The Eagle's Nest
Eagle Mosaic
  

 

Liberty  
Common 
Elementary 
School 
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  
Volume 18 Issue 8                                                    
October 13, 2014
What's Happening at LCS

Oct. 13     |Talent Show Auditions, 3:15-5:30 p.m.
Oct. 14     |Talent Show Auditions, 3:15-5:30 p.m. 
Oct.13      |5th/6th Grade Drug and Alcohol Ed.                  Tonight, 6:30 at LCS, in the gym. 
Oct. 16     |BOD Meeting, 6:00 p.m.
Oct. 16     |Odyssey of the Mind Info. Mtg. 6:30-7:30
Oct. 17     |First Quarter Ends
Oct. 17     |LCS Talent Show, 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 20     |Internet Safety Night, LCHS, 6:30 
Oct. 24     |Parent/Teacher Conferences, NO SCHOOL
Oct. 27     |Public Information Night, 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 28     |Character Edu. Responsibility Assembly
,
                 
4-6 attend assembly from 8:10-8:45
                 
K-3 attend assembly from 8:55-9:35
               

Oct.
31     |Liberty T-Shirt Day
Nov. 3-14 |Liberty Common Canned Food Drive
Nov. 7      |Picture Retakes-7:45-8:30 a.m.
Nov. 7      |Hearing and Vision Screening-All students Kindergarten-3rd and 6th grade.  Only 4th and 5th graders new to Liberty Common.  
Nov. 21    |Liberty T-Shirt Day
Pants Needed in Clothes Closet
The seasons are changing and it is a great time to clean out your closets and donate to our closet.  The LCS Clothes Closet is completely out of boys pants, all sizes.  Remember, trade-in your gently used clothing and take home something "new".
Internet Safety Night


Parents, mark your Parents calendars now for our annual
Internet-Safety Night on Monday, October 20st from 6:30 - 8:00 PM in the LCHS Great Hall.  The presentation is targeted for Liberty students grades 5th - 8th.  Parents, and all other students, are welcome to attend, too.  Those who attended last year's presentation had lots of positive comments.  The same detectives from the Fort Collins Police Department will be on hand to facilitate the meeting and educate students about risks, dangers, and hazardous trends regarding Internet usage, social media, and electronic communications.  Several teachers are offering extra credit for students who attend.  CLICK HERE for a summary of a previous Internet-Safety-Night presentation.
 
Attention Parents of New Students, Kindergartners, and 6th Graders

 

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.)

 

LIBERTY'S GOT TALENT IS COMING!

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.   
LIBERTY CHOIRS PERFORMING NATIONAL ANTHEM
Liberty Common School's fifth and sixth grade Choirs have been invited to perform the National Anthem at this year's "Rocky Mountain Face Off" - a CSU vs. CU hockey game held at Budweiser Event Center in Loveland.  The event takes place Thursday, November 6 at 7:00pm.  ANYONE attending the game from Liberty will receive discounted ticket pricing (General Admission Only) if the tickets are purchased through the school.  Please CLICK HERE for the order form to purchase tickets. Order forms can be turned in to the front office.

 

In This Issue
What's Happening at LCS
Clothes Closet Needs
Internet Safety Night
Immunization Updated Records Needed
Liberty Talent Show
Liberty Choirs Performing National Anthem
Principal Writing by Casey Churchill
Odyssey of the Mind
Save the Date for Grandparents Day
Math Club Seeking Leader
Mind Your Manners
Share Your Action Photos
Box Tops
Contact Us
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.


Please call our      attendance line by 8:30 a.m. if your    child will not be attending school due to illness, appointment or is out of town.
(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.  

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]

Board of Directors
Sarvjit Gill            227-4202
Joel Goeltl           593-8556
Paulette Hansen 282-8455
Jeff Webb            545-9636
Bill Werst             631-8379
Denise Benz       420-4184
John Rohrbaugh 225-2259
 

You may contact all members of our Board of Directors at  

 
October 16, 2014  
Teacher's Lounge
Liberty Common School

1725
Sharp Point Dr.



 




 

No More Empty Seats

by Casey Churchill, LCS Principal




DID YOU KNOW?
  • Starting in kindergarten, too many absences can cause children to fall behind in school.
  • Missing 10 percent (or about 18 days) can make it harder to learn to read.
  • Students can still fall behind if they miss just a day or two days every few weeks.
  • Being late to school may lead to poor attendance.
  • Absences can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help children catch up.

I think everyone would agree that teacher to student contact time would be a number one factor in a student's success at a school.  This is a very simple concept.  If you are in school, you will learn more.  

Parents with sick kids do a great job of getting missed homework in the front office, but completing work at home is simply not the same.  Teachers here at Liberty are specialists in explaining content or skills in multiple ways to help students better understand the material.  They are also experts in the Thinking Framework model that help students see the interconnectedness with content and skills taught.  There are models and drawings to demonstrate and patterns that can be found with all lessons.  The dialog that is exchanged during classroom discussions cannot be reenacted.

 
This year, is the first year we have conducted our "Hug n Go" policy.  The Liberty Common staff is thankful to parents for their cooperation in allowing students to enter school on their own and begin their day by their own doing.  

Below are a few teacher quotes about the success of this initiative.

"To me the best result of this "policy" has been having students in their seats in the morning, working quietly and confidently, resulting in WAY fewer tardies!  They come in knowing school is a fun and safe place and they are totally confident in their own morning routines...it has been a really great thing to watch!"

"It is so much easier for our little ones to navigate the hallways because they are so much less crowded."

"Our students are coming in in the morning and unloading their backpacks, putting up lunchboxes and turning in homework all on their own.  It is great to see how excited and proud they are to be responsible for themselves."

"Students are in their seats and ready to go when the announcements start."

"We are able to start our morning routine on time each morning."

 
"Our hall is not as congested as it has been in past years.  All of our kids are doing just great getting themselves ready for the day without their parents.  Great call."

"Parents are doing an awesome job of this by the band room doors. We have 100% of parents hugging and going, and students are managing to get to their classrooms without any issue."

As parents, we need to make sure our students are in school as much as possible.  We need to keep our students healthy so that they can be in school as much as possible.  We need to plan vacations around weekends, holidays, or summer.  School is too important to miss.


Keeping students in school is a top priority.  As a parent, you have chosen to come to our wonderful school and have committed to getting your child here on time, you have committed to helping with homework, and you have committed to volunteering your time here.  This school would not be where it is today without the help of our parent population.  We thank you.

Stay informed by taking the time to evaluate your own child(s) attendance records on your PowerSchool account and do your best to make sure they are here every day.   Please do not think that an absence only affects your child.   Not having your child in school impacts the learning of the 28 other students in the classroom.    Students that are absence reduce continuity with lessons taught since the teachers have to reteach the lessons and get students that missed a day or two caught up.  Lessons are slowed and planning becomes cumbersome and disjointed.


We want to send our children the message that school is of highest importance and there is too much going on to miss (expect if you are sick).  It isn't too late to give this message to students that their work, or school to them, will always be a top priority.  When they grow up their job will be exactly the same.


Thanks to each of you for taking the time to do your part to improve the Liberty Community through school attendance.  We can each make a difference to lower our school attendance numbers this year. Liberty should have no empty seats.  

Odyssey of the Mind Information Night Coming to Liberty

 

COME JOIN US FOR AN ODYSSEY OF THE MIND

Odyssey of the Mind Information Night

Liberty Common School

Thursday, October 16, 2014

6:30-7:30 pm

 

  

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,        [email protected] or 970-388-0445

Please note:  If you are not able to attend the informational meeting and are interested in volunteering as a Odyssey of the Mind Coach, please contact Liberty Common's Odyssey of the Mind Co-Coordinators, Pinky Tiwari at
Grandparents Day-November 25, 2014
This will mark the fifth year of a cherished tradition at Liberty Common School.  For the past four years, on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, both schools have hosted many proud grandparents of Liberty's exceptional students.  On Tuesday, November 25, 2014, we will continue this tradition.  Grandparents Day at the elementary begins at 8:30 a.m. and concludes at 11a.m. The upper school event begins at 12:30 and concludes at 3 p.m. 

Grandparents Day has been incredibly successful in past years, thanks to our amazing volunteers. We can not put on this event without your time and talents.  Please consider volunteering for one or all of the following:
  • Volunteer to set up and decorate the evening before the event, beginning at 5 p.m. in the elementary school gymnasium.
  • Volunteer to assist with set up and final preparations the morning of the event, beginning at 7 a.m.
  • Volunteer to guide and assist grandparents throughout the event at either or both locations.
  • Volunteer to staff the refreshment tables at LCHS.

If you are interested in volunteering for this beloved event, please contact Erin Mihulka, Grandparents Day Planning Committee chairperson, via email [email protected].  

 

On behalf of the Grandparents Day Planning Committee, we look forward to organizing a fun, special and memorable day for the students and their grandparents.

 

Thank you,  

Erin Mihulka 

Grandparents Day Planning Committee Chairperson

[email protected]   

 

Math Club Seeking Leader
LCS After School Math Club for 3rd and 4th grade student(s) that meets Mondays from 3:15-4:00 p.m., is needing an adult volunteer to run this fun and effective program.  The volunteer will assist Math Club students playing online math games focusing on the four operations. The goal is for them to develop speed and accuracy with math facts. Fluency with the basics enables them to focus on the process of applying their knowledge to more difficult areas of math, such as multi-digit multiplication, long division, fractions, problem solving, etc. Please contact Casey Churchill at [email protected] to learn more about this great volunteer opportunity.  

Attention LCS Parents Enter the Cotillion Raffle

Liberty Common School encourages all families of 4th-6th graders to enter the raffle for free cotillion classes offered by Jon D. Williams Cotillions.  A table with raffle tickets is located right outside the Front Office.  Please view the upcoming Jon D. Williams Cotillions  classes offered in Fort Collins beginning in January by Clicking Here

    

These are great character building classes for your 4-8 grade students. 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.   

 

Enter the raffle now.  Your student may be the lucky winner!   

 

Share Your Action Photos
Mr. Reeves and Mr. Wilcox are looking for photos of Liberty students participating in their favorite sport or activity (soccer, volleyball, rock climbing, etc.) to fill a bulletin board outside of the gym called "Liberty Common Athletes in Action!"

If you have a great action photo you would like to share, please turn in a 4x6 print to the front office or directly to Mr. Reeves or Mr. Wilcox.  We ask that you do not send in pictures to be printed out at the school.  Pictures will not be returned at the end of the year.  If you have any questions please contact Mr. Reeves or Mr. Wilcox.
Box Tops Everywhere You Look
Box Tops - Dimes in disguise. They're everywhere, just look around you. They are in the supermarket, in your office, the pantry, the bathroom, your car, your neighbors' houses. O.K., so maybe I am the only one who sees them everywhere. I just know how much they matter to our school.

Did you know that if every kid brought in just 10 Box Tops a month it would bring in $5,481 a year for our school. That's 10 Box Tops times 29 kids per class, times 3 classes per grade, times 7 Grades, that equals 6090 Box Tops. That's $609 a month, $5,481 a year. That does not even include the summer. Do they matter? I would say so.

On a side note, they expire. There are 2 expiration dates coming up. The first one is the 14th of October, the second one is the 1st of November. Please turn in all you have so that I can send them off. I sure would hate to toss them into the trash. Thank you. Every little bit helps.   

 

You're Box Top Coordinator,

Jeanne-Marie Siegfried