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Fax: 720-886-2688
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21500 East Dry Creek Road
Aurora, CO 80016
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Skip Navigation LinksLiberty Middle School > Principal Reflections
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Principal Reflections
Principal Reflections

 

Dear Parents and Students,

 

When I walk around Liberty, I see many fine representations of our theme: pride, achievement and excellence. Our students are shining examples of these; they are polite and gracious with me, respond with smiles and comments when I ask about their day and are usually delightful to be around. The best part of my day is when I can walk the building, going in and out of classes, greeting kids, teachers, parents, whoever is out and about. This is a wonderful school, and I am proud to be the principal.

 

You can only imagine the excitement on our first teacher work day as I presented the teaching staff with our most recent achievement data. We had an incredible year at Liberty Middle School with increased growth in reading, writing, math and science. How did we do it? One of the most impacting practices is the collaborative planning that is happening among teachers. Our teachers work together several times a week to plan lessons, review achievement data and study effective learning strategies. We also are spending time helping department chairs learn to facilitate professional learning and professional dialog so that teacher meetings are productive and provocative. Additionally, we have made a significant effort to recognize student achievements through "Bell Ringers," a lunchtime celebration of academic accomplishments. Our students love hearing their name called and having the opportunity to ring the Liberty Bell.

 

We recently had a very exciting whole-school assembly where we recognized six students who had made the largest gains on the reading, writing and math CSAP tests last year. To see your student’s growth in each of the CSAP tests, you will need to compare their 2010 test to the one taken in 2011. That’s a great conversation for the dinner table!

On October 3rd and 5th, our 8th graders are preparing for the EXPLORE test scheduled. This test is an important tool for students and parents as it assesses high school and college readiness. Not only will students find out what they need to focus on in high school, it will also give them ideas about careers based on their interests. Our teachers will help students understand the results, and we will help parents interpret and use the results before they register for high school courses. The 8th Grade Parent and College Readiness Night is scheduled for January 5th, 6:30-7:30 PM. Please plan on attending if you have an 8th grader at Liberty.

The Magazine Drive is a success so far. We have lots of parents all over the building helping to count, input, and organizing the orders that are coming in daily. I am so excited to see our results and find out which classes were able to reach their goals. Many, many thanks to those who are helping or purchasing magazines; we are able to provide a variety of wonderful tools for teachers and students with these proceeds.

Thanks for a great start, and thanks for trusting us with your children!

Sincerely,

Katie Stahl

 
Copyright © Cherry Creek School District #5, 4700 S. Yosemite Street, Greenwood Village, CO 80111 | 303-773-1184
Cherry Creek School District No. 5 does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability in admission to its programs, services or activities, in access to them, in treatment of individuals, or in any aspect of their operations. The lack of English language skills shall not be a barrier to admission or participation in the district’s activities and programs. The Cherry Creek School District No. 5 also does not discriminate in its hiring or employment practices. This notice is provided as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Questions, complaints, or requests for additional information regarding these laws may be forwarded to the designated compliance officer: District Compliance Officer or directly to the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Region VIII, Federal Office Building 1244 North Speer Blvd., Suite #310, Denver, CO 80204.