LCS Monday Notes 11.21.16

Thank you Brooklyn Cardenas, for your amazing art work. Other students' submissions will be rotated throughout the year.

November 21, 2016

Volume 20,

Issue 13

Liberty Common School

1725 Sharp Point Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525

Phone: 970-482-9800 | Fax 970-482-8007 | www.libertycommon.org

Attendance Line: (Please call by 8:30 AM) 970-482-9800 Option 2

Office Hours: Monday - Friday 7:50AM - 4:00 PM

Mark your Calendar

Events Calendar

November 22| Grandparents Day.

November 23-26| No School-Thanksgiving Break

November 28| Character Assembly-Self Control. Owner of Ascent Climbing, Jon Lachelt, will speak.

Jon has been climbing for over 30 years since graduating from college. He was introduced to the sport by a coworker when he started working for Hewlett-Packard as a software engineer. Jon started climbing in California, and then all around the Front Range after moving here in 1994. About 10 years ago he started contemplating what he might do instead of engineering and realized that he really loved introducing new people to the sport of climbing, and also loved being in the climbing gym. So Jon began to explore the possibility of opening a new climbing gym in Fort Collins. Three years ago Jon committed himself to this adventure and he finally opened the new gym on Nov 1, 2016. Ascent Studio has over 80 rope climbing routes some of which reach a height of 49', along with dozens of bouldering routes, fitness equipment and daily yoga classes. They have numerous kids classes, a youth climbing team, and climbing classes for adults to learn the necessary skills to fully enjoy the sport of climbing. CLICK HERE to view Ascent Studio website.

(K-3rd) attends Character Assembly from 8:10-8:45

(4th-6th) attends: 8:55-9:35

December 2| 3rd and 4th Grade Choir Concert, 6:30 p.m.
December 5| Liberty Lecture at LCHS. Topic: Galapagos
December 9| Chess Club

December 15| BOD Meeting, 6:00 p.m.

December 16| Free Dress Day

December 19| 5th and 6th Grade Band and Choir Concert, 6:30 p.m.

December 19| Character Assembly-Cooperation. Members of the US Pro-Circuit Cyclist Team, Jelly Belly, will speak.

(4th-6th) attends: 8:10-8:45

(K-3rd) attends: 8:55-9:9:35

December 26-Jan. 6| Winter Break

Major Dates

2016-17 Calendar

Thanksgiving-Nov. 23-25
Winter Break- Dec. 26-Jan. 6
Martin Luther King Day-Jan. 16-NO SCHOOL
Professional Development Day-Feb. 17-NO SCHOOL
Presidents' Day-Feb. 20-NO SCHOOL
Spring Break-March 13-17-NO SCHOOL
Good Friday-April 14-NO SCHOOL
Last Day of Classes-1/2/Day May 26

T-Shirt Days

Dec. 22nd
Jan. 27th
Feb. 24th
March 31st
April 28th
May 19th

G randparents Day. To make this event seamless and extraordinary, a small group of committed parents have been working tirelessly behind the scenes, but we need more volunteers especially for tomorrow morning.

Please click the links below to volunteer and assist with this wonderful Liberty tradition.

Volunteer for GPD at the elementary school. CLICK HERE

Thank you for your support and help.

Gala Dessert Auction

Gala Desserts Auction. Calling all bakers and dessert lovers. Each year at the Spring Gala, the Dessert Auction is a deliciously successful fundraiser. This year we hope to put the icing on the cake by inviting all of you to participate!

Here’s the scoop:

Monday, December 5, 2016 from 8-10am in the teachers’ lounge, each family is invited to bring their favorite dessert along with a mouth-watering description. We will hold a scrumptious tasting for the teachers and invite them to vote for their favorites. 10 winners will be invited to donate that same dessert for the Spring Gala Dessert Auction.

Some sweet tips:

*Desserts can be home-made, store-made, or restaurant-made.*We suggest gourmet, rich, and decadent desserts… the ones you just have to dig into.

*Please avoid making pound cakes, cookies, pies and fondant decorated cakes.

*Each dessert will be photographed, so make them jaw dropping.

*Deliver your amazing sweet contribution to the Teachers Lounge at the LOWER school between 8:00AM and 10:00AM on Monday, December 5th.

*Winners will be asked to deliver the exact same dessert at 10am at the Hilton Hotel on March 3rd, so please make it repeatable.

Amazon Smile

Amazon Smile. We are excited to announce a new and easy way for you to generate donations for Liberty. Earn money for Liberty while you shop through Smile.Amazon.com .

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support Liberty every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at Smile.Amazon.com , you’ll find the same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com , with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price back to Liberty.

Simply go to http://smile.amazon.com and enter “Core Knowledge Charter School Foundation.” CKC School Foundation is the technical name for our non-profit organization. You will not find us by searching for 'Liberty.’

The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases back to Liberty.

History of Liberty

Part 3 of 5

The History of Liberty Common School

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 $5,000 debt for legal filings and newsletters to its growing list of supporters.

The unsinkable charter group wasted no time mobilizing its next charter effort. It “passed the hat” yet again, this time requesting additional donations to hire a lawyer of its own.

The parents contacted local attorney Mr. 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. Why? 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 dragged on for months.

Finally PSD approved the charter, and a five-year contract was 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 the offices of Dr. Everett’s urology practice. (Applicants were quite relieved to learn 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, Dave Lunn, Beth Olson, Cherie Pederson, Tina Shockley, and Jeff Siener , who 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, due to the support of former PSD Board President David Neenan , his construction firm, the Neenan Company, completed the massive remodel in less than 60 days!

The concrete floors were bare, and the upstairs remained unfinished. A support column stood in the middle of the small gym. The performance hall, wood gym, art rooms, and track were non-existent. But none of that mattered.

I n 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!

Goosebots First Earn Invitation to State

From left to right:

Coach Mike Lynch, Francesco Arndorfer, Spencer Lynch, Jack Friesen, Sebastian Borch, Roman Wilson and Coach Todd Arndorfer.

Francesco Arndorfer places Goosebots' trophies in Liberty Common display case

The Liberty Goosebots Lego League team of Francesco Arndorfer, Jack Friesen, Roman Wilson, Sebastian Borch and Spencer Lynch competed at the Mountain League qualifying tournament in Aspen this weekend.

The team worked hard this season to build an autonomous robot to perform missions on a Animal Allies themed playing field, identified a problem and unique solution to improve animal human interactions during the project section, all while learning to work as a team. The team was scored and judged in four areas - robot design, robot mission performance, animal related project and FLL Core Values with spontaneous problem solving.

The Goosebots placed first overall for the championship and second in the robot performance, earning them an invitation to the state tournament in December. Coaches Mike Lynch and Todd Arndorfer are very proud of the great teamwork and values the team demonstrated.

School Portrait Make-up Day. Friday December 2nd, 2016, 3:00-5:30PM and Saturday December 3- 9:00AM-12:00PM. Location is Skillman Photography 818 E. Elizabeth, Fort Collins. Click Here to print an order form.

O ur vision-and-hearing day last Friday was a huge success. We couldn't have done it without our volunteers. A special thanks goes to Kim Farrand, Kim Arnett, Heidi Martinez, Hilary Dotson, Valerie Schroder, Kellie Kreikemeier, Amorette Helm, Alison Morrill, Kathleen Petersen, Valerie Schroder, Carrie Cox, Shelley McCarron, Theresa Johansen, and UNC audiology students.

From Dan Knab, Athletic Director

Sports Page

New Information For Jr.-High Girls Basketball. The first practice for junior-high girls basketball is Monday, December 12th at 3:30pm in the elementary gym. If you did not participate in a fall sport, your athletic packets are due to Mr. Knab by Friday December 9th. Click HERE to download the packet and physical form. 7th-grade and 8th-grade girls who want to play basketball this winter for Liberty Common need to add their names to the sign-up sheet in Mr. Knab's office. If your daughter has never played basketball or only has limited experience, consider playing this year. There is a competitive level for everyone and the girls get to participate with other girls in their class. If you are participating in a sport at another school this winter, make sure you complete an "Intent to Play Sports at Another School" form outside Mr. Knab's office.

This Week In Jr.-High Sports: No Basketball this week. Enjoy your turkey.

The first high-school home basketball game is 11/30 at 4PM. Click HERE for all jr.-high and high-school basketball schedules. New Information For Jr.-High Girls Basketball.

First high-school home basketball game is 11/30 at 4PM. Click HERE for all jr.-high and high-school basketball schedules.