SSTRIDE©: Science Students Together Reaching Instructional Diversity & Excellence

"SSTRIDE© is an outreach effort of the FSU College of Medicine with support from Florida's Area Health Education Centers.

SSTRIDE©'s mission is to identify students who have a genuine interest in pursuing a career in science, engineering, mathematics, health, or medicine and to give those students the support services important for them to develop the sense of responsibility, focus and motivation necessary for success in their chosen fields." (http://med.fsu.edu/index.cfm?page=SSTRIDE.home)

Freeport Middle School and Freeport High School students were recently inducted into the SSTRIDE© program. Each SSTRIDE© student in 8th (FMS) and 9th grade (FHS) received a lab coat, words of encouragement, and a stethoscope. A special thank you to the Walton County SSTRIDE© Coordinator Penny Eubanks, SSTRIDE's Director Thesla Anderson, Julianna Godwin, a former USSTRIDE student and keynote speaker, and Anna Dyess, a SSTRIDE© Advisor.  A big thank you also goes out  to all of the induction attendees,  SSTRIDE© parents, FMS adminstration, Mr. Appel, the 8th grade SSTRIDE© instructor, and  the FHS SSTRIDE© students who assisted with the induction. 

Marine life artist Wyland will be in Destin September 28-October 1st at the mid-bay marina repainting his famous mural. Families can visit the marina to watch the restoration of the Whaling Wall or paint on large canvases set up from 8am-6pm. A presentation was recently made to 2nd and 3rd graders at FES about the importance of protecting large marine animals who live on the coast. 

The Freeport Elementary School SophistiCats is a performing show choir of twenty-eight fourth grade students directed by Miss Angela Saltsman. The students rehearse once a week after school and perform music from a variety of styles and eras. In the past, the SophistiCats have performed throughout Walton County at community and company events, including the Freeport City Hall Veterans Day program, the Freeport Christmas Tree Lighting, and the annual Chelco business meeting in DeFuniak Springs, as well as school concerts and events. The SophistiCats' first performance of this school year will be at the Walton County Fair on October 7th at 6:00 p.m. We value the community’s support of the arts and music in our schools!

Students pictured left to right: Eli Albury, Courtney Roberts, Sadie Kilgore, Madison Maples, Adalyn McCormick, Annabela Hope, Alysen Baynard, Isabella Birch,  Kaden Saunders, Layla Melcher, Kayla Digges, Marissa Andrews, Milo Rasz, Landon McLean, Robert Byrd, Madison May, Kassadi Watson, Keira Smith, Miranda Lee, Amelia Dykes, Licia Alamo, Trinity Gilbert, and Alexander Dean. Not pictured: Abigail Osborn, Caitlynn Fannin, Tricia Withrow, Olivia Godwin, and Sydney Meisner.