Liberty Link
November 11, 2022
Thank you so much for participating in our first e-learning day of the year, as well as our parent/teacher conferences. It was wonderful to see so many families participating, virtually and in person. Additionally, we were able to celebrate our veterans at our Veterans Day assemblies today. We will share some pictures from those next week. A big 'thank you' to the veterans who attended, as well as Mrs. Smith, who organized and planned the event.
As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns that you may have. I'm here to help! Have a wonderful weekend!
Mrs. Heidi Hennigar
219-983-3650
Recess
Over the past few weeks, we have been piloting a new recess procedure in fourth grade in the hopes of seeing how if it will work for our students in younger grades.
Fourth graders have a choice each day to decide where they will spend their recess. They can currently choose between quiet indoor activities (drawing, putting together puzzles, coloring, reading, doing homework), watching a movie, or going outside to play on the playground. Students have really enjoyed having the choices and we've noticed that it cuts down on the amount of undesirable behaviors that have been occurring on the playground.
We hope to continue to tweak our recess choices as we approach colder weather, so that our indoor options are a bit more organized and desirable. We will update you as we implement these changes.
The School Directory is Here!
Please click the button below to access our school directory. Additionally, double check your information here so that you can let our PTO know if edits need to be made. They can be contacted @ pto4les@gmail.com.
Snapshots of School Happenings
4th Grade Owl Pellet Dissection
Another Owl Pellet Dissection
1st Grade Reading Buddies courtesy of United Way and Kenneth J. Allen Law Group
Magical Days at Liberty Elementary School
End of the Day Folder Pick Up Crew
Christmas for Kids
Our annual Christmas for Kids program has begun, with papers sent home last week that asked parents if they needed assistance with Christmas, or, if they wanted to sponsor a child. If you need assistance, please click on the link below.
PTO Updates
Upcoming PTO & School Events
Nov. 14th
- Texas Roadhouse Gift Card Fundraiser begins (flyer sent home this Monday)
Nov. 17th
- PTO Rise & Roll Drive Thru Pick Up (2:15-6:00)
- Last Day for Food Drive
Nov. 18th
- ROAR Assemblies
Nov. 23rd-Nov. 25th
- Thanksgiving Break
Dec. 3rd & 4th
- Parents' Night Out- Excelsior Karate
Dec. 8th
- Cookies & Canvas (Time TBD)
Dec. 16th
- Pajama Day
- End of 1st semester
Dec. 19th-Jan. 2nd
- Winter Break
Get involved!
Your PTO Officers:
President: Mandee Pollock
Co-Vice President: Mike Myers
Co-Vice President: Nicole Forsythe
Secretary: Amber Andrews
Treasurer: Jessica Decker
Interested in getting involved? Contact them!
Reminder
Parents who are picking up their child or dropping something off for their child must present a driver's license or state ID to our office staff in order to do so. If a parent is sending someone else to pick up their student or drop something off for them, they must not only present identification, they must also be on the list in Skyward as family or an emergency contact. This is also the case for attending any class parties.
Lunch this Week
- Monday: Breakfast for Lunch, Hash Browns and Cucumbers w/dip
- Tuesday: Quesadilla, Salsa Cup, and Green Pepper Strips w/dip
- Wednesday: Ravioli Minis w/Mozzarella Cheese Cup, Garlic Breadstick Buttered Corn, and Fresh Veggies w/dip
- Thursday: Chicken Tenders w/dipping sauce, Baked Beans, and Baby Carrots w/dip
- Friday: Pizza, Garden Salad, and Seasoned Green Beans
Lost & Found
All lost and found items have been donated or found their rightful owners. Stay tuned next week for a new batch of missing items!
Liberty Elementary Recognized as Common Sense School
Staff Spotlight: Mrs. Knutson
Mrs. Knutson is one of our Reading Specialists here at Liberty. Maybe you’ve seen her in an orange cone costume outside greeting our car riders as they come to school.
Mrs. Knutson has been teaching for 12 years. She became a teacher because she loves learning and working with kids. She especially enjoys reading and sharing that passion with students.
She loves spending time with her children, Jacob and Katelyn, and her dog Annie! They enjoy spending time outside and visiting different playgrounds and parks throughout the area. In her spare time, you’ll find Mrs. Knutson spending time with her family, reading, playing pickleball or tennis, and looking for beach glass at our beautiful Lake Michigan. Did you know some of these fun facts about her?
She has a large collection of beach glass
She played tennis in college & was one of the top tennis players in the state in high school
She loves animals
Mrs. Knutson’s favorite quote is:
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” -Dr. Seuss
Mrs. Knutson is such a genuine, hardworking and caring member of our staff. We are fortunate to have her!
Information from previous newsletters
Art To Remember
THANK YOU to all who participated in Art To Remember this year. Here is some information about current orders or if you would like to make an order.
Liberty Elementary's main order has closed and they are beginning to create the keepsake products. If orders are shipping to the school, I will package them up and send them home with your student when they arrive.
Parents who are shipping orders to their home will be notified when their order has shipped.
We are accepting late orders and they will be shipped to home. You still have time to upload a new piece of art and get custom holiday gifts. (late orders end 12/31)
Arttoremember.com
search by using your child's first name and last Initial.
Thank you again for supporting your child's visual art experience here at Liberty.
Miss Rose
Family Friendly Schools
In keeping with our Core Values, Duneland School Corporation is committed to fostering partnerships to improve the quality of life in our community. One of our most important partnerships is with our families. As we strive to continue to build upon and strengthen our family partnerships, DSC is applying for renewal from the Indiana Department of Education as an IDOE “Family Friendly Schools” corporation. In doing so, we will continue to “focus on addressing students' academic, physical, emotional, and social needs while providing the needed resources and fostering the active involvement of their families through schools and the community.” (Indiana Department of Education Family Friendly Schools Handbook)
Please help us as we continue to support our students and community by completing the IDOE online survey by November 18, 2022.
SURVEY LINK AND INSTRUCTIONS:
Website: https://form.jotform.com/210636394920961
School Name: 6823 Liberty Elementary School
School Corporation: 6470 Duneland School Corporation
School Liaison Name: JENNIFER BYE
School Liaison email: jbye@duneland.k12.in.us
Your ongoing support in educating the children of our community is greatly appreciated!
E-Learning Updates
Unexpected/ Unplanned E-Learning Days
Pre-planned E-Learning Days
We currently have two days on our school calendar in which students are scheduled to have an e-learning day: November 8 & May 3. Teachers will have blocks of time available for 'office hours', where they will be available to students for questions, but the majority of this day the students will be completing Canvas activities on their own. Teachers generally have professional development scheduled on these days, so they are not available all day long. This method of instruction is referred to as asynchronous. I have linked the guidelines and differences between the two of these days below.
DuneNews
The goal of the Duneland School Corporation district school newsletters is to inform students, parents and the school community about school-related information.
This year, the Duneland Schools will share information that pertains to opportunities our students may be interested in outside of school on a special page on our website. These available opportunities are offered by not-for-profit partnerships and organizations within our school district boundaries and local communities. Follow this link to Community Opportunities.
Liberty Elementary School
Website: https://www.duneland.k12.in.us/liberty
Location: 50-1 West 900 North, Chesterton, IN, USA
Phone: 219-983-3650
Facebook: Liberty Elementary