The Eagle's Nest
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Liberty
Common
Elementary
School
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Common Knowledge, Common Virtues, Common Sense
A National Charter School of the Year, A Nationally Recognized Blue Ribbon School, A Certified Official Core Knowledge Site School, A John Irwin School of Excellence , A Gilder Lehrman Affliate School
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Volume 18 Issue 2
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September 2, 2014
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Sept. 8-10| Eco-Week-6th Graders
Sept. 12 |Chess Club, 3:15-4:15
Sept. 15 |Primary Public Info. Night, 6:00 p.m.
Sept. 18 |BOD Meeting, 6:00 p.m.
Sept. 19 |Liberty T-Shirt Day
Sept. 24-Oct. 8|October Student Count
Sept. 26 |Individual Student Photos
Sept. 27 |Liberty2Liberty 5K Run
Sept. 30 |Character Education Respect Assembly,
K-3 attend assembly from 8:10-8:45
4-6 attend assembly from 8:55-9:35
Speaker from Jon D. Williams Cotillions
Oct. 3 |Fall Festival, 5:30 p.m.
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Mr. Churchill welcomes Mrs. Allen's 2nd Graders back to Liberty Common and reads to the students.
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Hug N'Go Initiative
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Dear Parents,
Hug n' Go was an initiative we started last year to ensure a safe school and a prompt start to the school day. We are asking all parents of first through sixth graders to not enter the building in the morning. Parents should drop off their children (hug) and head out (go). There are staff outside and inside on duty to assist all students.
This worked wonderfully last year. Teachers started their day on time with no distractions and students were safe. Thank you. It is great to have such supportive parents.
One more last request from administration and staff is to not have parents in the building before 3:00 unless you are volunteering. In years past, parents came in the school and waited outside the classroom. Some would wait quietly and others would talk. This crowds the halls and can be distracting to some students. Please wait in the hall just outside the front office or outside by the flag pole. This will preserve the integrity of instruction in the classroom. Students will get the most out of their day. Parents will be allowed in the building at 3:00.
Do know that now more than ever parents are welcome to be in the school throughout the day to volunteer. We love our parent volunteers. If you are coming to volunteer, please make sure to sign in and wear a name tag from the front office.
Thanks for your continued support.
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School Attendance is Vital
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All public schools in Colorado receive funding from the State based on the number of students who attend their school. It is critical that your student be present during the October Count period. The count occurs Sept. 24th-Oct. 8th. October 1st is the official count date set by the state. If your child will be absent for more than two days in a row during this time period for other than an illness, please contact the office for an official document to sign.
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Carpool Options Available
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Liberty Common parents are well aware that Liberty does not provide a transportation option to/from school, but did you know that we do provide a list of Liberty families who are interested in carpooling? We encourage families to utilize the carpooling option. Be a part of this time and gas saving option. CLICK HERE to complete the Carpool Interest Form and return to the LCS Front Office by Friday, September 5th to be included on the list. |
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Contact Us
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Liberty Common School
1725 Sharp Point Drive
Fort Collins, CO 80525
Phone: 970-482-9800
Fax: 970-482-8007
Office Hours: 7:50-4:00 p.m.
Our attendance line is (970)482-9800, option 2, please call by 8:30 a.m.
If you need to take your child to an appointment during school hours, please come to the Front Office, sign them out and we will call them out of class.
All students who arrive after 8:00 a.m. must be signed in at the Front Office. It is important that a reason be written as this determines if the tardy is excused or not. Please note that you may go to your student's classroom and wait for them to be dismissed only after 2:50 p.m.If your student is ill and you want any/all homework, please contact the teacher by email as early as possible and homework will be available after 3:00 p.m. in the office. If you have any questions about these policies please contact Mrs. Ronen at [email protected]
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Board of Directors
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Sarvjit Gill 227-4202
Joel Goeltl 593-8556 Paulette Hansen 282-8455
Jeff Webb 545-9636
Bill Werst 631-8379Denise Benz 420-4184
John Rohrbaugh 225-2259
You may contact all members of our Board of Directors at
Teacher's Lounge
Liberty Common School
1725 Sharp Point Dr.
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It's All About the Details
By: Casey Churchill, LCS Principal
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 As summer rolls to a close and we reconnect, there has been a lot of catch up about our summer vacations. I had an amazing adventure this summer. I took a 1000 mile off road motorcycle trip with my buddy Mike. The route we took is called the Backcountry Discovery Route. He and I set out on July 20th for a week long adventure alternating camping and hoteling each night. What a great feeling to be free on the road with no worries. This was our second adventure on this same route. Each time we get better and better about navigating our way (thank you inventor of the GPS). As incredible as the ride was, I can't stop thinking about one small goal I had before I left on this trip - starting a fire with two sticks. Any of you tried?  Last year, Mike brought a flint and steel kit. We had fun learning the nuances of getting that to work. This year I wanted to up the ante a bit and try the bow and drill method. It is pretty hard to do, but has been on my bucket list for a while. I figured maybe this would come in handy someday. I am a believer that one should always practice at their leisure before truly needing the skill in an emergency. On the last day of our week trip, Mike and I stayed outside of Salida on some public land. I began chopping the necessary parts with my survival knife. I did everything the YouTube told me to do. Everything. I found the correct soft wood, made a bow, made a spindle, gathered the tinder, it was perfect. There was quite a bit of smoke but no ember. I gave it a good try and then resorted to the lighter in my right pocket. Mike sat on a log, laughed, encouraged, cheered, tried it himself, and took pictures. Good to have moral support. We didn't need to start the fire "the old fashion way", it was just fun to try. Three things about my "walkabout" really spoke to me. 1. Children, like the bow and spindle method, need to be thoughtfully guided, molded, and cared for. We believe in a precise recipe for success. There are a lot of detailed steps that need to be in place for a great education to come together. If any one of those components is not in place, things will not work. This partnership can be seen here at Liberty. Just the simple step of parents choosing to find the best education for their child is detailed in our philosophy. I encourage all to read our Student Parent Handbook and read the policies created to ensure a direct course for success. Parents should be knowledgeable about our literacy, math, science, technology, video policies. It is because we have memorialized and hold firm to these well thought out policies that we have one of the top performing schools in Colorado. 2. We teach our students both rich content and the academic skills in combination. Just as I needed to know the trees and forest resources in combination with how to fabricate the spindle and bow, our students do incredibly well because we pair the rich Core Knowledge curriculum with the skills or reading and writing. When students write, they write using the content taught in history or science. Many schools do not have this needed attention to detail within their organization. We do.
3. We also need to treat each year as if it is our last. Teachers, students, and parents commit to doing their best each year. I'm pretty sure I could have started that fire if I was in a life or death situation. As advocates of our children, we need to ask questions, communicate, learn the necessary content taught, and challenge each other to do our best. Parental involvement is at the top of our list more than ever. Committed parents volunteer in the classroom, drive their children to school every day, help with our Fall and Winter Carnival, read to children here at school or at home. Parents play a large role in their children's education. We believe it is the parents' right and responsibility to direct the education and upbringing of their children. What better way to do this than to commit to helping in our schools.
We all did a lot over this past summer and we are ready for the new year. Liberty Common Elementary School and High School have been successful because of the founder's efforts to craft a school built on meticulous principles outlining the success for our students. It's all about the details.
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Meet Our Newest Staff at LCS
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Liberty Common Elementary School administration has made a few new hires for the 2013-2014 school year. Please help us welcome our new staff members to the Liberty family.
 Kendra Owsley is our new 3rd grade teacher and is no stranger to Liberty Common School. In 2012, she was a Kindergarten Literacy Practicum Teacher in Mrs. Horton's classroom. Miss Owsley graduated from University of Northern Colorado with a B.A. Interdisciplinary Studies Elementary Education (K-6). Her interests include ballroom dancing, running, hiking, literature, theology and photography. She also enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling and ethnic cuisine.  Lacy Vannorsdel is Liberty Common School's Speech and Language Pathologist. Miss Vannorsdel grew up on a farm in South Dakota and graduated from the University of South Dakota. After graduating in January, she moved to Fort Collins to enjoy more outdoor activities. Her greatest joys are being an aunt to Siena and working as a speech-language pathologist.  Suzie Rappenecker joins our 3rd grade teaching team as a part-time Teacher Assistant (T.A.). Suzie has been a part of the Liberty family for 12 years as a volunteer extraordinaire, substitute teacher and grandma to four Liberty Common students, Shaila (11th grade), Reed (7th grade), Rowan (4th grade) and Rilyn (3rd grade). She enjoys, gardening, camping, reading and spending time with family.
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 Box Tops for Education; An Easy Way to Support Liberty Common School
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Want a simple way to help your school? Box Tops: it's quick, easy and children can help too. Some of you might be wondering what is a Box Top? Well it's ten cents for our school. The Box Top logo is on hundreds of products that you buy every day. Check out www.boxtops4education.com for a complete listing. How can your family participate in this easy fundraiser? I thought you would never ask. First, please check the expiration date, if it is good then cut it out. Count them into groups of 10, 50 and Bonus Lables and write the total on the package. Now, all you need to do is drop off in the office! There is even a drawer marked BOX TOPS. How easy is that? If you have a bag full on your counter from the summer, or maybe you are short on time, no worries just drop off your collection in the Front Office and we will take it from there.
Does collecting Box Tops matter you ask? Well, yes they do. I just boxed up $1,100 in Box Tops. That is a lot of dimes. Way to go Liberty families! What a way to start the year. You Rock! A Great big THANKS to all my helpers, I can't do it without you. Every little bit helps.
Your friendly Box Tops Parent Volunteer Coordinator,
Jeanne-Marie Siegfried
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Seeking 6th Graders for the Liberty Common Forensics Team!
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 Did you know that "forensics" does not just mean crime scene investigation? In fact, it is also used to refer to the art and study of speech and debate. If you're interested in learning more about debate, impromptu speaking, or poetry recitation, join us! If you would enjoy writing and presenting your own original oratories, join us! If public speaking makes you nervous and uncomfortable, and you'd like to learn some strategies for overcoming that anxiety, join us! Participation in regional forensics tournaments will be encouraged, but is not required. The Liberty Common Forensics Team is open to 6th - 12th grade students, and practices will be held every Tuesday after school.
Our first meeting is an info session for students and parents. It will be held at the high school on Tuesday, September 9th, 3:15pm in Mrs. Scarlett's room. If you have any questions, please contact Christi Seidman at [email protected] or Natalie Scarlett at [email protected].
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Liberty Common Sports News
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6th Graders: There Is Still Time to Join Liberty Middle School Tennis Club
It is not too late! The Liberty Middle School Tennis Club is still accepting registration for any interested 6th, 7th, and 8th graders (girls and boys). The season runs from September 2nd to October 9th with practices on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30 to 5:00 at Lee Martinez Park.
During our first week of practice, 9/2-9/5, we will practice every day after school and then will practice only Mondays and Wednesday. Attendance to all practices is preferred but not necessary to be part of the Tennis Club. All levels are welcome and the cost is $40 per student.
We will have a series of 3-4 scrimmages with other area middle schools. CLICK HERE for registration and information forms. Please turn in the form and fee to the Front Office by Tuesday, September 2, 2104.
 
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