Liberty Newsletter Volume 24
February 15, 2019
Liberty High School
Email: kibby.scott@iowacityschools.org
Website: https://www.iowacityschools.org/LibertyHS
Location: 1400 South Dubuque Street, North Liberty, IA, United States
Phone: 319-688-1350
Twitter: @LibertyHS_Kibby
Liberty's Smore Newsletter
Welcome to my smore newsletter. The goal of these twice monthly newsletters is to keep Liberty families in the know. As always feel free to email me with suggestions on how to improve my communication. Additionally, I appreciate items for inclusion in the newsletter.
Thank you
Scott
Scott Kibby
Principal
Liberty High School
Iowa City Community School District
District Plan for loss of school time
Below is a review of the ICCSD's actions in regards to the loss of school time due to weather.
1) Beginning Monday, February 11, the school day will be 10 minutes longer. High Schools are adding 5 minutes to the beginning of the day and 5 minutes to the end of the day. Classes now begin at 8:45am and conclude at 4:05pm. The Thursday early dismissal schedule similarly moves and will now be 8:45am to 3:05pm
2) Thursday, February 28 was a teacher records day and will now be a normal Thursday school day.
3) The winter trimester will conclude on Friday, March 1 which is moved from Wednesday, February 27.
4) Monday, March 4 is now the teacher records day (no classes for students) to work on winter trimester grades. The Spring Trimester begins Tuesday, March 5
5) Friday, April 26 will now be a full day of classes.
6) Friday, May 31 will be a 1/2 day of classes running from 8:45am-noon
New Daily Schedules
Period 1 8:45-9:40
Period 2 9:45-10:40
Period 3 10:45-11:39
Period 4/Lunch 11:44-1:06
Period 5 1:11-2:05
Period 6 2:10-3:05
Period 7 3:10-4:05
Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday
Period 1 8:45-9:32
Period 2 9:37-10:23
Period 3 10:28-11:15
Period 4/Lunch 11:20-12:36
Period 5 12:41-1:25
Period 6 1:30-2:15
Period 7 2:20-3:05
Liberty Time 3:10-4:05
Justin Colbert nominated for Iowa PBIS "Person of the Year"
Liberty's PBIS program centered around our BOLTS beliefs in "Belonging, Ownership, Leadership, Teamwork and Safety" have made a big difference in the climate at Liberty this year. Our office discipline referrals have been cut by over half and our staff has embraced the idea of communicating positive news home as evidenced by over 1,700 positive postcards and emails to date.
Additionally, Liberty PBIS means explicitly teaching behavior expectations throughout the school year.
Assistant Principal Justin Colbert has been the key leader with our PBIS teacher leadership team along with our partners at the University of Iowa.
Dr. Allison Bruhn (U of I) wrote the following on behalf of Mr. Colbert's nomination,
"Having worked on Tier 1 training and implementation with Justin and this school for the last year, I can attest to Justin's leadership. He really is "in the arena." He is not simply paying lip service to ideas, he is getting the work done. He follows through and he makes those around him better. In other words, he exemplifies what we preach in PBIS; he teaches, models, and reinforces positive expectations. In sum, Justin embodies servant leadership, where he focuses his words and actions on the needs of his team, his staff, and his students so that they can all meet their goals and create a positive school community. I am confident there will be several worthy candidates for this award, however, Justin's record of service is not only supported by improved student outcome data, but also by his reputation amongst his colleagues. For these reasons, I am honored to nominate Justin Colbert for PBIS Person of the Year."
Liberty Video earns distinction
If you haven't seen it, please take a moment to click on the link. Thank you to Chemistry teacher Sakinah Ellickson for her work in putting the video together
Liberty's first State Champion
Izaak won the 200 yard butterfly becoming the first Liberty student to earn a state championship. His time also gave him "consideration for All-American status".
Liberty is in a cooperative sharing agreement with West High for swimming.
State wrestling qualifier
Ashton will be wrestling this weekend at Wells Fargo arena in the Class 3A state meet and representing Liberty's FIRST EVER WRESTLING STATE QUALIFIER.
Astronaut to visit Liberty
In addition to her astronaut training, Dr. Epps served as an aquanaut aboard the Aquarius underwater laboratory during the NEEMO 18 undersea exploration mission for nine days in July 2014.
Staff Spotlight-Shishonee Hughes (Science Department Chair)
Shishonee Hughes is one of Liberty’s science teachers who serves as the Science Department Chairperson and is a member of the Instructional Leadership Team (ILT). She is used to wearing purple with pride having earned an undergraduate degree and Master’s degree in Science Education from the University of Northern Iowa. Hughes carries endorsements in Earth and Space Science, Physical Science, Biology and Chemistry but is currently teaching five sections of Chemistry. In addition to her classroom and leadership responsibilities, she enjoys sponsoring the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) group that meets every Friday morning. Outside of school, you will find Hughes spending lots of time with her husband Chas, their two sons Trey (7th grade) and Caden (4th grade) and their dog named Bolt. Hughes has loved being a part of establishing the traditions and culture at Liberty High School and is excited to see her own sons one day carry that Liberty legacy forward.
Staff Spotlight-Brady Shutt (Social Studies Department Chair)
Brady Shutt is a social studies teacher and the social studies department chairperson at Liberty High School. Mr. Shutt received his bachelor's degree in history and political science from Central College in Pella, Iowa, and his master's degree in social studies education from the University of Iowa. Mr. Shutt loves being a teacher at Liberty because of all of the talented, passionate, creative colleagues and students he gets to work with. Of course, first and foremost among those colleagues is his wife, Jenny Saylor, one of the amazing art teachers at Liberty. In his free time, Mr. Shutt stays very active by biking, running, cooking, reading, Nordic skiing, and hanging out with his three dogs and five cats. Mr. Shutt also has the honor of serving as the President of the Iowa City Education Association.
Counseling Office Corner (Registration)
Due to weather delays REGISTRATION CONTINUES.
Registration Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx9uT_YNWZU&t=3s
Liberty Counseling Website:
https://www.iowacityschools.org/Page/17153
Attachments:
ICCSD_Program_of_Study_High_School_19-20_(2).pdf (6.5 MB)
You can follow the Counseling Team on Twitter at @BoltCounseling and sign up to receive the Counseling Smore for more detailed Career and College Readiness information: https://www.smore.com/fcn1v
Who's My Counselor? (by students last name)
A-G Troy Bergmann, bergmann.troy@iowacityschools.org
H-N Jenni Naughton, naughton.jennifer@iowacityschools.org
O-Z Mayra DeVries, devries.mayra@iowacityschools.org
Seniors Don't forget your FAFSA applications
If your post-secondary plan includes one of the following, you will need to complete the FAFSA in order to be considered for scholarships, grants, and other student financial aid:
· Technical School/Certification Program
· 2 year college
· 4 year college
Need help completing this necessary step?
1. Sign up for FSA ID (one for student, one for parent)
a. fsaid.ed.gov
2. Complete FAFSA
Iowa City Boutique
IC Boutique is back and hoping for another successful year!
Last year, they were able to assist 20 deserving students with requests to make their prom experience great! Last year they raised $600 and are hoping to increase that to $1000 this year!
Monetary donations were used for meal gift cards, hair and makeup appointments, tux rentals, as well as other miscellaneous prom expenses. Dresses and accessories were also donated for students.
IC Boutique is excited to serve even more students this year. They are proud to be able to expand their reach and will be serving Liberty, West, and City high schools this year!
All monetary donations will be spread evenly between all three high schools.
In-kind donations are accepted as well.
Liberty's contact for more information is Counselor Mayra DeVries at devries.mayra@iowacityschools.org
Dance for a Difference
Students,
Come dance, bid on silent auction items, eat some food, and MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Come be a dancer at our 2nd annual Dance for a Difference! Our event will be on Sunday, March 3rd from 12:00-5:00pm in the main gym
Signup at https://tinyurl.com/lhsd4d2019
Please email eljoh20@icstudents.org with any questions
Girls-The Road Less Traveled Conference
9th and 10th Girls Interested in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics)
If you are young woman in the 9th or 10th grade and are interested in STEM, Liberty has 30 spots open to attend the Road Less Traveled Conference at Iowa State University in Ames on Thursday, April 11th. This engaging conference allows students to explore STEM majors and careers through interactive presentations and hands-on activities. Registration is $15/person (some financial assistance available if needed), and transportation is provided. Students are responsible for their own lunch. Please contact Mrs. Ellickson if interested by Thursday, February 28th (ellickson.sakinah@iowacityschools.org).
Flier attached below.
Trainers Workshop Rescheduled
The FEMALE adolescent athlete –
considerations for training, performance, and injury prevention
Presented by:
Lisa Woodroffe, MD – University of Iowa Sports Medicine and General Pediatrics
Rescheduled Date: Tuesday, February 19, 2019
Time: 6:30 pm
Location:
Liberty High School – Room B034
Dr. Woodroffe is pediatrician and sports medicine specialist from the University of Iowa who will host an informal forum on care of the female athlete. Dr Woodroffe's primary interests include bone health and the female athlete triad.
for more information contact:
Anna Manternach, ATC @ manternach.anna@iowacityschools.org
In Shoc service project at the Ronald McDonald House
The IN SHOC Club (Interact Students Helping Our Community) served a community meal at the Ronald McDonald House in Iowa City on Thursday, February 7. Club members donated food items and prepared the taco and salad bar meal as well as desserts. IN SHOC hopes to make this a reoccurring event to support families in need of Ronald McDonald House services.
Future events for IN SHOC include a Feb. 20 bingo at Keystone Place and a community meal at IC Compassion on March 13. Look for upcoming information about the Workout for a Cause.
Friday, February 15 Liberty Jazz Festival
Liberty HS is hosting a large jazz band competition with over 25 schools attending.
Proceeds from this event benefit ALL current and future Liberty Band students.
Class trip to the NL Fire Department
ELL community partners
Intermediate 2 ELL students have had the pleasure of hosting community partners every Tuesday morning this school year. These dedicated volunteers spend ten minutes in conversation with students, then spend ten minutes reading together. We’re so grateful for our volunteers and would love to have even more community members coming in to connect with other English learners! Email teacher Tiffany Roiseland for more information at roiseland.tiffany@iowacityschools.org
Booster Ball Coming Soon (Saturday, March 2)
Thank you to the parents and friends of Liberty that contribute to the positive experiences for students.
The Liberty Fund makes first grants!
The Liberty Fund has made it's first grants to teachers.
Gaining financial support are Business Professionals of America, In Shoc, MLK Day, Storm Show Choir, Garden Club and the Art Club.
If you'd like to learn more about the Liberty fund, please enjoy the following article from the North Liberty Leader.
http://www.northlibertyleader.com/content/financial-boost-bolts
If you'd like to contribute to the Liberty Fund attached is a foundation link.
www.iowacityschools.org/TheLibertyFund
Thank you for your consideration
Peer Tutoring available in preparation for Winter Trimester Finals
National Honor Society students has begun providing tutoring available to all Liberty students!
WHEN IS IT? Liberty Time (3:05 Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
WHERE IS IT? Library
WHAT DO THEY OFFER TUTORING IN? The tutors have been trained in the areas of:
- Helping students with practice problems
- Writing Papers
- Organization and Study Skills
- Test Prep Help or Quizzing
- Public Speaking Assistance for Class Presentations or Speeches
- Help in any subject area! Math, Science, Social Studies, Business, English, Foreign Language, etc!
PSTO
PSTO meets at 4:45 on the third Wednesday of the month in the Liberty Library.
2018-19 dates and guest speakers
· February 20-guest speakers Jenny Saylor and Beth Long on the Garden Club
· March - No meeting due to Spring Break
· April 17-guest speaker Marge Hartman on the North Liberty Summer Meals Program
· May 15-tba
The PSTO has done wonderful work to support the students and staff at Liberty. They'd love to have you join them for meetings. No signup is necessary If you'd like more information you can contact them at libertyhspsto@gmail.com
PSTO board members for 2018-2019:
· President: Sandy DeSchinckel
· President Elect: Marisa Keeney
· Secretary: Deb Wagner
· Treasurer: Shawn Eyestone
· Volunteer Coordinator: Lyse Strnad
Liberty science teacher Shishonee Hughes has organized the Penn Elementary Science Night for the past six years.