Walton County - School District

Are you the missing piece? We have a few positions left to fill before school starts. If you're ready to change lives alongside the best teachers and staff in the country, go visit www.walton.k12.fl.us/employment and find where you fit!

𝙎𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 Success isn't an accident. It doesn't just happen. Success is forged in the furnaces of intentionality, collaboration, and execution. That furnace is fueled by VISION. Success is built. Success is 𝙈𝘼𝙉𝙐𝙁𝘼𝘾𝙏𝙐𝙍𝙀𝘿! Every year, WCSD holds "Manufacturing Day", a time when administrators, teachers, staff, and even parents gather for a day of innovation, collaboration, and planning. Each administrator chooses the team they bring to Manufacturing Day, and as Superintendent Hughes said "We want the RIGHT people, in the RIGHT room, for the RIGHT reason!" The goal is to develop the plan for the year to move forward toward the goal of being the #1 school district in the state of Florida. Superintendent A. Russell Hughes remarked in his opening session "By the end of the day you have developed a clear path to success. We will get there! We will ALL get there. If we don't get there together, then it doesn't matter. We don't leave anyone behind in the Walton County School District."

❓❓How do you....❓❓ ✔️Get to the #3 Ranked (academics) School District in Florida ✔️Rank #1 in Geometry? ✔️#2 in Algebra 1 ✔️#3 in US History 💥You have layers of teams completely committed to excellence in their craft. This week, our administrators got together to ensure the path to achieve Superintendent Hughes' vision of being #1 is crystal clear! 💥You collaborate with others and within teams to ensure everyone has access to the best ideas and the best practices. Our teams worked together to ensure there are no weak links in the chain.

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!