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Communis Scientia, Virtutes, et Prudentia
Common Knowledge, Common Virtues, Common Sense
2015-2016
ÆDIFICANS FVTVRVM
Constructing the Future
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Liberty Common High School
2745 Minnesota Drive
Fort Collins, CO 80525
Phone: 970-672-5500
Fax: 970-672-5499
Attendance Line: Please call in by 8:30AM
672-5500 option 2.
Office Hours: 7:15 - 3:45
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Next Board of Directors Meeting: March 24th, 6:00 - 10:00 p.m. at LCS.
You may contact all members of our Board of Directors at
Patrick Albright 232-8257
Joel Goeltl: 593-8556
Jeff Webb: 545-9636
Denise Benz: 420-4184
John Rohrbaugh: 225-2259
Aislinn Kottwitz: 217-5925
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MARCH
| 9-10 - Block Days
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11 - 3rd Quarter ends
11- T-Shirt day
11 - 6th Grade Day
11 - 7th Grade Field Trip
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14-18 - Spring Break
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24 - BOD Meeting, LCS 6:00pm
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29 - Spring Choral Concert
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25 - Good Friday, No School
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30- Liberty Lecture- "Living What We Teach: Combating Anti-Intellectualism in Culture and Education"
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Classical Manners for the Modern Youth
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From the 1934 high-school textbook Good Manners used in "Household Science" class of that day:
"Rule No. 175. Service. To signal a waiter, the boy waits until the waiter looks his way, then he motions with his hand. Never call out or rap on the glass. The girl never calls the waiter, or gives orders to him. Do not call a waiter 'George'; say, 'Waiter.' Boys, do not assume an autocratic air toward the waiter. Do not be timid and embarrassed, or ill at ease. It is not good form to complain about everything served. If you have a real grievance, motion to the waiter, and ask him to change the food. Give your orders distinctly. It is not necessary to say, 'Please,' to a waiter, or to say, 'Thank you,' when he passes food to you.
"A boy and girl should talk naturally during the meal. Do not rush through the meal in silence, but do not take undue time during the rush hour."
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AST Tip Of The Week:
This week a student shared that she believes, on the day of an exam, you should dress up because you feel good about yourself and that puts you in a good mental state which allows you to perform better on an exam. While dressing up may not be your thing, finding something that makes you feel confident on test day really can improve your score. Remember to affirm all you have done to prepare, and tell yourself "I've done the work, I've got this" to keep yourself from stressing. A relaxed mind is a sharp mind.
(For the full timeline visit our Liberty 101 webpage CLICK HERE.)
9th-Hour Clubs
The primary purpose of our 9th-hour clubs is to provide students with the opportunity to receive extra help from teachers. Parents are encouraged to assist their students in creating a 9th-hour plan by reviewing the 9th-Hour Club Schedule.
The LCHS Academic
Support Team
created this website to assist all LCHS students with helpful tips and resources for academic success.
Be sure to check it out.
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2016-2017
School Calendar
Aug. 29th- Classes Begin
Sep 24-Oct 8- Student Count
Sep 5th- Labor Day, No School
Oct. 28- Parent/Teacher Conferences
Nov. 23-25- Thanksgiving
Dec. 26-Jan 6- Winter Break
Jan 16- Martin Luther King Day, No School
Feb. 17- Professional Development Day
Feb. 20- President's Day
Mar 13-17- Spring Break
April 14- Good Friday
May 26- Last Day of Classes 1/2 day
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Volume 19, Issue 27/ March 7, 2016
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Gala Deadline. You have until Friday, March 11th to register for the Spring Gala at the lower rate of $50 per ticket. After March 11th the rate will go up $10 per ticket. Don't miss out - register online today.
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LCHS seniors Indrani Ray and Will Denton appeared with Mr. Schaffer as he guest hosted the Jimmy Lakey Morning Show last week on Fox News Radio 600 KCOL. The four-hour show also featured a segment with juniors Mary-Claire Spurgin and Brady Lane.
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Open Campus. Wednesday, March 9th, 2016 is a block day. As such all LCHS seniors enjoy Open-Campus privileges during their lunchtime (10:36 to 11:25AM). Do not return late. Open-Campus privilege is no longer extended to the junior class due to privilege abuse (returning to school late) occurring at the last Open-Campus occasion.
T-Shirt Day. Friday, March 11th, 2016 is a scheduled Liberty t-shirt day. All Liberty-issued tops are in style, as are t-shirts, sweatshirts, and jerseys depicting any colleges or universities.
Maintenance Help Needed. We are looking for after-school student help for the maintenance department. Hours are 3:30-5:30 PM. Please e-mail Mr. Schaffer if interested.
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El Paso County Commissioner Peggy
Littleton visited last week and chatted
with LCHS history instructor Mr. T.J. Norris. Littleton is a candidate for the U.S. Senate.
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U.S. Senate Candidate.
A candidate for the U.S. Senate, The Hon. Peggy Littleton of El Paso County, stopped by last week for a tour of the school. Littleton is a County Commissioner in El Paso County, a former Member of the Colorado State Board of Education, and a former teacher. The school extends an open invitation to all political candidates and elected public officials to tour the school and meet students, faculty, staff, and any visiting parents or grandparents who happen to also be on hand.
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Click on this image to see "The Highlanders'" nationally ranked
robot in action.
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Arizona Bound. LCHS students participating as members of the local "The Highlanders" robotics team (Team 449) are headed to Flagstaff, AZ this week for a four-day competition. CLICK HERE to see LCHS senior Ben Trout's write-up on the team's exploits in which he describes the intrepid "robotics lifestyle." Also, please click on the nearby video link to see a short clip of the team's magnificent robot in action.
CyberPatriots. Results are as follows: Alpha team(Platinum): 54th in the nation (top 3% of all teams competing), 13th in the region, 6th in the state (the top 4 were invited to nationals.) Beta team(Platinum): 170th in the nation, 43rd in the region, 15th in the state. Cyber Dragons (girls team - Gold): 23rd in the nation, 2nd in the region, 1st in the state (by 20 points). Middle School team: 19th in the nation (out of 460 teams), 1st in the state (by 17 points). Alpha team competitors: Caleb Gentz, John Wiens, Daniel Scott, Brady Lane, Annie Williamson, Jack Hempel-Costello
Beta team competitors: Adam Stoltz, Nick Vosseteig, Filip Lewulis, Jack Casterella. Cyber Dragons: Anya Wiens, Madison Kubala, Emma Daharsh, Corinne Rogers.Middle School team: Lilly Wilson, Simon Hempel-Costello, Pierce Thomas. Every team had its highest score ever. It was a great success.
Host A Foreign-Exchange Student. One of Liberty's foreign-exchange coordinators is looking for host families for the fall of 2016 for wonderful students that would love to attend LCHS for the next school year. Here are a few profiles:
Emil from Sweden: A 17-year-old male who is a cheerful student. Emil loves snowboarding, photography, American history, tennis and skateboarding. His school describes him as a "mature, warm and outgoing person."
Miranda from Italy: A 17-year-old "A+" female student from Italy who loves track, biking, reading and photography. Miranda's school describes her as "an exceptional motivated student with diligent work habits and great interpersonal skills."
Femke from Germany: A 16-year-old female who has dual citizenship for both Germany and the United Kingdom and lives part of the year in each country. She speaks fluent English, Dutch and German, loves to cook, hike, take photos, work out and ride. Her school describes Femke as "likeable, mature and conscientious."
Students arriving through this exchange program (EF) cover all personal expenses, are fully insured and speak excellent English. Host families provide a loving home, meals and a bed to sleep in. There are tax deductions for hosting exchange students. To learn more, please contact program coordinator Melissa Gardner by email, or by phone at 303-847-8165 as soon as possible.
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Marine veteran Mr. Tom Buchanan of Loveland, Colorado donated classroom Flags for every classroom at Liberty Common High School. He was on hand to celebrate our school's first Torch Trek, which was the day the Flags were first posted in our classrooms. Mr. Buchanan died last Friday. The Flags over LCHS fly this week at half-staff in honor of his service to our country, for his heroic patriotism, and for his generosity to our school. May he rest in peace.
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The First-Annual Spring Colloquium. A festival of ideas was a smashing success. Over 250 members of the Liberty, classical-charter school, and Fort Collins community attended a morning of conversation and learning. Every single lecture, presentation, or demonstration was professional, engaging, and impassioned. Highlights included Mr. Van Maren's presentation on Aristotle and Augustine, Mrs. Salazar and Mr. Seiple's Ellsworth Kelly lecture which was so popular they repeated it, and Dr. Polhemus' lecture on the Big Bang, complete with space pictures. Some of our sessions overflowed and we had to adjust the schedule to accommodate the unanticipated attendance. Our students and staff were warm and welcoming, and the food donated by Liberty families ensured a friendly vibe. If you attended and have any feedback, suggestions, or remarks about what you saw or would like to see next year, please email nscarlett@libertycommon.org. Thank you to all who attended and participated in this unique festival of ideas.
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News from Casey Churchill, Principal of Liberty Common Elementary School
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 No More Empty Seats DID YOU KNOW? * Starting in kindergarten, too many absences can cause children to fall behind in school. * Missing 10 percent (or about 18 days) can make it harder to learn to read. * Students can still fall behind if they miss just a day or two days every few weeks. * Being late to school may lead to poor attendance. * Absences can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help children catch up.
I think everyone would agree that teacher to student contact time would be a number one factor in a student's success at a school. This is a very simple concept. If you are in school, you will learn more.
Parents with sick kids do a great job of getting missed homework in the front office, but completing work at home is simply not the same. Teachers here at Liberty are specialists in explaining content or skills in multiple ways to help students better understand the material. They are also experts in the Thinking Framework model that help students see the interconnectedness with content and skills taught. There are models and drawings to demonstrate and patterns that can be found with all lessons. The dialog that is exchanged during classroom discussions cannot be reenacted.
This is the second year we have conducted our "Hug n Go" policy. The Liberty Common staff is thankful to parents for their cooperation in allowing students to enter school on their own and begin their day by their own doing. Below are a few teacher quotes about the success of this initiative. "To me the best result of this "policy" has been having students in their seats in the morning, working quietly and confidently, resulting in WAY fewer tardies! They come in knowing school is a fun and safe place and they are totally confident in their own morning routines...it has been a really great thing to watch!"
"It is so much easier for our little ones to navigate the hallways because they are so much less crowded."
"Our students are coming in in the morning and unloading their backpacks, putting up lunchboxes and turning in homework all on their own. It is great to see how excited and proud they are to be responsible for themselves."
"Students are in their seats and ready to go when the announcements start."
"We are able to start our morning routine on time each morning." "Our hall is not as congested as it has been in past years. All of our kids are doing just great getting themselves ready for the day without their parents. Great call."
"Parents are doing an awesome job of this by the band room doors. We have 100% of parents hugging and going, and students are managing to get to their classrooms without any issue." As parents, we need to make sure our students are in school as much as possible. We need to keep our students healthy so that they can be in school as much as possible. We need to plan vacations around weekends, holidays, or summer. School is too important to miss.
Keeping students in school is a top priority. As a parent, you have chosen to come to our wonderful school and have committed to getting your child here on time, you have committed to helping with homework, and you have committed to volunteering your time here. This school would not be where it is today without the help of our parent population. We thank you.
Stay informed by taking the time to evaluate your own child(s) attendance records on your PowerSchool account and do your best to make sure they are here every day. Please do not think that an absence only affects your child. Not having your child in school impacts the learning of the 28 other students in the classroom. Students that are absence reduce continuity with lessons taught since the teachers have to reteach the lessons and get students that missed a day or two caught up. Lessons are slowed and planning becomes cumbersome and disjointed.
We want to send our children the message that school is of highest importance and there is too much going on to miss (expect if you are sick). It isn't too late to give this message to students that their work, or school to them, will always be a top priority. When they grow up their job will be exactly the same.
Thanks to each of you for taking the time to do your part to improve the Liberty Community through school attendance. We can each make a difference to lower our school attendance numbers this year. Liberty should have no empty seats.
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News from the Assistant-Principal, Mr. Lovely
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Pi Week. It's time to celebrate our annual Pi Week at LCHS. Mu Alpha Theta members will be selling pie and cheesecake in the Agora during high-school and junior-high lunch. Pie will cost $1 per slice. However, students who can recite the first 75 digits of pi will receive a free slice of pie! Cheesecake will cost $1.50 per slice. Ice cream is also available for $0.50 per scoop. Much like the digit, Pi Week will not repeat this year. Sales will only last from March 7th- March 11th.
FCA Meeting. FCA at LCHS is having its next meeting on Tuesday, March 8th at 6:45 AM in Washington Hall. Any and all high-school students are welcome, even those who are not athletes. The group is also looking for parent volunteers to sponsor a huddle by providing food and beverages for one of its meetings. There are only three slots left for the remainder of the year, so if you are interested please sign up via SignupGenius. Contact Ben Kuppinger (LCHS Class of 2016) with questions.
Upcoming Events:
- Pi Week | Mon 7 Mar - Fri 11 Mar | @ Lunch
- High School Spring War | Fri 11 Mar | @ LCHS
- 7th Grade Art Field Trip | Fri 11 Mar | @ Denver Art Museum
- 6th Grade Day | Fri 11 Mar | @ LCHS
- HS Charter School Mixer | Fri 11 Mar | @ Ridgeview
- 8th Grade to Choice Dress Code | Mon 21 Mar
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News from the Academic Dean, Sandy Stoltzfus
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 AP Exam Registration. Today, March 7th, is the last day to register for AP exams. CLICK HERE to register.
Junior Interviews are underway, don't miss out. All juniors need to sign up for an individual academic advising/college planning meeting with Mrs. Stoltzfus and Mrs. Rieb. CLICK HERE to sign up.
Class of 2016 College Acceptances.
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News from the Athletic Director, Dan Knab
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If you know of a Liberty student making athletic news and would like them showcased for the Liberty Common community, let Mr. Knab know.
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This Week In Junior-High Sports:
JH-Girl's Basketball
Monday, 3/7, 4pm, HOME, Liberty Common vs Union Colony (Semi-Finals)
Wednesday, 3/9, Time TBD, Location TBD (TBD will be determined by today's results) Watch for emails.
This Week In High-School Sports:
High School Sports
Both the women and men lost their playoff games this weekend and their seasons have come to an end. The end is bittersweet as they know when they begin again next season, it will be in a brand new gymnasium.
HS Women's Soccer
Thursday, 3/10, 4pm, Home vs Nederland
High-School Track and Field-
Questions about high-school track, contact Coach Mayes.
JH Spring Practices (Girls Soccer and Track) begin Monday, March 7th at 3:30pm at the elementary school. Contact the coaches below by email if you have questions about your sport:
The Liberty Common High School JV guys won the JV championship for indoor soccer @ the Edge. Not pictured are Joshua and David Rohrbaugh. Way to go gentlemen!
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Unfortunately, we are out of Alumni Updates. If you know of any alumni you might prompt to drop us a paragraph or two, please let them know how appreciated their remarks are to the entire Liberty community. Alumni should SEND UPDATES HERE.
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News Worth Repeating
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Mark your calendar now for this
year's last Liberty Lecture:
Combating Anti-Intellectualism
in Culture and Education.
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Roll Back The Frontiers Of Ignorance. Attention LCHS students, parents, grandparents, friends and supporters: Please attend the next Liberty Lecture scheduled for Wednesday, March 30, 2016 | 6:30-8:00PM | LCHS Great Hall | Topic: "Living What We Teach: Combating Anti-Intellectualism in Culture and Education" | Presenters: Mrs. Natalie Scarlett and Dr. Bob McMahon of Ridgeview Classical Schools | Put this last Liberty Lecture of the school year on your calendar now and make sure you participate in one of the most unique and valuable aspects of our school community.
 6th-Grade Day At LCHS. This Friday, March 11th, all three 6th-grade classes will be visiting LCHS to spend a day in the life of a 7th grader. Students will each be assigned a schedule containing English, history, math, science, Latin, and other courses. Students will be given a great opportunity to see first-hand how amazing LCHS is, and be able to visualize what 7th grade will be like after spending a day with their future instructors.
7th-Grade FieldTrip. This Friday, March 11th, all 7th graders will report to school at the normal time, take the National Latin Exam during 1st period, and then depart for the Denver Art Museum. Students will have the unique opportunity to see a collection of artworks from the 7th-and 8th-grade curricula. It will be an incredible day of discovery as the students realize the impact these works have when seen in person. Students are reminded to bring a disposable lunch and wear comfortable walking shoes.
Legacy Bricks. Purchase a Liberty-Legacy brick to show your support for finishing the gymnasium.
Bricks will be available in two sizes and can be purchased online as well as at the upcoming spring Gala. 4" x 8" is $250, 8" x 8" is $500, 8" x 8" with Eagle logo is $550.
Bricks will be laid in a garden area outside the new gymnasium at the high school. Design your brick and be part of Liberty Common High School's foundation forever. CLICK HERE to order today.
 8th-Grade Students To Choice Dress Code. Congratulations to LCHS 8th-grade students for entering the final leg of their K-8 Liberty Common School journey. In the spirit of acknowledging them for what they have achieved and who they are becoming, the privilege of dressing according to the high-school Choice Dress Code will be extended to them beginning on Monday, March 21st with the submission of a signed agreement form, which is due by Friday, March 11th. The agreement form and the Choice Dress Code Summary will be distributed to students next week during Order time. Direct questions to Assistant Principal Lovely.
Summer Programs. If you haven't decided how to spend your summer, you may want to think about the possibility of participating in a summer program. CLICK HERE for the list of summer programs compiled by LCHS. The list includes fee-based programs, volunteer opportunities, paid internships and highly selective programs. If you do not see a program that interests you, there's no need to worry. There are hundreds of summer programs offered each year at colleges all over the country. No matter what your interests are, chances are there's a program offered at a nearby college.
While summer experiences are an important part of the college admission process, it is important to pursue programs in which you are genuinely interested. Summer is the perfect time to challenge yourself, master new skills, gain a broader global perspective, volunteer, earn money, and prepare for college and the workplace.
 Practice ACT. The results from the practice session held will be held on Monday, March 21st, 2:45-3:45PM.
Summer English Program. 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. For more information CLICK HERE. 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 to engage our rich English curriculum at LCHS. Furthermore, he plans to have much fun in the process. CLICK HERE to sign up.
Pay Athletic Fees Online - Click HERE to access our website. Drag your cursor over 'Athletics' and pick the drop-down sport you are paying for and click on it. You will then see a link to pay online. Click & Pay. Please let Mr. Knab know about any issues you may have with paying. Your payment will eventually be confirmed on your PowerSchool account. We will still accept checks and cash. However, our preference is the online payment. More information on how to do this will be explained at the parent meeting.
High-school sport - $200.
Jr.-high sport - $80.
* If student played in two previous sports for Liberty Common, then the third sport is free.
* There is a $600 family cap per academic school year for athletics participated in at Liberty Common.
* Participation in athletics at outside schools do not apply to either of the two discounts.
* Students may participate in more then one sport in a season. However, they must declare a 'primary' sport to commit.
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ACT/SAT Registration ACT. Register and view complete details online ( CLICK HERE). Registration and test-preparation packets are also available in the College Center.
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Costa Rica, Dominican Republic 2017. Do you want to take a picture at the bottom of a major active volcano? Or maybe want to go snorkeling? Whitewater rafting? Kayaking? Just interacting with the locals? Well, this is your chance. E-mail Mrs. Deitrick.
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Italy, Greece Trip, June 2017. See all the best sites in Italy and Greece and learn directly on ancient lands with Mr. Kem. The tour ends with a multi-day cruise of the Greek islands. Enrollment has started. Enroll here. View or download the itinerary here. E-mail Mr. Kem if interested.
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