Our team of Freeman Alums and the VCU Brandcenter has combined forces with DSF officials to narrow the list of student-suggested mascot/nickname choices to a short list of four possibilities. We need your help choosing our school symbol from those four choices. Please visit www.freemanmascot.info and offer feedback in the form of a rank-order vote for this short list of nicknames:

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Mavericks. A Maverick is an individual who goes his or her own way, a change-agent. This word embodies the challenge-the-status-quo spirit of the previous nickname w/out ties to the Confederacy. It pays homage to our core value of independence while embracing our future. “Go Mavs!” “Maverick Thinking”

Pioneers. Another incarnation of our independent spirit, pioneers courageously go where others have not and lead in their field. “Pioneers” captures both our history and our forward-thinking outlook at the same time and pays homage to Dr. Freeman’s role as a pioneer in several fields. “Roll Pioneers!” “Learners, Leaders and Pioneers”

Trailblazers. “Trailblazers” combines the core value of personal independence with an acknowledgement of social rootedness in the Tuckahoe community. DSF is located on Three Chopt Road, originally a Native America then colonial trail (marked by three notches on the trees) that stretched across Virginia. Trailblazer is also synonymous with thinking differently and creative leadership, two qualities we hope to instill in our students. “Go Blazers!” “Be a Trailblazer!”

United. Family and community are central to the DSF experience. Our diverse student body, supportive community, and remarkable alumni unite in an uncommon way to produce something wonderful. From a moment that could have been divisive, we emerged as the "Freeman United."

Parents, please be aware that the scholarship newsletter is available to all seniors. New information is posted every two weeks. You can access the scholarship newsletter on All Things DSF: https://www.atdsf.com/scholarship-info

Support DSF Choral Boosters by placing an order with Charleston Wrap by Oct 22 (to receive items by Thanksgiving). Get your holiday shopping started by purchasing UltraHeavy™ gift wrap, gourmet kitchen essentials, personalized gifts & more! Simply click on this link: www.charlestonwrapstore.com and enter our school code: 20330. Your order helps support Chorus students through the Angel Fund, Auditorium Lighting Campaign, Equipment and Props. Thank you!

-Synchronous School Day ending at 2:55

-Freeman Focus moved to the morning

After listening to all the groups that we serve (students, families, teachers), including many of you who have voiced a concern about the length of the school day to me and other school officials, we learned last night that HCPS is shortening the virtual school day for secondary students. For DSF, that means the synchronous school day will dismiss at 2:55, providing more time for students to complete homework and other asynchronous work and providing our teachers time to plan engaging lessons, meet with students virtually and provide meaningful feedback. This new schedule will go into effect on Tuesday 9/29.

Our new bell schedule, effective Tuesday, 9/29 is linked here:

UPDATED DSF VIRTUAL BELL SCHEDULE

Please have your children return all library materials to Freeman as soon as possible. We will also accept books they have checked out from other HCPS schools. They may return books by

1. Bringing them to the bus loop during extended library hours (Wednesdays 8-9:00 am and Thursdays 4-5:30 pm)

2. Putting them in the black and yellow bin located by the front office door

3. Contacting the library staff to arrange another way

Students may check out books by using the bookhub form. They can pick up books during extended library hours or by appointment.

The Virginia Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Counselors (VACRAO) is proud to present a Virtual College Exploration program, for all Virginia students, September 14-November 5.

The eight-week program consists of hundreds of opportunities for students to learn about the college search process and about many different colleges through panel presentations and weekly Virtual College Fairs. To learn more, visit https://www.strivescan.com/virginia/

Our school has an Advisor from GRASP to support students and families through the college financial aid process, including the FAFSA and searching for scholarships. Our GRASP Advisor is Janet Andrews. You can reach Janet by calling or texting 804 233 0854 or via freeman@grasp4va.org. Virtual appointments are available!

Distribution of free meals will take place at Freeman starting on Tuesday, September 8, 2020 on the bus ramp side of the building.

• Monday through Thursday (Friday meals are distributed on Thursdays.)

• 7-9 a.m.: Hot breakfasts (when available) and cold lunches.

• 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: Hot lunches as well as cold breakfasts for the next day.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, HCPS is waiving the laptop fee ($25), the science fee ($5) and the P.E. fee ($4). Some other classes (such as some of our Career and Technical Education options for limited in-person learning) may still require a fee.

• • Online School Payments

    • • If you haven’t used Online School Payments before, you’ll need to set up an account.

      • There is a 4% fee to pay with a credit card, which pays for the vendor’s costs. If you prefer to pay by check, please mail a check to your school with a copy of the obligation list from the online payment system highlighting the fees being paid.

      • Here is a video about online school payments.

  • If you do not want to pay online, you will need to mail a check to

Freeman High School

8701 Three Chopt Rd

Henrico, VA 23229

Each year, Freeman’s PTSA relies on the Freeman Fund to pay for programs, teacher supplies and other activities that benefit each child and build a strong Freeman community. In previous years, the fund has provided items like classroom sets of books, microphones, microscopes and other teacher needs that extend beyond their budgets; events like We the People and All-Star Prom; and programs like Teacher Appreciation as well as the Angel Fund, which helps students and families in need. As we start the school year virtually, we anticipate the fund will help with unexpected expenses that arise from virtual learning. Even now, teachers are thinking about and anticipating needs for supplies and support that students may not have access to at home. We hope the Freeman Fund will be able to help with those efforts right out of the gate.

These funds are provided solely through the generosity of donations from the Freeman community. Please visit freemanptsa.org and click on “Donate to the Freeman Fund” to learn more. On behalf of the DSF PTSA, thank you!