Walton High School

We'd like to give a shout-out to our AMAZING lunchroom staff for making a yummy Thanksgiving lunch today! Complete with turkey, stuffing, green beans, mac & cheese, cranberry sauce, and banana pudding, it was definitely a meal to remember! Thank you Teresa Burks, Mattie Henry, Karen Maierle, and Akemi Womack for everything you do every day to keep our bellies full and our hearts happy! 💙 And thank you to Susan Brewer and Frances London for chipping in to make sure everything was perfect! 🩷

From quick thinking in Impromptu to strategic speeches in Legislative Debate, these Leadership students showcased their incredible skills and dedication in the world of Speech and Debate last Saturday at Niceville High School. We'd like to congratulate Ean Schofield for taking 1st place in Novice Impromptu and Asher Sawyer for earning 3rd place in Varsity Legislative Debate! Earning top spots in these events requires not only talent but resilience. Impromptu competitors face three intense rounds of on-the-spot speeches, while Legislative Debaters tackle two grueling 2-hour sessions of non-stop strategy and persuasion. We are so proud of our students who gave it their all and represented Walton High with poise and passion! Go Braves!

Ms. Leavins (and some amazing student helpers) celebrated staff members today by going to each classroom with the “Woot-Woot Wagon!" 🎉 Teachers were greeted at their doors with a hearty “Woot-Woot” and got to pick a snack & drink from the cart....just because. 💙

Congratulations to these three Chorus students for completing the FMEA All-State audition process and being selected for the FMEA All-State Concert and SSAA Choruses! 🎉 These students put in a tremendous amount of work for this incredible honor, and we’re super proud of them! Pictured from left to right: Libby Morris, Gabe Rowbotham, Noah Stayer

We'd like to congratulate Bethany Waites for being accepted into the 2025 Florida All-State Symphonic Band! 🎶 Bethany was the only student from Walton County to be accepted into this prestigious ensemble! She was also 1 of 4 students from Walton High School to be accepted into an All-State Ensemble. Our phenomenal Chorus Program had three students accepted this year!

Congratulations to these Walton High School Chorus students that participated in their Solo and Ensemble MPA last Friday! The WHS Select Ensemble got superior ratings! Soloists Julie Laviolette and Calie Brackin also did an amazing job, with Julie earning a superior rating and Calie earning an excellent rating! 🎶

The boys and girls cross country teams ran at the district meet in Tallahassee this morning. The girls team qualified for regionals, which will be held in Jacksonville next Friday! Way to go, Braves!

We'd like to give a shout-out to Mrs. Stephenson's AVID, English 1, and English 2 classes for being in the boat for the goal!

Congratulations to these students for making the 2024-2025 boys basketball teams! 🏀

Congratulations to our boys golf team for advancing to regionals! ⛳️ They’ll play next Monday in Jacksonville. Walton was led by Brody McCormick who placed 2nd overall. He was joined by Xavier Schack; Chandler Shoaf; Carter Douglass; and Aiden Anderson who all made good showings. All Braves ranked among the top 15 golfers out of 60 in the tournament.

Congratulations to these students for making the 2024-2025 girls basketball teams! 🏀

Congratulations to our girls golf team for advancing to regionals! ⛳️ They’ll play next Wednesday in Tallahassee. Walton was led by Rhiannon Fountain (4th place overall) and Chelsea Andrews (9th place). Other girls contributing were Lacey Alford, Adelyn Chambers, and Khameo Powell.

We're beyond excited to announce that Walton High School was recognized by Deputy Superintendent Jennifer Hawthorne this afternoon for meeting our discipline & attendance goals for the 1st quarter AND for being the highest-achieving Walton County high school in both metrics! 🎉 We received a "trophy" in the form of a boat that will be on display in front of the school for the next quarter. When you go by and see the boat, please be reminded that our Braves Family is rowing to that #1 spot and being the STANDARD OF THE PANHANDLE!

On Saturday, October 19, our Leadership students set out bright and early to participate in the first Florida Civics and Debate Initiative (FCDI) competition of the year at Fort Walton Beach High School. This initiative aims to cultivate critical thinking, communication skills, and civic engagement among students across the state. Students from Escambia to Bay County showcased their talents in a variety of events, including Extemporaneous Debate; Impromptu Speech; Lincoln-Douglass Debate; and Congressional Debate. We would like to congratulate Asher Sawyer for his outstanding performance, securing 2nd place in the Varsity Extemporaneous Debate category! Competitions like this not only highlight our students' abilities but also emphasize the importance of civic discourse in shaping informed and engaged citizens. Congratulations, Asher!

Congratulations to Avril Garcia for earning "Best in Show" by the Walton County Art League for her self-portrait charcoal drawing for the 2024 Walton County Fair! 🎉 The Walton County Art League is in honor and memory of Mr. Randall L. Infinger who managed the WCF for nearly 20 years. Additionally, Avril was awarded a $50 check for her amazing talent!

Mr. Wolfer’s 2D Studio Art class got to experience the lovely sounds of live music performed by two very talented musicians and graduate students, Francesca Puro and Alex Lunday, from Florida State University, Tallahassee. The WHS art students would like to thank the musicians for a wonderful, educational experience. They thoroughly enjoyed hearing the live music being performed in their classroom. This live performance is one component of the "Music in Pictures" program organized by the Rosemary Beach Foundation. A large percentage of the Walton County schools participate. The main component includes WHS art students listening to three classical compositions composed by Max Richter and creating works of art based on what they hear in the music. The artwork will then be judged, and the chosen works will be recognized at the award ceremony in April.

On Sunday, four of our FFA members checked our agriculture department's rabbits into the Walton County Fair. Our black otter Holland Lop (Jacob) won 3rd place, and our broken black tortoiseshell Holland Lop (Jasper) placed 5th! On Wednesday night, our FFA members competed in the rabbit showmanship contest. FFA members must examine their animals from nose to tail and demonstrate their knowledge on all things rabbits. Our FFA members had a very successful night! Rhylie Upton placed 2nd with Zeus (Dutch); Emma Alford placed 4th with Alice (Lionhead); and Hayden Arnold placed 5th with Jacob (Holland Lop). Lacey Reeves did an amazing job showing Jasper (Holland Lop) for her very first show! We are so proud of our FFA members and rabbits! 🐇

The boys golf team earned 1st place yesterday against Paxton, Freeport, Holmes County, and Ponce de Leon! They'll play their final regular season match (before the district tournament) tomorrow. Brody McCormick had the top score of 80. The girls were also in action and earned 3rd place. ⛳️ Go Braves!

The art students below currently have artwork on display at the Walton County Fair. Show your support by coming out and seeing their amazing art! The exhibit will be on display through Saturday, October 19. Janna Lucious, Josie Lee, Avril Garcia, Landon Carroll, Jacob Singleton, Isabella Sewell, Ansley Nowling, Hunter Bendure, Kyla Jesky, Melody Daniel, Scarlett Anderson, Tegan Wilson, Casidy Nidy, Bethany Hopper, Meleena Harrison, Hazel Edwards, Chris Campbell, Braelyn Burch, Yunaleska Turko, Alia Thompson, Khloe Smith

On Friday, October 11, three of our FFA members attended the rabbit show at the Panhandle Youth Expo in Marianna. Rhylie Upton showed our agriculture program's Dutch rabbit (Zeus); Emma Alford showed our Lionhead (Alice); and Hayden Arnold showed one of our Holland Lops (Jacob). For showmanship, FFA members must examine their rabbits in front of the rabbit judge. The members are looking at the structure and health of the rabbit during their evaluation. They must also show their knowledge of all things rabbits by answering questions asked by the judges. The questions can range from the breed and age of the rabbit to how to identify common diseases in rabbits. Hayden was named the Senior showmanship champion; Rhylie was named the Reserve Champion in showmanship; and Zeus placed 3rd overall in show! It was an awesome show day for our FFA members!