Liberty Newsletter

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. You can use this form for your nomination. Each month, Dr. Belair will collect the names of all staff who have been nominated during the month, and enter them into a random drawing. The name drawn 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. Last month’s recipient was Kindergarten teacher Moriah Schodorf. This month, all nominations are due by Thursday, October 17th. Thank you for helping to honor staff that have made an impact on your student’s learning experience!

MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Support) Week at Liberty

Three times a year at Liberty, all students are screened for dyslexia as part of our Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) programming. This week, our MTSS team met with each of our teachers to review their students' data to determine which students would benefit from additional reading (as well as math and social-emotional) interventions.

Our two reading specialists, Katie Hill and Stephanie Toczynski, are Certified Academic Language Practitioners (CALP) meeting the state of Ohio's highest level of accreditation for teachers. These teachers provide intervention to at-risk and dyslexic readers. You can learn more about their specialized training here: What is a Certified Academic Language Practitioner?

We are so thankful to have this specialized support that aligns to our structured literacy classroom instruction and interventions for our students! We look forward to looping parents into this team-approach in the coming month as we meet for parent/teacher conferences!

October 5 - PTA Family Fun Day at Dublin Chiller

October 8-23 - PTA Read-a-thon

October 10 - School Picture Absentee/Retake Day

October 11 - Superintendent Coffee, Sunny Street Cafe, 8:30-10 a.m. at 8461 Sancus Blvd., Columbus

October 14-17 - Parent/Teacher Conferences

October 15 - PTA Chipotle Dine-Out

October 18 - Teacher Workday - NO SCHOOL

October 28- November 1 PTA Scholastic Book Fair

October 29 - Book Fair Family Night 5:30-7:30 pm

October Walk/Bike To School

Walk/Bike last month was a great success!!! It was so fun to see all the bikes and scooters parked at the racks. Our next event will be the first Friday of October, the 4th. We need a couple adult volunteers (7:35 - 8:05) to be stationed at a busy intersection and one to help hand out stickers at school. If you're available to give 30 minutes of your time, please sign up here. Everyone will receive a sticker when they arrive, including PM kindergarten students. Don’t forget bike locks if you bike. We look forward to seeing those bikes and walking shoes!

Family Fun Day at Chiller Ice Rink

Join us for ice skating at the Chiller Ice Rink (8144 Highfield Dr, Lewis Center, Dublin,) on Saturday, October 5th from 1:50 p.m. - 3:20 p.m. The cost to skate is $10 per person. Please mention the fundraiser when you pay to skate, or show the flier below.

Current Cell Phone Use Policy

Our cell phone policies are tailored to each of our three education levels. These differentiated

guidelines are designed to promote a positive learning environment while

accommodating the developmental and academic needs of students at each educational level. In elementary schools (K-5), cell phones should be powered off and stored in student backpacks.

Students may not use cell phones during the entirety of the elementary school day. Governor DeWine recently signed legislation on cell phone use in schools during school hours. Read more about our recent parent cell phone survey here.

October Safety Drills

The safety and well-being of our students, staff, and community are always our top priorities in Worthington Schools. Research and experience show that when students and staff are well-prepared through knowledge and practice, they can respond effectively to emergency situations. This is why we continuously engage in safety routines, drills, and learning to support the safety of everyone in our schools.

Historically, our schools have participated in several important safety drills:

• Fire Drills: These drills teach students and staff how to report fire hazards and safely evacuate the building using multiple exits.

• Weather Drills: These drills help everyone stay calm and safe during weather-related events, such as tornadoes, by identifying and using sheltered spaces within the building.

• Lock-Down Drills: These drills prepare us for situations where free movement within the school is restricted due to external disturbances or unauthorized visitors. They involve securing the school perimeter, classrooms, and common areas to keep everyone safe.

• Rally-Point Drills: These drills focus on safely exiting the building in cases of emergencies like a gas leak or unsafe visitor, and moving to a predetermined safe space away from the school.

In addition to these drills, Ohio law requires public schools to conduct a "Full Scale" Safety Drill every three years. This comprehensive drill combines elements of the previously practiced drills and includes a controlled classroom lockdown, as well as a simulated evacuation to move students away from the building in the event of danger.

Our staff has been trained in the ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) emergency response model, which includes additional countermeasures during a lockdown to facilitate a safe evacuation to a Rally Point. In the event of an emergency requiring relocation, students would be transported to a designated "reunification" location, with the Worthington Education Center (WEC) being our primary consideration.

In October, we will provide instructions and practice opportunities for students across all our schools to prepare for a Full Scale Safety Drill. By being well-prepared for unplanned interruptions, we aim to build confidence and ensure the ultimate safety of our students. We know that when students feel safe and understand safety protocols, they can better focus on their learning. Thank you for your continued support and partnership in keeping our schools safe.