The Black & White Vol. 55 Issue 1

Page 1

photo courtesy ADAM PRILL

SPORTS FEATURET Princeton basketball commit Abby Meyers makes most of last soccer season / PAGE 14

Walt Whitman High School

CROSSWORD “Election and politics: playing the Trump Card in 2016” / PAGE 15

OPINIONT Pro/Con: School starting after labor day/ PAGE 6

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Friday, October 7, 2016

Check out the theblackandwhite.net

Volume 55, Issue I

New quarter assessments start in October by LILY FRIEDMAN & CARMEN MOLINA Beginning this school year, MCPS is implementing subject specific Required Quarterly Assessments (RQAs), worth 10 percent of a student’s quarter grade. All classes with county-created curriculums have RQAs, and each department has a different testing format that aligns with curriculum objectives. Across the county, each department administers the same test and grades with the same rubric, with exceptions in math, AP courses, and other, higher level classes. A select group of MCPS teachers created countywide RQAs this summer in cooperation with the central office curriculum staff. “These are assessments written by teachers who know what’s going on in the classroom,” SMOB president Eric Guerci said. “Your teacher in one of your subjects could have written the assessment or helped to write it.” The teachers also determined staggered RQA dates to ensure that students aren’t tested in every subject at once, director of secondary curriculums Scott Murphy said.

These are assessments written by teachers who know what’s going on in the classroom.

-SMOB Eric Guerci

“We took into account where it made sense for students, so they weren’t overloaded,” Murphy said. “We also wanted the assessments to fall in a natural, authentic point in the quarter.” Each class has a specific window of time to test students throughout the quarter, starting as early as week four in the 10 week marking period. Because testing begins after just one month of school, some teachers worry they won’t have enough time to teach the tested material. “In a perfect world, teachers could teach what we think is most important to help students grow,” English teacher Omari James said. “But at the end of the day, if the kids haven’t been taught what they need for an asPhotos by JEFFERSON LUO and MATEI FAWZY After successful regular seasons, the Vikes fall sports teams gear up for post season runs. Visit theblackandwhite.net for updates. sessment, the teacher is partially responsible.

Continued on page 4

Student CEO inspires new generation of entrepreneurs Students sit patiently in a classroom as they await their teacher’s arrival. But when the door opens, the students find that one of their classmates is walking to the front of the room. Junior Zain Yaqub is the CEO and founder of the Bethesda Entrepreneurship Academy, a local mentoring company where students aspiring to start their own businesses receive guidance from local entrepreneurs. Yaqub’s mother, a local business executive and founder of a college essay assistance company, inspired Yaqub’s decision to create his own business. Despite his close ties to entrepreneurship at home, Yaqub struggled to find opportunities in the community to enrich his understanding of the field. “When I decided I wanted to learn about entrepreneurship, I looked for a local class, but I couldn’t find one,” Yaqub said. “Most local schools, includ-

ing Whitman, do not teach entrepreneurship, so I decided to create a class.” His class includes monthly seminars that allow students to enroll on a classby-class basis. Yaqub and guest speakers advise students on their business pursuits.

by AIDEN LESLEY

I’m really excited to be playing a role in creating a community of teenagers who are talking about entrepreneurship and sharing ideas about it with each other

-Student entrepreneur Zain Yaqub

Yaqub reached out to local entrepreneurs and asked them to attend his seminars to speak about their business experiences and companies.

In response, executives from 26 businesses including HairCuttery, The Burger Joint and Georgetown Bagelry agreed to talk to students about skills acquired from their business pursuits. “I thought it would be hard to find company owners to come and talk to students,” Yaqub said. “But I couldn’t have been more wrong. I was so overwhelmed by their outpouring of encouragement and their desire to help.” Tony Korson, founder of the athletic training company KOA Sports, was one executive who spoke at Yaqub’s seminars. “Zain is doing an amazing job getting the group to understand the basics of entrepreneurship,” Korson said. “His class touches on financial management and talks mostly about marketing and acquiring customers. Acquiring customers is the basic building block for any business.” The class has been successful in the past year, attracting a group of 30 stu-

dents who want to learn about their potential for entrepreneurship. “I intend to come back,” freshman Henry Mcierny said, “especially because I’m very interested in having my own business.” Yaqub plans on turning his business over to his younger brother so he can explore other opportunities after he graduates. “When I go to college, I’m trying to expand to new ventures,” Yaqub said, “I don’t see myself pursuing Bethesda Entrepreneurship Academy for my entire life.” Throughout his time with the company, Yaqub has been gaining plenty of experience and satisfaction with the business he created from scratch. “I’m really excited to be playing a role in creating a community of teenagers who are talking about entrepreneurship and sharing ideas about it with each other and with local business owners,” Yaqub said.


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