District News

Submitted by Krisy Spence

Congratulations to Tayten Lehmann (right) and Samantha Lee (left), Paxton High School Band, for their selection into the top honor band at the 20th annual Southeastern United States Middle School Honor Band (SEUS) held at Troy State University December 6-8, 2018.
Outstanding accomplishment!!! Submitted by Kalli McMillan

Congratulations to Paxton students Samantha Lee and Kaylee Aplin for being recognized for their EPIC writing by the Florida State Poets Association in their 36th anthology: Cadence. Samantha, placing in their poetry contest, had her worked published in the anthology. Kaylee is recognized in the book for receiving honorable mention in the contest. Way to go, ladies!

Submitted by Kalli McMillan

The Florida Chautauqua Winter Assembly will take place January 24- 27 in DeFuniak Springs. The Florida Chautauqua has partnered with the Walton County School District to provide educational activities for our students, to include the annual Lakeyard visits for our 4th graders that are designed to enhance their study of Florida history.

This year’s theme delves into the topic of the importance of small town America. There are multiple events and activities for the entire family that are free of charge.

The public is encouraged and invited to attend these events.

January is National Mentoring Month! Mentoring guarantees young people that there is someone who cares about them, assures them they are not alone in dealing with day-to-day challenges, and makes them feel like they matter. Research suggests that youth who have a mentor are more likely to attend and be more engaged in school, finish high school and continue on to post-secondary education, and form more positive social attitudes and relationships.

If you are interested in making a difference in the life of a child and changing the world for the better, Lori Hughes, the WCSD contact for our mentoring program, will be happy to assist! Contact her at (850) 892-1100 ext. 1443
or by email at [email protected]

https://youtu.be/gcnX-wvp98Q…

YOUTUBE.COM

'If You Mentor Me...'

Youth voices share research-backed statistics about how having a mentor can help them realize their potential and help them thrive in school, at work,…

Paxton students never miss a learning opportunity, even on the last day before Christmas break. Mrs. Heather Stewart’s 8th grade Science students took a new perspective when they created their Christmas cookies to look like the Solar System. This project was definitely a fun AND delicious take on space. Submitted by Kalli McMillan

Pictured (L to R): Haleigh Drake, Jocelyn Jones, Summer Pryor, Abby Murphy, Mara Aplin, Bailey Howell, and Anney-Kate Araneo.

On Friday, Paxton and Walton Key clubs came together for a service project at Grace Rides’ stables. They helped with keeping the barn and facilities useful for the special needs children that ride the horses with this wonderful organization. These students understand the importance of teamwork to help others. Submitted by Kalli McMillan

West DeFuniak Elementary teachers spent their professional day on January 4^th learning about grading and reporting of student learning. WDE teachers are making the progression of grading from “earning” to “learning”. After reviewing four challenges to take our grading and reporting to the next level, WDE teachers participated in the AVID strategy of engagement using Philosophical Chairs to dig deeper into two types of grading: Traditional grading practices vs Standards-Based grading practices. Teachers had to read two articles and take a stance on which type of grading they thought was the best. Submitted by Darlene Paul

Students at West DeFuniak Elementary enjoyed a performance of Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Snow Queen” presented by the Atlantic Coast Theatre. Special thanks to the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation for making this experience possible. Submitted by Darlene Paul