Liberty Elementary School

✨ What a night at our annual Liberty Lights Show! ✨

Families drove through 21 dazzling displays, passed through a glowing arched light tunnel, and even enjoyed a special visit with 🎅 Santa Claus.

A huge thank you to Liberty Primary, Liberty Elementary, Liberty Middle, Liberty High, the Liberty Area Bus Office, PCCTC, the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, and the City of Liberty Fire Department. This event takes planning, creativity, and teamwork from all corners of our Liberty community, and it truly showed.

Thanks for joining us and helping make it such a memorable evening! 🌟

2025 Liberty Lights Show: https://youtu.be/Z6yh_WBp04s

✨ Liberty Lights Show is TOMORROW! ✨

Load up the car, grab your people, and kick off the season with one of our favorite Liberty Area traditions!

🕕 Time: 6:00–8:00 PM (last entrance is at 7:45 PM)
🚗 Cost: $10 per car (cash & exact change only!)
🍿 Snacks: Rocky Top Pops will be selling popcorn (all payment types accepted!)

🎄 Who’s participating?
All four Liberty Area schools, the Pickens County Career & Technology Center, and our Liberty Area Bus Office have teamed up to bring the magic this year!

📍 Entrance: Main entrance of Liberty Primary School
➡️ Please do not line up in the car loop before 5:30 PM.
➡️ Entrance will run in two lanes and merge to one — follow our “Elf Brigade” in light-up vests for directions!
🚓 Exit: Main entrance of the Career Center, with law enforcement on site for traffic control.

⏰ IMPORTANT: You must be in line by 7:45 PM to ensure enough time to drive through. Law enforcement will close the line at 7:45.

📻 And don’t forget — tune your radio to 87.9 FM to enjoy Christmas music synced with the lights!

See you tomorrow night for Liberty Lights! ✨

REMINDER: Join us for our annual ✨ Liberty Lights Show ✨ this Thursday, December 4!

Drive through our festive light displays from 6:00–8:00 PM and wave to your favorite staff members from Liberty Primary, Liberty Elementary, Liberty Middle, Liberty High, and the Pickens County Career & Technology Center—all dressed merry and bright!

📍 Location: Liberty Primary School
🎟 Cost: $10 per vehicle (cash only, exact change)
🍿 Rocky Top Pops will also be available for purchase

We can’t wait to kick off the holiday season with you!

LES Families, as you enjoy Thanksgiving and start looking ahead to the holiday season, don’t forget to mark your calendars for our annual ✨ Liberty Lights Show ✨ next Thursday, December 4!

Drive through our festive light displays from 6:00–8:00 PM and wave to your favorite staff members from Liberty Primary, Liberty Elementary, Liberty Middle, Liberty High, and the Pickens County Career & Technology Center—all dressed merry and bright!

📍 Location: Liberty Primary School
🎟 Cost: $10 per vehicle (cash only, exact change)
🍿 Rocky Top Pops will also be available for purchase

We can’t wait to kick off the season with you!

“During my first year at Liberty Primary School, I introduced music literacy to my second-grade students, which was my first experience teaching this content to such a young group. That year, I made the intentional decision to raise my expectations for those students and approach them as I would older learners. In response, they exceeded those expectations and demonstrated exceptional progress in reading music. This experience reinforced my belief that when we set high expectations and increase the level of rigor, our students consistently rise to meet–and often exceed those standards.” -Jared Roper, Music Teacher at Liberty Elementary School and Liberty High School

As the School District of Pickens County celebrates 75 years of learning, growth, and community, it’s the people who have made the journey meaningful. From classrooms and concerts to bus routes and boardrooms, every chapter of SDPC’s story has been shaped by those who gave their time, their talent, and their heart. These short reflections - captured over the year and shared by the voices of SDPC - capture the spirit, pride, and personal moments that define who we are. Together, they form a living tribute to the legacy we share and the bright future still ahead.

This story reflects SDPC’s dedication to Academic Growth and Excellence. By engaging students in meaningful opportunities in both core academics and the fine arts, we empower them to discover their strengths, build confidence, and grow as well-rounded learners prepared for future success.

#75YearsOfImpact
#AcademicGrowthAndExcellence
#EngagingToday
#EmpoweringTomorrow

Please see the attached form for information on teeth cleaning services available to come to school. If you have any questions or need any more information, please contact our School Nurse, Haley Emanuel at haleyemanuel@pickens.k12.sc.us or 397-2100, ext. 2107. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PmkArHz2LZy6uxon0stOsNYUPUUu5EuP/view?usp=sharing

📚✨ Family Night is almost here! ✨📚
We can’t wait to see our Liberty Elementary families join us for an evening of fun and learning together. 💙 Please RSVP so we know you’re coming!
👉Click here if you haven't RSVP'd by paper - https://forms.gle/igr7tC8LvjngT8wu8

2025-2026 LES School Supply List

Parent Event: Helping Your Family Bridge the Tech Gap SDPC families — you're invited to a special event with Joshua Adams from Parent ProTech, focused on how technology is shaping the lives of Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Learn about: ✔️ Screen time trends & the science behind them ✔️ Practical strategies for healthy tech habits ✔️ How to stay connected as a family in today's digital world April 1 | 5:00–6:30 PM ALIVE Wesleyan Church - 136 Chastain Rd, Central, SC 29630 ✅ FREE and open to all SDPC parents ✅ Click here to register: https://forms.gle/GCcGHW91wGktUZmPA Let’s work together to help our kids thrive in a tech-saturated world!

Today, we celebrate the incredible men and women who ensure our students travel safely to and from school each day. It's SC Bus Driver Appreciation Day, and we want to say THANK YOU to our SDPC bus drivers and assistants! To truly capture the impact of our drivers, we spent time riding along on routes and speaking with two of our dedicated drivers—experiencing firsthand the joy, care, and commitment they bring to their work. 🎥 Watch our special tribute video here: https://youtu.be/omM_SDLXcM0

🎉 4K Applications & 5K Registration Now Open! 🎉 The time has come! 4K applications and 5K enrollment for the 2025-26 school year are officially open. 📌 Learn more & register today: www.pickens.k12.sc.us/page/pre-k-information-page ✨ New for 2025-26! We're excited to enhance our preschool programs across the district. Read about these important updates here: https://www.pickens.k12.sc.us/article/1937097

📢Coming soon: 2025 Pre-K & 5K Registration! 📢 Do you have a rising 4K or 5K student ready to start their learning journey? Mark your calendars, registration opens TOMORROW, January 17, 2025! ✅4K Applications - Learn about eligibility and how to apply ✅5K Enrollment - get ready for kindergarten at SDPC 📌Learn more & Register here: www.pickens.k12.sc.us/page/pre-k-information-page NOTE: If you have completed any form prior to January 17., 2025, it will need to be resubmitted once registration opens. 🎉New for 2025-26! Our Preschool programs are evolving to better serve young learners. Read about these exciting updates: https://www.pickens.k12.sc.us/article/1937097 Tag a friend who needs this info! 🎒📚 #engagingtoday #empoweringtomorrow

SDPC will operate on a two-hour delay on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, due to the danger of ice on secondary roads. No buses will travel on icy roads. High school students should check Schoology for adjusted schedules. Details:: https://www.pickens.k12.sc.us/article/196018

📱 Revised Personal Electronic Device Policy: Beginning January 2025 📱 Under a new South Carolina policy, schools are required to limit students' access to cell phones and other personal devices during the school day. The School District of Pickens County has adopted a revised Personal Electronic Device Policy to comply with state law (Budget Proviso 1.103). ✔️Devices must be silenced and stored in lockers, backpacks, or other designated areas throughout the instructional time. ✔️Devices include but are not limited to, cell phones, smart watches, tablets, and gaming devices. We encourage parents to discuss this policy with their children and support its implementation when we return in January. Thank you for partnering with us as we implement this required policy. Please visit this site for detailed information [www.pickens.k12.sc.us/page/sdpc-cell-phone-policy].

Reminder: There will be no school for students on Monday and Tuesday of next week, as we have an extended holiday. No School: - Monday, Oct. 14, 2024 - Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024 (Teacher Professional Development day) These days are planned breaks on the 2024-2025 calendar. You can view the current calendar and future calendar drafts here: [www.pickens.k12.sc.us/page/spdc-calendars]

Beginning Wednesday, 3rd- 5th grade students will be taking the iReady assessment. i-Ready is an online program for reading and math that will help teacher personalize student learning and monitor progress throughout the school year. i-Ready allows your teachers to meet students exactly where they are and provides data to increase your student’s learning achievement. i-Ready consists of two parts: Diagnostic and Personalized Instruction. This formative assessment will take the place of the old MAP assessment. The i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions to suit your student’s needs. Each item a student sees is individualized based on their answer to the previous question. For example, three or more correct answers will result in slightly harder questions, while three or more incorrect answers will result in slightly easier questions. The purpose of this is not to give your student a score or grade, but instead to assess their understanding so the teacher knows how best to support your student’s learning. Learn more about i-Ready by watching: https://videos.curriculumassociates.com/watch/LRc9k59Ptg9pq9SBBmM6iz Please make sure your student is at school on Wednesday and Thursday for this assessment. Also you can help your student do their best by making sure they get a good night's sleep Tuesday and Wednesday night and eat breakfast each morning. If you have questions about your student's progress, please reach out to your child's teacher to arrange a conference.

Liberty Elementary School is proud to announce that we are a 2023-2024 National Beta School of Merit. The school earned this recognition by offering National Beta to all eligible grades on their campus. The National Beta School of Merit award is given to honor a club’s dedication and commitment to academic excellence. To achieve this prestigious honor, a school must include members from all eligible grade levels in their Beta club. This year, 49% of Beta Clubs across the country received this award. In a congratulatory letter to the school, Bobby Hart, CEO said “Thank you for your continued support of National Beta and commitment to developing future leaders!”

A message from Dr. Haynes: Dear Parents, Thank you so much for a terrific school year! Thank you for sharing your students with us! You should be very proud of them for their hard work this year. I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe summer. Don't forget we will have our Pre-Boarding Event on Thursday, July 18th, at the Performing Arts Center to get ready for the 2024-2025 school year! We will send reminders out via Facebook and our website. Summer Hours: The office will be open from 8 AM to 4 PM Monday through Thursday from May 28th to June 20th. Our office will reopen on July 15th and continue summer hours until the week of Meet the Teacher. Meet the Teacher: Meet the Teacher will be on Tuesday, July 30th, from 11 AM to 7 PM. In July, your child's teacher will contact you to schedule a time to come in for Meet the Teacher. You will also receive an email asking you to update your student's registration. Please complete this registration update before coming to Meet the Teacher. If you have any questions, please call the front office at 397-2100. Again, we wish you all a wonderful summer and look forward to seeing everyone back in July! Sincerely, Dr. J. Lowell Haynes Principal Liberty Elementary School

LES 2023-2024 Report to Parents is now uploaded to our website under the SIC tab.