🎉✨ Kindergarten Roundup is almost here! ✨🎉
Do you have a little one who will be starting kindergarten next school year? We can’t wait to meet our newest Freedom Falcons! 💙
Join us for Kindergarten Roundup to learn about registration, meet our staff, explore classrooms, and get all the information you need to make your child’s transition to school a smooth and exciting one.
📅 Date: Wednesday, March 4th
⏰ Time: 4-6pm
📍 Location: Freedom Elementary
Help us spread the word to neighbors, friends, and incoming families! We’re looking forward to welcoming our next class of bright and eager learners! 🌟📚
19 days ago, Freedom Elementary School
🎉✨ Kindergarten Roundup is almost here! ✨🎉 Do you have a little one who will be starting kindergarten next school year? We can’t wait to meet our newest Freedom Falcons! 💙 Join us for Kindergarten Roundup to learn about registration, meet our staff, explore classrooms, and get all the information you need to make your child’s transition to school a smooth and exciting one. 📅 Date: Wednesday, March 4th ⏰ Time: 4-6pm 📍 Location: Freedom Elementary Help us spread the word to neighbors, friends, and incoming families! We’re looking forward to welcoming our next class of bright and eager learners! 🌟📚

Did you know that you can purchase a digital "Happy Birthday" message to be displayed on the TVs in the cafeteria of the school for your child's special day?!

Available all school-year, you can display a special message for your child during their birthday month!

**All proceeds go to 5th grade Helpers (Safety Patrol, News Crew and SOAR Ambassadors)**

https://freedomelementary.futurefund.com/store/campaigns/58505-digital-birthday-ad?fbclid=IwY2xjawPKDIlleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFkS210NDhFaXpxaVROSXpFc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHvPZ09wu854f_XMFvjbnCY-i81df4fdL1sq31suo-zOWlmig0nmmsDLa5FAM_aem_vTcP0hjzixsxeLWnc62GVg

2 months ago, Freedom Elementary School
Happy Birthday Cake picture
November 9TH Kinley Giltner - Happy 10th Birthday Kinley! Love, Dad, Mom, and Declan. Image of the Birthday Girl.
Spring into STEAM at The Soar Lab!

Looking for something fun and educational to do during Spring Break? The Soar Lab will be OPEN the week of March 16th through 20th while schools are closed, offering hands-on activities designed to spark curiosity and creativity.

Young learners can explore a variety of exciting themes throughout the week, including science, art, space, math, drama, and technology—all through interactive play and discovery.

Best of all, The Soar Lab is free for most families with children from infants through third grade.

Tuesday, March 17 - 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. (Mad Scientist)
Wednesday, March 18 - 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. (Art-a-Palooza)
Thursday, March 19 - 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. (Space)
Friday, March 20 - 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. (Math Mania)
Saturday, March 21 - 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. (Drama & Technology-Coding)

📍 6423 9th Street East, Bradenton

Visit www.soarin4.org for more information.

Bring your little explorers and let them learn, create, and imagine at The Soar Lab this Spring Break!
2 days ago, School District of Manatee County
Schedule for The Soar Lab during the Week of March 17th
🌴☀️ Spring Break Is Almost Here, Manatee County! ☀️🌴

Students and staff in the School District of Manatee County will be enjoying a well-deserved Spring Break March 16–20, 2026. Time to recharge, relax, and maybe soak up a little Florida sunshine!

📅 Reminder: Because of a scheduled Record Day, students will return to school on Tuesday, March 24.

Whether you’re traveling, spending time with family, or simply enjoying a slower week at home, we hope our SDMC families have a safe and fun break!

Need to check important dates? You can always find the full district calendar here:
🔗 https://www.manateeschools.net/page/calendars

#ManateeSchoolsGoodNews
5 days ago, School District of Manatee County
Blue stripes on a flyer with the words "Spring Break: March 16-20, 2026" and "Students return to school on Tuesday, March 24th.
Throughout our kindergarten program, we aim to build six key skills in our students, setting them up for success on the rest of their educational journey:

⭐ Resilience
⭐ Integrity
⭐ Critical Thinking
⭐ Communication
⭐ Awareness
⭐ Adaptability

Enroll your child in Manatee County kindergarten and give them the strong start they deserve!

Get started at https://www.manateeschools.net/o/sdmc/page/registration.
5 days ago, School District of Manatee County
A graphic that says "Enroll in Kindergarten for the 2026-27 school year!"

Young performers, music educators, and families from approximately 30 schools came together on February 26, 2026, at Braden River High School for the All County Elementary Music Festival.

Manatee Schools Television was there for the rehearsals held at Johnson K-8: https://vimeo.com/1168251040/b4292df969

Watch the entire 2026 All County Elementary Music Festival at this link: https://vimeo.com/1168251040

6 days ago, School District of Manatee County
School District of Manatee County logo with "All County Elementary Music Festival 2026" in white letters.

Looking for something meaningful and fun to do with your children, ages infant through third grade, this week?

The Soar in 4 Soar Lab is more than a place to visit. It’s a place where families learn how to play together.

Through hands-on activities, interactive learning stations, and guided exploration, parents and caregivers discover simple ways to spark curiosity, build confidence, and turn everyday moments into powerful learning experiences.

Come explore! Create. Laugh. Learn.
Visit www.soarin4.org to plan your experience.

6423 9th Street East, Bradenton 34203

Free for most families.

This week's schedule:

Tuesday, March 3rd - Open 3 p.m.-7 p.m. (Musical Motion, Artist Spotlight, Ms. Luanne's Front Porch)

Wednesday, March 4th - Open 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (Nursery Rhyme Scavenger Hunt, Artist Spotlight)

Thursday, March 5th - Open 3 p.m.-7 p.m. (Nature Detectives, 3D Printing)

Friday, March 6th - Open 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (Storytime, Bubbles & Trikes, Little Explorers)

Saturday, March 7th - Open 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (Mighty Machines & Special Guest: Teacher Author Kelly Kolomiychenko with Slime @ 11 a.m.)

13 days ago, School District of Manatee County
Two young kids wearing masks play in a puppet theater.
Unfortunately, due to a burn ban in the area, we will not be able to have a bonfire for our event on Friday, February 20th.

But, don't worry! We are turning the event into an outdoor MOVIE NIGHT! The students all voted on a movie to be presented and the winner was A Minecraft Movie (rated PG)!

Mark your calendars for February 20th, 2026 and join us for a fun-filled evening the whole family will love!

✅ Free to attend!
🎟️ Tickets are currently available for purchase to enjoy food, drinks, and fun activities throughout the night.
📄 See the flyer for all the details on what’s planned—you won’t want to miss it!
❤️ Best of all, all proceeds go directly to support each grade level, so every ticket helps our students and school community.
🎟️ Tickets: https://manateeschools.revtrak.net/elementary-schools/freedom-elementary/#/list
about 1 month ago, Freedom Elementary School
Purchase tickets to buy the following items: Pizza slice $2.00 (2 tickets) Whole Pizza $15.00 (only available by pre-order thru Revtrak starting Jan. 26th – Feb. 13th) Hamburgers $4.00 (4 tickets) Drinks $1.00 (1 ticket) Hair color, Tattoos, Jewels $2.00 (2 tickets) Candy $1.00 (1 ticket) Hot Chocolate $1.00 (1 ticket) Chips $1.00 (1 ticket) Glow Items $2.00-$4.00 (2-4 tickets) *Tickets ($1.00) will be available at the event or available on Revtrak for pre purchase from Jan. 26th – Feb. 13th 100% of proceeds go to staff for grade level supplies. NO REFUNDS
📚✨February has started with a Monthly and Quarterly Reading Challenge! 🎉
Encourage your child to dive into some great books and earn awesome rewards along the way!
👉 Check out the flyer for details on:
⭐ How your child can earn a token for our Book Vending Machine to pick out a FREE book!
⭐ How to qualify for our Quarterly Media Party, a celebration your child won’t want to miss!
Let’s get reading! ❤️📖
about 1 month ago, Freedom Elementary School
Freedom Elementary School Media Reading Challenge Winter Quarter - Monthly and Quarterly Rewards Media is doing a reading challenge for students in Kinder through 5th grades. There will be two challenges. One is monthly and one is quarterly. Since it is already at the end of January, we will be doing February and March for this quarter. • Freedom Elementary has a book vending machine from which your child could earn a free book! • One of the requirements of the reading challenge is earning Accelerated Reader (AR) points. o AR is a program Freedom uses where students can read a book and take a quiz. Passing quizzes gives the students points. o Students can log in to their single sign on page and access AR by clicking on RENAISSANCE. o See below for more specific requirements for the grade levels. (1st and 2nd also need to complete a passport) KINDERGARTEN Earn 4 brag tags per month by reading a Sunshine State Young Readers Association JR book (SSYRA JR) and turning in a signed brag tag slip by parent/teacher. (I give out slips when students check out SSYRA Jr. books) FIRST AND SECOND GRADE students will receive a passport (PINK) and will need to complete it by the end of the month to get a free book. Parent/Teacher will initial completed reading task then student will bring passport to Media to receive a stamp in their passport upon completion of that task. Required AR points within the passport are: Monthly Book Vending Machine Reward: 1st grade – 3 points plus February passport 2nd grade - 6 points plus February passport Quarterly Media Party Reward: 1st grade – 6 points plus February and March passport 2nd grade - 12 points plus February and March passport THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE students need to earn points on AR as follows: Monthly Book Vending Machine Reward: 3rd grade – 10 points 4th grade – 15 points 5th grade – 18 points Quarterly Media Party Reward: 3rd grade – 20 points 4th grade – 30 points 5th grade – 36 points

The Florida Department of Education released the Florida Value Added Model (VAM) Fiscal Transparency Tool, a web-based fiscal transparency tool that identifies public schools and districts with high academic achievement based on the ratio of classroom expenditures to total expenditures. VAM is intended to help taxpayers evaluate the financial efficiency of a school district with other similarly situated school districts. View the VAM for the School District of Manatee County at https://floridavam.org/e/vamPublic.html?w4=54#/entity/262385.

about 2 months ago, School District of Manatee County
📢 FAST Testing Reminder – Freedom Elementary 📢
✅ 4th & 5th Grade: Testing on Tuesday, January 14th
✅ 3rd Grade: Testing on Wednesday, January 15th
✅ Kindergarten–2nd Grade: STAR Testing all this week
Please make sure students:
✔ Arrive on time
✔ Get a good night’s rest
✔ Eat a healthy breakfast
Thank you for helping your child be prepared and ready to shine! 🌟
2 months ago, Freedom Elementary School
📢 FAST Testing Reminder – Freedom Elementary 📢 ✅ 4th & 5th Grade: Testing on Tuesday, January 14th ✅ 3rd Grade: Testing on Wednesday, January 15th ✅ Kindergarten–2nd Grade: STAR Testing all this week Please make sure students: ✔ Arrive on time ✔ Get a good night’s rest ✔ Eat a healthy breakfast Thank you for helping your child be prepared and ready to shine! 🌟
🎉The Auction is Live & runs Monday, October 20– Saturday, October 25th
🔗 Bid here: https://www.32auctions.com/freedomhelpers
✨ Auction Highlights:
🚗 Reserved Parking Spot each quarter — skip the carline and park right up front for drop-off, pick-up, and events!
🎭 Front Row Seats for the 5th Grade Celebration, Kindergarten Celebration, 1st & 4th Grade Holiday Performance, and 3rd Grade Black Light Performance.
🦺 Safety Patrol Member for a Day!
🎥 News Crew Member for a Day!
These student leaders work hard all year long—helping students, supporting staff, and making our school a better place every single day. 💙 Let’s show them our appreciation and help make their Universal trip a reality!
🙌 Every bid brings us one step closer to making this unforgettable experience happen.
5 months ago, Freedom Elementary School
Safety Patrol

“How Tall Are You... in Spoons?” 📏🖐️🥄

The Soar Lab is growing, and so are our students!

It's the perfect place for families with infants and kids through third grade. Admission is free for qualifying families.

Stop by during our NEW extended hours to see just how tall you are (measured in spoons, hands, or blocks).

Soar Lab Hours:

Tuesday: 3 – 7 PM
Wednesday: 9 AM – 1 PM
Thursday: 3 – 7 PM
Friday: 9 AM – 1 PM
Saturday: 9 AM – 1 PM

📍 6413 9th Street East, Bradenton
🔗 https://www.soarin4.org/soar-lab

Come for the measurements. Stay for the momentum. #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews

6 months ago, School District of Manatee County
An interactive wall for children to measure their height
Freedom is an A school again for the 24'-25' School year!
8 months ago, Freedom Elementary School
Freedom earned a A for the 2025 school year!
Security Screening at Secondary Schools – Beginning Monday, August 11, 2025, all students and visitors at district middle and high schools will be screened each school day using a high-tech security scanner system. For more information on this enhanced security screening procedure, visit https://www.manateeschools.net/securityscreening.
10 months ago, School District of Manatee County
School Board Seeks Civic-Minded Citizens to Join Audit Committee – The School Board of Manatee County is seeking civic-minded citizens to serve as members of the Audit Committee. The Committee, which meets six times a year, recommends the appointment of the internal and external auditors; reviews the scope, plan and reports of the internal and external auditors; and assists in maintaining open communications between the selected auditors, the School Board and the District’s financial management. The Committee also reviews the collection and proper use of the funds raised through the one-half cent sales surtax for school capital outlay expenditures. Membership on the Committee requires an average of five-to-eight hours per month, with meetings scheduled every other month for three hours. The term is approximately three years. Those interested in serving must: • Live in Manatee County. • Be a CPA (active or retired) or had employment experience in school district financial operations. • Submit a letter expressing interest, provide contact information and provide a brief summary of their work experience. Responses must be sent to the Manatee County School District, Attention: School Board Agency Clerk, P.O. Box 9069, Bradenton, Florida 34206-9069. Interested individuals may obtain additional information about the Committee by emailing the School Board Agency Administrative Associate at cox3l@manateeschools.net.
10 months ago, School District of Manatee County
Family Empowerment Scholarship – Parents interested in applying for either FES-EO or FES-UA may review the eligibility requirements and application instructions at https://www.manateeschools.net/FES.
10 months ago, School District of Manatee County