Freedom Elementary

We had an amazing first day back! It's going to be a great year at Freedom!

Active COVID Cases Snapshot: HHS : 1-3, North Middle School : 1-3, South Middle School : 0, Adventure Elementary : 1-3, Endeavor Elementary : 0, Explorer Elementary : 1-3, Freedom Elementary : 0, Horizon Elementary : 0, Journey Elementary : 0, Liberty Elementary : 1-3

Online tickets will be available for purchase for all Tiger Bowl events starting tomorrow! Tiger Bowl is Saturday, September 3rd throughout the day. 🐾 🔗 https://bit.ly/HSDTICKETS 🎟 Season Passes are now also available for purchase online!

Episode 2 now available for download wherever you get your podcasts!

There is still time to apply online! The Free & Reduced Meal Application can qualify you for more than just meals. You could qualify for school-related scholarships and discounts on college and testing fees. You can complete the Free & Reduced Meal Application through your Parent Portal account to ensure your child is ready for the first day of school. Once you’re logged in, click the More tab. PLEASE NOTE: If you filled out an application last year, you still need to complete one for this school year. Questions? Contact Chris Beach, Child Nutrition Director 605-743-9031

With every new school built over the last 20 years, the school board and administration anticipated and planned for future growth. Our most recent growth challenges are in Harrisburg proper, where new subdivisions have accelerated already rising student enrollment. Liberty Elementary is at capacity. Three of the new developments are located in the Liberty school zone, increasing the need for additional space. Last year, the Tiger Reserve program was moved to Adventure Elementary to make more room at Liberty. Additionally, Head Start and Jr. Kindergarten was moved from Liberty to Freedom. There are also four new developments currently underway in the Freedom school zone which will also push Freedom closer to capacity in the near future. The school board’s commitment has always been to build the right size at the right time, without raising the mill levy and imposing any new burdens on taxpayers. The District has been able to do this through the continued growth in property valuation with the addition of new neighborhoods and businesses coming into the community. Through the passing of bond elections, Harrisburg School District citizens have shown they value the District's foresight to stay ahead of growth and provide quality learning facilities for students. In order to maximize use of current facilities, address overcrowding, and ensure the right size is built at the right time without raising taxes, the District will be proposing a solution to build a new elementary school and convert Liberty to a joint use facility which would house Early Childhood grades and share spaces with the city of Harrisburg. A public meeting will be held Tuesday, August 16th at 6:30 PM in the Liberty Band Room located through the District Office main entrance (Entrance E). We encourage the public to attend and subscribe to our new podcast, Harrisburg 41-2, which includes the topic of growth and will address our current needs in a future episode, released in the near future.

Our outdoor classroom is complete, and we are thrilled with how it turned out! We already have big plans on how to utilize this space. Thank you to everyone who donated during our Fun Run the last two years to make this possible. We plan to add on to the space in the future.

Elementary Parents: Be on the lookout for a notification from your elementary school regarding your child's classroom placement on Monday, August 8th, and any other back-to-school communication coming your way! 🐾

Want to cheer at Tiger Bowl? Sign up for the 2022 Tiger Bowl Youth Cheer Camp! Click here to register at: https://www.wearetigernation.org/tiger-bowl-2021-cheer-camp.html

Harrisburg School District  just launched its official podcast: Harrisburg 41-2. In this podcast, you'll discover how a 629% increase in student enrollment over the past two decades has presented some unique challenges that have given rise to forward-thinking solutions, while also providing opportunities for the development of innovative student programs.  📈 In our first episode, learn how the District, which started in one K-12 building over 100 years ago, has grown to 13 buildings in the last two decades. Subscribe and listen to Harrisburg 41-2 wherever you get your podcasts. https://harrisburg412.buzzsprout.com

The District has added nearly 300 NEW students since last year! It is crucial to have accurate student enrollment numbers in order to hire enough staff and create schedules for students and teachers. PLEASE REGISTER YOUR CHILD NOW for the upcoming school year. Every registration counts! THANK YOU and welcome to HSD! https://bit.ly/HSDRegister

NOTICE OF DESTRUCTION OF INFORMATION The Harrisburg School District has determined that the personally identifiable Special Education documents that had been collected, maintained, or used for providing educational services for students that have graduated, left district or are no longer receiving services prior to 2017 will be destroyed on August 1, 2022. The following applicable Special Education records or documents will be destroyed: Psychological Evaluation, Educational Assessments, Occupational Therapy Assessments, Speech/Hearing/Language Assessments, Physical Therapy Assessments, Preschool Assessments, Medical Information, Prior Notices Multidisciplinary Team Reports, Classroom Observation Reports, Referral Forms, Classroom Teacher Reports, Behavioral Assessments, Agency Progress Reports, Individualized Education Plans If you would like to receive any of the above-mentioned items please call the Special Education Director’s office – 743-9028 prior August 1, 2022, to arrange a convenient time to obtain them. IF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DOES NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE THE ITEMS WILL BE DESTROYED.

Our landscapers are making good progress on our outdoor classroom! They plan to finish the middle paver section in a day or two before moving on to the raised seating area and the pathway. We cannot wait to see how it turns out!

Work has begun on our new outdoor classroom! The landscaping crew is excavating the area and prepping the surface this week with plans to start installing pavers next week. We'll keep you posted on their progress. The whole project will be completed prior to the start of school!

Come and see the HHS Drama Club's Summer Performing Arts production of Descendants the musical! Shows are June 24 @ 7PM, and June 25 @ 2PM and 7PM. Tickets are available for purchase at the door. See you at the show!

The class of 2029 walked down the long Freedom hallway for the last time this afternoon as elementary students. These kids will do great things, and we look forward to hearing about their future successes! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZapTysNPfwM38Q9x1gc92RZFfJoaaAsf/view

And just like that, another school year has come and gone. We are so proud of your children this year - their academic growth, persistence through tough tasks, kindness toward others, and dedication to school. Click on the link to view our annual year-end video to celebrate and say farewell to the 2021-2022 school year. Have a fun, safe, and relaxing summer. We'll see you in the fall! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QBhn3Rr5Xc

Do you recognize these Freedom Alumni? They are graduating this year! Congratulations! Go Change the World!

A reminder there will be a 2-hour Early Release tomorrow, May 19th, for the Last Day of School. Have a safe summer, Tigers! 🐾😎

While free meals for all students were a welcome relief during the pandemic, these benefits will end at the of this school year. When the pandemic hit, the federal government funded a program that allowed all students—even those who were not previously eligible—to receive free meals. However, recently they have declined to continue funding this program. If your child qualifies for free or reduced meals, they can still receive them, but you must take action to make it happen! If you are concerned that you may not be able to afford school meal prices, we urge you to fill out an application for free or reduced meal benefits as soon as possible. You can find a copy of this application on our website or contact Chris Beach, Child Nutrition Director. The process is simple and can be done online, but Chris is happy to answer any questions you may have. The District is always available to support families, so think about what option is best for you, and let us know if there is any way we can assist.