Education Archive

Early childhood is a time of immense importance in the development of children, physically and intellectually. According to the Harvard Center for the Developing Child, brain development occurs over time, from the bottom up, meaning the first few years of life are critical for creating a solid foundation.

The University of West Florida recently hosted the First District Court of Appeals for oral arguments in its Mock Trial Courtroom. The event provided UWF students with an exceptional opportunity to witness the judicial process in action.

A cacophony of celebration ignited inside Kayla Stanford’s fifth-grade classroom Tuesday, Feb. 4, as Santa Rosa District Schools Superintendent Dr. Karen Barber and others surprised Stanford with the announcement that she was District teacher of the year. The announcement came as happy news to teacher and students alike, although for different reasons.

With the end of snow days came the return of school days. The first week back (Jan. 27 through Jan. 31) also marked the return of literacy week, a period where teachers, library media specialists, and students pay particular attention to reading and language arts education.

In order to meet the required instructional minutes and missed time for weather, the following updates were made to the 2024-2025 school calendar and approved at the February 4, 2025 school board meeting. “Thank you for your patience and understanding as we worked to make this as least disruptive as possible for students, staff, and families,” the school district said in a statement.

With the new Presidential Administration focused on fulfilling President Donald Trump’s promise to deport millions of illegal immigrants, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency tasked with overseeing deportations and processing immigrants, has come under the national spotlight. Recently, activity outside Gulf Breeze High School prompted some to ask: Is it happening here?

The Santa Rosa County School Board took time during their Thursday, Jan. 16, meeting to honor a group of six high school students who have been recognized a Sunshine State Scholars.

Carl O’Neal has long been a resolute educator. This year marks his 59th year teaching and he was named one of five finalists for 2024 Teacher of the Year in Santa Rosa County.

Santa Rosa District Schools is taking steps to become an African American History Exemplary District, per the Commissioner of Education’s African American History Task Force.

Four years into her stint as a substitute teacher, Linda Henderson has been named the Santa Rosa County District Schools’ Substitute of the Year.

A regular substitute teacher at East Milton Elementary School, Henderson said she was more than surprised to find out she was substitute of the year for EMES, much less the whole district.