
Liberty STEAM Charter News
November 2020
Welcome to the November 2020 Edition of Liberty STEAM Charter's eNewsletter!
Founding Executive Director's Corner
Dear Team & Family,
As we close out October and look forward to November, it has been another amazing month of progress for Liberty STEAM Charter School. We have not only begun our recruitment efforts for our founding class of students, but we also have begun hiring our leadership team! As we look for character and a true sense of purpose in all the stakeholders working with scholars next year, I truly believe Dr. Latasha Carter will help us achieve tremendous outcomes for our scholars in her role as Director of Advocacy and Engagement.
I certainly hope that families get some time to rest and reflect during the beginning of the holiday season, as it has certainly been a trying year on many fronts for so many of us. We look forward to sharing many more aspects of our education and family engagement programming in the coming months. As always, please know if there is any feedback you would like to give us, then we are always open to listening to get to better!
At this point in the founding school process, I am always reminded that many days seem full of work, yet you can't see the results. I consistently remind my team we need to model the mentality of the motto “Win The Day!," because we believe that creating winning days each day lead to transformational results for everybody within an organization. So here is to you all having a winning day today and the rest of the month to keep the momentum going in your personal lives as we keep going full-steam ahead at Liberty STEAM Charter School!
As always, if I can ever be of service please be in touch with my office or contact me directly via email (kgraham@libertysteamcharter.org). Full STEAM ahead!
Dr. Graham
Priority Enrollment Window Deadline Approaches - Apply by November 30
Family Preview Sessions are the Best Way to Learn more about LSC!
Come join us on a journey that extends beyond education, where amazing things happen when potential meets opportunity! Liberty STEAM Charter (LSC) is excited to be Sumter's first tuition-free, open-enrollment public charter school. LSC will open in July 2021 and initially serve 144 scholars in kindergarten & first grade. Prospective parents who are interested in enrolling their scholar at LSC are encouraged to get as much information as possible to make the best decision for their child. Family preview sessions are the way to learn more about the unique LSC educational model from its passionate school leaders and dedicated board members. Information about LSC's mission, scholar expectations, core values & beliefs, being a part of the family, options for your child, project-based & personalized learning academic model, enrollment & lottery procedures, and much more will all be presented. We are offering over 40 in-person and virtual opportunities to attend a Family Preview Session in the month of November. COVID-19 restrictions have limited the number of seats available in each session, so prospective parents must sign up in advance.
North HOPE Center
Pilgrim's Pride
Jehovah Child Development Center
Minutes from 10/19 Meeting of the Founding Board of Directors
11 Minds, 1 Mission
LSC Board Meetings are Open to the Public
Did you know that the LSC Founding Board of Directors meets the second Monday of each month from 11:30 am -1:00 pm at the CCTC Advanced Manufacturing Training Center? All meetings are open to the general public and streamed lived on the school's official Facebook page.
Board Recognition from October 2020 Meeting
At the October board meeting, the Founding Board of Directors recognized several stakeholders for their support of the charter’s efforts during the planning year that included Jay Schwedler & Brian Rauschenbach from Sumter Economic Development and Teresa Price from Thompson Construction. The board will continue this recognition at future meetings throughout its implementation year. Additionally, the board recognized Melissa Hudson from the Quixote Club , who will be helping around the administrative offices at LSC a few days a week! We are very excited about the unique partnership between LSC and the Quixote Club, who will be providing philanthropic support to help fulfill the school’s mission of providing a world-class STEAM-focused education for all scholars.
Meet LSC's Newest Community Partner
Griffith Elected Board Secretary
School Leaders Canvas the Community
Renovations CONTINUE at LSC's Primary Academy
What does LSC's Educational Model Look Like? What Makes it Different?
LSC's Core Pillars & School Design
LSC's Learner Profile
LSC's Core Beliefs, Values, & Competencies
What's it look like to be a scholar at LSC from Kindergarten through 12th grade?
The two images below illustrate a scholar's journey as s/he progresses throughout their tenure as a scholar at LSC. Our grade levels are grouped into academies to provide for a more personalized learning environment. The focus area and expected student competencies for each grade level are outlined. Scholars leaving the primary academy in grade three will be reading on grade level and on track to score in the 85th percentile on end-of-the-year benchmark assessments as they exit the elementary academy. Such off-the-chart achievement will help equip our scholars with the foundation to handle the rigor of 4-7 high school credit-bearing classes in the junior academy.
As scholars progress to the senior academy, many will finish state-required high school coursework (remember, we are a charter school that follows state graduation requirements) so that the focus during the second half of their junior year and full senior year will be to participate in either dual enrollment at a local institute of higher-education work-based learning opportunities (internship/apprenticeship) that lead to industry certification (s).
Social Emotional Learning: A Core Design Principle of LSC's Educational Model
Liberty STEAM Charter Board of Directors Meeting
Monday, Nov 9, 2020, 11:30 AM
Central Carolina Technical College - Advanced Manufacturing Technology Training Center, Broad Street, Sumter, SC, USA
Hopes & Dreams Listening Tour Continues
New School Leader on her 1st Day at LSC
Directors engage in Community Service
Liberty STEAM Charter Launches a Unique Partnership with Quixote Club
School Leaders Conduct Deep-Dive Research Visits to other Charter Schools
Etoile Academy Charter School
IDEA Hardy Charter SChool
Houston Classical Charter School
LSC Connects with nearly 700 Families during Halloween Drive-Thru Trick-or-Treat Event
On Friday, Oct. 30, Liberty STEAM Charter School's leadership team, board members and volunteers held a drive-thru Trick-or-treat event at five locations across Sumter, including our Primary Academy Campus located at 15 School Street. Our team handed out candy along with flyers as participants drove through each location.
We would like to thank Jehovah Missionary Baptist Church, Mt. Zion Baptist Church, the NORTH Hope Center, the Birnie Hope Center along with all our volunteers. What a fun evening! It was great to see everyone dressed up and we enjoyed seeing your smiling faces.
NINE MINDS, ONE MISSION: Who are the school's founders and why are they committed to LSC?
About Us - Stay Connected!
Email: info@libertysteamcharter.org
Website: www.libertysteamcharter.org
Location: 117 North Main Street, Sumter, SC, USA
Phone: 803-830-5966
Facebook: facebook.com/libertsteamcharter
Twitter: @Liberty_STEAM