District News

6th Annual Music in Pictures Student Art Exhibition

April 11, 2017

The 6th Annual Rosemary Beach Foundation - Music in Pictures arts in education initiative and juried art contest celebrates the music of five diverse composers: Leo Delibes, Igor Stravinsky, Astor Piazzolla, Aaron Copland and Phillip Glass.  Over 4,000 students from 17 Walton County Schools* listened to and visually interpreted classical music.  Their artwork was entered into a juried competition for public exhibition. This year, 403 paintings are on display from March 13 – April 22, 2017 at 3 locations: Amavida Coffee & Tea (Rosemary Beach®), The South Walton County Coastal Branch Library (Santa Rosa Beach) and Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast (Miramar Beach)

Created in collaboration with professional musicians and Florida State University Faculty, Music in Pictures also includes classical performances, classroom presentations, and professional development workshops for teachers. 

The Music in Pictures Awards Ceremony will be held Sunday, April 30, 2017, at 2 pm.  Festivities will include student artwork slideshow, and awards presentation.

*The exhibition features talented artists from these Walton County Schools:

Bay Elementary School
Emerald Coast Middle School
Freeport Elementary School
Freeport Middle School
Freeport High School
Maude Saunders Elementary School

Mossy Head School
Ohana Institute
Paxton School
Seaside Neighborhood School
Seacoast Collegiate High School
South Walton High School

Tree House Episcopal Montessori School
Van R. Butler Elementary School
Walton Middle School
Walton High School
West DeFuniak Elementary School

2017 BEST IN SHOW 

GiGi O'Connell

Van R. Butler Elementary School

Elementary

4th

 

Lily Gravlin

Emerald Coast Middle School

Middle

7th

 

Carter Hill

Freeport High School

High

9th

 

 

2017 JUDGES' AWARDS

Jaylen Allen

West DeFuniak Elementary School

Kindergarten

Johanthan Ginez

Maude Saunders Elementary School

1st

Rose Harris

Bay Elementary School

2nd

Addie Beauchamp

Van R. Butler Elementary School

3rd

Bella Fisher

Bay Elementary School

4th

Rinoa Callahan

Mossy Head Elementary School

5th

Reese Carter

Seaside Neighborhood School

6th

Syndi Free

Freeport Middle School

7th

Eva Carroll

Seaside Neighborhood School

8th

Audrey O'Flahery

Seacoast Collegiate High School

9th

Ariel Foster

Freeport High School

10th

Kaylee Regan

South Walton High School

11th

Cannon Mitchell

South Walton High School

12th

2017 CHAIRMAN'S AWARDS

Landry Kent

West DeFuniak Elementary School

Kindergarten

Chaz Estes

Tree House Episcopal Montessori School

1st

Kaylie Young

Mossy Head Elementary School

2nd

Jake Mikas

Paxton School

3rd

Lacy Lollie

Freeport Elementary School

4th

Grayson Gibson

Ohana Institute

5th

Lydia Schovan

Walton Middle School

6th

Reagan Wells

Seaside Neighborhood School

7th

Jhonattan Ramirez

Emerald Coast Middle School

8th

Audrey Webb

Seacoast Collegiate High School

9th

Mallory Hataway

Walton High School

10th

Makaydi Araneo

Paxton School

11th

Zoie Geoghagan

Paxton School

12th

2016/2017 Music in Pictures Sponsors:  St. Joe Community Foundation, Alys Foundation, Dugas Family Foundation, Daryl and Robert Davis, Winky and Bill Dowdle.

About Rosemary Beach Foundation

Rosemary Beach Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization, offers and supports community events, cultural programs, educational projects, and charitable activities. Our annual programs are Girls Getaway, Music in Pictures, Rosemary Beach Unleashed™, Walk Her Way®, 30A Cornhole and Fall Bocce Tournaments. Through these efforts, Rosemary Beach Foundation has donated over $500,000.  www.rosemarybeachfoundation.org

###

 

ROSEMARY BEACH® and ROSEMARY BEACH UNLEASHED™ are trademarks owned by Rosemary Beach Holdings, LLC and are used with permission pursuant to a license from Rosemary Beach Holdings, LLC.  WALK HER WAY® is a registered trademark owned by Rosemary Beach Foundation, Inc.

 Submitted by Keitha Bledsoe.

SWHS Recognizes Student Athlete for Receiving MVP

April 10, 2017

Savannah Slade, Hayley Seible and Tyler Gibbs represented South Walton High School at the East vs West All Star Basketball Game at Gulf Coast State College on Saturday.

Savannah (pictured) led all girl scorers with 18 points and was named MVP.

Submitted by Barbara Stratton.

FES Holds Relay Recess Event

April 10, 2017

FES raised $200 for Relay Recess and over $3000 for the family of Scotty Roessler. He is an FES student recently diagnosed with leukemia.  Thank you to everyone for their support.

Submitted by Nancy Currie.

ECMS Goes Blue For Awareness

April 10, 2017

Emerald Coast Middle School Stingrays joined in with many in Walton County School District on April 7, 2017, supporting the awareness of National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Superintendent Russell Hughes invited all employees to "GOBLUE" and Mr. Jeff Infinger, Principal of ECMS extended the challenge to students. On any given Friday at ECMS you may find a sea of purple and teal, however on April 7, blue was the Stingray color for the day, demonstrating unified support for a meaningful cause. To check out what else is happening at ECMS, click on the link below for the latest Stingray Station Newsletter.

https://sway.com/OE8hznp6C1PRRsbQ

Submitted by Angela Vance.

Dedication of the Carlene H. Anderson Training Center

April 10, 2017

In acknowledgement of former Walton County School District Superintendent Carlene H. Anderson's forty-one years of dedicated service to the WCSD, and her achievements and contributions during this time, the School Board of Walton County re-named the Training Center located at the Walton Initiative for Success in Education Center (WISE) in Defuniak Springs, Florida as the Carlene H. Anderson Training Center on Tuesday, April 4, 2017.  After a welcome greeting by School Board member, Kim Kirby, the Walton High School Chorus under the direction of Ashley Gay performed "Sing We Joy" by Henry Purcell.  During the ceremony,  Mr. Mark Gardner, WCSD Director of Facilities, explained the history of the building, and Mrs. Anderson's role in the transforming of the building from a school media center to a professional training facility.  Mr. Tom Blackshear, Facilities Planner, read the School Board Resolution naming the training after Mrs. Anderson, and Superintendent Russell Hughes spoke of her dedication and love for children as an educator, and her guidance and leadership as Superintendent of Walton County Schools for eleven years.

 

Mrs. Anderson thanked the School Board, and Superintendent Hughes for the very special honor, and spoke of her "commitment to train and continuously develop our professionals."  She shared, "...the one most impactful element in a student's education is the quality and skills of the person who stands in from of them every day...the teacher. So when you are perfecting a teacher, you're making the greatest impact on the largest number of students for decades to come."

 

A lovely reception  was held following the dedication, coordinated by Laura Smith, School Board secretary, and Joyce Gentry, Facilities Department secretary.  The Walton County School District is grateful to Mrs. Carlene Anderson for her contributions to the children and educators of Walton County. 

Submitted by Keitha Bledsoe.

Dedication

Dedication

Dedication

FHSAA Recognizes FHS Boys Basketball Team

April 10, 2017

The Florida High School Athletic Association recognizes Freeport High School Boys Basketball Team as the 2017 1A Academic State Champions.  Submitted by Patty Woodard.

ECMS Softball Team...Conference Champs!

April 10, 2017

Emerald Coast Middle School Softball Team worked hard all season. On April 8, they earned the title of 2017 Conference Champions! 

Congratulations to the team and coaches for representing WCSD and ECMS so well! 

We are proud to support such a remarkable group of team players! 

Submitted by Angela Vance.

Superintendent Hughes and Tivoli Complex Staff Recognize Child Abuse Prevention Month

April 10, 2017

Superintendent Hughes, School board member Marsha Winegarner, and members of the WCSD District Office staff donned their blue attire and ribbons to join students, administrators, faculty and staff in schools all throughout Walton County today in recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month.  Mr. Hughes, Mrs. Winegarner, and the staff at the Tivoli complex visited the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center in Defuniak Springs for a Child Abuse Prevention Proclamation ceremony as a demonstration of support and unity in the fight against Child Abuse. They returned to the Tivoli Complex to participate in a meaningful Pinwheel Garden Planting Ceremony with guest Julie Hurst (Chief Executive Officer) and staff members from the ECCAC.   

 

The color blue has served as a reminder to end child abuse since 1989, when one grandmother made a personal commitment to wear a blue ribbon after her own grandson died as a result of abuse.  The pinwheel is an uplifting symbol of childhood, and a reflection of hope, health and safety…something we wish for ALL children.  Throughout the month of April, students and teachers across the district will be participating in activities that focus on awareness, and administration and staff will be involved in professional development activities that highlight recognition, support and prevention.  The goal of the Walton County School District is to help end child abuse through education, enlightenment, awareness, and compassion!

Submitted Keitha Bledsoe.

Child Abuse

Pictured: Bill Fletcher, President of the ECCAC Board of Directors;  Julie Hurst, ECCAC Chief Executive Officer; Bob Campbell, Defuniak Springs Mayor; A. Russell Hughes, WCSD Superintendent; Marsha Winegarner, WCSD School Board member at the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center.

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