
Liberty Newsletter
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
School News
Student Health
Now that the weather is getting cooler, schools typically witness a rise in student illnesses. Every family plays a role in maintaining the overall health of students by paying attention to signs of sickness and ensuring that unwell students stay home.
If your child is ill, please do not send them to school to be checked by the school nurse. Such exposure may be harmful to the child as well as to the children with whom they come in contact. Attending school while ill often hinders the recovery process.
Per our school district handbook, your child is too ill to go to school if any of the following symptoms are present:
● Temperature of 100 F or above by mouth (Student must stay home until fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication. In most cases this means the student will miss the following school day. Please understand fevers can reoccur within a 24 hour time period and this policy is in the best interest of all students.)
● Vomiting or diarrhea within the past 24 hours (Student must stay home for 24 hours to ensure these symptoms are gone before returning to school.)
● Shortness of breath or increased wheezing during normal activity
● Has a cough that interrupts normal activity
● Pain from an earache, headache, sore throat or recent injury
● Has yellow or green drainage from nose or eye(s)
● Rash over body or localized to one area of the body (A student who shows signs of a communicable disease exhibiting as a rash may return to school once the rash is gone or a doctor’s note is presented stating the student may return to school.)
● Fatigue that requires bed rest (common with flu-like symptoms)
● Signs of conjunctivitis such as red, crusty or swollen eyes (Student may return once symptoms have been treated and are gone or a doctor’s note is presented stating the student may return to school).
Please report all contagious diseases to the school office in order that the proper steps may be taken within the school to prevent the spread of disease.
If your child becomes ill, or is injured at school, you will be called and expected to come to school to pick-up the child. We will be guided by information on the “Health Services” portion of your student’s Online Registration Summary. You are asked to supply that information on or before the start of school. If there are ever any changes to this information during the school year, please notify the school office immediately and make those changes online.
If you take your child to the doctor, send the doctor’s excuse to school when your child returns. The doctor’s note will exempt any missed minutes your student has as a result of this illness/injury from state reporting. Students may return once symptoms have improved or a doctor’s note is presented stating the student may return to school.
Golden Leopard Award
Our Golden Leopard Award is used to recognize a Liberty staff member who has shown outstanding dedication, commitment and care for others. This is your opportunity to let them know that you, as a member of our school community, value the impact of their hard work and positive attitude. Click this link to make your nomination. The monthly award winner will receive a Golden Leopard certificate and will be given the Golden Leopard statue to display in their classroom or workspace for the next month. Our November recipient is SLC teacher, Kate Damanti. Nominations for December are due by Friday, December 6th. Thank you for helping to honor staff that have made an impact on your student’s learning experience!
Important Dates
November 22 - PTA Movie Night - Inside Out 2
November 27 - 29 Thanksgiving Break - NO SCHOOL
December 2 - Reflections Art Contest Deadline
PTA News
PTA Reflections Art Contest
Only a few more days to create your masterpiece for the Reflections Art Contest sponsored by the PTA. All entries should be submitted by Monday, December 2nd. The theme this year is Accepting Imperfections. Follow this link to learn more about the contest. Flier and registration information is also available in the school office. Looking for ideas? Check out the 2023 Reflections Contest Winners Gallery.
Movie Night at Liberty!
Come join us for a free showing of the movie Inside Out 2 this Friday, November 22nd, at Liberty Elementary. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the movie will begin promptly at 7:00 p.m. PTA will provide popcorn, pretzels and water, or you may bring your own nut-free snacks, along with a blanket, towel or lawn chair to sit on in the gym. As a reminder, students may NOT be dropped off, and an adult MUST stay with students during the entire movie.
District News
All Day Kindergarten - Free for All next school year
Worthington schools will be shifting to a free All-Day Kindergarten model for the start of the 2025-26 school year. You can get more information in this blog post from Superintendent Trent Bowers. Kindergarten registration begins on January 6th.
Update on Technology Practices
As technology continues to become more present in our student’s lives, Worthington Schools has been seeking to better understand the impacts of technology in our classrooms. All schools in Ohio are required to adopt a policy regarding cell phone use by July 2025. Superintendent Dr. Bowers recently presented student, community, and staff feedback regarding cell phone use in our schools and Worthington’s progress toward defining a cell phone policy which you can view here.
Based on this feedback, we are adjusting our technology practices at the elementary level. Students at our elementary schools have always been asked to silence cell phones and are required to keep them in their bookbags during the school day. Now, this practice will also apply to smartwatches and other wearable technology.
This change supports a more focused and distraction-free classroom environment while still allowing students to access technology for communication to and from school. We understand that many families find value in features like location tracking, and this adjustment allows for these needs to be met without interrupting the school day. Thank you for your continued support as we work together to create the best learning experience for all our students! If you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Inclement Weather and School Closure
Occasionally, the District may need to call a snow day or delay opening school because of weather conditions. If this should become necessary, it will be posted on the school and district websites, announced on local radio and television stations, and posted on district social media accounts. You will also be contacted via phone, email and/or text message if you’ve updated your emergency contact information.
Connect to the Worthington School District
Stay connected to the latest news in the District:
Worthington YouTube page
Superintendent's Blog posts
Facebook page
WCS Homepage
Worthington School district news web page
Liberty Elementary School
Email: cbelair@wscloud.org
Website: https://liberty.worthington.k12.oh.us
Location: 8081 Saddle Run, Powell, OH, USA
Phone: (614)450-5200
Facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057616923023
Twitter: @LibertyLeopards