Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe we’re already halfway through the school year. We hope your family had a joyous and restful break filled with moments to recharge and connect. As we kick off 2025, we’re excited for all the growth and opportunities this new year will bring for our students and school community.

January is also School Board Recognition Month, and we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our dedicated school board members. Their hard work and commitment play a vital role in ensuring our students and staff thrive!

Below, you’ll find a list of important dates for the remainder of the school year. Please keep a lookout for more information as these dates approach. Thank you for your continued support as we work together to make this a strong and successful second half of the year!

Warm wishes,

Mrs. Brianne Puleo, Principal

January

• 1/13 - No School for Students
• 1/14 - PTO Meeting
• 1/16 - PBIS at Liberty Virtual Event
• 1/20 - No School | MLK Day
• 1/21 - Quarter 2 Report Cards Released to Families on PowerSchool
• 1/24 - January PBIS Home to School Connection Due

February

• 2/10 - No School for Students
• 2/11 - PTO Meeting
• 2/17 - No School | President's Day
• 2/24-2/28 - Terra Nova/Inview Testing for 2nd Graders
• 2/28 - February PBIS Home to School Connection Due

March

• 3/3-3/7 - Scholastic Book Fair
• 3/4 - PTO Meeting
• 3/11 - Parent-Teacher Conferences 4:30-7:30 PM
• 3/14 - PTO Spring Parties
• 3/17-3/21 - No School | Spring Break
• 3/27 - March PBIS Home to School Connection Due
• 3/28 - No School for Students

April

• 4/3 - Quarter 3 Report Cards Released to Families on PowerSchool
• 4/8 - PTO Meeting
• 4/10 - Liberty Art Show 4:30-6:30 PM
• 4/18 - No School
• 4/21 - No School
• 4/24 - 1st Grade Spring Concert
• 4/25 - Liberty Family Fun Night 6:00-8:00 PM

May

• 5/2 - Liberty Fun Run
• 5/5-5/9 - Staff Appreciation Week
• 5/13 - PTO Meeting
• 5/26 - No School | Memorial Day
• 5/27 - Liberty Field Day
• 5/28 - Liberty Field Day Rain Date
• 5/29 - Last Day for Students

It's hard to believe that it is already the end of the 2nd Quarter of school! Starting today, there will be a temporary period of time when you are unable to view your child's report card in the Parent Portal. The updated report cards which will include both Q1 and Q2 grades will be released for you to view on January 21st.

Welcome back and happy new year! With the start of a new year after an extended break from school, students and families may experience some set backs with the transition back to school. It can be hard for some kids to get back into the swing of things, resulting in crying, anxiety, faking sick, arguing, and so on. To help ease back into the normal routine here are a few helpful tips to try at home.

1. Establish a nightly and morning routine- knowing expectations and what is going to happen can help relieve stress. Use this time to pick out clothes for the next day, prepare lunches, pack backpacks.

2. Practice the routine- Doing this reinforces expected outcomes in a positive way. Instead of arguing about what to do, students can practice ownership of their part of the routine.

3. Make expectations clear- Make sure the rules or expectations do not change. Be firm when needed but do not engage in arguing or bargaining. Repeat your expectations if necessary. It’s important to convey to your child that your expectations don’t change because of their negative behavior (temper tantrums, arguing, faking sick, etc).

4. Praise when things work- When your child does what they are asked to do, be sure to acknowledge their effort. Doing this shows them that you noticed them being responsible and that they get your positive attention and praise from doing good things.

Hopefully everyone’s start to the new year is running smoothly. However, if things need some work, gives these tips a try and always feel free to reach out. I can be reached at jimkennedy@nrcs.net or by phone at 440-353-1124.

In a effort to create a relaxing eating environment, we are implementing some concepts from the Comfortable Cafeteria program. The purpose of this program is to create a positive school cafeteria environment by providing the cafeteria staff and students with the necessary knowledge, skills, and resources needed to sustain a comfortable cafeteria throughout the school year. Over the course of six weeks, Mrs. Pinzone will instruct a weekly lesson to teach students cafeteria expectations and help create a positive cafeteria experience. This ties into our three school rules of being respectful, responsible and safe. In December, students began by defining the meaning of the word, ‘comfortable’. Also, they practice being a good friend and asking peers questions. Please see the attached graphic to review other concepts that will be taught in January.

You can support this new learning at home by sitting down together at meals and having conversations. You can brainstorm questions that your child can ask to their friends during lunch!

Our before and after school program, Right at School, currently has two openings for the afternoon only. Please refer to the flyer below for more information and to learn how to register. Questions can be sent to Program Director, Heather Knoll, at heather.knoll@rightatschool.com.

• In February, our Malley's Chocolate Fundraiser will be back, with orders arriving in time for Easter.
• We will host our spring class parties on March 14th, look for volunteer sign-ups in February.
• Our Family Fun Night is planned for Friday, April 25th.
• If you would like to learn more about our upcoming events, join us during on next meeting on Tuesday, January 14th at 6:30 pm in the cafeteria.

Dear Parent/Guardian,

Governor Mike DeWine signed Ohio’s Senate Bill 288 into law on January 3, 2023, mandating that school districts notify parents about the required curriculum on child sexual abuse and sexual violence prevention.

SB 288 requires that school districts provide students in grades kindergarten through six developmentally appropriate instruction on child sexual abuse prevention, including information on available counseling and resources for children who are sexually abused.

Your students' school counselors will present lessons between January 7 and February 21, 2025. Parents/Guardians will receive a notification as a reminder of the upcoming presentation. Information and resources regarding sexual violence prevention can be accessed on the NRCS Student Services Website.

Grades 1-2

Fight Child Abuse

We encourage you to engage in meaningful discussions with your child about these important topics and reinforce the knowledge and skills they acquire through this instruction. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this instruction, please do not hesitate to contact the principal of your child's school. We value your partnership and appreciate your ongoing support in our shared mission to safeguard our students.

Brianne Puleo

Building Principal

briannepuleo@nrcs.net

Jennifer Pinzone

Asst. Principal

jenniferpinzone@nrcs.net

Please review the student handbook regarding student attendance linked HERE. Pages 29-32 specifically highlight absence information and provide a comprehensive list of absence reasons that are acceptable for reporting. Students who are called off for a vacation during the school year WILL NOT be excused. Vacations are not excused absences. If the school is notified in advance of such a trip, reasonable efforts are made to prepare a general list of assignments for the student to do while he/she is absent but parents should not expect the teacher to re teach material that is missed due to the vacation.

We are excited to introduce a new way for you to recognize our Liberty staff members! At any point in this school year, you can complete the Google Form below to give a shoutout to a staff member who has made a positive impact on your child. Your feedback will be celebrated and appreciated throughout our school community!

The North Ridgeville City Schools are always looking for great candidates to fill our many full and part-time positions. Please check out our Employment information on our district website. Looking for something part-time? Looking to help out for limited hours during the school year? Please consider becoming an important part of our team.

Ohio Substitute Teacher Services serves as our district’s substitute management provider, responsible for the recruitment, training, and employment of substitute teachers. To begin the employment process as a valued substitute teacher for North Ridgeville City Schools, click here.

Requirements include, but are not limited to:

• Bachelor’s degree with official transcripts or a valid teaching and/or substitute license from the Ohio Department of Education.

• Valid BCI & FBI fingerprinting background check results in less than 12 months old and are on file with the Ohio Department of Education.

Please consider becoming a substitute teacher today!

Substitute support staff play a vital role in keeping our buildings and facilities open and running efficiently. Many diverse opportunities exist for your consideration. Please consider applying to become a substitute cleaner, custodian, food service worker, paraprofessional, media specialist, secretary, bus driver and aides, or health care associate. Please start an application here if interested in one of these positions.

Follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, to keep up with daily happenings at Liberty. Both Mrs. Puleo and Mrs. Pinzone will share classroom lessons, reminders of upcoming events, and general information about the building and district on their accounts.

Mrs. Puleo - @MrsPuleoNRCS

Mrs. Pinzone - @JenniferPinzone