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Dear Freedom Hill Community,
We hope you are well! Tomorrow kicks off the 2nd semester of the 23-24 school year! Our teachers were hard at work last Thursday and Friday as they continue to plan engaging instruction for our students across many subjects and grade levels. We hope that you will join us in February for our Spelling Bee Finals, Science Fair, and Family Learning Series session that will focus on Special Education services in FCPS.
This Thursday, we have a special opportunity for students to see and learn more about Punxsutawney Phil as we eagerly await his arrival on Groundhog's Day. We will virtually learn more about Punxsutawney's home, care, lifestyle, and the tradition of predicting the beginning of spring. A big thanks to Mrs. Hussin for organizing this for us!
Also this week, WIDA testing begins for our English learners. They will have the opportunity to show their fabulous growth across four domains - reading, writing, listening, and speaking! We know they are well-prepared.
Lastly, please note an FCPS calendar change - March 5 will now be a student holiday due to primary elections utilizing the building.
See you soon!
Nicholas Zapadka, Principal
Eric Kopacz, Assistant Principal
2023-24 FCPS School Calendar
FCPS Lunch Menu
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February 7 - Q2 Progress Reports Sent Home
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February 12 - Spelling Bee Finals, 6PM
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February 13 - Family Learning Series > Special Education (7PM English, 7:30 PM Spanish, Link)
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February 19 - Presidents' Day - School Closed
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February 23 - PTA Science Fair, 6:30PM
Our expert Instructional Support Team is excited to share the dates and topics for our new Family Learning Series. Our goal is to provide learning opportunities for parents / caregivers interested in a variety of topics related to our students' experiences. These will be held virtually so that topics can be recorded for families to view at a later time if desired. The first 30 minutes will be in English, and the second 30 minutes in Spanish. We look forward to seeing you!
Completed:
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Introduction to Advanced Academics with Mrs. Fredericks (September 2023, Link)
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Full-Time Advanced Academics Screening with Mrs. Fredericks - for families with students in grades 2-6 (October 2023, Link)
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Watch D.O.G.S. Kickoff Pizza Night with Dr. Zapadka, Mr. Kopacz. Please email David Hay with inquiries.
Coming Soon:
- Feb. 13 - Introduction to Special Education & Section 504 with Mrs. Tingler and Mr. Grumbach (7PM English, 7:30PM Spanish, Link)
Later this Year:
- March 13 - The Science of Reading - Our New Approach to Teaching with Mrs. Rossman and Mrs. Mansuy (7PM English, 7:30PM Spanish, Link TBD)
- April 4 - All About the SOLs with Mr. Kopacz and Dr. Zapadka (7PM English, 7:30PM Spanish, Link TBD)
Attendance is an important indicator of student success in school. Recently, we sent home a flyer highlighting the significance of student attendance and the success students see when they achieve regular attendance in school. This week, families who have a student who has missed 5 or more days of school will be receiving a letter as a reminder of the importance of arriving to school with consistency, every day and on time. As we establish our 2024 routines, please have a conversation with your child/children about ensuring continued attendance and participation in school. Thank you, and as always, please feel free to reach out to the school for support if needed.
 This week our school community will be focusing on the character strength of Forgiveness. Forgiveness means you forgive those who have done wrong and you accept that people make mistakes.
Forgiveness is the ability to move past being injured, and allow yourself to reconcile with the person who hurt you. Forgiveness can often be seen as a selfless act, but it also carries many benefits for those who practice it. Those who demonstrate forgiveness have the ability to move forward after someone has hurt them. Forgiveness is often rooted in the idea that all people are valuable and worthy of a second chance. Many who forgive have the ability to consider things from another’s perspective.
Registration for the countywide lottery for Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs will open on Monday, January 22. Current pre-K students may apply for the kindergarten immersion program, and current kindergarten students may apply for the first grade immersion programs for the 2024-25 school year. Programs are available in French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.
Parents/caregivers who are interested may want to attend an informational meeting. Meetings are held at the school site. Check the FCPS events calendar for the most current information. Meetings will begin on Tuesday, January 16.
A virtual meeting hosted by the World Languages Office will include general program information. Access to this virtual meeting will be made available on the FCPS events calendar and the Dual Language Immersion registration site on the day of the meeting.
Get more information on the immersion program webpage and registration page.
PTA SCHOOL DIRECTORY
Looking for the PTA's School Directory? The directory is online! Visit https://freedomhillespta.memberhub.com/directory and log in using the email address you previously provided to the school. If you log in and do NOT have access, please send an email to directory@freedomhillpta.org with your name (first and last), the name of your student(s), and the corresponding teacher's name(s). Contact directory@freedomhillpta.org with any questions or concerns.
WHERE ARE THE SCIENTISTS?
Have your student ever wondered how to make a bouncy ball? Or questioned why oil and water don’t mix? Now’s the time to find out! This year’s Science Fair is scheduled for Friday, February 23rd from 6:30-7:30PM in the cafeteria and we’re looking for all the Freedom Hill scientists to join the fun. No prior science fair experience required! Last year we had participants from Kindergarten through 6th grade. For more information - check out the flier on our PTA website here. Project submissions/ sign-ups due by Friday, February 9th.
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