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Liberty Common Elementary School
Phone:(970)482-9800
Fax: (970)482-8007
OfficeHours:7:50-4:00
Attendance Line:
(970)482-9800,option2
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, and A Gilder Lehrman Affiliate School
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Board of Directors
You may contact all members of our Board of Directors at [email protected] or by telephone:
- Patrick Albright: 232-8257
- Joel Goeltl: 593-8556
- Paulette Hansen: 282-8455
- Jeff Webb: 545-9636
- Denise Benz: 420-4184
- John Rohrbaugh: 225-2259
Next Board of Directors Mtg.,
November 19, 2015, 6:00 p.m.
Liberty Common Elementary
 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.
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November 16|
3rd & 4th Grade Soccer-3:15-4:00
5th-6th Grade Soccer- 4:05-4:50
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November 19|BOD Meeting, 6:00 p.m., LCS
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November 23|
3rd & 4th Grade Soccer-3:15-4:00
5th-6th Grade Soccer- 4:05-4:50
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November 24|Grandparents Day
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November 25-27|Thanksgiving Break, NO SCHOOL
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November 30|Character Assembly
8:10-8:45 (K-3rd grade)
8:55-9:35 (4th-6th grade)
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December 1|3rd and 4th Grade Concert, 6:30 p.m.
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December 3|
3rd & 4th Grade Soccer-3:15-4:00
5th-6th Grade Soccer- 4:05-4:50
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December 4|Chess Club
December 4|5th Grade Movie Night
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December 11|Free Dress Day
December 11|Chess Club
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December 14|Character Assembly
Cooperation
8:10-8:45: (4th-6th grade
8:55-9:35: Kinder-3rd grade
December 14|Music Concert
6th Grade Band
5th and 6th Grade Choirs
6:30 p.m., LCS
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December 15|
3rd & 4th Grade Soccer-3:15-4:00
5th-6th Grade Soccer- 4:05-4:50
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December 18|T-shirt Day
End of 2nd Quarter
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COLD WEATHER
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As the weather starts to get cooler, please remember to send jackets, gloves and hats with your child. Students will go outdoors unless it is raining or the temperature is below 15 degrees. Thank you.
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Dan Knab, Athletic Director
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LCS Sports News
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This Week In Junior-High Sports:
JH-Boy's Basketball
11/16, Monday, 4pm, Away @ Knowledge Quest (Milliken)
11/19, Thursday, 4pm, Home vs Windsor Charter
JH-Girl's Basketball Tryouts
12/16 & 12/17, 3pm - 5pm, Elementary Gym
Brand New Convenience: We now accept payment by credit/debit cards. You can conveniently pay your athletic fees online. This is a financially secure website called Cheddar Up. Start now by clicking HERE. Just click on the sport of participation and pay. If you have already paid the athletic fee for basketball, I will enter your method of payment on this site and you will receive a receipt from CheddarUp
Jr-High Forensics (6th graders welcome) There is a large jr-high interest in forensics. Liberty Common is looking for someone who has expertise in this field that would be able to help build a strong speech and debate program. The goal is to build a program at the jr-high level this year and add a high school program possibly next year. If you are interested or know someone who is familiar with the National Forensics League (NFL), please have them contact Mr. Knab
 Thank you to all who have generously donated to the Liberty Common Clothes Closet. Currently, our Clothes Closet is overflowing with donations. Please refrain from bringing in any donations until we post a notice in the Monday Notes. Remember the Clothes Closet is open 8 am-4 pm and items may be traded in or purchased for $1.00.
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Please mindful of our requests of no cell phone usage in the office, building or classroom. Using cellphones in these areas is disruptive to business and learning. Thank you.
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Newsworthy Announcements; Events, Activities and Reminders:
Our vision and hearing day was a huge success last Friday. Over 440 students were screened for vision and hearing issues. We couldn't have done it without our volunteers. A special thanks to: Michelle Taylor, Sanna Reiner, Celine Derick, Amorette Helm, Heather Jones, Heidi Martinez, Kim Arnett, Val Schroder, and Tim Reed.
Natalie Dybzinski, RN, BSN
School Nurse Consultant Liberty Common School |
Jen Hopkins
Health Tech
Liberty Common School
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Hillsdale Homerun. Last Thursday's "Liberty Lecture" on economics was a "homerun." Special guest professor Dr. Gary Wolfram of Hillsdale College walked students and guests through an assortment of relevant economic principles as they apply to current economic and political trends. He then answered exquisite questions from the audience. Many of our friends from Ridgeview were on hand, too, thanks to the special invitations sent out by the LCHS students who organized the event. CLICK HERE to see lecture footage. The whole presentation created the exact kind of sustained academic conversation that we hope to achieve through our "Liberty Lecture" series. Watch the Monday Notes for details about our next lecture.
Board Of Directors. The Liberty Common School Board of Directors holds its regular monthly meeting this Thursday, November 19th, 2015 beginning at 6:00PM in the Teacher Break Room at the elementary school. All BOD meetings are open to the public.
Kindergarten Sibling List.
If your child is a sibling of a student currently enrolled in Liberty, and will be attending Kindergarten in the 2016-2017 School Year, please make sure that they are on the Sibling List. We will begin running the Kindergarten lottery during the first week in February. Please contact Julie Russell, LCS Registrar at 482-9800, ext 3114, to get on the list.
Lego Robotics.
Saturday, November 14th, three Liberty Common First Lego League robotics teams competed at the Poudre High School qualifier. The teams faced a tough competitive field of 34 teams from northern Colorado. All three teams worked hard this season to build an autonomous robot to perform tasks on a themed playing field, identified a problem and unique solution in the world of trash during the project section all while learning to work as a team, guided by the FLL Core Values. All three teams brought home awards. 
The Stupendous 6 team, shown in gray t-shirts, won the third place project award for their "stupendous" project presentation. The team consists of 4th graders: Bill Sears, Aarav Tiwari, Cooper Beck, Joel Wagner, George Knaus and 6th grader Carter Conrady.
Port 5, shown in purple t-shirts, won the 3rd Place Champion's award, 2nd Place in the robot competition points and an invitation to the Colorado state tournament in January. The team members are 9th grader Taylor Reinke, 8th grader Lilly Wilson, 7th grader Carolyn Carpenter, 6th graders Sydney Reinke and Amber Kranz. They are coached by the dynamic duo of Mr. Bill Kranz and Evelyn Carpenter. Taylor Reinke was also honored with the Outstanding Mentor award!
The Trashformers, shown in dark blue and white, won the tournament with the 1st Place Champion's award and an invitation to the Colorado state tournament in January. The team also placed 5th in the robot competition. The team members are 7th graders Ryan Saldanha, David Gao, Liam O'Malley, Ian Smith, Charlie Wang and Kellen Hansen. They are coached by CJ Smith.
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The Grandparents Day Planning Committee is seeking volunteers
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 The Grandparents Day Planning Committee is seeking volunteers! Please consider contributing to making a very special day for students and their grandparents.
This beloved Liberty tradition has been successful for five previous years because of the help of parents. We need you! Don't let the students and grandparents down! There are many positions still needed and four different opportunities to help...
Opportunity #1: Decorate and Prepare. The committee is asking for 15 adult volunteers, at the elementary, for up to three hours from 4PM to 7PM the evening before the event. Come help set up the gymnasium and decorate! This is a fun time for all because you get to see the gym transformed from athletic to warm, inviting, and beautiful. If you cannot commit to three, full hours...any amount of time is appreciated. We are looking for a few good dads to help as well with some of the heavier lifting of tables and risers...To sign up, please follow the link for the SignUp Genius.
Opportunity #2: Participate and Enjoy. We are also seeking 15 adult volunteers the morning of the event, at the elementary to assist with a multitude of tasks from food service, prep, and clean-up to acting as a host to help seat grandparents and direct them through the school...Although we ask that parents do not attend the event due to building capacity, this is an opportunity for 15 parents to get to be a part of the truly unique and cherished event. Please follow this link to insure the day runs smoothly and participate in its success.
Opportunity #3: Contribute and Revel. The upper school always puts on a grand show...The exceptional performances from the music department to the social dance club are something to behold! With the remarkable diligence and planning skills of the students, only three parents are requested to assist with the event! There is one position open to help at the upper school and enjoy all the students have worked so hard to organize. Please follow this link to assist them.
Opportunity #4: Provide and be content. The committee is also seeking contributions of food for the day of the event. From 8:30am to 3:30pm, the committee, the parent volunteers, and students host approximately 700 grandparents. Thanks to parent owners of local businesses, Paninos and Mountain Vista Golf Course, we do not have to ask for all donations to serve breakfast and afternoon snacks to 700 people...However, we do appeal to the parent community of both schools to help with contributions of some food for the grandparents to enjoy. If you cannot contribute your time, feel content that your donation of a delicious item for grandparents to enjoy will be greatly appreciated...Follow this link for how to donate and what is needed.
Thank you in-advance for your help...Everything is appreciated. Be a part of an amazing Liberty tradition.
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History of Liberty Common School
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 Liberty Common School has a unique history that is important for all to know. There were many hardships and roadblocks encountered along the way. The Founders persevered to make our school what it is today, but it wasn't easy. We are fortunate to have had such persistent pioneers with a vision to make one of the best charter schools in Colorado. For the next three weeks, we will run, "How Did We Get Here?" by Dr. Maureen Schaffer. Dr. Schaffer does a superb job of detailing the events that took place to develop Liberty Common School as we know it. Our hope is that by sharing our history, we will better value the efforts by our Founders to get where we are today. It is because of their vision and foresight that we have the top elementary and high school in the state of Colorado. We continually thank our founding parents for their hard work and dedication. We could not have asked for a better educational system to educate children. Our hope is that you feel the same.
The History of Liberty Common School
Part 3 of 5
By Dr. Maureen Schaffer (Founding Parent)
It was June of 1996. Advocates for the Core Knowledge charter school had come up short after being legally out-maneuvered by the school district. The parents faced a $5000 debt for legal filings and newsletters to its growing list of supporters.
The unsinkable charter group wasted no time mobilizing its next charter effort. They "passed the hat" yet again, this time requesting additional donations to hire a lawyer of their own. The parents contacted local attorney Mike Maxwell to assist in rewriting and negotiating their charter. Maxwell was immediately captivated by the critical nature of the school choice movement. He and his partners donated their time and expertise to the cause.
The name of the new school would be Liberty Common. At a common school, students of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds could obtain a common education. But, why Liberty? Liberty stood for parents who would now have educational choice. Liberty stood for teachers who would no longer have to work in a broken system. And most importantly, Liberty would symbolize the true freedom that can only be achieved when a student possesses an educated mind.
On October 1, 1996 the charter application for Liberty Common School was submitted to PSD, along with a file drawer of supporting documents, reports, and studies. The new charter provided in-depth rationale for each aspect of the school the parents deemed non-negotiable. Still, negotiations drug on for months.
Finally PSD approved the charter, and a five-year contract signed on February 24, 1997. Now, the real work would begin!
The charter group scrambled to simultaneously find a building and hire staff. Teams of parents conducted interviews at Dr. Everett's Urology Center. Applicants were quite relieved to learn that physical exams were not part of the drill!
Although there was still no school building, one courageous administrator, Dr. Kathryn Knox, took a gamble and signed on as Liberty's first headmaster. She quickly melded with the team and donated dozens of hours interviewing potential teachers.
A powerhouse staff with a pioneering spirit was assembled, including Connie Behr, Marie Louise Borak, Gretchen Jeffers, Dave Lunn, Beth Olson, Cherie Pederson, Tina Shockley, and Jeff Seiner, some of whom are all still cornerstones of Liberty today. Teachers joined forces with parents to identify curriculum resources and skills programs to augment the Core Knowledge Sequence.
Meanwhile, parent Peter Kast, worked fervently to pull together a suitable building and financing for the new school. Pursuing multiple deals simultaneously, Peter never gave up as each financing option ultimately collapsed. Would anyone lend money to this unknown entity called a charter school?
It was now summer and fall was fast approaching. A building was needed immediately if there was to be sufficient time for renovations. Peter assembled a small group of investors to purchase the Colgate factory near the detention center and lease the building to the charter school. The deal closed in late June.
The facility question was answered, but substantial reconstruction was necessary to convert the former toothpaste and mouthwash factory into a school. Thirteen Liberty families put up personal assets as collateral for the million-dollar construction loan. It was now July. Amazingly, the Neenan Company completed the massive remodel in less than 60 days!
The concrete floors were uncarpeted, and the upstairs remained unfinished. A support column stood in the middle of the small gym. The performance hall was non-existent. But none of that mattered.
In September 1997, a dream became a reality as Liberty Common School opened its doors to more than four hundred eager young students in kindergarten through 7th grade. And the rest is history!
STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER - LIBERTY COMMON HIGH SCHOOL...
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Save the date for Liberty's Annual Spring Gala-our premier fundraising event!
Friday, April 8th
Exciting New Venue- The Hilton Fort Collins
The Gala Team is currently collecting donations of items for both our Silent and Live Auctions. Do you have something you could donate to benefit our school? We appreciate all donations and remember, Gala donations are generally tax-deductible.
Do you have an Etsy Business? DONATE
Do you have Broncos tickets? DONATE
Do you have Travel Points? DONATE
Do you have Gift Cards you don't need? DONATE
Do you have a Home Improvement business (house painting, furnace repair, etc.)? DONATE
Can you donate any of these items?
A basket just perfect for a cruiser bike
Individual Sports Training
Photography class
Any brand-new electronics (Kindle, iPad, etc.)
To benefit Liberty with your donation, please contact Kelly Notarfrancesco: [email protected] or Click Here for Gala Donation Form. Simply print out the form and bring it along with your donation to the front office of either school. Or email Kelly to arrange for a donation pick up.
Be a Gala Sponsor. Benefit our amazing school and see your business's name in lights. Highlight your business to the nearly 500 Gala attendees and reach the nearly 1000 LCS students and their families by becoming a Gala sponsor. Many opportunities for tax-free advertising. Please contact Maia Elmore: [email protected]
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