Jaguar students and families, thank you for an amazing Celebrate Literacy week last week! We had an incredible time, filled with learning, laughter, and meaningful connections! One of the highlights was STEAM Night, where our students and families came together to explore fun, hands-on STEAM activities. It was wonderful to see families learning side by side—building, creating, problem-solving, and discovering together.
Another exciting part of the week was being able to give away books to our students, helping grow home libraries and encourage a love of reading beyond the classroom. Literacy Week reminded us that reading, creativity, and curiosity are all connected, and that learning is strongest when school and families work together.
Thank you to everyone who helped make Literacy Week such a success—we loved celebrating literacy with our school community! 💛📖
In Ms. Jones’s class, her students recently participated in a powerful WICOR-driven learning experience as they explored landmark Supreme Court cases. Each student was assigned a case to research, analyze, and present, guided by the essential question:
How did this Supreme Court decision change laws and impact citizens’ rights?
🔎 Inquiry: Students dug deep into the background of their case, examining constitutional questions, differing perspectives, and the broader impact of the Court’s ruling.
📖 Reading: Through analysis of case summaries, historical context, and constitutional excerpts, students strengthened their ability to interpret complex legal texts.
📝 Writing: Students crafted clear, structured presentations built around claims, supported by evidence, and explained through thoughtful reasoning.
🤝 Collaboration: As presentations were shared, students engaged in discussion, asked probing questions, and made connections across cases to deepen their collective understanding.
📂 Organization: Complex legal information was carefully organized into logical, engaging presentations that clearly explained how each ruling shaped laws and citizens’ rights.
WICOR (Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, Reading) strategies make learning engaging, meaningful, and fun—and at Hobbs, this is the type of hands-on, rigorous learning your students will experience! 🙌📚🔑
Jaguar parents and families, we need your help!
Over the past several weeks, we have seen a noticeable increase in disruptive and disrespectful behavior at school. While we expect middle school students to test limits and make mistakes, the frequency and intensity of what we are seeing is impacting instruction, disrupting learning for others, and creating an environment that is not reflective of who we are or who we want to be.
Just last week, our staff addressed situations such as:
• A student loudly telling another student to “**** off” in class.
• A student repeatedly interrupting instruction, despite multiple verbal redirections and clear directions to stop and begin working.
• A student pulling out makeup during class and applying eyeshadow and blush to other students instead of participating in learning.
• A student repeatedly interrupting a class read-aloud and responding to redirection with laughter, dancing, and continued disrespect.
These are not isolated incidents. Every time instruction is interrupted, every time a student is disrespectful, and every time a teacher must stop teaching to manage behavior, valuable learning time is lost—for everyone.
At the same time, we want to be very clear: the majority of our students at Hobbs are doing the right thing every day. They are respectful. They are engaged. They come to learn. And we are working hard to recognize and celebrate those students.
Through our PBIS fun lunches, our JAGS Awards, and now our newly announced End-of-Year PBIS Celebration, we are intentionally rewarding positive behavior. All students who receive no referrals from now until our May celebration will earn the opportunity to attend an outdoor play day featuring water slides, yard games, and other fun activities. We want to shine a spotlight on students who consistently meet expectations and contribute to a positive school culture.
Our teachers work incredibly hard to create engaging lessons and supportive classrooms. They deserve respect. More importantly, our students deserve classrooms where they can focus, feel safe, and learn without distraction.
We are asking for your partnership. Please take time to speak with your child about:
• Speaking respectfully to peers and adults.
• Following directions the first time they are given.
• Keeping personal items put away during instruction.
• Understanding that school is a place for learning, not entertainment.
When schools and families work together, students rise to the expectations set for them. Clear expectations at home, reinforced at school, make a powerful difference.
We are committed to holding students accountable while also recognizing and celebrating those who are doing great things. But we cannot do this alone. Your voice at home matters more than anything we can say during the school day.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership as we work to ensure that every classroom at Hobbs remains the place where learning comes first.
Jaguar students, families, and staff, in recognition of National School Counseling Week, Hobbs Middle would like to take a moment to celebrate our amazing Guidance and Counseling Team! 💚
Led by Ms. Hansen and Ms. Hodge, our dedicated school counselors, and supported by Ms. Hamann, our CDAC counselor, and Ms. Cox, our Military and Family Life counselor, this team works tirelessly to support the academic, social, and emotional needs of our students — and our staff.
From helping students navigate challenges to supporting families, academic planning, crisis response, and everyday encouragement, their impact reaches every corner of our campus. Their compassion, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to doing what’s best for kids truly make a difference.
We are incredibly grateful for all they do each and every day. Thank you for the heart you bring to our school community! 👏✨
Jaguar families and business and community members! Help students look and feel their best for interviews, speeches and The Amazing Shake!
Hobbs Middle is partnering on a professional clothing drive for our students. We’re collecting new or gently used business-professional attire for teens (juniors and adult sizes) — items like suit jackets, pants/slacks, pants/skirt suits, button-down shirts, ties, and dress shoes.
Drop-off locations:
• Nixon’s Clothing – 847 W Spencer Field Rd, Pace, FL 32571
• Drift Boutique – 960 E 9 Mile Rd #5, Pensacola, FL 32514
Collection ends: March 1, 2026 Thank you for supporting our students’ confidence and professionalism.
Questions? Email school_partnership@navyfederal.org. Program support proudly includes Navy Federal’s School Partnerships.
@NavyFederal (FB/X/IG) | @NavyFederalCreditUnion (LinkedIn) #AmazingShake #MemberMissions #NavyFederalServes #CommunityImpact #BetterTogether
Jaguar students, staff, and families,
Get ready to dive into the world of reading and fun as we celebrate Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida!
Throughout the week, we’ll enjoy exciting dress-up days, fostering creativity and school spirit. Together as one school, we will embark on a shared reading adventure with the book Terror at Bottle Creek.
We’d also like to invite you to join us for Literacy Night on Thursday, January 29th from 5:00 – 7:00 PM. It will be an evening filled with activities and opportunities to celebrate the power of literacy as a community. Also, we will have free books to give away to your students!
Let’s make this a week to remember by inspiring a lifelong love of reading!
Good afternoon, Jaguar families and students!
This message is for students who purchased a ticket to the Hobbs Middle School Winter Wonderland Dance. Please read carefully for important procedural information:
1. Ticket Distribution & Dismissal
Students will receive their dance ticket during their 6th period class. All ticket holders will remain in their classrooms at dismissal. Once non-attendees have cleared the hallways, students will be called to the cafeteria.
2. Concessions
Each student will receive a concession ticket for one drink and one sweet treat. Additional concessions (chips and drinks) will be available for $1 each (cash only).
3. Dance End Time
The dance will conclude at 4:00 PM. Please plan to pick up your student promptly at 4:00 PM.
4. Pick-Up Location
Pick-up will take place on the bus rider ramp. Staff will begin directing traffic to this location starting at 3:45 PM.
5. Overflow Pick-Up
Once the bus ramp is full, secondary pick-up will occur through normal car rider procedures. Staff will redirect families as needed.
Thank you for your support—we’re excited for a fun and safe event!
Jaguars Students and Families,
Tickets for our upcoming school dance are on sale during all three lunches through Thursday.
Dance Details:
📅 Friday, January 23
⏰ 2:30–4:00 PM (right after school)
💲 $10 per ticket (includes a drink and candy; $1 concessions available)
This PTA fundraiser directly supports our students and staff, including Honor Roll events, PBIS celebrations, and teacher appreciation. If you’re unable to attend but would like to support the PTA, donations can be made here:
https://tinyurl.com/32p4kmzy
Thank you for supporting our school community!
1. Report cards are now ready to be viewed through the Focus portal. Report cards have been published to both the parent AND student portal.
2. https://santarosa.focusschoolsoftware.com/focus/auth/ start here if you still need to create a Focus parent portal.
3. If you need a pin to create the Focus parent portal, the front office has that information. As well, you can e-mail kogerb@santarosa.k12.fl.us for the pin.
4. The district will NOT be printing report cards this year.
5. If you have a hardship and need a report card printed, please contact the front office.
Dear Jaguar Parents and Families,
Hobbs’s School Advisory Council (SAC) is a group of administrators, teachers, educational support employees, parents, and other business and community members. The SAC consults with Hobbs on school matters throughout the year and helps guide the continued growth of our school.
At every SAC meeting, there is a portion during the meeting called the public forum, where any parent, guardian, student, or stakeholder may attend and discuss school-related business with us. If you wish to attend in person, you are welcome to join us in the Hobbs Middle media center at 3:00 PM.
Our net SAC meeting will be held on Thursday, January 22nd at 3:00 PM. The agenda and all supporting documents will be posted on our school website at the following link:
https://hms.santarosaschools.org/o/hms/page/school-advisory-council.
For your convenience, all meetings will also be live-streamed via Microsoft Teams. Please find the dates and access information below:
August 28, 3:00 PM
https://tinyurl.com/mudrj2rs
Meeting ID: 256 786 470 542
Passcode: bi2Ev6Pr
November 20, 3:00 PM
https://tinyurl.com/5menu24w
Meeting ID: 284 989 201 340 5
Passcode: eE7bR2V5
January 22, 3:00 PM
https://tinyurl.com/22zwy24n
Meeting ID: 242 302 776 556 7
Passcode: h6Go3Uu3
March 26, 3:00 PM
https://tinyurl.com/2bcd3kc4
Meeting ID: 288 533 666 346 7
Passcode: uw2cG3HV
May 7, 3:00 PM
https://tinyurl.com/4jh3n7c9
Meeting ID: 246 946 075 062 3
Passcode: 8gU3rw7H
We look forward to meeting with you and working together to make this a successful school year! 😊
Jaguar Students and Families,
We want to share an important update regarding our upcoming school dance.
The dance has been postponed to Friday, January 23rd.
After the events of this week, our staff have given an incredible amount of energy and care to support our students and school community. By Friday afternoon, they will need time to go home, rest, and recharge. This decision was made with the well-being of our staff—and ultimately our students—in mind.
Please know:
• All tickets already purchased will be honored for the new date.
• If you are unable to attend on January 23rd and would like a refund, refunds will be available.
• To receive a refund, please see a staff member during lunch.
We appreciate your understanding, grace, and continued support of our school community. We look forward to celebrating together next Friday.
Thank you for being part of our Jaguar family.
Dear Jaguars Families,
As colder weather approaches, we want to ensure that all of our children are warm, comfortable, and ready to learn each day.
If your family needs assistance with cold weather clothing (such as sweats, sweatshirts, hats, or gloves), please know that support is available. We are happy to help connect families with resources at no cost.
Thanks to assistance from the DUO Program, started by School Board Member Ms. Linda Sanborn, we have funds available to help meet this need for our families.
To request assistance, please complete the short form here: https://tinyurl.com/3abuhjat.
Important Timeline:
• The form will close on Sunday.
• Shopping for as many families as possible will take place on Monday.
• Items will be delivered to students on Tuesday.
All requests will be handled discreetly and with care. If you have any questions or need additional support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the school.
Thank you for allowing us to support your family and take care of our children.
This is Brandon Koger, Principal of Hobbs Middle School, reaching out to inform you about an incident that occurred on campus today.
Mid-morning, anonymous phone calls were received regarding a possible threat to our school. Out of an abundance of caution, we placed the school in lockdown while local law enforcement responded to the report.
Please note that the lockdown was not the result of a confirmed or direct threat inside the building. The decision to initiate a lockdown was made solely to ensure the safety of our students and staff while the anonymous call was evaluated.
Once initiated, all lockdown procedures were followed exactly as trained. Our staff responded swiftly and professionally, and our students did an outstanding job listening and following directions. I could not be prouder of our teachers and staff for the calm and steady leadership they demonstrated, and I am incredibly proud of our students for how well they handled a stressful situation.
I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the many law enforcement agencies who responded so quickly and thoroughly, including the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, Milton Police Department, Florida Fish and Wildlife, and other responding agencies. Their presence and coordination were reassuring and demonstrated that any potential threat to our schools is taken seriously and addressed thoroughly.
While today was a difficult day, it was also a reassuring one. It saddens me that schools are sometimes targets of threatening behavior, and I hope those responsible will be identified and held accountable.
Most importantly, today reaffirmed what I already know: our staff is prepared, our students are resilient, and our school community is committed to keeping one another safe.
Please give your students an extra hug tonight—they handled today with maturity and courage, and they deserve it.
Thank you for your continued trust and support.
💚 Jaguar Students and Families 💚
Please join us in celebrating and supporting the generosity of Mr. Leard, one of our science teachers at Hobbs. This January, he is donating his own hair to Wigs for Kids, a nonprofit that provides custom wigs to children experiencing hair loss due to medical conditions.
✨ Why it matters:
Each wig costs $1,800 to make. Along with his hair donation, Mr. Leard is raising funds to help provide a wig for a child in need.
💚 How students can help:
•Mr. Leard is collecting donations throughout the month
• Donations will be collected during lunch periods throughout January
• Students should place donations in the container labeled with their lunch period
🎉 Fun incentive:
The lunch period that raises the most money will get to watch Mr. Leard have his hair cut!
We commend Mr. Leard for his kindness and leadership, and we encourage our students and families to support this meaningful cause. Every dollar makes a difference.
Thank you for helping us make a positive impact!
Jaguars Students and Families,
Tickets for our next school dance will go on sale starting Monday and will be available during all three lunches through Thursday.
🕺 Dance Details
Date: Friday, January 16
Time: 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM (right after school)
Cost: $10 per ticket
Each ticket includes a drink and candy, and additional concessions will be available at the dance for $1 each.
This dance is a fundraiser hosted by our Parent-Teacher Association (PTA). All funds raised go directly toward supporting our students and staff. Events like Honor Roll celebrations, PBIS celebrations, and teacher appreciation are made possible only through fundraising efforts like this one.
If your student is unable or chooses not to attend but you would still like to support our PTA, donations can be made here: https://tinyurl.com/32p4kmzy.
Thank you in advance for your continued support of our school community!
