Editorial: DHS Web Site
October 2002

Damascus High School's web site is embarrassing. "Among the worst high school web site in the county" would be a fair, apt description. And while the faculty has made the first steps toward improvement, more must be done.

For years, the DHS web site the first stop for many citizens trying to access information on the high school has been allowed to linger in cyberspace with nary an update. While Web Design classes have attempted sort of to give the site a hint of freshness, success has not been evident.

Other MCPS school web sites are a vast resource of great ideas and features.

Quince Orchard features a Streaming Video Library. Why can't the TV Production classes' work be digitized? Wootton, Springbrook, Churchill, and other schools reprint the daily announcements. These are already typed -- why can't they be posted online, for the benefit of students and parents?

Whitman includes Abode Acrobat versions of the Student Handbook, Course Bulletin, and Back to School Night booklets. Several other schools make PDF versions of the PTSA newsletter available. Why can't Damascus do this, too?

Springbrook and Rockville High School both have excellent Photo Galleries. Why not utilize the Photography and Yearbook classes to create a similar DHS feature? Seneca Valley's Gallery of Student Art is attractive; how difficult would it be to showcase Hornet artwork online?

Many school web sites are full of resources for students. At Sherwood, the Weekly College Corner newsletter is posted online. The "Husky Hornet" is emailed to teachers; it would only take a few minutes to reformat it for the web. Other schools also list information on the college application process and financial aid. Paint Branch prominently features their College Visit schedule. Northwest created an "Online Resources" page with links to information on bibliographic format, news sources, libraries, and subject-specific sites. Magruder provides SGA meeting minutes, a club database, and a list of extracurricular activity sponsors with contact information. Why can't the DHS web site be a focal point of information for students?

Watkins Mill's concept of listing "What's New" on the right side of the page is a simple, effective way to inform visitors that the site has been updated. It would only take 30 seconds to update this box daily.

Quince Orchard details the school's attendance policy for parents. Northwest has an incredible web site dedicated to the Jaguars Football team. Wootton students' English projects are featured. There are a wealth of ideas online, and a wealth of resources at DHS to make it happen.

The recent senior parent meeting is a perfect example of how easy this renaissance would be. A Powerpoint presentation was created, an agenda was typed, worksheets were passed out. Everything is already typed up why can't the web team go one step further and put it online?

The most obvious resource for a DHS web site is the students. In addition to the Web Design class, there are dozens of Damascus students who are proficient in web site development. Why not create a "Web Crew," similar to other schools in the county? Why not designate a committee to decide the first steps to recreating DHS's web presence, including a new layout and design? I guarantee that if you put the web site into the hands of 10 knowledgeable students, a completely renovated site would be online in one week. I'll be the first to volunteer.

Whatever the school does, it should happen sooner than later. The web design class will try once again this year to update the site. Hopefully this year, more will be accomplished. There is no reason why Damascus High School's web site can not stand out as among the best in the county.