We all know the story: student skips school, student gets marked absent from his or her class and the absence is marked unexcused. Rinse and repeat five times, and the student has a Loss of Credit (LC) on his or her report card. But the narrative will hopefully change next year, as a county proposal could eliminate this inefficient policy.
In times of joy, an unvanquished spirit manifests in our student body. Yet in times of tragedy, our school pulls together in an even more united front. The recent death of senior Paris Essoumba has brought an outpouring of support among the Blair community. Students, teachers and administrators alike encourage one other to "stay strong" during our period of collective grief. And indeed, the community has already formed networks of support and outlets for grieving, from Facebook groups to Friday, Feb. 5's "Freestyle Friday" event. Grief counselors were readily available to the student body, and teachers urged their classes to express their complex emotions upon hearing the sad news, rather than hold them in. In the wake of tragedy, Blazers prove themselves to be remarkably resilient, brave and supportive of one another.
With the recession and rising college tuition costs, more and more people are turning to cheaper education venues, particularly online ones. But educational experts have questioned the quality of online postsecondary education since it first began, and students must decide whether they are willing to give up a traditional education for a cheaper online alternative.
February has always meant that winter finally starts to lose its icy grip over the weather, furious budget hearings are held around county and, of course, Valentine's Day looms. With that in mind, we at Silver Chips have decided to compile a list of our favorite romantic comedies, or "romcoms." These are perfect for either watching with your significant other on Valentine's Day, or on your own with a pint of Haagen-Dazs.
Her eyes are glued to a small hollow ball as it shoots towards her. She engages in a back-and-forth rally with her opponent, returning his hits with a strong and carefully planned-out swing. This arduous match between senior Janice Lan and her coach is one of precision, timing and intense concentration.
One finger reaches out to press against the black outline of the map. "This is where I grew up," junior Zohra Khan says, pointing to a space just inside the Pakistan border. "This is where I spent 15 years."
In 2008, Blair students took 1,708 Advanced Placement (AP) exams, according to a February 2009 memorandum from the MCPS Office of Shared Accountability, while in 2009, Blair students took 1,998 exams, according to Jody Leleck, chief academic officer for Montgomery County schools. The number of exams increased by approximately 17 percent from 2008 to 2009.
Superintendent Jerry Weast proposed a $2.2 billion preliminary operating budget for fiscal year 2011 (FY 2011) at a Board of Education meeting last week. Weast's goal in preparing the budget was to keep expenditures as low as possible without compromising quality of education, reflecting limited resources as a result of the recession, according to Chris Barclay, vice president of the Board.
Where only first names appear, names have been changed to protect the identities of the sources. Reality TV shows like "My Super Sweet Sixteen" or "NYC Prep" reinforce the typical stereotype of rich teenagers, giving the impression that affluence means having money and flaunting it. But these shows, despite being advertised as "reality", do not portray the average lives of affluent teens in Silver Spring.
As computers have become an integral part of modern life, so have computer troubles. When trying to meet a deadline or praying to finish work during the wee hours of the morning to get some sleep, computer malfunctions can produce screams of frustration. Unfortunately, banging on the side of the computer or repeatedly clicking the "cancel" button just doesn't do the trick. Students in Blair's Cisco Academy, however, have learned to resolve computer problems without these angry outbursts.
2009 witnessed the wild success of music artists fresh out of high school. From Taylor Swift to Drake, 2009 has seen young artists from multiple genres topping the charts and capturing Blazer attention (in a random lunchtime poll of popular '09 songs conducted by Silver Chips).
When the starting gun sounded on President Obama's administration, the races to reform health care and repair the ailing economy began, each facing ruts and bumps along the course. But with Race to the Top (RTTT), Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's new education reform project, the administration has reached a winning stride.
The Montgomery County Planning Board held a public hearing Dec. 10 to discuss the proposed Purple Line Plan in the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission auditorium in Silver Spring, according to Tom Autrey, head of Montgomery County Transportation Planning.
The Board of Education (BOE) added expanded Student Member of the Board (SMOB) voting rights to its 2010 legislative platform in a Nov. 10 vote, according to SMOB Timothy Hwang, who introduced the proposal.
The University of Maryland Board of Regents approved a decision on Dec. 4 that will require undergraduate applicants to take four years of high school math, including a course their senior year, according to Teri Hollander, the associate vice chancellor for academic affairs.
Little by little, the landscape of Sligo Creek Park is changing. Native plant and animal species are vanishing, and the rate of collisions along Sligo Creek Parkway is rising. Without a doubt, the park is in jeopardy. The culprits are the deer: The whitetail population that used to be merely a nuisance is now becoming a serious danger to the park's ecosystem and nearby residents.
Every year along with shiny new presents and tasty desserts, the holiday season brings the elusive "holiday spirit." Yearlong grinches become angels just for these two months – or at least, that's the hope. But can your entertainment editors live up to these tall expectations?
As legendary Redskins supporter Chief Zee screams his war chants and beats the edge of his seat, other fans look with admiration at the man who bleeds burgundy and gold. The passion of this ardent rallier is something Washington fans are used to every season. However, the Redskins have been on a rocky path recently, enduring stressors from a terrible season to a controversial Supreme Court case over the team name. The Redskins have always had trouble with critics who find their name offensive. What these critics fail to realize, though, is that "Redskins" is being used not in a derogatory manner, but rather as a mark of respect and honor.
Click. Kae Denning-Evans turns on the tape recorder. It starts rolling and the student begins her lines and the session begins. Then, another click. The tape stops. The student replays the tape, listening carefully for any mistakes in his or her speech. Denning-Evans makes sure the student finds his or her mistakes and corrects them. No, Denning-Evans is not leading a play rehearsal — she is conducting a speech pathology session.
LOCs, DTIs, CPAs, college funds, checkbooks, taxes…it's enough to make your head spin. Finance is one of those eternally elusive things, like a bar of soap that's fallen to the bottom of the sink. Unless you've already got a good grasp on it, it can be really hard to pick up. And during tough economic times, it is now even more vital that students know how to manage their own funds.
Sherlock Holmes (PG-13) — The classic detective Sherlock Holmes is back with a bang, but this time, he's stepped out of his Baker Street home to fight giant men and cavort with beautiful women. The film, directed by Guy Ritchie, features "Iron Man" Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes, alongside Jude Law, who plays sidekick Dr. John Watson. Though the movie isn't in line with traditional Holmes portrayals of Arthur Conan Doyle's famed sleuth, Holmes's antics are sure to appeal to viewers. After all, "Nothing Escapes Him" — not even the audiences. (Dec. 25)
For American television, it was the year of teen drama. Everyone, from pre-teens to teens to even adults was infatuated with the slew of high school and college-based shows. The bad, the bold and the beautiful all came together to give us an explosive year of remarkable entertainment.
"With the greater presence of security guards I feel safer, but I also feel as if I am always being watched and have no privacy. I feel that I am almost never in danger while I am in school during school times. But I also feel as if I am always being watched and can't do anything unless it is 100 percent approved by school." -sophomore Sarath Asari
As global temperatures continue to rise and emissions levels continue to increase, the need for action on climate change from world leaders grows more important. This month, the U.S. attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, to discuss an international solution to the global warming crisis. At the summit, the U.S. faced the choice of committing to an immediate and costly emissions reduction agreement.
The Maryland State Department of Education may withhold funds from the current MCPS Fiscal Year 2010 budget because the county did not meet maintenance of effort funding requirements (MOE) for this fiscal year, according to Marc Hansen, deputy county attorney for Montgomery County.
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