• Don’t miss the Liberty Redhawks staff take on the Harlem Wizards on Monday, March 18. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with the game at 6:30.  For more information, click here.
  • Liberty Central School District has reopened its Date Triangle parent survey. Text and email messages with links to the survey have been sent to district parents and guardians. If you haven’t received the link, please contact Marianne Serratore, Interim Assistant Superintendent of Schools, at 845-292-5400, ext. 2063, or mserratore@libertyk12.org. The survey closes March 22.
  • LCSD families, please take the Digital Equity Survey. Learn more about the Digital Equity here or take the Digital Equity Survey here.

Growth and ‘Disruptive Thinking’ themes of LCSD PD day

Friday, March 15, was another day of learning for faculty and staff at Liberty Central School District.

Eric SheringerA day off for students, the Professional Development Day began with breakfast in the high school cafeteria followed by keynote speaker Eric Sheninger, founder and chief executive officer of Aspire Change EDU, in the high school auditorium. The educational consultant has been working with the high school as part of the LHS School Comprehensive Education Plan. Sheninger gave the presentation “Disruptive Thinking in our Classrooms.”

“To change or grow, we must challenge conventional wisdom,” he said.

Often using humor and short videos, he encouraged faculty and administrators to rethink four core items — normal, learning, learners and mindset — in an effort to have transformative change that will improve academic and social outcomes for the students.

A video shows on a screen at the front of an auditorium.“Disruptive thinking is the ability to replace conventional ideas with innovative solutions on authentic problems,” one of his slides read.

Changes have been made throughout the years, but the pandemic forced most schools into the “disruptive thinking” mindset, he said.

Technology was at the forefront of those changes, he said, but not all changes must be technologically based.

Bouncing ideas off of co-workers was also encouraged. He took several “turn-and-learn” breaks, sometimes encouraging staff to  turn to others near them and other times to get up from their seats to find others to discuss a topic.

a person kneels behind a row of seats with others seated in them as the people speak in a group.He emphasized that there are several known practices that help students learn, however there is no standard operating procedure for educators. What works in one classroom may not work in another, or what works for one student may not be the most effective way of learning for a classmate.

“Chase growth, not perfection,” Sheninger said.

He also encouraged teachers to focus on what they can control — primarily how time is used in their classrooms. He also recommended a forward thinking approach of focusing on “What if?” rather than “Yeah, but.”

He used several examples of the impact educators have had on his life.

“Never underestimate or undervalue your impact on kids,” he said.

A man speaks at the back of an auditorium as the audience looks ahead at a screen (not shown)The keynote was followed by Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan, who reviewed the District’s Strategic Plan and Comprehensive Improvement Plan.

Walking around the auditorium as he spoke, he reviewed where the district is in both documents and highlighted benchmark data as well as plans, events and activities that have been implemented in support of the goals of the district and individual schools.

“Growth is happening,” Sullivan said. “We are moving in the right direction.”

He thanked the faculty, staff and administration for working together to meet Liberty’s mission “to empower each student to contribute and thrive in a diverse community by pursuing their potential.”

“Thank you for continuously caring,” he said. “Thank you for always wanting to move forward.”

After a break for lunch, staff and faculty from each school broke out into their own sessions.

The high school again heard from Sheninger, who spoke on adjusting teaching methods to today’s technology.

The middle school took part in a Targeted School Improvement workshop with education consultant Betsy Conners of PLC Associates. The middle school has been designated a Targeted Support and Improvement School, because four student subgroups  — Black, Hispanic, English Language Learners and Economically Disadvantaged — did not meet expectations.

The elementary staff took time in the afternoon to work on their curriculum maps, which help educators align their curriculum with the educational goals of their class.

There were further breakouts for specific staff and faculty roles as well.

LCSD holds regular conference days to offer faculty and staff professional development in support of the district’s five-year strategic plan. The sessions cover all pillars of the plan — curriculum, coherence, culture and MTSS, or Multi-Tier System of Supports.

LCSD budget planning underway

Liberty Central School District school board and administration are working diligently to craft a budget to present to voters on May 21.

This year, the district began the process using a zero-based budgeting model. Rather than using a traditional model of using a set increase over the previous year, zero-based budgeting is like building a budget from scratch, using past data points to highlight needs, mapping out expected revenue from all sources and using the district’s mission, vision, beliefs and goals to help minimize overspending while providing a quality education for the students.

“This type of budgeting helps us prevent compounding mistakes from the past,” Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan said

The first budget presentation to the board took place on Feb. 27, with a follow up on March 12.

The district’s allowable calculated tax levy cap is $18,690,105, an $929,943 increase over the current year levy. Often referenced as a 2% tax cap, the actual calculated limit is rarely 2% and is formulated using several factors, including tax base growth rate, payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreements and excludable expenses.  Districts at or below their calculated cap only need a simple majority for passage of the budget. Liberty’s calculated cap allows for 5.24% increase. The actual increase, if any, will be determined as the budget is finalized.

State aid will not be finalized until the state budget is passed, but Liberty is expecting a slight increase of $285,605 in Foundation Aid. With all sources, state aid is expected to increase $1,766,979.

The budget committee, administration and board will continue to work to create a full budget proposal by the end of the month, with the presentation at the April 2 Board of Education meeting and the budget proposal approved by the board on April 16. Meetings are held at 6:30 p.m. in the high school media center.

The public hearing will take place at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 7, in the high school auditorium.

The budget vote will take place from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, in the h

Food delivery changes, job openings announced

Liberty Central School District recently announced changes to its food delivery policy on its campuses, as well as several job openings in all three buildings.

Food deliveries

As a safety precaution, corporate food delivery services, such as DoorDash, Uber Eats and Slice, will no longer be allowed to any district building starting Monday, March 18, 2024 . Food deliveries from local establishments that offer delivery service will be allowed but orders must be placed by a staff member and cleared through the building’s main office first. Students will not be allowed to place delivery orders to the schools.

Job openings

At the high school, there are two aide positions, a floating substitute as well as business and English teaching positions open. Open positions at the middle school include three part-time lunch monitors, a floating substitute and a front desk greeter. There are two floating substitutes, one part-time aide, a speech and language pathologist and an assistant principal opening at the elementary school. The middle and high school also are hiring for a shared LPN.

More information on these and other positions is available at  https://libertyk12.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx.

Those with questions may email questions@libertyk12.org.

LCSD honors three with Excellence in Service Awards

Three more Liberty Central School District staff members were honored during the March 12 Board of Education meeting.

Recognized with Excellence in Service Awards were high school teacher assistant Quennel Yard, middle school special education teacher Anne Ramos, and elementary school teacher aide Cristina Servellon

Quennel Yard

Two men pose for a photo holding a certificateYard’s cheery and caring attitude were what sets him apart..

“Mr. Yard goes out of his way, every day, to help both teachers, staff and students. He cares about everyone and it shows. Mr. Yard relates to the students like no one else can. He goes out of his way, everyday to do this,” the nomination read. “The day is totally different when he isn’t here and not in a good way. Everyday he greets you with a smile and something nice to say. The world and Liberty is a better place with him here!”

Anne Ramos

A woman holds a certificate flanked by two menRamos was recognized for her work, along with her husband’s, outside of the classroom with Liberty girls soccer and alpine skiing athletes.

“Anne and her husband, Carpio, are a dynamic duo and their dedication to these sports is unmatched,” the nomination read. “They host extra soccer practice for the Liberty girls during the winter to enhance the program without expecting pay. They also have organized a spring travel league for the girls to practice in and have been doing this for years.”

Cristina (Emerita) Servellon

A woman holds a certificate flanked by two menServellon’s willingness to help out where needed earned her the nomination.

“Cristina is always helpful, kind and willing to contact parents for the health office to translate for us. She is always greeting you with a smile,” the nomination read. “She is a lovely human, with a beautiful heart, and her willingness to help, of all places, in the health office just shows that she’s not just coming to work to do her job, but that she’s simply a good person who cares about our students, and those around her!”

Each month, staff members nominate others they believe are going above and beyond, be it a single act of excellence or kindness or a continuous work ethic.

We congratulate these employees on their awards.

Summer enrichment programs planned at LCSD

For the second year, Liberty Central School District is hosting a summer enrichment program that provides chances for students to learn and grow.

This free program is available for students currently enrolled in kindergarten through 11th grades. Workshops will be held Mondays through Thursdays. Exact times will be shared soon.  Session 1 will be held July 8-18. Session 2 will be held July 22-Aug. 1. Session 3 will be held Aug. 5-15.

The district encourages parents and guardians to sign their children up for this wonderful opportunity.

More information, including times, locations and links to sign up, will be sent to families early next month and will be located on the website as well.

Countywide PK-12 Art Show set for April 

Liberty Central School District students’ artwork will be among the works on display during the Sullivan County PK-12 Art Show next month.

Works from students from the county’s eight school districts and Sullivan BOCES will be featured from April 12 to April 14 at the Events Gallery at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. The show will kick off with a high school student opening from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, April 11. The show will open to the public with an opening reception from 2 to 6 p.m. Friday, April 12, and will continue from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 13 and 14.

Student artwork from 10 media categories — Ceramics and Glass, Digital Art, Design, Black and White Drawing, Color Drawing, Mixed Media, Painting, Black and White Photography, Color Photography, Film and Animation, and Sculpture — will be on display

The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts will also provide free museum admission to students attending the show throughout the weekend.

The Sullivan County PK-12 Art Show is one of the many programs offered through the Arts In Education Program at Sullivan BOCES. For more information about the Arts In Education Program at Sullivan BOCES, visit scboces.org.

State DOH issues new guidance on respiratory illnesses

Following the updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations, the state Department of Health has revised its guidance on when to stay home and when to return to normal activities following respiratory illnesses. Guidance for COVID-19 had been different from guidance for other common respiratory illnesses such as influenza and RSV.

The new guidance is now the same for all three illnesses. They recommend people stay home if they have respiratory virus symptoms, including fever, chills, fatigue, cough, runny nose and headache, not explained by another cause, such as allergies.

Normal activities can be resumed when symptoms are getting better and there is no fever without use of medication for at least 24 hours.

The guidance also recommends that when going back to normal activities, individuals should take added precautions over the next five days, including taking additional steps for cleaner air, hygiene, masks, physical distancing and testing when they will be around other people, especially older adults, young children and those with weakened immune systems.

People may still be able to spread the virus that made them sick, even if they are feeling better, so it is important to take extra precautions after resuming normal activities, the DOH guidance says.

If a fever develops or symptoms return or worsen, it is recommended people stay home and away from others again. They should use the same criteria for returning to normal activities as when they first had symptoms and take added precautions over the next five days.

The guidance also says children younger than 2 should never wear a mask. Health care providers should discuss with their patients about how long a child younger than 2 should stay home.

These recommendations are only for non-healthcare settings and applicable for the school environment.

A message on LMS Parent-Teacher conferences

Dear Parents/Guardians and Students:

Our Parent Teacher conference date is Wednesday, March 20, 2024 from  6:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m. We’re continuing with our appointment based system that you, as a parent, will sign up for via the website below. These conferences will be a choice of In Person or Virtual, the sign up for both options will still take place using Google Meet.

  • The first hour 6:00-7:00 pm will be In Person Slots
  • The second hour 7:00-8:00 pm will be Virtual Slots

**Teachers can adjust based on their individual classroom needs**

In order to sign up, please go to https://sites.google.com/libertyk12.org/msparentteacherconferences/homeand follow the directions listed. There are parent “How To’s” to follow. Only sign up for one time slot per teacher. Each appointment slot is approximately  (6) six minutes in length. Please be mindful of starting and ending your appointment on time.

If you’re having issues that evening please call or email for assistance: 845-292-5400, ext. 2302 or 2306, hcheh@libertyk12.org or krusin@libertyk12.org

Please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or counselor directly via email or phone if appointment slots are closed, that night does not fit in your schedule, or you do not have internet access.

Sincerely,

Heather Cheh

Principal

Liberty Middle School

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