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Volume 4, Issue 18

January 6, 2014

Robotics Champs. Liberty robotic teams won awards at the State Championships held on Saturday, December 14th. Sixty-eight teams competed comprising the top 25 percent of Lego Robotics teams in Colorado. Liberty team MindQuakes was awarded second place in Project Research. The team is coached by CJ Smith. Liberty team 5th Gear won the overall championship award and also the Robot Performance award, and will advance to the World Festival. Team members are Michael Hofinger, Taylor Reinke, David Rohrbaugh, Joshua Rohrbaugh, and Mikey Werst. The team is coached by John Rohrbaugh and assisted by Janelle Rohrbaugh.

Forensics Team Update. On Friday, December 13th, the Junior-High Forensics Team traveled to Greeley for the Viper Invitational Tournament and had a very successful night! Congrats to Gabby Webb, Gabi Stokely (3rd in Humor Interpretation), Annalise Hoyer (6th in Impromptu Speaking), Caitlyn Jones (3rd in Prose), and Durga Saseendran (2nd in Prose)!

After Prom. NEEDED parent volunteers for After Prom event. Please contact Morgan Kaminky at morgankaminky@gmail.com as soon as you can. Help is needed with managing donations as well as planning the event.

April 23rd CMAS and ACT Testing. All 7th and 8th graders will take the CMAS test on the 23rd, 11th grades will take the ACT in the morning. There will be no school for 9th, 10th and 12th grades. 11th graders will be dismissed at 11:00 a.m. Look for more details in the next newsletter.

What's a liger? It's pretty much Miss Ellis' favorite animal. Made famous by the movie Napoleon Dynamite, the creature was mentioned in today's 'how cold is it?' joke during the morning announcements. In the movie, Napoleon says, 'it's like a lion and a tiger mixed...bred for its skills in magic.' Maybe you had to be there.

Scout Project Opportunity. With the expansion of the LCHS building occurring this year, we have a particular woodworking need involving the construction of six sturdy art-room worktables. This would make for an excellent Eagle-Scout project, or a good opportunity for anyone wanting to spearhead a lasting and worthwhile education-related community project. This project needs to be completed by August 12th, 2014. The school will cover material costs. Please email Principal Bob Schaffer if interested.

New Econ/Hist Instructor Aboard. Today marks the first day on the job for Dr. John McNulty who replaces Mr. Duane Staton as an LCHS Economics/History Instructor. McNulty received his B.A. from St. John's College, his Master's Degree from Harvard, and recently defended his PhD thesis at Harvard in May. His wife and two daughters will join him here in Fort Collins later during the year, making the family's transition to Fort Collins from Connecticut somewhat heroic. Please reach out to welcome Dr. McNulty as he tackles the tall challenge of joining Liberty mid-year.

Future Officers Abound At LCHS. It's kind of cool to be able to say 10% of LCHS seniors have earned military-academy appointments, and it's statistically true for the mighty Class of 2014. What a great way to start off the new year. Congratulations to School Captain Wade Provaznik who recently received two Congressional nominations to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point - one nomination from Congressman Polis, and another from Senator Bennet. Congratulations to School Captain Nate Trout who received Congressional nominations to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, and the U.S Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Congratulations to Domus Temperantiae House Captain Brad Knab who also received Congressional nominations to the U.S. Naval Academy, and the U.S. Air Force Academy. In about seven years, these Captains will be Captains again, next time as officers in the profession of arms. HOOAH! HOOYAH! AIR POWER!

Sports Vs. Academics. Does the increasing cost of high-school sports occur at the expense of academic success? The Coloradoan newspaper ran a story over the Christmas break on this topic relying on the LCHS administration for perspectives and quotes. The story reflects well on the school and its priorities. CLICK HERE to see it.

NOTICE: Lottery Policy Changed. Message to current lottery-list parents: The Liberty Common Board of Directors has made a change to our enrollment policy and process. Effective January 1, 2014, the parent or guardian of a child currently on the Liberty Common School/High School lottery list must attend one Parent-Information Session. The next such sessions are scheduled at the high school on Monday, January 13th , Wednesday, January 15th, and Tuesday, January 28th; and at the elementary school on Tuesday, January 21st ; and Thursday, January 23rd. All meetings start at 6:30 PM and last about two hours. Effected parents may attend a meeting at either campus location to satisfy this requirement. Those who attend a Parent-Information Session will be given priority position on the lottery over those who do not attend a session. The Board believes it is vital that all parents are given the opportunity to understand Liberty's unique educational approach prior to enrollment in the school. If you have questions as this policy change relates to grades 7 - 12 please inquire at the high school.

Published Columnists. Congratulations to juniors Joe Caraway and Mariya Garland for getting their column published in yesterday's Sunday edition of the Fort Collins Coloradoan newspaper. Their piece on Liberty's Key Club was fantastic. If you missed it, pull yesterday's editorial page out of your birdcage, or CLICK HERE for a link to the online posting of the brilliantly written column.

LCHS England Trip 2015

Are you a young Anglophile who craves British culture or perhaps just a curious student of all European history? Either way, LCHS's upcoming June 2015 trip to England (and possibly Paris) is for you! Stop by the Student Travel Center in 205-C for a Best of England brochure/price quote and pester Mr. Kem if you have any questions. Please also check out the Student Travel Page on the LCHS website.

In This Issue

High-School Athletic News

Jr.-High Athletic News

Contact Us

Liberty Common High School

2745 Minnesota Drive

Fort Collins, CO 80525

Phone: 970-672-5500

Fax: 970-672-5499

hsinfo@libertycommon.org

Board of Directors

You may contact all members of our Board of Directors at

BOD@libertycommon.org

Sarvjit Gill: 227-4202

Joel Goeltl: 593-8556

Paulette Hansen: 282-8455

Jeff Webb: 545-9636

Bill Werst: 631-8379

Amy Redstone: 378-1170

John Rohrbaugh: 225-2259

Next BOD Meeting:

January 16th, 6:00 PM

Faculty Room

Liberty Common School

1725 Sharp Point Dr.

How to Reach Us

Office hours:

7:15 a.m.-3:45 p.m.

Phone # is (970) 672-5500

Attendance Line:

(970) 672-5500, option 2

please call by 8:15 a.m.

All students who arrive after 7:45 a.m. must be signed in at Front Office.

Newsworthy Notices

Student Store, Eagle's Landing. Purchase snacks, coffee and school spirit gear at our student run school store. Hours of operation are: M-F: 7:15-7:40, 11:05-11:25 (closed block days during lunch), and 3:15 - 3:30.

Please Drive Courteously.
We have several young, inexperienced student drivers. Please be patient with them.

Lost and Found. Unclaimed items must be claimed promptly. Items will be donated to charity regularly.

Student checking out early? If you have a student who will leave school early for any reason (appointments, sports, etc.), please have him or her stop by the front office in the morning with a note signed by a parent to pick up a pass. This allows your student to leave class promptly and minimize classroom interruptions. If you have questions please

contact Ms.Burke.

News from the Board of Directors
by: Amy Redstone, Board Chair

The Importance of Educated Parents

The Liberty Common Board of Directors recognizes that the high-quality education received by our children today is not automatically self-sustaining; only through the informed commitment of parents, teachers, and the Administration can it continue to exist. Today, our children are fortunate to attend a school which offers curricular rigor in all grades and teaches common sense character values. However, the Board also believes that Liberty's educational approach is at risk due to an erosion of committed and aligned parents. We also face the threat to educational quality from the Common Core State Standards. In this Monday Notes entry and in an upcoming one, we will discuss these two concerns and the Board's plan to address them. Let's start by looking within.

As a parent-led school, Liberty will need a future generation of directors, committee members, and an enthusiastic boatload of parent volunteers working both inside and outside the classroom to support and run the school well into the future. These parents must understand what makes Liberty successful in order to perpetuate it, sorting out erroneous approaches, which undermine learning, from valid ones. To support this goal, the Board has implemented a change to our enrollment policy. As of January 1, 2014 parents with children currently on the lottery list will be asked to attend one of several parent information sessions. Those who attend will have priority placement on the list over those currently on the list who do not attend. In addition, all parents who wish to put their child's name on the lottery list in the future will need to attend an information session. This represents a change from the previous policy which required only online enrollment and no parent education at all to get on our lottery list.

Parents currently on the lottery list will soon receive an email inviting them to attend one of several information sessions. At these sessions, Principals Churchill or Schaffer will discuss the philosophical underpinning, the Thinking Framework, and the specific curricular approaches that undergird Liberty's success. The Board believes that explicit parental education and buy-in prior to enrollment is the best way to sustain Liberty in the future. While not required, current Liberty parents are welcome and encouraged to attend one of these sessions.

In an upcoming Monday Notes entry, we will discuss the threat to Liberty from outside its walls and what we can do about it.

The History of Liberty Common High School, Part IV
By Bob Schaffer, Director of Secondary Schools (Founding Parent)

Liberty Common School has a unique history that is important for all to know. There were many hardships and roadblocks encountered along the way. The Founders persevered to make our school what it is today, but it wasn't easy. We are fortunate to have had such persistent pioneers with a vision to make one of the best charter schools in Colorado.

For the past three weeks, we have run, "How Did We Get Here?" by Dr. Maureen Schaffer. Dr. Schaffer does a superb job of detailing the events that took place to develop Liberty Common School as we know it. Our hope is that by sharing our history, we will better value the efforts by our founders to get where we are today. It is because of their vision and foresight that we have the top elementary and high school in the state of Colorado.

We continually thank our founding parents for their hard work and dedication. We could not have asked for a better educational system to educate children. Our hope is that you feel the same.

The History of Liberty Common School

By: Bob Schaffer (Founding Parent)

By 2008, The Liberty Common School had been awarded numerous state and national commendations for academic achievement. The school's students consistently earned top academic-performance scores in the Poudre School District and across Colorado.

Liberty's reputation as the top-performing school naturally attracted the attention of new parents throughout the region. Enrollment had swelled to 581 students in grades K-9. The school was completely full. The number of families waiting on the lottery list to enroll their children at Liberty numbered well over a thousand.

That year, the Board of the Poudre School District voted to change the grade configuration for neighborhood junior high schools and high schools throughout the district. Where the district's high schools previously consisted of grades 10-12, high schools would now expand to include 9th graders. This had a direct, threatening impact on Liberty.

The change in the district's configuration would apply direct competitive pressure on our 9th grade. The writing was on the wall: Liberty either needed to expand to include a high school, or watch its 9th grade wither on the vine. Liberty's Board of Directors appointed an Expansion Committee to study the feasibility of both options and design a plan for expansion - upward and outward.

The Expansion Committee ultimately recommended expanding into high school, but the question of feasibility required further evaluation. The highest goal was to avoid any compromise of The Liberty Common School's core mission - teaching the kids already in its system.

On February 5, 2009, Liberty's Board petitioned the Poudre School District to amend the Charter and to add a third track of K-6th grade and add a 10th, 11th and 12th grade.

Tim Ricketts, business manager at The Liberty Common School worked with the BOD finding complicated financial solutions that allowed Liberty Common High School to become a reality.

A resolution of the Board said it all: "The purpose of completing our high school program is to offer high school education that is college preparatory in nature, specifically builds on the Core Knowledge Curriculum, effectively continues to foster the reading, writing, mathematical and thinking skills particular to Liberty's current offering, continues the Liberty approach to character education, is small in size, extends the economics, history, science and mathematics foundation that Liberty has established, and makes use of learning opportunities inherent in the thinking framework currently employed at Liberty."

Though many exchanges and meetings between the district and Liberty were necessary, in August of 2008, Liberty received a letter from PSD's Board president Larry Neal indicating the district was pleased to move forward on an addendum to the Charter allowing the expansion and the new high school to go forward.

Even though the district had approved the expansion, it wasn't a done deal. A serious economic recession had stricken the nation and hit Colorado's School Finance Act pretty hard. All public schools in the state were notified of a financial rescission of allocated funds. Furthermore, they were told the next school year would come with a spending reduction on the order of 6% or more.

Obtaining suitable classroom facilities for The Liberty Common School would not have happened without the leadership of Liberty parent and charter-school champion Peter Kast.

Tim Ricketts, Liberty's business manager was asked to run multiple versions of financial numbers anticipating every conceivable budget scenario. The Board had to make a serious decision involving a long-term financial commitment in the midst of volatile economic uncertainty. The central question was obvious: Now that Liberty has the authorization to expand, can it afford to actually do it given the economic downturn at hand?

Convinced there is no greater priority than the education of their children and buoyed by the strong support for expansion among the Liberty parent population, the Board decided to go forward with the plan. Though optimistic, the Board instructed the administration to build a high school while pinching every penny in order to make the finances work. Salaries for all Liberty personnel were frozen until further notice.

Peter Kast, who negotiated and secured Liberty's current building, was called again to help find a suitable building, this time for a high school. Peter agreed to help and the search for a new high school was on. Several buildings were considered in the neighborhood of the elementary school, but none of them were panning out.

What shall the high school be called? After convening student focus groups and consulting the parent population, it was decided to stick with a brand name that carries with it a reputation for academic excellence: Liberty Common High School.

To be continued....

Alumni Dispatch - News from LCHS alumni about college, success and reflections on their Alma Mater.

From Agnes Mpanga, 2011-12 LCHS Exchange Student (Tanzania). Hi everybody, my name is Agnes Mpanga, an exchange student from Tanzania. I attended Liberty during the 2011-2012 school year. I had lots of fun during my stay with my host families the Gillespies, and my host school Liberty Common. I learned how to be independent and to be punctual - things I never had before I came to US - and now, while I am continuing with my studies, it is helping me a lot.

I am forever grateful to my hosts as I made new friends at Liberty and I learned a lot about the culture of Americans. I can now explain nearly anything to my friends and family about the American culture. Apart from the knowledge that I have gained, I have made strong bonds with my host family and the friends that I have got. For now, I am in a high school taking Physics, Mathematics and Geography. I am hoping to complete my studies in 2015 and then I can go to university to continue with my studies.

I am wishing you all a merry Christmas and a happy New Year, and I thank you all for making my exchange period memorable, happy and knowledgeable. Thank you Mr. Schaffer for making me write this short report. May God bless you and have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

News from the Academic Dean, Sandy Stoltzfus

For Questions or Schedule Changes:
Junior-High Students: Schedule Change Forms require a parent signature. Forms are available in the front office and the College Center. Complete Schedule Change Forms and/or questions should be directed to Mrs. Rieb, 672-5512 or mrieb@libertycommon.org.

High-School Students: Students should make an appointment with Mrs. Stoltzfus. A sign-up sheet is posted on her office window. Please feel free to contact Mrs. Stoltzfus at 672-5505 or sandys@libertycommon.org

Official Drop/Add Policies:

*   The deadline for schedule changes for all LCHS students is five school-days after the semester begins.
*   A high-school student who drops a course between the published deadline for schedule changes and the end of the fourth week of the semester will received a "W" noting the student withdrew from the course.
*   A high-school student who drops a course after the first four weeks of a semester shall receive a "WF" which shall be used in calculating grade point average.

Seniors: The 2014 Local Scholarship Packet is Available

* Due Wednesday, January 29, 2014
* Packets will be available on the LCHS website > Academics > College Planning
* 2014 packet contains over 25 different scholarships
* Over $130,000 in scholarships were awarded to local students last year

Contact Mrs. Stoltzfus with questions.

The following students have received college acceptance notifications:

College-Bound Seniors

Alisha Eskew   Colorado School of Mines
Alisha Eskew   Michigan Technological University
Andrew Jones   Colorado School of Mines
Anna Garcia   Colorado School of Mines
Anna Garcia   Seton Hall University
Arjun Gill   University of Colorado
Brad Knab   Colorado School of Mines
Brad Knab   Baylor University
Catelyn Bottom   Evergreen State College
Catelyn Bottom   Portland State University
Charlie Cochran   Colorado Mesa University
DJ Mullaney   Colorado State University
Isaac Gentz   DigiPen Institute of Technology
Jessica Schwindt   Azusa Pacific University
Katelyn Nysather   Regis University
Katelyn Nysather   Colorado State University
Maria Lanciotti   Benedictine College
Maria Lanciotti   University of Mary
Robert Jones   Colorado School of Mines
Timothy Scott   South Dakota School of Mines
Troy Belleville   Montana State University-Bozeman
Troy Belleville   Pacific Lutheran University
Troy Belleville   Whitworth University
Troy Belleville   Seattle Pacific University
Troy Belleville   Hope College
Troy Belleville   Colorado State Univesity
Wade Provaznik   Colorado School of Mines

Congratulations Seniors!

What is CU Succeed?
CU Succeed is a unique program of the University of Colorado Denver that works with Liberty Common High School to provide students the opportunity to take LCHS courses for both high school and college credit-concurrent enrollment.

The courses offered in the program are not high school courses for which students earn college credit. They are courses that have been reviewed by CU Denver faculty and have been deemed equivalent in content and academic standards to courses taught on the CU Denver campus.

Additionally, Liberty Common High School instructors have met the same standards as on-campus instructors and have been granted adjunct faculty status by an academic department of the University.

CU Succeed offers high school students the opportunity to earn college credit at a reduced tuition rate. Enrollment in CU Succeed courses for CU Denver credit is optional.

Visit the CU Succeed website for more information: www.ucdenver.edu/cusucceed.

The following LCHS courses are offered for CU Succeed Credit:
Pre-Calculus (2013-14)
College Algebra (2013-14)
College Trigonometry (2013-14)
Calculus III (2013-14)
Calculus-Based Physics I (2013-14)
Calculus-Based Physics II (2014-15)

Upcoming College Admissions Exams

National ACT Dates

Test Date	Registration Deadline	(Late Fee Required)
February 8, 2014	January 10, 2014	January 11-24, 2014

National SAT Dates

Test Date	Registration Deadline	(Late Fee Required)
January 25, 2014	December 27, 2013	January 10, 2014

High-School Athletic News

Jr.-High and High-School Baseball - If you are planning on playing summer baseball, our high-school baseball coach, Ron

Frasco, is putting together some summer teams for 7th-8th and 9th-11th grades. If you are interested, please contact him at (970) 988-6579 or email him at ronaldjay@earthlink.net this week.

- Check out how your old high school (anywhere in the nation) is doing and of course check out Liberty Common on MaxPreps.

- You can also check out our school rankings in Colorado by going to CHSAANow.com.
- For updated schedules and directions to games go to the school website libertycommon.org.

For game summaries please go to MaxPrep

Attention Parents: If you are a high-school student and you are participating in a winter sport at another high school that offers a sport that we do not, then you need to complete an 'Intent to Play for Another School' form and submit it to Mr. Knab.

For additional athletic schedules, directions to games and sports packets for the blue card, please go to the Athletics tab on our website.

For questions regarding athletics, contact Dan Knab, or call him at 672-5508.

Click here to access the Liberty Common Schools Athletic Booster Club Facebook website.

Jr.-High Athletic News

Jr. High Girl's Basketball - Parent packets must be completed and physicals turned in to Mr. Knab Tuesday, January 7th in order for your daughter to receive a Blue Card which is mandatory for January 7th's practice. Thank you.

Jr. High and High School Baseball - If you are planning on playing summer baseball, our High-School Baseball Coach, Ron Frasco, is putting together some summer teams for 7th-8th and 9th-11th grades. If you are interested, please contact him at (970) 988-6579 or email him at ronaldjay@earthlink.net this week.

Check out our website for up-to-date league standings.

Attention Parents: If you are a jr.-high-school student and you are participating in a winter sport at another school that offers a sport that we do not, then you need to complete an 'Intent to Play for Another School' form and submit it to Mr. Knab.

For additional athletic schedules, directions to games and sports packets for the Blue Card, please go to the Athletics tab on our website.

For questions regarding athletics, contact Dan Knab or call him at 672-5508.

Volunteering and Fundraising

Fundraising

Front-Office Fundraising. "Cartridges for Kids" gives us cash for your old printer cartridges, cell phones, ipods, video games and consoles, laptops, GPS devices, PDAs, digital cameras and DVDs. "Box Tops for Education," Campbell's soup labels and Morning Fresh Dairy bottle caps also provide our school with additional funding. Drop-off point is in the front office.

The Critical Nature of the Liberty Common School Charter - Test Yourself

Liberty's Board and Administration subscribes to this view: It is the right and responsibility of parents to direct the education and upbringing of their children. To help you accomplish this goal, we encourage you to learn the foundational principles contained within Liberty's charter. In upcoming Monday Notes, you'll find a new quiz question pulled right from our charter. Test yourself. The correct answer can be found in the notes as well. The charter can be found on our website.

The primary focus of the Principal is
a)        Excellence and fairness in education
b)        Educational excellence and supporting teachers
c)        Community relations and supporting teachers
d)        Chauffeuring E.D. Hirsch, Jr. at the Core Knowledge Conferences

The correct answer can be found in this edition of Monday Notes.

Grandparents Corner
by: Jan Dougherty

The Grandparents Club is having a social event on Thursday, January 30th at The Olive Garden in Fort Collins. Friendly interaction will begin at 5:30 pm. Supper is at 6:30pm. We would love to have many of you come and enjoy a simple night out relaxing and enjoying stories about our, (of course) grandchildren. For reservations, please call Walter and JoAnn at 970-226-4473, or let them know by e-mail. gpc@libertycommon.org Again may your Christmas break be joyful, happy, and safe.

Classical Manners for the Modern Youth

From the 1934 high-school textbook Good Manners used in "Household Science" class of that day:

"Rule No. 80. Leave-Taking. When your guests leave, go to the door with them, and ask them to come again. If your mother is not in the room, ask her if she can come in to say good-bye to your guests. Avoid a boisterous leaving that may disturb the neighbors, and give them a wrong impression of your party."

What's Happening at LCHS

Charter Quiz Answer: The primary focus of the Principal is educational excellence and supporting teachers.

School Closures - LCHS adheres to Poudre School District's school closures due to inclement weather causing hazardous road conditions. If PSD schools are closed due to hazardous road conditions, so is LCHS. If PSD delays the start of the school day due to snow or ice, so will Liberty. CLICK HERE for up-to-the-minute PSD snow-day announcements.

School Lunch Calendars - Click Here

Student absent and needing to contact teachers?

Email upper@libertycommon.org (delivered to every LCHS staff member's email box)
Or email individuals using first letter of staff member's first name followed by last name. Example: jsmith@libertycommon.org
You can also find a list of staff on the school website: www.libertycommon.org
Remember to call the attendance line at 672-5500, option 2, before 8:15 a.m., if your student will be arriving late or will be absent.

Mark Your Calendar:

January 13                   Public Information Night, 6:30 - 8:00
January 17                   LCHS Spelling Bee
January 20                   Martin Luther King Day, NO SCHOOL
January 29                   PSD Written Spelling Bee, 1:00 p.m.
January 31                   8th Grade Science Fair, 3:30 p.m.
February 7                    No School, Professional Development Day

Click here for a 2013-14 school calendar.

News Worth Repeating

Save the Date! TCAP Testing. The spring TCAP schedule will test 7th through 10th grades in both the mornings and afternoons of March 26th, 27th and 28th. The schedule is designed to be less disruptive to class time while maintaining a favorable testing environment. A combination of workshops and open campus will be planned for juniors and seniors. Details are forthcoming.

Please mark your calendars and do not plan any vacations or medical/dental appointments on testing days. Attending school during these days is of utmost importance and we greatly appreciate your support.

Dismissal Dilemma. We have seen an increase in the number of telephone calls at the end of the day from parents asking us to relay messages to their student(s). The majority of the messages are regarding pickup - where and with whom. Please discuss pickup plans with your child in the morning or write them down in your student's planner. These small steps will reduce the number interruptions in the classroom and front office. Thank you.

Learn about solar radiation from Dr. John Allen at the next Liberty Lecture on Tuesday, January 21st 2014.
Soak Up Some Solar Radiation. It's safe to say our first two Liberty Lectures were outstanding events. The third one will be, too. LCHS's Dr. John Allen is a distinguished atmospheric chemist whose career research involved the effects of solar ultraviolet radiation exposure on humans. Find out if your brand of sunscreen really works, and what happens if it doesn't - directly from a foremost expert on the topic. Mark your calendar now for Tuesday, January 21st 6:30 - 7:30 PM in the LCHS Great Hall.

Spring Gala. The Spring Gala will set sail this year on Friday, April 4th, 2014 and we hope to have you on board! Questions? Please contact Jodi Fraser (988-1570) or Qeryldine Hofinger (219-4374).

Sign Up Now For Elitch's Fieldtrip. The end-of-year LCHS fieldtrip is scheduled for Wednesday, May 28th, 2014. This is five days after the last day of school, and is open to high-school students currently in 9th - 11th grades. The ticket price is $23 if ordered before March 2014. After that, the cost jumps. So, between now and then, expect to see this announcement suggesting cost-saving RSVPs for the 2014 high-school trip to Elitch Gardens. To save a few bucks on your ticket, please send an email to the high school either confirming or declining your freshman's, sophomore's, or junior's participation in the trip.

Study Sessions Mandatory For Some (Skiving Defined). Liberty's ninth-hour "club" options are a great opportunity for students to get extra help in their studies. Students falling behind in their grades may be required by their instructors to attend 9th-hour study clubs, or zero-hour (morning) study sessions. Such students who are required to attend, but fail to show up for these sessions will be given a conduct violation. The proper term for skipping these supplemental study sessions is skiving. If you see this new category in a homeward violation notice, it means your student has skipped something he or she was required to attend at school. "Skiving" also applies to failures to show up for lunchtime ransom duty and detentions.

Parenting Class For Liberty Parents.
Liberty is proud to offer again to all parents "America's most practical and entertaining parent training" Parenting The Love And Logic Way. This is a six-week parent-training program that is very effective in helping with proven strategies covering everything from getting your kids out of bed in the morning, to establishing household expectations, discipline and positive relationships with teens.

Our expert instructor is Liberty mom Mrs. Shannon Yockey. Cost is $125.00 per individual, $175 per couple, which includes workbooks and materials. All profits from the class will go to professional development for LCS and LCHS faculty and staff. Classes run from Jan 14th - Feb 18th 2014 for six weeks and will be held at Liberty Common School, 1725 Sharp Point Drive. This class is open to all parents with children of all ages. Please register by printing out a registration form (CLICK HERE) and submitting payment to the front office.

For more information about the class, contact Shannon Yockey at (970) 224-2080 ext.1. Class size is limited. You must register by Wednesday, January 8th.