Freedom Traditional News

Mrs. Wolford, Mrs. Coelho and Ms. Layla received the Dysart Hero award.   Thank you ladies for your hard work, dedication and support you give to our students.  Freedom is truly lucky to have you.  

• 3rd - 8th grade students will take the AASA Reading and Math Assessments Tuesday, April 16 - April 19.   It is very important that your student(s) get a good night sleep, a healthy breakfast and arrive on time as students will not be allowed to enter classroom once testing starts. 
• Quarter 4 mid term grades will post on April 19; please check your parent portal. 
• Next week is our last week for the Attendance contest.  The winner wins dress down day for the month of May.

Dear Valued Community Member, 

My name is Connie Wolford, and I am the proud principal of Freedom Traditional Academy.  Rather than send you a postcard full of marketing lingo, I thought I would reach out and share from my heart.  I’ve been an educator for 16 years, it’s what I know how to do best.  What’s missing sometimes in education today is a personal connection to your school, and the people leading it.  I can assure you at Freedom you won’t feel like that.   

We don't have bounce houses, butlers, or promises of some singular and elite experience at our open house.  We could make a video listing the top ten reasons why you should choose Freedom, but we won’t, because many of the traditional schools in the area offer the exact same characteristics.  What I can promise you is that from the moment you walk in our doors, you and your child will be treated with love, respect, and the very best education we can provide.  We’re ranked 6th in the State of Arizona for a reason, and we got there because every teacher, every staff member, and every student will help, support, and work tirelessly so that your child can succeed.   

I invite you to come to our open house and speak to me directly.  It won’t be a fancy event like some of our competitors, but it will be honest and straightforward about what we offer.  Together, we’ll have a meaningful conversation about your student and whether they are a fit for our Freedom community.  We have high standards and a specific way of educating, so it’s truly not for everyone.  All I ask is that you give me that opportunity.  Let’s meet, get to know each other, and hopefully make one of the most important choices you can make, selecting your child’s school, a little more personal and simple.  I look forward to seeing you there.

Prospective Parent Open House Event Details

Wednesday, April 10, 2024 from 5:30-7pm 

16066 N. Parkview Place, Surprise AZ 85374 

Join us for snacks and appetizers, and learn why Freedom Traditional Academy is the premier school of choice in Surprise, and the 6th ranked school in the state of Arizona! The open house includes guided tours (including a Q & A with the principal, parents and student panel), a Freedom overview, information on student activities, gifted and ESS services, and an opportunity to meet the teachers. Information about the Parent Teacher Association and Before and After Care (Den’s Club) will also be available as well.

We hope you have a safe and fun week off. We will see you back Monday, March 25.

Please join us Tuesday, March 12 starting at 5:30pm to 6:30pm.  Come learn what makes kindergarten at FTA so special!  

Please check your parent portal for your students' grades. 

Monday 2/26

* Dress in Green

- Wear anything and everything green

Tuesday 2/27

* Crazy Hair Day (MUST still be in your uniform)

- Be creative with your hair: the crazier, the better!

Wednesday 2/28

* Socks Day (MUST still be in your uniform)

- Wear silly socks, lots of socks or mismatched socks

Thursday 2/29

* Dr. Seuss Day 

- Dress as your favorite character from one of his books!

(Remember... no masks and no face paint)

Friday 3/1

* Pajama Day 

* Wear your most comfy pajamas (school appropriate please!)

We are accepting donations of non-perishable

Snacks and Drinks 

For our amazing 

Police and Fire Departments 

Please send your items to school between

February 20th - April 5th

There is no school on Monday, February 19 in observance of Presidents Day.

Dysart Sweet 16 Attendance Contest 

Monday 2/12 - Teacher vs Student 

Tuesday 2/13 - Tie- Dye vs Solids

Wednesday 2/14 - Red vs White

Thursday 2/15 - Hat vs Hair

Friday 2/16 - Rock n Roll vs Country 

All outfits must be in Dysart dress code, no face paint or hair color.  You MUST participate in Spirit Week to dress down 

Hello Freedom Families,

This week is parent/teacher conferences.  Please reach out to your students teacher if you have not signed up.   Don't forget that school releases at 1pm on Thursday and Friday. 

Book fair is this week!  It will be open to families with conferences on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday until 5pm.  On Thursday, it will be open to everyone until 6pm. 

Dress Down day is Wednesday 2/7.  If a yearly dress down pass wasn't purchased, it is $1 for jeans and $2 for the full outfit. 

Tuesday 1/30 and Wednesday 1/31 students will take the reading and math district benchmarks.  Please make sure your students arrive on time.  If they are late, they will not be able to enter the testing environment. 

This week we celebrated Freedom Traditional Academy being as an "A" rated school for the 22-23 school year!  We are so proud of all our teachers, students and staff for making this happen.  Thank you! 

Open enrollment is now open for the 24-25 school year!

• Just a reminder that there will be no school on Monday, 1/15 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr Day.
• On Tuesday, 1/16 is our family flag ceremony at 8:20am.
• PTA is having restaurant night at Panera Wednesday, 1/17 from 4:00pm to 8:00pm. 

Have a great 3 day weekend Firebirds!

Reminder school resumes January! 

3rd-8th grade awards assemblies are January 9. An email was sent out to families of the students receiving an award.  The assembly for 3rd, 5th and 7th grades will begin at 8:30am. The assembly for 4th, 6th, and 8th grades will begin at 9:10am. If you plan on attending the award assembly please make sure all visitors have driver's license in order to be on campus. 

Dress down day is Wednesday January 11. $1 for jeans and $2 for full outfit. There is no charge if the yearly dress down pass was purchased. 

We cannot wait to see everyone! Have a great week back!

Wishing you and your family a happy and safe holiday. We look forward to seeing everyone in 2024!

One more week until winter break!  Here are this weeks announcements.

• This week is spirit week! 

Monday - Sports/Jersey Day

Tuesday - Ugly Sweater Day

Wednesday - Holiday War (Dress as your favorite holiday)

Thursday - Career Day 

Friday - Pajama Day (School appropriate) 

• Quarter 2 ends 12/22, please check your parent portal for grades
• Friday 12/22 school dismisses at 11:15am. 

Hello Freedom families,

It is hard to believe we only have two more weeks until winter break.   We have a lot of exciting things happening next week!  

• Holiday shop - 12/11 to 12/13
• Family Flag ceremony - 12/12 at 8:20am
• Dress down day - 12/13
• Picture retakes and club pictures 12/13
• Polar Express night - 12/13 from 5:30pm to 7:00pm 

Kinder performance 5:45pm

1st performance 6:15pm

2nd performance 6:45pm

Have a great weekend!

Hello Freedom Families! 

It is hard to believe we are now in the month of December! Here are some weekly updates. 

Next week is Attendance Spirit week.  It is important to students academic success that they are in class and on time for school.  

• Monday: Neon Shirt Day 
• Tuesday: Crazy Sock Day 
• Wednesday: College Shirt Day
• Thursday: Sunglasses Day
• Friday: Color Wars - Kinder-2nd wears red; 3rd-5th wears white; 6th-8th wears blue

Open enrollment is now open for the 24/25 school year.  Please go to Dysart.org/Enroll, please call the front office if you have any questions.  

Thursday, December 7 at 6:00pm is our Winter Concert for Choir, Band and Orchestra.

Monday 12/4 - Neon Shirt Day 

Tuesday 12/5 - Crazy Sock Day 

Wednesday 12/6 -  College Shirt Day 

Thursday 12/7 - Sunglasses Day 

Friday 12/8 - Color Wars - 

        Kindergarten thru 2nd - RED

        3rd - 5th -  WHITE

        6th - 8th - BLUE

To continue promoting great attendance, the top 3 classes with the highest attendance from Nov 27 through Dec 22 will receive a pancake party with the Principal. Please make sure your student brings back the attendance contract they brought home Nov 13. 

Interested in enrolling your child in Freedom Traditional Academy? Enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year is now open! Applications can be submitted online at Dysart.org/Enroll

Freedom is a "A" rated, ranked #6 in the entire state of Arizona, and has the highest test scores of all the schools in the area!

Just a reminder no school on Veteran's Day.  See you Monday 11/13

We had a fun spirit week, it is always so nice to see everyone get in school spirit!  Here are next week's updates.

• Nov. 7 is Election Day; don't forget to vote!
• Family Flag ceremony is Nov. 7 at 8:20am.
• Sports pictures for baseball, softball, cross country, & boys and girls soccer Nov. 7.
• Veteran's Day assembly on Nov. 8th at 8:30am.  
• Student Council canned food drive until Nov. 9. 
• No School Friday Nov. 10 for Veteran's Day. 

We are so proud to announce that Freedom Traditional Academy earned an “A” rating from the school accountability labels for the 2022-2023 school year! Freedom is one of 18 schools in the district to receive the “A” rating.  Additionally, Freedom scored 6th highest in the state among all K-8 schools and is ranked in the top 10% of schools  in the state. 

The school accountability labels measures year to year student academic growth, proficiency on English language arts, math and science, the proficiency and academic growth of English language learners, indicators that an elementary student is ready for success in high school and that high school students are ready to succeed in a career or higher education and high school graduation rates.

Congratulations and thank you to all our amazing teachers and students for your hard work! 

Hello Freedom families, 

We hope everyone had a great week back after fall break.  Here are next week's updates. 

• Spelling Bee Oct 23th at 8:30 am.
• Benchmark testing for 3rd - 8th grade 10/24 - Reading and 10/25 - Math. Please make sure your student(s) gets a good night sleep and is on time for school. 
• Class Donation Contest for Fall Festival starts 10/23 - 10/26.
• K-1: Prizes (Such as party favors) 
• 2-3: Candy contest (Winner determined by weight)
• 4-5: 24oz Soda contest (Winner determined by quantity) - NO 2 Liters!!
• 6-8: Baked good contest (Winner determined by weight)
• Please come join us on 10/27 from 6pm to 8pm for our Fall Festival.  We will have trunk or treat, games, silent auction baskets, food trucks, and vendors.

Join us on Thursday, Oct 19th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at the district office.  Learn about about CTE programs, West-MEC, colleges, military and more.  The event is recommended for all 5th -11th grade students and their parents!

Hope everyone had a great fall break! 

Please  join us 10/18 at the Texas Roadhouse anytime between 3:00pm and 9:00pm.  A portion of the proceeds will go to Freedom PTA.

Congratulations to our girls' softball and boys' baseball teams for a great season

There will be no school October 9-13 for Fall Break. We wish our Firebirds and families a safe and happy break and we will see you back on Monday, October 16!

Just a reminder that Thursday, October 5th, and Friday, October 6th are early release days! The students will be released at 1pm on both days. Make sure and sign up for parent/teacher conferences with your teacher. 

Happy National Principals Month to Mrs. Wolford! 

The heart of our school is Mrs. Wolford! She is not your ordinary principal. Mrs. Wolford has a passion for education and a deep commitment to her students and staff. Every morning, she is out front greeting every student by name, with a warm smile and a kind word. She is a true inspiration to all, and we are so fortunate to have her as our leader!

Congratulations Firebirds!!! The APEX fundraiser raised over $29,000! That means Mrs. Wolford was slimed. The total laps for the whole school was 17,532 with a whopping 974 miles ran! 

The Freedom PTA will hold their annual book fair the week of October 2nd-October 5th. Students will have access to the book fair on the days that their class has signed up. The book fair is open to the public during the following times:

Monday: 1:15pm-3:45pm (Open from 3:45pm-5pm for parents that have conferences)

Tuesday: 3pm-3:45pm (Open from 3:45pm-5pm for parents that have conferences)

Wednesday: 3pm-3:45pm (Open from 3:45pm-5pm for parents that have conferences)

Thursday: 1pm-6pm

Friday: Closed

Fall Picture Day is coming! Picture day is Thursday, September 21st. Order forms will be sent home this week. If you have any questions, please call the front office at 623-523-8650. 

September is Attendance Awareness Month. Just a few missed days here and there can add up to too much lost learning time and put your student behind in school. This is as true in Kindergarten as it is in high school. Please make sure your student is in school every day. We're asking you to partner with us to prioritize daily school attendance for your students this month and throughout the school year. Academic achievement begins with attendance, so students need to be in class, on time, on task and ready to learn every day!

The class with the highest attendance rate in the month of September will receive a pizza party! 

Attendance Leaders as of 9/12: 3rd Place~ Ms. Suljic's 3rd grade class 2nd Place-Ms. Lee's 1st grade class and in 1st Place-Ms. Boroviak's Kindergarten Class!

What is the Apex Glow Run Event? It encourages development of leadership habits and good character, combined with a fitness-focused event fundraiser that helps schools raise much needed funds. It’s a high-energy, celebratory fitness event held at the end of the two-week program. Students get to have a ton of fun and be active! 

Happy Labor Day! Just a reminder-No school on Monday, September 4th.

Parents, please take a moment to complete the Annual Update. You can access it by logging into your Parent Portal and then clicking the menu and selecting "More" and then "Annual Update." If the Annual Update is not complete, your child will not be able to log into their chromebooks and access important materials. 

Each year the Dysart School District and Freedom Traditional Academy provide important information pertaining to Move on When Reading.  This letter is posted and will be sent home with all students in Kindergarten through Third Grade.

      Move On When Reading

      Move On When Reading Spanish

Click on each link for the suggested student school supply lists 

• Kindergarten Optional School Supplies
  
• 1st Grade Optional School Supplies
• 2nd Grade Optional School Supplies
  
• 3rd Grade Optional School Supplies
  
• 4th Grade Suggested Optional Supplies
• 5th Grade Optional School Supplies
• 6th Grade Optional School Supplies
  
• 7th/8th Grade Optional School Supplies

FTA's Summer Office Hours are below. The front office will be closed on Fridays from June 2nd-July 22nd. 

May 30th-June 1st-7:15am-3:45pm

June 5th-June 22nd-7:30am-11:30am 

June 26th-July 7th-Closed 

July 5th-July 20th-7:15am-3:45pm

Our office will open back up for normal business hours 7:15am-3:45pm on Monday, July 24th. 

Have a wonderful summer Firebirds! 

Firebirds-Mark your calendars! Meet the Teacher Night is Tuesday, August 1st, 2023 from 5:00pm-6:00pm! This is a great opportunity for students and parents to meet their teachers and see their new classrooms. We look forward to seeing everyone! 

Mark your calendars Firebirds! Our first day of school for the 23/24 school year is Thursday, August 3rd. School hours are 8:15am-3:00pm. We can't wait to see all of our Firebirds back on campus! 

Firebirds-Enjoy your summer break! Meet the teacher is August 1st, and the 23/24 school year will start on August 3rd! 

End of School Happenings at FTA 

• 5/17-Last dress down day of the 22/23 school year! 
• 5/22- Early Release at 1pm
• 5/23-Kindergarten Graduation at 9am in the FTA Gym
• 5/23-Early Release at 11:15am 
• 5/24-8th Grade Promotion at 9am in the FTA Gym
• 5/24-Early Release at 11:15am 
• 5/24-Last day of school 

Congratulations to Freedom Traditional Academy's Team 2 who won Second Place in the District Math Challenge on April 29th at Dysart High School.  All 20 of the district’s elementary and middle schools are invited to participate and each school can enter up to three teams of six students. There were three rounds in the Math Challenge.  The first round was a speed round containing 30 problems that students must collaborate and solve in a 10 minute timeframe.  The second and third rounds had six questions each that are focused more on problem solving and get more intense as they progress.  The second and third rounds had a time limit of 20 minutes each.   

The purpose of the event was to entice, engage, and challenge students to solve math problems while along the way strengthening their math fundamentals.  Collaboration was also a strong focus of the event as teams must work together and strategize to complete the problems to the best of their ability within the time allowed.  

Attend our open house and allow us to the opportunity to share why Freedom Traditional Academy is the premier school of choice in Surprise and the 8th ranked school in the state of Arizona! Freedom is also the only traditional academy in Surprise with free, full-day kindergarten.

The open house includes guided tours (including a Q&A with the principal, parent and student panel), Freedom overview, student activities, gifted and ESS services, and an opportunity to meet the teachers.Information about the Parent Teacher Association and Before and After Care (Den’s Club) will also be available as well.

Freedom Traditional Academy (FTA) is a kindergarten through 8th grade “school of choice” where the learning is accelerated and the instruction is back to basics.

Freedom Traditional Academy’s language arts program is based on the Spalding Method using The Writing Road to Reading. In addition, Spanish will be offered to all K-8 students. 7th and 8th grade students will have the opportunity to receive high school credit in Spanish. All students will work one year above grade level in Saxon-like math. 8th grade students will have the opportunity to receive high school credit in Spanish and Math.

FTA has a uniform policy and emphasizes patriotism and citizenship. Additionally, there are high expectations that grades, behavior, and attendance be maintained.

Open in 2019, our vision is to prepare all students to be successful, productive citizens and lifelong learners. We are committed to providing a well-rounded educational experience in which students develop great citizenship and achieve academic excellence through rigorous, accelerated, and purposeful curriculum while supported by an engaged and involved family community

Some may say that letter writing is an archaic form of communication and the United States Postal Service (USPS) is becoming obsolete with the advent of technology such as email, smartphones, and social media. However, at Freedom Traditional Academy (FTA), a K-8 school in Surprise that prides itself on those traditional aspects of education, the idea of the post office and mail is now alive and thriving. Earlier this year they began the Freedom Postal Service, a student-run club focused on developing those skills that may have been lost in the 21st Century.

“Since our school is working on improving student writing as a school-wide goal, I thought this idea would be a really nice way to tie into that,” said Linda Johnson, a teacher at FTA who developed the program.

Developing a working post office inside a Kindergarten through 8th grade school is no easy task. Mrs. Johnson framed it almost exactly around how the USPS operates and distributes mail. First she secured mailboxes for every single classroom in the school. Additionally, there is a school-wide mailbox located in the front office for parents and staff to use.

Next, they needed addresses. Each hallway with the school was given a name that serves as the “street.” Each classroom already had a number associated with it, thereby giving Mrs. Johnson the framework for getting each piece of mail to the correct person. An example address might look like this:

Jane Doe

232 Liberty Lane

Freedom, AZ 73223

Now, parents, students, and staff could write letters, address them, and it was possible to get it to the correct student. While creating postage was an important teaching tool, Mrs. Johnson didn’t want to use real stamps. So each letter must have a stamp, but that stamp can literally be anything.

“They can create their own stamp, they can make a stamp, they can draw a stamp, they can use a sticker as a stamp. But there has to be some sort of a stamp,” said Mrs. Johnson.

“And if there’s no stamp, then the students would return to sender. And we try to circle the area that’s a problem so that hopefully the teacher can help the student learn why this is coming back to you.”

Next the school had to develop a way for the mail to be gathered, sorted, and delivered. What better way to teach students about how the post office works than to select a group of students to “work” the school post office? The Freedom Postal Service has a mailroom in the building that is operated by a select group of students who were required to successfully complete an application and interview process.

“We are trying to build leaders, and so we want the students to step up and apply for the job,” said Mrs. Johnson. “We want them to want to do the job, we want them to put in the time, and you know, do the best they can for our school. And so the goal is to develop great leaders and taking on a leadership role like that is a big responsibility.”

Mail is processed and delivered every week on Friday to Freedom students and staff. And just like the regular post office, Freedom has jobs and responsibilities for each student participating in the program. The postmaster is responsible for all the employees, picks up mail from the central mail drop, helps train new employees, and fills in for absent employees.

The Freedom Traditional Academy Sorter takes the mail to be delivered and sorts it by “streets” so that they can be delivered. Each hallway has a street name in the school and room numbers serve as the street number to complete the address.

The central mail drop is seen in the front area of Freedom Traditional Academy. Parents and staff can drop off their letters in this large mail box, which will be collected, sorted, and delivered on each Friday at the school.

“I love any situation where it has them be responsible,” said Abbey Rasmussen, mother of Nash, a student at Freedom. “Nash got to be the Postmaster, which he was really excited about, and I thought it was great because it taught him great responsibility. He was in charge of a team. He had to come early, and I love that he was excited about it.”

“I’ve always been interested in how the post office works, so I wanted to see, and then I tried it and it was really fun,” said Nash Rasmussen. “I just like seeing everyone else work and helping them and how they got better.”

Additional jobs include the Facer, who places all envelopes the same way. The Canceller cancels all stamps. The Nixie Clerk checks addresses for proper form and punctuation and stamps letters “Return to Sender” if not correct. The sorter sorts mail by streets, places mail in sorting boxes, and rubber bands all letters to a specific address and places them in mailbag. Finally, the Letter Carrier delivers mail to designated addresses.

“I thought it was very exciting and fun for me because we actually had to learn how to work together more, and it was pretty cool,” said Shamiran Tamou, a 5th grader at Freedom.

Teachers are providing knowledge of basic skills such as writing a letter, addressing envelopes, using the mail system, and using ZIP codes. The goal is that teachers are instructing at different levels on how to write a letter, what’s appropriate to put in the letter, and how to address and send a letter. Teachers will often times have their whole class write a letter to their buddy class, which allows a large number of students to receive mail.

As for who else writes letters, the sky’s the limit. Students are writing to siblings and other students, teachers, and staff. Office staff send birthday letters with little treats to the students. They’ll also send little jokes to the different classes. Parents are obviously encouraged to send letters to their students. It could be a birthday wish, good luck, a thank you, a thinking of you, or whatever they want.

“One of my students got a gift card reward from his parents in the mail because he had improved so much on something,” said Johnson. “Parents that are using it love it because it gives them another way to give their child a pick-me-up at the end of the week. And so the goal, the intention hopefully, is that in the future, the word just spreads that, you know, this is another way to communicate with your child.”

“I think it’s good for these kids to express themselves in a different way,” said Abbey Rasmussen. “I was able to write letters and drop them off in the middle of the day. They would get a letter from their mom saying ‘I love you, and I am proud of you.’ It’s another way to be kind and build someone else up and help them to be excited and have a good day.”

Besides teaching the students how to write a letter, how the post office works, and how having a job and responsibilities are important, the other dominant benefit of the program is community and culture.

“I think one of the big, big goals of the postal system is just to have a community feel throughout the school,” said Mrs. Johnson. “And so, you know, just like in your neighborhood, it just brings a community feel. And it’s just one more way that I feel like at our school, we try to make this feel like a family. And so, you know, that’s the goal.”

“It’s cool. It’s just fun to have something different that most schools don’t have,” said Nash Rasmussen.

Purple Up for Military Kids Spirit Week is April 24th-April 28th! 

Monday-Stars and Stripes-Wear as many stars and stripes as you can. 

Tuesday-Wear PURPLE to celebrate our military students! 

Wednesday-Camo Day-Dress up in camouflage.

Thursday-Branch Out-Represent a military branch (Air Force, Navy, Army, Marines, Coast Guard, or Space Force)

Friday-Super Hero-Dress up as your favorite super hero! 

Spring picture day is this Wednesday! Students can dress how they would like as long as they are within the Dysart dress code. Visit mydorian.com, search for Freedom Traditional Academy, and click on the green order button. All orders for spring pictures must be placed before 9am on picture day. 

In partnership with the City of Surprise and the City of El Mirage, students across the Dysart Unified School District were invited to participate in the My El Mirage and My Surprise Essay Contests in November of 2022.  Prompts were developed in partnership with each city to elicit responses that spoke about each city’s mission or vision.  

More than 200 students in grades 3-12 submitted their essays with schools choosing the top 128 district-wide.  The writings were evaluated based on understanding of city services/amenities, creativity, clarity, sincerity of thought, and proper grammar.

Winners from Surprise were selected in specific grade bands and were honored March 7 at the Surprise City Council meeting including: Cadence Fumia and Rose Vasquez from Countryside Elementary in the grade 3-4 division, Tatianna Pellegrino from Freedom Traditional School for 5-8th grade and Kaleb Delgado from Shadow Ridge High School who won for the high school division.  

Excerpts included below.

Cadence Fumia encourages people to live in Surprise: “My name is Cadence and I live in Surprise, Arizona. If you don’t, what the heck are you waiting for?”

Rose Vasquez expresses how she feels living in Surprise: “I am really happy I moved here because I have my family, a great school that I really like. I have some new friends, and it’s really clean, safe, and friendly.”

Tatianna Pellegrino shares this insight about Surprise: “Danish architect and urban design consultant, Jan Gehl once said, ‘A good city is like a good party–you stay for longer than you plan.’ Surprise isn’t just a good party; it's a great party.”  

Kaleb Delgado says: “[Surprise] carries nothing by surprises, and as a resident here, I am proud to be in such a beautiful community.” 

The City of El Mirage structured their essay winners a bit differently and awarded the top three students in grade 3-8: Esmeralda Olvera Martinez; 1st place, Lejla Tvrtkovic; 2nd place, and Kaleb Rodriquez; third place all from El Mirage Elementary School. High school recognitions include Nathaniel Cosio, and Andre Mena, both 11th grade students at Valley Vista High School.

The five students and their families were invited to attend the City of El Mirage Council meeting on March 7.  The students were recognized and received ribbons and certificates.

Esmeralda Olvera Martinez shares her reasons for loving her city: “So, do you want to know why El Mirage is special? Well, I’ll tell you. You’re going to love it.” She goes on to describe the schools, library, and festivals in El Mirage. 

Nathaniel Cosio shares the value of community: “In the El Mirage community, I feel like everyone knows each other and have fun just getting to live in the city.”

Student winners from both categories were recognized at the Dysart Unified School District Governing Board meeting on March 9th, 2023.

Danielle Edgerton coordinated the dual city essay contest with support from teachers, administrators, and city leaders.

“It has been such a rewarding experience to partner with both the City of Surprise and the City of El Mirage to honor our scholars and writers,” shared Edgerton. “The essays submitted by all of the students were sincere celebrations of their schools and communities.”

There will be no school from March 13th-March 17th for Spring Break! We hope you have a fun, relaxing spring break! We will see you when we return on Monday, March 20th! 

Future Kindergarten Families! You are invited to our Kindergarten Showcase on Tuesday, March 21.  There will be tours of the school given and an informational session with the kindergarten teachers.  The first session will begin at 5:30 and the second session will begin at 6:15. Please call the front office for more information. 

• 293/6-3/10-Uniform Drive 
• 3/7-Meeting @ 6pm in Cafeteria 
• 3/18-Spring Training Spirit Night-Game @ 1:05pm
• 3/28-Mother/Son Bowling Night-6pm-730pm @ Uptown Alley
• 4/12-In-N-Out Spirit Night from 5pm-9pm
• 4/14-Bingo Night @ 6pm in FTA Cafeteria 
• 4/29-Junk in the Trunk @ FTA from 7am-12pm

In observance of President's Day, there is no school on Monday, February 20th. 

Spirit Week Line-Up 

• Monday-Dress like your TEACHER! 
• Tuesday-Dress your HEART out!! Wear pink, white, red, or purple! 
• Wednesday-Out of this WORLD-Dress as an extraterrestrial or astronaut 
• Thursday-Dress TACKY or MISMATCHED
• Friday-Wear your favorite SPORTS/TEAM jersey or t-shirt! 

Don't Forget: 

If you don't participate this week, you must wear your school uniform! 

Stay within the district dress code. 

NO pajama bottoms, torn jeans, masks, face paint or football gear is allowed! 

The Book Fair is coming next week! Your students will go as a class during the week, and it will also be open until 7pm on Thursday 2/9! 

Firebirds-Just a reminder that we have parent teacher conferences next week! We will be releasing at 1pm on Thursday, 2/9, and Friday, 2/10! 

Did you know you can support Freedom and receive a dollar-for-dollar state tax credit! Choose one of the three categories (athletics, fine arts, enrichment programs) or let us decide! 100% of your donation goes to OUR school and the category of YOUR choice. Learn more and donate today: Tax Credit  

Welcome Back Firebirds! We hope you had a fabulous break! School resumes tomorrow, Thursday, January 5th. We can't wait to see all of you! 

Freedom Traditional Academy will be closed for Winter Break December 21st, 2022-January 3rd, 2023.  The school office will reopen on Wednesday, January 4th and students will return to school on Thursday, January 5th. Have a wonderful and safe break Firebirds!! 

Please join us for some holiday fun at FTA! We will start our night off with some performances starting at 5:30pm for Kindergarten, 6:00pm for 1st grade, and 6:30pm for 2nd grade. Wear your PJ's and enjoy some exciting activities planned by each teacher! In the cafeteria, Santa will be there to meet and take pictures with you! Don't forget to stop by the holiday shop in room 112! We can't wait to see you there! 

Hey Firebirds! It's time to show your school spirit! Our Winter Spirit Week will be 12/12/-12/16. Any students that choose not to participate are required to wear a school uniform. Dress Code Applies! 

• Monday-Dress like you're going on your dream vacation to Hawaii (Hawaiian Day) 
• Tuesday-Holiday Wars-Dress up to represent your favorite holiday! (All holidays are included, but No Costumes!) 
• Wednesday-Dress up in your best ugly holiday sweater or hoodie. (Ugly Sweater/Hoodie Day) 
• Thursday-Plan ahead and dress up like a friend (Twin Day) 
• Friday-Wear Pajamas to school (Pajama Day) (No slippers or spaghetti straps) 

Did you miss picture day or want to take a new picture? 

Retake day is quickly approaching. If we did not see you on picture day or you would like a new image, Dorian Studio will be taking pictures at your school again soon. Do not miss out on ordering pictures of your student. Orders may be placed online by searching for your school name at mydorian.com and selecting the green Order button next to your school retake day event. Online orders are available up to 4 days after retake day. If you already ordered and want a new picture taken please be sure to return your original picture packet to the photographer on retake day. 

Hey Firebirds! Join us as our Band, Choir and Orchestra perform in their winter concert on December 6th at 6pm! 

Hey Firebirds! Check out what's happening! 

• 11/29-Pickleball Club @ 315, Girls Soccer Game @ 5pm @ Cimarron Springs. 
• 11/30-Dress Down Day, Boys Soccer Game @ 5pm @ Cimarron Springs. 
• 12/1-Girls Soccer Game @ 5pm @ Cimarron Springs. 
• 12/5-Boys Soccer Game @ 5pm @ Cimarron Springs. 
• 12/6-Girls Soccer Game @ 5pm @ Cimarron Springs, Choir Concert @ FTA @ 6pm
• 12/7-3rd-5th grade Reading Benchmark, District Spelling Bee, PTA Spirit night at Cane's from 4pm-9pm
• 12/8-3rd-5th grade Math Benchmark, Girls Soccer Game @ 5pm @ Cimarron Springs 
• 12/9-Girls Soccer Game @ 5pm @ Riverview, Boys Soccer Game @ 6pm @ Cimarron Springs 
• 12/12-12/15- PTA Holiday Shop (More information to come) 
• 12/13-Parent Flag Ceremony 
• 12/14-Dress Down Day 
• 12/15-Winter Wonderland @ FTA from 5pm-7pm
• 12/20-Last Day of 2nd quarter, Early Release @ 1pm
• 12/21-1/7-Winter Break- No School 

Happy Thanksgiving Firebirds! We hope you all have a fun and relaxing break! Freedom will be closed from November 21st-25th. 

Our annual Turkey Trot is tomorrow! Parents/Guardians are welcome to attend. Just a couple reminders: Please make sure your student has a plastic water bottle with his/her name on it so there aren't any mix-ups among students. Tennis shoes are required to participate in the event. Here is the schedule:

7th/8th Grades: 8:20-9

5th/6th Grades: 9-9:940

4th Grade: 9:40-10:20

2nd/3rd Grades: 10:20-11

Kinder: 11:10-11:50

1st Grade: 12-12:40

Freedom Traditional Academy hosted their annual Thanksgiving Lunch for families.  The feast included turkey, stuffing, green beans, mashed potatoes and homemade pumpkin cake.  The cafeteria was decorated with hand-made crafts including notes of gratitude from students who shared what they were thankful for. 

Freedom Traditional Academy is excited to announce that we have received an A-rating from the newly-released 2022 State of Arizona accountability labels. This letter grade provides us a glimpse into many areas of proficiency and growth for our school, including information about student achievement, college and career readiness, student growth, and other key areas of interest. We appreciate our hardworking students, staff and parents for their contributions in making our school an A-rated school! 

This is the first time the state has issued new labels since 2018-2019, due to House Bill’s 2910 and 2402, which temporarily paused the issuing of A-F letter grades. It is important to note that this year the state used the same cut marks as they did in 2019 for K-8 schools, the last year they issued letter grades. However, this year's K-8 growth score is only based on growth percentile and does not include growth-to-target.

About School Letter Grades: Arizona Revised Statutes § 15-241 requires the Arizona Department of Education, subject to final adoption by the State Board of Education, to develop an annual achievement profile for every public school in the state based on an A through F scale. The system measures year to year student academic growth, proficiency on English language arts, math and science, the proficiency and academic growth of English language learners, indicators that an elementary student is ready for success in high school and that high school students are ready to succeed in a career or higher education and high school graduation rates. 

Hey Firebirds! Spirit week is next week. Check out the information below for the spirit days! 

Firebirds! It is time to show your school spirit! We will be having our annual Fall Spirit week 10/31-11/4. Any students that choose not to participate are required to wear a school uniform.  

Monday- Character Monday- dress up as your favorite character! You can be a hero or a villain. No masks or makeup. 

Tuesday- Crazy from Head to Toe- crazy hair/hat and silly socks. 

Wednesday- Western Wednesday- dress up in your favorite cowboy/cowgirl/western attire.  

Thursday- Athletes VS Mathletes- dress up in your favorite sports attire, or like a smarty pants/nerd. 

Friday- Pink Out- Wear pink in support of breast cancer awareness. 

 Dysart Unified School District invites parents and students to a Career and College Expo on Wednesday, October 26 from 5:30 - 7:30pm at the Dysart District Office, located at 15802 N. Parkview Place in Surprise.  

The expo showcases Dysart's Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, West-MEC, colleges and universities, and military representatives so families can explore opportunities to pursue in and after high school. This is a great way for 5th through 11th grade students and their parents to get hands-on with all of the career pathway classes and programs offered at Dysart Schools. The event is free and open to the public. Details can be found at www.dysart.org/CTEexpo. 

Dysart Schools currently offer 17 CTE programs at four high schools (Dysart High School, Shadow Ridge High School, Valley Vista High School, and Willow Canyon High School.) Program options include Automotive Technology, Culinary Arts, Digital Animation, Digital Photography, Education Professions, Engineering, Film and TV Production, Fire Science, Graphic Design, Laboratory Assisting, Law and Public Safety, Marketing, Nursing Services, Software and App Design, Sports Medicine, Stagecraft Design and Production and Technology Device Maintenance. Learn more at www.dysart.org/CTE. 

There will be no school October 10-14 for Fall Break. We wish our Firebirds and families a safe and happy break and we will see you back on Monday, October 17!

Our 3rd-8th grade firebirds have Benchmark testing Tuesday, 9/27, and Wednesday, 9/28. Don’t forget to get lots of sleep and eat a good breakfast!!!

Want more information on Spalding? September 1st is Spalding night for Kindergarten/1st, and new students from 5:30pm-6:30pm in the library. 

Each year the Dysart School District and Freedom Traditional Academy provide important information pertaining to Move on When Reading.  This letter is posted and will be sent home with all students in Kindergarten through Third Grade.

• 22 MOWR English Letter
  
• 22 MOWR Spanish Letter
  

Please remember to update the Annual Student Update on the parent portal. Without this update we cannot administer any medications, Vaseline, bug bite cream, or other over-the-counter medications. This is also important as we want to have up-to-date medical information and contact information on your student in the event of an emergency. You can complete the Annual Student Update by accessing the Parent Portal or through the parent portal app.

August Newsletter is available for parents to view and includes exciting information about the school year! 

Meet the Teacher night is Monday, August 1st from 5pm-6pm. Hope to see you there! 

Kindergarten School Supply List

1st Grade School Supply List

2nd Grade School Supply List

3rd Grade School Supply List

4th Grade School Supply List

5th Grade School Supply List

6th Grade School Supply List

7th and 8th Grade School Supply List

We can't wait to see everyone back for the first day of school on August 3! Make sure you mark your calendars for event and activity dates and keep an eye on our new website for important information as the start of school approaches.

Our Meet the Teacher night will be on August 1 from 5:00-6:00pm. Please join us to see the campus, meet your child's teachers, and get information on what to expect this year. 

Still need to enroll? There's still time to get your children enrolled for the 2022-2023 school year! Parents and guardians can complete the necessary registration information online at Dysart.org/enroll at any time.  Please note that in order to finalize registration the following documents will be required: government issued photo identification; birth certificate; proof of residency; and immunization records. For additional assistance with student registration, families are welcome to contact our front office.

Don't forget to make sure you have access to the Parent Portal to keep up with your child’s academic progress throughout the year! Sign up or access the site online at Dysart.org/parentportal or via the Campus Parent app. 

Dysart Schools have many opportunities for the community to assist schools in providing an amazing educational experience to each and every student. Volunteers help to enrich children’s learning opportunities, provide individual attention to children who need one-on-one assistance, promote a school-home-community partnership for quality education, provide staff members with more time to work with students, and assist staff members and support personnel with non-instructional tasks.

Where is Help Needed?

• Classroom and teacher support 
• One-on-one student assistance 
• Event help (preparations, setup, operations, tear-down)  
• Guest speakers (experts or retirees in various fields) 
• Front office assistance

How to Become a Volunteer:

1. Review the volunteer handbook and complete the volunteer application at Dysart.org/Volunteer 
2. Make an appointment for your volunteer orientation 
3. Coordinate your schedule through the school office 
4. Put on your volunteer badge and have fun!

Who Should Apply to Volunteer?

Anyone who cares about children and education is a potential volunteer. Parents, grandparents and community members 18 years of age or older who want to make a difference in the lives of children and support educators are encouraged to apply to become a volunteer with Dysart Unified School District. Volunteers are welcome in all of our schools and prior teaching experience is not necessary.

Learn more or apply here.

Dysart Nutrition Services ensures that students at all schools have fresh, wholesome and nutritious breakfast and lunch options to support their education and focus in class. Learn more about Nutrition Services at Dysart.org/Nutrition. Menus and nutritional information may be viewed at Dysart.Nutrislice.com.

Apply for Free and Reduced Meals

Beginning July 1, 2022 the USDA is returning to income eligibility guidelines for free or reduced meals. All families should complete a Free and Reduced Lunch Application at SchoolCafe.com to help maintain school funding and make sure that qualified families receive this and other benefits. Only one application is required per family, and may be completed at SchoolCafe.com.

How to Add Meal Funds to an Account

Cash and checks are accepted for meal purchases, or families may utilize SchoolCafe.com to prepay for meals online, view their balances, or place restrictions on purchases. Online payments take 24 hours to post to student accounts.  

Meal Prices 

• Elementary Lunch $2.60, Reduced $.40, Adult $3.50  
• Elementary Breakfast $1.25, Reduced $.30, Adult $1.75  High School Lunch $2.85, Reduced $.40, Adult $3.50  
• High School Breakfast $1.25, Reduced $.30, Adult $1.75 

A la carte and snack items are available for purchase on each campus, and additional meals are available for an added charge. Parents are always welcome to dine with their child, but please be sure to call in advance and check-in at the school office. Adult meals may be purchased for $1.75 for breakfast or $3.50 for lunch. 

Dysart is the largest employer in both the cities of Surprise and El Mirage with over 2,700 employees. Dysart Schools offer highly competitive salaries, full benefits and an inviting school-year calendar with holidays and weekends off for most positions. 

With a wide-variety of positions ranging from groundskeeper, to mechanic, to office staff, and teachers, we’re always looking for great people to join our Dysart team!

Current High Need Areas: 

•  Bus Drivers and Aides
•  Childcare and Preschool Aides
•  Paraprofessionals
•  Behavioral Technicians 
•  Speech and Language Pathologists 
•  Special Education Teachers 
•  Math Teachers 
•  Science Teachers 
•  ASL Teachers 
•  Health Services Assistants 
•  Crossing Guards 
•  Maintenance Workers and Plant Managers 
•  Social Workers

Check out our current openings at Dysart.org/Careers and apply today!

The Parent Portal is a great tool to stay informed 24/7 about your child’s academic progress. Grades, attendance, assignments and more are viewable in real time online or via the app, Campus Parent. A single login allows parents with multiple students to access information for all of their children in one place. Learn more at Dysart.org/ParentPortal.

Update Your Communication Preferences and Contact Info

To make sure that we can keep you informed in emergency situations, please ensure that your contact information is current in the Parent Portal. You are also able to adjust your communication preferences (phone, text, and/or email) at Dysart.org/ParentPortal or on the Campus Parent app to ensure you are getting the various message types in the way that you would like. Remember that if you select more than one type of communication per category, you will receive the message multiple times via each of those avenues.