Year: 2024
Three honored for Excellence in Service
An elementary speech teacher, a middle school counselor and a member of the grounds crew were recognized by the Liberty Central School District Board of Education with Excellence in Service Awards on Nov. 12.
Jena Schwartz
Schwartz was recognized for meeting the high level of need for speech services in the elementary school. Her nominator highlighted her supplying resources for teachers, as well as guiding and directing two new speech pathologists in the building.
“She juggles all of this with meeting the demands of her own schedule, and always goes above and beyond to advocate for the importance of and need for speech services,” her nominator wrote.
Michelle Behrman
Behrman was described as an asset to the middle school. Her nominator spotlighted her willingness to help teachers and students at any time, and her knowledge of SchoolTool.
“She puts on more than a school counselor hat for Liberty Middle School and should get the award for excellence,” her nomination read. “It is well deserved!”
Joe Davis
Davis’ willingness to lend a hand, with a smile on his face, even when he is busy was featured in his nomination. His diligence during a recent drill was also recognized.
“When our school community was being tested by law enforcement trying to gain access to our buildings, Joe recognized the scam and refused to let the person in,” the nomination read. “Kudos to Joe!”
Each month, faculty and 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.
Elks to host holiday party for children
Liberty Elks Lodge 1545 will host its annual Children’s Holiday Party on Saturday, Dec. 7, at the lodge on Darbee Lane in Liberty.
The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and all kids to age 10 will receive a gift. Lunch will be provided, as will photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
New Hope Community to provide free drive-thru holiday family dinner
New Hope Community will host its seventh annual Holiday Family Drive-Thru Dinner from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10.
Community members are welcome to pickup a free family dinner to go on a first-come, first-served basis, at the New Hope Community at 5 New Hope Community Drive in Loch Sheldrake. One family dinner per car will be provided
The meals are being provided through the generosity of Texas Roadhouse, Adams Fairacre Farms, Chili’s, Hannaford, Sam’s Club, Buffalo Wild Wings and Shop Rite. The NHC Foundation has also provided a limited quantity of ShopRite gift cards, that will also be given out on a first-come, first-serve basis.
For more information, call 845-434-8300.
LMS book fair to be Nov. 12-15
Liberty Middle School will host the Scholastic Book Fair from Tuesday through Friday, Nov. 12-15.
The book fair will be online only on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at https://www.scholastic.com/bf/libertymiddleschool32.
The in-person fair will take place in the LMS Library/Inventionland. Students will attend with their gym classes on Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 13 and 14. The fair will also be open during parent-teacher conferences from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14. The last chance for in-person shopping for those who may not have been able to make purchases during their scheduled visit will be from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15. The online fair will remain open until Nov. 25.
Every purchase at the book fair, in person or online, benefits the school.
Students don’t need to bring cash to the event. Parents and guardians are encouraged to set up an eWallet digital payment account. Each student’s account can be shared, so friends and family members can add funds to help students purchase books they enjoy. For more details or to sign up, visit https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/content/fairs/how-ewallet-works.html?fairId=5666588. Participants will also have the opportunity to contribute to a giving initiative, “Share the Fair,” which will support students who need help buying books at the fair.
LCSD faculty and staff start November with a day of learning
A day off? Not for Liberty Central School District faculty and staff. Friday, Nov. 1, was a day of learning and professional development.
The day started with the presentation of “Disrupt and Adapt:Teaching and Learning in the Age of AI” by keynote speaker Eric Sheninger, founder and chief executive officer of Aspire Change EDU. Sheninger offered thoughts on how faculty and staff can make artificial intelligence work for them by helping them plan, save time, make learning personal, and rethink and adjust the classroom experience to embrace emerging technology.
After the keynote, faculty and staff had breakout sessions and time for professional development, focusing on specific responsibilities, curriculum, teaching methods and trainings. Specially Designed Instruction and Integrated Co-Teaching sessions were offered to address the needs of LCSD’s special education teachers. Sheninger also led breakout sessions for each school.
A highlight of the day was welcoming media specialists and librarians from across the county to see the Middle School’s InventionLand Innovation Lab.
“Learning is a lifelong process,” Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan said. “It is important to provide opportunities for our faculty and staff to develop new methods and skills to give our students the best education possible.”
Sports schedule, and results, for the week of Nov. 3-10, 2024
Our athletes will be in action in football this week, the final week of the fall season.
Here are the schedule and results, if available. Livestream links are included where available.
Monday, Nov. 4
No events scheduled
Tuesday, Nov. 5
No events scheduled.
Wednesday, Nov. 6
4 p.m.: Modified A 11 Man Football vs. Monticello at Liberty High School
Thursday, Nov. 7
No events scheduled.
Friday, Nov. 8
No events scheduled.
Saturday, Nov. 9
No events scheduled.
Sunday, Nov. 10
No events scheduled.
The schedule is subject to change. Check the Liberty schedule on the Section IX website for the latest.
LMS recognizes leaders and achievers
Liberty Middle School recently recognized students for their leadership skills and following the Leader in Me 7 Healthy Habits with Leaders of the Month and Good News Notes Awards, as well as the Fall STAR Awards .
Leaders of the Month
In fifth grade, Darius Dawkins was recognized for being committed to displaying leadership and living by the 7 Habits every day.
In sixth grade, Denali Owens was honored for always thinking win-win, and Alex Pate was recognized for being proactive and putting first things first.
Seventh graders Claire Ferguson and Angel Terraza Raymoundo were both described as being proactive, driven young people who are excellent members of any team.
Selkir Molina Gonzalez and Jahir Brown were the eighth grade honorees. Both were recognized for remind others it is important to keep the end in mind and be proactive so they can reach their goals, while also maintaining a balance that allows them to enjoy the good things along the way, never forgetting to sharpen the saw so they can be the best they can be announcement.
Good News Notes
Fifth grade
The following students were recognized by their teachers for working hard, doing what’s right, and displaying the 7 habits this month:
Dominique Banks, Anthony Myers, Cailynn Pate, Josslynn Letohic, Karter Velde, Nayeli Hernandez Soperanez, Crisnelly D’Oleo Garcia, Anthony Myers, Dean Harte, Virginia Nivelo Cruz, Darius Dawkins, Ailani Chavis, Brian Rivas, Brayden Razukas, Alieska Perez Perez, Mia Travis, Logan Moore, Dylenne Reyes Garcia, Carter Funcheon, Isabella Puente, Juritzi Molina Reyes and Yarixa Reyes Cardenas.
Sixth grade
The following students were recognized by their teachers for going above and beyond, doing what’s right, and displaying the 7 habits:
Tatianna Decker, William Schauerhamer, Justin Dowe, Ralph Urgiles Montero, Lorelai McCarthy, Ellis Dilworth, Sylas Pagan Vanwagner, Amare Serrano, Reinier Stanton, Anthony Myers, Astrid Guardado Diaz, Ayanelson Mazariegos Cruz, Cole Lynch-Kelsey, Alex Pate and Isabella Intranuovo.
Seventh grade
The following students were recognized by their teachers for displaying many of the 7 habits:
Kameren Samuel, Faith Boyles, Janee Golzak, Erick Torres Garcia, Ethan DuBois, Denis Leon Aldana, Amy Cortez Cruz, Santiago Moguel, Montgomery Allen, Harper Matuszak, Angelick Rivera, Namarpreet Singh, Marelyn Ardon Lopez, Jose Cruz Lopez, Michelle Ramirez Medina and Juan Carlos De La Cruz De La Cruz.
Eighth grade
The following students who were recognized by their teachers for displaying many of the 7 habits:
Wilton Mata, Jace Snowden, Miles Harman, Damien Keating, Nazarah Heglar, Briana Bermeo, Alex Luna Diaz, Selkir Molina Gonzalez, Joao Guilherme Moraes and Carlos Portillo Larios.
Fall STAR Awards
The following students were recognized for showing growth (SGP) in STAR testing as well as those who were in the top percentile rank (PR) within the school but nationwide:
Fifth grade
Math SGP: Isabella Smith, Masharib Uddin, Cailynn Pate, Alieska Perez Perez and Joseph Wilson Jr.
Math PR: Masharib Uddin, Darius Dawkins, Henry Vogler, Ivan Zheng and Caleb McNett.
ELA SGP: Carlos Hernandez Aldana, Crisnelly D’Oleo Garcia, Dean Harte, Jerin Burton and Linnise Young.
ELA PR: Henry Vogler, Caleb McNett, Dean Harte, Josslynn Letohic and Tierney Meddaugh.
Sixth grade
Math SGP: Alan Romero, Hudson Jardon, Ximena Malaga Gonzalez, Marcel Davis and William Schauerhamer.
Math PR: Muhammad Awais, Caleb Rusin, Delilah Flores-Serapio, Ellis Dilworth and Owen Burst.
ELA SGP: Katherine Valdez Calle, William Schauerhamer, Marcel Davis, Sophie Zayas and Hunter Miranda.
ELA PR: Delilah Flores-Serapio, Aubrie Keating, Lily Paynter, Samuel Negroni and Dia D’Agata.
Seventh grade
Math SGP: Luna Pixie Hulse, Angel Terraza Raymundo, Lilly Kehrley, Evan Vidalis and Liam Lagattuta.
Math PR: Claire Ferguson, Chase Golzak, Angel Terraza Ramundo, Namarpreet Singh and Michael Garzon Valle.
ELA SGP: Arian Rodriguez, Luke Poley, Fabian Reyes Banegas, Amy Cortes Cruz and Josiah Lopez.
ELA PR: Claire Ferguson, Anthoni Klys, Luke Poley, Michael Garzon Valle and Aiden Satz.
Eighth grade
Math SGP: Grace Fitzgerald, Arturo Perez Reyes, Xander McCarthy, Christopher Nicholas and Irving Lopez-Garzon.
Math PR: Tristan Maloney, Phillip Burrous Jr., Elizabeth Macnamara, Jacob Pennell and Alena Tarabichi.
ELA SGP: Christian Malave, Jace Snowden, Selkir Molina Gonzalez, Tristan Maloney and Arianna Rodriguez.
ELA PR: Elizabeth Macnamara, Laudy D’Oleo, Alena Tarabichi, Scarlett Saltos Zapatanga and Amelia Cole.
LAN offers update on capital project, introduction
On Oct. 22, LAN Associates provided an update on the capital project to the Board of Education at Liberty Central School District. In July 2024, LAN Associates was hired by LCSD to design and manage the capital project approved by voters in January 2024.
LAN reported that a geotechnical investigation was recently completed. The geotechnical investigation included soil borings at the athletics fields, and near the softball field, where the new maintenance building will be constructed. This due diligence enabled LAN to advance the first phase of the project, which includes construction of a new maintenance building; athletic facility improvements, including the installation of a new synthetic turf field, track and field improvements, installation of a grandstand and press box, and installation of new athletic field lighting; upgrades to the HVAC controls upgrades at the middle and high school; upgraders to the carbon monoxide alarm system and replacement of exterior stairs at the high school; and replacements of some interior doors at the middle school.
Plans for the first part of the project are expected to be submitted to the New York State Education Department at the end of November, with construction beginning in late spring-to-early summer 2025. LCSD hopes to complete the first phase of work by late spring 2026.
The second phase of the project includes renovations to the high school at the 300 wing, cafeteria and Innovation Lab, a generator replacement, as well as finishing the interior door replacement in the middle school, site drainage improvements, electrical distribution panel replacement, installation of an emergency generator and upgrading the carbon monoxide alarm system at the middle school. Construction is expected to begin on this phase in spring 2026, with completion expected in early 2027.
The final phase of the project includes work at the Liberty Elementary School and District Office. At the elementary school, the work consists of roofing repairs and upgrades, asbestos flooring abatement and replacement, wood flooring replacement, new railings on the elevated bleachers in the gym, upgrades to the classroom and gymnasium ventilation, a boiler conversion, as well as upgrades to the HVAC controls and the carbon monoxide alarm system. At the District Office, a new emergency generator will be installed, and the carbon monoxide alarm system will be upgraded. This phase of work is expected to begin in late spring 2026 with completion before school begins for the 2026-27 school year.
During their presentation, LAN mentioned a bill passed in June by the state Legislature, but not yet signed by the governor, that would require public schools to take action to relieve heat-related discomfort when an occupied instructional space’s temperatures reach 82 degrees, and if temperatures reach 88 degrees, students must leave those areas. This potential regulatory change is being considered by the design team and may influence the design of the HVAC upgrades.
LAN also referenced other potential projects that could benefit the Liberty Central School District in the future.
For nearly 60 years, LAN has provided architecture, engineering and surveying services in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. LAN is an industry leader in the design of K12 educational facilities in New Jersey and the Hudson Valley.
For more information on LAN Associates, visit lanassociates.com.
Liberty Middle School student arrested after investigation of false social media post
On Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, the Village of Liberty Police Department arrested a 13-year-old juvenile following an investigation into a false social media post made on Friday afternoon.
Earlier in the day of Oct. 25, 2024, the Liberty Middle and High Schools briefly went into a lockdown due to an accidental activation of the school’s automated warning system during maintenance. There was no threat to either building, and Liberty Police Department officers, in coordination with school officials, quickly searched both buildings, lifted the lockdown, and returned the schools to normal operations.
Approximately two hours after the lockdown was lifted, a falsified image purporting to be an actual communication from the Liberty Central School District began circulating on social media. The fraudulent image falsely claimed that the prior lockdown had been prompted by an actual incident resulting in harm to students and teachers.
The police investigation identified the originator of the fake post as a 13-year-old Liberty Middle School student. The student was subsequently charged with Falsely Reporting an Incident in the Third Degree, a misdemeanor, and was petitioned to Sullivan County Family Court. Additionally, the district is taking appropriate action in accordance with the LCSD Code of Conduct.
Chief of Police Steven D’Agata stated, “This malicious, fraudulent post was made with the clear intent of frightening, alarming, and disrupting the lives of students, teachers, parents, and the entire school community. For someone to falsely claim that harm came to students and staff in a potential tragedy is deeply disturbing. It is absolutely essential that parents talk to their children about the very real consequences reckless behavior on social media can have for both individuals and the community. Our department, along with Liberty Central School District staff, remains deeply committed to the safety and security of all students and staff.”
Sports schedule, and results, for the week of Oct. 28 – Nov. 3, 2024
Our athletes will be in action in football, soccer and volleyball this week.
Here are the schedule and results, if available. Livestream links are included where available.
Monday, Oct. 28
4:15 p.m.: Girls Modified Soccer vs. Sullivan West Central at Sullivan West – Lake Huntington.
Tuesday, Oct. 29
2 p.m.: Boys Varsity Soccer Sectional Pre-lims vs. Beacon City at Beacon High School.
4:15 p.m.: Boys Modified Soccer vs. Tri-Valley at Liberty Elementary School
4:15 p.m.: Girls Modified Volleyball vs. Fallsburg at Fallsburg Junior/Senior High School
Wednesday, Oct. 30
4:30 p.m.: Modified A 11 Man Football vs. Valley Central at Valley Central High School
Thursday, Oct. 31
No events scheduled.
Friday, Nov. 1
No events scheduled.
Saturday, Nov. 2
1 p.m.: Varsity Football vs. Red Hook Central at Liberty High School.
Sunday, Nov. 3
No events scheduled.
The schedule is subject to change. Check the Liberty schedule on the Section IX website for the latest.