The All Things Liberty Winterfest is coming soon.

The annual Liberty Central School District event will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24,  in Liberty Middle School and High School Gymnasiums. Snow date is Saturday, Jan. 31.

All are welcome for games, crafts, prizes, hot cocoa, music and a variety of community vendors. It is free to enter and play games. There will be some local vendors selling items for all who are interested. Those interested in becoming a vendor should email Community Schools Coordinator Katlyn Rusin at krusin@libertyk12.org.

 

Earlier today, Nov. 14, the district was made aware of a notebook containing concerning material that was discovered in the middle school.

The notebook included inappropriate drawings and threats against members of the Liberty school community. The owner of the notebook was identified, and it was determined that the student was not in school today.

Liberty administration and Liberty Police Department immediately began an investigation. It was determined that the threats were noncredible and that at no time was anyone in danger.

The district is addressing this matter in accordance with the LCSD Code of Conduct.

“The safety of our students and staff is our top priority,” Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan said. “We take every report of a potential threat seriously and will investigate fully.”

Dr. Sullivan  also emphasized the importance of vigilance, encouraging everyone to speak up if they see something concerning. Students should report any issues to a trusted adult immediately. Reports also can be made via Liberty’s Anonymous Alerts platform

For the past several weeks, the District and the Liberty PD have been planning a drill that helps us evaluate our safety practices and protocols. Earlier today, Nov. 13,  an individual (who is a police officer from another county) attempted to enter our buildings to help us identify any safety measures we need to address and/or enhance.

We will review the findings and will address and communicate any changes needed.

Please know that this type of drill is used throughout our neighboring counties, and our School Resources Officers were monitoring the drill the whole time.

We’ve already had our first weather delay of the 2025-26 school year. Now, we are taking this opportunity to remind parents, guardians and the community how they will receive notice if school will be operating under a delay, will be dismissed early or will be closed due to inclement weather.

The district will contact parents and guardians directly by phone, email and text if there are any changes in the daily school schedule. Those who wish to verify their contact information is correct should reach out to the main office of their child’s school, as well as sign up for ParentSquare and download the app. Closing, delay and early dismissal information will also be posted on the district website and shared with local media outlets. Calls may also be made to the district at 845-292-5400. Any schedule changes will follow the initial greeting.

When there is early dismissal, all after-school activities are canceled.

The district has scheduled eight snow days. If more than eight emergency closure days are used, any additional days needed will be virtual learning days. Please refer to our Districtwide Safety Plan regarding remote learning.

Dear Liberty families,

We know our students are at their best when they feel secure at home. We also know many of our families are suffering hardships from the government shutdown. And with the pending cut to SNAP benefits, the impact will be felt even more.

We do our best to work as partners with our families to ensure that our students can perform their best inside and outside the classroom.

To help ensure our students have enough to eat, we offer free breakfast and lunch to all students. We also operate our Snack Pack program, which provides healthy meals over breaks and weekends to students who face food insecurity. For more information on the program, or to donate, contact Community Schools Coordinator Katlyn Rusin.

Our families can also reach out to our Student Services and or their school’s counseling department for more information about what services may be available.

There are also several organizations in the community that can assist families in need.

Sullivan County Department of Health and Family services offers a list of local food pantries. Scroll down the page to find English and Spanish versions of their brochure.

The regional food bank is also offering a free Thanksgiving food distribution. Locally the distribution will be at 10 a.m. Nov. 22 on a first-come first-served basis at the Government Center in Monticello. Learn more at the regional food bank’s Thanksgiving food distribution page.

New York State has also created a list of resources available to families:

• FAQs regarding SNAP benefit cut
• Find Your Local Food Bank
• The Food Pantries Food Connect Map
• Resources for Working Families
• Find Services that Can Help
• Stay Connected With NY State of Health
• Social Services by County

I also encourage those who can to volunteer at or donate to our community organizations that are working to help our families in need.

We are proud of our Redhawk family and know that working together we can get through this difficult time.

Sincerely,

Dr. Patrick Sullivan
Superintendent

The Liberty High School National Art Honor Society will offer holiday family photo sessions from 4 to 8 p.m. Nov. 13 and 14.

For $20, families will get three edited image files in time for holiday greetings sent to their emails. . There will be a choice of black, white or a holiday background shot at the LHS studio.

The fee includes two different settings, so families can choose to use both for the full family or perhaps use one just for the kids. The three images can be mixed and matched from the two settings.

For an additional $5, families can also receive an 8″-by-10″ print of one file, or more of the files edited.

The event is a fundraiser for the group to purchase art kits for Liberty’s Children’s Home.

Sign up can be done on the Holiday Photo Shoot Appointment Page. Click on “Next available booking date” choose a time and date, and input your name, email address and choice of background.

Payments can be made with cash, check or use pay by credit card via the NAHS fundraising donations portal

For more information, contact adviser Kath Johansen at kjohansen@libertyk12.org