Santa Rosa County District Schools

Congratulations to Our Social Studies Teachers of the Year! We are thrilled to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our Social Studies Teachers of the Year! Under the guidance of our Coordinator of Social Studies and World Languages, Amy Parker, we set out to honor a dedicated teacher from each educational level: elementary, middle, and high school. These exceptional educators were nominated by their department. They were selected their innovative and engaging approaches to teaching social studies by a panel consisting of grade level directors, SRPE, and two former history teachers who reviewed and scored their applications. Congratulations to Our Winners! Elementary: Katelyn Kent, Gulf Breeze Elementary School Middle: Brandi Williamson, Wallace Lake K8 High: Jackie Sines, Gulf Breeze High School Additionally, we extend a heartfelt thank you to Jewelers Trade Shop in Pensacola and Dr. Kevin Welch, MD, for their generous contributions, which help make our teachers feel truly special! Your support for our schools and district is greatly appreciated. #SRCDS1stChoice

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Physical challenges and serious health struggles in friends and family can impact their mental health. Although we might not be able to change someone’s illness, we can change how they experience it. During #MHAM2025, take the time to share a meal, take a walk, or just listen—it can make a world of difference. 🌎💖samhsa.gov/find-support/helping-someone

National Speech Language Pathologist Day 🗣️ Let's give a huge shout out to our amazing Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) in Santa Rosa County! These dedicated educators assist our students with speech, language, fluency, voice, social pragmatic skills, and so much more! They are an integral part of our team of educators! #SRCDS1stChoice 👏 Thank your favorite SLP below! 👇

Thank you to Dr. Michael Toth and the Instructional Empowerment team for joining us in Santa Rosa County today to host the Why Regional Workshop! We had so many participants from not only Santa Rosa, but other counties and organizations as well to include Leon, Gadsden, Calhoun, Dixie, Escambia, Bay, and the University of West Florida. It was a great day of learning, connecting, collaborating, and planning for how we can utilize Student Led Academic teams to support our student and instruction.

SWAT Workshop Below you will find a few photos from a SWAT Workshop on Saturday, May 10. In attendance were students from King Middle School, Woodlawn Beach Middle School, Gulf Breeze High School, Navarre High School, and Pace High School. Thank you to Deputy Sevilla (SRO at Woodlawn) and the Santa Rosa Sheriff's Office for making a difference in our schools. We are thankful for your education and leadership to encourage students to make healthy choices about tobacco and nicotine.

Do you want to help your child both learn and love to read while building a FREE collection of books at home? New Worlds Reading is Florida’s free reading program that mails eligible kids a free book each month during the school year, along with resources and activities for families to use together to help students strengthen their literacy skills. Visit www.newworldsreading.com today to see if your child is eligible!

We had an incredible time at the annual "Val and Sal" Luncheon hosted by Superintendent Barber, celebrating the Valedictorians and Salutatorians from our high schools! Thank you to Mr. Thorpe (Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment) and Mr. Noack for joining! ✨ It was inspiring to hear their stories about experiences in Santa Rosa County, their most memorable moments, and their exciting future plans. Congratulations to these outstanding students! 🎓 Central School Gabe Martin, Valedictorian Bryce Bowers, Salutatorian Gulf Breeze High School Connell Bartling, Valedictorian Derek Smith, Salutatorian Jay High School Levi Blackman, Valedictorian Ramsey Reaves, Salutatorian Milton High School Andrew Henry, Valedictorian Elliott Wilson, Salutatorian Navarre High School Aaron Pinkerton, Valedictorian Lily Bayard, Salutatorian Pace High School Caden Crow, Valedictorian Casey Gunter, Salutatorian Santa Rosa High Gabrielle Hashbarger, Valedictorian Caleb Reasner, Salutatorian Keep shining bright, future leaders! 🌟#SRCDS1stchoice #Classof2025

Did you know? May is National Speech Language Hearing Month! The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has a free and interactive quiz that provides valuable information for families! Take the Communications Milestones Quiz at the link below! 🔗 https://www.asha.org/public/developmental-milestones/communication-milestones-quiz/

Join the Santa Rosa County District Schools team and make a difference in the lives of students every day. Positions for the 2025–2026 school year are now open! Apply today at santarosa.schoolspring.com! 🏫

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Serious mental illness (#SMI) affects millions, yet stigma keeps many from seeking help. Mental health is just as important as physical health. Let’s make sure everyone gets support. Learn more: samhsa.gov/mental-health/serious-mental-illness/managing-life #EndtheStigma #MHAM2025

May is Mental Health Awareness Month Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms and mother figures in our lives! 💐Today we recognize all that you do for others and remind you that your well-being matters too! 💝 If you are struggling: findsupport.gov #SelfCare #HappyMothersDay

The East Bay PE Department hosted a "Blacklight Bootcamp" with fun, hands-on, and engaging exercises and activities in honor of Month of the Military Child! 🌟 Check it out! Way to go, Eagles! 🦅 #SRCDS1stChoice

☀️Santa Rosa Community School Summer 2025 Camp ☀️ Mark your calendar... 🗓️ Registration opens on Monday, May 12! Check out the flyer for more information. ✅ Santa Rosa Community School Website: https://coms.santarosaschools.org/o/coms ✅ Registration: https://santarosa.reg.eleyo.com/

Library Media Specialist at East Milton Elementary, Mrs. Michelle Barlow, takes learning to prehistoric levels! As the elementary winner for Defined Learning, Mrs. Barlow received a prize basket that included a custom bobblehead. However, this bobblehead isn’t just for display on shelf for Mrs. Barlow! From dino jaws to dragon dens, this figure became the star of student-led teaming and creative writing activities in the library at EME. Students were fully engaged, building scenes, writing adventures, and bringing their imaginations to life. Way to go, Mrs. Barlow! This is proof that learning can be both educational and wildly fun with creative educators like Mrs. Barlow! #SRCDS1stChoice

ESE PARENT SURVEY We value your feedback! 🙂 The survey closes June 30. If you have a child in our Exceptional Student Education Program, please take a few moments to complete this brief survey. Thank you! Link: bit.ly/ESEParentSurvey

2025 Juried High School Awards Exhibition at Pensacola State College Hosted by the Anna Society members of Pensacola State College, this juried exhibition features a collective of student artwork from juniors and seniors of both Escambia County and Santa Rosa County. These artworks will be displayed in the Charles W. Lamar Studio of the Anna Lamar Switzer Center for Visual Arts from May 27 – July 31, 2025. There will be an exhibition reception to celebrate these students on Tuesday, June 24th from 5-7:30pm. At this event, various award-winning students will be recognized starting at 5:30pm. Please see the flyer for more information. Event Details 2025 Juried High School Awards Exhibition Exhibition Viewing: May 27 – July 31, 2025 Location: Anna Lamar Switzer Center for Visual Arts, Bldg. 15 (Charles W. Lamar Studio) Event: June 24, 2025, Lamar Lecture Hall (1513) Awarding Ceremony (5:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.) Reception (5:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.)

Congratulations to Navarre High School's Anchored4Life Program for winning Showcase Winner for May/June 2025! Take a look at the Anchored4Life Newsletter that provides more information about their program and additional content written and created in their own words. Way to go, Raiders! #SRCDS1stChoice Link: https://mailchi.mp/anchored4life.com/showcase-jan-feb-9164280?e=5bb001db4d

🏥 School Nurse Day 👩‍⚕️ Thank you to all of our health techs and school nurses that work to ensure our students are safe and cared for while at school. 🩹 We appreciate your support and dedication to ensuring our students remain healthy while at school! 🩺 Do you have a health tech or nurse to recognize? Drop a kind word or shout out below! ⬇️

Thank you for your valuable feedback as we work to make our district and school websites as user-friendly as possible. Your patience during this transition means the world to us! One key insight we've gathered is how families are accessing our district and school sites. *If you're using a search engine, please note that updates to our new platform may take some time. We recommend visiting santarosaschools.org directly for the best experience! *Looking for a specific school? Simply click on the "Schools" dropdown in the top navigation (highlighted in red in the photo) to easily find your school site. 🏫 *If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at PIO@santarosa.k12.fl.us. Our schools have migrated the same content, so while things may look a bit different, you can still find what you're looking for. *And don’t forget to use the magnifying glass “Search” feature to explore the district, schools, or any site for keywords you might need! 🔍 We're here to help you find the information you need! #SRCDS1stChoice

School Board Meeting Recap - May 1, 2025 Our school board meeting was held on May 1, 2025 at 5:30pm. Below is a brief recap of some items of recognition and celebration. 1. New Administrative Appointment - Katherine Jones was appointed as the new Assistant Superintendent of Finance, effective July 1, 2025. 2. Florida Retired Educators' Association Annual 5th Grade Grandparent Essay Content Winners -Brooklynne Barnhardt, SS Dixon Intermediate - 1st Place in District and Top Winner in State of Florida -Aaniyah Follins, West Navarre Intermediate - 2nd Place in District -Charlotte Carter, Holley Navarre Intermediate - 3rd Place in District 3. State Speech & Debate Awards Ashley Carter: NWFL Regional Coach of the Year Middle School: Berkley Allen: 1st place Dramatic Interpretation Berkley Allen: 1st DUO interpretation Ronin Navarrete: 1st place Duo Interpretation Ronin Navarrete: 1st Place Humorous Interpretation Bryson Bowlan: 1st place Poetry Ian Moffatt: 1st place Program Oral Interpretation Kylee Roulhac: 2nd place poetry Ian Moffatt: 2nd Place Declamation Paisley Settlemires: 2nd place Program Oral Interpretation Ashton Carter: 3rd place Congressional Debate Emilyn Tyson: 3rd place Program Oral Interpretation Emersyn Mason: 4th place Humorous Interpretation Avery Eddins: 4th Place Dramatic Interpretation Lyla Dykes: 4th place Poetry Avery Eddins: 6th place Humorous Interpretation High School: Aiden Carter/Parker Hill: 5th place Duo Interpretation Caitlin Leonard: 4th place Dramatic Interpretation Caitlin Leonard: Semifinalist Impromptu 19 awards, including the coach award, were received and 6 were in 1st Place! Way to go! 4. Pace High School NJROTC - Congratulations to our the Pace High School Drill Team for becoming the 2025 Navy National Academic, Athletic, and Drill Champions!