FES 4th grade student, Emily Simmons won the Scholastic Storyworks Essay Contest!  The editor of Storyworks wrote Emily a letter stating that she "loved Emily's creative and effective essay"!  

Submitted by Nancy Currie

During the March 27, 2018 Walton County School Board Meeting, School Board Member Kim Kirby and Superintendent Russell Hughes presented certificates to several Walton County teachers for being recognized by the Commissioner of Education, Pam Stewart, as some of the highest impact teachers in the state of Florida. 

Pictured left to right: Kim Kirby, WCSD Board Member; Lydia Cochran, Van R. Butler Elementary; Jeannine Abadie, Emerald Coast Middle School; Dana Akridge, Seaside Neighborhood School; Nina Borthwick, Constance Morreale, Deborah Shost and Christine Solomon from Emerald Coast Middle School; Taylor Griffith, Seaside Neighborhood School; Superintendent A. Russell Hughes, and Charlotte Sause, Seaside Neighborhood School.  Not pictured were Brandy Wesson, Emerald Coast Middle School; Sandra Goulding, Sharon Martin and Joy Robbins, Seaside Neighborhood School; and Angela Reilly, South Walton High School.  

A big congratulations and thank you to these teachers for their hard work in and out of the classroom.  Once again, proof that Walton County is the best school district anywhere.

Submitted by Keitha Bledsoe

A giant congratulations to members of the South Walton High School Band who competed in the Florida Bandmasters Association State Solo & Ensemble Music Performance Assessment this week in Gainesville, Fl. The student musicians worked very hard to achieve the honor of performing at State MPA (receiving the top rating of Superior at District MPA), and that hard work was evidenced by their exceptional performances at State. 4 students achieved a rating of Superior--Katie Betts (saxophone solo), Caitlin LaPlante (euphonium solo), and Emma Marks/Rocky Villanueva (piano duet). Other superstar performers at State were: Kenna Betts (clarinet solo), Nick Binkowski (drum solo), Mia DuToit (piano solo), Emma Marks (piano solo), Pia Paval (tuba solo), and Joe Sills (saxophone solo). The adjudicators for State MPA are considered top in their fields, and a Superior rating at the State level is definitely an EPIC accomplishment! 
Submitted by Robert Escamilla

To honor the 17 lives lost in the Parkland shooting and to start off the last nine weeks on a positive note, the PHS Builder's Club challenged the rest of the school to participate in the "17 Challenge," in which each students strives to complete 17 acts of kindness. The Builder's club students met the rest of the school as they arrived holding up posters with suggestions of different acts of kindness that they could do throughout the day. Way to make a difference, Builder's Club! Submitted by Kalli McMillan.