Celebrating the first month of the school year with our students, teachers, and families.
There is a particular kind of magic in the first month of school. Backpacks still zip all the way. Pencils still have erasers. And somewhere in a hallway, a kindergartner is walking with the confidence of a person who has just discovered that school comes with friends and snacks.
One month in, the Freedom Prep family is settled, sharpened, and already doing the work. Here is what that has looked like across our campuses.
Community: “They Involve The Parents More Than Most Schools Do.”
If you want to understand what Freedom Prep means by community, talk to Mildred Willis. She has two children in the network. Two grandchildren in the network. And one graduate who already walked across our stage.
When we asked Mrs. Willis why she chose Freedom Prep, she did not hesitate. “Family-oriented. Security. They help the kids graduate, and they help the kids from pre-kindergarten all the way through 12th grade. They also involve the parents more than most schools do. And I like the fact that they have an open door policy, where we can come and talk to the principal or whoever when we have a problem with whatever is going on. So I really do like that.” An open door is a small thing to describe and a big thing to live. Our families do not wait outside the process. They are in it.
Excellence: “I Have Another Four Years.”
Danesha Triplett is having a big year. Her daughter is a senior. Her son is a freshman. Which means the Triplett family is starting a countdown and starting over at the same time.
“I’m excited, number one, because I have a senior who has been going to Brownlee for four years, who has mastered a lot, learned a lot. I love Brownlee. I love the uniforms. And now I have a freshman, so I have another four years. I’m just excited for the success afterward, when it’s all said and done.” She also had a word for our students in uniform, and we are going to let her have it: “The uniforms are magnificent.”
They really are! But what Ms. Triplett is describing goes past the button-downs and the gray/navy bottoms. She is describing a family that has watched four years of steady, rigorous, college-bound work and signed up for four more. “They’re prepping them basically for college. I have no problems with the teachers. I think Freedom Prep is succeeding and excelling with our students. So I’m very excited for this school year.”
Responsibility: Thirteen Years, One More To Go
Kameryn Whitmore is a senior and has been at FPA since kindergarten. That is thirteen years of morning routines, homework, growth spurts, and showing up. Ask what this year is about, and his answer is beautifully direct. “Just to graduate, actually. I’m ready for that. A little nervous, though. New classes, new teachers, stuff like that.”
Ready and a little nervous is exactly right. That is what the edge of something big feels like. Our students never get there by themselves. They get there with teachers who have believed in them since kindergarten. Thirteen years down, Kameryn. One more.
A few miles from Brownlee High School, at FPA Westwood Elementary, Remington is having a very good first month too. Remington will be a senior in 2039. Thirteen years is a long time from now. It is also exactly how long Kameryn has been with us, which means our youngest students are standing right where a graduate once stood, backpack on, first week behind them. So we asked Remington how it is going.
Respect and Integrity: Our Young Eagles Set The Tone
Not every interview requires many words. We asked Remington what this school year is going to be about. Friends? A nod. The teacher? Another nod.
Friends and a teacher you are glad to see. Honestly, that is the whole foundation. Respect and integrity are not concepts we hand our students in a workbook. They start with a child who feels safe, known, and genuinely happy to walk through the door.
Our Teachers Are Just As Excited As The Kids
Our students are not the only ones who showed up ready. Walk any Freedom Prep campus this month and you will find classrooms already humming: procedures practiced, expectations set with warmth, lessons that ask real things of real students. Our teachers spent the summer preparing for this, and it shows.
Birmingham: Our Eagles Are Soaring!
And a little further south, our FPA Birmingham Eagles are flying high. The first month at our K-5 campus has been nothing short of amazing. Teachers are leading with energy and heart, classrooms are full of curious Eagles who cannot wait for reading time. Phonics has become a chorus, story time comes with a room full of raised hands, and reading aloud to classmates has turned into the highlight of the day. Our leadership team has been right there for it, in classrooms and hallways, learning alongside our students.
At FPA Birmingham, community is not a concept we explain. It is something you can hear through an open classroom door.
Here’s To The Other Eight Months
Freedom Preparatory Academy exists to prepare all students in PreK through 12 to excel in college and in life. Month one gave us a good look at what that promise sounds like in real voices: a grandmother who trusts us with a third generation, a mom starting her second four-year journey, a senior who has been with us since kindergarten, and a little one who just really likes their teacher.
Thank you, Freedom Prep families. Let’s go get the rest of the year.
#OurMovementIsFreedom
Are you a Freedom Prep family with a first-month story to share? Tag us on social media or send us a message at externalrelations@freedomprep.org. We can’t wait to hear from you!
