At first glance the “Patriotic Societies” bill that’s working its way through the Florida Legislature may seem wrapped in the American flag and no more contentious than Mom or apple pie. But House Bill 95, also known as the “Scouts Access” proposal, would mandate the right of paid Scout leaders—for both boys and girls—to make […]
Gulf Breeze Middle School students end their school day at 1:35 p.m. leaving a significant gap between the time students are free and the time most parents finish their work shift. This caused a bit of a problem for the compact community said Gulf Breeze Parks and Recreation Director Ron Pulley. “Basically the middle schoolers […]
Navarre and Gulf Breeze students cut into more than 100 lionfish last week as part of a large dissection research project. The students of Navarre High School, Navarre Beach Marine Science Station, Gulf Breeze High School and others in Escambia County were partnering with the University of West Florida Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation […]
Cassie Nolan moved over to Holley-Navarre Primary this school year and has brought her popular Raider Role Models program with her. A fourth-grade teacher at the intermediate school the last three years, Nolan teaches kindergarten now and is looking forward to having Navarre High football players come to the school once a week to work […]
A collection of grade schoolers against a multibillion-dollar national industry: Navarre High School senior Catalina Rios likes those odds. She will be taking on “big tobacco” in the coming school year as one of four representatives of the Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Youth Advocacy Board Region 1. Rios was elected to the board by […]
Each year middle school students take Florida Standards Assessment exams to determine their knowledge of course material in subjects such as language arts, science and civics. The results are in, and four Holley Navarre Middle School students scored perfect on FSA subject area tests. The perfect scores were Katlynn Johnson in science, Gerald Cult in […]
Though it was the height of the Cold War, it was unbearably hot. Inside a Soviet submarine lurking in the depths of the Caribbean Sea in October 1962, the air conditioning had stopped working and the temperature was more than 120 degrees, said 14-year-old history buff and Gulf Breeze Middle School graduate Max Mateer. He […]
Five big black balloons floated in the fingers of West Navarre Intermediate School teachers as hundreds of new third-graders gathered and waited. Each one had been handed a number, one through five, corresponding to the nondescript balloons. This day would define them for the next three years. The first balloon was burst, and colorful confetti […]
As schools across Santa Rosa County begin planning their field trips to the Navarre Beach Marine Science Station (NBMSS), a new teacher has jumped on board to help connect these children to the marine world. Biology teacher Sara Taylor has always loved the ocean, even if she has not always been near it she said. […]
Whether the sneakers are too small, too big, too dirty or too stinky, Navarre High School SADD wants those shoes to help those impacted by drunken driving. SADD stands for Students Against Destructive Decisions. This national organization has chapters at middle schools, high schools and colleges across the country all working to provide peer-to-peer education […]
Before going back to school, West Navarre Primary School first-grade teacher Sasha Tiwari got schooled herself. She was selected to join 150 educators from around the world in July at the University of California, San Diego for the annual Discovery Education Network Summer Institute (DENSI). DENSI is an extension of the Discovery Education program utilized […]
In lieu of blank asphalt, the parking lot of Gulf Breeze High School is now adorned in an array of colorful designs such as flowers, Disney characters, fast food logos, sports images and more as dozens of seniors made their mark on the school. This is the first year that seniors have been allowed to […]
With Congress on its summer break, U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz made a stop in Santa Rosa County last week to talk politics with local students. Since taking office in January as the representative for Florida’s 1st Congressional District, Gaetz has made a habit of visiting locations such as schools and town halls throughout his district […]
While some schools banned their teachers and students from watching the eclipse, Navarre High School teachers jumped in with both feet. Earth Science teachers Dena Pruden and Tami McConnell said they were excited for their students to learn about astronomy through the event. “We have been telling our students about it since the start of […]
From the tearful goodbyes of parents of Kindergarteners to the swaggering saunter of the high school seniors, Navarre students of all ages returned to the books Monday kicking of a new school year. Featured in the Aug. 17 issue of Navarre Press. Subscribe online at navarrepress.com for as little as $38 per year.
In the not-too-distant past, advanced technology in classrooms was synonymous with scientific calculators, desktop computers, projectors and occasionally laptops. But times have changed. Over the years south Santa Rosa educators have utilized a wide variety of programs, devices and websites. High school students use WeatherSTEM, a weather data collection device, to study data patterns for […]
Santa Rosa public school teachers will receive about half of the $3.3 million annual pay raise they have sought per a 5-0 vote by the school board that limited their increase Thursday night. School Superintendent Tim Wyrosdick, who had a victory statement prepared in advance, seemed to anticipate the board vote that supported his position […]
Navarre High School senior Dylan Porter, 16, has his sights set on becoming a doctor. Attending Florida State University’s College of Medicine Summer Institute this summer has solidified that dream for him. “I just really like helping people. It makes me feel really good about myself to help others, and I have always had passion […]
Technology is ever-changing and traditional youth groups such as the Girl Scouts are on board for evolving in a technology-based world. The organization announced it will be launching a program offering STEM badges that will cover topics in science, technology, engineering and math while mixing in STEM-related badges that involve the outdoors. Read the full […]
If one is looking for a way to put the success of the Navarre Navy Junior ROTC program in perspective, perhaps comparing it to a great athletic program might very well be the best way to do it. Its achievements are impressive. Its dominance is as undeniable as a college football or basketball team that […]
When Alex Brummett graduated from Navarre High School in 2014, he knew college was not an option. Brummett had been an average student, and frankly book smarts were not his thing. “I am very hands-on, and I wasn’t college material,” he said. But college is not the only way to succeed in a career, and […]
In the wake of hurricane Ivan, many homes and businesses were destroyed. For Joanna Johannes, returning in the wake of the storm with her small children was devastating, she said. She had just moved to Gulf Breeze two years prior, and the storm had totaled her house. “It took everything,” she said. Read the full […]
Even as talk of a new school in Navarre turns to action, a new high school facility could still be a decade away despite near maximum capacity projections, Superintendent Tim Wyrosdick said. Wyrosdick presented the student population growth and capacity data to the Navarre Area Board of Realtors July 12 during their monthly luncheon at […]
A back-to-school sales tax holiday, passed by the Florida legislature and signed into law by Governor Rick Scott, will begin at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Aug. 4, and end at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 6. During this sales tax holiday period, qualifying items will be exempt from tax, including certain school supplies selling for $15 or […]
Gulf Breeze High School student Blake Barclay is the first from Santa Rosa County to be selected as a senator for the national Boys Nation in Washington D.C. Two representatives from each state will be at the event. Barclay, on a college tour at Vanderbilt last week, shared his thoughts on the honor via email […]
The Santa Rosa School District is back on top of the rankings with an A grade for the 2016-17 school year. Last year, for the first time in more than a decade, the district’s ranking had slipped to a B grade. Bill Emerson, assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and assessment, said he was pleased to […]
Would you trust an 11-year-old to design life-saving buffers along U.S. Highway 98? Would you let a 14-year-old design your home? Fourth-grade teacher Marci Kennison might tell you to rethink your answer. At the second annual Santa Rosa School District STEAM Camp that is exactly what students set out to do. Woodlawn Beach Middle School […]
It’s no secret that Navarre’s schools are bursting at the seams, but relief is one step closer. Plans to build a new kindergarten through eighth-grade school near Edgewood Drive have been incorporated into the Santa Rosa School Districts five-year survey at the urging of the Florida Department of Education (FDOE). The school board unanimously approved […]
Despite patches of rainy weather, the Navarre Beach Marine Science Station launched the first of this year’s summer camps last week. Dolphin Discovery had children entering third through eighth grade learning and playing along Navarre Beach June 12 through 16. The children participated in a variety of activities that familiarized them with the species that […]
Attendance at this summer’s Navarre girls soccer camp has exploded. “This is one of our largest turnouts for the camp since it was started several years ago,” Navarre head coach Rob Simon said. “We had 50 campers that pre-registered and another 25 that registered on the first day.” The campers were split into five age […]