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  

CALENDAR of EVENTS 
September 9|Chess Club
September 12-14|
6th Graders at Pingree Park
September 15| BOD Mtg., 6:00 p.m.
September 23|Individual Student Photos
September 24-October 8|
* October Student Count-state funding is based on attendance during these two weeks
September 26|
Public Info Night,
LCS, 6:30 p.m.
October 7|Fall Festival, 5:30 p.m., Liberty Common Elem. School.


Major Dates
2016-17 Calendar
  • Classes Begin-Aug.  29
  • Labor Day-Sept. 5
  • Parent/Teacher Conferences-Oct. 28
  • Thanksgiving-Nov. 23-25
  • Winter Break-Dec. 26-Jan. 6
  • Martin Luther King Day-Jan. 16
  • Professional Development Day-Feb. 17
  • Presidents'Day-Feb. 20
  • Spring Break-March 13-17
  • Good Friday-April 14
  • Last Day of Classes-1/2/Day May 26
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
  • Denise Benz: 420-4184
  • Aislinn Kottwitz: 217-5925
  • Kelly Notarfrancesco: 295-4623
  • Jeff Webb: 545-9636
Next Board of Directors Mtg., 
September 15, 2016,  
Liberty Common Elementary 
6:00 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. 
Carpool Lists Now Available In the Front Office

Seeking Art Volunteers

Attention  
Parents and Grandparents

Volunteer for the Art Room with K- 4th graders! CLICK HERE to sign up for a morning, afternoon, or one or two classes. Sign up for a Semester or the year!  
 

The Eagle's Nest

September 6, 2016 
Volume 20   
   Issue 2       
  
"To The Republic"
By: Bob Schaffer, LCHS Principal
Not every Liberty student got to see it, but it would have been wonderful if they had.  One of Liberty Common High School's instructors became America's newest citizen.  

I hope Liberty students will always be encouraged to ask their Chilean-born Spanish instructor about her profound moment, the lengthy process; and most of all, her patriotic thoughts leading to the blessed occasion - Friday, August 26th 2016, the day LCHS Spanish instructor Mrs. Paulina Deitrick achieved U.S. citizenship.  

She will never forget it, and she will always be eager to share her perspectives with anyone who asks.  I know because I asked her last Tuesday, and she spent two hours sharing her perspectives with me. 

Mrs. Deitrick's enthusiasm and love for America are quite inspiring especially for anyone lucky enough, like I am, to have achieved citizenship through birthright.  Her naturalized citizenship was formalized as part of the school's annual Torch Trek event which normally marks the start of Liberty Common High School's academic year.  

This year's Torch Trek was extraordinary.  We cut the ribbon on the school's latest building expansion, the addition of a new gymnasium - The Colosseum - and a large gathering area resembling an ancient Greek stoa.  

Then, along with seventy-three other immigrants, Mrs. Deitrick swore the Oath of Allegiance as it was administered by Larimer County Judge Tom Lynch; right there in the new Colosseum. Tears were streaming down many of the new citizens' faces.   
If you missed the Naturalization Ceremony which was part of this year's annual LCHS Torch Trek, here's a panoramic photo taken from the front row by LCHS principal Bob Schaffer.  The new LCHS Colosseum was a perfect setting for this event - the first event to take place in this wonderful facility.  Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith (left) delivered keynote remarks, LCHS Spanish instructor
Mrs. Paulina Deitrick (center) took the Oath of Citizenship along with 73 others, as Larimer County Judge Tom Lynch (right) administered the Oath.

I couldn't see them all from my front-row seat, yet I doubt any wept more than Mrs. Deitrick did.  She beamed and sobbed through the whole Oath, right through to the end which is intently effectuated by the solemn words "so help me God."

Our school community ought to forever note that the very first event to ever take place in the LCHS Colosseum was Mrs. Deitrick's citizenship ceremony.  We ought to remember why, too.

Citizenship is an embedded virtue at our school.  The quality is one of the seven "Foundation Stones" accentuated for students through the sixth grade.  It is intended to reinforce the moral character and virtue we expect of all young Americans.  

A stated goal of Liberty's character-education strategy
(CLICK HERE) the school defines citizenship as "using the rights and privileges one has as a member of the community to make that community a better place; being socially responsible; obeying the laws and rules; doing one's part for the common good; respecting authority; helping your community by volunteering service."  It's an age-appropriate, elementary-level statement of the virtue, one that gets further parsed in Liberty's upper grades.
 














At the high school, we examine the Foundation-Stone principles associated with Citizenship and frame them within a deeper, more intellectual understanding of informed patriotism - one of the six "Capstone Virtues" internalized through curriculum, student-life activities, and daily affirmation.  It is important to note that Liberty flatly rejects the notion of blind patriotism (CLICK HERE).

We recognize legitimate patriotism as "Devotion and dedication to the country - allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and justice for all."  It is the same patriotic standard to which Mrs. Deitrick credited her desire to become a U.S. citizen, and to which she has pledged her fervent loyalty.

She poured out her heart as she spoke that night to a packed Colosseum. "Through my husband and our family here, I learned that Americans are hard-working men and women," she explained.  "Americans take pride in their jobs and families, and Americans never, ever quit trying to make things better - to be better.

"It is even a part of the vision the Founding Fathers had for their country - the pursuit of happiness was a must.  I have pursued happiness all my life and encouraged others to do the same.  It seems like a good fit."

As she concluded her remarks, Mrs. Deitrick stoked the crowd's patriotic pride by speaking directly to her students in a manner emblematic of a devoted teacher.  "Today, I choose to become an American because I am in love with this nation and its people.  I want to become a part of something bigger.  I don't want to be just a guest in this, my homeland," she told them.

"I want to be an active participant in every single aspect of this nation, and it is for all these reasons and more, that today, I choose to become a citizen of the United States of America."

In my office last Tuesday, Mrs. Deitrick registered to vote ( Mrs. Salazar and I are Deputy Registrars for Larimer County, and LCHS is an official "Voter-Registration Center").  Last Thursday, Mrs. Deitrick engaged a group of students in a 9th-hour discussion about the essence her Oath of Allegiance.

Mrs. Deitrick's new citizenship is unbowed - active, powerful, and stirring.  Her national conversion is thrilling. She has already made us all better Americans.  

Her experience elevates our patriotism, and makes us all feel reconnected to the classical happiness associated with natural, human liberty. It is having a galvanizing effect on our students, the faculty, and the entire Liberty community.  

We Americans have a perfect Latin phrase for that:  E Pluribus Unum!

Grandparents Day Seeking Volunteers
Liberty parents: Are you looking for a unique and fun way to help your children's school?  The Grandparents Day Planning Committee meets just a few hours per month, and needs a few new members.  If you are new to Liberty, Grandparents Day is a beloved, cherished tradition, and arguably the most rewarding and heartwarming events at Liberty. If interested, please contact Erin Mihulka.

CLICK HERE to read more about this exciting, special event.


Sports Page
Dan Knab, Athletic Director
Hello Liberty Common Sport's Fans. Welcome back to another fantastic year of competition.  I look forward to everything new this year, new leagues, a new gym at the high school and a new floor at the elementary school.  This will be a spirit-filled year and we are already well on our way. Below you will find very important information regarding changes this year, including league changes and athletic fees. 

This Week in Jr.-High Sports:

Boy's Jr.-high Soccer
Wednesday, 9/7, 4PM, vs Estes Park            
7th-Grade Girl's Volleyball
Wednesday, 9/7, 4PM, vs Milliken          
8th-Grade Girl's Volleyball
Wednesday, 9/7, 4PM, @ Milliken  
Cross Country
 Thursday, 9/8, Girls 3:30pm, Boys 3:50pm, @ Stew Case Park (FCHS)

Jr.-High Changes:
Liberty Common is no longer in the Northern Colorado Independent League (NCIL).  We are now in the Northern Plains Middle-School League Association, nicknamed the 'Northern Plains League' (NPL). The following schools are in this league:
  
Eaton Middle School
Highland Middle School
Platte Valley Middle School
University Middle School
Weld Central Middle School
Estes Park Middle School
Milliken Middle School
Frontier Academy
Ft. Lupton Middle School
Turner Middle School
North Valley School
South Valley School
  
The biggest change is that, 6th graders are only allowed to run cross-country and play boys and girls soccer. 
  
This means the NPL does not allow 6th graders to participate in volleyball, basketball or track.  6th graders are encouraged to play on the city recreational teams. This was the hardest factor in making this decision.  LCS has enjoyed 6th-grade basketball and volleyball participation for years in the NCIL. Keep working hard on your skills and we look forward to having you in 7th grade.
  
Also, the 7th and 8th grade teams are separate from one another.  Most schools have two 7th- grade teams and two 8th-grade teams. During the volleyball and basketball seasons, when 8th graders play games at their opponent's location, Liberty will host the 7th-grade games and vice-versa. This is the general rule, though. We have a couple of games next year where this is not the case.  Although 6th graders will not play these two sports, it opens up and encourages 7th and 8th graders, who may not have thought about playing, to give it a try.  This allows the opportunity for them to be introduced to the game at a competitive level for them, thus building the sport in numbers for each grade. 
 

Athletic Fees:
1)  The jr.-high athletic fee is $100 per sport.
 
2)  Beginning in the fall of 2016 - 2017 school year, all athletics will be paid online on your e-Funds account.
 
3)  There is a $600 family cap in place per school year.  This includes siblings that are in jr.-high and high-school athletics.
  
4)  If a student-athlete plays and pays for two sports, they play the third sport for free.
 
  
News from Colorado Air Pollution Control Division

CLICK HERE to view.