Student Spotlights – March 2026

Escambia County Public Schools collected food for Manna Food Pantries. This year’s drive collected 23,557 pounds of food for Manna’s food pantry – the equivalent of 27,844 meals to our neighbors in need. Under the direction of ECPS’s Office of Community Involvement and in conjunction with the District’s Warehouse Services department, Escambia County schools and district offices delivered 29 pallets of boxes filled with food to Manna.

Congratulations are in order for Beulah Middle Schools FFA Chapter. Caleb Pitts competed in Prepared Public Speaking and placed 1st. He advanced to the State Competition this June in Orlando. The Parliamentary Procedure team placed 1st and advanced to the State Competition this June in Orlando. Lawson Simons competed in Extemporaneous Public Speaking and placed 2nd. Olivia Nunn competed in Creed Public Speaking and placed 2nd. Finally their Opening and Closing Ceremony Team competed and placed 2nd.

Hellen Caro began their ‘Leader in Me’ journey this year. The results seen on a consistent basis with students is absolutely amazing.
“This year, we began our ‘Leader in Me’ journey,” said principal Amy Hicks. “Based on the principles from Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, it empowers students with leadership and life skills, fostering a culture of accountability, responsibility, and initiative.”
As a part of this journey, students applied for and were selected to represent the student body as members of the student Lighthouse Team. Today was the first meeting and the ideas were flowing. We can’t wait to see the initiative these students show as they lead Hellen Caro to be the best school ever.

Congratulations to West Florida High School senior Suzie Baker who advances to the Florida FFA State Finals after winning first place in Extemporaneous Public Speaking at the District Competition.
This automatically places Suzie in the Top 12 of all of Florida. For her event, Suzie received a topic and had just 30 minutes to prepare a 4-6 minute speech. Suzie spoke on the impacts of climate change on food and fiber systems.

Brothers Houston and Cameron Konetzki, ages 16 and 13, of Gulf Breeze proudly represented the United States on the international stage at the Edge Cup Solo Ice Dance competition in Katowice, Poland, January 26–28. Competing at the Intermediate Novice level, they each performed two pattern dances — the European Waltz and Tango — as well as a Free Dance, skating alongside athletes from more than 30 countries. Their participation in this prestigious international skating event underscores both their technical ability and continued development in competitive ice dance. Houston and Cameron travel regularly to train with their head coaches, Vitaliy and Katrina Shalin, in Ashburn, Virginia, while also training in Maitland, Florida and locally with the Greater Pensacola Figure Skating Club when ice is available. Balancing extensive travel and rigorous training with their academic commitments in 10th and 8th grade, the brothers exemplify discipline, dedication, and a strong work ethic in pursuit of their skating goals.

Derrick Brooks Charities, in conjunction with Bealls Department Stores, gifted a brand new pair of shoes and socks to every student at O.J. Semmes. A small army of volunteers, community partners, and Pensacola’s Finest (PPD) showed up and donated their time and talents to make this annual event a success.
We are deeply grateful for the support we receive from all of our business and community partners and volunteers. Together, we are creating brighter futures for our students, their families, and this community.

Students in the Northview High School Building Construction Academy recently constructed 30 bat boxes for the Town of Century. The new structures are designed to provide a safe habitat for local bats, which have been causing issues and risking damage to municipal equipment.

ECPS announces the winners of the 50th Annual Spelling Bee, a milestone event celebrating five decades of academic excellence, literacy development, and sponsorship with Sandy Sansing. Following multiple competitive rounds featuring spelling champions from elementary schools and middle schools across the district, the top three students emerged as this year’s winners:
First Place: Sam Lujan, Ferry Pass Middle School
Second Place: Kensley Middleton, Ransom Middle School
Third Place: Ivy Shaw, Bellview Middle School
Sam Lujan’s first-place finish qualifies him to advance to the Regional Spelling Bee. This year’s competition was especially significant, as all middle schools in the district were represented, highlighting the district’s continued commitment to literacy and academic rigor. The event was made possible through the support of Sandy Sansing, whose sponsorship has helped sustain the spelling bee for 50 years.
The spelling bee is more than a competition; it is a celebration of student perseverance, language mastery, and a shared commitment to literacy. We are incredibly proud of all participating students and grateful to the educators, volunteers, and community partners who made this milestone event possible.

Students at Myrtle Grove Elementary moved into a new brand-new facility. Students, teachers, administrators and staff moved into the facility Nov. 17-19 after using temporary modular and portable classrooms since 2022. The new Myrtle Grove Elementary School has 27 classrooms with Pre-K, kindergarten and first grade classes downstairs, and second through fifth grades upstairs. The school has all the latest technological advances including lightspeed instructional audio for teachers and a professional audiovisual system for events. The school also has an outdoor classroom, a STEM lab, TV monitors in all classrooms and hallways, and all students use Chromebooks or iPads.

Fourth graders from N.B. Cook Elementary went to the Chappie James Museum of Pensacola to learn about the awesome life of a great Pensacolian in preparation for black history month. Everyone had a great, educational visit.

Congratulations to our newly-crowned ECPS Teacher of the Year, Trinity Barnett from Blue Angels Elementary School. Trinity will now represent us in the state Teacher of the Year competition. We are so proud of you and grateful to all of our teachers.

As a culminating Literacy Week activity, students from West Florida High School traveled south down Old Palafox to Brentwood Elementary School. There, they broke into teams and took turns reading to students in Brentwood’s primary wing.

Holm Elementary School in Escambia County held what’s called “The Amazing Shake” competition with its 5th grade students. It’s a creative way to get kids exposed to certain social interactions with a fun holiday twist.
“The Amazing Shake is a competition that tests students on social skills,” said teacher Kalyn Montniny. “How do I do a handshake? Do I make eye contact when I talk? Am I engaging when I speak to you?”
Each station had a different community member offering a different social scenario for kids to talk about before it’s on to the next one. The school is narrowing it down to the top four students. Those students will have a sit-down interview with the district assistant superintendent where a winner will be decided. That student has the chance to go the global Amazing Shake competition in Atlanta happening in March.

The Ransom Academic Team competed at the Beulah Academy of Science Snowball on Saturday, January 31. The following students competed: Calleigh Anderson, Kyson Beck, Cooper Boddy, Daniel Boone,Khloe Caldwell, James Corvin, Levi Cox, Sydney Cox, Zackary Cox, Madison Degan-Dorangricchia, Ryann Gibbs, Megan Gray, Madelyn McShane, Adellyn Mortellaro, Cutter Rhodes, Jazmin Yahya.
In a field of eight teams from four schools, Ransom C – Sydney, Megan, Madelyn and Adelynn – made the playoffs, and Ransom A – Calleigh, Cooper, Levi, Zackary, and Cutter – won the semi-final over King Middle, falling late in a tight championship final and missing qualifying for Nationals, to the defending champions, Freeport. Cutter Rhodes took the overall individual first place.
The students are so honored to showcase their knowledge, skill and sportsmanship in representing Ransom Middle and Escambia County Public Schools.

The Pensacola Ascend Cares teams took part in a Christmas Parade for the very special students at Escambia Westgate School. The volunteers brought holiday light and laughter, along with a gift for over 130 students from their personal wish lists. Each gift was hand-delivered with love from Santa, and Mrs. Claus.

With the support of DeLuna Lanes lanes and effort of the Westgate staff and faculty the Westgate students are kicking off the new year by learning and participating in the lifetime sport of bowling.
The entire school has worked together to ensure that students of all grade levels and abilities have the opportunity to participate. Wall-to-wall smiles and happiness filled the bowling alley.
It was truly fantastic to watch the students roll the bowling balls and knock down pins, spares, strikes, with no gutterballs, as they laughed and learned in this real-life environment.
Special thanks to Barrett McClean and Barrrett McClean Photography for the amazing photos.

All students at Pensacola Catholic High School attend an annual retreat day, a special day set aside for spiritual development. Retreats are organized and directed by Campus Minister, Mrs. Rebecca Carter, with the assistance of other faculty members and the Senior Retreat Team. Members of the Retreat Team are chosen at the end of the academic year from the current Juniors who will serve during their Senior year. Underclassmen attend a one-day retreat off campus during the Fall of each year. Seniors attend an overnight retreat held at two different locations for the boys and girls. This year’s Senior retreat was held on January 12-13, and many shared they had life-changing growth in their spiritual life through their experiences.

On Thursday, January 29, the CHS Boys Basketball team hosted the Panthers from St. John Paul II High School, which is located in Tallahassee, Florida, for the second meeting of the basketball ‘Bishop’s Cup.’ During the first meeting of the teams in 2025, the Panthers won the game and kept the trophy in Tallahassee. This year, the Crusaders claimed the trophy with a decisive victory over the Panthers with a score of 49 to 36. Way to go, Crusaders!

The first documented Catholic School in North America was established around 1606 by Spanish Franciscans and was located in St. Augustine, Florida. It was not until 1840 that Catholic Schools were first documented in the Pensacola area, and in 1877, before there was continuous Catholic education. There were several Catholic High Schools in the area as far back as 1902, and we know they were all consolidated in the Fall of 1941 to create what we affectionately know as Pensacola Catholic High School. Every year during the last week in January, the nation celebrates ‘Catholic Schools Week’ during which we take time throughout the week to celebrate our heritage as a Catholic School. Principal Sister Kierstin Martin, along with Campus Minister, Rebecca Carter, and the rest of the Religion Department Faculty, collaborate to create an agenda of activities that focuses on a different aspect of Catholic education on each day — students, volunteers/parents, faculty, community, and history. Special prayers, lessons, and fun activities help to make the week memorable. On Wednesday, Bishop William Wack was joined by seven other priests from the Diocese to celebrate Mass in thanksgiving for our wonderful schools in the Diocese, including Pensacola Elementary Schools St. John’s School, Little Flower School, St. Paul’s School, Sacred Heart Cathedral School, and the Mother Clelia Morning Star High School. CHS students, as well as student representatives and faculty from each of these schools, participated in the Mass. Everyone enjoyed the week, participating in the planned events and experiencing gratitude for everyone who makes Pensacola Catholic High the special place that it is! Pictures show students after receiving a piece of cake on Student Appreciation Day and Bishop Wack with other celebrants during the Catholic Schools Week Mass.

Creative Learning Academy’s fourth graders recently took the stage for “Folk Festival,” a newly formatted “informance”, led by our music teacher Mrs. Abigail Walker. Unlike traditional performances, the informance invites the audience behind the scenes, offering a meaningful glimpse into the creative process that inspired the work. Mrs. Walker described this informance as “organic, alive, and constantly evolving; beautiful in its imperfection and full of heart.” Her words definitely captured the spirit of this experience, which focused on celebrating curiosity, courage, creativity and connection through the performing arts.
Our fourth graders penned original poetry, homemade song arrangements, and musical compositions for the Folk Festival. Students shared pieces that reflected their families, cultures, and communities. They learned to collaborate with each other, combining their voices and ideas into unique performances highlighting their personal stories. Drawing inspiration from artists like Soul Science Lab, these performers even wrote personal mission statements, discovering their shared purpose: celebrating who they are while making others feel welcome.
Preparing for the Folk Festival wasn’t easy. With guidance from local folk music expert Mr. Dale Reigle, organizer of the GGCAF Folk Music Festival, fourth graders explored both the craft and logistics of planning a real-world event. They sought out parent volunteers, checked for favorable weather conditions, and created a colorful “ukulele story quilt,” with each instrument decorated to reflect something that each student loves. This quilt, and the music it represented, stood as a reminder that when we bring our true selves to the stage, we invite others to belong. The result was a truly authentic performance that was enjoyed by everyone in attendance. Great job, fourth graders, and thank you, Mrs. Walker!

Third grade students at Aletheia Christian Academy have been learning about fingerprints and were treated to a special visit from CSI techs. The techs demonstrated how to properly dust for fingerprints and allowed the students to transfer their own prints onto paper. Using magnifying glasses, students became detectives and searched around the classroom to see if anyone had the same fingerprints. It was a fun and fascinating way to discover how uniquely God created each of them

Aletheia Christian 2nd graders wrapped up their class novel, “Mr. Popper’s Penguins” with a “Penguin Day.” They came to school dressed as penguins, played penguin games, made penguin art, and even enjoyed an icy treat–Kona Ice! It was a really cool day.

Aletheia Christian Academy AP Computer Science students were introduced to the Internet through a hands-on networking activity. Working in small groups, they used string to model how computers connect to form networks while following guidelines and making design decisions. When connections were disrupted, students worked together to problem-solve and rebuild their networks.

Several times each year, Montessori School of Pensacola hosts a Fun Day for a Cause, inviting students and staff to support meaningful organizations in our community. In February, participants dressed as their favorite animals and donated supplies to benefit the Escambia County Animal Shelter.
Delivery day aligned perfectly with 8th Grade Internship Week, during which one student was spending her week learning firsthand what it takes to care for animals in need. The moment created a powerful full-circle connection—linking an MSP parent, an MSP student, and the generous contributions of MSP families—bringing learning, service, and compassion together in a meaningful way.