29-03-2025
School Notes: FCPS recognizes 2025 Support Employees of the Year
Frederick County Public Schools announced the six 2025 Support Employee of the Year category winners.
From those six winners, one support employee will be announced on May 21 at the Frederick County Board of Education meeting as the overall Support Employee of the Year.
The category winners will receive trophies and certificates. The overall winner will receive a cash prize, a personal day off, a special trophy and a school board pin.
The category winners, their categories and their schools were:
Theresa Wisner, administrative support, central office
Casandra Allison, food service support, Middletown High School
Livida Merlos, operations support, Ballenger Creek Middle School
Curtiss Belcher, school support, Brunswick High School
Courtney Prahl, special education support, Centerville Elementary School
Tammy Barlow, technical support, Middletown High School
FCC literary magazine
The Frederick Community College literary and visual arts magazine called The Tuscarora Review earned a first-place award for the 10th consecutive year.
The American Scholastic Press Association recognized The Tuscarora Review with first place with special merit, which is the association's highest distinction.
The Tuscarora Review is focused on writing, such as poetry, fiction and essays, and visual arts, such as photography, paintings and mixed media artwork — all submitted by students, according to an FCC press release.
Faith Haemmerle, the magazine's editor-in-chief, wrote in a letter from the editor that 'the staff this year was inspired by the creative vulnerability of student submissions and commends every person for sharing such incredible literary and visual work.'
Magin LaSov Gregg, the faculty advisor to the magazine, said in the press release that producing the magazine through the Creative Writing Practicum course 'is an unparalleled experiential learning opportunity for FCC students.'
'More importantly, they work as a team to develop transferable skills — critical thinking, consensus-building, and professional communication — that prepare them for success in a range of careers,' she said in the release.
The Tuscarora Review is available online at
Cashless admission for lacrosse games
All FCPS varsity and junior varsity lacrosse games this spring will feature cashless admission to purchase tickets.
The school district implemented cashless admission for varsity and JV football and basketball games using GoFan, a digital ticketing and event management platform.
GoFan credit card readers will be available for attendees who do not pre-purchase their tickets online.
Most athletic events in FCPS cost $6 for adults and $2 for high school students or younger. Children age 7 and younger, FCPS employees, FCPS retirees and visitors age 60 and older are admitted free of charge.
GoFan charges a $1 transaction fee, so visitors will pay $7 and $3 when purchasing electronic tickets.
The school system noted several benefits to cashless admission, including avoiding long lines, fraud prevention and contactless payment and entry.
GoFan is the same ticketing system used by the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association for postseason games, as well as state semifinal and championship contests.
FCPS service award nominations open
Nominations are open for the FCPS 5-Star Service award, which recognizes employees in the school district who demonstrate excellence in one of the five FCPS goals.
The five FCPS goals are organizational culture of achievement; operational excellence; safety and wellbeing; stakeholder engagement; and student and staff experience.
The award is a recognition by community members, who are encouraged to nominate an FCPS employee.
The nomination form is available online at
