Freedom Flyers Newsletter

December was full of cheer at Freedom! We were so thankful for a local church that donated gifts to some of our families—our learners were incredibly grateful and excited. The North Pole Winter Gear event was also a huge success and helped make sure our kids stayed warm during the colder days. Speaking of cold…December brought us our first snow day! This day will be made up in April. Going forward, snow days will be virtual learning days. Families will get a phone call and email, learners will bring their iPads home, and teachers will share both live and independent activities for the day. Please make sure your contact information in PowerSchool is up to date so you don’t miss important messages.

Happy 2026! We’re excited to welcome everyone back in January! After time off, teachers will spend time reviewing expectations and reminding learners of our three Freedom rules: Be Safe, Be Respectful, and Be Responsible. We’ll also begin winter testing for students in grades K–5. While testing can feel tough, it helps teachers see how much students have retained and how we can best support them moving forward.

A few easy ways families can help during testing:

• Get a good night’s sleep
• Eat a healthy breakfast
• Encourage your child to do their best and not rush
• Remind them that mistakes are okay and learning matters most

Thanks for being such a supportive part of our Freedom community—we’re looking forward to a great start to the new year!

Mrs. Milligan

Jan 5 - School Reconvenes

Jan 19 - NO SCHOOL

Feb 16 - NO SCHOOL

Feb 19 - PTA Meeting

Feb 26 - Grade 3 Music Program

If you haven’t heard- we received a Book Vending Machine from our generous PTA! Learners are excited to earn tokens to pick a new or gently used book of their choice by showing their Teachers they are safe, respectful, and responsible! It’s a BIG hit! A generous donation from Anniston and her mom Molly Oas using $500 from Bell Bank’s Pay it forward program will help us stock more books for our learners to earn! Thank you so much for this generous donation!

Hello!

On January 27th & 29th, the RACC will be visiting the 2nd grade classes to do their "Red Flag/Green Flag", a personal boundaries and body ownership education program. Each 2nd grade class across the district receives this presentation. They will spend 45 minutes in each class on Tuesday and Thursday of that week.

I've attached the parent letter, which will also go home today. If you do not want your learner to participate, please sign the form and send it back with your learner before Monday January 26th.

We will make accommodations for any learners not attending the presentation. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me or the RACC.

Thank you!

Kalli Caron

(701) 499.3405

Kfanderson@west-fargo.k12.nd.us

This year our kindergarten service project is collecting pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House. They will be collecting pop tabs all school year and would love your help! Pop tabs can be turned in to the school office.

Learners should NOT be at school before 7:30 AM. We do not have supervision before then and the building will still be locked.

Learners should be dropped off by 7:50 AM. At this time, our first bell rings and students head to their lockers and classes to start their day.

The final bell rings at 8:00 AM and attendance is taken at that time. Students who are NOT in class at 8:00 will have to check in at the office for a tardy pass.

School dismisses at 2:30 PM.

Except in the case of very severe weather, learners will spend 20 minutes outside during the noon recess. Guidelines used to judge whether learners will go outside for noon recess are dependent upon the temperature and the wind chill as primary factors. The building administrator may make the decision to have elementary learners in grades K- 5 stay inside before school and/or during recess once the wind chill reaches -5° F. All learners will stay inside before school and/or during recess when the wind chill reaches -15º F. Principals make this determination using the National Weather Service http://forecast.weather.gov

Please make sure your learner has warm winter gear including jackets, snow pants, boots, hats and mittens. If you are unable to provide these, please contact your child's teacher and we will do our best to help.

We also follow our school district's guidelines for a healthy learning environment. Birthday treats are not allowed in the classrooms. Classrooms will use activities to celebrate birthdays instead.

Please PULL FORWARD all the way and STAY IN YOUR VEHICLE when dropping off or picking up your child. This keeps the car loop moving and allows for learners to exit and enter vehicles quickly and safely.

Reminder: Freedom Elementary is a Nut Aware School. Please do not bring snacks and/or bag lunches with peanut butter or nut items.

Our Lost & Found can be found in the school's commons area. Items most frequently left are sweatshirts, jackets and water bottles. PLEASE LABEL YOUR CHILD'S ITEMS!! Even initials help us find who something belongs to. Items not claimed may be donated at the end of each month.