Clarification on Phone Policy for High School and Middle School
Dear Freeland Families, Students, and Staff,
I want to take a moment to clarify our phone policy as we start the new year.
High School: The change this year is that high school students will be allowed to use their phones during lunch in the cafeteria. After lunch, phones should be placed back in lockers for the remainder of the day.
Middle School: There has been no change. Middle school students are not permitted to use their phones at any time during the school day, including during lunch.
This update is specific to the high school only. The middle school policy remains the same as it has always been.
Thank you for your support in helping us keep expectations clear and consistent across both schools. Together, we can ensure students stay focused on learning while still giving high school students some flexibility during their lunch break.
Dear Freeland Families, Students, and Staff,
I want to take a moment to clarify our phone policy as we start the new year.
High School: The change this year is that high school students will be allowed to use their phones during lunch in the cafeteria. After lunch, phones should be placed back in lockers for the remainder of the day.
Middle School: There has been no change. Middle school students are not permitted to use their phones at any time during the school day, including during lunch.
This update is specific to the high school only. The middle school policy remains the same as it has always been.
Thank you for your support in helping us keep expectations clear and consistent across both schools. Together, we can ensure students stay focused on learning while still giving high school students some flexibility during their lunch break.
Falcons, we know change is not always easy. A new policy like Put Your Phone Away for the Day might bring some anxiety or frustration. That is real, and we get it. But here is the truth — this will not wreck your year. In fact, it will help make it better.
🎥 Click here to watch:https://youtu.be/EiOMuTtP4yQ
This is about building real connections with people instead of just scrolling through posts and comments. More conversations, more laughter, more focus, and more memories made face to face. Those are the things that make school fun and meaningful.
You still have plenty of time with your phone. You CAN use it before school, after school, and during lunch in the cafeteria. Just remember to put it back in your locker after lunch so you are ready to go strong the rest of the day.
This policy is more than phones. It also includes smart watches and Bluetooth devices. If you need headphones, keep it simple with a corded pair you can use when needed.
It may feel different at first, but in the end this change is about giving you more of what matters most — time with each other.
Lastly, keep in mind to be kind. Be kind to one another and support each other. We have new students who need to feel welcome. Say hi, invite them to your table at lunch, and make them feel part of our team. Throughout this year remember this simple thought: you never know what someone might be going through on any given day. People mask, people put on a good face when they walk into the building, and people laugh and smile even when they are hurting inside. The one thing you will never regret is being kind and caring.
A special thank you to the staff and students of Freeland High School for creating this public service announcement and for helping us share the message of this important change.
TALONS UP!!!
🎥 Click here to watch:https://youtu.be/EiOMuTtP4yQ
This is about building real connections with people instead of just scrolling through posts and comments. More conversations, more laughter, more focus, and more memories made face to face. Those are the things that make school fun and meaningful.
You still have plenty of time with your phone. You CAN use it before school, after school, and during lunch in the cafeteria. Just remember to put it back in your locker after lunch so you are ready to go strong the rest of the day.
This policy is more than phones. It also includes smart watches and Bluetooth devices. If you need headphones, keep it simple with a corded pair you can use when needed.
It may feel different at first, but in the end this change is about giving you more of what matters most — time with each other.
Lastly, keep in mind to be kind. Be kind to one another and support each other. We have new students who need to feel welcome. Say hi, invite them to your table at lunch, and make them feel part of our team. Throughout this year remember this simple thought: you never know what someone might be going through on any given day. People mask, people put on a good face when they walk into the building, and people laugh and smile even when they are hurting inside. The one thing you will never regret is being kind and caring.
A special thank you to the staff and students of Freeland High School for creating this public service announcement and for helping us share the message of this important change.
TALONS UP!!!
Hey Falcons!
Your 2025-2026 class schedules drop on Skyward this Monday, August 18th – check them out!
Then, join us Tuesday night, August 19th for Open House:
Freshmen & New Student Orientation – 5:30 p.m. (Auditorium)
9th–12th Grade Open House – 6:00–7:30 p.m.
Find your locker, meet your teachers, grab your Chromebook, and get ready for an amazing year at Freeland High School!
Your 2025-2026 class schedules drop on Skyward this Monday, August 18th – check them out!
Then, join us Tuesday night, August 19th for Open House:
Freshmen & New Student Orientation – 5:30 p.m. (Auditorium)
9th–12th Grade Open House – 6:00–7:30 p.m.
Find your locker, meet your teachers, grab your Chromebook, and get ready for an amazing year at Freeland High School!
🎶💚 The Freeland Falcon Marching Band took the field today and let’s just say… WOW. Just one week of band camp and they already looked and sounded like they’ve been rehearsing for months! 🥁🎺 Under the direction of our seasoned and spectacular Mr. Shaw 🧑🏫🎼, along with his dedicated assistants 🙌 and rock-solid senior leaders 🎖️, this crew brought the 🔥 and the flair.
From crisp formations 🧍♂️🧍♀️ to booming brass 🎷🎺 and some seriously smooth percussion 🥁, the technique was sharp ✨ and the energy was electric ⚡️. Our newest Falcon freshmen 🐣 were welcomed with open arms (and maybe a little sunscreen ☀️🧴) and they stepped right up, proud, prepared, and pumped 💪💚!
The band looked and sounded great 💥🎶. The best part? We’ve still got another month until our first home football game 🏈🗓️. Just imagine what they’ll be bringing by then… 😎🎉
A huge thank you 🙏 to the incredible crowd of families, friends, and community members 👨👩👧👦👏 who showed up to cheer, clap, and get a sneak peek 📸 of the magic to come this fall 🍂🎵. Your support means the world 🌍💚.
🟢💥 So here’s to the Falcon Band, our soundtrack of Friday nights 🌙, halftime heroes 🏆, and masters of marching magic ✨🥁. Proud to be a Falcon! 💚🎶
🎭💚 Freeland Theatre Shines This Summer! 💚🎭
Our theatre department has been BUSY and BRILLIANT this summer!
🌟 It all started with FPA Camp, where more than 80 amazing student volunteers and elementary students came together for a week of imagination, inspiration, and unforgettable fun.
🎟️ Our Thespian Board traveled all the way to NMU for the META Leadership Camp in Marquette. They came back bursting with fresh ideas and excitement for the upcoming season!
🗓️ Mark your calendars:
🎉 Drama Club Kickoff (MS/HS) – August 27th after school
🎤 Musical Auditions (Grades 8–12) – September 2
💻 Check out all the details and stay in the loop at:
👉 https://fpa23.weebly.com/
📸 Follow us on Instagram: @freelandperformingarts
Let the curtain rise on another amazing year of storytelling, friendship, and spotlight magic!
Our theatre department has been BUSY and BRILLIANT this summer!
🌟 It all started with FPA Camp, where more than 80 amazing student volunteers and elementary students came together for a week of imagination, inspiration, and unforgettable fun.
🎟️ Our Thespian Board traveled all the way to NMU for the META Leadership Camp in Marquette. They came back bursting with fresh ideas and excitement for the upcoming season!
🗓️ Mark your calendars:
🎉 Drama Club Kickoff (MS/HS) – August 27th after school
🎤 Musical Auditions (Grades 8–12) – September 2
💻 Check out all the details and stay in the loop at:
👉 https://fpa23.weebly.com/
📸 Follow us on Instagram: @freelandperformingarts
Let the curtain rise on another amazing year of storytelling, friendship, and spotlight magic!
Freeland Performing Arts Camp registration is open for June 9-12, 2025 with opportunities for acting or technical tracks. Camp will run Monday - Thursday from 9am-3pm with a performance on June 12 at 6pm. Please sign up as soon as possible as space is limited. Sign Up DEADLINE: May 30. See flyer for more info.
SIGN UP WITH THIS LINK.
Sign up now, pay later (check or online)
Time is running out to purchase your Dinner Theater tickets. We hope you can join us on May 8th for an evening you will not want to miss!
FHS held our Glow Dance on April 11. This dance celebrated diversity, acceptance, and inclusion with SLS, LINKS, Ms. Richardson's class, and Be the Change. A special thanks to the Michigan Youth Education Fund as SLS received their grant to host this amazing inclusive opportunity for our students.
Our Theater Production students are putting on a special event for the community. Come out on May 9 or 10 to see 30 plays in 60 minutes. You won't want to miss this performance.
Help us Stock and Refresh the Middle & High School Falcon's Nest. As you are thinking about what to do with gently used clothing over Walleye Weekend, please know that we are stocking our school Falcon's Nest and looking for fashionable teen clothing to support students in need.
What we're looking for:
- In-style, age appropriate clothing for teens
- Clean and gently used tops, jeans, hoodies, sneakers, etc.
- New socks, underwear, and bras of all sizes
- We're also always accepting donations of toiletries
Why It Matters: Your donations help students feel confident, comfortable, and ready to learn. All donations can be brought to the main office in the high school or middle school. Thank you for your consideration!
World Championship Runners-Up, The Freeland Fabricators, Team 5166, had an amazing week at the FIRST Robotics World Championship in Houston, TX! They finished their initial competition in 18th place out of 75 teams from around the world. Alliance selections then began where the #1 team in the world, Orbit from Israel, chose the Freeland Fabricators to team up with them on their alliance, along with High tide and Team Eagle Force, both teams from California . The teams headed into playoffs and went undefeated to win the Johnson Field.
From there, only the field winners moved on to compete on the Einstein field, which is a field composed of the best teams in the world. Our alliance went undefeated all the way until the finals, when we won Finals 1, and lost the last two matches to the Newton Alliance by just a few points.
Congratulations to our team for a great performance at Worlds!
This week, FHS is excited to highlight our Life Skills Teacher, Mrs. Keefer!
Congratulations to FHS students, Nathan Aulds, Brendan Chislea, Teddy Heffron, Evan Miller, and Julia Molnar, who were selected to perform in the District 5 Honor Band this past Saturday at Owosso High School. We are so proud of their hard work in class and for their excellent performance over the weekend!
FHS congratulates our juniors, Adelade Avram, Victoria Caudy, and Easton Rosebush, who participated in the 20th year celebration of the Great Lakes Bay Regional Youth Leadership Institute! These students spent time once each month focusing on leadership opportunities as well as community service throughout our region, and they celebrated their accomplishments at a special recognition ceremony. We are so proud of them for their participation in the Institute this year.
Our Performing Arts Department has an amazing opportunity for you! Join us for a special Dinner Theater on Thursday, May 8th at 5:30. All tickets include a special performance during the dinner theater. We hope you can join us.
Today, the Student Council from Ithaca HS participated in an exchange day with our FHS Student Council members. We also visited their school in March. This is an opportunity for the Tri Valley Conference to support our fellow league schools by sharing ideas and learning more about our unique programs., while making new friends. Thanks to Mrs. Neal and our student leaders for hosting our Ithaca guests today.
Last night, we hosted our first annual Unified Basketball Game, bringing together students of all abilities to play against one another. The students, staff and our community supported this amazing event. As you can see by the smiles, all of our participants had a great time. Congratulations to all of our athletes for an amazing game!
Our Robotics team, The Freeland Fabricators, Team 5166, had an amazing weekend at the Michigan State Championship. Their qualification matches went very well, and landed them as the 5th alliance captain, where they asked two other teams to join them as they headed into the playoff matches. Their alliance marched all the way to the last upper bracket round, before losing to Alliance 2 and moving to the lower bracket. They continued their run through the lower bracket and fought their way back to qualify for the Finals on the Consumers Energy Field. Moving away from their robot performance, their awards and pit presentation teams won the Team Sustainability Award Sponsored by Dow! With their amazing accomplishments this season, the Freeland Fabricators, Team 5166, will be competing in the FIRST World Championship in Houston, Texas, in just a little over a week. Good Luck at Worlds!
Students in our Woodworking program are creating amazing work! Senior Gerard Urbaniak has been learning about the lathe and rapidly developing his skills. He is currently making custom pens and learning about laminations to create interesting designs. Sophomore Gage Somers has been learning a new cutting board style, making end grain cutting boards and learning how to create unique designs using different layouts and cuts.
Our FHS Robotics Team 5166, The Freeland Fabricators, is competing at SVSU this weekend at the FIRST State tournament. After successfully winning the Impact Award (highest award) at the first tournament, and then the Championship and the Engineering Inspiration Award (second highest award) at the last tournament, they qualified for the state championship this weekend. GOOD LUCK to all of our competitors!
If you would like to attend the tournament to cheer them on, this is the link to the events: https://firstinmichigan.us/FRC/state-championship/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJc0ZlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHvCyfwhiudf_vVEwZ3YHCictfMx492RT12-BNwQsJGsCiDq19famIQ9gw7LN_aem_Y2xW24Uz6sYjlJnqL2Qj_A
This is a link to their matches: https://frc-events.firstinspires.org/2025/MICMP3/qualifications?fbclid=IwY2xjawJc0IBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHhc8pndlrM7bdp8jDjiVYFn4O1we-hqcPhhjafuayDN2E2TvhQ9wTkf6xoW4_aem_ZbKXPeCSxafesG49UnWPNA
