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By Evan Whatley PARCC will be taking place between April 26th, and June 7th, 2019. Students in English 10, and Algebra I and II will take the PARCC or Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers test. The PARCC is a standardized test from the Maryland State Board of Education in order to monitor teacher performances and student progression.
By Zachary Kersh Some call it news. Some refer to it as journalism. Others refer to it as the fourth branch of our government. Since the creation of our American government, the founding fathers stressed the importance of the press. Being the group who provide the public with information, the press is vitally important. Americans deserve to be properly educated on the things that directly impact almost every aspect of their daily lives.
By Jessica Lipman
Before the month of May, high schoolers begin to prepare themselves for their Advanced Placement exams. Whether you are testing in AP Government, Calculus, or Biology, most students deal with an immense amount of stress. Although these exams could possibly give you college credit and prove your academic abilities, are these exams even worth it? Do they even prove how wise a student is? By Ellie Henderson
On January 25, 2004, NASA sent rovers to Mars to do research on the Red Planet. Opportunity was one of the rovers that was sent over the other was called Spirit, they both had the same purpose on Mars. The information that the rovers gathered proved and disproved theories that NASA scientists had on life at Mars. By Brooke Taylor
I saw Captain Marvel a Fantasy/Sci-Fi movie, recently released March 8, 2019 fittingly on International Women’s Day. Marvel's new release made $61.3 million on opening night. And is expected to bring in $130 million throughout opening weekend, Captain Marvel is produced by By Sofia Weddle
Since the beginning of time, fashion has been as central to humans as food. In the times of monarchies and kingdoms, dripping jewels and inordinate ball gowns distinguished the rulers from the ruled. Flash forward to the the roaring 20’s, where beads and drop-waist flapper dresses became closet staples. Nowadays, it seems such consistency is extinct and comfort is the new norm. By Alexis Kominos
The holiday season is finally here, and people everywhere are beginning to brainstorm gift ideas for their loved ones. Finding the perfect gift for people this season is not always easy. This article has various ideas from cheap gifts for stocking stuffers, to expensive gifts for your loved ones. By Amanda Sames In the beginning of the school year, a presentation is given to the students about school policies, rules and regulations, and the like. The administration also talks about the dress code in the assembly, whether is has changed or not. However, when the topic came up, one assistant
By Sarah Cipolla Two years ago, Jamie Tsao, one of my teammates, was whacked in the head with a lacrosse stick while driving to goal. She was knocked to the ground, curled up into a ball, and squeezed her hand around her head. She was concussed and in excruciating pain. Jamie Tsao had such a bad concussion, she was out for the next month. This is longer than most recoveries because of the extent of her injuries.
By Justin Robertson The new Glenelg High School security and safety policies, adopted for the 2018-2019 school year are being enforced to keep us as safe as possible. However, these policies create numerous problems for students and staff due to vague explanations. Despite only being implemented for about a month, specific issues regarding entering the building and the new buzzer system have been discovered by students.
By McKenna Rueter
Teachers are turning into babysitters the last three days of school. The Howard County Board of Education has extended its school year by three days to make up for inclement weather closings, the last day of school for students has been moved to Tuesday, June 19, 2018. However, controversy has arisen with these extended days because new curriculum and material cannot be distributed to students on these last three days. By Julie Amoss
Snow days are a nice break from the monotony of school. However, if too much snow falls from the heavens and cancels school for too many days, makeup days are often added onto the school calendar in June. By Chase Hensing
Post Malone's newest album dropped on April 27th, and fans are very excited after the long awaited release. Malone first announced the album last February saying it was set to be released by the end of last year, but didn't because he was trying to make sure the album is perfect for fans. By Jessica Lipman
Recently in Maryland throughout all counties, teachers have lost their jobs due to budget cuts. What does this mean for the teachers? Teachers who have lost their jobs are now in search for new schools and buildings to work in. What does this mean for the classrooms? By Jackie Lyons
Barbra Streisand is a world famous actress and singer, best known for her roles in Hello Dolly, Funny Girl and The Way We Were. In a recent interview with Variety magazine, Streisand, mentioned something her fans did not know about her. By Cameron Olenick
In light of the recent Florida school shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018, gun control awareness has become the main topic of discussion in the United States. One side of the argument demands that semi-automatic rifles be banned altogether, while the other side supports the second amendment which protects gun rights. By Reagan Ahlquist
McDonald’s finally brought back the sauce fans have been waiting for due to popular demand. The famous Szechuan sauce has returned after its limited released in 1998 to promote Disney’s movie, Mulan. And fans have been demanding for it after the hit show Rick and Morty brought it into their show. By Nicole King
Cruel, inhuman, degrading; All words to describe the death penalty, a punishment of execution after committing severe crimes. This act goes against a human’s right to life and to live free. These rights were announced in the Declaration of Human Rights which was adopted in 1948 By McKenna Rueter
If you have plans to go away on spring break, you may need to reconsider. The Howard County Board approved the 2017-2018 school calendar to have spring break to run from April 15-22. With three of these spring break days designated for the use of inclement weather makeup days. A controversy has grown into the talk around the school and has raised attention to the pros and cons of the new spring break plan. Different students saying they are displeased with the new plans and others are still taking their vacations as planned. The pros of the shortened spring break include instructional momentum and an earlier end of the school year. Most students will often forget the topics being covered before spring break and struggle to get back on track coming back to school. Teachers will then struggle to plan their curriculum with the lack of focus and attention their students pay forth. The three make up days in the break will bring the end of the school year closer for students and teachers. Most students would much rather have a shorter spring break to get out sooner as Rachel Montgomery, 11th grade, said “In the moment I’m super excited to have the day off to sleep, but at the end of the year I am always very antsy to get out of school and regret all the snow days I wanted.” Increasing the amount of days for summer break rather than off during the school year is seen as the more preferable choice for some students. Although many students want a shorter spring break, Seniors would prefer as many days off during the school year due to their graduation date being set. Seniors are released in May so the amount of snow days do not have an impact on their release date. The cons of a shorter break many families plan may have to be altered. Parents plan spring break excursions far in advance to see family and go on vacations out of state. These plans may be complicated and become very pricey with cancellations of hotels and flights. If parents do not cancel the trips students could lose several days, putting them behind in their classes. Olivia Browne, an 11th grade student, planned to visit many different colleges during spring break and says “My plans to visit may be canceled because my mom doesn’t want me to miss too much school. I was really looking forward to visit but it may not be possible without much time.” A shorter spring break would take away opportunities away from students to visit colleges they potentially would like to apply to. Taking days away from spring break would also deprive students of a mental break from school in order to rejuvenate and recuperate from the weeks of hard work. Some students argue they will get tired out and perform poorly compared to having time to relax and come back to school ready to work. The new spring break schedule brings many pros and cons the students and parents can focus on, but differing opinions will always arise. Keeping the curriculum going and having the school year end earlier will benefit all members of the school in academic performance which is the goal of the Howard County Board. Taking steps to improve the school one action at a time. By Jessica Lipman
College is usually the next step in a student’s career after high school. It is sometimes hard to tell if teachers are helping teenagers prepare for this next step, or if they are holding them back. Taking months to prepare for and determine if someone is considered college ready, the PARCC offers students the opportunity to test their abilities and determine if they are ready to continue their studies. Many students, parents, and teachers question whether this exam is necessary and beneficial or if it wastes students’ time. Created in 2010 with the purpose of designing an exam to evaluate how ready students are for future careers, the PARCC originally began with twenty four states participating. As of 2018, only five states continue the annual test, along with the District of Columbia. According to Adam Clark, writer for New Jersey Education, explains why so many states have broke away from the PARCC. Clark states that the most common complaint from educators is that the “test questions and test format are too confusing, especially for younger students.” However, that does not stop school systems requiring students to take the exam. The PARCC, also known as the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, caused a multitude of reactions. Many can agree it is biased and does not reveal a student’s true talent, but others also believe it is a great tool to show what is expected from students before they graduate or move onto their next grade. The main group of people who view the PARCC negatively are the students. Junior at Glenelg, Molly Stuart, explains that she finds the PARCC test stressful for students because “It seems as if teachers over exaggerate how important the PARCC really is when it really is not that valuable for getting into college.” However, students must pass each PARCC exam in order to graduate from high school. Senior Maria Salandra as well agrees with Stuart on the exam being a source of stress. This year, Salandra had to make up the PARCC, because she did not attend last year and the week of testing was “difficult because of tests in her other classes she needed to study and make up for along with taking the PARCC.” With the amount of stress already placed upon high school students, it is unnecessary for the school to add more of it with a test that does not matter to students. Although participating in the exam is a great way for students to see if they are college ready, a recent study in Maryland has shown that a large amount of students are failing the PARCC. According to Liz Bowie and Tim Prudente, reporters of the Baltimore Sun, “students have made only slight progress and less than half statewide passed the tests [from last year’s assessment].” With the release of last year’s results, many educators were disappointed in their students. Since results like these are being produced, why are states still taking a part in the exam? With the annual debate as to whether students should participate in the PARCC assessment or not, it seems as if the controversy will continue on. Five states still participate in PARCC assessments, there is a common trend of state participation decreasing as time goes on. The real question students want answered is educators want students to be worried over a test that does not matter to them or if they will always be required to participate in order to graduate. |