Walton County - School District

Walton County School District administrators, leaders, and coaches returned today from a full three days at the Panhandle Area Educational Consortium's annual conference. Several of our employees were part of the presentations - Principals Nathan Smith and Donna Simmons talked about their successes in the Freeport feeder pattern, and Director of Human Resources Ms. Candy Bodie talked about recruiting teachers!

🇺🇸 **Happy Independence Day!** 🇺🇸 Today, we celebrate the spirit of freedom, courage, and unity that defines our nation. Independence Day is not just about fireworks and barbecues; it's a time to reflect on the values that make America unique. We honor the bravery of those who fought for our freedom and remember the sacrifices that have shaped our history. Let us all take a moment to appreciate the liberties we enjoy and the opportunities that come with living in a free country. As we gather with family and friends, let us also think about how we can continue to uphold the principles of justice, equality, and democracy. Together, we can ensure that the legacy of independence remains strong for future generations. Wishing everyone a safe and joyful 4th of July! 🇺🇸🎆 --- All offices will be closed July 4th and 5th.

The results are IN! For the third year in a row, WCSD has maintained its position as 3rd of 67 counties in Florida. Congratulations to our students, teachers, staff, school board, and community! EPIC is the Walton County Way, and our students exemplify that every day!

Coach Wassman and Coach Smallwood set up at Freeport City Hall today! If you've missed the EPIC Van in Freeport this summer you'll have two more chances on July 10th and July 17th! 8:45-10:00 - Grady Brown Park 10:15-11:15 - Various PreSchools 12:15-1:30 - City Hall 1:45-3:00 - Choctaw Beach Splash Pad 3:15-4:00 - Hammock Bay Sports Complex

How do you get to #2 in the state from 35th in just a few years? You ensure your teachers are equipped with most cutting edge modalities and techniques in the business! Our teachers, and administrators are at the AVID conference this week. Superintendent Hughes has been there to support our teachers. They even got to meet the founder of AVID!

"C" is for Collaboration The Walton County School District is fortunate to have an EPIC relationship with the Walton County Sheriff's Office. Inside every school in our district is an SRD that is just as passionate about children as any teacher, staff, or administrator. There are two opportunities this summer for kids to beat the heat! On July 13th the SRD's will bring out the water slides and foam cannon at the Freeport Middle School Football Field from 11am - 2pm. Then, on July 27th the WCSO is pulling out all the stops for the Back-to-School SPLASH BASH! There will be bounce houses, water slides, foam cannons, free food, and a Backpack Giveaway! Wee Care Park - 11am-2pm.

Thank you to the incredible fathers who guide, support, and inspire us every day. Whether you’re a dad, stepdad, grandpa, or a father figure, your love and dedication make a world of difference.

Check these EPIC learners out! It may be summer, but many of our students are hard at work! At Walton Middle School, students who performed well in 6th grade math have the opportunity to join the accelerated math tract! These students will work all summer and eventually take Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1 and enter WHS with a high school math credit under their EPIC belts!

If you're looking for opportunities to keep your student engaged this summer, then look for the EPIC Van! The EPIC Van carries all kinds of learning activities and refreshments!

The first day of Summer VPK 2024 is off to a great start at Bay School! These young learners are in for a jam-packed summer full of learning to prepare them for the 24-25 school year! Enrollment for fall is open - contact Bay School for more details!

What better way to start off the summer than with FREE books! This year, Florida’s free home literacy program, New Worlds Reading, will send enrolled families 3 FREE bonus books! Families who apply for an eligible child at newworldsreading.com by Monday, June 10th, will receive all 12 books and resources. Kids can choose which books they’ll receive each year based on what interests them, getting a special package addressed just to them in the mail to spark their excitement. To grow kids’ skills, newworldsreading.com offers free activities, interactive reading guides, and videos that reinforce science of reading strategies as a resource for families to use with striving readers at home. To be eligible, a child must be in a Florida VPK program and not yet meeting age-appropriate standards according to FAST Star Early Literacy OR in kindergarten through 5th grade and not yet reading on grade level in a public or charter school.

Former President Barack Obama once said "Reading is important. If you know how to read, then the whole world opens up to you." Our WCSD students have a world open to them through the power of reading, and at the same time they are providing for their community. Through our partnership with Food for Thought and The St. Joe Community Foundation, our students raised more than $55,000 dollars by reading books and taking AR Tests. Talk about EPIC!

Congratulations to our students on another EPIC school year! You have worked hard, remained focused and tenacious, garnered innumerable accolades, and have been EPIC in every sense of the word. Way to go!

Let us honor and remember the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Their courage and sacrifice will never be forgotten. All campuses will be closed on Monday, May 27th.

We certainly hope that our students enjoy the long weekend ahead of them, but we'd like to also remind them to FINISH STRONG! We have two days after Memorial Day, so let's make them count!

The last pub school in The 4a State Baseball Playoffs is our very own South Walton High School! Tonight they play private school Cardinal Gibbons out of Ft. Lauderdale. Let’s Go Hawks! Show them some love!!!!

Congratulations to No Ordinary Joe winner Colton Farmer from South Walton High School! You are EPIC! Thank you to the incredible partnership between WCSD, St. Joe Community Foundation, and the Walton Education Foundation!

Yesterday two Walton County students graduated from the Richbourg School. Congratulations to Sarah Cochran and Alexandria Drake! Sarah and Alexandria will remain at Richbourg next year on deferral programs that help prepare them for their next step in life. Congratulations!

The 2024 WCSD Job Fair was an EPIC success! If you're interested in applying, open positions are listed at www.walton.k12.fl.us/employment! Of course, Superintendent Hughes found a student and future student to talk to and of course, take the famous SuperSelfie!

Can you believe it's time for GRADUATION! Check the individual school sites for any information regarding parking, traffic patterns, seating, etc. Way to go, Seniors!