A newspaper for students at Woodlawn High School.
Warrior News A Newspaper for Students at Woodlawn High School
Date 1/9/2025
Issue no. 2
By Warrior News and Hassan Richardson Inspiring a New Generation to Teach
More than 115 kindergarten students re- cently took part in Woodlawn’s Teacher Academy of Maryland’s (TAM) Winter Wonderland field trips. WHS TAM students researched arts and crafts activities and created interactive les- sons for kindergartens from Johnnycake, Featherbed Lane and Chadwick Elementa- ry Schools. Winter Wonderland field trips were held between November and Decem- ber of 2024. According to the Maryland State Depart- ment of Education (MSDE), “as of October 2023, there were 63,220 teachers in Mary- land Public Schools. After a sharp increase from the 2020-2021 school year to the 2022-2023 school year, teacher attrition rates stabilized. Despite these encouraging signs, attrition rates remain high, with 10.7% of Maryland
teachers not returning to teaching in the state in the 2023-2024 school year.” WHS’s TAM program is part of the effort to train and recruit future educators before they leave high school. To provide WHS TAM students with op- portunities to learn about teaching as a ca- reer, students have taken part in field ex - periences and planning and implementing lessons and activities for kindergarteners. Currently eight senior TAM students are engaged in paid teaching apprenticeship experiences at local elementary schools. “My goal for my department is to make students excited about their education and education period. Even if they don’t want to become teachers. I want to them to value their education and feel empowered,” said Ms. Abrams, Teacher Academy of Mary - and Coordinator. According to MSDE, there were 2,144 teacher vacancies in the state in the 2022- 2023 school year, but educator preparation programs (EPPs) only produced 1,914
Ms. Rhodes and Ms. Abrams lead WHS’s Teacher Academy of Maryland (TAM) Program. Click on the link to experience a Winter Wonderland field trip.
completers in the prior school year, includ- ing completers from both traditional and alternative programs. Helping students understand the dynamics involved in a teaching career is an import- ant part of classroom activities in Wood- lawn’s TAM program. According to Ms. Abrams, time is spent “having them reflect on their educational experiences and consider what they think teachers should be? How they should teach and how to best teach/work with students?”
Warrior News
Staff Writers Jamal Abdul Salaam Trey Bell Mariyah Cross Ashton Ford Jhann Gumeta Cameron Ladson Ah’Mya Lewis Kimberly Logan Cherish Marvin Toni Mebusaye, Hibba Nazir Abdulbasit Olapade Hassan Richardson Ta’mira Thomas Ronnie Tillery Staff Advisers Kimberley Simms Vanessa Hudson Roger Scott Zuri Smith
Free Academic Help Available By Warrior News
“It is important for students to realize they can only do well and progress upward if they put in the work,” said Marshall. The second quarter marking period will end on Jan. 24. Students who received a failing grade first quarter must earn a C or better in order to pass semester one (MPI and MP2). Contact Sean Marshall (smarshall8@bcps. org) or Mr. Escarge (hescarge@bcps.org ) if you want to participate in the After School Enrichment Program. Saturday school is also available for students in need of help.
Students needing academic help can gain assistance through Woodlawn’s After School Enrichment Program. The program provides “direct one-on-one support to students outside of the class- room so they can further learn and prac- tice the course content,” said senior Sean Marshall who has worked with teachers to establish this program and coordinate tutor training. The program started in the 2022-2023 school year and is held in the F-wing start- ing at 2:30 p.m. after school.
Date 1/9/2025
Issue no. 2. Page 2
WHS Cheerleaders Ready to Exceed Expectations By Trey Bell, Warrior News
How long have you been coaching cheerleading? What are some of your accomplishments? This is my third-year coaching, my first year coaching at Woodlawn. I have gone to states four times, placing sec- ond and third. I helped Pikesville High School place first in the county at com - petition. As for Woodlawn, this past fall season, they placed fifth in the county, scoring the highest program score in years for Woodlawn High’s cheer program. As a first-year coach at WHS, what is your vision for the WHS cheerlead- ing squad? I think my vision is mostly work ethic and unity. I want to create a team that is proud of what they put out, whether they win or not. I want them to gain skills that they will carry through their whole lives.
and mentally. Practice also isn’t what people may think it is; cheer requires muscle memory and control of the body. It takes the same amount of dedication and fortitude as any other sport. During the fall season, the cheerlead- ers presented a strong and surprising performance? What can be expected for competition this winter? I think improvement. We set the bar high for ourselves during fall season, and I think that causes pressure. But I think we can rise to it and exceed all expectations. How can the WHS community sup- port the cheer program? Taking a step back, realizing that we are a new program and a new group of people. This is a new team, with its own learning curves and its own chang- es with each season.
would I be comfortable with at their age? What would I want to do in their position? I think by putting myself in the shoes of the athletes, they under- stand that everything asked of them is doable. That I wouldn’t ask anything of them that they could not do. I lead as a leader with reason and understanding and grace. Is there anything else that you’d like the community here at WHS to know? For us, winter season is just getting started. I personally am looking for - ward to the growth. We’re about a month out from competition and I look forward to seeing the team evolve and grow. I am very proud of the work we put in and excited to see it progress even more! Woodlawn High School Cheerlead- ers. Photo Credit: Ms. Grace.
To me sports are more than just ath- letic ability, it’s so- cial and life skills. Things that will stay with them forever.
So, giving grace and understanding is a huge support. Also, coming to competi- tions and coming to games to see us is a huge way to show support as well. As a coach, what is your philosophy to keep your athletes motivated?
What is something you wish people knew about cheer - leading as a sport? That it’s more than just wearing a uni- form and being cute. We lift people in the air, which takes strength, physically
Ms. Grace, WHS Cheerleading Coach
I think my philosophy is to lead by example. I think of myself as an athlete. What
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