Students and faculty at West DeFuniak Elementary will benefit from an EPIC grant that they received from St. Joe Community Foundation.   Ms. Janet Piepul, Executive Director for the Foundation stopped by to present the check to Mrs. Tammy Goodman, Media Specialist and Mr. Rodney Free, Assistant Principal.  Several eager students were also available for the photo opportunity.  The $20,000 grant will be used for books, ebooks, and iPads for the library.  St. Joe Community Foundation provides grants to nonprofit agencies in Bay and Walton Counties in the areas of art, education, healthcare, and the environment.  In doing so the local communities are healthier and it is more enjoyable for the people who live and work in both counties.  WDE is thrilled to be able to receive this grant and to be able to provide these EPIC resources to our school.

Submitted by Jessica Dawkins

Freeport Middle School recently received a grant from the St. Joe Community Foundation for $10,700. This grant will be used to purchase the resources necessary to start an afterschool STEM program in hopes of maintaining students’ enthusiasm for science throughout their middle school career and beyond. The resources will also be used to create hands-on classroom lab experiences for science classrooms. A big thank you to Ms. Brianna Leavins for writing the grant and a huge thank you as well to the St. Joe Community Foundation for providing the opportunity and the grant! Pictured left to right:  Janet Piepul, St. JoE Executive Director, Brianna Leavins, FMS Interventionist/Instructional Coach.  

Submitted by Sharie Smith

Congratulations to these Freeport High School Band students attending the 2018 University of South Carolina Band Clinic and Conductors Symposium on February 11, 2018!

(Left to right) Ashlynn Fannin (trombone); Ethan Carlock (flute); Larry Wheeler (tuba); Dylan Estess (euphonium)

Submitted by Michael Miller