Amy Poffenberger, Catoctin FFA Advisor The National FFA Convention is held every year and attracts FFA members from every state, including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The 97th National FFA Convention was held in Indianapolis, Indiana, on October 23 through October 26. While at the convention, 20 Catoctin FFA members joined over 71,000 other…

by Daniel Hoyle, CHS Student Writer “How to Inspire a Community” How do you get people to come out and participate? How do we get people to come to things like these? That’s the question of the hour.” That’s what Michele Maze, head of the Thurmont Green Team, said to me during a volunteering opportunity…

Science teacher Brian Brotherton, CHS Class of 2024, the members of the Catoctin High Environmental Conservation Club, and Class of 2024 graduate Gina Lin were each presented a 2024 Frederick County Sustainability Award for their “outstanding contributions to help the Frederick County community make progress toward climate and environmental justice goals.” The awards are given…

Catoctin High earned national banner recognition from Special Olympics North America for schoolwide efforts to provide inclusive sports and activities for students with and without special needs. Catoctin earned this status by meeting 10 national standards of excellence in the areas of inclusion, advocacy, and respect. “We are so proud of Catoctin High earning this…

Thurmont Grange Donates Dictionaries Recently, members of the Thurmont Grange delivered Webster Dictionaries to all the third-grade students in the Catoctin feeder schools. This is part of a nationwide program called Words for Thirds, which promotes third-grade students to be good writers and creative thinkers. The students can use the dictionaries during class and will…

Caroline Clark of Thurmont (pictured right) was recently named as one of the recipients of the 2024 F. Grove Miller Maryland State Fair Scholarship. The scholarships are given by The Maryland State Fair & Agricultural Society, Inc., which have awarded a combined $20,000 in college scholarships through its F. Grove Miller Maryland State Fair Scholarship…

Celebrating a Legacy of Record-Breaking Achievements and Community Impact Alisha Yocum Julie Sanders of Cascade, Maryland, was recently inducted into the Hagerstown Community College (HCC) Sports Hall of Fame. Sanders attended HCC and, in 1986, became the record holder for shot put, discus, and javelin, and still holds the school’s record for the discus, 20…

Mother Seton School is pleased to announce that on September 9, nine eighth graders were inducted as the newest members of the Archbishop James Bayley Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS). These students were selected based on their academic achievement and strong character: Tierney Burns, Sofia Canadas-Fraga, Trent Faller, Philip Field, Danielle Golden,…

Catoctin High Is Third FCPS School to Earn Banner Recognition from Special Olympics Catoctin High School earned national banner recognition from Special Olympics North America for schoolwide efforts to provide inclusive sports and activities for students with and without special needs. Catoctin earned this status by meeting 10 national standards of excellence in the areas…

In a world increasingly focused on sustainability, Catoctin High School (CHS) and Sabillasville Environmental School (SES) are making significant strides in promoting environmental consciousness among students and staff. Through innovative programs and community partnerships, both schools are setting the standard for what it means to be a Green School. In the spring, both schools received…

Over the summer, two teachers at Sabillasville Environmental School took advantage of professional development opportunities to enhance their knowledge in agriculture and history, both of which are areas of focus at the school. From these experiences, both were able to bring ideas back for the classrooms. Kim Baker Kim Baker, a third grade teacher, recently…

Nine FCPS Career & Technology Center (CTC) students recently placed in the top ten at the 60th Annual SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta. Considered the largest skill competition in the world, SkillsUSA features more than 6,500 competitors in 115 hands-on skill and leadership contests. Each contestant is a state gold medalist. In…

Area churches in Emmitsburg, Lewistown, Rocky Ridge, Sabillasville, and Thurmont are working to provide students in need with school supplies for the 2024-2025 school year. This program is for the students attending the Catoctin Feeder Schools. These schools include Emmitsburg Elementary, Lewistown Elementary & Pyramid Program, Sabillasville Environmental School, Thurmont Primary, Thurmont Elementary, Thurmont Middle,…

The Emmitsburg High School Alumni Association (EHSAA) is pleased to announce the winners of its annual EHSAA scholarship program. Five $1,000 scholarships were awarded this year. The scholarship applicants were judged on involvement in school and community activities, as well as their academic work. Honors and work experience were also considered. The first two scholarship…

Emma and Sarah Simmons won the U.S. Army’s “Ecybermission” National Judging & Educational Event, ninth-grade division, held June 24-28, for their wearable biomedical engineering prototype that expands access to remote healthcare. The win garnered them a very large trophy, medals, and $10,000 each in U.S. savings bonds. They are in the process of applying for…

Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) is pleased to share that three of the six newly elected 2024-2025 Maryland State FFA officers are Frederick County Public School graduates. The announcement of newly elected officers was made during the 96 th Maryland FFA State Convention at the end of June. “I’m so proud of our three recent…

The Frederick County Health Department (FCHD) will be hosting Back-to- School vaccination clinics from August 6 to September 11 for children who do not have health insurance, have health insurance that does not cover the cost of immunizations, or who are unable to get vaccinated by their healthcare provider. Vaccinations will be free for these…

Catoctin High School (CHS) has a new phone number as of July 1, as all of FCPS transitioned to a new telecommunications system. The phone number change was necessary for two primary reasons: (1) The current telecommunications system being modernized to allow more system functionality and reduce maintenance and service costs; (2) the phone number…

Three members of the 1975-76 Catoctin High School Soccer team, who went to the semi-finals in the MD State Class B soccer tournament: (from left) Steve Valentine, David Fink, and Rodney Wivell. The trio almost 50 years later. Steve, David, and Rodney would like to sincerely thank the principal and office staff at Catoctin High…