Apr 17, 2023
Gulf Breeze High choir program celebrates year one
The Gulf Breeze High School choir’s T-shirts say “making history” on them, a fitting phrase since the 2022-23 school year marks the first time GBHS has had a choir in at least 15 years.
Now that the school year is almost over, GBHS is celebrating the growth and success of their choir program under its director, Kyle Sentell, who is as new to GBHS as the program he leads.
Apr 14, 2023
Guardian program, prayers highlight April school board meeting
After months of delay, it appears the Guardian program at Santa Rosa County schools will finally be happening.
At the April 4 school board meeting, the board and the public were updated on where the program is at and when it will be implemented.
Apr 12, 2023
South end high school opening pushed back to 2026
Residents in the Midway area will have to wait another year longer for a new 195,000-square-foot high school to open.
At the April 4 Santa Rosa County School Board meeting, DAG Architects announced that the new south end school’s opening is being pushed back to August 2026. It had originally be planned to open in Fall 2025.
Apr 11, 2023
Rebekah Jones’ son arrested after alleged school threats
The teenage son of Rebekah Jones, a data analyst and former Democratic Party candidate for U.S. House, has been charged with intimidation, a second-degree felony.
Jackson Jones, 13, was arrested for allegedly threatening to conduct a mass shooting at Holley Navarre Middle School, where he was previously a student. The threats first came to the attention of Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office March 20, when an East Bay K8 student told school officials about a school shooting threat she saw on social media.
Apr 10, 2023
Rhodes Elementary student cooking competitively
Braxton Parker always knew he wanted to be a chef; he just didn’t know he would be recognized for it at such an early age.
Parker, a third-grade student at Rhodes Elementary School, won Santa Rosa County District Schools’ 2023 Sodexo Future Chefs Challenge. His official title after winning the competition is Santa Rosa County Future Chef Grand Champion.
Apr 7, 2023
More than trying: Navarre High mock trial team enjoying success
Many people try to avoid appearing before a judge, but for the students in Navarre High School’s mock trial team it’s something they look forward to.
Mock trial is an extracurricular activity where students prepare to go to court with a fictional case and play on the side of either the prosecution or defense in each round of competition. The competition is mediated by a circuit court judge and is scored by accredited lawyers from the local area.
Apr 4, 2023
Activist group, Moms for Liberty, opens Santa Rosa chapter
Parental rights in education have become a massive issue politically, not just in Florida, but across the country. One group is helping lead that charge.
Moms for Liberty, a nonprofit advocacy group based in Melbourne, Florida, has campaigned against COVID-19 restrictions in schools, school curriculums that mention critical race theory or gender ideology and some chapters have campaigned to remove certain books that address gender or sexuality from school libraries.
Mar 27, 2023
Childcare center hosts garden project
Preschoolers at The Gingerbread House Child Care Center in Gulf Breeze got the opportunity Wednesday, March 22, to learn more about gardening, plants and where food comes from.
Mar 20, 2023
Three big things: Santa Rosa school board
The Santa Rosa County School Board met March 9 at Woodlawn Beach Middle School.
A number of issues, including school libraries and a Juul lawsuit, were discussed and appointments were made to county schools.
Mar 17, 2023
Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge hosts spring break camp
While students and teachers had a week off from school during spring break, the folks at Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge were hard at work hosting a spring break camp for kids ages 8 to 13. Despite hosting camps before, this was the first time Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge had hosted one during spring break.
The purpose of the camps at Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge are to help educate youth on all things animalia, from biology to ecology to the dangers they face from humans and other animals.