The Eagle's Nest 
  Liberty Common Elementary School
1725 Sharp Point Drive
Fort Collins, CO 80525
Phone:(970)482-9800



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 33                                                                            
April 27, 2015
Important Dates
April 28|Character Ed. Assembly-Perseverance
(K-3) attends assembly at 8:10-8:45
(4-6) attends assembly at 8:55-9:35

Speaker: Ellen Martin, Visual Arts Administrator for the City of Fort Collins.  Ellen has been with the City of Fort Collins for the past 28 years.  As the Visual Arts Administrator, she oversees the Lincoln Center Visual Arts and City's Public Art Programs.  Ellen has been with the Art in Public Places Program since its inception in 1995.  She has her Master in Arts degree from the University of Northern Colorado.
Fort Collins artist, Stan Scott next to his transformer cabinet mural.
Fort Collins Art in Public Places Program
It's everywhere!  We will give a glimpse into the Art in Public Places Program and some of the special projects that make Fort Collins unique.  We will highlight the murals and artists working on the Transformer Cabinet Mural and Pianos About Town Projects.

May 1|Mayfest-(No hot lunch will be served)
May 4th-May8th|Teacher Appreciation Week
May 6th|Bike To School Day 
May 11|5th & 6th Grade Band/Choir Concert, 6:30 
May 14|Awards Ceremonies
May 21|BOD Meeting, 6:00 p.m.
May 21|Olympic Day-(No hot lunch will be served)
May 22|Last Day of School, 1/2 day, 11:00 release
May 22|4th Quarter Ends
June 5|Final Report Cards mailed home
June 18|BOD Meeting, 6:00 p.m.

Peter Pan Dessert Theatre DVDs on Sale. Order your DVD of the performance now!  Star Painter Productions video recorded the performance and is selling individual DVDs for $15.00. Please complete the order form prior to May 5th.  Attach payment and drop it off at the Front Office.  DVDs will be delivered to the school by May 19th.  CLICK HERE for a DVD order form.  Don't miss out on this opportunity to watch the performance again and again.  Perfect for Grandparents or out of town family. Order now.  

Important Dates
2015-2016
School Year
Classes Begin|Aug. 24
Thanksgiving|Nov. 25-27
Winter Break|Dec. 21-Jan. 1
Spring Break|March 14-18
Last Day of School|May 27
Student Not Returning to Liberty?
If you know that your student will not be returning to Liberty Common for the 2015-2016 school year, please contact Julie Russell at 482-9800 ext. 3114, as soon as possible.  There are many anxious parents waiting for a spot. To ensure a smooth transfer of your child's records, you may pick-up dis-enrollment paperwork in the office.  Thank you. 
Recycle Cartridges for Kids at Liberty Common School
Unsure what to do with your used cell phones, laser & inkjets cartirdges, laptops, MP3s, PDAs and tablets, eReaders and notebooks? Donate them Liberty Common!  We partner with Cartridges For Kids to recycle used electronics and raise money for our school. You can drop off your items in the Front Office in the box located on the credenza. We will have a pickup on May 8th. Thank you for your support!

3rd-6th Graders Encouraged to Participate in Standardized Testing   
Liberty's participation in the State of Colorado's standardized testing begins soon. Liberty's participation in the State of Colorado's standardized testing begins soon.  Although Liberty is opposed to Common Core, we are encouraging students to take the state tests.  Ridgeview Classical School Principal, Mr. Anderson, recently wrote a wonderful perspective that mirrors our stance on the tests.  Please CLICK HERE to read Mr. Anderson's article. 

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. 
Summer Math and Reading Camps and Individualized Tutoring Coming to Liberty. Plan and Register Now
reading 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.

7th Grade Summer English Program  
Attention Sixth Grade Parents: Liberty Common High School Summer English Program-Get on Track and Get Ahead!

Did your student struggle to manage the various, demanding language arts this year: grammar, vocabulary, writing, etc.?  Are you worried that waiting until next school year to revisit these areas will only result in a deeper hole at the next level?  Is your student going to be new at Liberty next year, and are you worried whether he/she will be ready for the cumulative nature of Liberty's English curriculum-especially the rigorous grammar training?  Maybe you just want your child to refine and bolster his/her language skills, guided by close instruction and support.  Regardless of the reason, this summer's four week English "booster" is the perfect, economical opportunity.  The cost is much less than typical tutoring, the tutor-to-student ratio is small, and the instructor is Mr. Dybzinski, head of Liberty's English department.  Regardless of whether your student is ahead or behind, he will set your child up for more English success.  Furthermore, he plans to have much fun in the process!  CLICK HERE for the flyer.
Please Visit Lost and Found

Please take a few minutes to visit our Lost and Found. As you can see, from this photo, it is bursting at the seams with a plethora of items.  Remember items not claimed after 2 weeks are donated to charity.
Gala Update
We are so pleased to announce that $113,000 was raised at Gala 2015!  Our great school benefits in so many ways from the funds raised at this annual event.

 

Sincere thanks go to all of the sponsors, donors, volunteers, attendees, and everyone that participated in making Gala 2015 such a success!

 

A Note of Thanks
This note was received last week from Larimer  County Clerk & Recorder Angela Myers:  "Dear Liberty Staff - What a delightful Gala Friday night!  I was honored by the special invitation and thoroughly enjoyed the festivities.  More importantly, thank you for the quality education you give for all Liberty Common students - it makes a difference for all of us and for all they will encounter in their lifetimes.  Sincerest regards, Angela."

Use King Soopers Cards and Support Liberty

 
In This Issue
Contact Us
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 if they are not throwing up or fever-free (WITHOUT FEVER REDUCING MEDICINE) for 24 hours.
Board of Directors
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.


Job Openings at LCS

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

News from the Athletic Director, Dan Knab
2015 Jr. High Track Meet Schedule:
 *Click on away location for directions to meet site.
   

April 27, 2015 @ Liberty    

May 4, 2015 @ Frontier NCIL Championship

 

Questions?
Contact Coaches: Donny Reeves
Jon Wilcox
 


Jr. High Girls Soccer Schedule
4/28 Semi-Finals @ LCS

4/29 Finals@LCS

End of the Year Medication Pickup
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Medications cannot be sent home with students at the end of the school year.

Parents must pick up all medications on or before the last day of school.

If medications need to be picked up before the last day of school, the needed number of pills can be counted out and kept in the original RX container. The remaining medication can be taken home in a plastic bag.

Emergency or as-needed medications (Epi-pens, Tylenol, Inhalers, etc.) must also be picked up.

The school nurse will follow DEA procedures and deliver all medications not picked up to the DEA to dispose of properly.

If medications will be brought back to the school in the fall, you may obtain a medical permission form from the health tech in your school.

If you have any questions please contact our Health Tech, Jen Hopkins at 482-9800, ext. 3113.

 

Raising Kids Who Read Books Available  

Thanks to all Liberty Common staff and parents that attended Daniel T.  Willingham's informative lecture on Friday, March 27th.  Dr. Willingham was a dynamic speaker who displayed a strong commitment to Core Knowledge. We hope you can join us for future speakers such as this. If you missed the lecture, and would like to purchase Dr. Willingham's book, Raising Kids Who Read, books are available for sale in the front office for $20.00 (cash or check). Please stop in to buy your copy today.  

Update from the BOD
by Paulette Hansen, Liberty Common Board Member
Two of the most important issues facing the Board are hiring a Business Manager and upgrades and expansions of both schools.

We have decided to modify the Business Manager job description to attract different and additional candidates.  The title is now Financial Operations Manager/Accountant.  The job description is listed on the website.  If you can recommend someone who is qualified, please encourage him or her to apply now.

Board and Financial Advisory Committee members are in the midst of pricing options for improvement and expansion of both facilities.  Those considerations include: Elementary entry vestibule, Elementary gym flooring, High School gym, High School great hall expansion.  We are excited to learn more about our options.  We'll keep you updated.

At our recent Board meeting, we heard from our Information Technology (IT) team.  The Elementary school has undergone a thorough update of the IT Infrastructure.  The High School has gone through two expansions that include updated network wiring, added switches, and beefed up wireless access capabilities.  They have added Chromebooks to manage testing needs and typing practice, which have worked very well.  The IT staff manage over 500 devices for us and do a very impressive job for which we are extremely thankful!

Why Math Facts Rule

by: LCS BOD  

Automaticity, the ability for students to immediately recognize math facts, takes practice. "Speed Goals" are set for all grades at Liberty Elementary for one very important reason - the development of automaticity. Automaticity allows students to focus their mental energies on the demands of more difficult math concepts. Just as a student cannot appreciate great works of literature if he or she is consumed with phonetically "sounding out" the words on the page, a student cannot fully grasp complex mathematical concepts if his or her mind is consumed with the simple arithmetic involved. In addition (no pun intended), math fact automaticity saves students from frustration and simple errors as the concepts become more challenging. Here is the math fact goal matrix as outlined in the Students-Parent Handbook.

 

NOTE: FPM = Facts Per Minute

Grade

Addition

Subtraction

Multiplication

Division

K

Not Tested

Not Tested

Not Tested

Not Tested

1*

Not Timed to 9+9

Not Timed to 18-9

Not Tested

Not Tested

2**

20 FPM to 9+9

20 FPM to 18-9

Not Tested

Not Tested

3

20 FPM to 9+9

20 FPM to 18-9

15 FPM to 99

15 FPM to 819

4

25 FPM to 10+10

25 FPM to 18-9

20 FPM to 1212

18 FPM to 14412

5

30 FPM to 10+10

30 FPM to 20-10

25 FPM to 1212

25 FPM to 14412

6

35 FPM to 12+12

35 FPM to 20-10

35 FPM to 1212

35 FPM to 14412

* 1st Grade tests are limited to 15 min. and number lines are not available during the second semester

** 2nd Grade only tests during the second semester

 

Any basketball coach will confirm, the only way to become expert at free-throws is to practice until the skill is automatic. Similarly, the only way to become fluent in math facts is with practice! We recommend www.Mobymax.com/co990  for extra practice at home. A couple of fun sites for games are www.apples4theteacher.com

(math/operations games) and www.coolmath.com (numbers, addition/subtraction or multiplication/division). "Facts in a Flash" is a free app. you can download on handheld devices to work on while in the car, too.

Math facts are practiced in class, but your support (and your child's continued practice) at home will go a long way toward speeding up your child's success with math!

 

 

French/Spanish Instructor Needed at LCHS
Mrs. Tricola, French and Spanish teacher at LCHS, announced last week that she will be moving out of town, and LCHS is looking for a perfect candidate to fill her teaching role beginning in August.  CLICK HERE to see the job posting, and to view open job postings for a school business manager, a high-school science instructor, and a cross-country coach.  If you know anyone who might be a good match for any of these jobs, please direct them to this link right away. 
A.S.K Offers Summer Camp

1st Choice Before and After School Care Offer