Santa Rosa County District Schools

Upcoming Transition Tuesday Reminder for November

Families of students with IEPs (ages 11–22) - we invite you to join us for a series of virtual Focus Hour sessions designed to support your journey through transition planning. 🧩💻

Our next session is November 12. 🗓️ Additional upcoming dates/topics include:
November 12 – Deferment/Diploma Pathways
January 14 – Community Resources (APD, VR & more)
March 11 – End-of-Year Transition Planning

These sessions are open to all families—scan the QR code on the flyer to sign up and receive the meeting link - or use the link below.

🔗https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=zdJRRM_ZAUm9kItZYs2vfscuKgL217pNjHzgMtor52lUQU5BMEdXWjZIQk9XNTFMS1JNN0xXUTVESC4u&origin=QRCode

Let’s work together to empower every student’s future. 🌟

🎉Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month!🎉

Mrs. Florez and Mrs. Erickson’s Navarre High School students showcased their creativity and cultural appreciation by researching Spanish-speaking countries and designing vibrant, hand-crafted flags. These beautiful displays now line the hallway, honoring the rich histories, traditions, and contributions of Hispanic communities around the world.

🛑 Safety Starts With Us - Week 3! 🛑

If you see something, say something! Reporting suspicious or concerning behavior can help keep our schools and communities safe. You can report any time - day or night - and local law enforcement and school administrators will be notified.

✅ Tell a parent, guardian, or trusted adult
✅ Report through FortifyFL or Santa Rosa Speak Out (437-STOP) 📲

Together, we’re working for safe schools and strong futures. 💙#SRCDS1stChoice #SafetyStartsWithUs

Friday Night Lights Scoreboard (10/9 & 10/10) 🏈 It was another exciting week of football in Santa Rosa County! Congratulations to Pace, Milton, and Jay on their wins this week. Milton and Pace both advance to 6–1. Jay moves to 3–4 after a strong win over Northview. Keep working hard! We are proud of our student athletes, as well as their effort and teamwork each week! 💚💙 #SRCDS1stChoice

Take a look at some of the amazing student-created projects celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15–October 15)! 🎉 Students in our Broadcast Spanish classrooms participated in a variety of activities — including a collaborative wings mural, hands-on projects, virtual reality field trips, and more! These slides were created by students and shared on each school’s ITV channel throughout Hispanic Heritage Month. Way to go, students!!! 👏👏

Dolphins making waves in self-advocacy! 🌊 Students in Mrs. Dunn’s class at Gulf Breeze High School put their skills into action with a fun, hands-on activity today! Way to go, Dolphins! 🐬

Farmers Market for 4th Grade Students Today, Holley Navarre Intermediate’s 4th graders got a taste of farm-fresh learning at our very own Farmers Market! With Market Cash in hand, students shopped for seasonal favorites like potatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, squash, apples, pears, and oranges—each item a hands-on lesson in healthy choices and real-world math. The learning didn’t stop there! Every student took home recipe cards to turn their market finds into delicious dishes to share with their families. From farm to table, this event celebrated healthy living, independence, and the joy of learning through experience. 🍎🥕🌽

Did you know? Today (October 10) is World Mental Health Day. We want to take a moment to remind you of our mental health resources. Mental health matters! You are not alone. It's okay to ask for help. 💓

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