Freeland Learning Center Newsletter

As many of you probably already know, the local news outlets and social media have shared disturbing information regarding the "MOMO Challenge" and the ways in which MOMO videos have infiltrated popular apps and websites such as YouTube and YouTube Kids. However, at the same time, there has been debate about whether or not this is just a hoax. Either way, some of our students have heard of MOMO and are talking about it with their peers. Please know that when our staff hears any such talk, they are immediately letting the students know that we do not talk about that at school. Considering the disturbing nature of this particular challenge and the information swirling around, I believe that parents and individual households should be the ones to address this with their children if they so choose. If you know your child is aware of this particular topic, I kindly ask that you tell them it is not okay to talk about at school with their peers.

Here at school, we will continue to teach students about using our technology as instructed and only utilizing/accessing age-appropriate content. For additional information about MOMO, along with some helpful tips for parents, please click on the link below.

MOMO Online Safety Guide for Parents

In an effort to celebrate reading and Dr. Seuss, we have planned “Fun Fridays” for the month of March, all with a Dr. Seuss theme.

Friday, March 8th - Fox in Socks (wear crazy/mismatched socks)

Friday, March 15th - Cat in the Hat (wear a hat)

Friday, March 22nd - Red Fish, Blue Fish (wear red or blue for a “Read at the Beach” party)

On Friday, March 22nd, your child's classroom will have a read in. Please have your child bring a beach towel to sit on, books, and special snacks/drink they can enjoy while their class takes time to enjoy some good books)

Please join us for a “Read by 3rd Grade” informational meeting and conversation, at Freeland Elementary from 6:00-7:00 pm. Below you can find specific dates based on your student's grade level. If you are unable to attend your specific grade level time please RSVP for another date.

• Second Grade Families: Monday, March 4th

• First Grade Families: Tuesday, March 5th

• Young Fives and Kindergarten families: Wednesday, March 6th

For more information and the RSVP links, please click on the button below.

Below is the button to access our School Improvement parent survey. I know that your time is valuable and finding an extra 10-15 minutes in your day is not the easiest thing to do, however, please know that your input and feedback is extremely important to us. If you could complete this survey as soon as possible, our School Improvement Team would greatly appreciate it!

Tuesday, March 5th ~ 6:00-7:00 p.m.

• 1st Grade - Read by 3rd Grade Parent Informational Meeting (Elementary School)

Wednesday, March 6th ~ 6:00-7:00 p.m.

• Y5/K - Read by 3rd Grade Parent Informational Meeting (Elementary School)

Saturday, March 9th

• Sweetheart Dance from 7:00-9:00 p.m. (Elementary School)

Monday, March 25th through Friday, March 29th

• No School ~ Spring Break

Friday, April 5th

• End of 3rd Marking Period

Tuesday, April 9th

• Art Show (Y5-5th Grade) from 5:30-7:00 p.m. (Elementary School)

If you have not yet done so, please check out the district's new app. This app will allow you to stay up-to-date with access to real-time information from each of the Freeland schools. I also encourage you to periodically check the Learning Center's Live Feeds, News, and Events as we will be updating those items regularly. We will continue to move away from the Skyward messaging system for school-wide news and information as quickly as possible.

The app can be downloaded for free in the following ways:

Android:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apptegy.freeland

iPhone:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/freeland-community-schools/id1418588052?ls=1&mt=8

Once you've downloaded it, you will want to go to "settings" to edit your notification preferences.

We have accumulated a lot of winter attire, i.e. jackets, hats, gloves, snow pants, etc.. Please remind your student to check the lost and found, or feel free to stop by and take a look for yourself.

Do you have a special skill, talent, or new class idea that you'd like to share with others? Not only does it benefit those students or adults that have a desire to learn something new, but it's also a great way to earn some extra money. If you are interested in teaching a Community Education class for students and/or adults, or would simply like to learn more, please contact Marcus Hillborg at 989-695-5721 or hillborgm@freelandschools.net. You may also want to take a look at the course proposal sheet using the button below.