Assistant Principal Linda Wanner initiated a new program called Senior Achievement Watch this year to help 65 at-risk seniors graduate on time.
Charley's Aunt is "like an eclair—it's sweet and it's fluffy," says director Kelly Newman. Set to open Nov 14 after eight weeks of rehearsal, the Blair production of Brandon Thomas' farcical play promises to be a cute, entertaining, romantic comedy with substance.
Sophomore Peter Lee has been sitting near the auditorium—as far away from the SAC as possible—at lunch every day since the second half of his freshman year. He sums up the problems that, during any given lunch period, send Blazers spilling out of the SAC and into the halls, filling the benches along Blair Blvd and, in many cases, the floors: "The cafeteria is overcrowded and loud, and there are too many food fights,” Lee says. This crowding has grown so severe that a full third of the period can easily be passed simply waiting in line to buy lunch.
The achievement gap that leaves many black and Latino students' academic performance trailing behind that of their white and Asian counterparts continues to plague our school system. Current policies have failed to correct this problem; recently released SAT scores show the achievement gap widening, not closing. If MCPS is serious about reversing this trend, it ought to reconsider its decision to place Centers for the Highly Gifted in two new schools this year, including one in the Blair cluster.