Student Spotlights – January 2026

A.K. Suter Elementary School had so much fun with its students with underground spirit days. So far they have had two. The first one was Hunt or Hunted for Thanksgiving. Then they celebrated 6-7 Day. The kids loved it so much. There are more exciting days to come.

Students from Pine Forest High School attended the National Flight Academy. According to our friends at the National Flight Academy, they were truly some of the most respectful and disciplined students they’ve had in the program, and they hope to welcome them back again next year.

Hundreds of families attended the annual School Choice Expo at Washington High school. Representatives from ECPS Career Academies and Choice Schools were on hand to greet guests and answer questions about their programs. Tables for career academy displays were set up inside the Washington gym and cafeteria. Local vendors will provide items for gift bags for attendees.
The School Choice Expo coincided with the middle and high school open enrollment period, which continues through December 5, 2025. The open enrollment period for elementary schools is from January 26 to March 6, 2026.

Pensacola High School is getting a new magnet school, and they are recruiting applicants for the 2026-27 school year. It’s been more than 20 years since a new public magnet school was established in Escambia County. Applications are opening next week for the new middle school scholars magnet program at Pensacola High School.
The program builds on PHS’s International Baccalaureate program, enrolling seventh and eighth graders into the academic magnet program. “The intention is for it to be more rigorous and to provide opportunities for acceleration for students because we are a high school and offer high school credit,” PHS principal Amy Gordon said. Gordon says the program courses will prepare middle schoolers for the transition to high school.

World Kindness Day was celebrated all month at Holm Elementary School. Everyone wore purple, and thanks to an amazing post in ClubRCA, were able to “Spread Kindness Around Like Confetti” using the clothespins idea.
They took photos in front of the “Be the I in Kind” display, celebrated with a school spirit event at Panda Express, sold Kindness bracelets and stickers, recognized our “Kindness Heros”, and announced our Acts of Kindness Challenge winners!
It was a great day at Holm Elementary School.

More than 100 students from 17 schools competed for the District 1 FFA Forestry Career Development Event recently. The competition was held at the Florida Forest Service’s Blackwater Forestry Center Training Center in Holt and tested students on their skills in diagnosing forest disorders, managing forests and forest inventory and applying approved silviculture practices. Participating students were from Escambia, Holmes, Okaloosa, Walton and Washington counties.
Participants competed in tree measurement, map interpretation, identifying trees and equipment as well as a general forestry knowledge. Luke Graham from Tate High won the top spot in the high school division while Nate Abbott of Pleasant Ridge Christian Academy in DeFuniak Springs took first in the middle school individual competition.
The first-place team for the high school division was Tate High School Team A, and Tate’s second team, Team B, took second place. Pleasant Ridge Team A won first place for the middle school division. Beulah Middle School’s Team A finished second, and the Beulah Academy of Science Team A finished third.

U.S. News & World Report has announced that West Florida High School of Advanced Technology is a “Best High Schools” winner, earning a national ranking for the 2025-26 school year. They are ranked 89th in the state of Florida and, according to U.S. News, the #1 Pensacola Metro-Area school. U.S. News & World Report uses many ranking factors, such as College Readiness, State Assessment Proficiency, and Graduation Rate.
West Florida High School is one of ECPS’s Schools of Choice and is a wall-to-wall Career Academy institution that offers twelve different Academy programs. WFHS students achieved an 80% pass rate on Advanced Placement exams last spring and over 100 AP scholars. Last year, over $4 million of scholarships were awarded to the Class of 2025, which had a graduation rate of 99.7%.

Escambia Children’s Trust plans to fund a program with Community Health of Northwest Florida to bring free eye exams and glasses to all students in Escambia County Public Schools. The program will start with kindergarten and first-grade students in year one, but will expand to all 70 ECPS campuses within three years.
The Escambia Children’s Trust board approved awarding $1.5 million to Community Health of Northwest Florida to provide free vision services to ECPS elementary school students starting next summer or fall. The proposal was supported by all board members during the Children’s Trust monthly meeting.
A Mobile Optometry Clinic (MOC) van along with an optometrist and other staff will visit campuses and provide eye exams, glasses and follow-up services for students in 30 elementary schools initially, said Walter Arrington of Community Health’s Advocacy and Special Projects division. Funding for the three-year program starts Nov. 1 and ends Oct. 31, 2028.

Meet Makinzi Roley from Northview High School. She earned a perfect score on the state English Language Arts (ELA) test. Pictured with principal Michael Sherrill, Mayinzi is one of our 36,156 students who are succeeding in the classroom.

On Thursday, November 13th, Oakcrest Elementary hosted its Giving Thanks to Our Families Night, a celebration of community and family engagement. The event provided a space for our diverse families to access helpful resources, with support from multiple vendors, including Walmart, Children’s Home Society of Florida, YReads, and Reading Is Fundamental.
We are grateful to our generous sponsors who made the night special:
Fannie Lou’s Ice Cream for donating 150 cups of ice cream.
Beulah Family Dentistry for providing toothbrushes and toothpaste for every student.
Our Oakcrest PTA for supplying pizza for families to enjoy a light dinner.
Families also received take-home activities, books, and Spanish books to support their children’s learning at home. As one parent shared, “It was wonderful to see so many families come together and support each other.” Thank you to our volunteers and all who contributed to making this event a success.

Tate High School’s FFA, along with various clubs, organizations, athletic teams, and volunteers, joined together to package 63,808 meals for the community through Meals of Hope. Volunteers included current students from Tate FFA, Tate Softball, Tate Baseball, Tate Student Council, Tate Yearbook, Tate FFA Alumni, and Ransom Middle School FFA/Ag programs.
“Food insecurity is real within Escambia County,” said Melissa Gibbs, Agricultural Educator and FFA Advisor. “It’s important to FFA and other local organizations to partner together and help fight food insecurity for many within the Pensacola region. This gives our students hands-on experience while encouraging them to work together to meet the needs of our community.”
They exceeded their goal of feeding 60,000 with the Meals of Hope project by packaging these meals in under three hours.
All packaged meals will be distributed to families throughout Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Top-tier sponsors include the Escambia County Florida Farm Bureau, Big John’s Heating and Air, Richard and Marie Gibbs, Marcus Pointe Baptist Church, and Tate FFA Alumni. Special guests were Isabelle Jenkins, Florida FFA State Secretary, and Steve Harrell, Escambia County Public Schools’ Director of Workforce Education.
“Thank you to our sponsors and student body for coming together to support our local community,” said Principal Laura Touchstone. “It’s gratifying to see our students giving back, helping to fight hunger, and supporting local families in need. Tate FFA continues to focus on growing leaders, building communities, and strengthening agriculture. Together, with Tate FFA, we’re strengthening the heart of our community and growing a legacy.”
Meals of Hope is a nonprofit organization that is committed to bringing people together to fight the hunger epidemic.

Both the Varsity and Junior Varsity Boys Basketball Teams have once again brought home championship titles—continuing impressive winning streaks that define the Jaguars’ basketball program.
Workman Middle School continues to build its legacy of excellence on the court as both the Varsity and Junior Varsity Boys Basketball Teams bring home championship titles once again—both with undefeated seasons.
This year marks a remarkable milestone for the program. The Varsity Boys Basketball Team has now won five consecutive championships, achieving an extraordinary 50–0 record across those five seasons.
The first three undefeated championship seasons were led by Coach Rochelle Carmichael, whose leadership laid the foundation for a powerhouse program. The most recent two undefeated championship years have been guided by Coach Clarence Jordan, who has continued the Jaguars’ dominance with exceptional focus and drive.
The success doesn’t stop there. The Junior Varsity team has secured back-to-back championships, also boasting an undefeated 20–0 season under the leadership of Coach Marcus Washington. Their flawless performance this year demonstrates the depth of talent within the program and signals a strong future for Varsity competition.
From the opening game of the season to the final championship buzzer, both teams displayed unmatched determination, discipline, and unity. Their hard work—combined with strong camaraderie and relentless effort—has propelled them to the top of the district yet again.
Principal Derrick Thomas expressed immense pride in the teams’ achievements. “Our boys worked incredibly hard this year, and their success is a reflection of their dedication, teamwork, and the outstanding leadership of their coaches,” he said.
Congratulations to both the Varsity and Junior Varsity Boys Basketball Teams for undefeated seasons, consecutive championship titles, and for representing Workman Middle School with excellence and Jaguar pride.

At Chesterton Academy of The Florida Martyrs, our students are divided into one of four houses: Ambrose, Athanasius, Augustine, and Chrysostom (named after Saints by the same name). Our annual House Games were held in October and the houses competed in various events including tug-of-war, trivia on the Saints, a costume contest, and other fun activities!

Our school’s drama class performed “12 Angry Jurors” on Dec 11th, 2025 under the direction of drama teacher, Dean Heather Renshaw. Drama is a part of our curriculum and all students 9th – 12th grade had a part, either cast or crew.

Chesterton Academy of The Florida Martyrs hosts two service clubs, Friends of the Poor, and Saints For Life. Friends of the Poor held a peanut butter drive in November and collected a large number of jars of peanut butter which were donated to the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry at St. Anne’s in Bellview. The Saints for Life group held a diaper drive to benefit the Alpha Center.

Creative Learning Academy’s seventh graders recently took part in the Very Special Arts Day at the Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival on Friday, November 7, 2025, at Bartram Park in downtown Pensacola. This annual event provided students with a unique opportunity to serve others while embracing the creative arts.
Throughout the day, students worked alongside peers from Exceptional Student Education (ESE) classes in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. Together, they led hands-on art booths featuring face painting, origami, button-making, and clay play. CLA students guided participants through each project, helping make sure that everyone could enjoy the creativity and intricacies of many different types of art. Coach Jessie Loggins shared that it was a rewarding experience for all involved. “Our Dragons practiced patience, respect, and the importance of recognizing effort,” she said. “They offered praise, suggestions, and assistance throughout the day.” The event allowed students to see firsthand how creativity can connect people and build community.
Creative Learning Academy is incredibly grateful for the compassion and leadership shown by its seventh graders. Their participation in this special day reflects the school’s commitment to service learning and to fostering service to others, empathy, kindness, and responsibility in every student.