Welcome Back FES!

FES Families,

As we officially kick off August and "Back to School Month," I want to say welcome to FES for the 2024-2025 school year. Since I was in elementary school, back to school was always a very exciting time of year. My hope is that same excitement is filling your home!

The 2024-2025 school year marks my 2nd year at Freeland Elementary School. Each year we return to school, we look for ways to improve, we look for ways to grow, and we look for ways to connect. Positive connections and relationships are vital to the daily operations of a school building, and our goal this year is to promote a positive home and school connection by promoting volunteer opportunities to give back.

If you are interested in volunteering and giving back to the school community, please follow these steps!

• Step 1: Fill out Volunteer/Background Check: Throughout the school year, if you plan to be in the building for any reason during the school day, you must fill out a background check as part of our district volunteer policy. This includes any volunteer opportunity (field trips included), classroom presentations, etc. You can access the form online by clicking here, or you can pick up a hard copy in our main office starting on August 5.
• Step 2: Fill out an interest survey. As results come in from the survey, I will use those to reach out to set up school wide volunteer opportunities. Parent Volunteer Interest Survey 24-25
• Next Steps: Various classrooms will also offer different opportunities throughout the year. Please be patient as the teachers set these up. Setting up procedures, routines in the classroom environments are most important when starting off the year, so this may take time.

Some volunteer opportunities that will start immediately when school starts, please make sure to fill out the interest survey if you are interested in any of these immediate opportunities:

• After School Crosswalk Volunteers: We are looking for immediate volunteers to help with our crosswalks at both of our dismissal times. Times would be from 2:20-2:35, and again from 3:45-4:00.
• PTO Volunteers
• Are you interested in being a guest teacher or subbing as a paraprofessional? Reach out to our front office for more information!

As a school, we wouldn't be able to do what we do on a daily basis without the support from our families. It takes a village, and we want to do whatever we can to get our whole village involved.

Your Proud Principal,

Mrs. Kali McKenna

Are you new to FES? Meet Mrs. McKenna:

I want to extend the warmest welcome to our newest FES families. My name is Kali McKenna (or Mrs. McKenna). I am entering my second full year as the proud principal of Freeland Elementary School. I joined the community in January 2023, taking over for Mr. Hillborg when he moved into the role of superintendent. I am entering my 18th year in education.

I am a graduate of Bullock Creek and Lake Superior State University. I played basketball for LSSU, and I am a lover of all things sports. I started my teaching career in Phoenix, Arizona, working for a school district of 20,000 students. After 8 years of teaching (a combination of kindergarten, second grade, fourth and fifth grade), I went into administration after getting my Masters in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University. I spent a total of 12 years in Arizona, and then decided that I wanted to spend the rest of my career in the mitten, so I could be closer to family. My husband and I relocated back to Michigan to the Lansing area, where I was an elementary principal in Charlotte, Michigan for 3.5 years. I left Charlotte when this position opened up in Freeland. I felt that I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get back to my roots of the Tri-City area, and I will say I have not second guessed that choice at all. I have been married to Mr. McKenna for 11 years. We have an 11 year old yellow lab, Maize (Go Blue!). We love to spend time in Cadillac, and as I mentioned love all things sports. Mr. McKenna is a Hawkeye, which always makes for an interesting football season.

My philosophy is that I am here to serve the community in which I work. My goal for our students, our staff, and our families is that they feel welcome, and that I am always available. Please as you go into this school year, never hesitate to reach out if you need anything. I am here for your child and to support them however I can to guide them to reach their greatest potential.

Please use the links below to make sure to register for Skyward Family Access. By creating an account, you can update personal information, and check the progress of your child during reporting periods.

Helpful Links:

• Skyward Access
• Register for Family Access
• Video-Family Access Overview
• Mobile App Overview

Important: 5th and 6th grade families- Our 5th and 6th grade teachers will use Skyward to report your child's progress in their subject areas throughout the school year. You will be able to access missing assignments, and scores on assessment by having an account.

Yearly Information Review & Forms

Our Yearly Information Review & forms for the 2024-2025 school year is now open in Skyward Family Access. This is something new we are rolling out to keep student information in Skyward up-to-date and to get important yearly forms in your hands.

This process will allow you to review/change your home address, phone numbers, email addresses, emergency contacts, and student health information. It will also give you access to our:

• Transportation Form
• Photo/Video Release Form
• Family/Student Handbooks
• In Town Field Trips

Please note: If you are using a mobile device you will want to use a browser, not the App to complete.

Please be sure that you have read our Acceptable Use Policy and filled out the link for the Google Form to approve you have read it so your child will be set to use technology at the start of school. Click here for access to the Google Form.

5th and 6th Pick Up and Drop Off Times

Drop Off Time: (CHANGED from last year) 7:15-7:35 a.m. (Doors to the cafeteria will not open until 7:15 and students should not be dropped off prior to that time.)

Pick Up Time: 2:25 p.m.

2nd and 4th Pick Up and Drop Off Times

Drop Off Time: 8:25-8:50 a.m. (Doors to the cafeteria will not open until 8:25 and students should not be dropped off prior to that time.)

Pick Up Time: 3:50 p.m.

Please take time to read about pick up and drop off and also look at the maps for specific information so that we can maintain safety for all of our staff, students and families.

The Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads Of Great Students) school program is a national initiative that encourages fathers and father figures to engage with their children and schools, creating a positive impact on students and communities. By volunteering at least one day a year, dads and male role models actively participate in various school activities, offering support in classrooms, hallways, and playgrounds. This presence enhances school security, fosters positive relationships, and provides students with strong role models. With thousands of participating schools nationwide, Watch D.O.G.S. is dedicated to promoting father involvement and strengthening family and school connections. If you are interested, please contact Mrs. McKenna at mckennak@freelandschools.net. Our kickoff informational night is scheduled for Thursday, September 5 at 5:30 p.m.

WATCH D.O.G.S. Program Information

Important Information:

• Yearbooks ARE NOT included in the packages, and order information will go out in the winter about how to order a yearbook.
• Hard copy flyers for picture packages will be available at open houses if you prefer to order that way.
• All student pictures will be taken prior to their lunch window starting! 👍

As we start the school year, use of medication at school is sometimes a question that many families have.

For purposes of this policy (5330), "medication" shall include all medicines including those prescribed by a physician and any non-prescribed (over-the-counter) drugs, preparations, and/or remedies.

Important information about medication administered at FCSD:

• Before any medication or treatment may be administered to any student during school hours, a written prescription from the child's physician accompanied by the written authorization of the parent is required. Both must also authorize any self-medication by the student. This document will be kept on file in the main office at the child’s school. All medication requires a physician signature, this includes but is not limited to ibuprofen, tylenol, cough drops, etc.

• Only medication in its original container; labeled with the date, if a prescription; the student's name; and exact dosage will be administered. Parents, or students authorized in writing by their physician and parents, may administer medication or treatment. FCSD will not alter from any prescription or prescribed dosage amount.

• Parents are responsible for transporting all medications to and from school (includes any product that contains medication- cough drops, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, etc.) Children are not permitted to bring medication with them.

Authorization for Medication At School- Please note that a physician’s written authorization is required for all medications.

One of the largest wonderings of summer is student placement and "Who is my child's teacher going to be for next school year?" I wanted to take a moment to explain all that goes into student placement for the next school year, and how important it is that we take many factors into consideration. Classroom placement for the 2024-2025 school year was completed at the start of summer and is reviewed continuously throughout the summer. Our goal for student placement in a school year is to provide a safe and successful learning experience for all students. The following list includes, but is not limited to some of the criteria we consider when placing students into classrooms:

• Program needs of students (for example: special education services, 504 services, individual learning plans, etc.)
• Classroom configuration
• Social needs of students
• Compatibility of individual students and groups of students
• Behavioral factors
• Balance of achievement levels in groups of students
• Information/Input provided by parent/guardians and teachers
• Balance of class sizes throughout the grade level

The process for student placement is a careful process and one that takes a great deal of time and consideration. We want our teachers and students to have the most successful school year and one of the ways we do that is providing a balanced classroom approach. Each one of our teachers at Freeland Elementary School are the best in their profession and your child will have a wonderful school year. Please note that requests for a specific teacher are considered, however, are not guaranteed. Once assigned, class placements will not change.

Class Placement will be available to access on your parent portal for Skyward by August 14 (an email will be sent when these are available if it is earlier), or will be available on open house night for those without access. For information on how to access Skyward Family Access, please see a how to paragraph in this newsletter

🌟5th Grade Information 🌟

Once available, your child's schedule will show 6 classes, with 1 specials time. Because of our transition to block scheduling for this school year, the schedule order will be a little different when they look at Skyward. So as you look at your child's schedule, it will be organized in blocks this way:

1st Hour: A Day, Block 1

2nd Hour (Specials on both A and B Days)

3rd Hour: A Day Block 2

4th Hour: A Day Block 3

5th Hour: B Day Block 1

6th Hour: B Day Block 2

7th Hour: B Day Block 3

Your child will have all the A Day classes on Monday and Wednesday, all B Day classes on Tuesday and Thursday, and on Fridays, the students will attend all classes in the order listed above. You will receive communication by the 5th grade team with a schedule each month, to indicate the monthly schedule for A and B Days. Days may need to change periodically, because of our school schedule, and that will all be communicated to you and your child.

5th Graders Daily Schedule

Block 1:

SPECIALS:

Continued Block 1:

LUNCH:

Block 2:

Recess:

Block 3:

🌟6th Grade Information🌟

Our 6th graders follow a traditional schedule, and the order of their classes will be listed on their schedule.

6th Graders Daily Schedule

1st Hour:

2nd Hour:

SPECIALS:

LUNCH:

4th Hour:

5th Hour:

6th Hour:

7th Hour:

Schedules will be available to access on your parent portal for Skyward by August 14 (an email will be sent when these are available if it is earlier), or will be available on open house night for those without access. For information on how to access Skyward Family Access, please see a how to paragraph in this newsletter.

Click Here for 2024-2025 Supply Lists!- Click on the grade level for links to all supply lists. Or find the individual lists below.

2nd Grade

3rd Grade

4th Grade

5th Grade

6th Grade

Freeland Elementary School is a FREE, public school. All students will participate in all classroom activities and have the same opportunities and supplies for instruction regardless if their parents donate supplies or not. Thank you in advance for your consideration. If you are in need of assistance with providing supplies, please contact our office at 989-695-5371.

Please watch for additional information about our PTO and reach out to freelandptoeslc@gmail.com with any questions or if you are interested in volunteering!

Freeland Community School District utilizes Meal Magic as an online portal for nutrition accounts. Available on our website is access to this account, or you can click the link here (https://freeland.familyportal.cloud/).

August Breakfast Menu

August Lunch Menu

September Breakfast Menu (September 3-13)

September Lunch Menu (September 3-13)

September Breakfast Menu (September 16-27)

September Lunch Menu (September 16-27)

We are looking at ways to condense the menus, but this will give you an idea on what to expect for the upcoming weeks.

Kali McKenna, Principal, mckennak@freelandschools.net

Lauren Hall, Secretary, halll@freelandschools.net (PM Only)

Meghan Maxwell, Secretary, maxwellm@freelandschools.net (AM Only)

Annette Moore, Secretary, moorea@freelandschools.net (All Day)