Paxton’s eighth grade students had an out of this world time at the Challenger Learning Center in Tallahassee, Florida. Thanks to a grant from the Florida Space Grant Consortium, students participated in a simulated space mission to the moon where they navigated the spacecraft to landing, built rovers, maintained the health of the crew, monitored space weather, and more! They also viewed the northern lights in the planetarium and watched a 3D Imax movie about Earth as seen from the viewpoint of the astronauts on the International Space Station. Thank you Florida Space Grant Consortium and Challenger Learning Center for providing this opportunity to our students! Submitted by Samantha Martin.

Paxton High School’s aerospace students are learning to pilot unmanned aerial systems, sometimes called drones, as part of their concurrent enrollment courses with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Through a partnership with ERAU’s Gaetz Institute, the students earn both high school and university credit while they learn aerospace concepts that lead to industry certifications. Submitted by Samantha Martin.

Toni Aguilar from the Walton County Sheriff's Office crime scene/evidence unit visited Mrs. Melissa Susenbach's Law Studies class recently.  Ms. Aguilar educated students about how techs work crime scenes and what tools are used in the field.  Students immensely enjoyed this realistic learning opportunity. Submitted by Kristen Rhodes.

Freeport Middle School (FMS) hosted our fourth annual Career Day on March 9th. The goal was to expose students to a variety of career opportunities that varied in preservice educational experiences. Sixteen presenters visited fifth through eighth grade classrooms led by AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) students. AVID is a program which helps career-minded students reach their goals. 

FMS would like to extend a big thank you to all the people who volunteered to be a guest speaker for Career Day and to the PTO for organizing the event! From having the opportunity to tour an ambulance, pet a baby goat, to listening to Mr. Russell Hughes’s journey to becoming the Walton County School District’s Superintendent, the students’ exposure to the various careers was a priceless educational experience and one they are sure to remember for a long time. 

2017 Freeport Middle School Career Day Guest Speakers

Ronnie McBrayer- Writer, Musician, and Pastor

Theresa Devine and Charlie the Goat- Farmer

Kristin Pond- K-9 Deputy

Freeport Fire Department

Bo Wilkerson- Historical Fiction Author

Jenn Latusek-Nabholz- Marine Biologist & Environmental Scientist

Joseph Register- Bee Keeper

Dylan Laird- Regional Utilities Engineer

Trey Nick- Nick’s Restaurant Owner

Denise Rogers- Custom Impressions Painting Company Owner

Brittany Tate- Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance Representative

Chandler Williams- Photographer and Owner of Modus Photography

Rik Poloski- Five-Star Audio Visual Representative

Leslie Harrison- Forensics

David Swanick- Attorney and Mary Garner- Paralegal

Russell Hughes- Superintendent of Schools 

Submitted by Chelsea Ellison.