Category: Middle School News
BOE approves $68M budget proposal; vote is May 21
On Tuesday, April 16, the Liberty Central School District Board of Education approved a $68 million budget proposal to put before the voters on Tuesday, May 21. The proposal for the 2024-25 school year enhances curriculum and improves programs without increasing the tax levy.
This is the sixth consecutive year there is no proposed tax levy increase.
“This budget proposal continues our commitment to fiscal responsibility while providing the increased programming and support our students need to contribute and thrive in a diverse community by pursuing their potential,” Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan said.
The proposed $68,034,294 budget increases spending 2.62%, or $1,737,992, and would fund all current student programs and services. The district’s allowable calculated tax levy limit increase is 5.24%; however, because the governor’s budget proposal allocates a 3.06%, or $1,686,000, increase in state aid to Liberty, the district is able to put forth a proposal with a tax levy of $17,760,162, the same as the current year’s budget.
The proposed spending increase is attributed to increases in such recurring expenses as insurance, energy costs and maintenance materials, as well as proposed expansions to curricular and extracurricular opportunities.
One of the pillars of the district’s five-year strategic plan is curriculum. Several program expansions proposed in the 2024-25 budget would support that pillar, including expanding the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) math curriculum to seventh grade, adding Syracuse University Project Advance college credit courses, as well as introducing more computer science and AI-related programs across grades.
The proposal also includes the addition of a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)-certified teacher, creating an administrative athletic director position, and converting two part-time teacher aide positions into one full time teacher aid. An update to the middle school library’s innovation lab is also in the proposal.
“This budget proposal keeps us focused on the elements of our strategic plan so that we can continue to prepare our students for a successful future,” Sullivan said.
Polls will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, in the High School Media Center. The time and location are changes from past years. More budget information will be available on the district’s budget page.
Liberty students take home 11 awards at county art show
Liberty Central School District students won several awards at last week’s Sullivan County PK-12 Art Show at the Events Gallery at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.
Liberty students took four of the five possible Artist Choice Awards in Photography. The Artist Choice Awards are selected by professionals. Leonel Malaga Ventura earned an award for black and white photography, and Jill Baumander, Kaitlyn Bodolosky and Maria Quintanilla Bonilla each won for color photography.
In Sculpture, Studio Art student Roz Schauerhamer took an Artist Choice award.
In Ceramics, Brittany Cardenas won two Artist Choice awards and Brook Bull took a Student Choice award.
In Painting, Studio Art student Madelynn Stewart received an Artist Choice award
In Mixed Media, Aulanie Garcia Velez took a Student Choice award.
In Drawing, Giovanni Flores Leon earned an Artist Choice Award.
The show kicked off with a high school student opening from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, April 11, and opened to the public with a reception from 2 to 6 p.m. Friday, April 12. The show continued from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 13 and 14.
Student artwork from media categories of 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 were on display, with about 125 total pieces from Liberty students across the district.
LCSD earns national recognition for music education for fifth consecutive year
Liberty Central School District has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education for the fifth year in a row.
To qualify for the Best Communities designation, Liberty answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program and community music-making programs. Responses were verified by school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.
“Music education offers a multifaceted array of benefits, touching on cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development,” LCSD Director of Music Eric Aweh said. “Its impact is profound, laying the groundwork for well-rounded individuals who are capable of thinking creatively, expressing themselves, and contributing positively to society.”
The community will be able to see the Liberty music students in action several times before the end of the school year, with a series of spring concerts. High school mixed ensembles will be featured Thursday, May 9; seventh and eighth graders on Tuesday, May 14; high school honors students on Thursday, May 16; fifth and sixth graders on Tuesday, May 21, and the elementary students on Monday, June 3. All concerts will be held in the high school auditorium at 7 p.m., except the elementary concert which will begin at 6:30 p.m.
“Music is a vital part of the educational experience,” Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan said. “We appreciate the NAMM Foundation’s continued recognition of our dedication to providing a quality music education for our students.”
Now in its 23rd year, the Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants. For more information about The NAMM Foundation, visit www.nammfoundation.org.
Wizards entertain at Liberty PTA fundraiser
On Monday night, March 18, visitors to Liberty High School gymnasium couldn’t be sure if they were there to attend a basketball game or a party.
But that’s typical when the Harlem Wizards come to town. The basketball team/entertainers returned to Liberty to take on the Redhawks staff as part of a fundraiser for the Liberty PTA.
Before a packed gymnasium, the Wiz Kids (children who had Wizards jerseys) were introduced and were able to warm up with the Wizards players. After introductions of the Redhawks and Wizards players, the party … errrr, game … began.
There were plenty of trick shots by the Wizards, and some impressive scoring by the Redhawks, but the score was secondary to the fun. The Master of Ceremonies kept the audience singing and dancing throughout the event, with the third quarter part karaoke, part dance party in the stands, as some of the players switched teams to continue the game. The Wizards interacted with the fans, offering high fives, going into the stands, leading the crowd in dances and more.
The Redhawks staff team members weren’t immune to the Wizards antics, often becoming part of the entertainment.
At the half, students who had courtside player tickets were able to take part in a three-minute basketball game with the Wizards, and the players autographed jerseys and balls, took selfies and spoke to the fans.
Near the end of the fourth quarter a football game broke out, interrupted by Kung Fu moves, dancing and more.
With 10 seconds left on the clock, the clock was stopped and the students in the audience were invited onto the floor for a dance party and counted down the last 10 seconds of the game.
Proceeds from the fundraiser are used by the Liberty PTA for scholarships, assemblies, events and materials for students.
Oh yeah, the Wizards won, 75-64.
More photos are available on LCSD’s social media pages, and a video can be seen 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.
A 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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
An update on after school transportation
After school bus times have been adjusted to pick up elementary students at 4 p.m. and middle and high school students at 4:10 p.m., with a targeted leave time of 4:15 p.m. Students need a late bus pass to be allowed on the bus. The 6 p.m. bus times remain the same.
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.
LMS student finishes fourth in state Elks Hoop Shoot
Adriana Ponce Agredano, a Liberty Middle School eighth grader, finished fourth in New York State in the Elks Hoop Shoot contest in Camillus on March 2.
She had competed in the local, district and regional levels before moving on to the state contest. She finished fourth in the girls 12-13 age group. The Elks Hoop Shoot is a free-throw program for youths ages 8 to 13. For more on the program, visit https://www.elks.org/hoopshoot/default.cfm
Annual tournament raises $200 for scholarship
Liberty High School Physical Education Department held its annual Ron Francisco Ping Pong and Badminton Tournament on Thursday, Feb. 29, in the high school gymnasium.
T
here were more than 100 participants and almost 200 students and staff who watched, the largest since at least before COVID, Athletic Director Erin Alvord said.
“In the end, this was probably one of our best tournaments of all time. The students were organized, followed direction and were supportive of one another,” she said.
The champions were:
- Girls Ping Pong: Julia Juron
- Boys Ping Pong: Enrique Mercado
- Staff Ping Pong: Gene Doyle (two years in a row, and was also champ when he was a student.)
- Student Badminton: David Philips and Ben Visconti
- Staff Badminton: Beth Quatrale and Liz Hannold.
The event, named in honor of a former PE teacher Ron Francisco, raised $200 for the memorial scholarship in his name. Two scholarships are awarded annual to seniors who have demonstrated positive character in PE classes and in their athletics.
More photos will be posted to the district’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.