District News

The 7th Grade Assessment for DNA asked students to CREATE a DNA molecule out of red licorice, toothpicks and marshmallows. This model not only had to be correct in its base pairs, it also had to take the correct form! Students were nervous about this not traditional assessment, but they all did AMAZING! We are extremely proud of our students at WMS!

Submitted by Kristen Nelson

Gavin Rhodes (blue shirt); Stephanie Mendez-Alvarez (gray shirt); Emily Moss (purple shirt)

The Butler Elementary School office staff honored our school Guidance Counselor and Resource Deputies with a surprise luncheon! These staff members help keep our school safe and happy. Pictured is Principal Tammy Smith, Deputy Jeff McIntosh, Guidance Counselor Meghan Turner, and Assistant Principal Sherrie Binkowski. Deputy Jeremy Fisher is not pictured, but greatly appreciated as well!

Submitted by Tammy Smith

WHS administrators cooked up a delicious breakfast on Feb. 12 to show their appreciation for their outstanding staff members and the hard work they do every day to help students build their legacies and succeed.

Thank you Mrs. Currid, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Smith for all that YOU do to make Walton High such a special place for our students, staff, and community members!

Submitted by Christy English

Florida’s Director of Safe Schools, Mr. Damien Kelly, recently toured Butler Elementary. School Administrators, Resource Deputies, and Walton County Safe Schools Coordinator, Mr. Charlie Morse, shared campus safety initiatives with the Director and discussed ways to help keep Walton County students safe.

Freeport Elementary served over 650 dads and students donuts this morning. Dads were invited to have a donut, juice, and sign up for Watch D.O.G.S. this morning. Thank you to PTO and McDonalds for supplying breakfast.

Submitted by Laurie Campbell

Students at Mossy Head Elementary, West DeFuniak Elementary and Paxton were treated to a special performance by the Sinfonia Gulf Coast Resident String Quartet on Friday, February 8, courtesy of Sinfonia Gulf Coast!

Founded in Tallahassee, Florida, (Lucky Strings) is a dynamic and evolving ensemble. This quartet features violinists Taylor Giorgio and Tracy Morgan, violist Daniella Isabel Angulo Martinez, and cellist Holden Bitner. With a passion for community engagement, (Lucky Strings) has performed interactive concerts in public schools, college classes, and in community spaces around the North Florida region. The ensemble performs often at Florida State University, where all four members are pursuing graduate degrees in music performance.

The students throughly enjoyed the performances, and learned a great deal from the performers. Special thanks to Sinfonia Gulf Coast for their collaboration with the Walton County School District!

Mr. Dennie Smith, 8th grade AVID teacher at WMS, works tirelessly to equip his students for future success. On Friday, February 8th, his third period AVID class presented about their future career aspirations with a captive audience of their peers and teachers and administrators at WMS. Mr. Smith began the class period by emphasizing the public speaking standards his students have been learning and practicing. Students confidently stood in front of the class and provided detailed information about careers they might one day like to pursue. After each presentation, Mr. Smith asked the audience to offer positive feedback to each brave presenter. The students offered gracious and constructive comments to each of their peers about the merits of each presentation. Not only did students explore career pathways that interested them but they also practiced public speaking skills--thereby gaining invaluable knowledge and confidence they will continue to develop as they blaze their own bright and unique paths in life.

Pictured:

1--Cynthia Ramirez (Translators and Interpreters)

2--Cerina Smith (Science, Technology, and Electronics)

3--Magen Duke (Singer)

4--Logan Potts (Logging)

Submitted by Kristen Nelson

Congratulations to all Walton County School District students who participated in the East Panhandle Regional Science Fair! We are very proud to announce our Regional Science Fair Winners and State Finalist for the 2018-19 school year. The 64th State Science and Engineering Fair of Florida will be held from March 25, 2019 – March 29, 2019 in Lakeland, FL.

Congratulations and best wishes at State!!!

Emerald Coast Middle School

Sophie Harris – Fishy Pheromones
o First Place in Cellular and Molecular Biology
o State Finalist
o Broadcom Finalist
Astrid Ascanio – It’s all Natural!
o 3rd Place in Biomedical and Health Sciences
Lauren Broussard – A Tea..rible Problem
o 4th Place in Chemistry

Walton Middle School

Aaron Wilmoth – Squishy Robots
o First Place in Engineering
o State Finalist
o Broadcom Finalists
Allie Saunders – Horray for Enzymes
o 3rd Place in Cellular and Molecular Biology

Walton High School

Joseph Woods – Rippin’ Lip
o First Place in Earth and Environmental Sciences
o State Finalist
o North West Florida College – 2 year scholarship
o Florida Association of Science Teachers - $25 Award
o Ricoh Americas Corporation

South Walton High School

Haille Roe – Engineering
o 3rd Place

Paxton High School

Tabitha Snow & Emily Wilson – There’s a good reason these heat packs are numbered honey you just haven’t thought of it yet
o 4th Place in Chemistry
o Drs. Alice and Louis Fay Award for Chemistry - $100 (to split)

Congratulations to WHS senior Joseph Woods for advancing to the State Science Fair competition! His “Rippin’ Lip” project, which studied the effects of tournament fishing on bass health, earned the top spot in the Earth & Environmental Sciences category at the regional competition.

Joseph has received a 2-year scholarship from Northwest Florida, as well as a 4-year scholarship from Bethel College to be on their bass fishing team.

Congratulations and good luck at the state competition!

Submitted by Christy English

Walton Middle School hosted "Hearts for the Arts," another successful Title 1 parent training night on Thursday, February 7, 2019. The event featured a dinner slideshow of creative artwork by Ms. Brittany Grant's art students from the Rosemary Beach Foundation's "Music in Pictures" project. Artwork from the project also adorned the WMS hallways. Throughout the night, parents and students rotated through three literacy-themed stations. One station, led by Ms. Alex Rhodes and Mr. Brendon Murphy, allowed participants to explore the impact of descriptive details on mood and tone through a collaborative lesson. A second rotation in the library media center, led by Mrs. Kip Baker, informed families about the school's Dave and Buster's reading challenge and all the e-books now available in the LMC. Families also visited the computer labs and had an opportunity to give their invaluable input about the school by completing the Advanc-Ed parent survey. In this rotation, Mrs. Gaby Brown and Mrs. Sandy Love showed families how to access the FSA and EOC practice tests and materials on the online Florida Standards Assessment Portal. Mrs. Diana Gillis and Mrs. Makala Ellenburg, with the assistance of WHS Anchor Club and WMS Builder Club members, graciously entertained young children in the child care center so parents could spend time learning with their older children. Many WMS teachers and faculty members gave of their time to work together to make the night a meaningful opportunity for celebrating literacy and the arts at Walton Middle School with parents and students.

Submitted by Kristen Nelson

WMS Students Create DNS Model out of Licorice!

February 13, 2019

Van R. Butler Honors Guidance Counselor and Resource Deputy!

February 12, 2019

WHS Hosts Staff Appreciation Breakfast

February 12, 2019

Florida's Director of Safe Schools Visits Van R. Butler!

February 12, 2019

FES Donuts with Dad is Huge Success!

February 12, 2019

Paxton, West DeFuniak Elementary and Mossy Head Schools Enjoy Guest Performers Courtesy of Sinfonia Gulf Coast!

February 12, 2019

Mr. Smith's 8th Grade AVID Student Impress Their Audience with Stellar Career Presentations

February 9, 2019

Congratulations to the WCSD Regional Science Fair Winners and State Finalists!

February 9, 2019

WHS Senior Advances To State Science Fair Christy English Wed 2/6, 10:08 AM

February 9, 2019

WMS Successfully Hosts "Hearts for the Arts" Title 1 Parent Training Night

February 8, 2019