Student Spotlights – November 2026

The Tate High School FFA Chapter has added another state championship to its tradition of excellence, earning first place in the Florida Turfgrass Science Invitational Student Competition held at Candler Hills Golf Course at On Top of the World in Ocala.
Representing Tate High School were Baylor Touchstone, Addyson Smallwood, Allison Wynne, and Cade McNair, under the leadership of FFA Advisor and team coach Ms. Melissa Gibbs.
The competition challenged students to demonstrate both technical knowledge and hands-on skills used throughout the turfgrass and green industries. Students were evaluated through individual knowledge exams, case studies, turfgrass identification, integrated pest management (IPM), playing-surface setup, and equipment operation.
By earning the top finish in Florida, the Tate FFA team will now advance to the National Turfgrass Science Invitational, where they will compete against teams from across the United States.
Turfgrass science is part of Florida’s expansive green industry, which includes environmental horticulture, nurseries, landscaping, and turfgrass management. The industry contributes nearly $42 billion in economic impact statewide and supports more than 279,000 jobs, demonstrating the significant career opportunities available to students pursuing agricultural education and related fields.

Northview High School FFA took the top spots at the recent Escambia County Farm Bureau Speech Contest. Grace Oliver earned first place honors, followed by Nathan Gilmore in second place and Payton Coon in third place, all representing the Northview FFA chapter.
Participants delivered a five-minute speech before a panel of agricultural community judges on the topic: “What are some of the proactive, collaborative steps that farmers, ranchers, local communities, and organizations like Farm Bureau can take to help guard against invasive species threatening Florida agriculture?”
As the first-place winner, Oliver will advance to represent Escambia County at the district-level contest on September 18.
Pictured: Grace Oliver (pictured) earned first-place honors.

ECPS’s Voices United in Education was named Best Podcast in InWeekly’s 2026 Best of the Coast. With more than 109,700 downloads and 211 episodes, the podcast continues its mission of uniting the community for every student to succeed.

Tate and Milton marching bands brought music and school spirit to halftime during their Week 2 football matchup. Student musicians performed under the Friday night lights.

Students are helping plant and grow food that will eventually become part of Thanksgiving meals for 1,000 families in need across Santa Rosa and Escambia counties. This week, the UF/IFAS West Florida Research and Education Center (WFREC) and the Florida Department of Corrections spent the morning planting 2,500 collard transplants.
The locally grown collards will be part of traditional holiday meal boxes provided to more than 1,000 families across Santa Rosa and Escambia counties. In partnership with Feeding the Gulf Coast, families will receive boxes filled with turkey, sides, breads and pastries, along with locally grown collards, cabbage, turnips and sweet potatoes.

Chess Class is off to a great start at Redeemer. Students in 3rd–8th grade are learning strategy, building friendships, and enjoying the challenge of chess. We love seeing our students learn from and encourage one another.

Congratulations to Ms. Heather Vandervort of Bailey Middle School, our Escambia County Treat A Teacher winner. Ms. Vandervort received $1,000 for her classroom through our Treat A Teacher giveaway, helping provide resources and opportunities that make a difference for her students every day.
Teachers go above and beyond to inspire, encourage, and educate the next generation, and we’re honored to celebrate educators like Ms. Vandervort who make a lasting impact in our community.

Five-year-old Kinslee Gibson was living her best life on Friday night, cheering with the Tate High School Aggie cheerleaders. Kinslee is a four-year cancer survivor who was diagnosed with a Wilms tumor, a rare type of kidney cancer that affects mostly young children. After bravely facing chemotherapy, she’s now living life to the fullest as a sweet, strong, and courageous little girl.
“She reminds us all that there is so much strength in the smallest of warriors,” the announcement in Pete Gindl Stadium said.
All of the cheerleaders, including Kinslee, wore yellow ribbons to mark Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September.

Redeemer Lutheran School’s Kindergarten–5th grade students proudly honored our military members and first responders during a special Patriot Day Service. Students sang patriotic songs for their parents and special Patriot guests as a heartfelt thank-you for their service and sacrifice.
After the service, our Patriots enjoyed a special reception with the students who invited them. It was a meaningful morning of gratitude, connection, and celebrating those who serve our country and community.

Students and mascot Sadie from the Tate High School Veterinary Science Academy visited an Escambia County School Board workshop this week. Teacher Rachel Veninga and four students highlighted the academy’s programs and accomplishments. The Tate High School Veterinary Science Academy is a four-year career academy that gives students opportunities to explore veterinary and animal science careers while gaining hands-on experience each year as they build upon the skills learned previously. Several former students are now veterinarians and veterinary assistants, or are working in animal science careers.

George Stone welding students are transforming discarded metal signposts into structures that will create new habitats for marine life. They often repair items like tables, benches and bike racks for the Escambia County school district, but about two weeks ago, Starr and the other student welders started putting their skills to use creating something useful that will foster marine life for years to come: artificial reefs.

Lipscomb Elementary School recently recognized its August Special Area Champions. The champions were honored in areas that included art, music, P.E., and reading for their outstanding efforts.

The University of West Florida welcomed two National Merit Finalists this fall semester, including a Tate High School graduate, bringing the recipients of this scholarship to 20 students since 2017.
Tate graduate James Donald “Jack” Treick and Micaiah Henry are among the approximately 16,000 students across the country who met the requirements for finalist standing out of an estimated 1.3 million participating high school students in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship competition.
The National Merit Finalists earn UWF’s top scholarship with a total value of more than $50,000, including full tuition, room and board; an $800-per-semester book stipend and a research or study abroad experience.
“We are proud to welcome this year’s top scholars to the University of West Florida,” said UWF President Manny Diaz Jr. “These students have already demonstrated exceptional academic achievement, and we are committed to providing the opportunities and support to help them continue to excel and make a meaningful impact in their future professions.”
James Donald “Jack” Treick, a mechanical engineering major from Cantonment, was drawn to UWF for the ability to bring his engineering creations to life while pursuing high impact internship and research opportunities.
“UWF’s opportunities for research, internships and in-depth personal project support leave me excited to design and execute new ideas,” Treick said. “Exploring the labs and learning about the relationships that the University has with local companies such as the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition and American Magic showed me that there are a lot of opportunities for formative internships. I look forward to growing as both a problem solver and person while attending UWF.”
Micaiah Henry, an exercise science major from Kenai, Alaska, is grateful to be able to pursue a career interest in prosthetics and orthotics thanks to the financial opportunities and support offered by UWF.
“Before receiving the National Merit Scholarship, college was nowhere in my plans for the future because it was too expensive,” Henry said. “UWF’s generous scholarship program has opened up the door to an enormous opportunity and an adventure that was entirely unexpected. I am thrilled to be joining UWF this fall to explore a different part of our beautiful country, make new friends and challenge myself in my classes.”

For Creative Learning Academy students, some of the most memorable lessons happen beyond the classroom. This year’s annual Middle School Retreat brought students in grades 5–8 to the Alabama 4-H Center in Columbiana, Alabama, for two days of outdoor adventure, hands-on discovery, and opportunities to grow together.
Throughout the two-day, one-night retreat, students explored, collaborated, and challenged themselves in new ways. During Herpetology Exploration, they got an up-close look at reptiles and amphibians native to Alabama while learning about the animals’ habitats and behaviors. The Amazing Race Challenge put teamwork and critical thinking into action as students worked together to solve problems and tackle a friendly competition. Canoeing, hiking, and survival-themed challenges rounded out the experience that connected learning with the outdoors.
As the day’s adventures gave way to evenings around the campfire, students enjoyed s’mores, laughter, and time with classmates and 4-H counselors. “Skits and bits” offered an opportunity to share their creativity and cheer one another on. These shared moments helped deepen friendships and build a sense of community across grade levels.
CLA’s annual Middle School Retreat reflects the school’s commitment to experiential learning: giving students opportunities to discover through doing. Whether navigating a canoe, working through a team challenge, or sharing a laugh around the campfire, students practiced communication, strengthened relationships, and explored what it means to lead and collaborate. It was an adventure built with a larger purpose: helping students become curious learners, thoughtful teammates, and creative problem-solvers.

Tate High School student Abigail Lynch has been recognized as a Commended Student in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program. The designation places Lynch among the highest-scoring students in the nation based on performance on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which she took during her junior year.
More than 1.2 million high school students across the country enter the program annually. Commended status is reserved exclusively for high performers who finish in roughly the top three to four percent of all test-takers nationwide.
Commended Students receive formal Letters of Commendation presented by their schools in honor of their exceptional academic promise. The national honor serves as a key distinction on college applications and can open the door to specialized corporate and institutional scholarships.