Category: Elementary News
CEP income forms requested
Dear Liberty,
Liberty is pleased that our participation in the Community Eligibility Provision, offering free breakfast and lunch to all students, will continue for the 2024-25 school year.
One benefit of this program is income forms are not required for students to receive free meals. However, we ask that you please fill out the CEP income forms, attached in English here and the CEP income forms in Spanish here (or those sent home to parents/guardians) as this information will help determine eligibility for additional state, federal and school program benefits for which students may qualify. Benefits may include covering fees for technology, athletics, band instruments, testing and college applications as well be a factor in some grant funding for the district. The data provided from these forms also factor into state aid, foundation aid and local funding.
Only one form needs to be filled out per household. If you have any questions, please the District Business Office at 845-292-6171.
Forms may be returned to your child’s school building or emailed to awoolard@libertyk12.org
Thank you for your continued support in making Liberty a great place to learn.
Sincerely,
Dr. Patrick Sullivan
Superintendent
LCSD administrators, facilitators prepare for upcoming school year
Liberty Central School District administrators engaged in a weeklong professional development and planning workshop. They began by reviewing LCSD’s five-year Strategic Plan and the District Comprehensive Improvement Plan, focusing on strategies for effective implementation and support.
Training sessions covered various topics including the new ParentSquare communication system, recent changes in special education law, and updates on safety and incident command procedures, presented by Liberty Village Police Chief Steven D’Agata. Additionally, administrators explored restorative strategies introduced by MaryAnn Brittingham and discussed how these strategies could be implemented into their plans.
Teacher facilitators joined the retreat mid-week to participate in sessions dedicated to refining professional learning communities’ best practices. They also collaborated on finalizing and presenting the Middle School Comprehensive Education Plan, as well as the High School, Elementary School, and Student Services Priority Plans.
The retreat concluded with preparations for upcoming conference days on Sept. 3 and 4, as well as professional learning plans for the 2024-25 school year.
A message on SchoolTool changes
Dear Liberty Parents and Guardians,
Liberty Central School District’s SchoolTool parent and student portal mobile apps and website is now hosted on the AWS Mindex cloud going forward.
What does this mean to you?
- Better performance and availability
- Better security
- An overall better experience when using SchoolTool
What do you need to know ?
- The new District URL will be https://st10.schooltool.com/liberty/
- You will need to update the mobile app to the new URL (Please see the instructions below)
- Your SchoolTool Username and Password will remain the same as it was before the cloud migration
Please note:
Should anyone have any questions regarding our move to the cloud please contact Teresa Couitt at 845-292-5400, ext. 2222, or email her at tcouitt@libertyk12.org.
Thank you very much,
Stacy Feasel
District Data Coordinator
District Security and Privacy Officer
Community School Coordinator
Liberty Central School District
115 Buckley Street
Liberty, NY 12754
Office: 845-292-5400 x2332
Fax: 845-292-1164
How to update the URL on your SchoolTool Mobile App
- When you open the mobile app, click the edit button (Circled in red below)
- Enter the new District URL, https://st10.schooltool.com/liberty/ in the box with URL (Make sure that the forward slash (/) is at the end of the URL (The URL will default to the old District URL)
- Click the blue box with the white arrow to proceed to the login screen
- Enter your user name and password in the spaces provided.
New AD begins at Liberty Central School District
Kim Craft has joined Liberty Central School District as its athletic director, a position that was elevated to an administrative role starting in the 2024-25 school year.
Craft, an Ellenville resident, earned her bachelor’s degree from Sage College of Albany in K-12 physical education, a master’s degree in health, physical education and Recreation from Emporia State University and a Certification of Advanced Study in School Leadership from SUNY New Paltz.
Before coming to Liberty, Craft taught health and physical education for seven years at Crispell Middle School, part of the Pine Bush Central School District. She also coached basketball and softball.
She said she enjoys traveling, anything active or sports related, and spending quality time with family, friends and her dogs in her spare time.
“I am very excited to be a Liberty Redhawk,” Craft said. “I chose Liberty because I really enjoy the small school atmosphere where I will be able to get to know everyone. I also am very excited to work with the supportive and involved community that Liberty has to offer.”
She said she hopes to encourage more students to become student-athletes and ensure Liberty students are able to receive the opportunities they deserve.
New assistant principal joins LES
Liberty Elementary School welcomed a new assistant principal, Paul Voigtland, earlier this month.
He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics education from SUNY Cortland in 2006, his Master of Arts degree in mathematics education from SUNY Albany in 2009, and his advanced certificate of educational leadership from Long Island University in 2024.
Voigtland taught mathematics at the secondary level for 18 years before becoming an administrator. He began his teaching career in Paulding County, Georgia, before moving back to upstate New York where he taught at Cobleskill-Richmondville Central School District. He then moved back to his home area and taught at Middletown City Schools before pursuing educational leadership.
He lives outside of Otisville with his wife and four children. He is passionate about educating youth and said he wants to make a difference every day in the lives of the students at Liberty.
School supplies to be provided for LES students
For the 2024-25 school year, Liberty Central School District will provide all essential school supplies for Liberty Elementary School students. Backpacks and lunch boxes will need to be purchased by the families. Families of Liberty Middle and High School students will need to provide all supplies. Middle School supply lists are available at https://www.libertyk12.org/about-us/student-supply-lists/.
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.
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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.”
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
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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
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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.”
Fourth graders honored as they say goodbye to LES
On the morning of Tuesday, June 25, Liberty Elementary School fourth graders accepted their final awards and took their final trips across the stage in the gymnasium as they participated in the Moving Up Ceremony
The event celebrated the achievements and hard work the students put in in their years at LES before they took their next steps in their academic lives—going to middle school.
Principal Robert England reminded students that what they have been learning, not just reading, writing and arithmetic, but social-emotional lessons through the Leader in Me framework, is something they would carry with them throughout their lives.
After recognizing student liaisons Amaya Burton and Henry Vogler, several awards were presented, as follows:
- Music: Band: Alec Feliciano, Alannis Flores, Ana Hernandez, Josslynn Letohic, John Matute and Caleb McNett; Orchestra: Dean Harte, Melanie Hernandez Santiago, Lilith Lynker, Anthony Philippe, Henry Vogler and Ivan Zheng; and Chorus: Joseph Geoghan, Dean Harte, Ana Hernandez and Josslynn Letohic.
- Academic Excellence: Darius Dawkins, Blake Dennison, Damaris Jadan Pangolo, Josslyn Letohic, Lilith Lynker, Caleb McNett, Tierney Meddaugh, Levi Poley, Masharib Uddin and Henry Vogler.
- Academic Achievement: Annabella Buryiak, Joel Cruz Lopez, Crisnelly D’Oleo Garcia, Parker Gissentaner, Mairely Gonzalez Manzueta, Nayeli Hernandez Soperanez, Laurel Hook, Ryleigh LaMantia, Helen Lucero Bonilla, John Matute, Marline Mott, Cailynn Pate, Anthony Philippe, Anabella Ramos, Esmeralda Santiago Sharpe and Mirey’ah Steele.
- Citizenship: Dean Harte, Ana Hernandez, Anastasia Kelly, Caleb McNett and Isabella Puente.
- NYS Attorney General’s Triple “C” Award: Amaya Burton and Tierney Meddaugh.
- NYS Comptroller’s Award: Henry Vogler.
After the awards were presented, the approximately 125 fourth-graders walked across the stage to receive their certificates of competition, signifying they have graduated from elementary school and are now considered fifth graders.
The final portion of the program was perhaps the most emotional and the most fun, for the students, staff and families—the traditional showing of the fourth grade video, produced by fourth-grade teacher David Philips. As the students sang along with many of the tunes, a video screen displayed photos and videos from their time at LES. The video is something the students will look forward to seeing again in eight years during the senior walk.
As the lights came back up, families in the balcony were invited to the floor to congratulate their children on a job well done in elementary school.
A recording of the ceremony can be found at https://events.locallive.tv/events/149092.
More photos can be on the LCSD Facebook and LCSD Instagram pages.