October 31, 2021

This information is important for the upcoming week.

Important Upcoming Dates:

November 1 - PTSA Board Meeting - Freeman Library (5:30 pm)
November 2 - Election Day (Schools Closed)
November 4 - Virtual PT Conferences (Schools Closed)
November 11 - Veterans Day
November 19 - Early Release Day (This is a change)
November 24-25 - Thanksgiving Break
December 10 - Early Release Day (This is a change)
December 19 - Start of Winter Break

June 16th - Graduation for the DSF Class of 2022 (3pm)

HCPS-School-Calendar-2021-22.pdf

This Week at DSF

Parent Conferences - Thursday 11/4

Each Fall, we invite parents and guardians to schedule conferences to speak with each of your student’s teachers in short meetings where our staff can update you on your student’s progress in each class.

Freeman High School will be holding virtual parent-teacher conferences on Thursday, November 4th from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM. An online sign-up is available to schedule appointments with the teachers you wish to meet with. If you are unable to access the online sign-up, please email the teacher(s) or call the school at 804-673-3700.

Parent Conference Details:

The online signup can be found at https://ptcfast.com/schools/Freeman_Fall2021.
(Directions for using the online signup are available at http://tinyurl.com/PTC-help-parents.)
Links to meet with the teachers virtually will be posted on atdsf.com/conferences prior to the November 4 conferences.

AP Exam Ordering

AP exam ordering is now live. Students and families will order their exams online through Total Registration. The deadline to order, without a late fee, is November 8, 2021. Each exam costs $100. Please click here for more information.

PTSA Meeting on Monday

Freeman PTSA will hold our November meeting on Monday, Nov. 1 at 5:30pm in the Freeman library. All are welcome! Masks are required inside the school. We look forward to updates from Mr. Marshall, School Counseling and PTSA committees. Please come be part of the conversation! You can attend in person or online. See the Zoom link below. Check www.freemanptsa.org for info and ways to donate and get involved.

Topic: November 1, 2021 - PTSA Meeting

Time: Nov 1, 2021 05:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82234621639?pwd=WXpzN1hkc0J4Q2NDTnRHTTBVbmhCZz09

Meeting ID: 822 3462 1639

Passcode: 704155

November 2nd

This is a reminder that our schools will be closed on November 2nd. This is a teacher work-day as teachres begin the process of closing out the first quarter, but our offices and school will be closed for business that day since we are a polling location for Election Day.

November 4th

This is a reminder that there is not school for students on Thursday, November 4th for parent-teacher conferences. Our building will be open for calls or previously scheduled apointments.

Nov 4 - MOD Pizza Fundraiser at Regency Location

We are wrapping up the fall fundraiser season with one last exciting push. On Thurs, Nov 4th between 10:30 am and 10:00 pm Mod Pizza at Regency will donate 20% of take out sales made with our DSF code to the Band Boosters. School is closed, so it's a great opportunity to stop by for lunch or dinner!! MOD Pizza accepts Takeout, Delivery & Pick Up orders made online using the promo code GR201352D or in store mentioning DS Freeman Band Boosters. More details here: https://grouprai.se/s201352

DSF Choral Boosters Charleston Wrap Fundraiser

Do you need to get Holiday shopping done? And need Holiday wrap for those presents? Shop with Charleston Wrap and support DSF Choral Boosters! Click on the link below and items ordered will be shipped directly to you! Orders must be placed by Dec 2 (but we recommend earlier, due to shipping delays)

https://tinyurl.com/kstwhb24

HCPS College and Career Night

HCPS will hold its annual College and Career night on Wednesday November 3rd at Henrico High School from 6:00 - 8:00 pm. Students and families are invited to attend the countywide event to talk with representatives of more than 100 colleges, professional programs and employers such as business, government agencies, and branches of the military. Important note: this is a location change from what was originally published.

Special Thanks to the Mixing Bowl Bakery

Many thanks to The Mixing Bowl Bakery for donating desserts for Freeman Homecoming 2021. We are very grateful for their support of our school and community. If you need baked goods, make sure to visit The Mixing Bowl Bakery and tell them thanks for supporting our Freeman Mavericks!

This Month at DSF

Calendar Changes announced by HCPS

At Thursday's School Board Meeting, our division announced changes to our calender to address mential health concerns for our students and staff. You can read about those changes here.

One aspect of this, the return of modified, in-person Wellness Wednesdays, was not as clearly defined so that schools could develop specific plans that best fit their communities. My team learned of this as you did and we have begun the process of developeing a Freeman-specific plan to use our bell schedule to provide more time for students to catch up from increased absences or complete work to reduce at-home homework time. We are also looking for more time for club meetings and in-school activities to increase connectedness to school, staff, and classmates. We do not anticpate massive changes to our day, only a change in approach to focus more on students than on classroom pacing and volume of work.

We will communicate our Wellness Wednesday plan this week to go into effect in mid-November. Stand by for that stand-alone communication soon.

ANNOUNCING ONLINE TICKETS FOR ATHLETICS EVENTS!

You can now purchase game tickets to athletics events ONLINE!

Douglas Freeman is now officially partners with @GoFanHS! GoFan is the leading digital ticketing solution for more than 250,000 high school events nationwide.

DSF Graphic 2.pdf

HCPS Updates

SCREENING TESTING FOR WINTER ATHLETICS

(posted previously, seeking updates)

Screening tests for winter athletics: Athletics is an important part of the development of our students, and we want to provide a safe environment for competition as the weather cools. That’s why HCPS will soon begin weekly screening tests of athletes and coaches, to identify asymptomatic COVID-19 cases early and stop transmission. Testing is expected to begin November 8 at the high school level and November 15 at the middle school level. Students participating in winter athletics must submit one student and parent/guardian consent form (electronically or paper copy) to their coach or athletic director for weekly participation in screening testing throughout the season. (Forms will be available through your coach, our school’s athletic director, on the HCPS website or soon through the vendor’s website.) Student-athletes can opt out of weekly screening tests if they are fully vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination to our school athletic director.

Class of 2022

Information for our Seniors and their families

Ordering Information for Senior Year Items from our partners at Jostens

HCPS Video

Graduation Jostens Newsletter_Henrico County Schools.pdf

Previously Posted (but still important)

Click the topic to read the collapsed text below it.

Afternoon Car-Rider Pick Up: Moved back to Student Lot

We will alter our dismissal timing and car-rider pick-up location, returning pick-up to the student lot near the baseball field. This also goes into effect on 10/4. Your feedback on the Drivers-Ed Lot Pick-Up Trial was very helpful, and our community remains split on which system worked better. With that divide, we are opting for the plan that does not have students walking across Camden Dr. and will use the timing of our dismissal (student drivers ten minutes before car-riders) to stagger a release and ease (though unlikely eliminate) congestion at dismissal.

3:45 - Student drivers released

3:55 - Car riders and bus riders released to student lot

Student Dress Code

The Henrico County Code of Conduct mandates a dress code to ensure a proper learning environment. Students are expected to review that policy prior to choosing clothing and those not adhering to dress-code will be asked to change. Those who repeatedly violate this Code of Conduct policy will be subject to disciplinary action. Please help us avoid that situation by speaking with your student about the dress code.

Cell Phones in Class

The HCPS Code of Conduct stipulates that student cell phones must be off and away during instructional time. This year at DSF, students may be asked to place their phone in a designated location in most classes during class time. Students who do not and whose phone is out without permission during class time will have that device confiscated and turned into the main office. Phones will be retuned to parents and guardians. Students may use the main office landline to inform parents that their phone was confiscated.

Sign Up for Parent Accounts

Now more than ever, staying connected with the school and your child’s teachers is important to your child’s success in school. Henrico parents can create accounts to view grades and attendance information through PowerSchool, access assignment information through Schoology, and receive communications through the SchoolMessenger App. If you haven’t already, please take a moment to set up your access to these tools. If you need assistance, please reach out to our Innovative Learning Coach, Jessica Ciokan (jkciokan@henrico.k12.va.us).

PowerSchool Parent Portal - click here then choose “Create Account” tab
Schoology - click here for directions
SchoolMessenger App - click here to sign up to receive school and teacher communications in one place. (click here to learn more)

Athletics Boosters Membership Information

Each year, nearly 800 students at Douglas Freeman compete on multiple athletic teams. With your membership in the Booster Club, you support our programs and you save money on admission to home sporting events. See our website (www.dsfathleticboosters.org) for details about benefits associated with each membership level. Athletic passes and tickets may be used for all home Varsity and JV athletic events, excluding tournaments and Invitationals. Without a Booster Pass, costs per sporting event are $8 for football and $6 for all other sports. Preferred parking applies to all home football games except Homecoming. Tickets and passes from prior seasons are no longer valid.

New (Temporary) Bell Schedule: Freeman Focus at 9am

Starting on Monday, 10/4, we will make a temporary change to our schedule to alleviate concerns brought on by late morning buses. We will move Freeman Focus to 9 am. We have 12-15 late buses each day and our classes who serve bus riders have been drastically affected by this. We do not see this changing in the near future, so we will adjust in our building to help our students.

DSF Regular Bell Schedule -- 10-4-21 (TEMPORARY).pdf

DSF COVID SAFETY

Reporting Positive Cases at school

We use this space to report out the number of COVID-19 cases we had on campus along with the number of positive exposures at school that resulted from those cases.

This week (10/25-10/31) our shool recorded 2 positive COVID case and 1 exposures.

Quarantine and Contact Tracing FAQs

Close Contacts:

With almost our entire student body returning to Freeman this year and our classrooms at full capacity, there becomes an increased likelihood that your student could be deemed a close contact if we have a positive case in the building. If that occurs, school administration or health professionals will call with a series of questions to determine if quarantine is necessary. Here's how we can help keep as many students at school as possible:

Encourage mask-wearing at all times as we enforce this every day at school.
If you feel comfortable, have your student get a COVID-19 vaccine. Students with a full vaccination status are better protected from COVID-19.
Please remain patient with our school officials and contact tracing team.
The school maintains and enforces carefully-documented seating charts to ensure that no unecessary students are quarantined.

Our division has amended its definition of a close contact, citing that students that are three-feet apart and fully masked would no longer be considered close contacts. Students should do their best ro remain 3 feet from others at all times that such distancing is possible.

Quarantine Decisions:

HCPS has published a chart to help families and staff understand the decisions being made by our contact tracing team. Only contact tracers and school officials can clear a student for a return in the case of a positive case or exposure.

DSF - School-specific Covid Safety Mitigation Plan

Click Here for the DSF COVID MITIGATION PLAN

School Counseling

Information from our School Counseling team, led by Janet Smith, DSF Director of School Counseling

Contact Information For School Counseling

Phone: 804-673-3709

Website: tinyurl.com/dsfcounseling

Liz Puckett, School Counselor, Last Names: A-Cr

ebpuckett@henrico.k12.va.us

Morgan Meadowes, School Counselor, Last Names: Cu-Hen

memeadowes@henrico.k12.va.us

Janet Smith, Director of School Counseling, Last Names: Her-K

jksmith@henrico.k12.va.us

Susie Good, School Counselor, Last Names: L-Ph

slgood@henrico.k12.va.us

Corey Hancock, School Counselor, Last Names: Pi-Sa

clhancock1@henrico.k12.va.us

Charlie Williams, School Counselor, Last Names: Sc-Z

cewilliams@henrico.k12.va.us

Graeme Byrne, Administrative Assistant

gjbyrne@henrico.k12.va.us

Sarah Terry, Registrar

sdterry@henrico.k12.va.us

PTSA

News from our Parent Teacher Student Associationon

All Night Graduation Party

Graduation 2022 may be months away, but planning for the All Night Graduation Party (ANGP) is well underway! Not sure what the All Night Graduation Party is? The Freeman high school ANGP is a tradition for the senior class. For over 30 years, parents, the Freeman PTSA, and the entire Freeman Community have been sponsoring this party, which takes place on graduation night in an alcohol and drug free environment. This long-standing tradition is something our graduates look forward to, and is the only party of its kind in Henrico County. This event provides the graduates with a fun opportunity to celebrate with their classmates and friends.

We don’t have a date yet, but will know when the graduation date is announced. We won’t know for sure the format of the party until closer to the date. We are definitely hoping for the best and that it will be held indoors as it was before Covid. No matter what, we will have some sort of celebration, we will adapt as we have to like the class of 2021 did and with a fabulous celebration at Deep Run this past summer.

There will be senior tabs and links on the PTSA website that you should keep an eye on to keep up with all the details and information regarding the party and fundraising for it. Remember, the ANGP is 100% planned and financially supported by senior parents and community donations. You can donate now on the PTSA website.

If you would like to volunteer to help with planning or the night of the party, please email Valerie Hendricks at DSFANGP2022@gmail.com.

Key Resources for 2021-22

Click the topic to read the collapsed text below it.

All Things DSF: www.atdsf.com

Please bookmark www.atdsf.com. This is a one-stop resource for all the links, refences, sign up forms and information you might need. We are constantly updating it and use it to house important school-wide virtual events as well.

Athletics/Activities

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Activities Newsletter

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