Thank you, CVHN!
While at Mossy Head School this morning, Superintendent Hughes had a chance to speak with two ladies who were on site with the Mobile Dental Health Clinic from Children’s Volunteer Health Clinic, Denise Lisciotti – MDC Manager/Hygienist and Christina Peterson – MDC Hygienist. The Mobile Dental Clinic provides preventative dental care and education about how students can take care of their teeth.
The Walton County School District was well represented at a recent event in Orlando sponsored by the Florida Department of Education. Pictured (L to R) Ms. Jeanine Abadie, teacher at Emerald Coast Middle School and past Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Devon LaMonica, past Teacher of the Year in Okaloosa County and current administrator at the Magnet Innovation Center at St. Joe Watersound, Mr. Richard Corcoran, Commission of Education for the State of Florida, and Dr. Alexis Tibbetts, Principal of South Walton High School and finalist for Principal of the Year.
Ms. Andrea Andrews is a proud teacher at Maude Saunders Elementary School, where she has taught for the last 5 years. She has been in education, in a teaching capacity, for a total of 6 years; spending a brief time teaching at both West DeFuniak Elementary and Paxton School. Andrea adores and respects the faculty and staff she works with, and loves being able to help students reach their educational goals.
Ms. Andrews began her own educational journey as a young child at West DeFuniak Elementary School. While attending elementary school, she made the decision, at the age of 8, to become a teacher. She attended school in Walton County until she graduated Magna Cum Laude from Walton High School in 2011. Andrea went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education K-6, graduating from Northwest Florida State College in 2015. After taking a couple of years to settle into her educational career, Ms. Andrews enrolled in the University of West Florida and graduated with a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction in 2018.
Andrea plans to call MSE home for as long as she can, and she wants to share it with her future son who will make his appearance in August 2021!!
Ashanti Kee attended Walton County schools as a child, including Maude Saunders, Walton Middle, and Walton High. As a middle schooler, Ashanti was blessed to receive the 2 + 2 Take Stock In Children scholarship. This is where the idea of college and becoming an educator began to blossom. Ashanti graduated from high school with honors in Math and was a member of the Mu Alpha Theta math honor society. She also graduated with honors in Spanish as a second language. After high school, Ashanti went straight into college at FAMU in Tallahassee, Florida. Later she finished her Associate of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees at NWFSC in Niceville, Florida. Ashanti has been working in the Walton County School District for about 8 years. She began as a substitute teacher and Title I Tutor from elementary to high school level. She then became a teacher’s aide at the WISE Pre-k. While finishing her bachelor’s degree, Ashanti came back to MSE, where it all started, to complete her student teaching. This is also where her teaching career began 3 years ago and continues now into the present. Ashanti has even had the privilege to work side by side with one of her childhood teachers.
During this semester, Ms. Kalli McMillan's seventh grade ELA class has been doing a novel study on the book Holes by Louis Sachar. This week, they completed a STEM project in which they were given the scenario of travelling across the vast desert after escaping Camp Green Lake. They had to create a scale shelter that would protect them from the elements of the Texas desert. The groups had to work together to complete the task efficiently.
Picture #1 & #2: SWHS Culinary Institute Students Show off their Chef Skills
Picture #3 & #4: SWHS is Preparing Future Health Experts through the Medical & Health Science Institute
Lori Sinclair born and raised in DeFuniak Springs, FL and attended West Defuniak Elementary, Walton Middle School, and Walton High School (C/O 91). After graduating from WHS, she continued her education in Huntsville, Al at Alabama A&M University earning a B.S. degree in Accounting. She holds 2 Master’s degrees in Education and Taxation from Florida A&M University and Nova Southeastern University respectively. Her dad, Benson B. Campbell, Sr. was an educator in Walton County for 38 years. Teaching has been part of her life for a long time. She has 18 years of teaching experience. This includes 4 years in Palm Beach County Schools, 12 years in Rockdale County School District (GA), and 2 years at Emerald Coast Middle School. She loves teaching because she loves to see the light bulb come on for her students. She makes a significant impact on her students here at ECMS as an 8th Grade teacher. She is also proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
In her spare time, she loves playing board games, helping others and working with numbers.
She is glad to be home.
The Freeport High School Bulldog Flyers scored a 2nd place overall finish at a recent Robotics Education Competition Foundation (REC) sponsored aerial drone competition. These students honed their skills in Gary Driver's robotics class and successfully programmed their drone for autonomous flight and maneuvered it through a challenging obstacle course. In the flight segment of the competition, the crew was undefeated and recognized as "Most Outstanding Flight Crew."
Micah Trinidad graduated from Walton High School and shortly after began at Northwest Florida College where she cheered her 6th year and began teaching herself the Spanish Language. She later moved to Pensacola, Florida and attended University of West Florida. It was here where she found a love for different cultures and focused more on her Spanish language acquisition. She was a part of the English Ambassador Program and met friends from all over the globe, picking them up from the airport and helping them learn the English language.
Micah also traveled abroad to study Spanish in San Jose, Costa Rica and her life was forever changed. She wanted to teach a love for travel, different cultural backgrounds and foreign languages. Instead of becoming cultural psychologist Micah decided that teaching a foreign language would be right up her alley.
She has been at Paxton School for 6 years now where she enjoys dancing with her students at cultural events and allowing them to practice their new language. Her Spanish Club is the highlight of her career as she loves watching the kids smile and have fun in new places, around new language and new people.
Micah has continued her education in foreign languages and finished up her Master’s in Spanish Language Education at NOVA Southeastern University and is currently studying Hebrew.
“I feel that learning a new language connects you to new people and new ideas. I believe everyone should speak a second language and I love watching my students have fun while learning to be culturally passionate citizens.”
Allow me introduce Dr. Rachel Stallworth, CTE Business Technology Teacher at Paxton High School. Dr. Stallworth is a native of Dallas, Texas. Dr. Stallworth is an advocate for students seeking to construct a career path prior to graduating high school. She graduated from Walden University earning a Doctor Business Administration with a specialization in Human Resource Management in 2018. Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Columbia Southern University in 2014. Bachelor of Science in Career and Technical Education: Program Development in 2012 from University of West Florida. Dr. Stallworth is an integral part of our Paxton family. She works with students to achieve CTE certifications and prepares them for the business world. She also is very active as a class sponsor and has contributed to the culture of excellence on campus.
What inspires me as a teacher? “I appreciate having authority to engage with students at various stages of development and cultural differences and social economic background. This allows me to make a difference in the lives of students who I believe should be provided an opportunity to achieve their highest level of educational potential. By working as a teacher, I’m in authority to empower youth to pursue purpose, teach students how to set goals and embrace their individual identity.”
