Currently viewing the tag: "Frederick Community College"

During the 39-year history of the John A. Cliber Memorial Scholarship, sponsored by the Northwestern Frederick Country Civic Association of Sabillasville, 56 awards have been awarded to Catoctin High School graduating students from the Sabillasville Elementary-feeder school.

Two 2021 graduates have each received a $1,000 award for their continuing education. Both recipients, Rachel Pastor and Zander Sharpe, are enrolled for the fall semester at Frederick Community College, pursuing their goals of obtaining degrees in business.

by Buck Reed

If you were not lucky enough to learn the art of cooking from your mother or, even better, your grandmother, all is not lost. It really is never too late to practice and obtain the skills needed to use the most important room in your home.

There are a number of outlets here in Frederick County that offer a glimpse into the culinary world. Frederick Community College offers classes to both professional and novice cooks who are looking to expand their cooking chops. The Department of Parks and Recreation also offers classes for kids, adults, and couples. Both offer a delicious experience in a relaxed professional atmosphere.

But what about learning to cook from a book? Can you gain the finesse needed to become a skilled cook between the pages of a cookbook? I would say no. I do not care what current culinary superstar wrote the book, there is no way you will be able to pick up every single idea they have about cooking. I do believe that if you read a successful, chef’s words you can develop your own philosophy on cooking. You may eventually be able to duplicate their signature dish as well and, given time, you my even be able to make some subtle changes to the dish to make it your own.

If you are working from a book you need to concentrate on the techniques that the chef/writer is working with and duplicate and perfect them. Then, you need to concentrate on getting your flavors down. All this takes time and effort, and there is no shortcut. Nobody is born or wakes up one day with the skills and knowledge it takes to be a great cook. You must practice. You must taste new dishes and try to figure out what ingredients and techniques were used to obtain their results.

Which brings us to the internet. Right now, there is no shortage of videos, blogs, and even websites promising a complete set of cooking courses that promise to make you a culinary icon, if not in your kitchen then in your own mind. As soon as I run out of ideas for this article, I promise I will start working on my own website, promising the same lofty goals. And given my experience, it is very easy for me to say that I can learn something from almost all of these outlets. But, if you do not have the basics down, it might be very difficult for you to gain any benefit from these sources.

Cooking is made up of a great deal of science; you can glimpse that science from a book to some extent, but the rest of it is art. And art is pain and understanding and calls upon us to open our minds to new ideas. Finding the right source of instruction that would suit you is something you will have to seek out yourself.

Theresa Dardanell

Congratulations to Lewistown Elementary student Joanna Genemans, who will represent the school at the 2017 Frederick County Spelling Bee on March 11, 2017, at Frederick Community College. The winner of that competition will participate in the 2017 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The Lewistown PTA sponsored an after-school Spelling Club for students in grades first through fifth. Jennifer Sunday and Julie Chappell worked with students weekly, from November until the Spelling Bee on January 18. They discussed strategies and played spelling games. Fourth-grade student Joanna Genemans was the overall winner; the winners from each grade level were: Emily Feaster (first grade); Kali Chappell (second grade); Lena Bussard (third grade); and Riley Robinson (fifth grade). Lena will attend the Frederick County competition as an alternate.

Lewistown spelling bee winners: Emily Feaster, Kali Chappell, Lena Bussard, Joanna Genemans, and Riley Robinson.

by Avie Hopcraft

Fall, with its beautiful autumn colors, is flying by, and the winter season will soon be closing in on us. Catoctin has definitely been busy this past month, as well as the town of Thurmont. Colorfest was a blast, and Sunday was a gorgeous day to walk around to all the vendors.

Many activities have taken place at Catoctin, such as makeup senior picture day, the Powderpuff Football game on October 14, the Sophomore Car Wash on October 22, and the ASVAB exam that took place October 25. One of the main topics that needs to be addressed is colleges—that time will be here before you know it, juniors and seniors, especially for you seniors! Multiple colleges recently visited Catoctin High School for the juniors and seniors to sign up to meet with them and hear about what their college has to offer, including Washington College, Penn State, Shepherd University, and Frederick Community College. Upcoming college visits include the University of Scranton on October 28, Hood College on November 2, Salisbury University on November 11, Stratford College on November 21, University of Baltimore on November 28, and Frederick Community College (FCC) on December 5.

So, all you juniors and seniors, if you can make it to these upcoming college visits, it would really benefit you: find out important information on what they offer and get a feel if one of these colleges might be a good fit for you and your educational goals. Also, check out the local community college, FCC, for you students interested in attending a community college to save money, and take some time to figure out what four-year university you really want to attend. Also, don’t forget to take advantage of the many scholarship opportunities; sign up for as many as you can, so you can get the most amount of money to help with college expenses. Even though it’s a lot of hard work in the beginning, it pays off so many times over in the long run. Juniors especially need to take advantage of college visits, scholarships, and other opportunities related to careers and colleges, because junior year is the pinnacle of your high school career, and it will be the grade colleges look at the most.

In reality, it’s tough nowadays for teens, with their loaded schedules, work, and other responsibilities; these days, everybody is expecting you to know what you want to do with your entire life, and it can be extremely stressful and overwhelming. So, that’s why it’s good to be prepared and have a general idea of what you’re interested in and what you’re not interested in. The guidance office always extends open arms to help you when you’re struggling; it’s good to talk to someone who has a general idea of what you’re going through in getting ready for college and life beyond high school. Just remember, your hard work pays off ten times over in the long run, and take advantage of the guidance offered to you to help you along the way. It’s okay to not know exactly what you want to do, but whatever you end up doing in your life, be hardworking, try your best, and surround yourself with others who will help you be a better person and give you a hand along the way.