From Farm to Table: The Art of Hog Butchering
Danielle Jackson, Secretary of the Catoctin Area FFA Alumni and Supporters Chapter February is a month that usually brings cold weather, wind, and snow. But every February in the Catoctin community marks another year for the annual Catoctin FFA Hog Butchering. This year, the butchering took place on Friday, February 7, and it is estimated…
Local Students Achieve Ivy League Dreams
Alisha Yocum With Ivy League acceptance rates hovering below 10 percent, gaining admission is a rare achievement. This year, two students from Catoctin High School (CHS) defied the odds. They will soon be heading north to join the ranks of some of the nation’s most prestigious academic institutions, marking a proud moment for the CHS…
A Year Abroad: International Students Embrace Life at Catoctin High
Alisha Yocum Imagine spending your high school years in a completely different country. That’s exactly what three international students are doing this year at Catoctin High School (CHS). Jette De Jong from Germany, Ask Thejsen Krogh from Denmark, and Leonie Dienemann from Switzerland are all part of an exciting cultural exchange made possible through Education…
CHS Annual Plant Sale
The Catoctin High School (CHS) greenhouses will be open to the public on Saturday, May 3 and May 10, from 9:00 a.m. to noon. The annual sale features vegetable plants, herbs, annuals, and perennials, all grown by Catoctin High School students with the help of their advisor, Amy Jo Poffenberger.
Calf Pasture Farms Donates Books to Sabillasville Environmental School
Owners of Calf Pasture Farms, Rich and Emily Doney, recently donated new copies of the novel Charlotte’s Web to the third-grade class at Sabillasville Environmental School. Pictured from left are: (back row) Principal Sheena Talley, Richard Doney, Emily Doney, and Literacy Specialist Hilliary Woodward; (front row) students, Judd Harbaugh, Levi Willard, Chase Wiles, and Shiloh…
The Mount and Mother Seton School Unite to Bring Food Aid to South America
At the beginning of Lent, Meghan Fleming with the Mount St. Mary’s University (MSMU) Center for Service, reached out to the Mother Seton School, both in Emmitsburg, asking for assistance in collecting food donations for Operation Mato Grosso (OMG). OMG is a youth-led service group that helps feed the poor in South America that began…
Catoctin High School Senior Earns Dorsey Scholarship
Catoctin High senior Kaitlyn Bartlett was surprised at her school on Thursday, March 20, with the news that she earned a Dorsey Scholarship to McDaniel College—full room and board for four years. Bartlett was one of two FCPS students to receive a Dorsey Scholarship, and just one of four overall this year. Kaitlynn Bartlett with…
Thurmont High School Alumni Association Banquet Coming Up
Maxine Troxell The Thurmont High School Alumni Association banquet will be held on June 7 at 3:00 p.m. at the Rocky Ridge Fire Company Building, located at 13527 Motters Station Road in Rocky Ridge. The evening begins with a social hour at 3:00 p.m., followed by a turkey and oyster dinner. Dinner starts promptly at…
Thurmont Grange Offers Scholarships
Thurmont Grange No. 409 is offering two scholarships to any 2025 Catoctin High School graduating senior who will be attending a technical or trade school, a community college, or a four-year college. You do not need to be a Grange member to apply. Applicants are required to submit one letter of recommendation, an essay about…
Students Corner
by Daniel Hoyle, CHS Student Writer What Are The Kids Doing?What are the kids doing? Where do they go after school or on the weekends? The truth is, nowhere. The Catoctin area is devoid of activities for young people to spend time doing. Most kids (6th through 12th graders) either go to practice for a…
FCPS Youth Art Exhibit
March once again brought the Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) Youth Art Exhibit at the Delaplaine Visual Arts Center in Frederick. This year’s exhibit featured hundreds of entries selected by art teachers at each school. A total of 73 schools participated. The following students from the Catoctin High School feeder pattern were featured: Catoctin High:…
Students Advocate for Charter Schools in Annapolis
Members of the Sabillasville Environmental School Student Government Association (SES SGA) traveled to Annapolis on February 19 to join thousands of charter school students from across the state for Charter School Advocacy Day. The event was organized by the non-profit Maryland Alliance for Public Charter Schools, with a goal of ensuring that elected representatives understand…
Students Participate in Polar Plunge in Support of Special Olympics Maryland
Around 100 students at Catoctin High School and Thurmont Middle School participated in the Maryland State Police Polar Plunge in January. Together, the group raised over $12,000 and jumped into the icy waters of the Chesapeake Bay, all in support of the Special Olympics Maryland.
Thurmont Grange Offers Scholarships
Thurmont Grange No. 409 is offering two scholarships to any 2025 Catoctin High School graduating senior who will be attending a technical or trade school, a community college, or a four-year college. You do not need to be a Grange member to apply. Applicants are required to submit one letter of recommendation, an essay about…
Sabillasville Environmental School Lottery Closes March 12
Sabillasville Environmental School (SES) is a public charter school that is open and free for all Frederick County residents. The school uses classical curriculum, with a focus on agriculture and environmental science. Each year, the school holds a lottery for open seats for the upcoming school year. If you have a child entering grades K-8th…
Martin Luther King, Jr. Award Recipients Honored
Alisha Yocum Each year, Frederick County Public Schools holds a celebration to honor students who exemplify the leadership and character traits shown by Martin Luther King, Jr. Those characteristics include responsibility, caring, fairness, trustworthiness, citizenship, and respect. King was a visionary leader whose unwavering commitment to justice and equality shaped the course of history. The…
Ancient Free and Accepted Masons Acacia Lodge #155
Thurmont’s Masonic Lodge Offering Three Scholarship Awards Since 1995, Thurmont Masons have awarded scholarships worth over $100,000 to area students! Scholarships are available to all graduating high school level seniors from a Maryland State accredited public, private, and/or homeschool program who reside within the Catoctin High School district boundaries, as per the Frederick County Public…
Students Corner
by Daniel Hoyle, CHS Student Writer Moving to Frederick CountyI was born in Westminster, a short 40-minute drive from Thurmont. I lived in Hampstead for the majority of my formative years. While the distance between the two may appear short, the cultures between the two couldn’t be more different to me. My grandparents own the…
Cougar Spirit Connects the Community
Alisha Yocum All the schools in the Catoctin High School (CHS) feeder pattern came together for a Community Night on January 28 at CHS. This annual tradition is supported by the Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and Parent-Teacher Organizations (PTOs) of CHS, Emmitsburg Elementary, Sabillasville Environmental School, Thurmont Middle, Thurmont Primary, and Thurmont Elementary. During the event,…
Planting the Future:
SES Welcomes NASA’s “Moon” Tree In 2022, Artemis I launched as part of a series of missions by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which will enable human exploration on the Moon and possibly future missions to Mars. Recently, students at Sabillasville Environmental School (SES) were the recipients of a “Moon” tree, whose seeds…
