Freetown-Lakeville Middle School
Freetown-Lakeville Middle School opened in 2002 and serves as a public Middle school to students from the towns of Freetown, Lakeville, and Assonet, Massachusetts. It educates around 750 students in grades 6-8 as part of the Freetown & Lakeville Public Schools.[1]
| Freetown-Lakeville Middle School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| |
96 Howland Road, Lakeville, Massachusetts 02347 | |
| Information | |
| Other names | FLMS |
| School type | Public, Open Enrollment |
| Motto | Respect, Responsibility, Resiliency |
| Established | September 2002 |
| School board | Freetown-Lakeville Regional School District |
| Principal | John Higgins |
| Enrollment | 750 (2018-2019) |
| • Grade 6 | 238 |
| • Grade 7 | 264 |
| • Grade 8 | 248 |
| Hours in school day | 8:05 AM - 2:25 PM |
| Campus | Rural |
| Mascot | Falcon |
| Newspaper | Falcon Gazette |
| Communities served | Freetown, Lakeville, Assonet |
| Feeder schools | George R. Austin Intermediate School |
| Feeder to | Apponequet Regional High School, Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School |
| Website | https://www.freelake.org/flms/ |
History
In the mid-1950s, Freetown and Lakeville formed a regional school district. On April 8, 1957, voters in Freetown and Lakeville approved construction of Apponequet Regional High School. Farm land on Howland Road in Lakeville was donated, and the school opened on September 21, 1959 initially to serve grades 7-12. At this time, students in grades 7 and 8 attended Apponequet as there was no formal middle school within the district. The first official middle school built within the Freetown-Lakeville Regional School District was the George R. Austin Middle School. In 1972, Freetown and Lakeville Public Schools opened the George R. Austin Middle School, a 5-8 facility.[2] The George R. Austin Middle School served as the district's middle school until 2002. In 1999, both towns proposed to construct a new middle school due to many of the classrooms being undersized with no natural light as constructed in the "open plan" design popular when the school was built in 1972.[3] Both towns eventually voted in favor of constructing a new middle school which was completed for the Fall 2002 school year, and was named the Freetown-Lakeville Middle School. Since 2002 the Freetown-Lakeville Middle School opened serving students in grades 5 to 8. Since September 2004, it has served grades 6 to 8. The George R. Austin Middle School has been converted into an intermediate school serving students attending grades 4 and 5 within the district.
Freetown-Lakeville MS follows three "core values": Respect, Responsibility, and Resiliency. These were laid out by principal Dave Patota. They summarize what the school expects of students.
As of the 2018-2019 school year the administration consists of Principal Dave Patota and Assistant Principal Vanessa Harvey.
Academics
As of the 2018-2019 school year, there was an enrollment total of 750 at the Freetown-Lakeville Middle School.[4]
National Junior Honor Society
FLMS has a National Junior Honor Society chapter for high achieving students. Seventh grade students achieving high honors for the first two trimesters are eligible for nomination to the N.J.H.S. during the third trimester of grade seven.
Demographics
As of 2018, 94.7% of students enrolled at FLMS were white.[5]
| Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity (2018–19) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race | % of School | % of District | % of State |
| African American | 1.6 | 1.4 | 9.2 |
| Asian | 0.8 | 0.8 | 7.0 |
| Hispanic | 1.3 | 1.7 | 20.8 |
| Native American | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| White | 94.7 | 93.8 | 59.0 |
| Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Multi-Race, Non-Hispanic | 1.3 | 2.1 | 3.8 |
Sports
FLMS offers a variety of sports teams including Boys Basketball, Girls Basketball, Co-ed Soccer, and Cross Country. The school district also offers an aquatic program.
The mascot of FLMS is the Falcon and sports teams are called The Falcons.
Extracurricular Activities
FLMS offers additional clubs including Art Club, Drama Club, Friends of The Falcon, Majorettes, Newspaper Club, Student Government, and Yearbook Club.
The Techno Ninjas
The Techno Ninjas was a former video making club at FLMS. This club was offered to students in grades 6-8 and made a variety of videos on YouTube, attracting a significant number of viewers. Videos were aired on local and national news. The Techno Ninjas made parody videos of other popular videos as well as lip dubs. Scenes from these videos features students as well as staff members inside the school.[6]
Videos made by the Techno Ninjas
- Falcons Style - Gangnam Style Parody
- FLMS 2013 Lip Dub
- The Free-Lake Shake - The Harlem Shake Parody
- Summer Break
- FLMS Mannequin Challenge - FLMS Version of the Mannequin Challenge
Bench Ceremony
On May 27, 2011, the school dedicated a bench to the deceased Tyler Trahan. The ceremony took place on the football field, with over 850 participants. This bench was placed in the eagle garden and will stay there permanently in the front of the school.[7]
Secondary School Options
Students of FLMS traditionally attend Apponequet Regional High School after completing the 8th grade. Students wishing a vocational education can apply to Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School for grades 9-12. Also, because Freetown is a part of Bristol County, high school students from both towns may apply for available slots at the Bristol County Agricultural High School. Students from Lakeville can also attend Rising Tide Charter Public School, as Lakeville is a part of their designated region.
There are also local private high schools that students can attend if they choose to enroll.
References
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