In the media, lunch managers are often portrayed as distant and careless to what is being put on student’s lunch trays. There is no question: lunch managers often have a bad reputation. But in the corner of Commons A, Ms. Ashly leads the cafeteria at Walls. While she creates a welcoming environment that students get school lunch from, she also breaks stereotypes about what a “lunch lady” should be.

November 12th marked the end of the longest government shutdown the United States has ever seen. Although shutdowns are fairly common at the beginning of a fiscal year, the effects of this year’s are more serious than many may realize. It lasted 43 days and affected people's lives in many ways, spanning from government furlough, to travel delays, to food stamp programs shutting down. 

On Nov. 6, Sean Dunn, aka the ‘Sandwich Guy,’ was found not guilty by a jury after almost 3 months of legal proceedings.  Dunn, who threw a subway sandwich at a Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officer in August, was charged with felony assault by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia after the D.C. Superior Court informed Dunn they would not prosecute him. However, a grand jury found insubstantial grounds for Dunn’s prosecution, and therefore refused to ind

Debuting this year is the brand new SWW math tutoring program. Founded by Ms. Kelly, this tutoring program gives students taking higher math classes the opportunity to earn community service hours by providing a little extra help to peers who may need it. Her goal? To provide anyone who wants it with another outlet to master tough subjects on a flexible schedule.  The program officially kicked off in early November, but the idea has long been in the works. “We’ve been, as a

The morning after the November election results came in, many students expressed genuine satisfaction with the results, which delivered several key victories for Democratic candidates such as Zohran Mamdani, Abigail Spanberger, and Mikkie Sherrill. Along with the redistricting of California for the benefit of the Democratic Party, the outcome felt like a turning point.  This year’s elections brought notable wins for the Democratic Party. Several closely contested congression

To many, it may just seem like another webpage. To others, it’s a key place to get crucial information that could potentially alter their lives. The School Without Walls website, once abandoned, barely maintained, and extremely out of date, received the justice it deserved. After many years, the SWW website is officially back on track, getting the attention it needs to be successful. Before the update, students had proposed solutions to fixing the issue. Hunter Davis (‘29) s

In Washington, D.C., neighborhoods that once pulsed with music, food vendors, and the chatter of families now feel hollow. Streets in Columbia Heights, normally lined with fruit stands and crowded with delivery drivers, are strikingly empty. Community members, including students from School Without Walls, say the reason is simple: fear. Over the past few months, the increased presence of national guard troops, local police, and immigration enforcement agents has created a cl

A putrid stench fills the air as students crowd into the strangely stuffy choir room. Slowly, one by one, they realize that circular, black patches dot the ceiling, and panic ensues.

George Washington University, the 59th best university in the country per US News & World and one Walls has deep educational connections with, seems to be the next subject of the presidential higher education crackdowns enforced by President Trump. 

You’ve probably noticed the spotted lanternflies everywhere. These invasive bugs, easily recognizable by their gray and black spotted wings, open up to reveal a striking red underneath. They’ve been showing up all over the city—even right outside our own building, School Without Walls.

Photo credit: Kira Kraniak ('29) Transitioning from middle to high school can be daunting, especially into a selective, rigorous-magnet school such as Walls. It is for this reason that a program called Summer Bridge exists. Where rising 9th graders, along with any students new to Walls, are able to spend a week of their summer getting acclimated to the school. They meet peers and teachers, explore their campus, get acclimated to the high school environment, build a school co

President Trump’s thirty-day emergency takeover of D.C. has ended, but the National Guard is here to stay. Since Trump declared a “public safety emergency” on D.C. crime in August, more than 2000 National Guard troops have been patrolling around the city, costing about $1 million per day. The Guard will be in DC for the foreseeable future, as the only condition for their removal in Trump’s executive order is when the “conditions of law and order have been restored.”

Photo credit: Ray Wright (‘29) As students return to Walls, they may have noticed a change in the urban community which surrounds our school. This change being the presence of the National Guard. These  troops span across the city, at Metro stops  and circling monuments. In a lawsuit filed over the employment, DC Attorney General  Brian Schwalb wrote that the Guard’s presence is “illegal federal overreach.” However, the President says it is legal and necessary to make DC sa

The 2025–2026 school year opened with many new changes, one being the brand-new all-freshmen advisories. In previous years, SWW operated with advisory classes consisting of students from all four grades. This system promoted cross-class communication, which was especially beneficial for underclassmen who did not have many other opportunities to get to know their older peers.

Among the many changes for the new school year, one stood out: the new cell phone policy. According to the policy, students must keep their phones in their backpacks—from the time they enter the school until 3:30. During the first weeks of school, administration made multiple announcements about the rule, since it was district-wide and left little room for students to be on their phones.

Statewide assessments marked the conclusion of a long school year and the start of a bright, refreshing summer. The DC CAPE results for the 2024–25 school year had just been released, and Walls students and staff were delighted to hear that test scores had improved significantly.