On Tuesday, February 9, Liberty High School will be “rounding up” all of our 2010-2011 freshman class!  Beginning at 5:30, current LMS 8th graders, their parents, their teachers and administrators, and the entire LHS faculty will join in a meal to kick off this event. From 6:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., all will participate in an informational meeting where students and parents will learn about LHS athletics, academic opportunities, extracurricular activities including the Fine Arts, as well as all one ever needs to know about life as a Liberty High School freshman!  Afterwards, students and their parents will meet the student's LHS advisor. Students will receive their registration material and have a time to ask questions about registration.  This third annual Freshman Round-up will close as we all move to the gym to cheer on our Varsity Boys Basketball Team as they take on Crescent!

Yeehaw! The third annual “Have a COW” (Career Opportunity Week) kicks off Monday. It promises to be a fun week offering our students opportunities to learn about careers! Guest speakers will be on campus each day sharing about their careers; students interested in those particular careers will have the opportunity to “lunch and learn” with them in the Media Center.

Students will have the opportunity to wear their COWboy and COWgirl attire on Tuesday, show off their college colors on Wednesday, and dress for their desired career on Thursday. Course selection materials will be distributed to students in grades 9-11 during Club One on Friday.

Mr. Cow A Bunga will be with us each day to remind us to “eat mor chikin.” Toward that end, chicken biscuits will be for sale each morning for $3 in the gym. Be sure to bring your MOOO-la! Liberty High School appreciates Chick-fil-A in Clemson for their support of this special week. They will be supplying us with biscuits and allowing us the use of their COW suit throughout the week! Having Mr. Cow A Bunga with us sure adds to our fun! COWABUNGA!!!

The February issue of “Red and Black,” Liberty High School’s monthly newsletter, has been posted to the web site. Due to budget constraints, the newsletter is not being mailed home this year. Students and parents are encouraged to check out the newsletter for all the latest updates – including information about “Have a COW” (Career Opportunities Week), registration for next school year, and much more. 

Click here to see the February newsletter.

Congratulations to Mrs. Michelle Hawkins, LHS Business Education teacher, for achieving National Board Certification! This honor is given by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and is the culmination of a process that represents a great deal of work on the part of teachers. Candidates are required to meet rigorous standards through intensive study, expert evaluation, self-assessment and peer review. Liberty is very proud of Mrs. Hawkins and congratulates her on this impressive accomplishment! Click here for more about Mrs. Hawkins!

Chastain Road Elementary School is scheduled to open in September 2011. At that time, the Liberty community will have two elementary schools serving kindergarten through fifth grade students. The School District of Pickens County needs to determine the attendance line for these schools, with the goal being to have school populations of similar size and demographics. Liberty residents are invited to attend a public meeting about the attendance line on Monday, February 8, at 7:00 p.m. in the Liberty Middle School Auditorium. Click here for the district press release.

Congratulations to the LHS Wrestling Team for being the Pickens County Champs for the third year in a row!  LHS defeated Daniel 46-30; Easley, 69-12; and Pickens 37-33 in the final round. Individual medalists for LHS: Gold medalists: Phillip Rainwater, Karahn Washington, Jordan Duncan, Saul Rosa, Kodi Duncan; Silver medalists: Roberto Gonzalez, Mitchell Johnston, Dillon Shelton, Josh Gillespie; Bronze medalists: Matt Uselman, Mandy Tolleson, Jakob Dismukes, Dakota Stewart, Robbie Powell, Congratulations to Jordan Duncan for being named the tournament’s “Most Outstanding Wrestler!” Way to go, Red Devil Wrestlers!!!

Pickens County Habitat for Humanity has obtained grant funds to construct three new houses in the Liberty area. This nonprofit organization is currently seeking three families who would qualify for these homes. Three of the guidelines to qualify are as follows: 1) a family needs to be able to pay $250 a month in mortgage payments; 2) a family must be willing to work with others to build their own home; and 3) a family’s current living situation should be considered sub-standard – for example, no indoor plumbing, poor heating, leaks in the roof, overcrowding (three to a bedroom), or unsafe or unsanitary conditions. Click here for more detailed information from the Pickens County chapter of Habitat for Humanity. If you or a family you know meet the necessary guidelines, please contact Habitat toll free at 864-868-3737 for an application packet.

Course selection for the 2010-2011 school year is just around the corner, and with the EEDA requirements for students to “declare a major,” students are curious about where their futures might lie.  To help with this important decision-making process, LHS is hosting the Third Annual “Have a COW” Week February 8-12. This Career Opportunity Week (COW) is designed to expose students to the world of work by inviting different professionals to speak to students and answer questions about their particular job, by educating students about non-traditional careers, and by getting students excited about the options that lie ahead. Once again, we will be hosting the Chick-fil-A Cow as we sell Chick-fil-A biscuits each morning and many fun-filled cow-themed activities will take place all week long. 

This week of education and fun includes the Freshman Round-Up on Tuesday, February 9, as rising Freshmen visit the school for tours, dinner, and to meet our staff and students prior to a Red Devils’ basketball game. 

Also, course selection forms will be given to our students in grades 9-11 on February 12th during Club One.  These forms must be returned to Club One advisors on February 17th. Students and their parents will have the opportunity to meet with Club One advisors during parent/student registration conferences that are scheduled to take place Monday and Tuesday, February 22-23, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Liberty High School welcomes the following student teachers (pictured left to right) for this semester: Mr. Matt Hagelgans, Clemson University – Social Studies, Mr. Hiles; Miss Megan Sharpe, Clemson University – Social Studies, Mr. Connington; Miss Brittany Hostetter, Southern Wesleyan University - Math, Mrs. Young; and Mr. Grey Lancaster, Clemson University – Math, Mr. Anderson. Not pictured is Miss Jennifer Boynton, who will be working as a guidance intern this semester. Liberty High School enjoys the opportunity to work with future teachers and guidance counselors from our surrounding institutions.

Billy Hayes, a 2009 graduate of Liberty High School, died Friday from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Billy was a two-time state champion of the Mechatronics Program, through the BJ Skelton Career Center, and was a member of the LHS Golf Team. A memorial service will be held Monday, January 18, at 2:00 p.m. in the Liberty Mortuary Chapel. Our thoughts are with Billy’s family.

Members of the LHS freshman class had the opportunity to tour the B. J. Skelton Career Center on Tuesday, January 5. Students had a presentation prior to their visit so that they would better understand the classrooms they would see and the courses of study available. Click here for pictures.

LHS Seniors and their families need to mark their calendars for Graduation 2010. This special event for our graduates will take place on Saturday, June 12, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. As in past years graduation will be held at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson.

LHS students and parents are reminded to be aware of the district inclement weather procedures. When faced with a decision to close schools or delay opening because of weather, the district priority is student safety. The goal is to communicate the district’s decision by 6:00 a.m. through a ParentLink message and a web site announcement. The district will also notify local radio and television stations.  Families are reminded that ParentLink uses contact information from the SASI student database, so every student’s contact information needs to be up to date. Notify LHS immediately when your contact information changes.