Sherwood High School (Maryland)

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Sherwood High School
Motto Aim for Excellence
Established 1906
Type Public Secondary
Principal William Gregory
Students 2240
Grades 9–12
Location Sandy Spring, Maryland, USA
District Montgomery County Public Schools
Campus Suburban
Colors Blue and White
Mascot Warriors
Newspaper The Warrior
School Song Among the Leafy Branches
Website http://sherwoodhs.org/

Sherwood High School is a secondary school in Sandy Spring in unincorporated Montgomery County, Maryland. Sherwood's program of interest is the international studies program, and is also known for its music and athletic programs. Sherwood draws students from Farquhar and Rosa Parks Middle Schools.

Sherwood serves the towns of Olney, Ashton, and Brookeville.

Contents

[edit] History

Sherwood Academy was built on a piece of land donated in 1883, that was once part of Sherwood Farm — named because the abundance of trees was reminiscent of Robin Hood's Sherwood Forest. [1] In 1906, Sherwood became the third public high school in Montgomery County, after Richard Montgomery High School and Gaithersburg High School. The original school building was replaced in 1950 [2], and the one thousand seat Ertzman theatre was added in 1974. The school was renovated in 1991-1993, during which students were temporarily displaced to the Northwood High School building in Wheaton, Maryland.

[edit] Student body

Sherwood High School has 2240 students enrolled for the 2005-2006 school year. The school's student body is comprised of 63% Caucasian, 15.6% African American, 11.1% Asian, 9.9% Hispanic, and 0.4% American Indian. [2] The graduation rate for the school is 93.6%, with 79.3% planning to go on to college.[2] In SAT testing, students have an average score of 553 (math), 532 (verbal), and 1085 (total). This places Sherwood slightly less than the Montgomery County average of 1102 (total), but above the national average of 1028 (total). [2]

[edit] Academics

The International Studies Program is the signature program of Sherwood High School, which distinguishes the school by providing a unique focused program. The signature program was established in 1998, coinciding with broader restructuring that occurred with the opening of nearby James Hubert Blake High School. Blake High School, along with Paint Branch High School and Springbrook High School formed the Northeast Consortium of schools. The consortium provides each with a specialized signature program that distinguishes each school, and that students can opt for instead of attending their local neighborhood school. While Sherwood opted out of the consortium, it established the International Studies Program. Sherwood is a member of the International Studies Schools Association, a national network of schools dedicated to improving students' understanding of the world. [3]

In 2006, Sherwood High School was listed in the Newsweek Magazine's top 1200 High Schools in the U.S., as the 388th highest-rated school in the country, up 61 places from its 2005 ranking of 449.[4]

[edit] Music

Sherwood High School is known for its music programs, including its annual Rock 'n Roll Revival show, which was established in 1972 [5]. The original concept for the show was conceived by Sherwood teacher Sam Andelman and the yearbook staff in 1970. [6] The show, under direction of Music Department Chair William C. Evans and teacher Gene Orndorff, includes performance of over 40 popular oldies songs, such as Jailhouse Rock, which appeal to parents. Each March, Rock 'n' Roll Revival has six sold-out performances over two weekends [7] at Ertzman Theatre, with a seventh performance for students in area middle and elementary schools. Many other schools have since replicated Rock 'n Roll Revival. [8]

Sherwood High School also has an Instrumental Music Department under the direction of Alex Silverbook [9]. The school offers Jazz Band, Jazz Lab, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Symphonic Orchestra. Also offered are choruses including Jazz Choir, Show Choir, and Women's Chorus. The well-known jazz drummer Allison Miller [10] is a graduate of the high school [11]. Currently, Department Head Bill Evans and Sherwood graduate Keri Heinbuch teach chorus classes while Alex Silverbook conducts the instrumental groups. Marsha Barnes instructs music theory, piano, and guitar courses.

[edit] Athletics

The Sherwood Warriors varsity football team has won a number of Maryland state championships, including 1995 and 1996. [12] The Warriors also made it to the state finals, only to lose to Suitland High School in 2006, Damascus High School in 2005, and to Parkdale High School in 2003. [13] [14] Former New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys fullback, Richie Anderson, played for Sherwood before heading to Penn State in 1989.

The boys soccer team has also found success, winning the 2004 and 2005 Maryland state championships. [15] Soccer star, Oguchi Onyewu, currently playing for the Newcastle United in the Premier League, is a Sherwood graduate and played for Sherwood in 1997 and 1998. [16][17]


The Boys XC team came in 2nd place in counties in 2006. Runner Chris Bernard came in 3rd place, and Tommy Mullings in 8th. The Sherwood Varsity Basketball team won the 4A Maryland State Championship, held at the Comcast Center at the University of Maryland, College Park, on March 10, 2007. Senior Deontay Twyman scored 26 points in the game, resulting in the win against Magruder High School. [18]

[edit] Notable alumni

  • Richie Anderson, Football player
  • Allison Miller, Jazz drummer
  • Oguchi Onyewu, Soccer player
  • Scott Van Pelt, ESPN anchor
  • Sean Whalen, Actor
  • Matt Murray, President Harvard Lampoon, Emmy Award Winner as writer for Saturday Night Live
  • David Goodman, Winner of Who Wants to be a Millionaire

[edit] References

  1. ^ Grammar, Laura. "Among the Leafy Branches", The Warrior, 2006, February 14.
  2. ^ a b c d Sherwood HS at a Glance (PDF).
  3. ^ International Studies Schools Association.
  4. ^ Mathews, Jay. "The Complete List: 1,200 Top U.S. Schools", 2006, May 23.
  5. ^ Rock 'n' Roll Revival.
  6. ^ "Rock rolls into town Friday night", The (Olney) Gazette, 1997, March 5.
  7. ^ Agresti, Aimee. "Olney's Golden Oldies; At Sherwood High, the 'Rock 'n' Roll Revival' Will Never Die", The Washington Post, 2003, March 2, p. F1.
  8. ^ James M. Bennett High School in Salisbury, Maryland [1], and Severna Park High School in Severna Park, Maryland are among schools that have replicated Rock 'n' Roll Revival.
  9. ^ Music Department Faculty. Sherwood High School. Retrieved on April 9, 2006.
  10. ^ Artist Update. Modern Drummer. Retrieved on April 9, 2006.
  11. ^ Allison Miller - Music workshops. Sherwood High School. Retrieved on April 9, 2006.
  12. ^ Sandler, Michael. "NO. 6 SHERWOOD 13, NO. 4 GAITHERSBURG 0; Warriors Capture First State Title", The Washington Post, 1995, December 2, p. D6.
  13. ^ Levine, Andrew. "Damascus Clears Final Hurdle", The Washington Post, 2005, December 10.
  14. ^ "Prince George's Sports Year in Review: The Fall", The Washington Post, 2003, June 5.
  15. ^ Campbell, Rich. "Sherwood Finds Balance in Second Title", The Washington Post, 2005, November 24.
  16. ^ Goff, Steven. "Onyewu Stands Out in Belgium", The Washington Post, 2006, April 11.
  17. ^ USSoccerPlayers. "Onyewu Named to Squad to Face Fulham", United States National Soccer Team Players Association, February 2, 2007.
  18. ^ Wehmueller, John Y. "Sherwood proves best in county, and the state", The (Olney) Gazette, 2007, March 12.

[edit] External links

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