The Eagle's Nest

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 10

October 27, 2014

What's Happening at LCS

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. 2   |Daylight Saving Time Ends

Nov. 3-14 |Liberty Common Canned Food Drive
Nov. 7 |Picture Retakes-7:45-8:30

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
Nov. 25 |Grandparents Day
Nov. 26-28|Thanksgiving Break, No School

Odyssey of the Mind Registration Deadline Extended to Wednesday, Oct. 29th

Don't wait any longer to sign-up for Odyssey of the Mind. Teams are forming and coaches are still needed. Registration forms are available in the front office.

For more information, please contact Liberty Common's Odyssey of the Mind Co-Coordinators, Pinky Tiwari at pinkytiwari@gmail.com or Lynne Koontz at koontzlynne@gmail.com

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".

Individual Student Makeup Day

"Your School Portrait Professionals"

www.skillmanphotography.com
-SINCE 1968-
Phone (970) 484-3403

818 E. Elizabeth, Ft. Collins, CO 80524

Fax (970) 416-5814 Toll Free 1-888-550-1516

LIBERTY COMMON ELEM. SCHOOL MAKEUP DAY

School portrait make-up day will be: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014

TIME - 7:45 am to 8:30 am

1. If you were absent or are new to the school you may purchase a new package or have one taken for the records, yearbook and ID.

2. If you had a picture taken but didn't purchase a package you may have a new picture taken and purchase a package.

3. If you purchased a package and want a retake you must return the original package in full with reason for retake clearly stated on package.

Please refer to guidelines on back of package as what justifies a retake.

Order forms for new packages are available in the office

and you may use the order form from first day.OR SECURE PRE-ORDER ON LINE - Students will need to be re-photographed.

Go to www.skillmanphotography.com

Click on pre order fall school portraits and have credit/debit card ready.

ACCESS CODE- LCES2014

Shinning Stars

LCS Talent Show Participants (Left to Right):

Ella Marshall(4th), Grace Bartley(4th), Josie Wear(4th)

Snack Shack Opens Nov. 3rd

Liberty Common Snack Shack operated by Liberty Common Student Council opens November 3rd. Thank you Mrs. Tiffany Green, parent volunteer, for all your hard work beautifying the Snack Shack area.

In This Issue

What's Happening at LCS

Enter Cotillion Raffle

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 jronen@libertycommon.org

Healthcare Reminder

If your student is sick with a fever of 100 degrees or higher or is throwing up or has diarrhea, he or she is not allowed to attend school. Your child may return to school after having been healthy and fever-free for 24 hours without fever reducing medications.

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

BOD@libertycommon.org

Board of Directors Meeting

Nov. 20, 2014

Teacher's Lounge
Liberty Common School
1725 Sharp Point Dr.

Quiet Zone

Please remember that the front office is an office of business and the use of cell phones is prohibited. We also ask that conversations be kept to a minimum so that front office staff can provide quality customer service to students, staff members and other parents. Thank you.

Vote For Liberty

By: Bob Schaffer, LCHS Principal

Election Day is next week, Tuesday, Nove

mber 4, 2014, and voters face lots of decisions relevant to public education, charter schools, and Liberty Common School in particular.

Neither the Board of Directors nor the Liberty Common School administration advocate the election or defeat of any candidate; or the passage or defeat of any ballot referendum, initiative or proposition. Of course many of us have well-informed opinions about how certain candidates and ballot questions relate to charter schools and we're free to share those opinions in private, but not here.

Nonetheless, parents commonly approach Liberty officials near election time with questions about candidates and issues. Urging parents and voting-aged students to vote, and describing how certain political outcomes may impact the school is something we routinely and freely undertake. Simple prudence dictates (as do a few state laws) that school resources should not be expended on anything that approaches "electioneering."

One of the Foundation Stones Liberty accentuates at the elementary school is Citizenship. At the high school, Liberty actively promotes the Capstone Virtue of Patriotism. For us parents who endorse these virtues and send our kids to a school that resolutely pushes students toward active and engaged citizenship, voting is more than just a civic responsibility. It's an essential component of good parental leadership.

Liberty has never been timid when it comes to political engagement, nor can we afford to be. The fact is, Liberty Common School exists only out of rather epic political victories secured by its founders at the State Capitol and the local Board of Education. We have continued working rather actively to maintain

excellent relationships with elected officials and regulatory agents - regardless of their partisan affiliations.

Toward the maintenance of Liberty's academic mission, it is imperative our community elects leaders who embrace the concept of parental choice in education. Yet, we are constantly confronted with the reality that not all officials and candidates support charter schools.

Neither do all candidates agree that is the right and responsibility of parents to direct the education and upbringing of their children. In fact, there are some who represent us, even today, who have proven themselves to be outright hostile to charter schools. Fortunately, they are in the minority, but not by much.

If you have not yet mailed in your ballot, or have not obtained one, please contact the Larimer County Clerk's office immediately (linked below) to participate in next week's important election. Please make Liberty Common School, and the greater charter-school movement, priority factors in your how you vote.

Following are a few of the ballot topics related to our school about which Liberty families have been asking questions.

Common Core Curriculum:

Among the issues worth consideration by Liberty Common voters is the topic of the new nationalized academic standards known as Common Core. This is not to be confused with The Core Knowledge Sequence which defines Liberty's curriculum.

Liberty Common School officially opposes the Common Core nationalized standards, and we regard their companion assessment battery ("PARCC" testing) to be a distracting and inferior measure of what students should know. CLICK HERE to see the anti-Common Core resolution adopted this year by Liberty's Board of Directors.

Despite opposition from many of Colorado's top educators, Colorado's elected officials have embraced the new nationalized Common Core standards and have imposed them upon all public schools - including charter schools. Other state officials have proposed lifting the Common Core mandates in order to free Colorado schools from the scheme's negative impacts upon learning. Here's where relevant candidates stand:

Candidates on Larimer County ballots who support Common Core (disagreeing with Liberty's BOD position): Gov. John Hickenlooper; State Sen. Kevin Lundberg, (candidate for State Senate); State. Rep. Joann Ginal, State Rep. Brian DelGrosso, Jeni Arndt (candidates for State House).

Candidates on Larimer County ballots who oppose Common Core (agreeing with Liberty's BOD position): Bob Beauprez (candidate for Governor); State Sen. Perry Buck, (candidate for State Senate); Donna Walter, Tim Bessler (candidates for State House).

For more information about the nationalized Common Core standards from proponents CLICK HERE.

For more information from Common Core opponents CLICK HERE.

Amendment 68:

Liberty Common School has no position on ballot Amendment 68. Amendment 68 imposes a new tax on authorized horse racetracks and earmarks revenues from this new tax to Colorado's K-12 education system. Any financial impact upon Liberty Common School associated with this amendment is expected to be negligible.

Proposition 104:

Liberty Common School has no position on ballot Proposition 104. This measure requires all local boards of education - in our case, the Poudre School District Board of Education, which is Liberty's Charter authorizer - to conduct in public all meetings between the Board and employee representatives. The current law permits such meetings to be conducted in secret, which typically occurs. This Proposition has no direct impact on Liberty Common School. Liberty's Board of Directors already conducts all business involving budget setting and expenditures in meetings that are open to the public.

General Voting Information:

For more information about balloting, mail-in ballots, voting stations, election calendars, and election laws, please visit the Larimer County Clerk and Recorder's website - CLICK HERE.

For a sample 2014 ballot for Larimer County CLICK HERE.

For the state's "Blue Book" which describes ballot amendments and propositions - including pros and cons of each - CLICK HERE.

Sign Up Genius for Grandparents Day 2014

Liberty Common families and grandparents who have attended previous

Grandparents Day events and filled-out informational table cards at those

events should have received their invitations for Grandparents Day 2014.

This portion of the newsletter is also a reminder and 'save the date' notice

for those families who may have family coming from out of town and would like them to attend!

If you do not receive an invitation, please visit our Grandparents Day Webpage as an open invitation to all grandparents of Liberty Common students.

Please read the content of the page for lots of information about the day and check the FAQ section to see if your questions can be answered there.

Parental families of Liberty Common students who receive an invitation should

share the invitation with their childrens' grandparents if they have not been able

to add their addresses to our Grandparents Day mailing list.

We ask that if grandparents cannot attend, parents do not come in their place.

We do not have the capacity to host every parent plus grandparents. Please

allow this to be a special day for grandparents and grandchildren.

Grandparents Day 2014 promises to be the best event yet! At the elementary

school, grandparents will be treated to a fantastic, home made breakfast that

is a recipe of a fellow Liberty Common grandparent, as well as performances

by students, and a chance to visit their grandchildren's classrooms, meet the

wonderful Liberty Common teachers, and get a grand tour of the fantastic

school given with pride by their own grandchildren.

At the secondary school, grandparents will be treated to some afternoon

snacks and performances by the amazingly talented students as well as get

to tour of the newly expanded, beautiful building and classrooms as well as

experience some interaction with the amazing teachers at this exceptional

educational institution.

Grandparents who are able to attend should not miss this wonderful experience

to spend a wonderful morning and/or afternoon with their bright, excited, and

proud grandchildren. Liberty Common staff, teachers, administration, the

Grandparents Day Planning Committee and all of the students look forward to

hosting people who are so special to the lives of the Liberty kids!

This event cannot exist without the support of parent volunteers. The Grandparents Day Planning Committee is still seeking volunteers to help the evening before the event beginning at 5pm in the elementary gym to set up seating, tables, and decor. Also needed are volunteers to help the day of the event anywhere from 7am am to 11:00am. The high school is seeking volunteers to help from noon until 3:30pm.

If you would be interested in helping make this wonderful, unique event a smooth

success, please use this SignUp Genius page to secure your spot!

CLICK HERE to volunteer, CLICK HERE to donate.

If you have any questions about volunteering for the event, contact Erin Mihulka

via email at coolfam@q.com

Gala 2015 Committee Gears Up

The Gala 2015 committee needs your gently used Reading List books to help raise funds for the school. To donate your books, leave them in the drop boxes located near the front office and back doors to the school.

Pink Bags are back! Gala planning and preparations are underway, and we've filled pink bags with projects that are simple to complete. Most of the projects can be done at home. All the supplies and instructions are included in each bag. Many hands make light work! Visit the front office to check out your Pink Bag Project today!

Honor Our Service Men and Women

Every November, for Veterans Day, we like to honor our men and women veterans and those that are currently serving our country with a display of thanks. To make our bulletin board a great presentation of respect and appreciation, we are needing pictures of our soldiers, seamen and airmen. Please bring any photos of service men or women to the office. Include their name, where they served or are currently serving and their relation to our Liberty Common student(s). Photos will be accepted until November 7th and will be returned. Photos can also be sent via email to jronen@libertycommon.org.

MathCounts Now Open to 6th Graders

MathCounts is a nationwide middle school mathematics competition. Its founding sponsors include the CNA Foundation, the National Society of Professional Engineers, and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. The competition is open to all sixth through eighth grade students and will meet on Tuesdays from 3:15 to 4:00 beginning on November 4th at the high school in Room 153. The Northern Colorado competition is held in February every year and alternates its venue between CSU and UNC. For more information, contact Mr. Yu at dyu@libertycommon.org

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.

Don't hesitate. Enter the raffle now. Winners will be chosen on Friday, Oct. 31st. Your student may be the lucky winner!

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, Box Tops expire. There is an expiration dates fast approaching-November 1st. 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