The North Freedom Express
North Freedom Elementary
September 2026
S4890 Cty I
North Freedom, WI 53951
(608)592-4946
The Conductor's Corner
Dear North Freedom Families,
Welcome to the first edition of our monthly newsletter! I want to extend a warm and heartfelt thank you to all of our students, parents/guardians, and staff for making the first month of the school year an incredible success.
Walking through the hallways and visiting classrooms over the past few weeks, I have been filled with pride seeing our students settle into their daily routines, build new friendships, and dive right into learning. The energy and positive momentum across our campus are truly inspiring.
September is all about laying the foundation for a successful year. Our teachers have focused on creating welcoming classroom communities, establishing expectations, and assessing student strengths to tailor instruction. We are already seeing incredible focus, creativity, and kindness on the playground and in the classroom alike.
A few quick reminders as we gear up for October:
Arrival & Drop-off: Thank you for your patience during morning drop-off and pick-up in the afternoon. Please continue to follow safety protocols by dropping students off in the designated drop-off zones. This allows our school buses to navigate safely through the parking lot each day.
Attendance Matters: Being on time every day sets your child up for learning and social connection. Thank you for making punctual attendance a priority.
Stay Connected: Keep an eye on our school website and digital platform for upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and school updates.
We view education as a true partnership between school and home. Thank you for sharing your wonderful children with us and for your continued support and collaboration.
Here’s to an amazing school year ahead!
Warmly,
Tyler Lang
Congrats to our Students of the Month!
Stay tuned for September Students of the Month! They will be announced at our end-of-month assembly!
Link to Staff Directory
Tyler Lang- Principal twlang@barabooschools.net ext 8010
Mandy Hunt- Administrative Assistant ahunt@barabooschools.net ext 8020
RingCentral Text: (608)621-2230
Leah Herken- School Psychologist lherken@barabooschools.net ext 5103
Mara Blessinger- School Counselor mblessinger@barabooschools.net ext 3031
Michael Behl- Special Ed Teacher mrbehl@barabooschools.net ext 8111
Lindsey Muscanero- 4K Teacher lmuscanero@barabooschools.net ext 8104
Morgan Miles- 4K Teacher afternoons mmiles@barabooschools.net
Amanda Bradley- Kindergarten Teacher abradley@barabooschools.net ext 8101
Becky Winther- 1st Grade Teacher rwinther@barabooschools.net ext 8103
Amy Ginther- 2nd Grade Teacher aginther@barabooschools.net ext 8102
Rochelle VanDenHeuvel- 3rd Grade Teacher rvandenheuvel@barabooschools.net ext 8107
Cory King- 4th Grade Teacher caking@barabooschools.net ext 8106
Niki Shafer- 5th Grade Teacher nshafer@barabooschools.net ext 8108
Free and Reduced meal information can be found here
Important Dates
Friday, October 9, 2026
North Freedom School Picture Day
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Full Day of School
Thursday, October 22, 2026
Two Hour Early Release - Parent/Teacher Conferences
Friday, October 23, 2026
No School or KidStop
School/District/NFPG Updates
Snacks
🍎 Classroom Snack & Drink Guidelines
A quick reminder regarding daily snack time at North Freedom Elementary:
Snack Policy: Please ensure snacks brought from home align with our Baraboo School District snack policy.
Water Only: To help keep our learning spaces clean and free of spills, students are asked to bring water only to drink in the classrooms. All other drinks (such as juice or milk) are only permitted in the cafeteria during lunch. As a reminder, elementary students may not have soda at any time during the school day.
School Snacks & Donations: If a student forgets or does not have a snack, we provide graham crackers so no one goes hungry. If you would like to donate boxes of graham crackers to help restock our school supply, please reach out to Ms. Mandy or your student's teacher.
Thank you for your ongoing partnership and support in keeping our classrooms happy and clean!
Picture Day is coming on Friday, October 9!
You can place your order on mylifetouch.com using your Picture Day ID: EVTQ9FBMD. Order before midnight on Picture Day to get FREE shipping! Envelopes for orders will not be sent home this year. Please place your orders at mylifetouch.com.
Kid Stop Announcements
From the Nurse
Counselor Corner
Getting to Know Your School Counselor
We hope your family is enjoying the start of fall and a great beginning to the school year!
This month, students have been getting to know me and learning about my role as their school counselor! We talked about how I am here to listen, help students work through problems, build friendships, manage big feelings, and feel successful at school.
We have also been talking about the importance of following school rules and how rules help keep everyone safe, respectful, and ready to learn.
Coming Next Month: Body Safety & Kindness
Next month, we will focus on body safety, personal boundaries, and kindness. Students will learn about respecting their own bodies and others' personal space, recognizing safe and unsafe touches, speaking up when something doesn't feel right, and ways to show kindness to others.
Thank you for partnering with us as we help your child grow into a safe, kind, confident, and caring learner!
Mara Blessinger, MS
School Counselor
JYMS, NF and West
Notes from Ms. Mandy
Please remember to inform us of any student absences by calling (608) 522-4946, texting (608) 621-2230, or emailing ahunt@barabooschools.net. If you call and there is no answer, please leave a voicemail! All voicemails are converted to email, which makes it very easy for Ms. Mandy to share absence information with teachers.
Also, if your student's after-school plans change, please let Ms. Mandy know before 2:00 PM so we can ensure a smooth and safe dismissal.
Change of Clothes Reminder: We kindly ask that you send a full change of clothes to keep at school for all students, regardless of age. Accidents and spills can happen with students of any age, and we have a very limited supply of backup clothes. Please also make sure your student has an extra pair of socks. Thank you for helping us be prepared!
The Lost and Found is overflowing! Please make sure your students check it out, or feel free to stop and look for yourself!!