![page background](https://cdn.smore.com/u/backgrounds/custom_bg-5ef627955c531538c1dfff8f-7bd4945df0aa.jpg)
Liberty Newsletter: Volume 132
March 4, 2024
Iowa City Liberty High School
Email: colbert.justin@iowacityschools.org
Website: https://liberty.iowacityschools.org/
Location: 1400 South Dubuque Street, North Liberty, IA, USA
Phone: (319) 688-1350
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LibertyHighSchool2017
Twitter: @ColbertJust, @ICLibertyHS
Instagram: liberty_bolts
**No School on Monday, March 4**
**2-Hour Early Dismissal on Friday, March 8**
**No School for Spring Break- March 11-15**
Important Dates
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
- October 11- 4:15 pm-7:45 pm (In-person)
- October 17- 4:15 pm-7:45 pm (Virtual)
- January 17- 4:15 pm-7:45 pm (Virtual)
- April 24- 4:15 pm-7:45 pm (In-person)
DANCES
- Sept. 30- Homecoming Dance @ Liberty (7:00 pm-10:00 pm)
- January 27- Winter Dance @ Liberty (7:00 pm-10:00 pm)
- April 20- Prom @ Hyatt Regency Coralville (7:30 pm-10:30 pm)
SENIORS
- October 10- Senior Jostens Assembly (@ 1:45 PM, Auditorium)
- Feb. 28- Senior photo due to Yearbook
- Mar. 27- Cap & Gown Distribution (10:00 AM- 1:00 PM in Grand Commons)
- May 22- Senior Awards & Scholarship Recognition Evening (@ 7:00 PM, Auditorium)
- May 30- Senior’s Last Day
- May 31- Graduation Rehearsal (Xtream Arena @ 12:30 PM)
- June 1- Liberty High Graduation (Xtream Arena @ 7:00 pm)
MIDTERMS & END OF TRIMESTERS
- October 4- Midterm
- November 16- End of 1st Trimester
- January 17- Midterm
- March 1- End of 2nd Trimester
- April 24- Midterm
- June 5- End of 3rd Trimester & Last Day of Classes
Liberty Features & Information
Local HS Heartlanders Competition
The Iowa Heartlanders have partnered with a number of local high schools in a fundraising competition. All participating high schools were asked to help advertise and promote the game, and the school with the highest attendance percentage will win a $1,000 donation. Please help spread the word and purchase a tickets for you and your family from the Liberty ticket link.
The game will be held on Sunday, March 24 @ 2:05 PM and is against the Wichita Thunder. The Liberty ticket link also allows Liberty HS families to receive a special rate!
AVID Applications
Join Us!
Commit to Student Success with AVID
What: What is AVID? AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. AVID is a daily college-prep elective class, preparing students for college and beyond. The class focuses on study skills, organization, time management, and college readiness work that will help students navigate high school successfully.
Who: AVID Student Profile
Has earned 2.0-3.5 GPA
Determined to pursue college or (if unsure) become 4 year college eligible
Motivated to take higher level classes
Has drive and desire to succeed
Would benefit from college readiness work
When: Apply NOW
Applications for the AVID program are now being accepted for the 2024-2025 school year
Why: Benefits of the AVID
In-class academic tutoring
Study skills and academic advising
Guest Speakers
College field trips
Peer-to-peer collaboration
How: Fill out an application!
Complete a quick form to tell us about yourself and your interest in AVID program (For can be accessed via QR Code or LHS AVID Smore)
Want to Learn More?
Talk to you counselor, contact a current AVID teacher (Cronk, Mick, Roiseland), or research online - Liberty High School AVID Smore: https://bit.ly/LibertyAVID24
2-Hour Early Dismissal (Friday, March 8)
Stock the Supply Room
Thank you to everyone who has already contributed to the Stock the Supply Room sign up! If you haven't had a chance to sign up yet, here is the information again.
We are hosting a supply drive through the end April. As part of a mid-year district budget reduction strategy, Liberty and other ICCSD schools have been asked to reduce their building instructional supply budgets by 20% for the current school year. For Liberty, that means a significant decrease in funds available to purchase dry erase markers, sticky notes, pens, and other similar materials teachers and students use daily. With your help, the Liberty PSTO would like to fill the LHS supply cabinet. Feel free to sign up for one or more of the items listed here: Stock the Supply Stash Please deliver your items to the Liberty main office at any time through April 30th. Feel free to order your donation on Amazon and ship directly to: Liberty High School, 1400 S Dubuque Street, North Liberty, IA, 52317.
If you prefer, a monetary donation can be made for either drive by writing a check to Liberty PSTO and leaving it in the front office. Or, you may Venmo @lhs-psto and write "supplies" in the memo line.
Thank you for supporting our staff and students!
Liberty PSTO
Extracurricular Activities
Liberty High State BPA Medalists
The Iowa BPA (Business Professionals of America) Leadership Conference is an annual event that brings together high schoolers from around the state of Iowa to put their business knowledge and professionalism on display in 72 different business-related competitions. These competitions have varying formats–research papers, tests, speeches, presentations, computer coding challenges, and many combinations of the formats listed–and they are performed for and judged by business professionals from the Des Moines area. This provides students with relevant experience and exposure to the business world.
29 Liberty High students attended the 2024 Iowa BPA Leadership Conference in Des Moines from February 18th-20th this year. Over the 3-day conference, our students participated in 37 of BPA’s 72 different events with massive success. 24/29 members were recognized on stage as medalists, and 20/29 members (bolded below) punched their ticket to attend the National Leadership Conference, May 10-14th in Chicago, IL. Additionally, Liberty BPA placed 1st in 6 different events! This amount of 1st place awards was a record high for our club, 17% of the events we competed in, and just over 8% of all BPA events.
Congratulations to all 29 BPA competitors from Liberty High on an incredible showing at the 2024 Iowa BPA State Leadership Conference. Mr. Hammes and I are extremely proud of all of the dedication and hard work you put into preparing for the state competition, and we are even more proud about how you all represented Liberty High School at the state level.
Difference Makers Big Event
On Sunday, March 3rd the Liberty High Difference Makers (LHSDM) hosted their big event at Liberty. There was lots of dancing in the gym, testimonials from families impacted by childhood cancer and other life-threatening illnesses, games, a silent auction, and so much more. In addition to all of the fun, this group of high school students managed to raise $35,797.22, most of which will be donated to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital. In the seven years of Liberty's existence, this group has now raised more than $200,000 for the Children's Hospital and similar causes!
Liberty Speech Team News
Twenty-two Liberty students presented 25 speech entries at the District Individual Speech Contest hosted by Mount Vernon High School on Saturday, February 24th. At the end of the contest day, 19 entries earned Division I ratings and will be advancing on to the Individual State Speech Contest being held at Cedar Rapids Xavier on Saturday, March 9th.
The public is invited and encouraged to attend the State Speech competition at Cedar Rapids Xavier on Saturday, March 9th. The contest will showcase amazing high school speech talent from over 90 high schools. Click on this link for the list of 2024 Liberty Individual Speech events and the students competing in each event. The Liberty Speech Team is coached by Kim Sleezer, Schuyler Fynaardt, and Josie O’Neill.
For more information and details regarding Liberty High School Speech, contact Head Coach Kim Sleezer, sleezer.kimberly@iowacityschools.org.
Save the Date- Liberty Spring Musical
We are excited to announce Little Mermaid as the Spring Musical! Please join us at Liberty High for this iconic love story. Performances are April 4th and 5th in the evening, with matinee performances the 6th and 7th. Cast and crew have been working their (fish) tails off on this, and it promises to be spectacular!
Thunder Bots at State Tournament
This past Friday and Saturday the Liberty robotics team, the Thunder Bots, participated in the state tournament. Friday consisted of a formal judges' interview and Saturday was reserved for tournament play. All events took place at the Xtream Arena in Coralville.
This is also the first year that all three Iowa City Schools High Schools were represented at the state tournament!
Thunder Bots 2023-2024 team members:
Adama Diallo
John Galvez
Gabe Ganesh
Josh Harvey
Yashaswi Jaishy
Parker Kacmarynski
Heath Lane
Zaina Mohamed
Tegan Parcell
Emmett Parsons
Piyush Pydipalli
Iowa City Athletic Booster Club Pancake Day
Support athletics in our schools at the Annual Pancake Day on Saturday, April 6, 2024. The fundraiser will run from 6:30 AM-2:00 PM and will take place at the West High School cafeteria (2901 Melrose Ave., Iowa City)
You can purchase tickets in advance and/or make a direct donation to this fundraiser at this link.
The Iowa City Athletic Booster Club is also looking for an army of volunteers to make this fundraiser a successful event. Please follow this link for additional volunteer information and to sign-up to help.
Lima Finishes 5th at State Wrestling
Congratulations to Liberty senior Vincenzo Lima for placing 5th place at the Iowa High School Boys State Wrestling Tournament.
Senior Gavin Benton and sophomore Landon Bell also qualified for the state tournament this year for the Liberty Boys Wrestling Team.
Miscellaneous
Laundry Detergent for Life Skills Work
Dear Liberty Community,
We hope this message finds you well. As part of our ongoing efforts to empower and support our special education students, we are reaching out to our wonderful community for a small but crucial donation.
Our special education program is currently focusing on life skills training, particularly on the task of doing laundry. This essential skill not only promotes independence but also fosters a sense of accomplishment and self-sufficiency among our students.
To ensure the success of this initiative, we are kindly requesting donations of laundry detergent. Specifically, we are in need of any type of pod detergent designed for whites, odor remover, and colors. Your contribution, no matter how small, will directly impact the lives of our students and enhance their learning experience.
If you would like to contribute, please drop off your donation at the main office at Liberty High School (1400 Dubuque Street NE, North Liberty. C/O Peggy McGuire). Together, we can make a positive impact and support the growth and development of our special education community.
Thank you for your kindness and support.
Warm regards,
Peggy McGuire
Liberty High School
Special Education Teacher
Summer Job Opportunities
Students, if you are interested in summer employment and enjoy the outdoors, the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department has several seasonal opportunities!
If any of the below interest you, please see the applications attached as a PDF below.
- Athletic Facilities Maintenance
- Forestry Aide
- Grounds Maintenance
- Horticulture Aide
If you have any questions, please reach out to Alex Lorack (Asst. Superintendent of Parks & Forestry), ALorack@iowa-city.org, 319-356-5100 extension 2070.
Future Teacher Scholarship
Do you know a graduating senior who plans to study to become a teacher?
The Iowa City Community Schools Districtwide Parent Organization (DPO) Scholarship was established in 1954 in honor of Kate Wickham, who taught in the Iowa City Schools from 1902 to 1939. These scholarships are made possible by donations from Parent Teacher Organizations, individuals, and area groups in honor of named individuals who have contributed to our schools. We will celebrate both the seniors’ winning scholarships and the Honorees at the DPO Honoree & Scholarship Reception at the ICCSD Education Services Building on Wednesday, April 10th at 6PM.
Scholarship Eligibility:
Seniors attending high school in the Iowa City Community School District
Plan to pursue a college education to teach in K-12 schools
Application Deadline: March 15, 2024, 11:59pm
Scholarship Application Form: This is for graduating seniors who plan to pursue a teacher education program in college.
Scholarship Reference Form: Students who compete for the DPO scholarship are required to solicit one academic reference. The link to this form is also embedded in the student's scholarship application form.
Volunteer Opportunity- Tiffin Fire Department Pancake Breakfast
The Tiffin Fire Department, (Tiffin Emergency Response Association), is hosting their annual pancake breakfast on Sunday, May 5 at the Tiffin Fire Station. We have an opportunity for up to 15 students to earn 7+ volunteer hours towards Silver Chord by helping with this event. I have attached a signup genius form for sign up. Would you please distribute as you feel necessary. First 15 to signup will be contacted.
Start Time/End Time: 6:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
Volunteers are asked to show their school spirit and wear a t-shirt or sweatshirt from the school they attend
If there are any questions, please call 712-330-3495 or email: berb@tiffin-iowa.org.
Students can sign up using the link below.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0845ADAB2AA4FE3-48264474-volunteerstiffin
Volunteer Opportunity for Special Olympics
SOIA is hosting our annual Spring Classic on March 9th in Coralville/Iowa City, and we’re still in need of volunteers to help make this event successful for our athletes. We’re looking for volunteers to help with keeping score, spotting lifts, selling souvenirs, cheering on and awarding athletes & more!
2024 Spring Classic
- Date: Saturday, March 9th, 2024
- Time: 8:00 am-4:00 pm (all-day and half-day shifts available)
- Locations:
- Team Basketball & Gymnastics – University of Iowa Field House (225 S Grand Ave, Iowa City)
- Cheer, Dance, & Powerlifting – West High School (2901 Melrose Ave, Iowa City)
- Basketball Skills – GreenState Family Fieldhouse (811 E 2nd Ave, Coralville)
- Sign-Up to Volunteer: HERE
Letter Carriers Food Drive Volunteer Opportunity
The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive would be an excellent way for students to gain some Silver Cord Hours since we collect food throughout the day and sort it at the CommUnity Food Pantry at 1045 Hwy 6 East in Iowa City. This year the drive is scheduled for May 11th, 2024, with shifts running about 2 to 3 hours between 10 AM and 5 PM, and we provide lunch and snacks for volunteers who help sort or collect food. Another area where we probably need more help but would also require a parent, guardian, or adult supervision for volunteers is to drive out to carriers while they are delivering mail and picking up food and collecting it from them and also picking it up from houses in advance of carrier's arriving with mail.
Graduation Gown Donation
Cultural Diversity & Equity Newsletter
Liberty Lightning Virtual Spirit Store
Check it out by clicking on this link: https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/iowa/northliberty/liberty-high-school or by clicking the image below.
The Liberty Fund
Support Student Programs. Leave a Legacy. Donate today!
The Liberty Fund needs your help! We want to ensure all Liberty students can participate in school activities where belonging and school pride come together through both academic and co-curricular activities.
The Liberty Fund has provided grants to students and groups to support student access to opportunities through fundraising. Here are a few program examples that grants have supported:
- New Student/Freshman Orientation
- National French Competition Exam
- Liberty Lightning Technical Theater
- Garden Club
- African American Literature Classes & Black Student Union
- Business Professionals of America Leadership Conference
Make a tax deductible donation to The Liberty Fund today! Donate at The Liberty Fund Website or email for more information at libertyhighfund@gmail.com.
Liberty High PSTO
Liberty High PSTO (Parent Student Teacher Organization) welcomes all new and returning families to Liberty for the 2023-2024 school year. Please follow us on Facebook: Liberty High PSTO to stay up-to-date.
All PSTO meetings will occur on the 3rd Wednesday each month at noon via Zoom. A list of remaining dates are included below. Zoom Link
- February 21
- March 20
- April 17
- May 15
Questions?
If you have any questions, please send them to libertyhsPSTO@gmail.com
The PSTO has an ongoing fundraiser with our Amazon Smile account. Please consider using this with your next Amazon order.