District News

State of Florida Recognizes High Impact Teachers of Walton County - South End Board Meeting

March 31, 2017

During the March 21, 2017 Walton County School Board Meeting, School Board Member Kim Kirby and Superintendent Russell Hughes presented certificates to several Walton County teachers for being recognized by the Commissioner of Education, Pam Stewart, as some of the highest impact teachers in the state of Florida. 

Pictured left to right: Superintendent Russell Hughes, Carol Davis, Van R. Butler Elementary; Wendy Anderson, Van R. Butler Elementary; Taylor Griffith, Seaside Neighborhood School; Joy Robbins, Seaside Neighborhood School; Dana Akridge, Seaside Neighborhood School; Brandy Wesson, Emerald Coast Middle School; Charlotte Sause, Seaside Neighborhood School, and Kim Kirby, WCSD Board Member. Not pictured, but also recognized are: Jeannine Abadie, Tracey Behr, Nina Borthwick, and Constance Morreale from Emerald Coast Middle School; Sharon Martin from Seaside Neighborhood School; Kasey Smith from Van R. Butler Elementary; Angela Reilly from South Walton High School; and Lisa Henry from Bay Elementary School.

A big congratulations and thank you to these teachers for their hard work in and out of the classroom.  One more example of the quality education and leadership being provided by the teachers, administration and staff of the Walton County School District! Submitted by Keitha Bledsoe.

Walton County Sheriff's Office Crime Scene Unit Visits WMS Law Studies Class

March 31, 2017

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.

WDE 5th Graders Participate in the Great Mail Race

March 31, 2017

5th grade students in Mrs. Currid and Mrs. Garrett’s classes are participating in a program called The Great Mail Race. Mrs. Currid received a letter from a fifth grade class at Al Burress Elementary in Marietta Georgia. The letter invited WDE students to join them in sending handwritten letters to different elementary schools across the nation. The goal is for students to learn how to write a letter and to communicate with other classes in the 50 states

Great Mail Race

For more information please visit the following website:

http://thegreatmailrace.weebly.com/

Submitted by Jessica Dawkins

WDE Kindergarten Students Learning About Proper Dental Care

March 31, 2017

On February 27th, West DeFuniak Kindergarteners were visited by Nurse Stacey Betts and her monkey friend, Mojo. They told students how important it is to keep their teeth healthy. With the help of Mojo, students were able to learn how to brush and floss their teeth properly.  Submitted by Jessica Dawkins.

FMS Hosts Fourth Annual Career Day

March 31, 2017

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.

Northwest Florida Astronomy Association Gives Hands-on Presentation to WMS 8th Graders

March 30, 2017

On Thursday, March 29th, the Northwest Florida Astronomy Association gave a hands-on presentation to Walton Middle School eighth grade science students about the sun and other stars.  The group brought four different telescopes so students could look at the sun safely.  They brought a hydrogen alpha telescope that only allows red light in to view the prominences and granulation of the sun.  The second telescope was a spectroscope for viewing elements in the solar atmosphere.  Another telescope allowed students to view the sun's outline and used the power of the sun to start a fire through the lens.  A fourth telescope used a stainless steel lens to filter light, allowing students to see sunspots.  Students were also given special glasses, which allowed them to look directly at the sun.  Walton Middle School graciously thanks the Northwest Florida Astronomy Association for taking time to give students this phenomenal opportunity. Submitted by Kristen Rhodes.

WDE 2nd Graders Use Cubes to Learn Vocabulary

March 30, 2017

WDE 2nd grade students created cubes using toothpicks and play-doh. Students used the cube models to practice vocabulary terms such as sides, faces, and vertices. Submitted by Jessica Dawkins.

WMS 8th Graders Win Read to Succeed 2 Achieve3000 Contest

March 30, 2017

Congrats to Mrs. Amy Bennett's fourth period eighth grade reading class for winning the Read to Succeed 2 Achieve3000 contest for Walton Middle School!  Students had to read and score 75% or higher to earn points for their class.  These eighth graders worked extremely hard, some even working over Spring Break to meet their goal.  Their hard work paid off!

Pictured Left to Right:

Zoe Watson, Kaden Troublefield, John Powell (JC), Christopher Rollins, Anthony Silva, Cristal Cruz, Myranda McLendon, Kazeri Freeman, Matthew Bearden, Aleigha Oldfield, Joshua Machado, Mrs.Amy Bennett, Nikolas Gomillion, Estevan SantaMaria, Davontae' Pitts, Hali Graves, Chiarra Whitehead, Dane Drake, Tre'Joun Brinson, Dustin Burnham, and Logan Smith. Not Pictured: Anthony Sarriera.  Submitted by Kristen Rhodes.

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