Anonymous wrote:I personally (if given the option) would pick Sherwood. It truly does have a great community and every time our school (not Blair) plays them I am envious. I think Sherwood and Quince Orchard seem to have the best communities overall.

+1. The idea of sending a non-magnet kid to a huge high school with an embedded magnet program of kids who get special attention seems about as unappealing as it gets. I think Sherwood and QO are much more appealing.

I personally (if given the option) would pick Sherwood. It truly does have a great community and every time our school (not Blair) plays them I am envious. I think Sherwood and Quince Orchard seem to have the best communities overall.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, we live in Takoma Park, that's our hometown. Other than a few artistic kids who want what Einstein has to offer, pretty much every kid from our neighborhood and middle school opts to go to Blair. So it's very much a hometown school for us. If you live in the Blair boundary area, you should have the same experience.

Are the football games well attended?

As a new Blair parent, I went to my first game last Friday, coincidentally Blair v. Sherwood (Sherwood won). It seemed pretty well-attended to me, at least judging by the lines for tickets and concessions. All the students cram themselves like sardines into one section near the goal line, and there was plenty of energy coming from there. The cheerleading squad is big, active and co-ed. The one weird anomaly, at least to me, was the marching band is really small, maybe 20 kids. Seems odd for the largest school in the state. Anyway, it was a fun time and there were plenty of students there.

Anonymous wrote:Ok, snarky pants. The point I was trying to make was regarding the OP's interest in a hometown school where you know tons of kids and their parents. As an example of that small town feel, I mentioned football. When Sherwood has a Friday night game, elementary and MS kids show up in their OBGC or SSF jerseys and hang out with their team. I'm not saying it's Friday Night Lights, but it is very small town.

Re: academics - I know plenty of Sherwood kids who got scholarships to great schools (for academics and athletics).

Both Sherwood and Blair are great schools IMHO.

Actually I was not being snarky. It was a real question. When my two oldest children went to Blair, nobody went to the football games. When I went to away games I was amazed at the how much fun the football games were, and I really liked it.

My youngest is now in middle school and I was wondering if it has changed at Blair.

Ok, snarky pants. The point I was trying to make was regarding the OP's interest in a hometown school where you know tons of kids and their parents. As an example of that small town feel, I mentioned football. When Sherwood has a Friday night game, elementary and MS kids show up in their OBGC or SSF jerseys and hang out with their team. I'm not saying it's Friday Night Lights, but it is very small town.

Re: academics - I know plenty of Sherwood kids who got scholarships to great schools (for academics and athletics).

Both Sherwood and Blair are great schools IMHO.

Anonymous wrote:Well, we live in Takoma Park, that's our hometown. Other than a few artistic kids who want what Einstein has to offer, pretty much every kid from our neighborhood and middle school opts to go to Blair. So it's very much a hometown school for us. If you live in the Blair boundary area, you should have the same experience.

Are the football games well attended?

Because Blair is bigger, it offers more classes. Educationally similar except many more Foreign Language choices etc at Blair. Sherwood is much smaller, more community feel. Friendly.
Magnet wise- not even close. My Olney kids education at Blair's magnet far superior to Sherwood's.

I think the difference is size, and that Blair draws kids from tons of neighborhoods...not merely TP.

Well, we live in Takoma Park, that's our hometown. Other than a few artistic kids who want what Einstein has to offer, pretty much every kid from our neighborhood and middle school opts to go to Blair. So it's very much a hometown school for us. If you live in the Blair boundary area, you should have the same experience.

Hometown--most kids go to that home school, parents meet and greet each other, kids are not going to 5 different schools

Olney definitely has a hometown feel where everyone seems to know everyone else. This is fostered by playing on the same sports teams, attending the same church, and the active PTAs at the area schools that run annual events. Plus, there are several other community events that foster the small town feel: Olney Days, Hospital picnic, Rock the Lot, several charitable runs/events, etc.

Sports are huge in Olney and at Sherwood. Lots of people turn out for games. This also builds community.

The academics seem rigorous and on par with other good HS in the county. There is less diversity here (both racial and economic) than in other schools in the county, but there is diversity.

I live in Olney and my kid goes to Blair.

No idea what "hometown feel" means, but Blair is a giant school in an urbanized area. Sherwood has about 1,000 fewer kids, is less diverse, and more suburban. My kid goes to Blair and wouldn't want to be anywhere else. It's the high school equivalent of a big state U with options galore. He loves it and so do I. But only you can decide what you're comfortable with. Good luck with your choice.

Anonymous wrote:Our home school is Blair, considering Sherwood with move to get more of a hometown feel for my children. Would love any input on the 2 schools (again the non magnet outlook).

Hmmm. Care to define that?

Our home school is Blair, considering Sherwood with move to get more of a hometown feel for my children. Would love any input on the 2 schools (again the non magnet outlook).