LPS Educator — Fall 2013

Back to School August 14

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT 72 Liberty, MO 650 Conistor Lane Liberty, MO 64068

YOUR LIBERTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEWSMAGAZINE

EDUCATOR FALL 2013

FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT

J

The Right Care.

Right Here.

Liberty Hospital is committed to meeting your family’s healthcare needs. Whether you’re seeking obstetric, pediatric, internal medicine, family medicine or geriatric care, visit any one of the Liberty Hospital primary care clinics. If you need cardiac care, please visit Liberty Cardiovascular Specialists. We’re here for you. www.libertyhospital.org

THE

KEARNEY WEST CLINIC

An affiliate of Liberty Hospital

816-407-5430

816-628-4409

816-628-6128

816-781-7730

ohn F. Kennedy once said, “The time to fix the roof is when the sun is shining.” Even though our nation, state, community, and school system face somewhat turbulent and unpredictable economic times, the Liberty Public School District has continued to be a place where the sun is shining when it comes to serving students. The mission of helping students “find their voice” and “realize their unlimited potential” remains at the forefront of the work being done within the walls of our schools and in the many extra-curricular activities offered for our student body.

Following our former President’s advice, it is important that while this impressive performance is taking place, it is necessary to evaluate our “roof ” and ensure it is prepared for the future that lies ahead.

Effective organizations take the time to ask hard questions and reflect both on their success and their failures. So, my question for our patrons, students, faculty, staff, leadership, and board of education is simple. “Do we have a ‘good’ district or a ‘great’ district?”

Jim Collins’ best-selling book Good to Great begins with a powerful claim, “Good is the enemy of great.” He notes it is very easy for organizations that are good, to find comfort in their success and then fail to improve due to complacency. How do we ensure we are not being content and satisfied with all of the good that happens in our district when greatness may be found just around the corner or over the next hill? These simple questions have stimulated many thought provoking conversations in the past and must remain at the heart of our work. The board of education and school community have good reason to feel we have a strong educational tradition, but even with that tradition, the question of “are we good or are we great” remains.

Pursuing the answer to this question is critical to the students who walk our halls, ride our buses, and learn in our classrooms.

We must strive for excellence. Mediocrity and being satisfied with the status quo are not acceptable and will certainly not help our students find success. The future is an ever-changing and unpredictable place. In order to ensure our students are ready for this uncertain future, we must prepare them to be great at dealing with change, great at overcoming obstacles, and most of all great at learning.

Preparing our students the way past generations were prepared for life after graduation will not give our students the tools they need to be successful in their future. Schools across our nation, state, and community can no longer afford to reflect the traditions of the past.

The model for our current educational system was created in different times to meet needs that existed in the 1900s. If our schools do not have the courage to change and meet the needs of a much different future, they will no longer give our students the knowledge and skills needed to guarantee our country and communities remain strong.

The skill sets necessary for success stretches far beyond reading, writing, and arithmetic. Our students must be proficient at communicating and collaborating with not only those in our community, but around the globe. Our students must be able to effectively evaluate large amounts of information in a short amount of time and successfully make decisions. Most importantly, students must be able to innovate and create, two things on which our assembly-line approach to education often fails to focus. Whether or not we are able to create a system that helps our students accomplish these goals is simply up to us and our willingness to modify engrained structures and practices.

My wife, Kerry, and I greatly appreciate the educational opportunities Liberty Schools offers our daughters.

We know Liberty School District’s strong educational traditions, and the community’s collective work to move from good to great, will develop the skill sets necessary for success. Thank you for providing my daughters and each and every student in our schools, a culture of greatness.

I do not pretend to have the answers to these simple, yet incredibly complex, questions; however, I do know that if we fail to ask and address them, the fate of our students will be a sealed by a stagnant culture that is unwilling to change and adjust to the current times. I hope you will join with the LPS Board of Education, teachers, staff, and leadership as we work daily to evaluate our roof and pursue, with passion, a culture of greatness.

Dr. John Jungmann, Superintendent LPS EDUCATOR • Fall 2013 • 3

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

WHO, WHAT & WHERE INDEX From the Superintendent Information �������������������� 3 School Directory Information �������������������� 4 What You Need To Know ��������������� 5-8 Grade Reconfiguration Project ���������������������������� 9 Liberty Board of Education �������������������10 News You Can Use �����������10 Compliance Information �������������������11

SCHOOL DIRECTORY INFORMATION Early Childhood/Elementary Schools Early Childhood Center

9600 NE 79th Street KCMO 64158

736-5324

Brian Herndon, Principal

Alexander Doniphan

1900 Clay Drive 736-5400 Liberty, MO 64068

Beth Cunningham, Principal Shawna Ohde, Asst. Principal

Franklin

201 West Mill 736-5440 Liberty, MO 64068

Andy Wright, Principal

Kellybrook

10701 N. Eastern Ave. 736-5700 Kansas City, MO 64157

Andrea Wilson, Principal Michelle Swierski, Asst. Principal

Lewis and Clark

1407 Nashua 736-5430 Liberty, MO 64068

Kyle Palmer, Principal Katie Lawson, Asst. Principal

Liberty Oaks

8150 N. Farley 736-5600 KCMO 64158

Debra Slaughter, Principal Jeanne Hinnenkamp, Asst. Princpal

Lillian Schumacher

425 Claywoods Pkwy.

736-5490 Liberty, MO 64068

Chris Gabriel, Principal Amy Toebben, Asst. Principal

Manor Hill

1400 Skyline Drive 736-5460 Liberty, MO 64068

Valerie Utecht, Principal Jonalee Searcey, Asst. Principal

Ridgeview

701 Thornton 736-5450 Liberty, MO 64068

Laura LaCroix, Principal Jessica Milbert, Asst. Principal

Shoal Creek

9000 NE Flintlock Rd 736-7150 KCMO 64157

Michelle Schmitz, Principal Christy Boman, Asst. Principal

Warren Hills

1251 Camille Street 736-5630 Liberty, MO 64068

Steven Lumetta, Principal Whitney Weakley, Asst. Principal

Discovery Middle School

800 Midjay Drive 736-7300 Liberty, MO 64068

Julie Moore, Principal Courtney Dickerson, Asst. Principal

Heritage Middle School

600 W. Kansas 736-5380 Liberty, MO 64068

Scott Carr, Principal Kerry Broyles, Asst.Principal

Liberty Middle School

1500 S. Withers Rd. 736-5410 Liberty, MO 64068

Dan Weakley, Principal Shirley Kantola, Asst. Principal

Secondary Schools

Web Address For more information, visit our website at

www.liberty.k12.mo.us.

Physical Address Liberty Public Schools District Offices 650 Conistor Liberty, MO 64068

(816) 736-5300 4 • Fall 2013 • LPS EDUCATOR

South Valley Middle School 1000 Midjay Drive 736-7180

Liberty, MO 64068

Jill Mullen, Principal Melissa Norris, Asst. Principal

Liberty High School 200 Blue Jay Drive 736-5340

Liberty, MO 64068

April Adams, Principal Jason Cahill, Activities Director Brett Coffman, Asst. Principal Penny Holm, Asst. Principal Greg Mees, Asst. Principal

Liberty North High School 1000 NE 104th Street 736-5500

Liberty, MO 64608

Martin Jacobs, Principal Bob Kernell, Activities Director Lisa Fletcher, Asst. Principal Chris McCabe, Asst. Principal

Liberty Academy Alt. School 8 Victory Lane Liberty, MO 64068

Robert Cordell, Administrator

736-5470

New to the District?

If you are new to the area, welcome to the Liberty Public School District! Considered one of the top ten school districts in the state of Missouri for academic achievement over the past eleven years, Liberty Public Schools has attained the state’s highest accreditation.

The District’s Welcome and Enrollment Center provides one-stop shopping for families new to the Liberty Public School District with student enrollment needs. This allows parents who have more than one child, in different grades, to be able to enroll all of their children in one day, at one location. It is our wish to make the transition to a new school as easy as possible. It is our goal to provide excellent customer service as we strive to meet the needs of our students and families. Please visit our center at 650 Conistor to enroll your child(ren). Student enrollment forms are available online at www.liberty.k12.mo.us/centralized-enrollment. You may contact the Welcome and Enrollment Center for more information at 736-5310. Students need not be present during the enrollment process.

Please Note: If a child has had the chickenpox disease, the parent must turn in a written statement signed by a doctor documenting the month and year of the chickenpox disease.

Remember, this statement must be signed by a doctor – only an MD or DO. Shots required for all 8th grade students: Tdap Recommended only, for 11 years or older: HPV, Meningococcal vaccine Recommended only, for all students: Hepatitis A Contact your child’s physician, or the Clay County Public Health Center at 595-4355, for shot clinic information and times.

Immunizations

The Missouri Department of Health requires students to be immunized before starting school. Children entering kindergarten must have completed the following vaccines: DTaP, IPV, MMR, Hepatitis B, and Varicella (chickenpox).

LPS EDUCATOR • Fall 2013 • 5

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ed is school-year specific and will be available approximately two weeks before school starts. Simply enter your student’s residence School Start and End Times address, and the software will give you the corresponding bus Early Childhood – AM.......................... 9:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. information for that address. Keep in mind the student must be Early Childhood – PM............................1:20 p.m. – 4:20 p.m. registered at that address to be rostered to the bus.

Alexander Doniphan............................... 8:45 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.

New enrollments and address changes should be made at the Franklin ..................................................... 8:45 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.

Centralized Enrollment Center, 650 Conistor, as soon as possible Kellybrook ................................................ 9:10 a.m. – 4:10 p.m. for a smooth transition at start up. Contact the Enrollment Center Lewis and Clark........................................ 8:45 a.m. – 3:45 p.m. at 736-5310 to process these changes and enroll. Students who are Liberty Oaks.............................................. 7:50 a.m. – 2:50 p.m. new to the district will need to allow at least 48 hours for their Lillian Schumacher.................................. 9:10 a.m. – 4:10 p.m. information to be entered and electronically sent to the transporManor Hill................................................. 7:50 a.m. – 2:50 p.m. tation office before their first pick up date. Students who move Ridgeview.................................................. 8:45 a.m. – 3:45 p.m. within the district will be provided transportation 24 hours after Shoal Creek................................................ 8:45 a.m. – 3:45 p.m. the enrollment center has been notified. Most bus routing is Warren Hills.............................................. 9:10 a.m. – 4:10 p.m. completed by early July.

Students who live more than one mile from school are eligible Discovery Middle School........................ 7:15 a.m. – 2:20 p.m. for bus transportation. Elementary students will walk no more Heritage Middle School........................... 7:45 a.m. – 2:50 p.m. than three blocks to a bus stop; 6-12 grade students may walk up Liberty Middle School............................. 7:45 a.m. – 2:50 p.m. to six blocks.

South Valley Middle School.................... 7:15 a.m. – 2:20 p.m.

For their safety, students should be waiting in an orderly manner at the bus stop five minutes before their scheduled bus stop Liberty High School ................................ 8:10 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. time. Routes are adjusted after the first few weeks of school Liberty North High School..................... 8:10 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. based on ridership, time constraints, etc. We appreciate your Liberty Academy...................................... 8:10 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. patience as we go through this adjustment period.

During the first few weeks of school, it is not uncommon for your student to arrive home later than their estimated time.

Schools are attempting to be sure all students are on the correct Before and After School Care – Kid’s Zone bus. This creates delays as the buses have multiple routes at difLiberty Kid’s Zone provides before and after school care in each elementary school. Kid’s Zone begins at 6:30 a.m. and oper- ferent buildings.

Each day, buses will make over 3,160 stops for children while ates until school begins. Kid’s Zone resumes in the afternoon traveling more than 1,000,000 miles a year. Buses are inspected when school is dismissed and is open until 6 p.m. A full day annually by the Missouri Highway Patrol and again 60 days prior program is also available when school is closed.

A site director, with college hours or experience with children, to the start of school.

Transportation letters will be emailed to parents the beginmanages each site. All Kid’s Zone staff receive CPR-FA trainning of August. For those students who do not have a parent ing each year, along with 12 hours of professional development email, letters will be mailed. classes. Kid’s Zone lesson plans reflect a child’s need to learn If you have questions, please call the Transportation Office through play and choices after a full day of school. Our goal is to at 736-5360. provide a nurturing environment where children feel comfortable sharing and exploring. For more information, visit www.kidszone.liberty.k12.mo.us or contact Debbie Ervay, 736-5378.

Transportation

All high school students must opt in for transportation or they will not be routed to ride a bus. This form can be found on the District’s website in the Parent Portal under the Student Information section.

Parents can access detailed bus information by going on the Liberty Schools website at www.liberty.k12.mo.us. Select the For Parents link, and from the list, select Transportation Parent Portal. Follow the link to Transfinderi. Bus information provid-

6 • Fall 2013 • LPS EDUCATOR

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Student Safety

Nutrition Services Breakfast and Lunch Prices

(Please note minimal price increases from last year) Breakfast Elementary (K-5)..................................................$1.60 Breakfast Secondary (6-12)...................................................$1.60 Breakfast Reduced...................................................................$0.30 Breakfast Adult........................................................................$1.85 Lunch Elementary (K-5)...................................................$2.20 Lunch Secondary (6-12)....................................................$2.45 Lunch Reduced...................................................................$0.40 Lunch Adult........................................................................$2.85 Lunch Premium Meal (Additional)................................$0.55 Lunch Premium Plus Meal (Additional)........................$0.75 Milk Extra (One 8-oz. carton included w/meal)........$0.55 Nutrition Services uses the online account management system MyPaymentsPlus for meal payment. You may view lunch account balances and purchases, receive email reminders of lunch account balances, and make one-time or scheduled payments online. MyPaymentsPlus may be accessed at www. mypaymentsplus.com or on our website at www.liberty.k12. mo.us. Online payments are subject to a 4.75% transaction fee; check or cash deposits are also accepted at your student’s school.

Each student is issued a personal identification number (PIN) to access his/her account for meal and a la carte purchases.

Parents/guardians may request a block be placed on your student’s account that allows for no charging and/or a spending limit for the day. The block will remain in place until the cafeteria manager is contacted and advised differently. Blocks on student accounts are offered as a courtesy only, and the school district is not liable for charges that may occur.

Free and reduced price breakfast and lunch meals are available for qualifying incomes. Free and Reduced Price Application forms are available online at www.liberty.k12.mo.us, at all school sites, and the Nutrition Services office located at 801 Kent Street. Households with approved Free and Reduced Price Applications on file from the previous school year must re-apply by September 25, 2013.

For more information or questions, please call Nutrition Services at 736-5375.

Visitors to our District: Safety and Security Guidelines Liberty Public Schools welcomes visitors to our school community. We are very proud of our facilities and learning environment. However, in order to protect our students and staff, the following procedures will be followed: All visitors to our school facilities must ring the doorbell to gain access through the secure entrance.

• Please be prepared to provide information regarding your visit to our facility. You may be asked for a government issued photo ID. • Once inside, please sign in with the receptionist or office secretary.

• Visitors will be required to wear a visitor name badge provided by the office.

• A request to visit a classroom can only be approved by the principal, but is not encouraged due to interruption of the learning environment.

• Media representatives are permitted only with the approval of the superintendent or designee.

• Due to privacy issues, videotaping or photographing in classrooms is not permitted. Exceptions shall be granted only by the superintendent or designee.

Keeping schools safe is a responsibility for all staff, students, and patrons. If you learn of, or suspect, a school violence incident, please help prevent the act before it happens. You can report incidents anonymously by calling the District hotline at 736-7331 or the Missouri School Violence Hotline at 1-866-7487047. You can also report it online at www.schoolviolencehotline.com.

In the event of an emergency, the District has a comprehensive crisis plan that includes state-of-the-art digital communication equipment. The District has direct links to the Liberty Police Department, Liberty Fire Department, and Liberty Hospital. For those of you attending schools in the Kansas City portion of the Liberty Public School District, the District has direct links with respective emergency respondents.

All students need to be aware of their surroundings and communicate with administrators, safety and security personnel, or a School Resource Officer if there is a problem. Digital camera systems and secured entry systems are installed in all buildings.

If you see suspicious activity around any of our buildings, please report it immediately. If you have questions or concerns about safety, call the District safety and security number at 736-7319, or visit our website at www.liberty.k12.mo.us/about/securityand-safety.

If you would like more information about the Liberty Public School District, visit www.liberty.k12.mo.us LPS EDUCATOR • Fall 2013 • 7

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

GRADE RECONFIGURATION PROJECT

By David Boyce

F Crisis Information/Weather Guidelines

During an emergency situation, your first reaction may be to call or come to the school. While we understand your need for immediate information, you may actually interfere with emergency respondents attending to the situation at the school. We ask that instead of going to the school, you seek other means of gathering information. These sources might include the Liberty Public Schools website, local news channels, and local radio stations. We appreciate your patience and understanding in addressing this issue.

The safety and security department, along with District administrators and law enforcement, monitor weather conditions closely. In the event of a weather emergency, safety plans are in place in each school building. Again, we ask that you do not call or come up to the school. For safety reasons, we may not be able to release students until the weather has improved or cleared.

School Closing Information

Decisions about school closings are made by the administration and communicated to parents via several sources, which include QuickNews, District Facebook and Twitter pages, LPS District website, local television stations, KLPS Channel 18, and our QuickText mobile messaging system. Parents should keep their children home if they believe weather conditions are too threatening or severe. Early dismissals due to weather conditions are rare; however, parents should instruct their children as to what to do, whom to contact, and where to go if school is dismissed early.

8 • Fall 2013 • LPS EDUCATOR

Parents as Teachers

Parents as Teachers (PAT) offers parent information and support in making the most of their child’s first five years of learning and development. Services include: • In-home or private visits – Trained, certified educators meet privately with parents on a regular basis to encourage a child’s progress.

• Information – Group meetings and resources help parents to be their child’s best, first teachers.

• Screenings – Starting at age 3, and ending the year before kindergarten, Parents as Teachers offers screenings that can be done annually and aid in gaining knowledge of current levels of functioning in the areas of social, language, motor, concepts, and self-help skills.

PAT offices are located at the Early Childhood Center, 9600 NE 79th Street, Kansas City, MO. For more information, call 736-7020.

Innovation, Information, Inquiry …

Maximizing Learning in Liberty’s School Libraries The mission of the Liberty school libraries is to prepare students for the future by teaching them to find the information they need, evaluate it, and use it to solve problems. As certified teachers, the library media specialist in each school guides students toward success. The library media center provides students with access to thousands of print and digital resources, including fiction and nonfiction books, ebooks, online databases, magazines, newspapers, videos, and soundbooks. To find out more about your school library, visit http://librarymedia.liberty.k12. mo.us today!

or 18 months, Scott Carr took time away from being the principal at Liberty Junior High School and worked on the grade reconfiguration project.

Even after he returned to his school, which is now Heritage Middle School, he has been involved in various activities to ensure a smooth transition.

“My goal when I started this was to over communicate,” Carr said. “We created websites. We sent home newsletters, postcards. We made brochures that we gave out on back-to-school nights. I traveled to every elementary school and presented it to each elementary PTA. Throughout the process, we always made sure there was a line of communication where people could call or email me to have their questions heard.”

Because of growth at the middle levels, Liberty Public Schools decided to eliminate two junior high schools (grades 8 and 9) and create four middle schools (grades 6 through 8).

Freshmen will now attend Liberty High School and Liberty North High School.

Heritage Middle School will have 730 students, Liberty Middle School 730, Discovery Middle 620, and South Valley Middle about 610.

Heritage Middle School and South Valley Middle School will feed into Liberty North High School. Students from Liberty Middle School and Discovery Middle School will move on to Liberty High School.

“In the beginning, the most difficult change was the boundary change and helping folks understand the reasoning behind it, because boundary change is never perfect,” Carr said. “We did the best we could to create the least amount of impact on families. What I really appreciate from families is even if they didn’t agree with it, they were willing to listen to the reasoning.

They had the district in mind, the bigger picture in mind. Eventually, that subsided, and we were able to move forward.”

The first physical look at the change will occur Wednesday, August 14, the first day of school.

“I am very excited for the 14th,” Carr said. “I spent a lot of time this summer working with 6th graders in our summer school transition program. They are a great group of kids with a lot of energy, a lot of questions. Our building, in particular, is going to look different. We had to take all the middle level staff and reshuffle them. We have a lot of new staff going to different buildings. We have done a lot of work to bring those staffs together to get them working together ahead of time, so they will be ready for this change.”

The growing population is one reason for the change.

In the late 1980s and early ‘90s, Liberty experienced growth, which caused the district to create a middle school (6th and 7th) and junior high (8th and 9th).

“In 1990, as they wrestled with how to deal with the growth, they decided the best plan was to take the 6th grade out of the elementary schools and take the seventh grade out of the

junior high schools, and create a middle school,” Carr said.

“Growth has been a common theme for Liberty over the last several decades, which is a great, healthy problem to have. This reconfiguration buys us some time, because fortunately, we are a healthy community, and we continue to grow. As the elementary schools grow and those kids mature, they are going to have an impact on the middle level. This buys us a window of time before we address that need.”

There were other reasons why Liberty Public Schools decided to make this move. In the majority of Missouri school districts similar in nature to LPS, high schools comprise of grades 9-12, and middle schools comprise of grades 6-8.

“As a junior high principal, it was always a challenge for me to be working with ninth graders and helping them to understand they were considered high school kids although they weren’t physically part of the high school,” Carr said. “The more connected our kids became with other school districts and seeing their 9th grade peers attending high schools, the more they felt like they were at a disadvantage.”

“In the beginning, the most difficult change was the boundary change...because boundary change is never perfect.”

Having freshmen physically in the high school building affords them more class choices. “They will be able to begin a path of interest towards a career much sooner than when they were at the junior high,” Carr said. “My daughter will be a ninth grader this year at Liberty North. Our family was impacted by the change. Sitting down with her and helping her pick her courses was exciting, because there were so many options that were available to her.”

For personal reasons, Carr definitely wants the transition to work for everybody. Carr grew up in Liberty and graduated from Liberty High School in 1987. His son graduated from Liberty High School this past spring.

“This project was definitely something that hit home,” Carr said. “I appreciated the opportunity when Mr. (Mike) Brewer asked me to do this. It was a great experience and continues to be. We are not done by any means. In the last several months, as decisions have been made and schools have started to create their identities, I heard nothing but positives from families. All of the schools did Information Nights in the spring and invited families in to learn more about the schools. They were very successful and well attended.

“I do think the connection our school district has with the community is really strong. You don’t always see that in communities.”

LPS EDUCATOR • Fall 2013 • 9

NEWS YOU CAN USE LIBERTY BOARD OF EDUCATION Scott Connor, President

sconnor@liberty.k12.mo.us

PTA Information

What is PTA and how do I join? PTA – Parent Teacher Association – is an association of parents, teachers, and administrators who work together to sponsor programs benefiting the children of a school. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who believes in PTA’s mission. When you join your school’s PTA, you have a vote in deciding what programs your school’s PTA will sponsor. You also become a member of the National and Missouri PTAs, whose collective voice of 6 million strong advocates for a quality education and nurturing environment for every child. Membership information will be available at your school’s back-to-school event, and we encourage you to join. When you get involved with PTA, the child who benefits most is your own! For more information, please contact Carrie Swetnam at cecswetnam@aol.com or 813.2911.

KLPS-TV 18

Lori Tritz, Vice President

ltritz@liberty.k12.mo.us

Bren Abbott

Liberty Public School District is very fortunate to have its own cable TV channel dedicated solely for District use.

KLPS-TV telecasts on Time Warner Cable Channel 18 throughout the entire Liberty School District. Regular programming that will appear on KLPS during the school year will include: monthly school board meetings, District events, athletic contests, student-produced programs, and much more. In addition, Channel 18 is one of your first sources for school closing information. In 2011, the Liberty High School broadcasting program, KLHS-TV News, was named a National Pacemaker Award winner, the second in the history of the program. To learn more about KLPS, visit www.klpstv.com.

FOLLOW LPS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

babbott@liberty.k12.mo.us

If you are a social networker, you can follow Liberty Public Schools on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Along with current happenings at LPS, you will also have an easy way of tracking who’s making the news by checking out both newspaper and television links from local media. LPS currently has over 10,000 followers to these social networking sites and has proven to be yet another way to communicate with you, the supporters of LPS!

Charlene Armitage

If you are interested in free, weekly email updates about Liberty Public Schools, sign up for QuickNews. Go to the District website at www.liberty.k12.mo.us and click on the QuickNews subscription icon. LPS currently provides over 8,000 QuickNews subscribers all of the latest happenings taking place in our District. Additionally, breaking news, such as school cancelations or early dismissals, are communicated via QuickNews and other communication outlets.

carmitage@liberty.k12.mo.us

QuickNews – Email Newsletter

Please note: All email addresses of parents and patrons who sign up for QuickNews can be disclosed to members of the public that make a formal, written request under the Missouri Sunshine Law.

David Evans

dmevans@liberty.k12.mo.us

Kim-Marie Graham

kmgraham@liberty.k12.mo.us

Andrew Roffmann

aroffmann@liberty.k12.mo.us

10 • Fall 2013 • LPS EDUCATOR

QuickText – Text Messaging Service

QuickText provides up-to-date information about school closings, early dismissals, and emergency information. In order to receive this service, parents must sign up. Messages can be sent directly to your mobile phone, wireless PDA, or pager. Please check your cell phone plan for any text message fees your wireless provider may charge. To sign up for QuickText, go to: www.liberty.k12.mo.us and click on the QuickText subscription icon.

Please note: All telephone numbers of parents and patrons who sign up for QuickText can be disclosed to members of the public that make a formal, written request under the Missouri Sunshine Law.

PowerSchool Continues to Serve as a Parent Resource

The parent/student access system known as PowerSchool is in its fourth year of implementation in Liberty Public Schools. Parent Access, known as the PowerSchool Parent Portal, is available to all secondary students and parents. This access provides real-time attendance and assignment data, course information, a variety of reports available via email, and advanced calendar functions. Over time, more options will become available to staff, students, and parents as we continue implementation of PowerSchool. For easy access to busy families, all current PowerSchool Parent Portal options are available 24 hours a day, 7-days a week, at https://ps.liberty.k12.mo.us/public/. More information and sign-up opportunities will occur at the secondary building level during orientation and initial parent/student events in August and September 2013.

COMPLIANCE INFORMATION Standard Compliant Resolution Procedure for No Child Left Behind Programs This compliant resolution procedure applies to all programs administered by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). A complaint is a formal allegation that a specific federal or state law or regulation has been violated, misapplied, or misinterpreted by school district personnel or by DESE. The complaint must be written and signed; provide specific details of the situation and indicate the law or regulation allegedly being violated, misapplied, or misinterpreted. The complaint must be filed, and resolution pursued, in accordance with Liberty’s Board of Education Policy KL: Public Complaint Policy. If the issue cannot be resolved at the local level, the complainant may file a complaint with the Missouri DESE. If there is no evidence that local parties have attempted in good faith to resolve the complaint, DESE may require parties to do so and may provide technical assistance to facilitate such resolution. Any persons directly affected by the actions of DESE may file a similarly written complaint if they believe state or federal laws or regulations have been violated, misapplied, or misinterpreted by DESE. For more information, contact the Academic Services Department at 736-5320.

Special Education Services: Child Find Public Notice Liberty Public Schools assures that it will provide a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) to all eligible children with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 21 under its jurisdiction, including those attending private/parochial schools and students who are homeless or migrant.

Each school has support for any student who is experiencing special learning concerns addressed through its school based problem solving teams. When all options of general education support are exhausted, a referral for Special Education consideration is as follows. Students who present significant learning problems may demonstrate eligibility for special education under one or more of the following disabilities: autism, deaf/blindness, emotional disorders, hearing impairment, orthopedic impairment, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, other health impairment, specific learning disabilities, speech and/ or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, visual impairment/blindness, and young child with a developmental delay (YCDD). The district is also responsible for referral of infants and toddlers who are suspected of having a disability to Missouri First Steps.

Directory Information School officials may release “Directory Information.” This includes print and electronic publications of the school district. Such information is considered a public record, which must be released upon demand to any persons who request it under the Missouri Sunshine Law. Directory information is information designated by the school district that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy.

Liberty Public Schools designates the following items as directory information: student’s name, parent’s name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, including audiovisual or photographic records of the openly visible activities thereof (e.g. artistic performances, sporting contests, assemblies, service projects, award ceremonies, etc.), weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, most recent and previous school attended, and photograph, including photos of regular school activities that do not disclose specific academic information about the child and/or would not be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy.

Parents will have ten (10) school days after this annual public notice to view the student’s directory information and the school district’s “opt-out” form stating in writing that they choose not to have this information released. Unless notified to the contrary in writing within the ten (10) school-day period, the school district may disclose any of those items designated as directory information without prior written consent. For more information, contact the Office of Student Services at 736-5310. §504 Child Find Notice Pursuant to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the District has a duty to identify, refer, evaluate and if eligible, provide a free, appropriate public education to disabled students. For additional information about the rights of parents of eligible children, or for answers to any questions you might have

about identification, evaluation and placement into Section 504 programs, please contact the District’s Section 504 Coordinator, Becky Gossett, at 7366745, or by mail at 801 Kent Street, Liberty, MO 64068.

Aviso Sobre La Identificación de Estudiantes Incapacitados bajo la Sección 504 Bajo la Sección 504 del Decreto de Rehabilitación de 1973, el Distrito Escolar esta obligado a identificar, referir, evaluar, y proporcionar servicios educativos apropriados y gratuitos a estudiantes incapacitados que califican para recibir servicios bajo esta ley. Si usted desea mas información sobre los derechos de padres de niños incapacitados, o si tiene preguntas sobre la identificación, evaluación, y colocación de niños en el programa de Sección 504, favor de ponerse in contacto con el Coordinador de 504 del Distrito, Becky Gossett, at 816-736-6745, o por correo a la siguiente dirección: 801 Kent Street, Liberty, MO 64068.

Educating Missouri’s Homeless Children The McKinney-Vento Act, part of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, guarantees homeless children and youth an education equal to what they would receive if not homeless. Who is homeless? According to the McKinney-Vento Act, homeless children and youth include individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. This includes the following situations: • Sharing the housing of others (known as doubling-up) due to the loss of housing and economic hardship • Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks or camping grounds • Living in emergency or transitional shelters • Abandoned in hospitals • Awaiting foster-care placement • Living in a nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for an ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation • Living in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings The McKinney-Vento Act also recognizes unaccompanied youth who are homeless. According to the act, an unaccompanied youth is a youth not in the physical custody of a parent or legal guardian. For more information, contact Liberty Public Schools Homeless Coordinator, Dr. Jim Hammen, Director of Student Services, 650 Conistor Street, Liberty, MO 64068 (816-736-5318).

Prohibition Against Illegal Discrimination and Harassment The Liberty 53 School District Board of Education is committed to maintaining a workplace and educational environment that is free from illegal discrimination or harassment in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its programs, activities, and facilities. Discrimination or harassment against employees, students, or others on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability, age, or any other characteristic protected by law is strictly prohibited in accordance with law. For more information, contact Dr. Jim Hammen, Director of Student Services, 650 Conistor, Liberty, MO 64068 (816-736-5310).

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LPS EDUCATOR • Fall 2013 • 13

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d u o Pr rter Po ty P u S iber of L ooLS Welcome Back Sch 1994 e c n i S Teachers and Students to the new 2013-2014 school year!