Freedom High School, Orlando
Community Brief
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Monday, September 26, 2016
  
Hello Patriots. Welcome to the five time, "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.
 
Progress Reports
Parents, on Thursday, September 22nd I sent out a ConnectOrange message to those students who have 1 or more unsatisfactory grades in their respective classes. To identify the specific class, please check your students' progress report or log into ProgressBook for a detailed summary.

If this is your student's first time taking an AP course, which is extremely rigorous and takes some time for some students to adjust to the demands of a college level course, this struggle is natural. However, Freedom is committed to this productive struggle by allowing all students who are taking AP courses or non AP courses the following systems of support. Students have the ability to make up missing assignments, re-take assessments and are provided test correction sessions. Parents, I encourage you to reach out to your child's teachers directly via e-mail if you need further clarification regarding specific options to improve your students grade. If your child is struggling in more than one course then a parent/teacher conference is suggested.

If you would like to schedule a parent/teacher conference, please call our student services department at 407-816-5603. In an effort to assist you with available resources, FHS has posted tutoring schedules of teachers to our school website. This can be found under the parent tab. FHS firmly believes that establishing effective communication between home and school is a necessity when students are experiencing points of confusion in their courses. A strong partnership between parents/teachers is vital to improve student achievement.

Homecoming "2017"
Homecoming 2017 week is here! Freedom High students/staff will celebrate Homecoming 2017 this week. Thank you to our SGA, clubs and organizations who have organized a fun and eventful week for our student body and staff to enjoy! A detailed daily calendar of events is attached, so please look at the many happenings occurring this week. I trust that our families and the community will come out and support our Homecoming game. Game time is set for 7pm as we face Olympia. Please come to see the crowning of our 2017 Homecoming King and Queen as well as support our football, band, and cheerleading programs. Go Patriots!

Sincerely,

Rolando R. Bailey 
Principal    

Upcoming Events
Sept. 26: Skit Night in PAC, 6:00 pm
Sept. 27:  Valdosta State University visit
Sept. 27: Open House, 6:00 pm
Sept. 28: Homecoming Parade and Powder Puff Game, 6:00 pm
Sept. 30: University of Massachusetts at Amherst visit
Sept. 30: Varsity Football Homecoming Game (vs Olympia), 7:00 pm
Oct. 1: SAT Testing, 7:30 am
Oct. 1: Homecoming Dance at FHS, 7:00 pm
Oct. 5: AP Scholar Night, 6:30 pm
Oct. 6: Girls Volleyball (vs Cornerstone), 6:00 pm
Oct. 7: Varsity Football (vs East River), 7:00 pm
Oct. 8: Saturday School, 9:00 am   
Oct. 27: Class of 2017 Senior Panoramic Picture
Nov. 2: Honor Society Induction Ceremony, 7:00 pm
OCPS 2016-2017 School Calendar
Click on the OCPS website link to access the Orange County Public Schools 2016-17 calendar.
Vital Signs
vitals  
* Vital Signs credit of Mr. Charles Youtz 
Rigor Around Campus 
Astronomy and Engineering
Rigor in Mr. Michael Hellmund's astronomy and engineering classes is fun! 

In astronomy, Mr. Hellmund asks that his students examine theories and the evidence in our wondrous universe with open minds, always asking them the "What if..." In his engineering classes, the students must use the theoretical knowledge that they learned in their math and science classes and apply it to a practical design that they must then build - and on many projects they must even justify the costs of their builds - just as in the real world.





* Rigor component credit to Mr. Charles Youtz
In the Spotlight!
Ms. Amanda Kraemer
2016-17 Teacher of the Year

FHS would like to spotlight its 2016-17 Teacher of the Year, Ms. Amanda Kraemer. Mrs. Kraemer began teaching mathematics at Freedom High School in 2009. She has taught a variety of courses, including Geometry, AP Statistics, and AP Calculus BC. She is also a co-sponsor for Mu Alpha Theta, the national
Mathematics Honor Society, which provides biweekly peer tutoring in math and competes in Regional and Statewide mathematics competitions.

Mr. Victor Ruiz
2016-17 Support Person of the Year



FHS would like to spotlight its 2016-17 Support Person of the Year, Mr. Victor Ruiz. Mr. Ruiz began working in Orange County 14 years ago at Piedmont Lakes Middle School. After one year at Piedmont Lakes, Mr. Ruiz switched to Freedom High and has been a devoted staff member ever since. Mr. Ruiz works hard every day to see that our campus is clean and safe.

Ms. Sheri Hjelm
2016 Yale Educator Award

recog 3 

The Yale University Office of Undergraduate Admissions is pleased to announce that a member of the community at Freedom High School, Ms. Sheri Hjelm, has been selected as a recipient of the 2016 Yale Educator Award. This award, sponsored by the Yale Office of Undergraduate Admissions, recognizes educators from around the world who inspire and support their students to perform at high levels and to achieve excellence. FHS salutes Ms. Hjelm for this incredible honor and recognition
Student Recognition
Alexis Gregory
Congratulations to Alexis Gregory as she represented FHS and the State of Florida at the Congress of Future Medical Leaders in Boston, Massachusetts. She was recognized for her outstanding academic performance, leadership potential, and dedication to serving humanity through the profession of medicine. 

alexis g

Perfect End of Course Exam Scores
Congratulations to the following students for obtaining a perfect score on their perspective FSA EOC Exams. 
perfect eoc scores 
Pictured left to right:  Lucille Armstrong (geometry), Julian Rocher (geometry), Erick Rocher (geometry), Donovan Mercado (language arts), and Jhosdao Ramirez Teccsi (grade 8 mathematics). Not shown is Fabian Espinoza De Osamb (grade 8 mathematics).
Student Services

General Information
Greetings from Student Services!  

For the next three weeks, counselors are meeting individually with each senior. During those meetings, topics covered include: graduation progress; post-high school plans; college applications; scholarships; and financial aid; as well as answering questions the students have. Seniors are scheduled to come through their senior English classes, so if you do not have a senior English class on our campus, please contact your counselor to set up an appointment.

College Visits
The following colleges have scheduled admissions presentations at Freedom next week:
Sept. 27: Valdosta State University, 6th period
Sept. 30: University of Massachusetts at Amherst, 7th period

October is College Application Month
To register for an admissions presentation, students go to EventBrite.com and search for events at Freedom High School.

The applications for 2017-2018 FAFSA and for Florida Financial Aid (Bright Futures) open on October 1. Our goal is that every senior completes both applications. We have scheduled a FAFSA work session the evening of November 1 for families who need help filling out this application. Families can also make an appointment to meet with our College Counselor Ms. Hawley or our College Transition Counselor Mrs. Gurley by calling 407-816-5667.

university The time for seniors to apply for college is NOW. October is College Application Month. We want every student to fill out at least one application for college by the end of October, unless they have a solid alternate plan, such as continuing at a Florida Technical College or the military. Families who would like help with college planning are welcome to make an appointment with their students' counselor, Ms. Hawley, or Mrs. Gurley.

Finally, all seniors should have received an unofficial copy of their high school transcript. Please review this for accuracy and let your counselor know if you find any problems. It is important that your legal name, address, date of birth, and social security number are accurate for purposes of matching college and scholarship applications with your transcript. If you have not received your transcript, ask your counselor or Ms. Hawley to print it out for you.
Testing
PERT
September 26th through September 30th, Juniors and seniors that need the Algebra 1 for graduation will be taking the PERT Math. Students that earn a 97 on the PERT Math can use that score as a concordant score for the Algebra 1 EOC graduation requirement.

National SAT
Students that signed up to take the SAT, SAT with Essay, or an SAT Subject test on October 1st: Remember to bring your photo ID, admission ticket, pencils, and calculator. You will not be admitted without your photo ID and/or your admission ticket.

FSA ELA Retakes
Passing the 10th grade FSA ELA is a graduation requirement in the state of Florida. The FSA ELA is a three part test and all three parts must be taken each administration. Juniors and seniors that have not yet meet the graduation requirement for the FSA ELA will have an opportunity to take the exam during the next testing window which runs from October 10th to October 28th.

PSAT 8/9 and PSAT/NMSQT
On October 19th, freshmen through juniors will be taking the PSAT. Freshmen will be taking the PSAT 8/9 while sophomores and juniors will be taking the PSAT/NMSQT. For juniors, their performance on the PSAT/NMSQT can potentially make them eligible for the National Merit Scholarship program.

Schoolwide SAT
On October 19th, seniors will be taking the SAT. This SAT will be without the essay and students will not have the option to add the essay. This is an opportunity for seniors to take the SAT for free in a familiar setting during the school week.
Homecoming 2016-17
General Information
The 2016-17 Homecoming Dance will take place Saturday, October 1st, on the FHS campus. Tickets for the dance will be on sale Monday thru Thursday during both lunch shifts. The cost of the ticket is $40.00 cash sales only. 

daily hc themes
Clubs
Chinese Club
The Chinese Club recently staged an interest table during lunch. Shown in an activity on Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节) where a club member is creating a custom bookmark by writing English phrases in Chinese. 

chinese club  
Performing Arts
"Peter and the Starcatcher"
"Peter and the Starcatcher" provides a humorous and fantastical backstory for the beloved character of Peter Pan and his arch-nemesis Captain Hook. In this wickedly imaginative play, we meet a poor orphaned child on the high seas simply called 'Boy' because, in the absence of a mother and a father, he
as never given a name. His sad and lonely world is turned upside down when he meets Molly. The daughter of famous Starcatcher Lord Astor, our heroine is on a mission to save the world and protect a treasure trunk filled with magical star stuff from getting into the hands of evil and greedy pirate Black Stache. As they travel aboard the Neverland ship headed for a faraway land, Molly and Boy learn about love, friendship and forge an unbreakable bond.

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FHS Class of 2013 Alum on "The Voice"
FHS is proud of one of fellow alumni, Christian Cuevas. Christian, a Patriot singer chorus member when he attended FHS, can be seen on this season's episodes of NBC's "The Voice." Click -http://www.nbc.com/the-voice/video/christian-cuevas-blind-audition-how-am-i-supposed-to-live-without-you/3101955 to see Christian's performance on the season premier this past Monday.

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Athletics
Visit the FHS Athletics Website at www.freedomhighathletics.com for up to date information including athletic physical forms.
Football 

football

The Patriots won their opening game of districts in dramatic fashion at Oak Ridge on Friday night. Austin Davis blocked an extra point attempt with less than 2 minutes remaining in the game to keep Oak Ridge from being able to tie the game. The Patriots were then able to run out the clock to start 1-0 in district play. Defensively, Austin Davis led the team in tackles with 12. Justin Marotta also pitched in with 2 sacks on the night. Offensively, Daequan Tate had 204 yards rushing and 3 rushing touchdowns to go along with 49 yards passing and a passing touchdown. This was only the second time in school history a player has run for over 200 yards in a single game.

Volleyball

 
Two tough matches down and a great tournament ahead, your Varsity Lady Patriots Volleyball team has dealt with tough teams and is pulling together with great timing as we head to the Dr. Phillips Tournament on September 23rd and 24th. We want to thank our family and fans for continuing to support us throughout the season. Tuesday, the Varsity played an exciting game together, unifying in the final set of the game against Dr. Phillips. Although falling just short with a score of 23-25, this team showed that the best is yet to come.

Swimming

swim team
The boys and girls had two big wins over Cypress Creek and Oak Ridge. They took first in several events including 200 medley relay, 200 free, 200 IM, 100 fly, as well as other events. Congratulations to the boys and girls as they now prepare for their next meet at home against Evans on September 22nd at 6pm for senior night.

Golf 
Freedom boy's golf team has improved to 5-1 on the season!  They have recently shot their lowest round of the season with a 161 at Grande Vista Golf Club.  The team is being led by seniors Garrett Filson and Dylan Macrae.  

golf team 

Cross Country

x country team
On Saturday, September 17 the boys cross country team finished 5th out of 25 teams at the Hagerty High School Invitational. Timothy Doyle was 7th, Alex McKee 14th, Dillon Ortiz 21st, Jose Bravini 36th, Logan Monzillo 94th, Stephen Gonzalez 101st, and Ryan Hiesinger 132nd.

Fall Sports at FHS
Below is a list of our fall sports at FHS along with their respective head coach. Feel free to contact the head coach for the exact tryout date and other pertinent information.

* Football - Carl Holden carl.holden@ocps.net
* Girls' Volleyball- Barbara Lansing barbara.lansing@ocps.net
* Boys' Swimming - Jessica Bailey jessica.bailey@ocps.net
* Girls' Swimming - Lynn Kelly-McClish lynn.kelly-mcclish@ocps.net
* Bowling - Ramon Lamboy ramon.lamboy@ocps.net
* Boys' Golf - Collin Kennedy collin.kennedy@ocps.net
* Girls' Golf - Jeff Beavers jeffbeaver74@gmail.com
* Cross Country - Leonard Malech lmalech@aol.com

Athletic Director - Roy Peters roy.peters@ocps.net
Asst. Athletic Director - Tyrhon Crawford tyrhon.crawford@ocps.net
Asst. Athletic Director - David Bush david.bush@ocps.net
Athletic Trainer - Te Shondra Abner  teshondra.abner@ocps.net
Athletic Trainer - Tiffany Wattenbarger tiffany.wattenbarger@ocps.net
Senior Class of 2017 Dates & Events
Oct. 27: Senior Class of 2017 Panoramic Picture 
During 2nd period in the gym.

Jan. 10: Class of 2017 Cap and Gown Assembly 
During 2nd period in the PAC.

Jan. 18: Cap and Gown Orders
Jostens on campus during lunch shifts to take cap, gown and announcement orders.

Jan. 19: Cap and Gown Orders
Jostens on campus during lunch shifts to take cap, gown and announcement orders.

Jan. 27: Cap and Gown Orders
Jostens on campus during lunch shifts to take cap, gown and announcement orders.

Jan. 28: Saturday Cap and Gown Orders
Jostens on campus from 9 am - 1 pm to take cap, gown and announcement orders.

Mar. 13 - 16: Grad Night Ticket Sales
Grad Night 2017 tickets on sale after school in the cafeteria. Only FHS seniors may purchase a Grad Night ticket. Tickets are $80, cash only, and are non-refundable.

April 21: Grad Night
Busch Gardens Tampa, Florida. Attendees (FHS seniors only) will board coach buses (you must ride bus; no student driving) at 4:30 pm in bus loop of the school then return by 3:30 am. Attendees must ride the bus to and from. No exceptions.

May 6: Prom
Rosen Plaza Hotel. Prom questions should be directed to Ms. Fierle. Michele.Fierle@ocps.net

May 23: Senior Day at the Marriott World Center
Activities include senior breakfast (buffet), senior awards ceremony, yearbook distribution and signing party, SGA presidential address, senior video presentation, cap and gown distribution. You may also purchase a cap and gown at Senior Day. Senior Day begins at 8:00 am.

*** For updates and information, visit the FHS website at www.freedom.ocps.net then click on "Class of 2017 Information and Dates" which is located at the bottom of the homepage.


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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.