Picture and article submitted by Chelsea Ellison, FMS

On Friday, January 22nd, the FMS & FHS SSTRIDE groups went to the Florida State University College of Medicine to receive CPR training. We are so proud to announce that they are all now CPR certified! Way to go, SSTRIDE students! See the FMS SSTRIDE webpage for more pictures!

SSTRIDE stands for: 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.

SSTRIDE© has a college component for college and university students and a pre-college component for middle and high school students. 

The pre-college component is open to students from designated Florida middle and high schools in Collier, Gadsden, Leon, Madison, Okaloosa, Orange and Walton counties.

The Walton County School District would like to thank the Walton Education Foundation! Over the past year the Walton Education Foundation has awarded over $42,000 to 39 classrooms through its Classroom Grant program using matching funds from the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations.  In addition, the Foundation  has increased the number of students in Walton County’s Take Stock in Children program by 32 percent.  The Foundation has also  worked with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to host the very first Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teaching and Teachers Event – AKA ECET2.  

A special thanks also goes out to following companies and their representatives for their very generous donations to the Walton Education Foundation. 

Kristina Mackenzie with Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa through United Way of Okaloosa & Walton – Over $11,000 for All Walton Education Foundation Programs

Janet Greeno with the St. Joe Community Foundation - $7,500 for Classroom Grant Program

Brian Gilbert, Kevin Campbell and Ashley Williams with CHELCO - $6,000 for Classroom Grant Program

Pictured:  Volunteer Walton Education Foundation Board Members  in attendance at a recent School Board Meeting: Megan Harrison, Lauren Justiss, Kelli Jo Kilberg, Melissa Pilcher, Linda Presenell, Wyndy Crozier.

Click here to see the list of mini-grant recipients.

Pictured above: Walton Education Foundation Executive Director MH Carr (left) and Kristina Mackenzie with the Hilton Sandestin Beach Resort and Spa. 

Picture Courtesy of the DeFuniak Herald/Beach Breeze Newspaper

A big thank you to Grit & Grace for donating the book titled, "Wild Wild Walton" to each of the middle and high school libraries.  The book written by Mr. Ronnie McBrayer is based on Grit & Grace's 2015 production bearing the same name, "Wild Wild Walton."

The special donatation was made at the January 5th School Board meeting.  Grit & Grace board members in attendance were introduced at the meeting: Mark Douglass, Kim Kirby, Mac Carpenter, Voncille McLeod, and Rosemary Garner. The author Mr. McBrayer was also introduced at the meeting. 

School Representatives:

Mitch Jackson – Vice Principal - Paxton School
Jason Campbell – Principal - Walton Middle School
Russell Hughes – Principal - Walton High School
Tripp Hope – Principal - Freeport High School
Charlie Morse – Principal - Freeport Middle School
Youlanda Guice – Secretary - South Walton High School
Jeff Infinger – Principal - Emerald Coast Middle School