Dozens of Liberty Elementary School were honored during the monthly “Character Counts” awards ceremonies held Friday, Jan. 27, in the gymnasium. Both assemblies were livestreamed.  The third and fourth grade awards livestream can be seen here. The livestream for the ceremony for the kindergarten through second graders can be viewed here.

The awards, given to one student in each classroom and chosen by the teacher, recognized students who embodied one of the seven habits promoted by Leader in Me. January winners received the “First Place Focus” and “Task Tackler” awards. The awards, named by the students, are based on Habit 2 (Begin With the End in Mind) and Habit 3 (Put First Things First). The students focused on their Wildly Important Goals, or WIGs, in January, by setting their goals (Habit 2), and determining how they can reach them (Habit 3).

The winners of the “First Place Focus” Awards, for setting realistic goals and working to achieve them, were Allison Martinez, David Pineda Monzón, Remaissae Benadim, Elenna Farias, Yasmim Macedo Melo, Jazmin Ramirez Gonzalez, Lucas Kern, Omar Garcia Martinez Jr., Michael Garcia-Vargas, Ana Barragan Velazquez, Emilia Warren, Adriana Colocho Argueta, Grace Wang, Blake Beseth, Mackenzie Beatty, Austin Cuellar Jeronimo, Sophia Lopez Luna, Jordan White, Camden Lake, Ana Hernandez, Cailynn Pate, Willis Gamble Jr., Jamel Smith, Nyjha Miranda, Neviya Cash, Katie Lopez, Dylan Joya Reyes, Farrah Conklin-Degraw, Emma Boyles, Brenda Lucero Andrade, Riley Church-Bradley and Lilliana Garzon Ferrufino.

The “Task Tackler” winners, for working before playing and being organized and managing  their time according to their personal priorities, were Valentino Valencia Vasquez, Anastasiia Honcharenko, Rain Mott, Adah Smith Juarez, Emely Aguilera Bonilla, Juan Corona Jr., Sam Martin, Madelyn Gavidia Reyes, Jayden Reyes, Jean Valdiviesio Cajamarca, Ethan Hernandez Mejia, Mia Harrison, Leyvi Eli Banegas Cortes, Eliab Torres Garcia, Aizah Suleman, Emily Portillo, Karrah Atkins, Indigo Love, Jordana Ratner, Keily Martinez Zelaya, Joseph Wilson Jr., Lillian Keating, Nicholas McPhillips, Yarixa Reyes Cardenas, Joseph Geoghan, Savannah Gonzalez, Avery Decker, Kaydence Kalthoff, Denali Owens, Ellis Dilworth, Megan Martinez Gomez, Scarlett Ratner and Anabel Hernandez Fuentes.

Well done, students!

Decked in red, white and blue, waving American flags, Liberty Elementary School students honored veterans on Wednesday, Nov. 9, in advance of Veterans Day on Friday, Nov. 11.

During two ceremonies, students sang songs, read poems and thanked veterans for their service.

Veterans in attendance were Army veterans Richard Begeal, Chris DaSilva, John Foster, Thomas Harris Lewis, James Kelly, Keith Krauss, Dennis James, Scott Ricco, James Richardson and Joseph Tabacco; Madison Johnstone, from the Army National Guard: Navy veterans Arthur Flynn and Shane Weed; Clarence Kratz from the Navel Air Force; Marines Solomon Conner, Carrado Grant, Kyle Muthig and James O’Connor; and Air Force veteran William Lazarus.

Assistant Principal Brittney Cunningham delivered the opening remarks, in the absence of Principal Robert England who was unable to attend.

“Our students at Liberty Elementary school have been preparing for this day for weeks,” she said. ”Through patriotic songs, we learn about what is important. It is important that they feel they are part of the American family that accepts them and appreciates their value to our community and the nation.”

She also explained what it means to be a veteran, and how important service is to our community and our country. 

During the two assemblies, veterans were treated to “See the Veteran” by the pre-kindergarten students, “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” by the kindergartners, and “This Land is Your Land,” by the first graders. All students sang “Grand Ole Flag” to close the ceremony.

Second, third and fourth graders honored veterans in the second assembly with poems, songs and a presentation of donations.

 Mrs. Countryman and Mrs. Rubik’s class read a poem that they wrote in honor of the veterans, as did Mr. Conner’s students. Second-graders sang “Thank You Soldier,” followed by the third-graders singing “God Bless America,” and the fourth-graders, who sang “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The second grade class of Ms. Kristine Kratz presented the collected donations to the veterans that will go to local VA needs.

At the end of both assemblies, veterans lined the doorways as students exited with high fives, hand shakes and thumbs up as a way to thank them for their service. 

This annual Veterans Day assembly is made possible by the collective planning and hard work of the LES Building Leadership Team, the Maintenance Department, everyone in the LES main office and every teacher. Finally, a very special thank you to Ms. Kristine Kratz, the teacher who puts her heart, soul and love for our country into every Veterans Day assembly. Thank you, Ms. Kratz for all of your dedicated work to teach our students about honor, service and patriotism.