Okaloosa County School District

Congratulations to Olivia Mead, Fort Walton Beach High School, and Nicholas Ford, Niceville High School, for being named 2023 National Merit Semifinalists! Read more about their accomplishment here: https://thrillshare.com/s/news-ocsd/articles/2023-national-merit-scholarship-semifinalists-announced

ʜɪꜱᴘᴀɴɪᴄ ʜᴇʀɪᴛᴀɢᴇ ᴍᴏɴᴛʜ Dr. Antonia Novello was appointed Surgeon General of the United States by President George Bush in 1990, the first woman and the first Hispanic to hold the position. When Dr. Novello was younger, she was hospitalized often for a medical condition that was not corrected until her late teens, inspiring her to attend medical school at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine. She studied Pediatric medicine (Nephrology) and practiced Pediatrics for a short time. She then pursued a career in Public Health, earning a position at the National Institutes of Health. As Surgeon General, she focused on protecting the young and vulnerable, addressing alcohol and nicotine advertising that targeted children. She is also known for her efforts in battling health inequities among the poor and minority groups.

Okaloosa County Schools will be closed Monday, September 5th for the Labor Day Holiday. Have a great weekend!

Congratulations to Ms. Zoila Ganuza for being named a Specialist in Student Services. She served as a School Psychologist in OCSD for the past ten years!

Congratulations to Ms. Kimberly Sears for being named Assistant Principal of Crestview High. Ms. Sears was previously a Teacher on Special Assignment (TSA) in the Crestview High School Guidance Department.

Okaloosa Public Arts Foundation Donates $14,000 Thank you to the Okaloosa Public Arts Foundation for donating $2000 to each high school art department in the Okaloosa County School District in the amount of $14,000 to supplement art supplies for student enhancement and instruction in art. Ms. Bernadette Sims, President of the Foundation, and Representative Anne Johnston presented the funds to the Board. "In the Okaloosa County School District we talk about focusing on Academics, the Arts, and Athletics. I appreciate the Okaloosa Public Arts Foundation for all that you do to help ensure our Arts programs get stronger each year." - Superintendent Chambers "This is not a lot compared to what [the art teachers] really need to do the things they want to do, but we feel like we are helping." -Bernadette Simms, President, Okaloosa Public Arts Over the years, the Okaloosa Public Arts Foundation has donated $38,000 to our Art programs. We appreciate your support!

Principal, Dr. Samantha Dawson, Retires We recognized Dr. Samantha Dawson, for her amazing career in the Okaloosa County School District. Dr. Dawson retired as Principal of Edge Elementary, a position she lead for over a decade. Before that she taught in our schools for many years. The Board shared many positive comments about Dr. Dawson and her amazing career.

We recently celebrated our Maintenance department with a Fish Fry in Crestview! Lloyd Taylor and his sous chefs cooked delicious fish provided by Jacobs Titan while our foremen, site based, and trade professionals were recognized for a summer of hard work. Mr. Chambers awarded OCSD Challenge Coins to Randal Ganey, Junior Sheets, Phillip Reed, Luke Mitchell, and Cliff Shutt for going above and beyond the job description. This team works hard to keep our district running and we could not appreciate you more! Thank you!

We are honored that Ms. Melissa Matz, 2023 Florida Teacher of the Year, stopped by Pryor Middle School to get a small taste of the fantastic things happening in the Okaloosa County School District. Ms. Brittany Tate, 2023 Okaloosa County Teacher of the Year, hosted Ms. Matz and took her on a tour of some of the math, science, and CTE classes. Some practices she took an interest in included how Pryor uses time in PIERS (Homeroom), how their PBIS system is organized, and ways our teachers are using technology in the classroom, among many other things! Thanks for visiting Ms. Matz!

OCSD CTE and HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital have partnered to create a pathway for students interested in careers in healthcare. High School Juniors and Seniors enrolled in this two year Practical Nursing program have the opportunity to earn industry certifications while participating in hands-on clinical training at HCA Florida Fort Walton Beach Hospital! Learn more about this amazing program here: https://www.hcafloridahealthcare.com/locations/fort-walton-destin-hospital/about-us/newsroom/hca-florida-fort-walton-destin-hospital-announces-health-academy-of-northwest-florida

Parents! Have you signed up for Bus Bulletin? When you create an account using your child's bus number, you will receive real-time notifications in the event that their bus is unexpectedly delayed or has a schedule change. Parents should expect delays the first couple weeks of school. You will be required to confirm your email address to receive notifications. Use the link in bio to sign up! Have a great first day of school! http://busbulletin.com/parents/

Bluewater Elementary Principal Amy Klugh is beyond excited about the new single point of entry at her school. The safety focused construction project began and is completed three years ahead of schedule, thanks to the Half Cent Sales Tax. This is one of many improvement projects that the Okaloosa County School District is experiencing in addition to new construction projects that started this Summer. Thank you to Superintendent Chambers, School Board Member Diane Kelley, and everyone who helped celebrate the completion of this project in time for the new school year!

School starts Wednesday, August 10th, which means kids will be at bus stops, school zones will be active, and buses are back on the road! Please drive carefully!

We are proud to share that Okaloosa STEMM Academy is the top ranked Middle School in the state! Congratulations to the students, faculty, and staff on this incredible achievement! #NextGenOCSD

Our teachers are excited and motivated for the 2022-23 school year! Yesterday was their first official day back and it was filled with important information and team building! we cannot wait for our students to be back on campus! School starts Wednesday, August 10th!

The Florida Back to School 2022 Sales Tax Holiday is July 25- August 7th. During this two-week period, consumers can purchase qualifying back-to-school supplies tax free. https://floridarevenue.com/backtoschool

Okaloosa County Schools start for students on Wednesday, August 10th!