Each Wednesday, six students are picked up in a stretch limousine and driven to Casa Rico on West Patrick Street in Frederick for a free lunch. School staff selects the students -- from Orchard Grove and Ballenger Creek elementary schools, and West Frederick and Gov. Thomas Johnson middle schools -- based on the school's self-improvement criteria.

The first group of the year is from Orchard Grove Elementary and includes Alex Levine, Erron D'Souza, Milan Hill, Morgan Walker, Sarah Edwards and Ashley Turner.

National scholars announced

Seven Frederick County public high school seniors made the list of semifinalists, and 42 were commended for achievement, in the 2005 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Semifinalists include Frederick High students Kaitlin Jacobson, Susanna Merrill and Weylin Ruettin and Gov. Thomas Johnson High student Adam Pritchard.

The following students earned commendation by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation for demonstrating exceptional academic promise by scoring in the top 5 percent of more than 1 million students who entered the competition through the 2003 Preliminary SAT (PSAT): Jihee Choe, Jessica Holzberger, Brittany Jacobs, Michelle McClafferty and Kelsey Painter from Frederick High School; Logan Hartsell, Emily Howe, Grace Kim, Nathaniel Kwak, Jason Nassof, Catherine O'Connor, Benjamin Pierson, Chelsea Powell, Kathryn Schumacher, Adam Sienkiewicz and Rachael Stecyk from Gov. Thomas Johnson High School.

Contact Megan Kuhns at mkuhns@ gazette.net or 301-846-2120. Send notices at least two weeks in advance of printing.