Principal Message

FES Families,

Welcome to a new month at Freeland Elementary School! As we look ahead, our top priority remains building a strong, collaborative partnership with you. When families and educators work together, our students receive the seamless support they need to reach their fullest potential.

To ensure our school community is aligned with a future-focused mindset, we have enhanced our traditional PBIS framework. By directly weaving our district vision of Imagine. Innovate. Thrive. alongside the Positivity Project character strengths, we are moving beyond basic behavior compliance. We want our 2nd–5th graders to connect daily expectations to deep empathy, creative problem-solving, and personal character growth, empowering them to actively lead across all school environments.

Here is how we are expanding what it means to SOAR at FES every day:

S – Show Respect: Expanding beyond simple compliance to focus on deep empathy, active listening, and understanding the perspectives of others.
O – On Task: Shifting from just sitting quietly to actively engaging in learning, solving complex problems, and taking ownership of personal goals.
A – Always Safe: Helping students recognize that creating physical and emotional safety gives everyone the freedom to take risks, thrive, and grow.
R – Responsible: Encouraging students to take true ownership of our school community, collaborate on meaningful solutions, and care for the environment around us.

We invite you to reinforce these unified concepts at home. Ask your child how they showed empathy, solved a problem, or helped a classmate feel safe today. Thank you for your continued partnership as we help our students imagine, innovate, and thrive!

Sincerely,

Mrs. McKenna

Your VERY Proud Principal

P.S. With football season officially kicking off this weekend, I couldn't leave the principal message without saying "Go Blue 🏈 !".

🚗 Parking and Traffic Flow 🛑

Thank you for your patience as we work through the beginning weeks of finding our groove with parent drop off and pick up. A couple of things to remember:

At morning drop off: Please remember to pull all the way forward to the orange sign. The further you pull ahead, the more cars we can get through the line.
Please continue to watch your speed as you are in the school zones, in the parking lots and at crosswalks.
After school changes: Please call the office before 3:15 with any transportation changes, so that can be communicated to our classrooms in a timely manner. Dismissal of school is at 3:45.
Front Parking Lot: Please honor our bus times and do not park in the front parking lot during the posted times. Thank you!

Counselor's Corner: Welcome Back to a New School Year!

Hello families! I am Danielle Castillo, your Young 5s through 5th-grade school counselor. I am so excited to share that I will be spending the majority of my time right here in the Elementary Building this year!

Throughout the school year, I will be visiting every elementary classroom at least four times to teach engaging guidance lessons. Hand-in-hand with our school-wide Positivity Project initiative, my lessons will focus on helping students build healthy friendships, solve everyday problems, navigate conflict, and practice positive coping skills.

How School Counselors Support Students:

Classroom Lessons: Teaching proactive social-emotional and life skills to all students.
Small Group & Individual Support: Providing short-term support for academic, social, or emotional needs.
Parent & Teacher Collaboration: Partnering with you to ensure your child has a successful year.

Whether your child needs a little extra encouragement adjusting to school routines or help navigating social situations, I am here to support them. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or if there is any way I can assist your family!

How to Reach Me:

📧 Email: castillod@freelandschools.net

🏫 Location: Elementary Building

I look forward to supporting our students as they grow socially, emotionally, and academically. Here’s to a fantastic year ahead! 💚

Important School Reminders: Focused on our Goal! 👓

Fostering a Focused Learning Environment To ensure our students can focus entirely on the lessons and friendships in front of them, please keep the following campus policies in mind:

Wireless Communication Devices (Cell Phones, Smartwatches, etc.): If brought to school, all cell phones, electronic watches, and any other wireless communication devices must be stored in lockers immediately upon arrival. Students needing to contact home during the day can use the main office phone at any time.
Items from Home: Please keep non-learning items, including toys, fidgets, stuffed animals, and personal trinkets at home (unless approved by administration and/or classroom teacher). Items that distract from classroom learning will require a parent to pick them up in the office.

🍎 FCSD Nutrition Services 🍏

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/).

Menus can be accessed at anytime using this website: https://freeland.nutrislice.com/.

Menu Folder (PDFs)

🌟 PTO Information 🌟

Meeting Dates:

All Meetings Start at 6:30pm. The in person meetings are at Freeland Elementary School.

Tuesday, September 1st

Tuesday, October 6th (Virtual Meeting)

Tuesday, November 10th

Tuesday, December 1st (Virtual Meeting)

Tuesday January 5th

Tuesday, February 2nd (Virtual Meeting)

Tuesday, March 2nd

Tuesday, April 6th (Virtual Meeting)

Tuesday, May 4th

👀 Glimpse into Learning at FES ✨

⭐ Upcoming Dates 📆

September 1: PTO Meeting, 6:30pm at Freeland Elementary School

September 3: Falcon Football, 7:00 p.m. HOME vs. Swan Valley

September 4 and September 7: No School- Happy Labor Day!

September 11: Falcon Football, 7:00 p.m. AT Spring Lake

September 16: FCSD Board Meeting, 6:00 p.m. at the HS Auditorium

September 18: Falcon Football, 7:00 p.m. AT Bay City John Glenn HS

September 25: Falcon Football, 7:00 p.m. HOME Frankenmuth

Clash for a Cure Game

October 2: Falcon Football, 7:00 p.m. HOME Alma High School

Homecoming

October 9: Falcon Football, 7:00 p.m. HOME vs. Garber High School

October 16: Falcon Football, 7:00 p.m. AT Bridgeport

October 24: Falcon Football, 7:00 p.m. AT vs. Big Rapids

📱 Have a Question? FES Office Staff Contact Information 📩

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)

💚 School Information 💚

Doors Open for Parent Drop Off: 8:25 a.m.

First Bell: 8:45 a.m.

Official Start Bell: 8:55 a.m.

Dismissal Time: 3:45 p.m.

FES: September News 🏈

September 2026

Principal Message

🚗 Parking and Traffic Flow 🛑

Counselor's Corner: Welcome Back to a New School Year!

Important School Reminders: Focused on our Goal! 👓

🍎 FCSD Nutrition Services 🍏

🌟 PTO Information 🌟

👀 Glimpse into Learning at FES ✨

⭐ Upcoming Dates 📆

📱 Have a Question? FES Office Staff Contact Information 📩

💚 School Information 💚

Principal Message Principal Message

🚗 Parking and Traffic Flow 🛑 🚗 Parking and Traffic Flow 🛑

Counselor's Corner: Welcome Back to a New School Year! Counselor's Corner: Welcome Back to a New School Year!

Important School Reminders: Focused on our Goal! 👓 Important School Reminders: Focused on our Goal! 👓

🍎 FCSD Nutrition Services 🍏 🍎 FCSD Nutrition Services 🍏

🌟 PTO Information 🌟 🌟 PTO Information 🌟

👀 Glimpse into Learning at FES ✨ 👀 Glimpse into Learning at FES ✨

⭐ Upcoming Dates 📆 ⭐ Upcoming Dates 📆

📱 Have a Question? FES Office Staff Contact Information 📩 📱 Have a Question? FES Office Staff Contact Information 📩

💚 School Information 💚 💚 School Information 💚

Principal Message

🚗 Parking and Traffic Flow 🛑

Counselor's Corner: Welcome Back to a New School Year!

Important School Reminders: Focused on our Goal! 👓

🍎 FCSD Nutrition Services 🍏

🌟 PTO Information 🌟

👀 Glimpse into Learning at FES ✨

⭐ Upcoming Dates 📆

📱 Have a Question? FES Office Staff Contact Information 📩

💚 School Information 💚