Northview NJROTC Cadets Receive Awards
April 28, 2009
Cadets from the Northview High School NJROTC were recognized recently for their outstanding performance.
Fourteen organizations support the event each year to congratulate the cadets on their exceptional community service, academic achievement and leadership. The cadets are given a certificate, a medal and ribbon, and several organizations give a savings bond to the cadets for their accomplishments.
The event was held at the Pine Forest High School. The event is held annually with Northview, Pine Forest and Washington high school NJROTC units and is hosted by a different school each year.
Click here for a photo gallery from the event.
Shown below are the cadets and the awards they received:
Women of the Sea Services NW FL # 52
c/MCPO Jessica Bloodsworth
AMVETS
c/CPO John Waters
Daughters of the American Revolution
c/ENS Miranda Scott
Military Order of World Wars
c/ENS Clinton Davis
Military Reserve Officers Assoc. ROTC Award
c/PO3 Zachory Byers
Military Order of the Purple Heart
c/MCPO Jessica Bloodsworth
MOAA ROTC Medal
c/PO3 Tyler Garrett
National Sojourners ROTC Award
c/PO3 Tyler Garrett
Navy League Award
1st: c/CPO John Waters
2nd: c/PO3 Ryan Busbee
3rd: c/SA Melissa Moretz
Order of Daedalians JROTC Award
c/LCDR Amanda Sellars
Stephen Decatur Award
Fresh/Soph: c/CPO Katelyn Mann
Junior: c/ENS Clinton Davis
Capt. James Haughton Award
c/LCDR Amanda Sellars
Scottish Rite Award
c/LT Dalton Cummings
Sons of the American Revolution
c/CPO Thomas Walston
Pictured above: Northview NJROTC Cadets at an awards ceremony at Pine Forest High School. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
April Students Of The Month Named
April 27, 2009
April Students of the Month have been named at North Escambia schools.The monthly recognition is presented to two students from each participating school by the Escambia Association for Administrators in Education
The following students of the month were named from North Escambia schools:
- Bratt Elementary: Jasmine N. Elliott, fourth grade; Jakob T. Gibson, first grade
- Carver/Century K-8: Devon L. Cohen, first grade; Travon L. Brown, kindergarten
- Molino Park Elementary: Rusty T. Stanton, fourth grade; Steffon M. Murphy, fifth grade
- Jim Allen Elementary: Jasmyne L. Ezell, fourth grade; Linda D. Bryant, fourth grade
- Ransom Middle: David D. Moorhead, eighth grade; Charles E. Givens, eighth grade
- Northview High: Joshua C. Scott, 10th grade; Summer D. Sanders, 12th grade
Pictured above: Northview High School’s Students of the Month Summer Sanders and Josh Scott. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino Park Elementary Spends Day With The Arts
April 25, 2009
Molino Park Elementary School held its annual Arts Day Friday, with the students spending the day immersed in a variety of arts.
The students enjoyed a wide range of arts, from pottery to painting. They had the opportunity to get “hands on” with many activities.
The day ending with the “Molino Park Arts Day Roundup”, a live concert series in the school cafeteria. Artists appearing in the concert all had local ties to Molino Park.
Pictured above: Singer/songwriter Sheila Allen, Harmony Till (daughter of Linda and Brian Till), Linda Till, Suzanne Plenkers, Angela Hasselbrock and Donna Sutton perform at Molino Park Elementary Friday afternooon. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Middle Students Shine On College Prep Tests
April 23, 2009
Several Ernest Ward Middle School students participated in the Duke University Talent Identification Program.
In order to take part in the program, the students must have earned excellent FCAT scores. After meeting the qualification criteria, the students had the opportunity to take either the SAT or ACT college entrance exam. College-bound students do not usually take the SAT or ACT until they are high school juniors.
Dale Brown, Anna Donald and Jeremy Stacey earned state recognition for achieving a score of 20 or higher on the ACT. Other Ernest Ward students participating the Duke University Talent Identification Program were Kent Smith, Jennifer Spears and Courtney Weaver.
“The faculty, staff, and administration at EWMS are very proud of these students for the outstanding achievement,” said Gayle Hanks, Ernest Ward guidance counselor.
Pictured above: Ernest Ward students (L-R) Dale Brown, Jeremy Stacey and Anna Donald were recognized by the state for high scores in the Duke University Talent Identification Program. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Molino Park Students Plant Tree In Memory Of Late Teacher
April 23, 2009
Fifth grade students at Molino Park Elementary planted a tree Wednesday in honor of Earth Day and a beloved teacher that passed away on the last day of school last year.
On the final day of school last year, fourth grade teacher Sharon Smith waved goodbye to her students, turned around and lost her breath. She died a short time later. She spent 36 years of her life educating students at the former Molino Elementary School and at Molino Park.
A year later, Mrs. Smith’s fourth grade students have moved on to fifth grade, but they have not forgotten Mrs. Smith, planting the blooming Japanese cherry tree in her honor Wednesday.
Fifth grade teacher Florence Cutler directed the tree planting after a moment of silence for Mrs. Smith. Several students from Mrs. Smith’s previous fourth grade class shoveled dirt around the tree. Also, bench was donated by the teachers and staff of Molino Park Elementary and placed beside the tree.
For more photos from the tree planting, click here.
To read more about Mrs. Smith, click here for the NorthEscambia.com article about her death from last year.
Mrs. Smith was also honored as one of the NorthEscambia.com Persons of the Year for 2008. To read that story, click here.
Pictured above: Fifth grade students planted a tree in memory of Mrs. Sharon Smith on Wednesday. Pictured below: Mrs. Sharon Smith and her fourth grade class wave goodbye about five minutes before their final walk to the buses on the final day of school last year at Molino Park Elementary School. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
North Escambia Bus Drivers Meet To Discuss Student Safety
April 23, 2009
The 26 bus operators in Escambia County’s North Sector held an Excellence Forum Wednesday to discuss issues related to student transportation.
The bus operators met at Northview High School with Eric Fritz, the Escambia School District’s director of transportation.
“The meeting was held so that the drivers could make a presentation to Mr. Fritz with ideas and goals for our district transportation department,” said Tina Vickery, route supervisor for North Escambia. “Many ideas and goals were presented with enthusiasm and team spirit as we work together for the safe transportation of our most precious cargo, the school students of the North Sector of Escambia County.”
New School Hours For Next Year; Informational Meeting Scheduled
April 22, 2009
The Escambia County School District is considering changing school start and dismissal times again, and once again some North Escambia schools will follow a schedule different than the rest of the county. More information about the times will be available Thursday evening when the Escambia County Council of Parent-Teacher Association holds an informational meeting in Pensacola.
Superintendent Malcolm Thomas and district staff from the operations and transportation departments will be at the meeting to explain the changes and take questions from the public. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Room 160 of the J.E. Hall Center at 30 E. Texar Drive in Pensacola.
At the elementary level, Bratt and Molino Park will begin the school day at 7:45 and dismiss at 2:00.
At the middle school level, Ernest Ward will begin the school day at 9:05 and dismiss at 3:45. The earliest students can be dropped off at school will be 8:55. This represents a start and dismissal time 35 minutes later than the current year.
At the high school level, Northview High School will begin at 8:45 and dismiss at 3:20, a big change from this year’s 7:40 start and 2:45 dismissal.
North Escambia school times are different because of the long transport distances in the rural area and a two-tier system where middle and high school students will ride the bus together.
The North Escambia elementary schools will be following the same 7:45 a.m. to 2:00 schedule as the rest of the county’s elementary schools.
Middle schools in the rest of Escambia County will have a 9:20 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. day, a change from their current 9:30 to 4:30 day.
Other high schools in Escambia County will be is session from 8:30 to 3:05, instead of this year’s 8:30 to 3:35 day.
The school times were changed this year, most drastically outside of North Escambia, to save money. By taking over two dozen buses off the road, the school district saved an estimated $1.2 million this year.
The new start and dismissal times recommended by a task force must now be approved by the school board before becoming final.
NorthEscambia.com graphic.
NHS Grad Considered For American FFA Degree
April 22, 2009
A Northview High graduate has applied to receive the coveted American FFA Degree.
Andrea Byars, a 2008 graduate of Northview, is one of 32 applicants in Florida. The National FFA organization will consider each of the 32 applicants for the degree.
Byars and the other applicants will be recognized and given an opportunity to introduce themselves on the main stage during the 9th General Session of the 81st Florida FFA Convention on Friday, June 12.
The American FFA Degree is the highest level that can be achieved as an FFA member. This final step in the FFA Degree system encourages students to grow and achieve personally toward establishing themselves in an agricultural career. Attaining the American FFA Degree requires a solid commitment to agriculture and FFA.
Pictured above: Andrea Byars at last year’s Northview FFA banquet. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
EREC Announces Youth Tour Winners
April 21, 2009
Escambia River Electric Cooperative has named their 2009 Youth Tour to Washington contest winners.
Heather Lee from West Florida Academy was named the Escambia County representative, and Bridget Jacobs from Jay High School was named the Santa Rosa County representative on the Washington Youth Tour.
Students from our area interviewed with a panel of judges in this competition for a chance to win the opportunity to visit Washington on the Youth Tour to learn more about rural electrification, our nation’s capital and more.
“EREC is very proud to have these two outstanding students represent them on the Washington Youth Tour this year,” said Sabrina Owens, EREC’s director of marketing. “Congratulations to each of them on achieving this honor.”
Judges from PowerSouth Energy Cooperative in Andalusia, Ala., scored contestants on their interviews based on their knowledge of Escambia River Electric Cooperative and the history of rural electrification. Personal attributes of each candidate such as character, academic ability, personality and leadership abilities were also considered.
Children of EREC employees are not eligible for the EREC Youth Tour competition, but those children can apply to the Florida Electric Cooperative Association (FECA) Youth Tour contest for Florida co-op employee children. Travis Hatfield, son of EREC warehouse manager David Hatfield, won the EREC slot for employee children.
Hatfield competed against other co-op employee children across the state of Florida by writing an essay entitled “America’s Energy Future” and was selected by a panel of judges to represent the Florida Electric Cooperative Association on the Youth Tour.
The 2009 Youth Tour is June 12-18.
Pictured above: EREC Youth Tour winners (L-R) Bridget Jacobs, Heather Lee and Travis Hatfield. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Students Of The Year Named
April 20, 2009
Several North Escambia students were recently recognized as Students of the Year by the Escambia County Council of PTAs and PTSAs.
The students were presented their award by members of the Escambia County School Board and Superintendent Malcolm Thomas at a recent program in Pensacola.
From North Escambia, the Students of the Year were:
- O’Neshia Spencer, Bratt Elementary
- Trevor Levins, Byrneville Elementary
- Andrea “Shea” Nall, Carver/Century K-8
- Jordan Helmken, Molino Park Elementary
- Angel Mitchell, Ernest Ward Middle
Pictured above: Angel Mitchell was the Escambia County Council of PTAs and PTSAs Student of the Year from Ernest Ward Middle School. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.