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Volume 4, Issue 25
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February 24, 2014
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Newsworthy Notices
| Knowledge Bowl Team Shows Well. Our LCHS Knowledge Bowl team did well last Saturday at the Thompson Valley Invitational. They ended up taking 2nd place at the tournament, and they ended up 2nd place overall in the Northern Colorado (Megamind) league. In emailing in his team update, coach Mr. Jason Mayer wrote, "I also need to get into the trophy cabinet tomorrow. We brought home some hardware." The Knowledge Bowl team travels to Greeley next Monday to participate in a regional contest.
 State Department Visit. We received a visit from the U.S. Department of State last week. The main purpose of the visit was to tour the school and deliver to LCHS an official commendation award and certificate for "contributions to international peace and understanding by providing a warm welcome for U.S. Department of State 2013-14 academic year international youth exchange participants." Big thanks go to the host families who have generously opened their homes to Liberty's exchange students. Liberty's tradition of welcoming full-year exchange students has enriched our school culture and has provided many valuable experiences, global friendships.  | |
LCHS English Department Chair Mr. Jared Dybzinski delivered last week's Liberty Lecture on Dante's "Divine Comedy."
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Dybzinski's Dante Discourse. Last week's Liberty Lecture was fantastic. The rather large crowd was treated to Mr. Jared Dybzinski's high-level presentation on Dante's Divine Comedy. If you missed it, don't let that happen again. The next Liberty Lecture is March 24th presented by the LCHS art department. See nearby details for more information.  Taxonomy of Aesthetics. The next Liberty Lecture will focus on art and will take place on Tuesday, March 24th from 6:30 - 7:30PM in the LCHS Great Hall. Attendees will learn about various classifications of art, artistic relationships and art appreciation. LCHS instructors Megan Ellis and Rex Seiple will walk the audience through key characteristics of classical and modern art, providing commentary on art history, appreciation and theory. They will also underscore the intensity of art instruction in the Core Knowledge Sequence. The pair provided a preview at a recent LCHS staff meeting, which was received by the faculty and administration with great enthusiasm. As with all Liberty Lectures, this interesting lesson is open to the general public and is intended for adults and students alike.
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LCHS juniors Daniel Hunt and Joe Caraway hold up official documents received last week from the Colorado House of Representatives. The Legislative commendation singles out LCHS for "exemplary performance.
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State House Recognizes LCHS. The Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives placed his signature at the bottom of an official commendation singling out LCHS for being ranked among the state's top-performing schools. The Tribute corresponds with the state's Sixty-ninth General Assembly which is meeting presently at the State Capitol. The document reads, "Liberty Common High has demonstrated exemplary performance and is ranked among the top performing schools in Colorado, setting a fine example for schools across the rest of the state." Representative Ginal wrote an accompanying letter to Principal Schaffer saying, "Through your successes in facilitating a great learning environment, you are helping to shape productive, dynamic members of our community and for that I cannot thank you enough." |
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Contact Us
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Liberty Common High School
2745 Minnesota Drive
Fort Collins, CO 80525
Phone: 970-672-5500
Fax: 970-672-5499
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| Board of Directors |
You may contact all members of our Board of Directors at
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: February 20th, 6:00 PM Faculty Room
Liberty Common School
1725 Sharp Point Dr.
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| 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.
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Newsworthy Notices
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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.
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.
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RSVP Now For Spring Gala
By: Bob Schaffer, LCHS Principal |   Ahoy! It's time to mark - in ink - calendars for this year's Liberty Spring Gala. This annual event is a ton of fun.
It's our fifth year for the soiree, and every year since the first it's gotten bigger, better, and more fun. Everyone in the Liberty community should go.
Invitations hit everyone's mailboxes just last week. In addition to marking the event on your calendars now, please also rush in your RSVPs. Early headcounts help raise more money for the school just through the economy of early planning and efficiency.
This year's event takes place Friday, April 4th from 6 - 11 p.m., at the Embassy Suites in Loveland. For further details, CLICK HERE. Between now and Wednesday, March 12th, tickets are $40 each. After that date, the price jumps to $50. The RSVP cutoff date is Friday, March 28th.
This year's Gala takes on a nautical theme which reinforces Liberty's longstanding philosophy that education is a journey, or in this case a voyage full of discovery and adventure. It also signifies the many truly remarkable navigational beacons visible on Liberty's immediate horizon.
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Liberty's 2012 Spring Gala built a great foundation for this annual event. This year's Gala will be bigger and better.
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As Liberty parents, our acquaintances with one another tend to be made in school parking lots, at school sporting events, and school performances. The one and only occasion we all have to gather, visit, socialize and have fun is at the annual Spring Gala.
Parents from both schools attend. Teachers attend. Administrators attend. Grandparents attend. School supporters attend. School founders attend.
The theme also draws attention to the heroic efforts of so many parents, from the epic story of the founding, to the ongoing determination of our leaders to raise the bar and manage an independent charter school that is literally owned and operated by all of us who are Liberty parents.
There are some exciting items that guests will have the opportunity to take home with them. For example, someone will win a spectacular margarita fiesta for 12 complete with a rollup Airstream party station. 
You might win a Costa Rican vacation, orthodontic treatments valued at $6,000, or an iconic classic bicycle provided by a local brewery. Then there are valuable grab bags in which winners will discover treasures that always exceed expectations.
Celebrating an adventurous voyage at the Spring Gala also brings to mind the happiness that all Liberty parents should embrace when we consider what we're all doing now - together - to make Liberty succeed where many other schools are not. Liberty's curriculum, philosophy, and parent-led management truly make us unique.
Of course, a lot of hard work - from all of us parents - goes into making Liberty a top-performing school. Gathering together in a festive, joyous setting like our Spring Gala is the perfect way to have fun, to get to know the faculty, staff, and one another better, and to talk about our fantastic kids. 
And don't forget, our students really do appreciate seeing their parents congregating to support their school. It sets a perfect example of community leadership, of responsible stewardship, and it lets them know that their education is of enormous importance.
Need more proof? CLICK HERE and hear them say it themselves. See you at the Spring Gala!
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News from the Vice-Principal, Torgun Lovely
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Student Life Corner   Avengers-Themed Movie Night. This Friday, February 28th there will be a "super-fun" movie night in the LCHS Great Hall from 6-10pm. The gathering is presented by Domus Prudentiae. The cost is $5 per student. Thor and The Avengers will be played and there will be lots of yummy food. Please come dressed up as your favorite Avenger, but still dressed appropriately (shoulders must be covered; shorts and skirts may not be higher than finger-tip length; all clothing must be modest, opaque, and in good repair; no midriff exposure; undergarments and straps may not be exposed; no cleavage showing; and no offensive or questionable lettering or images). The top three best costumes will get awesome prizes. Please come and enjoy this fun night hanging out with friends and watching movies! You don't want to miss it.   
Carnage from the Penny Wars! To the victor go the spoils...and in the case of the Penny Wars, the victor was the Poudre River Friends of the Library organization to the tune of $2,041! Special thanks to Order Leaders Ashley Salehi, Bryce Poirot, Shae Nance, and Cade Jacobs from the Orders of Scarlett and Kranz who put forth a monstrous effort to make the Penny Wars a success. What great leadership from a dedicated group of 7th graders! The final results are below:
 Congratulations to Domus Temperantiae and the Orders of Kranz and Scarlett. They will each receive a frozen yogurt party complete with toppings this week on Wednesday and Thursday block lunches respectively. Second place winners, Domus Justitiae and the Orders of Ogg and Robinson will each receive jeans-day passes. Nice job to all of the students and staff who generously contributed to the worthy cause of our local library system in honor of Mr. Staton. Also, special thanks to TCBY for donating a massive amount of free frozen yogurt, Culligan Water Softeners for donating the containers used, and especially Home State Bank, as they worked for more than an hour beyond their closing time to help count the coins free of charge.  
MathCounts Success! On February 8th Liberty Common High School's Junior High MathCounts Team traveled to the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley to compete in a regional math competition taking on Northern Colorado's leading math brains. Although the day was wicked frigid, Liberty's Mathletes were red hot as they successfully earned an amazing 4th place in the highly competitive regional contest. This incredible team was comprised of Josh Rohrbaugh, Eli Oceanak, Perry Nielsen, and Ananya Shah. Gabi Stokley, Michael Werst, Vedha Vijayasarathy, Ashley Zhou, Tara Lowensohn, and Michael Hofinger all competed individually during the competition as well. Ananya Shah, Eli Oceanak, Joshua Rohrbaugh, Michael Hofinger, and Vedha Vijayasarathy all placed in the top 25% with Ananya and Eli both qualifying for the elite state competition on March 15th at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden. These are all tremendous feats so be sure to congratulate and give serious props to these math gladiators when you see them. If you want to come and get your math groove on, join us March 15th as we travel to see Ananya and Eli represent Liberty and take on Colorado's best! Go Liberty!
FCA Huddle. The next huddle is on Tuesday, February 25th at 6:45 a.m. FCA invites any and all high-school students to come, even if you are not an athlete. There are six more huddles planned for the year - generally every other Tuesday. Watch here for announcements about upcoming meetings.
 Splash Pool Services
Students interested in summer jobs as lifeguards and/or swimming-lesson instructors can apply through the Splash Pool Services website. The hiring process is underway. Don't delay; contact Splash today! E-mail Splash Pool Services President Amy Casady with questions.
Other Items
Traffic There is a plethora of construction around the building, and it is making drop-off and pick-up even more precarious than usual. Please remember to abide by all traffic laws during these times, and mind the safety of your student(s) and others as well. To jaywalk is to cross a street at a place other than a regular crossing or in a heedless manner. Please remind your students of this and drop them off or pick them up in locations where jaywalking is not a necessity.
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News from the Academic Dean, Sandy Stoltzfus
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AP Exam Registration:
- The registration deadline for AP exams is March 7th.
- According the College Board, "you can take as many AP Exams as you want; in fact, the AP Program doesn't require you to take an AP course before taking an AP Exam." Click here to see the complete list of exams, there are 34 in all. See Mrs. Stoltzfus with any questions.
ACT Practice Test
LCHS is hosting another free ACT Practice Test.
Huntington Learning Center will be offering their free Two-Step ACT Workshop to Liberty Common High School students on March 29th and April 5th.
March 29th, 7:30AM at LCHS: ACT TEST (Free) Take a full-length practice ACT exam at LCHS
April 5th, 9AM at LCHS: Results/Overview (Free)
Parents and students: Join us at LCHS for an overview of your test results and a presentation on how the ACT is used in the college admissions process
Registration is required. Students may register in the College Center no later than Friday, March 14th. Again, this is a completely free opportunity.
All juniors will take the ACT at LCHS on Wednesday, April 23rd! This test is free to all juniors.
College Seminar Hosted by Wade Provaznik
Most Selective College Information Seminar Friday, March 7th
high-school students: if you are interested in possibly applying to one of the "most selective" colleges in the country (Harvard, Stanford, Yale, etc.), please consider attending Liberty's first annual "Most Selective" College Information Seminar on March 7th from 6:30-8:30PM. Here, you will learn what you can do to increase your chances of getting that fat acceptance envelope to the college of your dreams. This event will include the input and experiences from current LCHS seniors who have recently applied to these schools as well as Liberty alumni and college interviewers. This event is open to all LCHS freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and their families. More information will come in the following weeks. We hope to see you there.
Service Academy Information Seminar Friday, March 28th high-school students: if you are interested in applying to one of the country's service academies (USMA, USNA, USAFA, USMMA, USCGA), please consider attending Liberty's first annual Service Academy Information Seminar on March 28th from 6:30-8:30PM. Led by your three LCHS seniors with Offers of Appointment, this event will feature first-hand accounts of this complex application process while also providing key information on how to get in to these institutions of service. This event will also include advice from current service academy regional contacts and our own Mr. Schaffer who personally nominated students to the academies during his time as a United States Congressman. This event is open to all LCHS students and their families. More information will be available in the upcoming weeks. We hope to see you there.
Seniors Accepted to College:
Alisha Eskew Colorado School of Mines & Michigan Technological University, Pennsylvania State University
Anna Garcia Colorado School of Mines, Seton Hall University & Colorado State University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Arjun Gill University of Colorado
Brad Knab Colorado School of Mines, Baylor University, United States Naval Academy & United States Air Force Academy, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, University of Denver
Robert Jones Colorado School of Mines
Catelyn Bottom Evergreen State College & Portland State University,
Colorado State University Charlie Cochran Colorado Mesa University
DJ Mullaney Colorado State University
Isaac Gentz DigiPen Institute of Technology
Jessica Schwindt Azusa Pacific University & University of Montana-Missoula, Grand Canyon University
Katelyn Nysather Regis University & Colorado State University
Kalee Blanchard Brigham Young University - Idaho Logan Houdesheldt Aims Community College Fire Academy
Maria Lanciotti Benedictine College & University of Mary
Morgan Kaminky Colorado State University
Nate Trout South Dakota School of Mines, United States Naval Academy, University of Cincinnati, Colorado State University
Will Jones Colorado State University
Timothy Scott South Dakota School of Mines
Troy Belleville Montana State University-Bozeman, Pacific Lutheran University, Whitworth University, Seattle Pacific University, Hope College, Colorado State Univesity
Wade Provaznik Colorado School of Mines, United States Military Academy, University of Colorado-Boulder
Yamilex Avila-Stanley Colorado School of Mines
Congressional Nominations:
Brad Knab-United States Naval Academy and United States Air Force Academy
Nate Trout-United States Naval Academy and United States Air Force Academy
Wade Provaznik-United States Military Academy Upcoming College Admissions Exams:National ACT DatesRegister online at www.act.org or obtain a packet from the College Center.|
Test Date
| Registration Deadline
| (Late Fee Required)
| Saturday, April 12, 2014
| Friday, March 07, 2014
| March 8-21, 2014
| Saturday, June 14, 2014
| May 09, 2014
| May 10-23, 2014-13
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National SAT Dates
Register online at www.collegeboard.com or obtain a packet from the College Center.
Test Date
| Registration Deadline
| (Late Fee Required)
| Saturday, March 08, 2014*
| Friday, February 07, 2014
| February 21st, 2014
| Saturday, May 03, 2014
| Friday, April 04, 2014
| Friday, April 18, 2014
| Saturday, June 07, 2014
| Friday, May 09, 2014
| Friday, May 23, 2014
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Know your charter quiz answer: d) a and b Development of literacy is to be achieved by reading and explicit, systematic phonemic awareness and phonics instruction.
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Expansion Update
| "Phase Two" of Liberty Common High School's expansion plans got underway on Friday, January 17th, 2014. The project will add labs and classrooms for science, engineering, physics, and computer science. Additional rooms will accommodate more music, physical education and history instruction, storage and maintenance space. The project is charted to be completed by the start of the 2014-15 school year in August.
 What's New This Week: The bridge is gone. A temporary wall has been installed in one of the history rooms which will soon lead to a temporary emergency exit made necessary by the construction. Excavating begins on the north side of the building. A construction-management trailer is now onsite. Utility trenching is underway on the south side. Heavy equipment is moving about the building during the school day. Students and staff seem to be adapting well to the occasional noise and vibrations which have become the "new normal" - but only through the rest of the school year.
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High-School Athletic News
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THIS WEEK IN HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS:
Basketball: Liberty Common High School will host the first round of district basketball playoffs Tuesday night. We will find out who the opponents will be late Monday night. Tuesday night will be a Spirit Game. The choir and band will also be featured in the festivities. Wear red!
Women's Game 5:30pm
Men's Game 7:00pm
Practices for Track, Baseball and Women's Soccer start today. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email the coaches. Blue Cards need to be given to the coaches in order to practice. No exceptions.
To Contact Coaches:
- For updated schedules and directions to games go to the school website libertycommon.org.
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.
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 Jr.-High Athletic News |
 | | Grace Sluss wins the jump shot. |
THIS WEEK IN JR. HIGH SPORTS: Jr. High (6th - 8th) - Blue Cards need to be picked up by March 7th from either Mrs. Ronen at the elementary school or Mr. Knab at the high school. Basketball: Jr.-high-girl's team hosts the first round of playoffs today (Monday) at 4pm. If they win then they host again on Thursday 2/27 at 4pm.
Track & Soccer: If your son/daughter is participating in track or Jr.-high-girl's soccer, then athletic packets (found on the Liberty website) need to be completed and turned in to Mr. Knab by March 7th in order to obtain a BLUE CARD. This is the deadline for Jr.-high-school sports. The first official day of soccer practice is March 10th. If the coach does not have a BLUE CARD from your athlete, they will not be able to practice until they do.
Jr. High Track and Field Parent Meeting: Monday March 10th - 6:00P.M. to 6:45P.M. - Liberty Common High School Gym
First Day of Practice - Monday March 24 - 3:30-5:00 pm Liberty Common Elementary
First Meet & Last Meet - Thursday April 3rd & Monday May 5th. (Full schedule should be set and handed out at the meeting).
What if your son/daughter has played a fall or winter sport? Parent packets do not need to be filled out again, however, athletes still need a BLUE CARD from Mr. Knab. If your son/daughter has played two previous sports for Liberty this year, then the spring is free. Also, there is a family cap of $600 per school year. "Free-and-Reduced" benefit applications are available in the front office if your family is in need of fee assistance. 
Jr. High Girls Soccer: Try-outs are Monday, March 10th, 3:30PM to 5PM, location to be announced on website: http://sites.google.com/site/eaglessweat/
CLICK HERE for the game schedule.
To Contact Coaches:
Girls Soccer: Chuck Hubbeling chubbeling@libertycommon.org
Track: Donny Reeves dreeves@libertycommon.org
CLICK HERE for the sports packet on the Liberty Common website.
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.
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Volunteering and Fundraising
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 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.
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Sail Away with Us for
Liberty's Annual Spring Gala!
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Join us Friday, April 4th from 6-11pm for our night of fun and celebration! This year's event will be held at the Embassy Suites in Loveland.
Already planning on attending the Gala? FANTASTIC! Be sure to invite your friends, too! There is something for everyone at the Gala-from kids' precious and unique artwork to special activities with our teachers to valuable auction items-in a variety of price-ranges. An evening spent celebrating our terrific school with fellow Liberty parents and teachers is absolutely priceless!
Charter schools receive only 85% of the funding of traditional public schools, so Liberty relies on generous support to ensure we are able to supply the tools and faculty needed to remain a nationally recognized, public, tuition-free, charter school.
The Gala will feature a wonderful Silent Auction, Dessert Auction, Teacher Treasures Auction and fun-filled Live Auction.
Look at some of the exciting items on which you can bid!  Your Kids as PE Teachers for the Day!
A Painting Party for Kids with Mrs. Nichols!
Stay in a Costa Rican Vacation Home!
Horseback Riding Lessons!
Spring Gala Invitations have been delivered!
Register prior to
Wednesday, March 12th to take advantage of lower-priced tickets and to ensure your reservation for this popular event!
To become involved as a volunteer, please contact |
The Critical Nature of the Liberty Common School Charter - Test Yourself
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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. 17.) Development of literacy is to be achieved by a) Reading b) Explicit, systematic phonemic awareness and phonics instruction c) Word memorization and the use of illustration and context d) a and b e) a and c f) b and c g) All of the above The correct answer can be found in this edition of Monday Notes. |
| Classical Manners for the Modern Youth |  From the 1934 high-school textbook Good Manners used in "Household Science" class of that day:
"Rule No. 87. Cleanliness. Cleanliness is next to godliness in clothing. The daily bath and frequent change of underclothing make it unnecessary to use perfume or highly scented powder. Perfume may be used sparingly on dress occasions, but an overuse of it may be most disagreeable to other people. Avoid all odors and stains from perspiration. Each Saturday, a girl should clean, press, and repair her clothes for the next week. Woolen clothes must be aired and brushed, and the inner linings washed. Keep the collar, cuffs, and vests clean. Sew on buttons and snaps. A pin is for emergency use, but otherwise is a sign of carelessness."
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| What's Happening at LCHS |
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: |
Summer Academics
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Attention-All up-and-coming
7th-12th grade students and families:
Liberty Common High School Summer English Program: Get on track and get ahead!
Did your student struggle to manage the various, demanding language arts this year: grammar, vocabulary, writing, etc.? Are you worried that waiting until next school year to revisit these areas will only result in a deeper hole at the next level? Is your student going to be new at Liberty next year, and are you worried whether he/she will be ready for the cumulative nature of Liberty's English curriculum? Maybe you just want your child to refine and bolster his/her language skills, guided by close instruction and support. Regardless of the reason, this summer's four week English "booster" is the perfect, economical opportunity. The cost is much less than typical tutoring, the tutor-to-student ratio is small, and the instructor is Mr. Dybzinski, head of Liberty's English department. Regardless of whether your student is ahead or behind, he will set your child up for more success and enjoyment in the areas of four-level grammar, vocabulary memorization and usage, diverse writing assignments, and thoughtful literary analysis. Furthermore, he plans to have much fun in the process!
"The summer course not only helped me get a head start on the grammar, but it also introduced me to new people." --Casey Robertson, new 2012-2013 LCHS student.
- The cost is $125 per student, per session (which equates to only about $7 per hour).
- Each session will be limited to 12 students (so register early for a spot in your preferred session).
- Important Note: Mr. Dybzinski is devoting an entire session each half of the summer (Sessions 1 and 3 below) to be focused on four-level grammar analysis. Some students (new or returning to Liberty) find the level of grammatical rigor at Liberty hard to manage. This session will be ideal preparation for the beginning of the year grammar launch in each of the English classes. The other two sessions (2 and 4) are grade specific, covering a variety of English skills.
- Due to LCHS construction, all sessions will be held at the ELEMENTARY school campus (1725 Sharp Point Dr.-in a room to be determined).
Session 1 (Grammar, 7th-12th grades):
June 10 - July 3
10:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
| Session 3 (Grammar, 7th-12th grades):
July 15 - August 7
10:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
| Session 2 (Diverse skills, 7-8th grades):
June 10 - July 3
12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
| Session 4 (Diverse skills, 9th-12th grades):
July 15 - August 7
12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
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* For this program to be viable, at least six students need to sign up for each session.
* Please promptly e-mail Mr. Dybzinski (jdybzinski@libertycommon.org) to reserve your spot!
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News Worth Repeating
| Economics Scholarships Available. The Foundation for Teaching Economics is offering students two opportunities to attend weeklong summer courses in economics as part of the Economics for Leaders program at CU Boulder. The program will run June 22 - 29 and July 13 - 20. Thanks to our friends at The Daniels Fund, the program is able to offer scholarships to students who attend. The scholarships cover $300 of the $650 program fee. Students can also earn college credit through CU Colorado Springs. For more information CLICK HERE.
Peer Tutors Opportunity. Mrs. Scarlett, 7th grade English teacher, is recruiting high-school students with stellar marks in previous literature classes to serve as peer tutors at 9th hour on Tuesdays or Thursdays. Students would be helping with homework, reading, and tutoring students in the 7th grade English curriculum. Many college admissions advisers have stated that a variety of volunteer experience is a great asset to a student's application to college. Meet with Mrs. Scarlett anytime after 9th hour to set up a time and be connected to a student in need of extra help. Mrs. Scarlett can be reached via email at nscarlett@libertycommon.org.
  Save the Date! CMAS and ACT Testing. On April 23rd all 7th and 8th graders will take the CMAS tests, and all 11th graders will take the ACT exam. There will be no school for 9th, 10th, and 12th grades. The 11th graders will be dismissed at 11:00am after completing their exams. The 7th and 8th graders will be dismissed at 1:30pm after completing their exams.
LCHS TCAP Schedule. CLICK HERE for the TCAP schedule. 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. 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.
  Field Trips - Elitch Gardens & Fort Fun
The end-of-year LCHS fieldtrips are scheduled for Wednesday, May 28th, 2014 (5 days after the end of the school-year). The Elitch Gardens trip is open to high-school students currently in 9th - 11th grades. The Fort Fun trip is open to junior-high students currently in 7th - 8th grades. The deadline to register was last week. If you missed the deadline, but still would like to go, send an e-mail to Mr. Lovely to see if there are still tickets available.
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.
9th Period/End of the Day (reminder from the LCHS Policies and Procedures). The LCHS school day ends at 3:15. Students are encouraged to attend 9th hour clubs, obtain extra help from teachers, or utilize the study hall time from 2:45 to 3:15. Attendance is required for those students who are not in good academic standing (one or more grades below 70%, or at a teacher's discretion), and they will be required to submit weekly reports of their 9th period attendance. Students leaving early must be off the premises by 2:50 PM. They may not loiter across the street, in cars, or on the school property. Students leaving at 2:45 may not return to LCHS to reenter the school or obtain rides. Students that act inappropriately while departing early will forfeit this privilege. All students must be out of the school building by 3:30pm at the end of the school day unless they are participating in an adult-sponsored activity.
 2014 LCHS Yearbook. The yearbook staff is excited about the 2014 yearbook and has been working hard to include all of the great stories from this amazing year. They will soon be finalizing the number of books that will be ordered, but there is still time to order one if you have not already done so. The price is $55 for memories that will last a lifetime. Orders can be placed online at jostensyearbooks.com.
 Key Club "Homeless" Day. The LCHS Key Club is conducting a "homeless" day, in which Key Clubbers will collect food, blankets and other comforts for "care packages" to bring to the homeless in Old Town Fort Collins. To fundraise the $100 also needed for this project, Key Club members are donating money and are also putting a box in the front office where others can contribute, too. If interested in helping, or if you have questions, please email LCHS junior Will Werst or call him at 970-443-1795.
The LCHS Key Club Needs Volunteers. The Key Club is looking for parent volunteers to sponsor a meeting (Friday afternoons) by providing food and beverages for one of these meetings. If interested, email Jesse Zuniga.
The art department is seeking donations of the following items:
* Wire cooling racks, the kind for cooling cookies (for ceramics)
* White objects for still-lifes (vases, figurines, unusual, etc.)
* Your old 35mm SLR Cameras
* Old picture frames
* Solid color cloth of any type, we are only looking for pieces larger than 3'x3' (for 8th grade core art)
* Several of those squeeze bulbs used for clearing baby noses or condiment squeeze bottles (for ceramics)
* Small to medium ceramic plates and bowls (to use as molds in ceramics)
* Beeswax scraps or Auto wax (for ceramics)
* Cooking spray (for ceramics)
* Scrap drywall pieces (at least 1'x1') (for ceramics)
* Large pieces (4' or larger) of corrugated cardboard (for 3D design)
Thank you from Meg Ellis and Rex Seiple
 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.
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 elementary school on March 10th and April 15th and at the high school on May 5th and June 9th. 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.
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Can you spot Pedro? Among these recent Spanish high-school graduates is Pedro Navarro Arbáizar who was a 2011-12 exchange student at LCHS. Liberty now needs a host family to help Aitor follow in Pedro's footsteps.
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Spaniard Aitor Needs Family. We're looking for a Liberty family to host a Spanish exchange student next school year. The young man, named Aitor, is in the top 10% of his class in Spain carrying an A average. He plans to study engineering after high school. His English scores are high (fluent), and he's athletic. Aitor's top five sports interests are rugby, soccer, basketball, football and skateboarding. He's Catholic, and describes himself as sociable, open and hardworking. Aitor will enter Liberty in the 2014-15 school year. He turns 16 years old in September. Aitor's older sister was a recent exchange student in Loveland. Aitor is familiar with Fort Collins having visited here for a few weeks last summer. For more information, and if interested in possibly being Aitor's host family, please email program coordinator Jodee Loury, or call her at 970-690-8424.
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Suicide Prevention Training
| If you are interested in learning how to help people at-risk of suicide, please sign up to attend a PSD QPR for Parents training, a 1 hour 30 minute suicide prevention training that will teach you the three-step QPR (Question, Persuade and Refer) method.
The training will cover warning signs, intervention skills, listening skills, how to talk to and assist people at-risk of suicide, referral resources, suicide as a public health concern and myths and facts related suicide. There is no charge; however, registration is required. Please contact Betty Englert Backlund at 490-3264 to register and for more information.
QPR for Parents trainings are scheduled for:
- Wednesday, March 12, 6:30 - 8 p.m., Fort Collins High School Media Center, register by March 10
- Tuesday, April 29, 6:30 - 8 p.m., Fort Collins High School Media Center, register by April 25
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Elections for the Board of Directors
|  Elections for two (2) seats on the Board of Directors for Liberty Common School will be held during the week of April 21, 2014 through April 25, 2014. Applications must be received by 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5th, 2014. Board members are elected to three-year terms.
Liberty relies on our parents to help make this school a success. The Board of Directors' responsibilities include: maintaining a strategic vision of the School, creation and promotion of the school's curriculum and teaching philosophies, final responsibility for all School decisions, hiring and evaluation of the administration, and meeting contractual obligations with the Poudre School District.
Some of the qualifications to be a BOD member include:
* Registered voter residing in Poudre School District
* Attendance to at least one of the BOD meetings during the school year of the election
 * Read and support wholeheartedly the views presented in the following three books:
> Cultural Literacy by E.D. Hirsch Jr.
> Why Johnny Can't Tell Right from Wrong by William Kilpatrick
> The Schools We Need and Why We Don't Have Them by E.D. Hirsch Jr.
* Submission of Letter of Interest for BOD Membership
* Submission of Statement of Educational Philosophy
* Have had a student enrolled at Liberty for a minimum of two years by the time the candidate's term on the BOD would commence
* Volunteer in the school
* Embrace the principles of Liberty's Charter and founding books (evaluated through an interview process)
* Receive a recommendation from principals at either the elementary or the high school
After election a BOD member will be expected to:
Complete and sign the following documents:
Volunteer Application for the current school year
Volunteer Confidentiality Agreement
Volunteer Oath
Volunteer Agreement
Board of Directors Non-Disclosure and Confidentiality Agreement
Board of Directors Affidavit (subject to a criminal background check)
Please CLICK HERE for complete information about running for a seat on the Board.
For more information about the election, contact Board Chair Amy Redstone at amy.redstone@liberycommon.org, Casey Churchill at cchurchill@libertycommon.org,
or Bob Schaffer at bschaffer@libertycommon.org .
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