Freedom High School, Orlando

Community Brief
1

Monday, May 16, 2016


	Principal Bailey with FHS' two outstanding school resource officers from the OCSO. Last week was National Police Officers Week across the United States.

Hello Patriots. Welcome to "A" rated Freedom High School where learning is our top priority and our focus is on literacy, rigor and relationships. Our school's pillars of honor, excellence and tradition continue to be on display on a daily basis by our students, staff and community.

Freedom High - Freedom High is proud to be part of the prestigious recognition bestowed upon high schools each year by U.S. News & World Report. FHS is one of the seven schools form OCPS to be on the exclusive list of the Best High Schools. Schools are awarded gold, silver or bronze medals based on their performance on state assessments, their graduation rates and how well they prepare students for college. Congrats to our students, teachers and staff as FHS is ranked in the top five percent of all eligible high schools achieving Silver medal recognition.

State Champion - FHS Boys track has a state champion! On Saturday May 7th, Timothy Doyle a sophomore at Freedom HS won the State Championship in the Class 4A 1600 meter run with a winning time of 4:15.42. Congrats to Timothy for this enormous accomplishment at such an early stage in his high school track career. Our Boys Track team is led by Coach Leonard Malech!

End of the year Performances - With testing behind us, we will turn our focus to celebrating the accomplishments with year-end awards banquets and performing arts concerts. Please review the calendar just below for this week's daily schedule. I hope to see our Patriot families at these exciting events!

Farwell to the Class of 2016 - Graduation is a huge milestone and I take this moment to reflect on your accomplishments and we look forward to your futures. It is our hope that the skills FHS staff has impressed upon you will help you make choices that will allow you to reach your full potential. You are so talented and have grown into intelligent, hard-working students gifted beyond all measures. You will have so many opportunities and this is only the beginning of what you can achieve. Thank you seniors for the lasting experiences and memorable moments during your time at FHS. Gooooooo Patriots!

Sincerely,

Rolando R. Bailey

Principal

Upcoming Events

May 16: SAC Meeting in Media Center, 6:00 pm
May 17: Senior Exams periods 1 & 4
May 17: Band Concert in PAC, 7:00 pm
May 18: Athletic Signing Day
May 18: Senior Exams periods 2 & 6
May 19: Senior Exams periods 3 & 7
May 19: Senior Walk-out
May 20: Senior Day at Marriott World Center, 8:00 am
May 20: "Once On This Island", 7:00 pm
May 21: Saturday School, 9:00 am
May 21: "Once On This Island", 7:00 pm
May 23: Theater Class Showcase in PAC, 7:00 pm
May 24: Graduation Ticket pick-up A-M, 8-11 am
May 25: Graduation Ticket pick-up N-Z, 8-11 am
May 26: Graduation Rehearsal at UCF Arena, 7:30 am
May 26: Senior Chorus Concert, 7:00 pm

OCPS 2015-16 School Calendar

Click on the OCPS website link to access the Orange County Public Schools 2015-16 calendar.

Vital Signs

* Weekly figures compiled by Mr. Charles Youtz and various departments.

Featured Department

Exceptional Student Education

(bottom row): Ms. Hennighan, Ms. Gartner, Mr. Peters, Ms. Mir, Mr. DeAmato, Ms. Swederski, Mr. Walker.
(second row): Ms. Medina, Ms. Sexton, Ms. Gargano, Ms. Scheuer, Ms. Galarza, Ms. Loeak, Ms. PB,
Ms. Singer, Ms. Lorenzana.
(top row): Ms. Patterson, Ms. Briscoe, Ms. Jones-Thomas, Nurse Martin, Ms. Presume, Ms. Espaillat,
Ms. Vasquez.

Academic Signing Day

On Friday, April 29th, FHS held its third annual College Signing Day. Over 250 FHS seniors, along with their parents, participated in this great event where they signed their letters of intent to attend their perspective college, university or military academy. Close to 100 different colleges, universities and military academies were represented.

Academic Signing Day (April 29, 2016)

FHS senior, signs his letter of intent to the University of Florida with his counselor, Ms. Taliaferro.

In the Spotlight!

Mrs. Pamela Hansen
Retiring Early Childhood Education Teacher

FHS is proud to spotlight and honor our early childhood education teacher, Mrs. Pamela Hansen. After 35 years of educating students in OCPS, Mrs. Hansen is retiring. Mrs. Hansen is a product of OCPS schools. She attended Catalina Elementary, Memorial Middle and graduated from Oak Ridge High. After receiving her degree from the University of Central Florida in elementary and early childhood education, Mrs. Hansen began her illustrious teaching career at the exact school she graduated from, Oak Ridge High. After five years of teaching the hearing impaired at Oak Ridge, Mrs. Hansen began a string of opening and starting the early childhood pre-school classes at Dr. Phillips (6 years), Cypress Creek (11 years), and then Freedom High for the past 13 years. During her 35 years in education, Mrs. Hansen has also coached cheerleading and volleyball as well as sponsoring numerous FCCLA clubs. Good luck to Mrs. Hansen and thank you for your dedication and service to the many young lives you have shaped for the future.

Ms. Pamela Hansen, educator, 35 years of service
(May 2016)

Special Recognition

Freedom's Talent Extravaganza

Freedom High's annual talent show is the best around. In the style of American Idol, the show was packed with 11 talented acts ranging from singers and dancers to martial artists and, yes, beat boxers. Congratulations to this year's winners, Tabitha Sofield and Natalie Rivera for their fantastic contemporary dance performance.

The students from this year's talent show

talent 2

Finalists: Nicole Ramos, Tabitha Sofield, Natalie Rivera, Beshoy Maguib

2016-17 STUDENT GOVERNMENT OFFICERS

Congratulations to the newly appointed class officers

SOPHOMORE CLASS Representative - Catalina Sampayo Historian - Mackenzie Hellsten Treasurer - Catalina Esguerra Secretary - Claire McColgan Vice President - Brooke Johnson President - Bryce Daniels	JUNIOR CLASS Representative - Sylvie Picard Historian - Felicity Deck Treasurer - Tabitha Sofield Secretary - Marissa Gossett Vice President - Linzy Medina President - Aysia Montero
SENIOR CLASS Representative - Gabriel Souza Historian - Paloma Rivera Treasurer - Cara Lynch Secretary - Alejandro Ceron Vice President - Payton Brown President - Gayoung Choi	EXECUTIVES Care & Prevention Director - Angelini Castillo Philanthropy Chair - Cashira Chery Scholarship Chair - Sarah Chair Parliamentarian - Joshua DeMarco Historian - Gabriella Rivera Treasurer - Chantelle Caceres Secretary - Wadeline Souffrant Student Body Ambassador - Kirsten Noble Vice President - Anzli Medina President - Dalena Nguyen

Student Services
General Information

General Information

Counselors are meeting with juniors to discuss next year's classes and future plans and with seniors to discuss their postsecondary decisions and provide assistance as needed.

Current Scholarship Opportunities and MORE:
FHS Guidance website

Performing Arts
FHS Chorus

On May 5, the Freedom High School Chorus Program, under the direction of Shannon Lyles and Eric Glaze, presented their Spring Concert. Close to 300 students who make up 7 choirs, sang a wide variety of choral music for a large audience of family, friends, and community members. The choral program at Freedom boasts 7 different ensembles which have consistently receive the highest ratings at district and state assessments.

Athletics

Timothy Doyle

State Champion!!

On Saturday, May 7, FHS sophomore, Timothy Doyle, won the State Championship in the Class 4A 1600 meter race. His time of 4:15.42 was the fastest of all 4 state tournament classifications. The future looks bright for Timothy since the 10 runners that finished behind him were all seniors. The Florida Runners Association believe this is the fastest 1600m run by a sophomore in the history of the state of Florida.

Timothy Doyle, State Champion, Class 4A 1600 meter race

2015-16 Metro Conference Coaches of the Year

Mr. David Bush, Wrestling

Mr. David Wheeler, Baseball

Congratulations to Coach Bush and Coach Wheeler for being selected the 2015-16 Coaches of the Year in their respective sports of wrestling and baseball. Coach Bush led our varsity wrestling team to a 20 - 6 record which included a third straight district championship and a second straight metro conference championship. Coach Bush coached wrestlers to nine district champions, eight metro champions, three regional champions, and 6 state qualifiers, including a state runner-up. Coach Wheeler's baseball team finished the season on a 10 - 2 run which seeded them first in the district tournament. The team reached the regional quarterfinals of the state baseball tournament.

Coach Bush and Coach Wheeler, Metro Conference Coaches of the Year

(May 2016)

Class of 2016 Dates and Events

Commencement for the class of 2016 will take place Tuesday, May 31st, 2016 at 7:00 pm at the University of Central Florida Arena. Tickets, given to each graduate free of charge, will be needed to attend the event. It has been confirmed that each graduate will receive eight (8) tickets. There will be no extra tickets available.

May 17: Senior Exams periods 1 & 4 (5th period exam, see teacher)

May 18: Senior Exams periods 2 & 6 (5th period exam, see teacher)

May 19: SENIORS' LAST DAY IN HIGH SCHOOL!!
Senior Exams periods 3 & 7 (5th period exam, see teacher)
Senior Walk-Out at the end of 7th period.
Traditional event when Senior Class of 2016 will walk out of Freedom together, as a class, for the final time.

May 20: Senior Day at Orlando Marriott World Center
Activities include senior breakfast (buffet), senior awards ceremony, yearbook distribution and signing party, SGA presidential address, senior video presentation, cap & gown distribution.

May 24: Textbook return/Obligations clear/Ticket pick-up last names A - M
8:00 am to 11:00 am in front of the school.
Obligations must be cleared in order to pick up tickets and participate in the commencement ceremony.

May 25: Textbook return/Obligations clear/Ticket pick-up last names N - Z
8:00 am to 11:00 am in front of the school.
Obligations must be cleared in order to pick up tickets and participate in the commencement ceremony.

May 26: Graduation Rehearsal (Mandatory)
7:30 am to 9:30 am at the UCF Arena. You must attend rehearsal in order to participate in the graduation ceremony.

May 31: CLASS OF 2016 COMMENCEMENT
University of Central Florida Arena, 7:00 pm

For updates and info, visit the FHS website at www.freedom.ocps.net then click on "class of 2016"

Our cap/gown and announcement company is Jostens. Any questions regarding orders can be answered at www.jostens.com or call them at 407-894-3131.

This communication may contain information that is legally privileged, confidential or exempt from disclosure, and intended only for the use of the addressee(s) named above. If you are not the intended recipient, please note that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. Anyone who receives this message in error should notify the sender immediately by telephone or by return e-mail, and delete the message from their computer and any printout thereof. Please note that OCPS utilizes spam and junk e-mail filtration applications in its e-mail systems. That filtering process may prevent or delay delivery of certain e-mail communications. If you do not receive a timely response to an e-mail communication, please contact the intended recipient by phone.

Reproduction of this material, either written or electronically, including the general layout, graphics, analyses, and content topics without the express approval of Target Performance Systems, Inc., a Florida corporation, and OCPS - Freedom High School is forbidden without written consent. Thank you for your support of OCPS - Freedom High School and the Orange County Public Schools. Please contact Charles Youtz at charles.youtz@ocps.net with any questions or for further information.