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The Liberty Link
 Liberty students stop for a photo with Roary during Open House.
A Note from the Principal
Dear Liberty Families,
Welcome to the very first issue of The Liberty Link! We chose this name because it perfectly describes what this newsletter is designed to be: a direct link between home and school.
It was so great to see so many of our students and families at Open House! The building was full of energy, excitement, and smiling faces, and it was the perfect way to kick off the new school year. Thank you to everyone who came out to meet teachers, explore the building, and get ready for the first day.
Our staff has been working tirelessly over the past few weeks to get classrooms sparkling, lessons prepped, and the entire building ready. We’ve missed the energy, the laughter, and the busy hallways. Honestly, the building is way too quiet without our students, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone back!
To stay in the loop with what’s happening at Liberty, make sure to read The Liberty Link every week. Consider it your all-access pass to everything happening at Liberty! It’s the best way to catch up on important announcements, keep track of upcoming events, and celebrate our students' achievements.
Thank you for partnering with us to make this school year great. Be sure to set those morning alarms now (trust me, Monday morning comes fast!), and we will see you all bright and early on Monday!
-Mrs. Bromberg
Important Dates
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Monday, August 24: First Day of School
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Tuesday, September 1: Back to School Night
For more dates, please see the calendar on the Liberty Middle School website.
 Students and families had a chance to get familiar with Liberty before the first day of school. See highlights from Open House and how our Lions got ready for the year ahead on our school website.
 Students follow an alternating Red Day and Blue Day schedule throughout the school week.
Daily Class Schedule
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1st Period (Red) / 2nd Period with Unity Time (Blue): 7:25 a.m. to 8:53 a.m.
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3rd Period (Red) / 4th Period (Blue): 8:57 a.m. to 10:25 a.m.
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5th Period (Red) / 6th Period (Blue): 10:29 a.m. to 12:43 p.m.
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7th Period (Red) / 8th Period (Blue): 12:47 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.
Lunch Shifts (During 5th & 6th Period)
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A Lunch: Class 10:29 to 10:34 a.m. | Recess 10:34 to 10:49 a.m. | Lunch 10:49 to 11:19 a.m. | Class 11:19 a.m. to 12:43 p.m.
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B Lunch: Class 10:29 to 11:21 a.m. | Recess 11:21 to 11:36 a.m. | Lunch 11:36 a.m. to 12:06 p.m. | Class 12:06 to 12:43 p.m.
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C Lunch: Class 10:29 to 11:58 a.m. | Recess 11:58 a.m. to 12:13 p.m. | Lunch 12:13 to 12:43 p.m.
Liberty Middle School will soon distribute student Chromebooks for the upcoming school year. Please review the distribution schedule, daily expectations, and required permission forms below.
Important Dates
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September 1 and 2: Chromebook and marked charger distribution. Students must keep their devices at home until September 8.
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September 8: Daily device use begins. Students must bring their fully charged Chromebook to school every day.
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Note for CTE Classes: If a CTE teacher plans to use technology before September 8, students may bring their device specifically for that class.
Student Responsibilities
Each student will be assigned a specific Chromebook and a marked charger. Students are responsible for taking care of and keeping track of both items. Liberty aims to use technology intentionally to enhance classroom learning.
Required Action: Complete the DRC Form
Parents and guardians must complete the Digital Resource Consent (DRC) form to allow students to access important learning applications.
Parent Resources and Support
FCPS provides tools for parents to monitor student device use at school and control usage at home. More details will be shared during the first week of September.
For questions regarding technology at Liberty, please contact:
 Get your student ready for the new school year by registering for Liberty Middle School after-school activities and fall interscholastic sports. Complete the after-school program registration form.
Key Dates
After-School Program Highlights
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Bus transportation is available four days a week. Parents must pick up students on Tuesdays.
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Registration is completely free and places your student on the cleared list for all activities throughout the year.
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Registering does not obligate your child to attend.
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Activities include homework help, clubs, STEM projects, and intramural sports.
Fall Interscholastic Sports (Cross Country)
Interscholastic sports involve competition against other schools and require extra clearance steps before tryouts or practice:
Job Opportunities
The After-School Program is hiring staff to support sports and STEM activities. Email Sandy Donlon to learn more.
Contact Information
We are seeking parent volunteers to serve on our Materials Review Committee. Members review books and full-length movies submitted by teachers to ensure they are age-appropriate for middle school students.
Key Detail
Monthly meetings throughout the school year to discuss materials
How to Join
Contact Maggie Wickham if you are interested in serving on the committee.
 Liberty Middle School PTA is looking for a PTA President for the upcoming school year. You will join an active team where all other board positions are already filled with experienced volunteers. All your questions and concerns will be addressed before a final decision is made.
Role Responsibilities
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Work with LMS administration to set goals and support student needs.
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Set meeting agendas and lead PTA meetings.
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Coordinate officers and volunteers for school events and activities.
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Follow Virginia PTA rules to keep LMS PTA in good standing and maintain its 501(c)(3) status.
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Support the mission of the LMS PTA, Virginia PTA, and National PTA.
How to Learn More
At Liberty, we acknowledge that parents are our students' first and most important teachers. Parents now have greater control over their child’s FCPS-issued device outside of school hours through Lightspeed Parent Portal.
In addition to monitoring weekly internet activity, parents can now also customize web access at home on FCPS devices through Lightspeed using Schedules and Web Rules.
With Schedules, you can set tailored times to automatically pause or restrict internet access. This makes it easier to enforce rules around homework time, family dinners, weekends, or bedtime.
In Web Rules, you can create Custom Block Lists to block specific, individual websites they do not want your child accessing at home. This allows parents greater control over what is happening online, under their own roof.
These new custom controls take effect at home, outside of school hours, and when the device is off the FCPS network. They will not override standard district filtering policies during the instructional day.
Customize Your Lightspeed Settings
All parents should be receiving weekly Lightspeed Online Student Activity Report emails. To set up these new features, click the “Log in or Register” button at the bottom of your weekly Lightspeed Online Student Activity Report email.
Visit the FCPS Lightspeed Parent Portal Guide for more information. If you have additional questions, submit a Parent Technology Support Ticket.
Parents are encouraged to discuss internet boundaries with their children so that they can understand the reasoning behind any limits and the differences between access at home and at school. Get tips on talking to your children about technology safety.
 Teachers use Schoology to post their classroom materials online; to provide a secure forum for students to discuss their ideas and collaborate on projects; and to assign and collect homework electronically. It helps students stay organized, and it keeps the class connected.
A Schoology Parent Account gives you access to:
- Your child’s classes.
- Your child’s upcoming assignments.
- School, class, and group announcements.
To access Schoology, parents will need to have an active SIS/ParentVUE account. Get more information on how to login and use Schoology.
 Food For Neighbors provides weekend food for middle school students in Northern Virginia. Help us keep our school food pantry stocked for students in need.
Sign up to get a Red Bag, donate, or volunteer at the Food for Neighbors website.
 Follow Liberty Middle School on social media to see what is happening in our school throughout the year.
Student Services Team
Victoria Reyes | Student Services Assistant
Valerie Peters | Director of Student Services
Shirley Alvarez-Leon | Counselor (Last names A-G)
Quesuan Wigfall | Counselor (Last names H-O)
Raychal Hart | Counselor (Last Names P-Z)
Administrative Team
Principal: Tracy Bromberg
Assistant Principal: Jennifer Filsinger
Assistant Principal: Katie Shea
Interim Assistant Principal: Justine Klena
Dean of Students: Andrea Shaw
After-School Specialist: Sandra Donlon
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