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 27
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March 9, 2015
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Important Dates
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March 9|4th Quarter begins
March 9|Jr. High Track Mtg., (Grades 6th-8th)
6:30, LCS
March 10|April Lunch Calendars Due
March 9|Jr. High Girls Soccer Practice Begins, 3:30,LCS Everett Field
March 16-20|Spring Break, NO SCHOOL
March 23|Jr. High Track Practice Begins
March 25|LCS Grandparents Luncheon at C.B.&Potts, 11:30
March 26|BOD Mtg., 6:00 p.m.
March 27|Liberty T-Shirt Day
March 27|Liberty's Spring Lecture, Daniel T. Willingham, 6:30-8:00 p.m., Liberty Common School
March 30|Liberty Common Information Night,
6:30 p.m.
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Very Important Information: 2015 Liberty Common CMAS Testing Schedules
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 Liberty's participation in the State of Colorado's standardized testing begins soon. Only 3rd-6th graders will be taking the tests. Attending school during these days is of utmost importance and we greatly appreciate your support. Please do not plan any vacations or medical/dental appointments on testing days. CLICK HERE to view the schedules. Be sure to scroll thru the entire document to know when your student will be testing. Thank you.
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Volunteer Webpage
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Check out Liberty's new and improved volunteer webpage. This is your all access page to the many ways you can get involved and volunteer at Liberty. The page will be kept up to date with immediate needs in the school as well as links to information about ways to get involved in...
- The Classroom
- At School
- Specials Help
- Fundraising and Special Events
- Extra Curricular Activities
CLICK HERE to access this great new addition to our website.
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Essential oils growing in popularity
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Currently essential oils fall in line with the all other topical medications and cannot be administered at school without a doctors release form and are to be stored in the health office. If you have questions please feel free to contact the health office @ extension 3113.
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Summer Math and Reading Camps and Individualized Tutoring Coming to Liberty. Plan and Register Now
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 Research at Liberty Common School has shown that a whole summer without regular math and reading practice can cause a HUGE drop in reading levels and fluency and a drop in math testing and grades. To combat this trend, Liberty Common School is offering summer Reading and Math Camps and individual tutoring of students entering grades 1st-6th. Space is limited, so register now! Click Here for Reading Camp Information and Registration Form. Click Here for Math Camp Information and Registration Form. Click Here for Individualized Tutoring Information and Registration Form.
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Join In The Fun. Spirit Week :
March 30- April 2, 2015
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Mustache Monday
Students may sport their best "mustache" (must be able to be removed by Tuesday Morning). Mustaches can be made out of paper, felt, etc. They can also be painted on with face paint or makeup. Mustache accessories (necklaces, earrings, scarves, ties etc.) are also welcome. Students should be in dress code clothing.
Tuesday- Theme Day (Class)
Students will be encouraged to join with their home room classmates in choosing a class theme for this day. Each classroom teacher will communicate to students and parents the theme of dress for this day. Look for more information in your child's classroom Monday Note after Spring Break!
Wednesday- Pajama Day
Students may wear pajamas to school. Slippers are acceptable, but students should bring alternative shoes for P.E. and recess. Students should not be in spaghetti straps or sleeveless shirts. Pajama pants should be full length or past the knee. NO pajama shorts.
Thursday- Super Hero Day
Students may wear any super-hero themed dress for this day. Students should not be in spaghetti straps or sleeveless shirts. Pants should be full length or to the knee. No weapons or depictions of violence, please. "We use our powers for good....not evil"J
*** Spirit week activities are optional but encouraged. Dress code on any of the above days is acceptable. ***
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Easy To Use Grocery Gift Cards
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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.
In an effort to keep students safe during drop-off and pick-up times, please refrain from using cell phones. The front, middle and back drop-off and pick-up areas are designated NO CELL PHONE AREAS.
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. 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 included on the sign-in sheet.  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.
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Healthcare Reminder
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 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 if they are not throwing up or fever-free(WITHOUT FEVER REDUCING MEDICINE) for 24 hours . |
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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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Quiet Zone
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 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. |
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Job Openings at LCS
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Dear Parents,
Liberty will begin hiring for upcoming 2015-2016 positions starting in April. We could use your help. Please spread the word to anyone you know that would be a good fit for Liberty. Here is a link to our website listing all available positions.
http://www.libertycommon.org/k-6-school/staff/job-openings/
Sincerely,
Liberty Administration
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Clothes Closet Needs Boy's Pants
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The Liberty Clothes Closet is in desperate need of boy's pants, all sizes. Please spring clean your student's closets and bring in gently used boy's pants. We will not be able to use pants that have holes, or stains.
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A Liberty Lecture: Teaching Children to Think
By: Casey Churchill, LCS Principal
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 On February 25 th, around 30 participants had the honor of hearing, Dr. Randy Everett speak in the LCHS Great Hall. Dr. Everett, a founder of Liberty, gave a special lecture entitled, "Teaching Children to Think". This Liberty Lecture organized by Liberty's Parent-Education Subcommittee, and was designed to help parents better understand the school's "Thinking Framework" strategy. This method is used in curriculum development, lesson planning and classroom content delivery. This classical framework was articulated by Liberty's founders when the school's predecessor school first opened in 1993. The Thinking Framework has been perfected by Liberty faculty over the years.
Colton Media Productions was there to capture this Liberty Lecture. In an effort to help parents fully understand Liberty's philosophy and academic tactics and to better reinforce teaching strategies at home, Liberty's Board of Directors strongly encourages parents to watch this video. Together, we can do a better job teaching our children to think.
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| | Dr. Randy Everett on the Founding of Liberty Common School |
 The Next Liberty Lecture will take place at 6:30 PM on March 27 th at the Elementary Gym. Dr. Daniel T. Willingham from University of Virginia will speak about his new book, Raising Kids Who Read. We hope you can join us. Tickets for this event can be purchased below.
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Parent Survey Results
by: BOD Chairmen, Bill Werst
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191 people, 30% of Liberty Common's 640 families, completed the parent's survey last month. Next year, we would like to hear from even more of you. We appreciate that you choose Liberty Common to assist you in the education and schooling of your children. As a BOD and administration, we have read the results and all of the comments you provided. The good news is that overall the parent population is very satisfied with the performance and direction of the school.
Some of the top scores were:
* I am satisfied with the academic program at Liberty Common
o + 95% (agree or strongly agree) and - 4% (disagree or strongly disagree)
* I value the character education program
o + 95% (agree or strongly agree) and - 3% (disagree or strongly disagree)
Now let me speak to the areas you told us were the greatest opportunities for improvement. The quantitative aspects of the survey with greater than 10% negative scores were:
* I would value more education around the philosophy of the school
o - 14% (disagree or strongly disagree) and + 53% (agree or strongly agree)
* I know how my donated money is used
o - 13% (disagree or strongly disagree) and + 72% (agree or strongly agree)
* Please rank your level of understanding of the following Liberty philosophies: Mathematics philosophy
o - 12% (disagree or strongly disagree) and + 68% (agree or strongly agree)
54 of you provided written comments expressing your perspectives on what is going well and areas you see for improvement. The top three themes in the comments where more than five of you commented, were related to:
* Praise for what is going well (19)
* Fundraising (11)
* Homework levels (7)
At the Thursday, March 26th BOD meeting, we will have an agenda topic discussing the survey results and the actions we should be taking to improve our performance even more. Please join us for that BOD discussion.
In future Monday Notes columns, I will share the results of our discussions and improvement areas we are focusing on that address the feedback you gave us. Based on your feedback, in future Monday Notes, we will also address some specific topics such as the philosophy of the school, how fundraising money is used, and the mathematics and homework philosophy.
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Grandparents Luncheon, Wednesday, March 25th
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Spring is here and that means...... Time for the Liberty Common Spring Grandparents Luncheon , Wednesday, March 25th, at 11:30. Reserve your seat by emailing [email protected] by Friday, March 20th. We're excited to be meeting again at C.B. & Potts (1441 East Horsetooth at Collindale Golf Course). We will have a new select menu and special prices. Choose from five different entrees and pay only $10, including tea or soft drinks. Please bring cash or a check for your meal(s). Our special guests will be 6th graders from LCS, and 8th graders and seniors from LCHS.
These exceptional young people will share their perspectives on their education and their plans for the future. If you need inspiration, this is where to get it. RSVP today, and mark your calendar.
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Join Us for Liberty's Annual Spring Gala!
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Join us Friday, April 10th from 6-11pm for our night of fun and celebration! This year's event will be held at the Embassy Suites in Loveland.
Purchase tickets by THIS FRIDAY, March 13th.
Tickets purchased by Wednesday, March 12th will be only $40 per ticket. After the 12th, ticket prices increase to $50 each.
- The Spring Gala is an exciting and important fundraiser for Liberty each year! Charter schools receive only 85% of the funding of traditional public schools, so please show LCS your support by attending the Spring Gala this year.
- Enjoy time with Liberty friends and staff during the cocktail hour and delicious dinner.
- The Gala features a few different types of fun-filled auctions, games and events, including a wonderful Silent Auction, Dessert Auction, Teacher Treasures Auction and fun-filled Live Auction.
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Class Baskets Available for K-6th Grades
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To Volunteer for the Gala Click HERE!
Look at some of the exciting items on which you can bid!
- Two Handmade Adirondack Chairs with Side Tables!
- A Chef's Dinner for 8, including Wine and Sake Pairings at Suehiro!
- Three Month Family Membership to Fort Collins Club!
- Tickets to Awesome Places Such As: Denver Zoo, Rollerland, Cheyenne Frontier Days, Inner Strength Rock Gym, and Horseback Riding!
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A Christmas Tree skirt created by select 4th Graders!
- Milk and Cookie Keepsakes personalized by Kinders!
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Library Time and Treat at Panera with the 1st Grade Teachers!
- An Art Lesson at the Gardens at Spring Creek with Mrs. Nichols!
- Reserved VIP Parking at LCS or LCHS Just for YOU!
- A Fire Truck Ride with the Kindergarten Teachers!
Full Auction Preview and Frequently Asked Questions Here!
The Gala is important to Liberty and great fun! Join the excitement and buy your tickets today! RSVP before Friday, March 13th to take advantage of lower ticket prices!
Invitations were mailed to all Liberty families OR access the RSVP form online here
Spring Gala questions? Please contact Qeryldine Hofinger: [email protected]
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Donor Drop Box
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 As a tuition-free, public-charter school, Liberty receives less funding from the Poudre School District than do regular public schools. To help Liberty remain the best school around, we rely upon free-will contributions from parents, grandparents, and alumni; and upon the generosity of community members who support Liberty's innovative brand of high-quality classical education. This week, the Liberty Board of Directors, the school administration, faculty, and staff extend sincere thanks and humble gratitude for the following recent contributors:
Lauretta & Leroy Lambertson, Judy & William Werst, Carolyn Tedford, Maureen & Robert Hofinger, Carol Mullins, Lila Simon, Sriram Family, and the Alexandrakis Family.
 Your generosity and thoughtful support of Liberty Common School give to our students academic advantages they would not otherwise enjoy. Thank you for your leadership in public-education reform, and specifically toward achieving Liberty Common School's ongoing mission of academic excellence and fairness. All donations to Liberty Common School are tax deductible (Federal non-profit ID # 84-1404585). To volunteer on the Liberty Fundraising Committee CLICK HERE. To volunteer on the Liberty Grants Committee CLICK HERE. To volunteer for the annual Liberty Spring Gala fundraiser event (Friday, April 10th, 2015 at the Embassy Suites in Loveland) CLICK HERE. To make an online donation CLICK HERE. For more information about contributing to Liberty Common School, please CLICK HERE to visit the "Support Liberty" options at the school's website. |
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News from the Athletic Director, Dan Knab
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Jr.-High Girls Soccer-The team's first practice is on March 9th at 3:30pm on the soccer field at the elementary school. Stay tuned for information on the parent meeting.
Jr.-High Track
The team's first practice is on March 23rd at 3:30pm starting in the gym and then moving on to the track. Parent meeting will be on March 9th at 6:30pm in the elementary gym. (Athletic Packet due date is March 13th)
CLICK HERE to download the Athletic Packet. Fill out and turn in with a copy of a Physical and a check for $80.00 The Athletic Packet and Physical needs to be turned in only once per year. After the Athletic Packet is turned in to Mrs. Ronen, in the Front Office, a Blue Card will be issued. The student will give the Blue Card to the respective coach on the first day of practice.
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