Eagle Mosaic
Liberty Common Elementary School 
1725 Sharp Point Dr. 
Fort Collins, CO 80525 
Phone:(970)482-9800
Fax: (970)482-8007 
www.libertycommon.org

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  


Board of Directors  
You may contact all members of our Board of Directors at BOD@libertycommon.org 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
  • Aislinn Kottwitz: 217-5925
Next Board of Directors Mtg., 
February 18, 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. 

Mark Your Calendar
February 8-12|Volunteer Appreciation Week

February 9|1st and 2nd Grade Concert, 6:30 p.m.

February 10|March Lunch Calendars due by 4:00 p.m.  No calendars will be accepted after February 15

February 12|Teacher Professional Development Day.  NO SCHOOL
 
Lincoln's Birthday.  This Friday, February 12th is remembered throughout the country as the birthday of America's 16th president Abraham Lincoln in 1809 in Hardin County, Kentucky.

February 15|NO SCHOOL. PRESIDENTS' DAY 
February 18|BOD Mtg. 6:00 p.m., LCS Teacher's Lounge
February 19|Winter Carnival, 6:30 p.m.
February 19|Free Dress Day
February 19|Chess Club
February 22-26|Penny Wars

Art Room Volunteers are needed for 2nd grade, 1st Grade, and Kinder Art classes starting at 12:00:

Help students and read aloud as they work on their projects. You don't have to have any special art skill, a child in that grade or class.  Just be willing to help students do their best job and prepare materials.   It's a lot of fun!
CLICK HERE TO VOLUNTEER

Attendance Policy
Please call our attendance line by 8:30 am if your child will not be attending school due to illness, appointment or is out of town.
The number is 482-9800, option 2.

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.
 
Liberty Sports News
This Week In Junior-High Sports: 

JH-Girl's Basketball

Monday, 2/01, 3:30pm, @ Westridge (Greeley Rec Center)
Thursday, 2/04, 4pm, @ St. Johns
  
Click HERE for full schedule

Ground-Breaking Ceremony - You are invited to attend the ground breaking ceremony for the new high-school gymnasium.  We will celebrate this event on the grass east of the school on February 9th at 3:30pm.



Coach Search - Liberty Common High School is currently seeking to hire two spring coaches immediately. We are looking for a baseball coach and a women's soccer coach. Both sports require a coach that has excellent knowledge and experience and has a history of working with high-school student-athletes.  Please forward this information on to anyone you may know who would be a good fit for Liberty Common High School.  Mr. Knab is currently taking resumes for these two positions.  All questions can also be directed to Mr. Knab at
Thank you.

Booster-Club Committee Forming. If you have any interest in athletics and are considering deepening your support for the school by volunteering, Mr. Knab suggests joining the LCHS Booster Club.  This is a parent-run club that is very instrumental in the success of our athletic programs.  There is a lot of work that has been put into this club, but most of the weight has been carried by a very small few.  Our vision is to build the LCHS Booster Club to a number of people that would make the work light.  Being at every athletic contest is not required.  Members can go to the games or events that interest them....and free of charge.  Thank you for considering this opportunity.  If you are interested, contact LCHS Booster Club President, Rebecca Finkel. 

 
The Eagle's Nest

 
    

February 8, 2016
Volume 19
Issue 22  
   
Volunteer Appreciation Week


Volunteer-Appreciation Week. The following message is from Mrs. Erin Mihulka who chairs the annual Grandparents Day.  Click at the end of this "teaser" paragraph to read the rest of her uplifting message of thanks and gratitude for all of our Liberty parent and grandparent volunteers; and to see some awesome photos of volunteer parents, and grandparents in action.
 
"This Volunteer Appreciation Week, know that, as parent volunteers, you are appreciated more than can be expressed.  Just look at your child's amazing learning and educational growth and be inspired to continue to volunteer for your child, other children, yourself, and Liberty's educators."
 
"From one parent to another, be willing, of your own free will to make an imprint on the soul of the children of Liberty by giving any time you can...and from one volunteer to another, thank you for all you have done to make the event I chair an enormous success.  And, from one volunteer to Liberty Common:  I appreciate the opportunity you have given me to be a part of my child's educational success."

PLEASE CLICK HERE to read the rest of Mrs. Mihulka's stirring comments.


Professional-Development Day
By:  Bob Schaffer, LCHS principal
Ever wonder what Liberty's teachers do on "Professional- Development Day?"  This Friday, February 12th is the annual day when students enjoy the day off while their instructors show up to learn.
 
There's a nice old quote from Cornish novelist Arthur Quiller-Couch, "We make our discoveries through our mistakes:  We watch one another's success: and where there is freedom to experiment there is hope to improve."  
 
That's an apt statement of the spirit of Liberty's approach to Professional-Development Day, and all other professional-development activities conducted throughout the year.  Our faculty put heroic levels of effort into continual professional improvement.  Hopefully it shows.
 
This Friday, all elementary instructors are headed to a statewide Core Knowledge conference to join up with teachers from throughout the state who also teach from the Core Knowledge Sequence.  This annual event was launched a few years ago by Liberty principal Casey Churchill and it's become an invaluable gathering.
 
There, Liberty teachers will lead presentations on units from the curriculum, and they'll be sitting in on other sessions presented by instructors from other schools.  The ensuing discussions lead to refinements toward perfecting our classroom delivery on an ongoing basis.

Click on the image above to see Mr. Marques Kem leading one of the presentations from last year's Professional-Development Day on the topic of Latin instruction as it relates to the faculty book reading of  
Click on the image above to see Mr. Marques Kem leading one of the presentations from last year's Professional-Development Day on the topic of Latin instruction as it relates to the faculty book reading of "Climbing Parnassus."

At the high school, Liberty instructors will receive three presentations and meet as departments to harmonize curricular planning and sequencing.  Two of the panels involve representatives from various college campuses - including some LCHS-alumni feedback - and are focused on dialing in our "college-preparatory" objectives. 
 
One session will involve experts who will lecture on how Liberty instructors can better assist students coping with family tragedies such as the death of a family member.  Unfortunately, we've had a handful of these situations just this year.
 
Beyond Friday's focused content, Liberty's faculty meets weekly on Wednesday afternoons.  We read and discuss books together.  We tap certain colleagues to deliver academic lectures for the rest of us either covering specific academic topics, or presenting strategies for improved instructional technique.
 
Teaching properly is actually a very difficult endeavor.  Budgeting sufficient time to step back and consider our instructional objectives within the context of the school's broader vision is prudent and essential for a high-achieving professional organization like ours. 
 
So as students revel in the joy of sleeping in and dodging the Dress Code this Friday, know that their instructors are full-on working together in the style of Arthur Quiller-Couch's quotation:  Making discoveries through our mistakes, watching one another's successes, and cheerfully pursuing professional improvement toward being the best elementary, junior-high, and high-school faculty on the planet.  

survey
It is the time of year when The Board of Directors seeks parental input on your child's educational experience at Liberty.  The Board values your opinion and strives to do its very best to be one of the top schools in Colorado.  A general survey focusing on our institution as a whole was distributed to all families via email on February 1, 2016.  Today, families will receive an individual teacher/class survey.  If you have more than one child attending Liberty,  please complete a survey for each of your students.  Please take a few minutes to fill out these surveys. General Survey is due by Feb. 12th. and School Specific Surveys are due by Feb. 26th.

If you have any questions regarding the surveys, please call the front office at (970)482-9800.  We value your feedback.   




The FREE Winter Carnival is coming soon.
Friday, February 19, 2016! 6-8pm 

Gnarly, live rad music and dancing, fun games, bounce houses, face and hair painting and A SUPER 80's SURPRISE!   

Righteous, pizza and drinks can be purchased at the carnival!

CLICK HERE for parent volunteer sign up.
CLICK HERE for donations sign up.
Liberty Common Academic
Summer Camps

Dear Parent/s,
Summer will be here before you know it! Liberty Common Elementary School is offering a SUMMER CAMP for reading and literacy, math, and academic individualized tutoring, for students entering 1st.-6th. grades.  Spots are filling up, so register early.

CLICK HERE for information about and to register for  Reading and Literacy Camp.

CLICK HERE for information about and to register for Math Camp.

CLICK HERE for information about and to register for Individualized Tutoring.   

We are excited to offer our summer camp and hope your child can join us!

Sincerely,
Keith Churchill
Principal, Liberty Common School

Board Elections
On Monday, April 18, 2016, parents of Liberty Common School will finalize the election of parent/candidates for the school's governing Board of Directors.  Candidates must complete a written application as per Board policies posted at the school's website (CLICK HERE) which will be accepted until 4:00 PM on the Wednesday, April 13, 2016.  
Support Liberty Common School