O.J. Semmes

Here is our calendar for the upcoming 2026-2027 school year! 🗓️

🎉 Dive Into the Fun: Our Under the Sea Celebration! 🌊🐳

We are still swimming in excitement after our incredible Under the Sea Celebration Party!🦈✨

What makes this event even more special is where the inspiration came from. This entire magical underwater experience was the brilliant idea of one of our very own talented 5th graders,Malorie Lett!👩‍🎨💡

Malorie didn’t just share a casual idea—she took total initiative and put together a complete, professional proposal for Principal Sanders, mapping out every single detail and plan for the event! To bring her creative vision to life, she worked hand-in-hand with Mrs. Zent to coordinate and execute the perfect celebration.

From the decorations to the high-energy fun, it was the perfect way to make a splash and celebrate our amazing students. We are so incredibly proud of Malorie’s leadership, creativity, and dedication to her school community! Way to go, Malorie! 🌟🐚

A special thank you to Healthy Schools Escambia with United Way of West Florida for sponsoring this fabulous event!

Check out some of the highlights from our deep-sea adventure below! 👇📸

🎉 5th Grade, You Did It! ✨

On Wednesday, we officially celebrated our incredible 5th graders during their Promotion Ceremony! It was a beautiful day filled with proud families, happy tears, and so much well-deserved recognition.

From the opening procession to the final dismissal, our students shone incredibly bright. Here are a few highlights from our special day:

Special Area & Academic Honors: Our Dolphins were recognized for excellence in Music/Chorus, Art, P.E., Media, and Small Group Reading, alongside our hard-working Honor Roll students. 📚🏆

Hard Work Paid Off:
We celebrated major growth with our Most Improved awards, FAST Certificates of Achievement, and our dedicated Outstanding Attendance students (4 or less absences!). 💯

Character Counts:
Shoutout to our Stellar Citizenship recipients who maintained A&B conduct all year long! 🏅

Inspirational Awards:
Cox Hero Award: D.J. White 🌟
Shining Star: Tanayia Milton ⭐
Distinguished Dolphin Awards: Ireanna Mitchell & Boris Menjivar 🐬

A massive thank you to Mrs. Sanders, Mrs. Scott, Mrs. Clark, Mrs. Watford, Mrs.Carithers, Mrs. Zent, Mrs. Terbecki, Mrs. Williams, and our amazing coaches (Mr. G, Mrs. Lewis, Ms. Stein) for making this ceremony so memorable.

To our promoted 5th graders: As you turn the page to middle school, remember to keep swimming strong, dream big, and always stay distinguished. We are so proud of you! 🩵🐬🎉

🍎🕊️End of an Era: Honoring Two Legends of O.J. Semmes🕊️🍎

Today, our hearts are incredibly full, yet beautifully heavy, as we announce the retirement of two extraordinary educators who have quite literally shaped the heart and soul of our school: Mrs. Jones, our beloved 3rd-grade teacher, and Mrs. House, our wonderful Pre-K teacher.

How do you find the words to say goodbye to the hands that held our youngest babies as they took their first steps into school, and the heart that guided our 3rd graders as they grew into independent, confident thinkers?

✨To Mrs. House: You have been the very first chapter of the school story for so many of our little ones. Your classroom was a sanctuary of patience, warm hugs, and pure joy. You did so much more than just welcome our students—you wrapped your arms around our families, too. You intentionally equipped parents with the essential resources and skills needed to confidently continue bringing learning to life at home. You built the foundational bridge between home and school that will help our students shine bright!

✨To Mrs. Jones: You have been the anchor for our 3rd graders during some of their most pivotal academic years. Your fierce belief in every single child who walked through your door transformed struggling students into confident leaders. You didn't just teach math and reading; you taught resilience, character, and self-worth.

Combined, these two incredible women have given decades of love, late nights, and triumphs to the O.J. Semmes community. They have loved children that weren’t their own, cheered the loudest for our school, and left an indelible mark on the hearts of hundreds of families. Teachers like Mrs. Jones and Mrs. House don't just retire; they leave behind a legacy that will echo through our hallways for generations to come.

Mrs. Jones and Mrs. House, as you step into this next beautiful chapter of rest, family, and new adventures, please know that you are deeply, deeply loved. You will always be a part of the Dolphin family.

Thank you for giving your hearts to our children. Happy Retirement. 🐬💙

🍔🌭5th Grade Cookout & Summer Send-Off!🍧☀️

What an absolutely perfect day to celebrate our amazing 5th-grade Dolphins! Today, we fired up the grill and celebrated all of the incredible academic growth and hard work our students have put in this year.

Our scholars enjoyed a classic cookout with delicious hamburgers, hot dogs, and the ultimate sunny-day treat—ice-cold snow cones! 🍧🔥

To make the day even more special, the students took to the pavement with sidewalk chalk, decorating the walkways with beautiful positive affirmations. It was the perfect, inspiring summer send-off as they get ready to make the big leap to middle school! 🖍️✨

A HUGE Dolphin Thank You to our phenomenal STO Coaches! Your dedication to our students' growth all year long—and your help in making this celebration possible today—means the world to us. We truly couldn't have done it without you! 💙

5th graders, we are so incredibly proud of how much you've grown. Keep spreading that positivity wherever you go! 🐬🏆

🐬 DOLPHINS READ! 📚✨

Wow, wow, WOW! Our amazing students have absolutely crushed their reading goals this school year with Amira! 🎉 Look at these phenomenal numbers from our dedicated classes:

Ms. Watts: 31,991 minutes 🔴
Ms. Jones: 21,595 minutes 🟣
Mr. O'Dell: 17,279 minutes 🟡
Mr. Mullet: 16,126 minutes 🔵
Mr. Hanson: 15,058 minutes 🟠
Ms. Pryor: 12,731 minutes 💗
Ms. Lapradd:b9,347 minutes 🟢

🌟 Grand Total: 124,127 Minutes! 🌟

That is over 2,000 hours of practice, growth, and stories! We are incredibly proud of every single reader who put in the time and effort to level up their skills. You all are officially AWESOME! 🐬📖

A huge thank you Ms. Lobley for coordinating, supporting, and motivating our wonderful teachers and students throughout the year with Amira challenges. Keep that reading magic alive all summer long! ☀️🏖️

🦒 Best. Day. Ever! 🦒

Our 5th graders had an absolutely wonderful time on their field trip to the Gulf Breeze Zoo today! From feeding the towering giraffes to hanging out with the goats and birds, it was a day filled with smiles, laughter, and amazing hands-on learning.

A huge thank you to our wonderful teachers, chaperones, and the amazing zoo staff for making this day so special for our students! 🎒

🏆 I AM A CHAMPION!🏆

"I will conquer what has not been conquered. Defeat, retreat, those are not in my vocabulary. I will look at the map and the path will be clear!"

O.J. Semmes family, please join us in a massive celebration for Destini! Today, we saw exactly what happens when a champion refuses to back down. Destini’s incredible determination and tireless persistence on her Math FAST assessment have officially paid off... SHE EARNED A LEVEL 4!📈✨

There is no obstacle this scholar can’t overcome. We were so honored to celebrate this huge milestone alongside her family and our fabulous STO Coach, Ms. Jones.

Destini, you didn't just take a test; you conquered it. You proved that with hard work and a "never quit" attitude, anything is possible. You are the definition of Dolphin Strength! 🐬💙