Student Spotlights – June 2026

Tate High School is proud to announce that the Tate FFA Aquaculture CDE Team has made history by earning 1st place at the Florida FFA State Aquaculture Career Development Event Contest. A Career Development Event (CDE) is a competitive activity that allows students to apply agricultural knowledge and skills gained through classroom instruction, laboratory experiences, and supervised agricultural experiences in real-world scenarios.
Under the leadership of FFA Advisor, Mrs. Rachel Veninga, the team of sophomores Henry Merritt, Aden Bailey, Luke Graham, and Daniel Aldridge delivered an exceptional performance in one of the most rigorous and competitive CDE events in the state. The Aquaculture CDE challenges students in areas such as aquatic species identification, water quality analysis, production systems, fish health, and real world industry problem solving.
In an extraordinary showing, all four Tate High School team members also placed among the top 10 individuals in the State of Florida:
• Henry 1st High Individual
• Aden 2nd High Individual
• Luke 3rd High Individual
• Daniel 6th High Individual
This remarkable accomplishment reflects the students dedication, discipline, and commitment to excellence, as well as the strength of Tate High School’s Agricultural Education Program. Escambia Couonty Public Schools congratulates these outstanding students and Mrs. Veninga on this amazing achievement.

Students from Scenic Heights Elementary worked on digital literacy lessons to be named champions of the 2026 National Imagine Learning Literacy Bowl.
Imagine Learning, a leader in K–12 digital-first learning solutions, announced today that Scenic Heights Elementary School of Escambia County Public Schools, Florida, earned the title of 2026 National Imagine Learning Literacy Bowl champion. Scenic Heights Elementary students competed against schools from across the country, completing Imagine Language & Literacy® digital literacy lessons in a bracket-style school year competition to be named the contest winner.
A ceremony was held at Scenic Heights Elementary School on April 9, 2026, where students were presented with the Literacy Bowl trophy and student recognition awards.
“These students have worked incredibly hard to achieve this national championship,” said Principal Shelly Cox of Scenic Heights Elementary. “Seeing their pride and joy in being celebrated today is better than any test score.”
At a time when student reading skills are at an all-time low nationwide, finding ways to engage students in literacy education is compelling. Motivational games and contests have been shown to engage students in their learning, and game-based learning can increase student motivation and engagement and lead to higher test scores.
Schools across the country qualified for the playoff rounds throughout the fall 2025 semester by using Imagine Language & Literacy and passing literacy lessons. The top usage schools in the East and the West competed in weekly playoff rounds until only the winning school was left. Mary Welty Elementary, Nogales USD, Arizona, was the Literacy Bowl Runner-Up and will receive a commemorative certificate and gift card for school supplies.
Imagine Language & Literacy is a supplemental, personalized learning program that promotes literacy skills and English language development for students in grades PreK–6.

On Friday, April 17, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos hosted all ECPS Teachers of the Year for a special pre-game ceremony. ECPS Teacher of the Year Trinity Barnett even threw out the ceremonial first pitch. We are so grateful for the Wahoos and all of our business and community partners.

The Booker T. Washington Lady Wildcats State Championship Team was honored at a recent School Board meeting. It was refreshing to celebrate the successes of these young ladies and to celebrate their accomplishments, as well as the fact that their coach, Jade Brown, was recognized as Girls Basketball Coach of the Year for the entire state of Florida. So proud of these young ladies.

The classrooms were buzzing with energy Saturday, April 16, 2026, as middle school students competed in the first annual ECPS STEM Showdown. The day-long event saw 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade teams from schools including Bellview, Beulah, Brown Barge, Ernest Ward, Ferry Pass, and Cordova Park going head-to-head in a series of rigorous scientific, mathematical and engineering challenges.
Unlike traditional extracurricular competitions, the STEM Showdown is uniquely designed to test benchmarks that students learn during their regular school day, turning classroom concepts into high-stakes, hands-on applications.
The competition was split into specialized tracks to challenge students on their specific grade-level standards:
Grade 6: Students demonstrated engineering precision in the Tower Challenge, using only straws and tape to support a tennis ball, and displayed their data analysis expertise in Meteorology.
Grade 7: Competitors navigated the complexities of light and physics in the Wave Maze and tested their technical communication skills in the fan-favorite “Write It, Do It” event.
Grade 8: Competitors focused on chemistry and data analysis, identifying unknown substances in the Mystery Powders lab and interpreting complex information in Grasp a Graph.
All grades participated in the STEM Bowl, a fast-paced academic trivia round held in the cafeteria, where students had to not only provide correct answers but justify their mathematical and scientific reasoning under a time crunch.
While grade-level teams focused on classroom benchmarks, the Robotics track featured specialized teams of up to four. These students spent the day in the Small Gym programming Edison V3 robots to navigate two different “Pathway” courses and two “Task” challenges. The robotics competition culminated in a final run where robots had to deposit items into designated zones with 100% autonomy.
The STEM Showdown is about more than just winning. It’s about seeing students take the math and science they learn in the classroom and use it to solve a physical problem in real-time.

Superintendent Leonard, Director of High Schools Lesa Morgan, and school officials from Northview and Pine Forest were fortunate enough to get the opportunity to present two 2-year scholarships to two very deserving students.
In cooperation with Florida Prepaid, ECPS was able to identify two students, Northview’s Amanda Fernandez-Santis and Pine Forest’s Cylk Phillips, and reward them with a 2-year scholarship to any Florida college.
Saving for college just got easier! Florida Prepaid’s annual Open Enrollment is now live, and new tools make planning simple and affordable.
Here’s what’s new:
• A redesigned website to help you build a personalized plan in minutes
• Flexible Prepaid Plan options — pay for one year at a time or choose what fits your budget
• Low monthly payments starting at just $29
The sooner you start, the more you save. Lock in today’s college costs and take the first step toward your child’s future with a Florida Prepaid 529 Plan.

Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), the Escambia County Education Foundation, and the Escambia County School District joined together to celebrate the completion of two STEM Classroom Makeovers at Sherwood Elementary and Bellview Elementary. Both classrooms are now equipped with interactive presentation boards, hydroponics tables, robotics kits, and 3D printers — tools designed to turn passive learners into active problem-solvers.
Ceremonies were held at both campuses to mark the milestone, giving students, educators, and community partners a chance to see the redesigned spaces in action.
The makeovers were made possible through FPL’s STEM Classroom Makeover Grant program, now in its fifth year. The program provides $50,000 grants to eligible Florida schools, with a focus on historically disadvantaged K-12 classrooms. Grant funds can be used to address needs in infrastructure, technology, or resources that advance STEM curricula, exposure, and career pathways for diverse students.
Both Sherwood and Bellview elementary schools wrote and were awarded the grants independently, a testament to the initiative of their educators and administrators in seeking resources for their communities.

Congratulations to Maggie Lee, a fifth grader at Bratt Elementary School, pictured here with her teacher, Mandi Carter. Maggie is the 2025-26 winner of the Florida Retired Educators Association’s essay contest in Escambia County and the second-place winner in District I. Her essay titled “Snow House Memories” describes a family tradition started by her grandparents that has been going on for twenty-five years.
Maggie was recently honored by Escambia Retired Educators Association (EREA) at their annual awards banquet at the Pensacola Yacht Club. At that time, she read her essay aloud to the attendees, including her grandpa known affectionately as Pop. In the essay Maggie wrote that each year her whole family goes to the snow house after opening gifts on Christmas morning for a week of shared activities and time spent in nature. She ends by saying, “The snow house is more than just a house to us. It represents family.”

We’re incredibly proud of our middle school students who participated in this year’s Amazing Shake Regional Finals, a workforce‑readiness and professional skills program in partnership with Navy Federal Credit Union.
After months of preparation and coaching by dedicated educators, these students demonstrated confidence, professionalism, and strong communication skills while engaging with community, business, military, and education leaders in a real‑world professional setting.
Congratulations to the Top 5 Regional Finalists:
• Karter Landry – Avalon Middle School
• Aidon Beccles – Bailey Middle School
• Jenna Bichan – Wallace Lake K‑8
• Luke Lomoriello – Hobbs Middle School
• Allison Hawkins – Sims Middle School
We’re grateful to our teachers, school leaders, families, and community partners who make opportunities like this possible and who continue to invest in preparing students for future success.

Tate High School’s Army JROTC program demonstrated outstanding discipline and teamwork at the Sixth Brigade Florida State Drill Team and Color Guard Competition in Orlando. Competing against approximately 120 of the top JROTC programs in the state, Tate cadets delivered an exceptional performance, earning two third place finishes.
Tate High School earned:
3rd Place – Female Platoon Regulation
3rd Place – Female Squad Unarmed Regulation
These accomplishments reflect the cadets’ dedication, preparation, and commitment to excellence throughout the year.
The U.S. Army JROTC program, founded in 1916, is dedicated to developing leadership, citizenship, and personal responsibility in students. Its mission is “To Motivate Young People to be Better Citizens.”
Led by Army Instructors Major Hill and Master Sergeant Kyser, Tate’s JROTC program continues to build strong leaders and represent the Aggie tradition with pride.

ECPS’s new teacher institute administrator and staff participated in ‘Casual for Kids’, an annual event to raise funds for the Ronald McDonald House Charity.
Casual for Kids, formerly Kaps 4 Kids, is the largest annual fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Florida. We ask businesses, groups, and individuals to show their support for the Ronald McDonald House (RMH) by wearing their Casual for Kids t-shirt and take a casual day with us. Supporters have the option to purchase t-shirts and socks by donating to RMH. On Friday, April 24th thousands along the Gulf Coast will wear their T-shirt to help continue our mission of keeping families close.

Students on the brink of 6th grade have a choice: continue attending the elementary campus or attend a separate middle school. After more than two decades without a rating higher than a “C,” West Pensacola Elementary School has earned a change that the principal partially credits to a new sixth-grade program that keeps students on the elementary campus for an extra year.
Christine Baker, who has been the school’s principal for nine years, has taken a different approach to the transition into middle school by adding classes for sixth-grade students at West Pensacola Elementary. Students on the brink of 6th grade have a choice: continue attending the elementary campus or attend a separate middle school. “When you’re going from a smaller campus to a big campus with a lot of transitions and totally new environment, some of our kids really seem to get lost,” Baker says. West Pensacola Elementary started offering the choice in the 2024 school year.

Annie Carter teaches a K-5 special education class at Blue Angels Elementary School. Her small, but mighty group raised $3,545, which was more than 26 percent of the total $13,500 raised at the Jog-A-Thon. P.E. Teacher and Jog-A-Thon coordinator Tracy Locklear says this money will be used to enhance education throughout the school.

Students from Workman Middle School’s ‘We Build It Better’ Academy spoke to the board at a recent workshop. These students explained the basics of We Build It Better and Fundamentals of Manufacturing: Carpentry program. We Build it Better is a STEAM based learning course that uses aviation to teach students about principles of science, product design, measurements, and electricity.
Fundamentals of Manufacturing: Carpentry teaches students the basics of carpentry, giving them a head start when going into the field. Students learn safety, mathematics, tool recognition and safety, and hands on use.
This program, the first of its kind in Florida, began with generous sponsorship from Florida Power and Light, and in partnership with Flightworks Alabama, in order to introduce students to basic skills related to aviation and manufacturing.

Over 500 student athletes competed in the Escambia County Special Olympics Spring Games. The day included the Special Olympics Torch Relay around Carl Madison Field in Pete Gindl Stadium, along with numerous Olympic events at Tate High School. 578 Tate High students volunteered as “buddies”, paired with 534 student athletes.

Halle Harvey has earned the National Junior Honor Society’s Outstanding Achievement Award for 2026. This is a major achievement in her career. Halle is an eighth-grade student at Jim C. Bailey Middle School.
She is one of 500 winners from across the country awarded a $500 college savings plan from the National Junior Honor Society and The Education Plan. This honor reflects Halle’s dedication to scholarship, service, leadership, character and citizenship.

The Pensacola Catholic High Math Teams, moderated by Teachers Maria Green and Alex Forte, competed in the 52nd Annual Nicolas S. Walker Math Tournament hosted by Milton High School Mu Alpha Theta on April 10. More than 200 students from the tri-county area, including 24 from CHS, completed math problems in Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Pre-Calculus, and Calculus as part of Ciphering Matches to earn points for their team. The top three teams in each discipline were awarded prizes, along with the overall winner. For the first time in Catholic High’s history, three sets of siblings were among the competitors, Michael ’26 and Elizabeth ’29 Baroco, Maya ’26 and Rohan ’29 Chavan, and Ava ’26 and Izzy ’28 Galinis. CHS took First Place in Algebra I (Dominic Carter, Mason King, Brady Ley, Chase Singleton, and Beck Taylor) and Third Place in both Algebra II (Izzy Galinis, Shayna Janik, Brody Ryan, Tre Wilderman, and Will Zoesch) and Geometry (Elizabeth Baroco, Caroline Broussard, Rohan Chavan, Emerson Gunther, and Sally Hart). Catholic High also placed Second Overall. Congratulations, Crusaders! A BIG ‘Thank you’ to the entire Math Department for developing our students all year in their math skills, and special thanks to Teachers Maggie Johnson and Ashley Friday who assisted the Team Moderators in coaching the “Mathletes” in preparation for this year’s event.

On April 24-26, the Pensacola Catholic High School Robotics Team, Crubotics, competed in the 13th Annual Gulf Coast Regional MATE (Marine Advanced Technology Education) competition, hosted by Dauphin Island Sea Lab. CHS had teams compete in both the Ranger and Navigator classifications. The 16 members of the Crubotics team, divided between the two classifications, spent a combined 600 hours to plan, build, and test two Remotely Operated Vehicles (underwater robots) to accomplish simulated real-world scenarios. The Ranger Team placed second and the Navigator Team placed fourth in their respective divisions. Many thanks to STEM Coordinator and Science teacher, Dana Lupton, and Science Teacher, Michelle Armentrout-Pike for moderating the teams and helping them prepare for and maneuver this year’s competition. Congratulations, Crubotics! Pictured: Combined Teams with their ROVs. Left to Right – Front Row: Olivia Jens, Elizabeth Johnson, Lily Warbington, Sam Wilderman, Olivia Carlson; Second Row: Connor Roberts, Dominic Carter, Rylan Clark, Jacob Bobe, Caleb Bobe, Lucas Ruble, Riley Gander; Back Row: Connor Aird, Jeremiah Fisher, Oliver Stewart, Henry Bowersox, Silas Riner.

Creative Learning Academy’s Mock Trial team delivered an impressive performance this year, earning second place in the regional competition and finishing ninth overall (out of over 100 teams) in the state of Florida. Led by Social Studies teacher Mrs. Sarah Smith, the team tackled a complex damages case that required students to explore legal concepts such as negligence and negligence per se, sharpening both their analytical thinking and courtroom communication skills.
Throughout the season, students benefited from the guidance of an exceptional group of legal mentors, including the Honorable Judge Michael Jones, magistrate Sydney Hubley, and attorney Daniel Thornburgh of Aylstock, Kreis, Witkin and Overholtz. Their expertise helped bring authenticity to the experience, giving students insight into courtroom expectations and professional legal practices.
Mock Trial state judges praised CLA students’ preparation, professionalism, and strong foundation in trial procedures. They were commended for their respectful demeanor, effective time management, and ability to conduct proceedings smoothly in a real courtroom setting.
The judges also encouraged students to continue building confidence by incorporating appropriate objections. This year’s team demonstrated growth throughout the trial, with attorneys becoming increasingly comfortable as the proceedings progressed. With a top-ten finish in a highly competitive field, Creative Learning Academy’s Mock Trial team is preparing for future success. Our legal mentors expressed enthusiasm for the team’s continued development, noting that these students are well-positioned to advance to future finals or pursue mock trial at the high school level. Mrs. Smith and her team look forward to building on this momentum next year.

Montessori School of Pensacola recently welcomed the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run members to its Montessori Drive campus as part of the organization’s four-month journey through all fifty states in honor of the 250th Anniversary of America. The international team of runners, representing seven countries, travels with the Peace Torch to share a message of unity, compassion, and peace beginning from within.
Students enthusiastically cheered as the runners arrived and learned more about the mission behind the global relay. The visit included opportunities for students to hold the torch themselves, symbolically passing along the message of peace. Two MSP Middle School students also shared thoughtful reflections about what peace means to them to the group.
The event included students singing “Light a Candle for Peace,” creating a meaningful moment of connection and community. MSP was honored to receive a certificate of appreciation and a piece of artwork from the Peace Run team. The experience served as a powerful reminder of the importance of empathy, global awareness, and human connection.