Month: July 2024
LCSD superintendent advocates for funding in D.C.
Liberty Central School District Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan took part in The Legislative Advocacy Conference, presented by AASA and ASBO, earlier this month in Washington, D.C.
During that time, Sullivan along with other members of the School Superintendents Association, met with U.S. senators and representatives, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Rep. Marc Molinaro, to discuss key issues impacting school districts.
A focus by the group was fully funding several programs important to effectively educating all students. Modest increases to programs such as Title 4 (funding to provide enrichment and 21st century skills) and IDEA (designed to help level the education playing field for students with disabilities) have been introduced at the expense of other programs, including Title I and 2 (funding to assist low-income and at-risk students).
Superintendents also voiced their support for the CARE for Student Mental Health Act, introduced in the Senate, which would make changes to two key competitive grant programs to better support efforts to train, recruit and retain school mental health professionals and increase access to services in high-need school districts as well as promotes equitable distribution of the funds and reduces barriers to applying for these grants.
“These programs are vital to Liberty Central School District in helping us empower each student to contribute and thrive in a diverse community by pursuing their potential,” Dr. Sullivan said. “We encourage our federal congressional representatives to fully support our students by funding these important programs.”
LCSD stories earn NSPRA Awards
Two stories featured on the Liberty Central School District website and shared with local media recently earned an “Excellence” rating in the National 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.
The first, “LHS senior uses NASA opportunities to help further her goals beyond the rainbow” focused on Jayla Edwards, who was selected for a very competitive program hosted by NASA between her junior and senior year, and 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 was playing Dorothy in the Liberty Performing Arts fall production, “The Wizard of Oz.”
The second story, “New technology brings history to life,” featured how the sixth grade social studies classes of Samantha Abplanalp are using AI to “interview” Egyptian pharaohs. Beside learning about the leaders from centuries ago, the students were able to assess the accuracy of the information provided by ChatGPT, bringing 21st century skills into the classroom.
“It’s important to see the impact our district and its strategic plan are having on students and the district’s mission to empower each student to contribute and thrive in a diverse community by pursuing their potential,” Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan. “These stories are just two of many ways our district is working to help our community see what makes Liberty a great place in which to learn, grow and thrive.”
First class of Liberty Redhawks graduates
The first Class of Liberty Redhawks flew the nest Friday, June 28, with 117 students recognized during the 127th annual commencement ceremony.
The evening, held on the high school football field, carried themes of community and resilience.
“Look around you. You are not merely a group of individuals sharing the same space; you are a community. A community that has laughed together, cried together, persevered through hybrid learning together, and most importantly, triumphed together,” Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan said.
There were several challenges for the Class of 2024, starting with the COVID pandemic and including the loss of a classmate, Javon Islam, who passed away in May 2023.
“Despite all the difficulties we faced, the classmates surrounding you right now are the people who navigated through these years alongside you,” Class President Zoe Kip said. “Now we stand together, one last time, preparing for our futures with memories you’ll cherish for a lifetime.”
And it is important to cherish those memories and also take time to make new ones, Salutatorian Jumana Abu Al Ghanam said.
“I encourage all those here today to not only work hard, but also have fun,” she said. “Our futures don’t just consist of mind-numbing work, but new memories we will make when we find ourselves and enjoy our lives.”
But the choices graduates make and how they respond will decide their futures, LHS Principal Derek Adams said. “Challenges will continue, but instead of letting life happen to you, choose your challenges and let your struggles become your strengths.”
Valedictorian Benjamin Visconti encouraged his classmates to make a difference in their own lives and the lives of others. “Motivate and inspire others to make their own legacy,” he said as he quoted Mother Teresa: “‘I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.’
“So I stress to all of you, go out and make your own ripples,” he said, “make our world brighter, one stone at a time.”
But no matter where those ripples are made, Liberty will forever be home for the graduates, Board of Education President Matthew DeWitt said. Board President Matthew DeWitt:
“To the Class of 2024, This is not the end, this is the beginning. I hope your travels take you all around this country and all around the world but remember you’ll always have a place in Liberty and within this community.”
The full ceremony and speeches can be seen on our livestream at https://events.locallive.tv/events/149897 or on YouTube:
LCSD inducts two into Wall of Fame
Two Liberty Central School District graduates whose impacts on the school and community were quite different were honored Friday, June 28, at the annual Liberty Central School District Wall of Fame ceremony in the LHS auditorium.
“Our Wall of Fame inductees embody a remarkable spectrum of personal and professional accomplishments, each contributing to the enduring legacy of the Liberty Central School District and the Liberty community at large,” said LCSD Interim Assistant Superintendent Marianne Serratore, who led the ceremony. “We are thrilled to extend a warm welcome to two outstanding individuals joining the ranks of our esteemed honorees: Mr. Kurt Scheibe and Mr. Maurice Gerry.”
More than 100 friends and family attend the ceremony in honor of Scheibe, a 1962 graduate who was integral to the growth of Little League throughout the region, and Gerry, a 1949 LHS graduate whose advocacy went far beyond Liberty but bloomed locally.
The Wall of Fame was established in 2011 by the Board of Education to honor extraordinary alumni. Nominees are judged on exceptional accomplishments and significant contributions within their career, community or personal life.
Kurt F. Scheibe
There is no doubt that Little League wouldn’t be the same in the region had Scheibe not been passionately involved with the sport.
“Baseball was always on his mind,” his sister Mary Heinle said.
He always worked for a better baseball experience for his “boys,” she said. Serving as a Little League coach, he sought donations and sponsors, ensuring young athletes had uniforms and a pitching machine.
Among his achievements is the transformation of the White Sulphur ballfield from a swampland to what has become an integral part of the White Sulphur Springs Fire Department park.
Before the field was fixed, “I’m sure some of the boys were catching frogs in the outfield,” Heinle said.
Collaborating with neighboring town coaches, Scheibe orchestrated a summer of sports, fostering enjoyment and the development of athletic skills and sportsmanship in the players.
He ensured the WSS ballfield was immaculate, and assisted other communities such as Grahamsville in developing their sports fields. Transitioning from coaching to officiating, he uses his time and sports knowledge to referee youth games and fundraisers.
Beyond his youth-focused endeavors, he serves as the treasurer for the WSS FD, and is a member of the Liberty Elks Lodge, putting in countless hours volunteering over 60 years for both organizations.
Maurice Gerry
Although Gerry traveled far from Liberty, entering the Navy after high school and settling in San Francisco, Liberty was always in his heart.
“This ‘unicorn’ is the most dedicated man I’ve ever seen in the community,” Ron Gozza said in introducing his best friend.
The hamlet of Ferndale holds a special place in Gerry’s heart. So much so, he made it his mission to revitalize the first 10 houses—five on either side of the road—at the entrance of the community, Gozza said.
Gerry’s education began in a one-room schoolhouse on Ferndale-Loomis Road. His first teacher, Mrs. Manion, had such an impact he recently dedicated a plaque in her honor to be displayed on the schoolhouse wall, once the building is restored.
Gerry gave special thanks to the educators in his life. “In memory of my teachers, my principals, my friends, I really want to thank you for this honor,” he said.
While out West he worked with Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. Actively involved in Diane Feinstein’s mayoral campaign, Gerry’s efforts to raise awareness about the AIDS epidemic earned him the honor of representing Alaska in a Washington, D.C., parade for the cause.
He returned to Liberty to care for his aging parents and immersed himself in local politics, the arts and preservation. The visionary behind the Ms. Sullivan County Beauty Pageant, he championed diversity and inclusion, ensuring financial barriers did not hinder participation. Serving as town councilman for two decades, affectionately known as the “Tree Hugger,” Gerry dedicated himself to maintaining Liberty’s beauty and integrity.
At the age of 91, he assumed the role of interim councilman, a testament to his enduring commitment. Gerry actively supports humanitarian efforts locally and internationally, holding seats at O & M Museum, Liberty Arts Museum, Time and Again Museum and the Shandelee Music Festival.
“I have some comfort knowing my picture will be somewhere other than my tombstone,” Gerry said, referring to the Wall of Fame in the High School lobby, which includes plaques of all of the inductees.
During the ceremony, proclamations and certificates on behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, the state Senate and Assembly, the Sullivan County Legislature and the Town of Liberty were presented to each of the inductees.
“We are thankful for the dedication of Mr. Gerry and Mr. Scheibe to the Liberty community,” Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan said. “They each showed, in different ways, how one person can make a difference.”