The Patriot Page
Liberty Middle School Community Brief
Monday, February 8, 2021
Liberty Middle Community Member,

The third nine weeks is off to a wonderful start! In an effort to help students be successful, Liberty is continuing to solicit any LaunchED student who may be struggling academically to return to Face-to-Face.

Potential Learning Gaps and Florida State Exams
Parents, we are still seeing the unfortunate effects of the pandemic on the learning growth of our students. Academic lag will greatly impact all students as they matriculate to their higher grades in the upcoming year. Therefore, it is paramount that we close the learning gaps with various tutoring models and interventions. In addition, the state's FSA exam period starts in May and it is very important to ensure your child is ready – the time is fast approaching! 

Tutoring Opportunities – New Format!
Please look out for emails and calls outs with more information on how to better prepare your students for success.
* LaunchED students will be invited to virtual tutoring sessions. More information to come.
* Saturdays – occurs each month through April. Sign up information is below.
  • Saturday, February 20th, 9:00 – 12:00
  • Civics (7th grade only) and Science (8th grade only) 

  • Saturday, February 27th, 9:00 0 12:00
  • Math and Language Arts (all grade levels)

* Spring Break sign up information is below.
  • March 14 & 15 from 9:00 – 12:00
  • Contents: Math, ELA, Civics-7 and Science-8

Have a good week and please remember that we are releasing student progress reports on Thursday, February 11th.

Lovely Tinsley
Principal 
Liberty Middle School

Pictured very top: Red Team won the final volleyball intramural game!
Patriot Calendar
Other Important Dates and Reminders:

Please mark these dates:
  • February 15 - Last day for OCPS Magnet applications
  • February 20 (Saturday)– Civics & Science-8 Tutoring, 9:00am-12:00pm
  • February 27 (Saturday) – Math & ELA Tutoring, 9:00am-12:00pm

Reminder:
YMCA before/after school care is available.
  • Before school - $25 / week, 7:00-9:00am
  • After school - free, 4:00-6:00pm
SPRING BREAK CAMP
We will be offering Spring Break Camp this year! Students can sign up for one of the subjects below using the designated link. Spaces are limited, and assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

Dates:
  • Monday, March 15th 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
  • Tuesday, March 16th 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Please click on the ONE link you would like to participate in:
SATURDAY SCHOOL
Seats are limited and attendance is required to keep your seat! Transportation will be provided upon request. Please see the dates and times below.

We are offering Saturday School for the following subjects:
  • Math/Reading 
  • 7th grade Civics  
  • 8th grade Science
Links:
Special Patriot Recognitions
Mrs. Tanya Vaca (Paraprofessional)
Recognized with the Spirit of Excellence Award for all the work she does with our ELL students in the building and in the community.
Liberty T-Shirt Design Contest Winner!
Sabrina M. De la Torriente designed our new t-shirt to represent the school’s theme - "Level-Up!"
Learning Highlights
Ms. D. Dawkins (Trans Math - 6th)
Ms. D. Dawkins monitored students while they worked in virtual groups using 'Quizlet Live' to enhance math skills during her Trans Math 6th grade class. Kids had fun and learned while competing against other teams. 
Ms. S. Dawkins (Math - 8th)
State Standard MAFS.8.G.2.6 - 'Explain a proof of the Pythagorean Theorem and its converse.'
Ms. Di Marco (Science - 6th)
Ms. Di Marco conducts a lab on the stages of Mitosis and Meiosis. Face-to-Face students rotated to stations while LaunchED students viewed slides virtually (pictured just above and then below).
State Standard SC.912.L.16.14 - 'Describe the cell cycle, including the process of mitosis.'
Intramural Sports
Track & Field has now begun
“Chucks and Pearls" Day pays tribute to Vice President Kamala Harris' iconic style
Hispanic Scholarship Fund
The Hispanic Scholarship Fund is pleased to announce the first-ever virtual HSF College 101 Series. This series will be hosted three Wednesday evenings in February:

  • Wednesday, February 10, 2021, 6:00 p.m. PT
  • Wednesday, February 24, 2021, 6:00 p.m. CT / 5:00 p.m. MT/AZ
  • Wednesday, March 10, 2021, 6:00 p.m. ET

HSF College 101 is a FREE, bilingual program held in various time zones, designed to help middle and high school students and their parents prepare, plan, and pay for college. Subject-matter experts will provide useful information, joined by Admissions and Financial Aid representatives from various universities.

To learn more and register for the event, please visit bit.ly/hsfcollege101
OCPS is looking for our talented Patriots!
In Memoriam: Susan Wilcox
Liberty Middle School would like to recognize Susan Wilcox, former PTSA member, SAC member, awesome parent, and community volunteer.

Ms. Wilcox was awarded the 2020 Marilyn Simmons’ Award by Liberty for her dedication to keeping Liberty clean and beautiful. Ms. Wilcox spearheaded the Green Team (recycling), garden clean-up and additional projects. Ms. Wilcox was generous in sharing resources and connections and displayed a kind and generous heart.

Her work and deeds will last a life-time and she will always be remembered.
Liberty Middle Celebrates Black History Month!
PTSA
Please become a Liberty Middle School PTSA member in 2021 if you have yet to join. This is a great way to support Liberty and your PTSA. Membership is only $5.00. There is a small fee to purchase memberships online but it is very convenient. You can also pick up a hard copy membership form in the front office.

* If you have not already, please like us on Facebook to keep up with the latest updates at @libertymiddleschoolptsa
Tech Support
Please click here for information from OCPS to help both students and parents with technology support.
Please Consider Donating
Liberty's Recycling Bin
Donating clothes and shoes to Liberty’s recycling bin helps to raise funds for the school. Please remember that when visiting the campus to make a donation. Thank you very much!
This Week's Motivational Moment!
In support of Black History Month, this week we spotlight several successful African American business leaders. Some of these names our Patriots may have heard of; others perhaps not. One sure thing these billionaire entrepreneurs all have in common is the high value they place on education.

Robert F. Smith
Smith, the founder and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, made national headlines in 2019 when he pledged to pay off student loans for the entire graduating class of Morehouse College.
Current Net Worth: $5 Billion
High school: East High School, Denver, CO
College: Bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Cornell University in 1985; Master of Business Administration from Columbia University with concentrations in finance and marketing.

David Steward
Steward once watched his car get repossessed from his office parking lot. Today, he’s the billionaire founder and chairman of IT provider World Wide Technology—one of the largest Black-owned businesses in America.
Current Net Worth: $3.5 Billion
High School: Clinton High School, Clinton, MO
College: Bachelor's degree in business from Central Missouri State University in 1973

Oprah Winfrey
The media mogul got her start in the entertainment and news industry, later morphing her hit talk show into a business empire.
Current Net Worth: $2.7 Billion
High School: East Nashville High School, Nashville, TN (was on the debate team)
College: Full scholarship Tennessee State University (HBCU), studied communications

Michael Jordan
Not only is Jordan regarded as one of the NBA’s greatest players, he’s also the highest-paid athlete, thanks to his majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets and a Nike shoe deal.
Current Net Worth: $1.9 Billion
High School: Emsley A. Laney High School, Wilmington, NC
College: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, majored in cultural geography

Jay-Z
In the words of Jay-Z, “I’m not a businessman. I’m a business, man.” Since hitting the hip-hop scene more than 25 years ago, the rapper has created a $1 billion fortune that encompasses art and real estate.
Current Net Worth: $1 Billion
High School: Jay-Z didn't graduate from high school, but he's encouraging others to pursue their education. He has said more that once, "Education is super important. I don't have a high school diploma or a college diploma, but still for me to articulate, I had to have some form of schooling to articulate my thoughts." He also holds special performances to raise money for college scholarship foundations.

Have a wonderful week Patriots!
Mrs. Tinsley, Principal
Liberty Middle School
Sunday, February 7, 2021
Leadership Team
This communication may contain information that is legally privileged, confidential or exempt from disclosure, and intended only for the use of the addressee(s) named above. If you are not the intended recipient, please note that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. Anyone who receives this message in error should notify the sender immediately by telephone or by return e-mail, and delete the message from their computer and any printout thereof. Please note that OCPS utilizes spam and junk e-mail filtration applications in its e-mail systems. That filtering process may prevent or delay delivery of certain e-mail communications. If you do not receive a timely response to an e-mail communication, please contact the intended recipient by phone.
Copyright Notice
Reproduction of this material, either written or electronically, including the general layout, graphics, analyses, and content topics without the express approval of Target Performance Systems, Inc., a Florida corporation, and OCPS - Liberty Middle School is forbidden without written consent. Thank you for your support of the Orange County Public Schools and especially Liberty Middle School. Please contact Lovely Tinsley at lovely.tinsley@ocps.net with any questions related to the program.
Liberty Middle School | Ms. Tinsley, Principal | 407.249.6440 | Liberty Website