Category: Elementary News
Education goes beyond facts and figures at LES
From task-tacklers to productive problem-solvers, dozens of students are honored monthly during Liberty Elementary School’s Character Counts Awards ceremonies.
The awards grew out of LES’s commitment to the Leader in Me (LIM) framework, which began during the 2019-20 school year and empowers students with the leadership and life skills they need to thrive in the 21st century. At that time, the school had monthly “Star Student” awards, but they had no connection to core tenets of character development, LES Principal Robert England said.
The following year, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Character Counts awards began. The awards reinforce the concepts of LIM, celebrate student efforts in those areas, educate parents and demonstrate commitment by and to staff that this is important, England said.
“At Liberty Elementary School, we’re teaching students to think about their own thinking and make conscious and strategic choices,” he said.
LIM and the Character Counts awards support Liberty’s five-year strategic plan pillar of Culture and promoting the mission and vision of the district.
Earning an award
The building toward the awards begins during the first eight days of school, during a “social emotional orientation.”
Students are introduced or reintroduced to the Eight Habits used by Leader in Me, which are based off of Stephen R. Covey’s “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” and related books. Those first eight days also give the students an opportunity to get to know each other, their teachers, the staff and the school building, through scavenger hunts and other hands-on activities.
Each month, classes building-wide focus on learning one of the eight habits and reinforcing the previous one. Each classroom teacher has the opportunity to select two students for the awards each month, one for each habit that was the focus that month. If a teacher feels no student meets the criteria for one or both awards, an award will not be given for that habit in that classroom.
A student can win both awards for the month, but that hasn’t happened, England said. Students can and have won more than one award in a year.
Being Involved
Parents and guardians of that month’s winners are invited to attend the ceremonies, which are held in two parts—kindergarten, first grade and multi-age rooms, and second through fourth grades. The ceremony is also live streamed. The aim of having parents and guardians engaged with the awards is for the habits taught at school to continue and grow at home.
Students, staff and families cheer loudly as each recipient’s name is read, and the winners go to the front of the gymnasium to receive their certificates as well as a small prize.
Students take a leadership role in the awards by naming the awards. They are invited to offer suggestions for fun names for each habit’s award. The suggestions are reviewed by the Culture Committee/Building Leadership Team, which narrows down the list to three or four names on which the students vote via survey.
Tying it together
This year, LES began recognizing students with perfect or near perfect attendance during the ceremony. That reinforces the first three habits, which focus on internal choices of personal responsibility, goal setting and self-management. Those who chose to be on time and in school every day or only miss one day are recognized for their dedication to making school and their learning a priority, England said.
Each student also has “Wildly Important Goals” as part of the Leader in Me. These goals, personal and academic, help students measure their progress, as do the students’ self-reflective Personal Leadership binders. In the binder they have prompts to help them think about where they are excelling and where they could improve.
“Leader in Me prompts us to be our better selves,” England said.
The awards also help students realize they will not always be perfect, he added. They become self aware of their failing and acknowledge they need to take steps to improve.
The Leader in Me principles are also reinforced by “Caught Being a Leader,” which praises students who choose to do something positive when they thought nobody was watching.
The year is capped by the Field Day in June, where the next three habits, which focus on interactions with others, are reinforced in games and activities.
Focusing on the seventh habit, “Sharpen the Saw,” (taking care of yourself), the school has replaced sugary drinks with flavored water stations, which have been a hit with students, England said.
The results
There have been positive, tangible results since Leader in Me and the Character Counts awards were established, England said.
“Our referrals have dropped dramatically,” he said.
And the curriculum integration of Leader in Me into other subjects has led to academic improvement with more students consistently reaching math and reading goals.
Students are supportive of each other, and that reinforces LIM work done in the classroom, encouraging other students to do better, he said.
“In the end, the singular purpose is for children to realize that their past or current conditions don’t need to dictate their future,” he said. “We want each and every student to have a positive vision of their futures no matter what their circumstances might be. We want our students to feel empowered with a self-directed plan, measurable goals and an internal belief that they can overcome any obstacle to meet their potential.”
Faculty, staff learn on students’ day off
Liberty Central School students didn’t have to answer the morning bell Friday, Feb. 16, but that was not the case for the faculty and staff.
It was a conference day full of learning and working to improve faculty and staff skills and knowledge to enhance their students’ classroom experience.
“It is important to offer time for our teachers to become students by offering vital professional development opportunities,” Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan said.
The day started in the high school cafeteria with breakfast for all district staff.
Faculty and staff then broke into professional development sessions based on school or job description.
Elementary and middle school teachers started by working on their curriculum maps, which outlines the expectations and standards for each subject and grade level.
At that time, high school staff took part in a workshop with education consultant MaryAnn Brittingham, who focused on working with students who have an “I don’t care” attitude, explaining what is behind it and providing strategies to approach these students with a different mindset
Middle school staff was next for Brittingham, who addressed problems with students whose difficult home lives may impact their behavior in school. She explained methods to de-escalate situations and discussed: “What is under anger?” “Window of tolerance” and “The 3 R’s to assist in de-escalation.”
After lunch, Brittingham then spoke to elementary staff on understanding and handling attention-seeking and manipulative behaviors among students. “Utilizing and Documenting Tier 2 Behavior Interventions in the Classroom; Put the Game on the Table” aimed to help staff decipher the underlying needs behind such behavior and find ways to address them.
Brittingham finished the day working with middle school administration and student services staff on implementation of strategies and accountability measures.
Other professional development opportunities included training for new substitutes, teacher assistants and aides, strategies for English Language Learners classrooms, using the DESSA/Aperture social and emotional screener, working with education consultants PLC Associates on Explicit Direct Instruction methods for giving transparent learning targets, breaking down complex concepts and setting up clear instructions for learning and more.
LCSD holds regular conference days to offer faculty and staff professional development in support of the five-year strategic plan. The sessions cover all pillars of the plan — curriculum, coherence, culture and MTSS, or Multi-Tier System of Supports.
LCSD seeks input on use of ARP-ESSER funds
Liberty Central School District is gathering input from the community regarding the district’s use of the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP-ESSER) funding. To review how LCSD allocated the funds, visit the LCSD ARP-ESSER plan webpage.
LCSD residents and staff are asked to take this quick, anonymous survey to offer their feedback.
LES students complete winter reading challenge at Liberty Library
Ten Liberty Elementary Students completed the Winter Reading Challenge at the Liberty Library and earned their tickets to make a “Build a Buddy,” a stuffed polar bear, on Feb. 3.
To complete the challenge, students had to read 20 picture books by themselves or with a grown-up’s help, or read four chapter books by themselves between Dec. 18 and Jan. 31.
Congratulations to Athena Dailey, Parker Gissentaner, Kyra Magie, Anastasia Honcharenko, Sevyn Straker, Nova Keating, Lillian Keating, Emily Marques, Jayden Thomas and James Crandall.
Capital project proposal passes, 178-47
Voters in the Liberty Central School District approved the district’s $42.7 million capital project proposal, 178-47, on Wednesday, Jan. 17.
The project will address safety, efficiency of building systems and educational spaces and meeting the needs of today’s learners. It also will fix issues identified in the latest building condition survey. The project will have no impact on taxes.
“I thank the community for its continued support of Liberty Central School District and its students,” Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan said. “The work included in this project will improve the educational environment for our students, offering them more comfortable, healthier and safer spaces to learn now and explore their futures.”
The Liberty Central School District Board of Education and administration, working with CSArch, the construction management team from Schoolhouse Construction Services and Fiscal Advisors, crafted the plan using information gathered in a capacity study, a long-term demographic analysis and the building condition survey conducted during the 2021-22 school year.
The design process will continue through July 2024, with state Education Department review and approval expected by November 2024. The bid process is expected to be completed by February 2025 with the contract awarded the following month. Construction should begin in late spring 2025 with the project substantially completed by early fall 2027.
Link to livestream of final capital project forum available
On Jan. 10, Liberty Central School District hosted its final community forum on the proposed $42.7 million capital project.
Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan offered a presentation on the proposal, explaining what is proposed and how it will impact student learning.
Chris White from Chenango Contracting presented “Field Turf 101,” showing how turf fields are created and installed and providing details on the safety of turf vs. natural fields.
To view the recording of the forum, visit https://events.locallive.tv/events/136016.
The vote will take place from noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16, in the Liberty High School Gymnasium, with an inclement weather date of Jan. 17.
Those who have questions may email questions@libertyk12.org with “Capital Project” in the subject line.
For more information about the project, visit the district’s capital project page at www.libertyk12.org/about-us/capital-project-2023-24.
Proposed upgrades aim to provide safe, comfortable learning environment
Included in Liberty Central School District’s proposed $42.7 million capital project are vital upgrades to heating, plumbing and electrical systems, building repairs and safety enhancements that are vital to creating a comfortable and safe learning environment for the students and staff. Many of the items below were noted in Liberty’s latest state-required building condition survey, completed in 2022.
HVAC
In the three school buildings, heating, ventilation and air conditioning are controlled by outdated, inefficient pneumatic systems. A switch to direct digital control allows for more efficient heating and cooling of our buildings.
Proposed work at the elementary school would also replace the classroom unit ventilators and install a ventilation system in the gymnasium. The old steam boiler that provided heat to the entire building will be converted to hot water, a safer and more efficient system.
Electrical
Emergency generators will be replaced at the middle and high school, as well as in the district office. The middle and high school are deemed emergency shelters, and the district office houses the servers. New generators will help ensure power will be available to this vital systems if power is disrupted.
Electrical upgrades at the Middle School will help address continual electrical issues with the more than 30-year-old building. The 2000A main electrical distribution panel, damaged by water infiltration, has outlived its useful life and a replacement will allow electricity to be more effectively distributed. Site upgrades at the chiller and transformer feed locations at the middle school will mitigate issues with water infiltration into the building.
Hardwired carbon monoxide alarm systems will also be installed in all district buildings. A hardwired system allows for a more reliable system that doesn’t rely on replacing batteries on a regular basis.
Exterior repairs and upgrades
As part of the project, the elementary building facade near the roof will be repaired for preventative maintenance.
At the high school, exterior stairs to the 100/200 and 300 wings that are in disrepair will be replaced, allowing for a safer entry into the building.
The paths to the athletic fields will also be reconstructed to provide for an ADA compliant and safer route for the public to watch our student athletes perform. And when there, new complaint bleachers will allow all members of the community to display their Liberty pride on safe, accessible seating.
Interior upgrades
At the Elementary School, flooring repairs and replacement will address potential safety concerns. Vinyl asbestos tiles in one classroom are deteriorating. If left undisturbed, the tiles do not cause a hazard, but damaged tiles must be removed and properly mitigated. There are also sections of original wood flooring that are uneven and/or deteriorating that will be repaired or replaced and refinished.
Many people enjoy the view from above in the elementary auditorium. However, the railings are not compliant with ADA regulations. The proposed project would address these issues, making the bleachers above safer or more accessible for all who attend the concerts and programs at the elementary school
At the high school, cafeteria and senior lounge renovations are geared toward making the areas a more social and attractive place to gather. The changes also help make the area safer, offering more supervision in the lounge and creating a single point of entry to the dining area.
In the middle school, 41 interior doors will be replaced, and emergency lighting will be updated, creating a safer and more secure building.
Voting will take place from noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16, in the high school gymnasium, with a snow date of Jan. 17, at the same time and location.
For more information, visit the capital project page on Liberty’s website, https://www.libertyk12.org/about-us/capital-project-2023-24/, or ask questions at a community forum or via email at questions@libertyk12.org.
Community events set to provide information on capital project proposal
Liberty Central School District is proposing a nearly $42.7 million capital project that will address safety, efficiency of building systems and educational spaces and meeting the needs of today’s learners for tomorrow’s careers.
The project will go before voters Tuesday, Jan. 16, in the high school gymnasium between noon and 9 p.m. A snow date of Jan. 17 is set. To help inform voters about the proposal, a series of public meetings and presentations will be held in December and January.
The first forum will be held in WJFF’s Community Room at 2758 State Route 52 in Liberty at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20. The public is invited to hear a presentation from district administration and ask questions about the project. A second forum originally scheduled in White Sulphur Springs for Jan. 8 has been canceled.
On Thursday, Jan. 4, Superintendent Dr. Sullivan will offer a virtual presentation on the project via Zoom at 6 p.m. and will answer questions submitted in advance to questions@libertyk12.org. Questions must be submitted by Jan. 3 with “Capital Project” in the subject line. The Zoom link will be listed on the district’s webpage as the event gets closer.
On Wednesday, Jan. 10, the district will host a community forum and question-and-answer session with district administration, representatives from architects CS Arch and a turf specialist. A walkthrough of select project areas will follow the presentation. The Jan. 10 forum and Q&A will be live streamed via LocalLive on the district website. The public is invited to the event, which will begin at 6 p.m. in the high school auditorium.
The Liberty Central School Board of Education and administration, working with CSArch, the construction management team from Schoolhouse Construction Services and Fiscal Advisors, crafted the plan using information gathered in a capacity study, a long-term demographic analysis and the building condition survey conducted during the 2021-22 school year.
More information on the project is available on the district website.
LHS senior uses NASA opportunities to help further her goals beyond the rainbow
Jayla Edwards may have been singing “Somewhere over the Rainbow” this fall, but her goals go far above where any rainbow is found.
The Liberty High School senior, who played Dorothy in the Liberty Performing Arts’ fall production of “The Wizard of Oz,” has taken part in two highly selective experiences that are helping her pursue her career goal of being an aerospace engineer with NASA.
Edwards was one of 95 students, of more than 2,000 applicants, chosen for the NASA’s Science Mission Directorate STEM Enhancement in Earth Science, or SEES, high school internship program onsite at the University of Texas at Austin’s Center for Space Research.
“It was great getting to meet a bunch of people from all around the country with similar interests to mine,” she said.
Her experience there led to an even more exclusive opportunity. She was one of 12 students, of the more than 200 total SEES interns, who were invited to the OSIRIS REx VIP reveal event at NASA Johnson Space Center in October. The selection of students was based on the program mentors’ recommendations as well as the students’ ability to be ambassadors for the SEES program, Edwards said.
“We are so proud of Jayla,” Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan said. “We are glad we are able to help her pursue her potential and support her in following her dreams.”
At the SEES program in July, Edwards was part of the Mars Rover Resource Utilization Team, which is similar to NASA missions she wants to be involved in during her career, she said.
The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer was the first mission by the United States to collect a materials sample from an asteroid. The sample from asteroid Bennu was dropped to Earth via a parachute during a flyby of the spacecraft on Sept. 24. The samples were officially revealed to the public on Oct. 11.
Beyond being able to be present at this moment in history, Edwards was able to learn more about NASA and get a close up look at the facilities that help bring the space missions to life.
“My favorite one was the Neutral Buoyancy Lab,” she said. “It was really cool to see the pool where the astronauts work and learn about some of the things that are done there.”
Edwards has also been invited to present her Mars Rover project work, as well as another project she worked on at SEES, at the American Geophysical Union’s annual meeting this winter.
Edwards wasn’t always looking toward the skies for her career. Initially she wanted to go into neuroscience.
“I was and still am extremely interested in the brain and how it works,” she said. “I wanted to do more research on the brain and neurological disorders but soon realized that anything having to do with biology was probably not for me, since I can’t wrap my head around the subject.
“I chose aerospace engineering because it allowed me to explore something just as perplexing and interesting using two of my favorite subjects, math and science, without having to worry about biology,” she continued. “I have also always been interested in space so when I discovered this career, it just seemed like a perfect fit.”
Edwards has been a Liberty student most of her life, except for two years at Fallsburg in elementary school. She said her science teachers have been great influences.
“Mr. (Eugene) Doyle helped make science a lot of fun for me and my classmates,” Edwards said. “Mrs. (Lucinda) Nolan mentored Science Olympiad, and being in that club and learning and researching about different areas of science helped a lot. Science Olympiad ultimately gave me the push to apply to the SEES internship.”
While her love of science extends outside of the classroom, her extracurricular life doesn’t revolve around it. She is a member of the National Honor Society, the LPA and Liberty High School’s Honors Chorus and Honors Orchestra.
Although she doesn’t yet know where she will be going to college — Rochester Institute of Technology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University are her favorites — her ultimate goal is to work for NASA. And while traveling to outer space would be interesting, she said, she plans to keep her feet firmly planted on the ground while helping others explore the universe over the rainbow.
Liberty BOE reviews capital project proposal
Liberty Central School District Board of Education on Tuesday, Oct. 10, reviewed an updated capital project proposal that addresses safety, efficiency and meeting the needs of today’s learners, and is not expected to have any tax impact on district taxpayers.
CSArch, an architecture, engineering and construction management firm, working with the construction management firm Schoolhouse Construction, has been working with the district to recommend upgrades to the district’s aging buildings and systems. The original part of the elementary school is around 100 years old and once housed the entire district population. Two additions were built later. The high school is 60 years old, and the middle school was constructed in the early 1990s.
The following is included in the nearly $42.7 million proposal:
High School Building Improvements (about $14.98 million)
- Exterior stair replacement
- 300 Wing renovations, including additional classroom space and upgrades to the counseling suite
- Cafeteria renovations
- Innovation Lab renovations
- Replace emergency generator
- Hardwired carbon monoxide alarm systems
- HVAC controls upgrades (Pneumatics to Direct Digital Control)
High School: Athletic/Site Improvements (about $6.88 million)
- Resurfacing the running track
- Artificial turf multi-sport playing field (with drainage)
- Slot drains at track perimeter
- Replace the long-jump
- New concrete sidewalk for ADA accessibility
- New bleachers
- New press box
- Audio, lighting and scoreboard improvements
- Field lighting
Middle School (about $3.61 million)
- Interior door replacements (41 doors total)
- HVAC controls upgrades (Pneumatics to Direct Digital Control)
- Site electric upgrades to address water infiltration into building
- Replace 2000A main electrical distribution panel
- Emergency lighting upgrades
- New Emergency Generator
- Hardwired carbon monoxide alarm systems
Elementary School (about $13.93 million)
- Roofing repairs and upgrades
- Hazardous materials abatement (VAT Floor Tile)
- Wood flooring replacement
- Compliant railings at interior bleachers
- Classroom Unit Vent Replacements
- Boiler Conversions (steam to hot water)
- Gymnasium Ventilation System Upgrades
- HVAC Controls Upgrades
- Hardwired Carbon Monoxide Alarm Systems
Central Administrative Offices (about $265,000)
- New Emergency Generator
- Hardwired Carbon Monoxide Alarm Systems
Storage Building (about $3.03 million)
The proposal also includes additional funds for the district-wide maintenance building that voters approved in 2021. Because of supply chain issues that increased costs of materials and increases in labor rates, bids for the building came in significantly higher than anticipated. Costs are not expected to drop and renovations for a new Innovation Lab are contingent on the relocation of Buildings and Grounds into the new storage building. The proposal includes an additional $1.56 million for the construction of the maintenance building, bringing the total to $3.03 million, reflecting the current material and labor market. The original referendum will be rescinded. The district is also exploring options for alternative construction methods to reduce costs while maintaining the same quality and durability of the building.
The presentation to the board can be seen here
The board is expected to vote on a resolution authorizing a public referendum, expected this winter, at an upcoming meeting.
LCSD Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan will present the proposal at the Liberty Town Board meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 16, at the town offices at 120 N. Main St. District officials are planning additional community meetings, tours and more to inform the public about the proposal. The dates will be announced as they are scheduled.