Author: Denielle.Cazzolla
LCSD awaits state OK of capital project plans
The capital project, approved by Liberty Central School District voters in January 2024, is moving forward, as the district awaits state Education Department approval of its plans.
In July, the district replaced architecture and engineering firm CSArch with LAN Associates.
Following testing and redesign of some aspects of the project, the plans were finalized in November and submitted to SED on Dec. 13. The district expects an update on approval from SED in February and anticipates final SED approval in April.
Once the SED approval is received, the projects will go out to bid, with bids reviewed and awarded by the Board of Education, likely in the spring.
Construction on the maintenance building was initially expected to begin in fall of 2024, with additional phases of the plan expected to begin in the late spring 2025. Because of required testing and changes in the design of the maintenance building, construction was delayed. Construction of the first phase of the capital project, which now includes construction of the maintenance building; athletic facility improvements, including the installation of a new synthetic turf field, track and field improvements, installation of a grandstand and press box, and installation of new athletic field lighting; upgrades to the HVAC controls at the middle and high school; upgrades to the carbon monoxide alarm system and replacement of exterior stairs at the high school; and replacements of some interior doors at the middle school, is now expected to begin in early summer.
A message from the superintendent on supporting our entire student community
Dear Liberty families,
I am proud of our diverse community here at Liberty Central School District. Every one of you brings a unique perspective to our district that enriches us all.
I understand that some in our community may be concerned about changes that may occur in the coming weeks and months with a new administration.
We just want you all to know that we are committed to providing all of our students a quality education. As part of the commitment, we embrace the Parent Bill of Rights for New York State’s English Language Learners.
The document guarantees access to free public education in the school district where a student lives, regardless of the immigration status of the parent/guardian or student and the language that the family speaks. It also allows for families to enroll students without submitting paperwork that may reveal immigration status. The document also makes provisions for providing interpreters, a bilingual education and more. For more information, you can call the ELL Parent Hotline at 1-800-469-8224, email nysparenthotline@nyu.edu or mail New York State Education Department, Office of Bilingual Education & World Languages, 55 Hanson Place, Room 594, Brooklyn, NY 11217.
We also understand our rights and responsibilities in protecting and helping all of our students.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, the state Office of Attorney General and the state Education Department also recently issued guidance and reminders regarding the educational rights of immigrant families and the responsibilities of school districts in regard to bullying and harassment, law enforcement actions, detainment and deportation of family members. The document also listed numerous resources available to families. The full document is available on the SED website here.
It is important for us to educate our students and their families, beyond the classroom, so they can learn and grow here in Liberty.
To that end, I want to make you aware of an upcoming event to which Liberty families are invited. The New York Immigration Coalition will present a workshop on immigrant rights from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24, at Fallsburg Central School District’s Benjamin Cosor Elementary School Cafeteria at 15 Old Falls Road in Fallsburg.
We are also updating our English as a New Language webpage to provide more resources.
Please reach out to our Student Services and School Counseling/Guidance Offices for more information and resources, and as always, if you have questions, please email questions@libertyk12.org.
Sincerely,
Dr. Patrick Sullivan
Superintendent
Parents, guardians encouraged to sign up for ParentSquare
Liberty Middle School parents and guardians can stay involved with their students’ learning and activities of school anywhere with the ParentSquare app.
Invitations to sign up for ParentSquare have been sent to all parent or guardian email addresses on file with the district. Those who did not get the invitation or may have missed it, can visit www.parentsquare.com/signin and register their account using the phone number or email address on file with the district. Those who are unable to sign in should reach out to the LMS main office at 845-292-5400, ext. 2311, to confirm the correct information is on file.
All critical information is sent to parents and guardians via phone, email and/or text, even if they are not signed up. However, to receive all communications, including district-, school- and classroom-level posts, as well as access to direct messaging with staff, signup is required. ParentSquare can be accessed via the computer, but for even more convenience, download the ParentSquare app (available for free for iOS and Android devices).
Those who have questions can click the question mark in the top right corner of the desktop version of Parent Square or the Help tab on the app (tap the triple bar icon at the top left) to find answers to most questions.
Learn more about ParentSquare at https://www.libertyk12.org/academics/family-involvement/parentsquare/
Culture pillar ensures LCSD’s focus is on mission, vision
As Liberty Central School District approaches the midway point of its five-year strategic plan, the district is taking time to evaluate what has been accomplished so far and what still needs to be done. Earlier this school year, the district reviewed its mission, vision and beliefs, the Curriculum pillar and the Multi-Tier System of Supports pillar. Now it is time to take a look at the Culture pillar.
To review the strategic intent of the Culture pillar:
- By 2027, all policies, procedures and communication will encompass the key elements of the district’s mission and vision as evidenced by perception survey data.
What does this mean?
While this pillar may be the shortest, in terms of words in its strategic intent, it perhaps holds the largest overall impact. This pillar’s goal is to ensure that the district keeps its mission and vision at the center of what it does, in words and in actions, as well as clearly communicate to all its staff, families and community that commitment.
What is LCSD doing?
The district reinforces its mission, vision and beliefs internally at staff meetings and conference days. Community forums are used to provide information to and seek feedback from families. Administrators also present the district’s efforts at community and governmental organization meetings.
The district has also taken the steps to bring the community together through community-school based activities such as All Things Liberty Winter Festival.
It is also important to see if the efforts are working, so the district administers culture and climate surveys and focus groups to allow the school community to evaluate the district’s progress.
For more information on the Culture pillar or the strategic plan, email questions@libertyk12.org.
This is the fourth in a series of stories that focus on different aspects of LCSD’s strategic plan and what it means for the Redhawk students, staff, families and community.
LHS senior earns Section 9 football honors
Liberty High School senior Christopher Rodgers was named to the Class B Section 9/League Football team.
A team captain, he was a wide receiver, returner and cornerback for the Redhawks. He has played for Liberty for three years.
Chris, the team’s leading score, always led by example, verbally and physically, Head Coach Adam Lake said. “Chris is the perfect example of the standard we are looking for in a Redhawk football player—100 percent effort 100 percent of the time.”
LCSD School Counseling Department addresses variety of needs for all students
Liberty Central School District provides a comprehensive school counseling program for all students. Our school counselors, school social workers, behavioral specialists and school psychologists are certified educators trained to provide a range of assistance.
The traditional role of what was once known as a guidance counselor was primarily academic and future planning. But that role today encompasses so much more, including focusing on the social and emotional, as well as academic, well-being of students now and into the future.. Because they now offer much more than academic guidance, they are now known as school counselors.
Our school social workers are the link between the school, home and community, providing support to address students’ social, emotional and behavioral needs that may impact learning, as well as connecting students to resources in the community that can assist them.
Our behavior specialists assess student behaviors, develop intervention plans, work with teachers and staff to implement those plans, and monitor progress to adjust the plan as needed, helping students with behavioral obstacles succeed.
Our school psychologists help identify academic, social and emotional obstacles that may prevent students from reaching their full potential, and they work with the school counseling team to provide interventions to address those obstacles. These obstacles could be long-term issues or crisis situations.
The members of our School Counseling Department work together, and with teachers, staff and administration, to empower each student to contribute and thrive in a diverse community by pursuing their potential.
We encourage our students to reach out to the School Counseling Department, not only for academic and career advice, but also for the social and emotional support and guidance they need.
Learn more about our school counseling program at https://www.libertyk12.org/department-services/guidance-departments/
Notes needed for bus pick up changes
Parents or guardians of students who wish to be picked up from a different location than their normal bus pickup location in the morning must provide a note requesting the change stating the dates and new location in advance. Notes should be sent to the student’s school’s main office by the end of the previous school day. Requests will be approved if space allows. If the request cannot be granted the family will be notified. For safety reasons, the bus drivers are only able to pick up the students on the bus roster.
MTSS growing at Liberty, giving students the support they need to succeed
As Liberty Central School District approaches the midway point of its five-year strategic plan, officials are taking time to evaluate what has been accomplished so far and what still needs to be done. Earlier this year, the district reviewed its mission, vision and beliefs. Last month, the Curriculum pillar was the focus, with Multi-Tier System of Supports, or MTSS, up now.
To review the strategic intents of the MTSS pillar:
- By 2027, Liberty Central School District will have a comprehensive MTSS model that equitably supports ALL students, including those at-risk academically, students needing language acquisition, and students needing enrichment, based upon serving a community of diverse cultural and socio-economic needs.
- By 2027, Liberty Central School District will have a comprehensive MTSS model that equitably supports ALL students, including those at-risk socially, emotionally and behaviorally, based upon serving a community of diverse cultural and socio-economic needs.
- The District will implement post benchmark data analysis meetings that require at least three data points (Academic/SEL Screener and two additional data points) to identify or refer students to Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions through vertically articulated Student Support/MTSS meetings that are regularly scheduled and attended.
What does this mean?
Many factors impact how a student learns. These factors include academic skills, cultural barriers, socio-economic struggles, as well as social, emotional or behavioral challenges. An effective MTSS model will allow schools to provide ALL students the tools they need to succeed, as well as assess if those tools are working.
What is LCSD doing?
The Leader in Me (LIM) framework has been implemented in all schools to provide all students the leadership and life skills they need. But to determine what supports students may require, screenings are needed. The DESSA SEL (social-emotional learning) screener has been implemented at all schools to help identify students who may need interventions. At the Elementary and Middle schools, Renaissance STAR and HMH assessments are provided three times a year to assess students progress in reading and math. The schools also use interventions from HMH, and other SEL interventions, aligned with LIM. At Liberty High School, Academic Intervention Service (AIS) classes help prepare students for Regents. There are also language acquisition supports, such as the Newcomer Global Learner program, for multilingual learners at LHS..
These have helped the schools set up small-group support as well as more intense behavior interventions for SEL support.
Implementation of MTSS model is underway at the elementary and middle schools by providing a referral form, creating meeting structures and post-benchmark analysis meetings as well as using common intervention programs for Grades K-8, such as student-centered Wildly Important Goals, enrichment for grades K-8, and cross-cultural based events.
The goal is to set aside more time for analysis, continue the meet between buildings to align approach, implementation and results, while enhancing academic intervention systems for the High School.
“Our MTSS model is getting stronger and we are committed to ensuring all of our students are given the support they need,” Superintendent Dr. Sullivan said. “It is critical to our mission to empower each student to contribute and thrive in a diverse community by pursuing their potential.”
For more information, email questions@libertyk12.org.
This is the third in a series of stories that focus on different aspects of LCSD’s strategic plan and what it means for the Redhawk students, staff, families and community.
Traffic pattern temporarily changing at LES
Because of a sinkhole in the Liberty Elementary School lawn near the “Kiss and Drop” area next to the Liberty Public Library, the “Kiss and Drop” area will be closed until further notice. The doorway at that school entrance has been closed off and the area around the sinkhole has been cordoned off.
Starting Monday, Dec.2, all traffic for Liberty Elementary will enter the main driveway. Through traffic will proceed as usual to School Street while buses are not on campus.
The main entrance will be two-way traffic while buses are on campus.
Students may be dropped off for early arrival at the Main Entrance starting at 7:15 a.m.
Buses will enter the driveway at 7:35 a.m. and assemble in the rear driveway. No vehicles will exit through the rear driveway until the buses release and exit.
From 7:35 to about 7:50 a.m., vehicles may enter the driveway to drop off students on the main entrance curb, and then will proceed to follow traffic through the first tier parking area and exit through the main entrance. There will be staff members outside to help direct traffic
This traffic pattern will remain in effect until the situation with the sinkhole is resolved.
LCSD stories earn recognition from state school PR group
Two stories featured on the Liberty Central School District website and shared with local media during the 2023-24 school year earned an “Excellence” rating in the New York School Public Relations Association’s contest.
The two stories, written by public information specialist Denielle Cazzolla, were used to highlight the district’s five-year strategic plan in action. They each earned an “Excellence” rating by the National School Public Relations Association this summer, as well..
The first story, “LHS senior uses NASA opportunities to help further her goals beyond the rainbow,” focused on Jayla Edwards. The 2024 graduate was selected for a very competitive program hosted by NASA between her junior and senior years at Liberty High School. She then was among a select few in the program to have an additional learning experience. The story also highlighted her interests in theater, as she played Dorothy in the Liberty Performing Arts fall production, “The Wizard of Oz” her senior year.
The second story, “New technology brings history to life,” showed the sixth grade social studies classes of Samantha Abplanalp using AI to “interview” Egyptian pharaohs. Not only did students learn about the leaders from centuries ago, they also were required to assess the accuracy of the information provided by ChatGPT, bringing 21st century skills into the classroom.
“These two stories highlight just two of the many ways our district is working to embrace and enact our strategic plan. They show the dedication Liberty Central School District, as a whole, has to our mission to empower each student to contribute and thrive in a diverse community by pursuing their potential,” Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan said. “The recognition shows how effectively we communicate to our community what makes Liberty a great place to learn.”