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Freestyle Academy of Communication Arts & Technology

1299 Bryant Ave, Mt. View, CA 94040 T 650-940-4650 x5090
2 Required Classes: English and Digital Media 3rd/Elective Class:  + Animation or Design or Film

Parent Information

Thank you for allowing your child to be part of our Freestyle Community! We are committed to providing an excellent, rigorous, meaningful, and rewarding program for your child.

Here's some information for parents of students at Freestyle Academy:

  1. How can you contact us?
  2. Schedule Info

    Freestyle has a unique class schedule - late start times, long block periods, and a two week repeating schedule. Lots of details posted on https://freestyleacademy.rocks/schedule.

    In addition to 3 Freestyle classes - two required classes in English, Digital Media and one elective class in Animation, Design, or Film - your student is also enrolled in Per. 9 Supervised Study. Here's why.

  3. Attendance, Period-9, Flex
    • There are no bells at Freestyle - just like there are no bells in a professional working film, recording, or design studio.
    • Arriving 30 minutes or more late to class will be recorded as an Absence.
    • Clearing absences - One call by parents to LAHS/MVHS will suffice. Parents do NOT need to call Freestyle (we don't have an attendance phone number or attendance email anyway) if you are absent. Parents can optionally email Freestyle teachers if you wish. Don't worry about informing the Shuttle operators if you're absent.
    • Why does your child have a Period 9 - Supervised Study on their schedule? Or click on the navigation links For Students > Per.9?
    • What is “Flex” on Thursday PM and Friday AM? Or click on the navigation links For Students > Flex
  4. Need a Parent Teacher Conference?

    If needed, parents can request a Parent Teacher Conference with individual teachers. When it makes sense to do so, we can also have a conference with all 3 teachers of your child. You can request a conference through this link: https://freestyleacademy.rocks/ptc-request.

  5. What do students need for Freestyle?

    Mainly energy and creativity, but no particular thing is required. A limited set of computers are available for check-out for the entire year. However, if you want to OPTIONALLY purchase hardware and equipment, click on the Equipment link on the left under Students for lots of information about what we use at Freestyle. Optional Equipment Purchases - Students/Parents often ask about purchasing equipment for Freestyle. No equipment is required to purchase for any student at Freestyle. You can OPTIONALLY purchase equipment/software and here is some information about computer check-out and what we use at Freestyle https://freestyleacademy.rocks/equipment.

  6. Canvas Class Observer

    All Freestyle Classes use Canvas for class assignments and Grades.

    • Parents are encouraged to become Observers to their student's courses so that you can view assignment dues dates, announcements, and other course content. Observers can view the course content but cannot participate in the course. Ask your child to generate a pairing code for each canvas course in order to become an observer of that course.

      Freestyle Canvas Class links (links not valid until 1st day of school in August)
    • Required courses: English 3 | 4 and Digital Media 1 | 2
    • Elective course: Animation 1 | 2 or Design 1 | 2 or Film 1 | 2
  7. Contributions for various non-classroom items

    Instead of asking for Contributions for different items throughout the year, we are instead asking for a SINGLE voluntary contribution at the beginning of the year which will cover all items. Here's what we're asking for in terms of Contributions - a total of $100 (or more, if you wish) for the following:

    • $50 for Exhibition Costs
    • $25 for Field Trip Buses
    • $25 for Professional Consultants/Guest Speakers, Field Trip Costs

    Total = $100 (or more, if you wish)
    You can contribute at any time during the school year with PayPal ( please pay “as a friend” to avoid PayPal fees ) to pay@freestyleacademy.rocks or a check can be made out to Freestyle Academy, not to LAHS or MVHS, or cash given to Mr. Florendo. You will eventually receive via email a letter about your contribution for tax-purposes.

  8. All school SF MOMA Museum Field Trip

    Depending upon health and safety conditions, our SF MOMA Museum Field Trip is on Tuesday Aug 29, 2023 - lots more details here. Parents are welcome to be a chaperon - duties quite minimal, in fact. Contact leo.florendo@freestyleacademy.rocks to request being a chaperon.

  9. Freestyle Back-To-School-Night is Thursday Aug 31 (NOT the same night at LAHS/MVHS)

    During the LAHS/MVHS Back-To-School Night, you do NOT come to Freestyle. Parents will have 3 open periods during the LAHS/MVHS BTSN.

    The Freestyle and AVHS Back-To-School-Night is Thursday 8/31/23 - one week after the LAHS/MVHS BTSN so that

    1. ALL Freestyle Parents can meet ALL Freestyle Teachers and see the Freestyle Campus.
    2. ALL Freestyle Parents can better understand Freestyle Classes and expectations.
    3. ALL Freestyle Parents can meet other Freestyle parents.
    4. LAHS/Freestyle Parents can understand the travel route/time that LAHS students take every day.

  10. Freestyle Social Media Links
  11. After School hours

    Freestyle is often, not always, open till 4:00 PM or later. Students just have to ask usually Mr. Florendo what time he is leaving campus since he's usually the last teacher on campus. Students may work in any classroom after school as long as 1 teacher is present on campus.

  12. Food/Drinks

    Each classroom teacher has their own classroom rules about food and drink. There is mini-fridge, microwave, and disposable utensils for all students to use at any time in the Digital Media room - no need to ask, just use as needed.

  13. School Calendar

    To keep up to date on what's happening at Freestyle, click on the calendars link on the left or go to https://freestyleacademy.rocks/calendar

  14. Project Information

    To know more about each project that your student will produce and how all classes are integrated, please visit out Projects page - click on the navigation menu Info > All Project Info or go to https://freestyleacademy.rocks/projects

  15. Class websites

    Click on the links at the top of this page for informations webpages for each class.

  16. Virtual Independent Study Program (formerly Option B) is NOT a Freestyle option

    The Virtual Independent Study Program is available at MVLA, but VISP students are not eligible for any on-campus classes across the district. So, no MVLA student can enroll at Freestyle (and LAHS/MVHS/AVHS) AND select the Virtual Independent Study Program.

  17. Freestyle Shuttle - free van transportation for LAHS students

    Click on the navigation links For Students > LAHS Shuttle Info.

  18. 2024 Summer - TBA

    Take a trip to TBA with other Freestyle Families during summer of 2024. Contact Ms. Parkinson about the trip.

  19. How will Freestyle help my child?

    There is a body of research that has shown arts education engages students in learning. When students are engaged, truancy and dropout rates decline. Student involvement in the arts is linked to higher academic performance, increased standardized test scores, and greater involvement in community service. Studies have demonstrated that students who attend schools where the arts are integrated into the classroom curriculum outperform their peers in math and reading who did not have an arts integrated curriculum.

    In the last two decades, California’s dominance of the Entertainment & Digital Media industry has continued unabated. In 2001, its share of the total Creative Economy was only 58.8%. By 2010, that had grown to 65.9%. By 2019, the share of all Creative Economy employees working in Entertainment had grown to 71.9%. This speaks to the massive technological changes that have taken place over the last few years, and how this industry has successfully harnessed that change (think: Smart TVs, streaming platforms, etc.) for their own benefit. While Architecture and Related Services reported the fastest growth over the past five years, Entertainment & Digital Media has seen the largest growth of employment, with over 152,000 jobs added in the state between 2014 and 2019.

    Overall, jobs in Entertainment & Digital Media span six main categories, with most of them concentrated in Emerging Digital Media (45%) and Film (18%). Occupations in these sectors include Data Processing and Custom Computer Programmers, Internet Publishing and Broadcasting, Artists, Artist Managers, and Motion Picture/Video Distributors. Other subsectors, such as Professional Services (including Marketing Researchers, Graphic Design or Photography) and Publishers (Newspaper Publishers), account for far fewer jobs (15% and 16% respectively), but are still integral to the industry as a whole.

    Based on data from 2019, the most recent complete data available for the 2021 Otis College Report on the Creative Economy.

    2021 Otis Report on the Creative Economy of California Employment Sectors
    2021 Otis Report on the Creative Economy of California Wages
    2021 Otis Report on the Creative Economy of California Employment Growth
    Otis College of Art & Design (2021). 2021 Otis Report on the Creative Economy of California. Retrieved from Otis College Website: https://www.otis.edu/creative-economy/2021/entertainment-digital-services

    Specific information about the Bay Area from the Otis Report

    Entertainment & Digital Media has the largest presence in the Bay Area out of all the creative industries, attributable to the concentration of tech jobs in the region (a great many tech jobs come under the Emerging Digital Media heading). Over 81% of wage and salary workers in the Bay Area work in Entertainment & Digital Media, and 79% of contractor workers are employed in the industry. Relative to its share of wage and salary employees (4%), Architecture and Related Services has a large number of contract workers (10%). Of all regions, creative employment grew fastest in the Bay Area, with wage and salary employment growing 46% (1,700 jobs) between 2014 and 2019, and contract employment growing 8% (6,500 jobs) over the same period.

    2021 Otis Report on the Creative Economy of California Bay Area Change in Employment
    2021 Otis Report on the Creative Economy of California Bay Area Share and Average Wage
    From https://www.otis.edu/creative-economy/2021/bay-area

    At Freestyle Academy, you will not only strengthen the necessary writing, speaking, and research skills you will need in college and in the workforce, but you will also learn critical communication skills that will help you express your ideas in creative, exciting and original ways such as but not limited to:

    • conceptual art and photography
    • photography with DLSR manual settings
    • experimental films, music and photo/video poems
    • original and adapted short stories and screenplays
    • narrative and documentary films
    • storyboards and graphic novels
    • animatics
    • short 2D and 3D animations
    • video commercials
    • video trailers
    • podcasts
    • website development using WordPress, CSS, HTML, and JavaScript/jQuery
    • illustrated art
    • publications such as posters, brochures, magazine articles, books, advertisements
    • critiques and presentations
    • surreal photography and illustrations
    • digital design converted to physical art
    • original music compositions
    • portraiture photography and illustrations
    • self-designed projects
    • personal stationery
    • portfolio showcase with community professionals
  20. Freestyle Alumni Information

    Lots of information about Freestyle Alumni including where they went after high school, what they studied, scholarship data, and testimonials on our alumni webpage.

Similar but other information specific to students is posted on our General Info webpage.