Mrs. Dawkins' and Mrs. Quinley's students could hardly contain their excitement when the Dugas Family Foundations purchased enough books from the book fair to donate one to every student at WDE.  A very big thank you goes out this very generous and thoughtful organization!

Youth Leadership Students Participate in a Speech Contest Sponsored by the Florida Farm Bureau

Each year, the Florida Farm Bureau Federation’s Women’s Leadership Program sponsors a statewide youth speech contest. The contest has three levels of competition: county, district, and state. This year both South Walton High School and Walton High School Youth Leadership classes provided their students the opportunity to participate in the contest.  The participants were required to write and orally present a five minute speech on the important issue of food security in the United States and how Florida agriculture can continue to provide quality solutions for the future.

Each school selected three students to participate in the county competition that was held on Wednesday, September 10^th.  Matthew Majors, a 12^th grader at WHS, was awarded first place and a $100 check.  He will represent Walton County at the district competition to be held Wednesday, September 17^th at the Okaloosa County Farm Bureau office.  Meredith Ricks, a 10th grade student at WHS, won 2^nd place along with $75. Colin Berry, an 11^th grade student at SWHS, was awarded 3^rd place and a $50 check. All of the participants should be congratulated as well as the winners because it took a great deal of courage to stand up and deliver a five minute speech. 

Pictured from left to right: Joe Johnson, President of the Walton County Farm Bureau; 1^st place winner, Matthew Majors; 2^nd place winner, Meredith Ricks; not pictured: 3^rd place winner, Colin Berry

New teachers for the 2014-2015 school year were officially inducted on Thursday, August 7th at the WISE Center in DeFuniak Springs. A big thank you goes out to the following businesses for their part in making the event possible: Buffalo Rock Pepsi, Olive Garden of Destin, Walmart of DeFuniak Springs, and Winn Dixie of DeFuniak Springs.