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

It is hard for the different freshmen to connect and form bonds while school is in a virtual environment and they only get interaction over zoom.

Freshmen students struggle with connections during virtual learning

By Rachel Mattison, Assistant Advertisement and Subscription Manager December 10, 2020

Virtual school has caused everyone to be separated from their school friends, activities and communities. Freshmen are now over a quarter into their first year at WCHS and many are still struggling to...

A view of a building at Montgomery Colleges Rockville campus. Because of COVID-19, classes in the Early College Program are being held virtually, instead of on campus.

Early College Program offers a unique education experience

By Jeremy Fredricks, Copy Editor November 29, 2020

Like most American 16-year-olds, Ariadne Dimitoglou is doing her schooling from home. Unlike most of her classmates, who are learning material from their junior year of high school, she is learning at...

The 2020 WCHS Boys Varsity basketball team is shown in the picture with two of their coaches. The photo was taken at the beginning of the basketball season. The text next to the image shows how dominant the team was, starting their season off with a 7-1 record.

Boys basketball team prepares for season

By Justin Greenzaid, Assistant Sports Editor November 22, 2020

After winning the 2020 Regional Championship for 4A West Region 1, the WCHS varsity boys basketball team looks to defend their title this coming winter. With a delayed season scheduled to start on Feb....

Elyssa Shenker holds a digital meeting of her club, Purposefully Repurposed. Shenker has been forced to adapt to the challenges of virtual school.

WCHS clubs adapt to virtual meetings

By Trevor Gardemal, Social Media Manager November 11, 2020

As of the 2020-2021 school year, there are 157 active clubs at WCHS. Ranging from Kpop Dance Club to Women in Politics, there is truly a fit for every student. In a normal, in-person school year, it is...

Zoom has quickly become one of the most common mediums of online interaction. Colleges are beginning to utilize Zoom for online tours, information sessions, and now online interviews.

Online interviews are less effective than in-person ones

By Andrew Chan, Editor-in-Chief November 11, 2020

With COVID-19 altering the way the world runs, nearly everything around us has changed. Whether it is getting lunch with friends or taking a unit test over Zoom, major aspects of our lives are drastically...

Junior Bridget Kelly (right) walks into the Potomac Community Center on Oct. 28 for her assignment as a poll worker. Kellys shift runs from 6 am until 11 pm and consists of setting up the precinct, checking voters in and helping them vote.

Student volunteers gear up for 2020 presidential election

By Maya Bhattiprolu, Online Editor November 1, 2020

As Nov. 3 gets closer, it's not a surprise that this year has provided more challenges than past presidential election years. Election workers, a key but often undervalued group on Election Day, has also...

An offical drop box from the state of Maryland for the 2020 election sits outside the main enterance at Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Md. on Oct. 18.

Drop boxes provide safe alternative to in-person voting

By Jeremy Fredricks, Copy Editor November 1, 2020

When COVID-19 struck during an election year, the question raised was how would people vote safely. Drop boxes became the answer. These boxes have turned community centers and local high schools, including...

Solidarity Mask team members and students Meredith Eby, Lily Geshelin, SofĂ­a Noguera and Carolina Noguera have all been working together to run the non-profit since May of 2020.

Solidarity Masks promotes safety and social justice

By Olivia Yasharoff, Arts Editor October 28, 2020

For those tired of wearing blue surgical masks and looking for a more sustainable, impactful and trendy option, Solidarity Masks is the answer. Solidarity Masks, co-founded by WCHS junior Carolina Noguera,...

These new teachers joined the WCHS staff department this fall.

New teachers arrive at WCHS for 2020-2021 school year

By Liam Klein, Assistant Online Editor October 28, 2020

Since schools closed due to COVID-19, there have been many new teachers in the WCHS community. In total, 28 new staff members are new to WCHS; 23 of them are teachers. Due to remote learning, it has been...

Gym classes are still a great way for students to get moving after long class periods of sitting down. Through videos and demonstrations, students have been able to get some of the gym experience during this period of distance learning.

Virtual art and gym classes adopt new techniques

By Emily Zhang, Features Editor October 28, 2020

With in-person school closed, art and gym teachers especially have had to adapt and adjust this school year. From curriculum changes and connections issues, it has been a whirlwind of new experiences....

Due to the sudden switch to distance learning, teachers have had to adjust how to teach their lessons during the pandemic.

WCHS teachers battle anxiety during virtual learning

By Sylvia Thomson, Assistant Social Media Manager October 28, 2020

No one was prepared for the extreme set of obstacles that the pandemic hurled at us. Teachers were especially taken aback in the spring by the switch to distance-learning, scrambling to modify their classes...

Before the pandemic, teachers used Google Classroom as the main platform for online teaching and resources. Now educators use Canvas which students and teachers are beginning to get used to.

WCHS teachers switch from Google Classroom to myMCPS

By Nur Yavuz, Features Editor October 28, 2020

Last year during the fourth quarter, teachers were frantically trying to instruct classes using Zoom and Google Classroom. Eventually, it was decided that the first semester of the next school year would...

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