Santa Rosa County District Schools

REMINDER: TEACHER PLANNING DAY 📅

This is just a reminder that there is NO SCHOOL on Monday, October 13 for students. This is a Teacher Planning Day. We look forward to seeing our students back on Tuesday, October 14. Thank you for a wonderful 1st quarter of our school year. We hope you have a wonderful weekend! 🙂

Mark your calendars! 📅

In partnership with Chartwells K12, National School Lunch Week will be celebrated next week from 10/14-10/17 in our cafeterias across the district. Come check out the global twist with festive activities and globally inspired menus that highlight the value and fun of school meals! 🍴#NSLW25

The Weekly Lineup: October 9 & 10 Let’s go, Santa Rosa! 🔥Cheer on our teams as they take the field this week! 🏈 #SRCDS1stChoice

We’re excited to announce that Mrs. Jennifer Schmitt has been approved at this evening's school board meeting as the new Principal of Navarre High School! She will officially take the reins in January 2026 as Mrs. Windfelder transitions to lead the opening of Soundside High School. Congratulations, Mrs. Schmitt! We’re confident you’ll continue to inspire excellence and lead with heart. 💙💚 #SRCDS1stChoice

Santa Rosa Success Spotlight: Proud Graduates 🧑‍🎓 Our alumni continue to make a difference—serving, leading, and inspiring right here in our community. 💙💚 Today’s features highlight some of our incredible staff—proud SRCDS graduates helping shape the future for the next generation! 🎓Kristen Vance, Bookkeeper, Graduate of Gulf Breeze High School 🎓 Christy Anderson, Personnel Assistant, Graduate of Gulf Breeze High School 🎓 Phyllis Legg, Personnel Assistant, Graduate of Gulf Breeze High School 🎓 Nadia Colin, Public Information & Family and Community Outreach Officer, Graduate of Gulf Breeze High 🎓Terri Powell, Certification Specialist, Graduate of Milton High School 🎓Cindy McDonald, Risk Management Specialist, Graduate of Milton High School 🎓Alexandra Timmons, Director of Risk Management, Graduate of Milton High School 🎓 Gwynn Sauls, Risk Management Specialist, Graduate of Central School 🎓Ashley Corlies, Work Based Learning Career Specialist, Graduate of Gulf Breeze High School & Locklin Technical College 🎓Rhonda Adams, Career Specialist Santa Rosa Center for Innovation, Graduate of Jay High School 🎓Lisa Kay, Secretary for High School Education, Graduate of Milton High School 🎓Paige Pruschen, Fiscal Assistant Santa Rosa Center for Innovation, Graduate of Milton High School 🎓Carol Rich, Fiscal Assistant for Workforce Education, Graduate of Milton High School 🎓Mandy King, Coordinator of Literacy, Graduate of Milton High School 🎓Meghan Hall, Coordinator of Math and Science, Graduate of Milton High School 🎓Gary Mitchell, Program Facilitator for Hospital Homebound/OT/PT/ESY 🎓Amanda Failing, Coordinator of Behavior Intervention & Supports, Graduate of Pace High School 🎓Michael Knowlton, Coordinator of STEAM, Graduate of Navarre High School We are always looking to showcase our proud alumni! If you’re interested in sharing your success, email PIO@santarosa.k12.fl.us 📧 #SantaRosaStrong #ProudGraduate #KeepingTheDreamAlive #SRCDSAlumni #SRCDS1stChoice

📚CELEBRATING LITERACY WITH AN AUTHOR VISIT 📚

Students from Pace High, Navarre, Central, and Jay had the incredible opportunity to meet award-winning author Jeff Zentner, whose newest book Sunrise Nights is on this year’s Florida Teen Reads list!

Zentner spoke with AP and Dual Enrollment students, sharing his journey from musician to novelist and offering advice on writing, creativity, and following your passions.

Thank you, Mr. Zentner, for inspiring our students to dream big and write boldly! ✨#SRCDS1stChoice

🌟 National Recognition for SRCDS PBIS Team! 🌟

A huge shoutout to Rebecca Schmuck and Amanda Failing for earning national recognition from National PBIS! Their project, “From Insight to Impact: Interactive Dashboard Design to Increase School Intervention Effectiveness,” was not only accepted but selected as one of just 47 featured poster projects from around the world!

Their innovative Data Dashboard helps our schools and MTSS teams make data-informed decisions to strengthen interventions and improve outcomes for students across Santa Rosa County District Schools. They will be presenting this information at the National PBIS Leadership Forum in late October. We are so proud of their dedication, creativity, and commitment to continuous improvement! 👏 #SRCDS1stChoice

Learn more about the National PBIS Poster Sessions at the link below.
🔗https://www.pbisforum.org/poster-session/featured-posters

Community Resources from United Way of West Florida Our friends at United Way of West Florida have a wide range of resources for families and our community! Check out more information at the links below. 👇 211 Northwest Florida: This is an information and referral service that provides one-stop connections to community resources and services when you need them most. To get connected, simply dial 2-1-1 from any phone. Your call is free and confidential, and help is available 24/7. 📞 https://www.uwwf.org/211 Florida Veterans Support Line: Veterans or loved ones in need of assistance may access the Florida Veterans Support Line by calling 1-844-MyFLVet. 🇺🇸 https://www.uwwf.org/FVSL 988: This is a suicide and crisis lifeline. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide or experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis, you can call 988, the new three-digit dialing code for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. ❤️ https://www.uwwf.org/988 We hope these resources are beneficial! Please share them with your friends and family. Let's work together for a stronger Santa Rosa!

It's hard to believe it's the end of the 1st quarter of the 2025-2026 school year on Friday, October 10. Stay up-to-date with your child's grades and progress via the FOCUS Parent Portal. Report cards for the 1st Quarter will be available on FOCUS on Friday, October 24. FOCUS Parent Portal: 🔗 https://santarosa.focusschoolsoftware.com/focus/

STEM CLASSROOM MAKEOVER GRANT REVEAL AT AVALON MIDDLE SCHOOL We’re excited to announce that the NextEra Energy Foundation, a corporate foundation of NextEra Energy, Inc. and Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), has awarded the Santa Rosa Education Foundation (SREF) a $50,000 grant to support Avalon Middle School’s STEM Classroom Makeover! This generous funding has enhanced the school’s STEM program, helping students build essential skills for future careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. A special thank you goes to Mrs. Theresa Yankovoy for her innovation and dedication in securing this grant and bringing hands-on learning to life for her students. Through interactive technology, virtual reality, and engaging STEM activities, students are exploring new ways to learn and create. Representatives from FPL joined Avalon Middle for the classroom reveal and provided an interactive lesson on how electricity flows through a community and how to keep it safe. Thank you, NextEra Energy Foundation, FPL, and Avalon Middle School, for empowering our students to think critically, dream big, and step beyond the lines through hands-on STEM learning! ⚡💡#SRCDS1stChoice #FPLCares #KnowledgeIsPower #PowerToEducate

Huge congratulations to our Santa Rosa County District Schools Principal and Assistant Principal of the Year! 🎉 Principal of the Year: Mary Grace White Assistant Principal of the Year: Leann McCombs We are so thankful for your servant leadership, dedication, and commitment to excellence each and every day. Your passion for students, staff, and community truly makes a difference across our district! 💙💚

The Amazing Shake is back for 2025–2026! Now in its 8th year, Escambia and Santa Rosa Districts, in partnership with Navy Federal Credit Union, equip over 350 middle school students annually across the region with essential power skills—communication, professionalism, and confidence—that prepare them for future academic and career success. The program officially launched with the Onboarding + Leader Lab this past week, where 30+ educators from 13 schools (many in Santa Rosa) received training, resources, and leadership coaching to support student growth throughout the year. Looking ahead, participating schools will showcase their skills at the Regional Semi-Finals in March 2026 and the Finals Dinner in April, engaging with Navy Federal leaders and community partners. #AmazingShake #NavyFederalServes

Attention: Middle & High School Students 📣 The Congressional App Challenge is now open! Students are encouraged to design and code an original app—showcasing creativity, problem-solving, and computer science skills. 📅 Submission Deadline: October 31, 2025 📎 Check out the official flyer below for eligibility guidelines and key details for students and/or educators. Let’s see what amazing ideas our Santa Rosa County students can create! ❤️

Woodlawn Beach Middle School had an amazing staff night at Miracle League Santa Rosa County! ⚾💙 The WBMS team had a wonderful time supporting our community by volunteering as Miracle League buddies. Mr. Lowrimore even had the honor of throwing the first pitch! Moments like these remind us how truly special our schools and community are. #SRCDS1stChoice

🎶 Santa Rosa County Schools Band Showcase 🎶 Join us on Monday, October 13 at 6:00 PM at the Pace High School Stadium for an unforgettable evening of music and pageantry! 🎺🥁 This special event will feature performances by all six high school bands from across our school district: 🎵 Central School Jaguar Band 🎵 Gulf Breeze High School Soundwave Band 🎵 Jay High School Royal Pride Band 🎵 Milton High School Mighty Black & Gold Band 🎵 Navarre High School Raider Band 🎵 Pace High School Pride of the Red, White, and Blue Band Admission is free and the event is open to the public. Bring your family, friends, and community pride as we celebrate the outstanding student musicians of Santa Rosa County! #SRCDS1stChoice

New! Access Your Child’s Test Scores Right from the Santa Rosa Schools App📲

Great news! You can now view your child’s state assessment scores directly through the Santa Rosa County District App.

✅ Download the Santa Rosa County District, FL app
✅ Tap “More” ➜ “FOCUS Parent Portal”
✅ Instantly access your student’s test results once you log into your Parent Portal account

Parent Portal Resources can be found at the link below (including how to create an account and/or link your student).
🔗 https://www.santarosaschools.org/page/parent-portal-resources

If you need assistance with the FOCUS Parent Portal app, please email ITSHelp@santarosa.k12.fl.us.

Our District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC) met this evening and is already brainstorming creative ways to boost family and community engagement across Santa Rosa County! 💡 Together, we’re nurturing and cultivating hope through goals, pathways, and willpower - these are all key components of our “Roadmap to Hope.” A huge thank you to our parent representatives from each school for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend, collaborate, and connect with SRCDS. Your voices and ideas make a difference! 💙#SRCDS1stChoice

📚 Happy Instructional Coaches Day! 🎉

Today we celebrate our incredible Instructional Coaches who work tirelessly to support teachers, strengthen instruction, and enhance student learning across Santa Rosa County District Schools. 🌟

From modeling lessons and providing feedback to helping implement innovative strategies in the classroom — our coaches are true partners in education. 💙

Thank you for all you do to empower teachers and impact student success every single day! #SRCDS1stChoice

Safety Starts with Us

The month of October will be used to share important resources, information, and proactive measures to ensure our students are safe. Not only is this National Internet Safety Month, but we also recognize National Bullying Prevention Month and Unity Day (October 22) during the month. This is the perfect time to remind our schools, families, and community that SAFETY STARTS WITH US! Stay tuned to our local social media channels for updates and information.

Check out the link below to view more as we share information with our schools, families, and communities on how to keep students safe. #SRCDS1stChoice

🔗https://www.santarosaschools.org/o/srcds/page/safety-starts-with-us