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The purpose of the Purple Star School of Distinction Designation is to recognize schools
that support the unique needs of military families, help military-connected students
navigate critical challenges and provide resources for military-connected students when
transitioning to a new school environment.
MILITARY FAMILES
Welcome to Freedom Elementary School! We are happy to have you as a part of our family, and honor and thank you for your service.
Please reach out to Freedom’s Point of Contact for Military Families. Adrienne Noll is a 5th grade teacher at Freedom Elementary who also lives in the Freedom district. Please leave a detailed message if you reach a voicemail including your name, your child’s name and grade, and phone number, but email will probably be a faster mode of communication.
Email: nolla@manateeschools.net
Phone: 941-708-4990 extension 59027
Military – School Liaison Information
Please click this link to find great information from MacDill AFB Liaison Office. You can find pk-12 resources, services, counselors, deployment-related excused absences (mic3), advocacy in schools and so much more.
Moving Info
Click the following link to find information relating to your move, and help with deployment challenges and other support links such as nonmedical counseling and predeployment planning.
Counseling InfoEveryone needs a little help occasionally and our family at Freedom is no exception.We have a new partnership with The Florida Center which gives our campus a mental health counselor two full days a week.Our school counselors and social workers are an integral part of keeping Freedom elementary happy and healthy, and are here regularly as well. For more information about this, please contact:Sherri Brunner, Ed.S.Certified School CounselorFreedom Elementary941-708-4990 ext. 59076The Freedom Team
Freedom Elementary offers a variety of support for your child, be it in a general education setting or exceptional student support. We have an administrative and instructional team designed to communicate with you and work with you to meet your child’s individual needs.
When you enter Freedom as a military family, you will be greeted by our military family transition team consisting of students on the Student Council and teachers eagerly awaiting you! Helping you and your child become a part of our Freedom family, this team will lead you through our S.O.A.R values of Self Control, On Task, Attitude and Respect. We take pride in honoring our Freedom staff and students’ military family several ways throughout the year.
Every Friday is Freedom spirit day – we wear as much red white and blue and patriotic garb as we can to get in the spirit together. During Veteran’s Day week in November we honor our military families and community with a ceremony deeply rooted in Freedom’s history. Our flagpoles out front have their own special ceremony as part of this, where we welcome military branch designees and first responders to join in our flag raising part of the ceremony. Veteran’s in our community and beyond are invited to the ceremony as well as a tour of our school, which they will find bedecked in patriotism, love, support and appreciation for those who serve and have served our nation. In December, our holiday tree is decorated with stars with the names of Freedom staff and student family members who are past or present military members. In April, we celebrate the Month of the Military Child and Purple Up day. Our school identity exists to support our students, families and community with open arms and warm hearts.
The official flower of the military child is the dandelion. Why?
The plant puts down roots almost anywhere, and it's almost impossible to destroy. It's an unpretentious plant, yet good looking. It's a survivor in a broad range of climates.
Military children bloom everywhere the winds carry them. They are hardy and upright. Their roots are strong, cultivated deeply in the culture of the military, planted swiftly and surely. They're ready to fly in the breezes that take them to new adventures, new lands, and new friends.
Experts say military children are well-rounded, culturally aware, tolerant, and extremely resilient. Military children have learned from an early age that home is where their hearts are, that a good friend can be found in every corner of the world, and that education doesn't only come from school. They live history. They learn that to survive means to adapt, that the door that closes one chapter of their life opens up to a new and exciting adventure full of new friends and new experiences.(Military Child Education Coalition, 2017).
Resources:
Exceptional Student Education (ESE)
The Exceptional Student Education (ESE) department provides support for a continuum of services, in a variety of settings, for Students with Disabilities (SWD) who are eligible for special education services in Manatee County.
PLEASE VISIT THIS LINK https://www.manateeschools.net/ESE for more information about programs and contacts available to you including 504s, IEPs as well as Gifted Student services.
Academic Planning and Curriculum
For curriculum information and academic progression plan information please use the following link.
https://www.manateeschools.net/cms/lib/FL02202357/Centricity/domain/1115/policy/SPP_2024-2025_ENG.pdf
Military and Family Life Counseling
HERE TO HELP!Freedom has a great before and after school program run by teachers and support staff. Beyond the Bell after school program designates time for homework and silent reading, and some of the days include various clubs and activities. There are also fun activities and extra recess time as well. Morning Beyond the Bell runs from 7:00am – 7:55am and the afternoon Beyond the Bell is from 3:15-6:00pm. There are also Technology clubs, scouts, cheerleading, and a book club available for after-school fun at various times throughout the school year.