February 1, 2012

Top Stories from LPS

Ransom Withdraws From School Board Race

On January 24, 2012, Mattie Ransom submitted a letter to the school district to formally withdraw as a candidate for school board. Five candidates remain in the race for two open director seats on the LPS Board of Education.  Each are three-year seats.  Candidates include:  Charlene Armitage, Becky Anderson-Poitras, Dan Krueger, Bruce Cantwell, and David Evans. The LPS Board of Education election is scheduled for Tuesday, April 3, 2012.  For more information on the Liberty Public Schools Board of Education election, contact Sandra Cockrum, Board secretary, at 816-736-5301.

Other LPS News to Know

LPS Maintains AA Bond Rating

Standard & Poors has maintained the district's credit rating for general obligation debt at AA based on strong financial indicators.  This rating puts Liberty Public Schools in the top 15 school districts in the state of Missouri.  Click here for the complete story.

School Board Candidate Forum

The Liberty PTA Council will host a School Board Candidate Forum on Thursday, March 1, at 7 p.m. at the District Administration Center. Questions must be submitted in advance and can be emailed to Dorothy Gardner. Similar questions may be combined by the moderator. Deadline to submit questions for the candidates is February 23.  No questions will be allowed from the floor the night of the event. Liberty Public Schools debate students will moderate the forum. Please come and get to know the candidates who have filed to run for the available board seats in the April election.

2012-2013 Kindergarten Enrollment Information

Enrollment for students who will be entering Kindergarten in Liberty Public Schools for the 2012-2013 school year will continue through March 26. You can enroll your child at the Student Enrollment/Welcome Center located at the District Administration Center, 650 Conistor Street, Liberty.  Enrollment times will be 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Friday.  If you have any questions, please call 736-5310. WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU TO ENROLL:

• 2 proofs of residency (2 utility bills - gas, water, or electric only, OR lease agreement OR house contract)
• Your child's state-issued birth certificate
• Your child's immunization record
• Your child's social security card
• Names/phone numbers for emergency contacts

Your child must be 5 years old on or before July 31, 2012, to enroll for Kindergarten.

Save the Date: Kindergarten Round-Up

Kindergarten Round-Up is for parents and their child and will take place March 27 at 6:30 p.m. at the school your incoming Kindergartner will attend. It is an opportunity for parents to receive information and children to enjoy activities!

Upcoming Events

Kellybrook PTA to Host Locks of Love Event

Friday, February 10, the Kellybrook PTA will host a Locks of Love event.  Any person interested in donating their hair to this wonderful cause is encouraged to participate!  Curly, straight, permed, or colored hair is all acceptable.  Hair must be 10 inches from tip to tip, clean, and dry.  If you are interested in participating, or for more information, contact Rebecca Cahill.  Appointments can be set up between 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.  For more information about Locks of Love, visit their website by clicking here.

LHS Blood Drive Scheduled for Thursday, February 9, 2012

The annual Community Blood Center drive, hosted by Liberty High School, will take place Thursday, February 9, from 7 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.  The drive will take place inside the LHS gymnasium, located at 200 Blue Jay Drive.  Donors may come at any time or can make an appointment online by clicking here.  You will then need to use the sponsor code:  libertyhs.  For more information, contact Rick Knowles at 736-6800 (ext. 2019) or any LHS AP biology student.

LNHS Theatre Department Presents Oliver

The theatre department at Liberty North will present its grand opening musical performance of Oliver in the new Liberty North Performing Arts Theater on February 16 - 17 at 7 p.m. and February 18 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.  You won't want to miss this spectacular production that features the full technical capabilities of the new theater.  Oliver features a chorus of over 80 elementary and high school students working together to bring the stage alive.   Click here to access a ticket order form, which you can complete and mail in with your payment for your tickets.  Don't delay, as we expect to sell out this grand opening production.

LHS to Host College Fair

Liberty High School will be hosting a local college fair during Parent-Teacher conferences on February 13 from 4 - 8 p.m.  Students and parents will have an opportunity to visit with representatives from colleges within an hour or so of  Liberty.  The University of Central Missouri, Avila, the University of Kansas, Northwest Missouri State University, Missouri Western State University, and Park University will be among the colleges attending.  All students and parents are invited to stop by the fair to find out about the colleges and enter to win door prizes!  Liberty North High School families are also welcome to attend.  If you have questions, contact LHS counselor Brenda Wiederholt.

LNHS Golden Girls to Host Dance Clinics

Girls in grades 6-12 are invited to participate in clinics hosted by the LNHS Golden Girls dance team.  Attendees will learn dance technique according to their level and a variety of dance choreography (jazz, pom, and hip hop).
Two clinics are being offered anda will take place on Saturday, February 4 and Saturday, March 3.  More information on the clinics can be obtained by clicking here.  A registration form for the clinics can be accessed by clicking here.

Pretty in Pink Event to Benefit Cindy Svehla

A Pretty in Pink dinner, dance, and raffle will be held Saturday, February 25, from 6 - 9 p.m. at Liberty North High School.  Fifty percent of the proceeds raised will be donated to Cindy Svehla, who is currently battling breast cancer.  Cindy has asked that 50% of the proceeds go toward the LNHS band.  The cost to attend the evening will be $10 for adults, $7 for students and seniors, with a family discount (4 or more attendees) being offered for $40.  Dress for the event is casual.  You are encouraged to wear pink attire!  Click here for more information, including a registration form.

Youth Wrestling Tournament Scheduled for February 5

Liberty North High School's youth wrestling program, the Eagle Wrestling Club, is hosting a youth tournament at LNHS on Sunday, February 5.  For more information, contact LNHS head wrestling coach T.J. Goeglein at 522-9702.  You can also access a flyer by clicking here.

LNHS Courtwarming Week Scheduled for February 6-10

Liberty North High School is gearing up for Courtwarming Week, scheduled for February 6-10.  This year's theme is My Big Fat Greek Courtwarming!

Click here for all the information you need to know about LNHS Courtwarming 2012.  If students would ask, ALL FORMS must be returned to Lindsey Plaster at Liberty North High School.  On behalf of the LNHS Student Council, thank you for your support of the 2012 LNHS Courtwarming activities!  Go Eagles!

LHS Courtwarming Week Scheduled for February 13-17 

Courtwarming week at Liberty High School is set for February 13-17.  This year, we will be ELECTRIFYING the school with spirit!  Check out the newsletter for details about all of the exciting events planned for the week.  Please note:  the Courtwarming dance will be held Friday night following the basketball game.  Student Council members voted, and reached a strong consensus, to move the dance to Friday, due to the 4-day weekend.  They also elected to take this opportunity to offer a casual atmosphere, rather than the traditional semi-formal theme.  Student Council is hopeful this will create a new, exciting event that will appeal to all students.  Additional details about the dance theme, attire, ticket cost, and behavior policies can be found in the newsletter, which is available at the LHS website by clicking here.   

Student and Staff Recognitions

LPS Dance Teams Rock at Regionals!

Both Liberty and Liberty North High School dance teams performed extremly well at the regional dance competition Saturday, January 28.  Below are detailed results of each respective squad:

               LHS Sapphires

Varsity won 2nd Place Overall High Point for teams competing three routines, while the junior varsity won 4th Place Overall High Point for teams competing two routines.  Varsity placed 1st in their Dance division, 3rd in their Pom division and 3rd in their Hip Hop division with an accumulative score of 833.75 points for the day.  Sweeping both of the JV divisions in Pom and Mix, the junior varsity brought home two 1st place trophies earning an accumulative score of 540 for the day.  Both teams brought home special honor awards as well.  JV won an Outstanding Precision plaque for their pom routine choreographed by Kristen Guest, and varsity won a Technical Excellence plaque for their dance routine choreographed by Teri Day.  The regional competition concludes the JV Sapphires competition season, while the varsity Sapphires will compete again at the Missouri State Competition in later this month.  Congratulations to the varsity and JV Liberty Sapphires for an incredible display of talent, dedication, and teamwork!  
 

Varsity members include:  Megan Asbury (captain), Avery Boll, Kelsey Buehler, Trystan Brown, Bailee Day, Kayla Hammer (captain), Haley Klein, Brooke McPheeters (captain), Sydney Perkins, Alayna Powell, Brianna Schweitzer, Jordyn Siegfried, Lakie Spencer, Mikaela Vittoria and Macayla Witt.  Sapphire varsity coaches are Maggie Willis and Brandi Moore.
 

JV members include:  Claire Crow, Tori Fowler, Megan Hansen, Brittany Holtzclaw, Madison Jones, Mackenzie Malicoat and Sydney Mills.  The JV Sapphire coach is Kristen Guest. 

     LNHS Golden Girls 

The Liberty North Golden Girls competed in the Lee's Summit North Invitational on Saturday, January 28. They competed in three dance categories and placed in each. The final results were:

2A Prop - 1st Place

3A Dance - 1st Place

3A Hip Hop - 2nd Place

With these regional results, the Golden Girls will compete in the State competition on Saturday, February 25. The team is coached by Head Coach Amy Schirmer and Assistant Coach Samantha Lyons.
 

Team members include: Sydnee Arnold (sophomore), Courtney Benner (freshman), Lindsey Buckholz (freshman), Ellie MacDonald (freshman),

Abby McGregor (freshman), Breanna Pinedo (freshman), Hayden Robertson (freshman), Jamee Slagle (freshman), and Alex Tegeler (sophomore).

Speech and Debate Results from January 27-28

Congratulations to the Liberty North High School Speech and Debate Team for Novice placing 3rd and the overall team placing 4th out of 41 schools at the Parkview Winter Classic tournament in Springfield.  The tournament hosts schools from all over the state.  The following placed individually:

1st, Student Congress, Dan Quarles

3rd, US Extemp, Emma Barry

3rd, Reg Public Forum Debate, Kelsey Markus/Rachel Hain

3rd, Novice Lincoln Douglas Debate, Luce Appollon

3rd, Novice Original Oratory, Macey Shannon

4th, Novice Humorous Interp, Emma Allman

4th, Novice Policy Debate, Derek Rogers/Regan Hill

5th, Novice Duo Interp, Mikayla Wistrom/Lindsey Bilbao

5th, Student Congress, Arianna SKindell

5th, Novice US Extemp, Derek Rogers

5th, Novice Student Congress, Dylan McCloskey

Congratulations to the Liberty High School speech and debate team for placing first in varsity sweeps, fourth in novice sweeps, and second overall at the Parkview Bob Bilyeu Invitational last weekend.  This tournament is one of the largest and most competitive in the state.  The following students won individual awards:

Jimmy Sitzman,1st, Varsity Original Oratory

Mary Mwaura, 1st, Novice Original Oratory

Haley Ferguson, 2nd,  Regular Lincoln Douglas Debate

Stefanie Flood/Lucas Peterson, 2nd, Novice Policy Debate

Carolyn Pjecha, 2nd, Varsity Original Oratory

Haley Brown, 3rd, Varsity Original Oratory

Sarah Akright/Allie Holyfield, 3rd, Varsity Duo Interpretation

Zach Garrison, 3rd, Novice Humorous Interpretation

Jaci Gilchrist/Jess Gehrig, 4th, Champ Public Forum Debate

Monica Gehrig/Julie Staszko, 4th, Regular Public Forum Debate

Chase Chapman/Mallory Pinson, 4th, Novice Policy Debate

Chase Chapman, 4th, Novice Student Congress

Sami Cintron, 5th, Varsity Dramatic Interpretation

Katie Corum, 5th, Novice Dramatic Interpretation

Julie Staszko,6th, Varsity Original Oratory

The varsity team also competed at the Ruskin speech and debate tournament, and brought home a third place overall sweepstakes award.  Congratulations to the following individual award winners:

Andi Tulipana,2nd, Original Oratory

Chris Tervort, 3rd, Lincoln Douglas Debate

Meredith Graves, 4th, Original Oratory

Andi Tulipana, 5th, Prose/Poetry Reading

Kathrine Kuhlmann, 6th, Original Oratory

Jesse Drewry,6th, Extemporaneous Speaking

Angie Chaney, 7th, Lincoln Douglas Debate

District/Community Events

Parent University: Save-the-Date

Parent University is a free event for parents/guardians and students in elementary through high school where, following a complimentary breakfast, speaker sessions will provide valuable information and insight on current family, youth, and community topics and concerns.  Participants will not only benefit from the sessions, they will have an opportunity to explore a community resource fair and receive door and raffle prizes.  More information is currently available, and registration begins February 10 at: www.parentuniversity2012.eventbrite.com

Girl Scouts Information

Looking for some fun and exciting experiences with your daughter?  Your daughter wants to hang out more with her friends or meet new friends?

Want to explore the world or help others?  Come join us! Girl Scouts will be having a recruitment night on February  9 from 6:30 -7:30 p.m. at the Liberty Middle School Commons.  Bring your daughter to learn more about troops in our area and all the fun we have at Girl Scouts!  Contact Denise Harrold at 863-3909 for more information.

Liberty Hospital to Host Runway for the Heart

Runway for the Heart will take place Saturday, February 4, from 1:30 - 4 p.m. at the Medical Plaza East Bridge.  Runway for the Heart combines heart disease education, survivors, fashion, and fun!  Since launching this annual event in 2010, it has grown each year, both in size and scope.  Early registrations show that women, now more than ever, are taking a giant step towards proactive health.  To register for Runway for the Heart, visit the Liberty Hospital website or call 407-2318.

Cerner to Host High School Expo

Designed for high school students, the expo provides students and their families an opportunity to see Cerner, talk to Cerner professionals about their career pathways, and gain a better understanding of Cerner's work to impact health care with technology.  Students who participate in the event will be entered into a drawing to win one of several great prizes, including an iPad or an Xbox with Kinect technology!  To register for the event and to get more information, click here.

QuickNews Video of the Week!

This week we visit with LPS Director of Student Services, Dr. Jim Hammen, who provides all you need to know about kindergarten enrollment!

(click the link below to view)

QuickNews Bulletin Board

In an effort to make our Liberty Public Schools e-newsletter, QuickNews, a concise publication in which subscribers can read in a timely fashion, district/community announcements will be advertised in the main QuickNews section for a maximum of two weeks.  After this period of time, announcements will then be transferred to our new QuickNews Bulletin Board, which is located on the LPS website provided at the link below. In addition, there are other announcements that have, in the past, not met criteria to place in this publication.  The addition of the QN Bulletin Board will allow them to now be publicized.

This bulletin board will continuously be updated throughout the week, and announcements will remain until they expire by date.

http://www.liberty.k12.mo.us/news/quicknews/quicknews-bulletin-board

LPS Mission  

Through our collective best, we do whatever it takes to inspire and equip every learner to find their voice and realize their unlimited potential.

LPS Vision 

As stewards of discovery, we will embrace innovation to instill a passion for life-long learning that will best serve our nation and the world in the 21st century.

LPS Core Values 

· Learning is our priority

· Respect is our norm

· Excellence is our expectation

· Collaboration is our culture

· Integrity is our foundation

What's Included in this Issue

Upcoming Events

QuickNews Bulletin Board

District/Community Events

QuickNews Video of the Week

Dates to Remember

Thursday, February 16, 2012
Parent-Teacher Conferences
(Early Release)

Friday, February 17, 2012
Parent-Teacher Conferences
(No Classes)

Monday, February 20, 2012

President's Day
(No Classes)

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Board of Education meeting

(7 p.m./District Administration Center)

Visit our School Websites

by Clicking the Logos Below:  

Early Childhood Center