100 bouncy balls, clappy hands, glow in the dark eyeballs, and many more prizes are waiting to be won at this year's Fall Festival! Not enough? What about cotton candy and fresh popcorn! Both will be available for your enjoyment at the festival as a great way to support Liberty Common School!

Bring your family and friends to this year's Fall Festival, this Friday, October 3rd., from 5:30-8:00 in the gym and south yard. There will be games, crafts, bouncy houses and prizes too.  This year we will be serving baked pasta from Panino's Restaurant and there is even a gluten-free pasta option this year!

Tickets and meal vouchers are required for all activities (see order form below). Please see the bulletin board by the front office for extra order forms or print your own at home. See ya Friday night~

Many volunteers are still needed to make the Fall Festival a fun Liberty event, please contact Vedra Osborn at vedratjo@gmail.com. 

If you have not turned in a current immunization record the Liberty Common Health Office will be sending home exclusion letters this week explaining that ANY child not up-to-date on immunizations will not be allowed to come to school beginning November 1, 2014.

Your doctor's office can fax over the immunizations to: 482-8007.

If you are unsure of what your child is missing please call the health office at 482-9800, ext. 3113 and we can assist you.  

Thank you,  

Natalie Dybzinski (RN) and Jen Hopkins (Health Tech.)

Fall Festival Through the Eyes of a Kid

Each fall the Board of Directors and Administration meet for a strategic planning session. This year, our Chairman invited several school founders to participate in the meeting. They provided exceptional insight into how to conduct our responsibilities in an efficient manner and govern according to the bylaws. The Board is responsible for the strategic leadership of the school not the administrative details. Dr. Everett stated, "The Board has three main priorities; to exercise their will through strategic priorities, the policies and procedures they put in place, and the supervision of their three employees, the two Principals and Business Manager." The founders were very thorough in writing policies that guide the governance of the school. The Board is responsible for ensuring they are followed. I welcome and encourage you to review them. Whenever there is a question regarding governance, they are always the first place to go for guidance. You can access them via this link http://www.libertycommon.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/BODPolicyManual-06_13_14-2.pdf. 

Paulette Hansen, Board Member

FALL FESTIVAL 2014

October 3rd, 5:30pm - 8:00 pm

Pre-purchase Ticket form

By pre-purchasing your Fall Festival carnival tickets, you save money and time.

Pre-purchased tickets: 5 for $1

Baked Pasta from Panino's Restaurant

-Penne pasta with marinara sauce and ricotta cheese or

-Gluten-free pasta with marinara sauce and ricotta cheese

Either available with a $6.00 meal voucher

Add sausage: $1.00 more per meal voucher: total of $7.00

(Meal includes pasta, salad, breadstick, and a drink)

Soda or Bottled Water alone......................................... 2 tickets

Bread alone.............................................................................. 2 tickets

Games, crafts, & bouncy houses..................................... 1 to 4 tickets each

There are many crafts and games, both inside and outside. Make sure you pre-purchase enough tickets at the discounted price! Gluten-free pasta is only available for pre-purchase

..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 

Name:                                                                                                                                                                     

Meal vouchers requested (indicate number of each desired):

Penne pasta meal: __________________ at $6.00 each

Gluten-free pasta meal: ______________ at $6.00 each

Add Sausage to your meal for $1.00 more per meal: _______________

Number of tickets for games and crafts (5 tickets for $1): ____________________________

Check number:                                                  Total money paid: _________________________

Please attach your check to this bottom portion of the flyer and return to the Front Office no later than October 1st. Pre-purchased tickets may be picked up at the Fall Festival in the pre-purchased express ticket line. Thank you!!

Question: Which is the salad fork? 

Liberty Common School would like to encourage all families to take a look at the upcoming Jon D. Williams Cotillions®  classes offered in Fort Collins in January.  Click Here to view the Winter 2015 schedule.

The cotillion program teaches elementary through high school students courtesy and consideration through the art of social dance. Students learn essential social skills, such as how to introduce themselves to adults and peers, table manners and etiquette and how to treat each other with respect. From the traditional fox trot and waltz, to the electrifying beat of Latin and swing, Jon D. Williams Cotillions® offers one of the most unique and extensive educational programs for children in the United States.   

These are great character building classes for your 4-8 grade students. Britta Murphy , one of the Cotillion instructors, will present at our Respect Assembly on Tuesday, September 30th.  We have found Cotillion presentations to be spot on with our character education philosophy here at Liberty.   

COME JOIN US FOR AN ODYSSEY OF THE MIND

Odyssey of the Mind is an international program that promotes creative problem solving for students from kindergarten through college. Under the guidance of a coach, teams of five to seven students learn creative thinking and problem solving skills while finding innovative solutions to a variety of technical and performance problems.

What do kids do in Odyssey?

Team members solve a "Long Term" problem, which they create, produce, practice, and then present at competition in the spring. The problem might be to design a vehicle, produce a play, build a balsa wood structure, or design & incorporate a special effect in the presentation. The problems change every year. In addition to this long term problem, the team is presented with a "Spontaneous" problem that they must solve or respond to in a short period of time. Teams are scored on their creative problem solving abilities, style, and teamwork.

Why is Odyssey of the Mind good for students? Odyssey teaches them to learn creative problem-solving methods while having fun in the process. By tapping into creativity and encouraging imaginative paths to problem solving, students learn skills that will provide them with the ability to solve problems - great and small - for a lifetime. Odyssey of the Mind teaches students how to think divergently by     providing open-ended problems that appeal to a wide range of interests. Students learn how to identify     challenges and to think creatively to solve these problems. The creative problem-solving process rewards thinking "outside of the box."

How can you get involved? Students can be team members and problem solvers. Adults can be   coaches, judges, or volunteers at competition. Each team consists of 5-7 students and one adult coach. The coach is a coordinator who holds regular meetings for the team to work on their projects. The main role of the coach is to guide the team by asking questions to help students expand their approach. Coaches receive training and are supported throughout the Odyssey season.

Want to learn more?

•  Please come to our informational meeting night Thursday, October 16, 2014
•  Visit the Odyssey of the Mind International Website - www.odysseyofthe mind.com
•  Contact Catherine Allum-Pawlikowski, Regional Director,        poudreriver@coloradoodyssey.org or 970-388-0445

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

This year's elementary talent show is Friday, October 17 at 6:30pm.  Auditions will be held Monday, October 13 and Tuesday, October 14 from 3:15-5:30pm in the Choir Room.  Auditions are available for any student (or group of students) grades K-6.  Acts must be 3 minutes or less, and singers MUST have accompaniment for their audition.  If you are interested in auditioning for this year's Liberty's Got Talent, make sure you sign up for an audition slot in the hallway outside the front office the week of Monday, October 6 - Friday, October 10!

Resolved: Single-gender classrooms would improve the quality of education in American public schools.

Would you enjoy debating this resolution? That's exactly what debate students will be doing in the near future as they attend their first forensics competition of the season! It's not too late to get involved and learn all about debate, original oratory, poetry recitation, dramatic interpretation, and more! The Liberty Common Forensics Team is open to 6th through 12th grade, and meets every Tuesday after school at the high school. For more information, please contact Christi Seidman at  christiseidman@gmail.com or 970-219-6959.