley Hutton, Advertising and Subscriptions Manager
March 3, 2020
In Aug. of 2016, Gov. Larry Hogan issued a mandate requiring school to start after Labor Day, denying the Montgomery County Board of Education the power to give each county the freedom to make their own decision in regards to school start dates. In early 2019, the Maryland State Senate Committee voted on a bi...