Citrus County School District

"Where learning is the expectation and caring is the commitment."

Gourmet meals from Culinary
Written by: Student writer Hope Walters

Photo Credit: Student Chloe Dunn. Karina Grubb is prepping this week’s Gourmet meal that staff members can purchase for a small fee. YUMMY!!

Have you ever thought about going in for a nice bite of food on your lunch break, but you want something fresh and hot? Well at Citrus High School, the culinary students work together and come up with these unique dishes for the teachers. They have really expanded the delicious choices they offer for $5, sometimes a little more depending on the ingredients used. A gourmet meal such as a turkey club, baked spaghetti and salad to name a few for just five bucks is amazing and it is fresh and hot and delivered right to the classroom. The halls smell of the delicious fragrances of hot gourmet meals on Fridays when the chef and his class offer this generous treat.  Lent/ meatless options are also available to order. The money goes back to the program to help purchase more ingredients for the future and they are always switching their options so do not worry if you don’t like the choice for that week just wait till next week and there will be a different option. When interviewing Mr. Garcia, he mentioned Karina Grubb for being an instrumental part in making their delicious dishes. Karina Grubb shows up all day Thursday to help prepare and prep for Friday then shows up all day Friday to help cook and prepare for the teachers along with helping with the cleanup. This is just one of the amazing things Citrus High School offers. So, if you're ready to enjoy a nice fresh hot meal email chef Garcia.

By Anastasia Gonzalez

The Crystal River High School Future Farmers of America students got the opportunity to show and feature their livestock at the Florida State Fair this year.

Florida State Fair is a twelve day event that is held in Tampa FL. This is a great way for students of FFA to showcase their diverse livestock and hopes of winning their competition.

Freshman Anastasia Horne shared that this is her first year showing at the state fair, as part of CRHS FFA.

“I have been a part of FFA for four years now and I love it,” Horne said. “The fair went pretty well, while being an officer my first year of high school. I have been an officer for two years now [once prior in middle school].This year the showing only lasted around a week but that was for me because I was showing a rabbit so the showing is only for a week rather than two weeks.”

Freshman Mya Mercer also had the opportunity to show at the Florida State Fair.

“It is my first year showing at the Florida State Fair, but I have been a part of FFA for four years and 4-H for eight years,” Mercer said. “In the time I have been in FFA and 4-H I have shown rabbits, steer, horses and swans. Overall my first year showing as a part of CRHS FFA went really well. We all accomplished what we had been working towards and it was all in all a great year.”

Marching in Style: JROTC Competes
Gisselle M. Brenner, Student Writer

Caption: JROTC Color Guard marches colors at the 2022-2023 Lecanto High School graduation (Photo: Lindsay Blair).

In a display of leadership, teamwork and dedication the Lecanto High School (LHS) Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Crop (JROTC) will be put to the test as they compete at their area meet. On Saturday March 2nd, 2024 the JROTC will put all of their practice and determination into effect. JROTC will travel to Westport High School (WHS) to compete for the Area Drill Meet. 

Saturday’s event will showcase the cadets’ mental and physical efforts, the time and dedication they put into practice and preparation.

“Preparations I take when preparing for any competition, are consistent practice and discipline. Practice and discipline are the key things to success because having the discipline to practice everyday, memorizing patterns, reviewing mistakes, and cooperating with others will help you improve by showing you what you did wrong and teach you how to fix it,” said Cadet Private First Class, Justin Dunn.

During the Area Drill Meet judges will look at the Drill teams every movement and a team’s consistent practice shows. Among the teams competing will be: color guard, armed platoon, unarmed platoon, armed squad, unarmed squad, and exhibition.

“Events taking place are male and female color guards, male and female platoons, and male and female squad,” said Cadet Sergeant Major, Antonio Garrido.

The JROTC Drill team has prepared for their goals this drill season by dedicating their time to practicing, memorizing, learning, and leading their team to victory. Commanders see their cadets push themselves to their limits, overcome challenges, and achieve their goals. They also see them develop strong relationships with each other, learn to work together effectively, and work to build up their team members.

“My goals for this event are that everyone competes on the team as well as all teams place and have a shot at states,” said Cadet Lieutenant Colonel, Hayden Hodges.

While Drill is a team sport, the team relies on strong leadership to guide them through the program and use their passion to inspire and help the team succeed. Drill requires students to work on their leadership skills as well as their teamwork skills.

“Drill is about leadership, and a cadet ran a program, and we focused on marching in a box. Marching is a synchronized movement of the teams and individuals in those teams,” said Cadet Captain Amayah Maldonado.