From the Desk of Mr. Osborn, Superintendent

Snow Days When I have the opportunity to speak with the students the question asked

most often is, “Are you going to give us a lot of snow days?” I know the students love

snow days, but I understand the change in schedule impacts parents because they need

to make alternative plans for their children that day. My number one concern is the

safety of the children. The current weather, temperature and future weather are all

factors in making a decision to hold school, delay or cancel.

I will list the process that I go through to determine if we should delay school for two

hours or cancel school.

1 I check the current weather on the news and their prediction of what the

weather will be like for the remainder of the day.

2 I contact road departments for their input on the condition of the roads and their expertise on when travel will

be safe. I also speak to the Police Department about calls for help and traffic accidents.

3 Knowing students will be walking to bus stops and waiting on buses, I consider the amount of time the child

will be outside.

4 I drive around the school district to check on sidewalks and slippery roads.

5 I speak with the surrounding schools superintendents to get their input and what decision they are making.

Keep in mind that neighboring districts may not have similar style of roads, (roads that have a lot of curves,

drifting areas, hilly roads, or a road department that starts later than Baltimore’s).

6 I speak with our Bus Transportation Director, Mr. Kevin Mapes, and get his input.

2-Hour Delays 1 I use this option when the roads are sloppy but all the information that I have is the road crews just need a

little more time to plow and get salt on the roads. The weather is not expected to get worse.

2 Weather is cold but will warm up when the sun rises. I use Negative 10 as the guide to delay school with the

forecast of warmer weather after the sun rises.

School is Canceled:

1 Roads are slippery, the road crews will be on the roads all day, sidewalks are snow covered and icy, and

more snow is coming.

2 Weather is just too cold for young children to be outside for an extended period of time. I make the

assumption that students will be outside for 20 minutes waiting on the bus. Once the wind chill reaches a

temperature of Negative 20 school will be canceled.

Obviously, this is not an exact science and the weather is unpredictable, but I use all the information available to me

during the 4 AM - 6 AM window of time. I will make every effort to make the decision to cancel school or delay

school by 6 AM. The absolute worst case scenario is the information on hand leads me to a decision to delay school

and the weather changes, and I need to cancel school. I will avoid this scenario, but it is possible.

How will you be notified of school closing or delays?

1 One Call Now - You will receive a phone from the district.

2 District Website - This is updated the moment the decision is made to cancel or delay.

3 Television Stations, Channels 4, 6 and 10 are notified.

If you are new to the Liberty Union - Thurston School District, please contact the main office of your child’s school

to make sure your proper contact number is on file for the One Call Now. If you changed phone numbers or want to

change the contact number, please contact the building secretary at your child’s school to update.

If you have any questions or concerns fell free to contact me. Go LIONS !

Todd Osborn, Superintendent of “The Place To Be” Liberty Union - Thurston Schools

LIBERTY UNION - THURSTON LION REPORT December, 2015

LOCAL SCHOOLS

1108 S MAIN ST www.libertyunion.org

BALTIMORE, OH 43105 Ohio Department of Education: www.ode.state.oh.us/

To view the “Lion Report” online, refer to www.libertyunion.org.

from Kevin M. Mapes, Transportation Supervisor, Liberty

Union-Thurston Local School District

So much has changed with the yellow school bus over the past 16

years that I have been involved in this industry. Everything from

construction, to safety, to economics and efficiency, environmentally and

even in driver comfort and convenience.

It used to be that when a new bus was purchased by a school

district, you would first bid on your chassis including the engine and

drivetrain (Ford, GM, International, Freightliner, and Dodge). After that, you would bid on the body of the bus separately

(Ward / AmTran, Blue Bird, Wayne, Crown / Carpenter, Thomas Built, and Superior). The chassis builder would ship the

frame with the engine and transmission to the body manufacturer to be completed. The process usually took over a year from

the time it was ordered to the time it would be delivered to the school district.

After the turn of the century, manufacturers and body builders began to merge and a whole new era of equipment was

developed. International and AmTran merged together to form the I.C. Corp., Freightliner and Thomas Built merged and

became the Thomas Saf-T-Liner, and Blue Bird first merged with GM chassis but later switched to Ford and is now known as

the Blue Bird Vision. Wayne, Carpenter, and Superior went out of the body manufacturing business as a result and Dodge quit

providing chassis for the school bus industry. Ford and GM still continue to provide a chassis for the smaller buses used by

Headstart and special needs routes.

Safety innovations began to prosper as a result of the new era of buses. School buses were designed with higher seats

with better compartmentalization features, better designed emergency exit windows and roof hatches, as well as much better

crash report data analysis on the vehicles. Air Brakes are now ABS standard. The “no child left behind” feature requires

drivers to walk to the back of the bus to check for students prior to leaving the bus or an alarm will sound alerting anyone within

ear shot that the bus has not been checked to assure that it is empty. The optional crossing gate in the front of the bus forces

children who must cross the street to remain within the driver’s field of vision. The black hood option minimizes sun glare

during dawn and dusk. Currently, hoods must be either flat yellow or flat black on the surface.

In recent years there has been many ways to make the school bus more environmentally friendly. The Diesel

Particulate Filter (DPF) has reduced emissions from diesel exhaust fumes and the introduction to alternative fuel options such as

propane has become popular in the industry. Here at Liberty Union, we have two propane units in service and another one that

is on order and should arrive in the late winter or early spring.

The driver has had many changes that benefit them too. The switches and controls have been moved closer to their

reach. Manual doors have given way to switches, air ride seats for comfort, better mirrors for vision, and more room in the

driver’s area. Automatic transmissions are now a standard option as well. I also make sure that I order the buses with the white

roof and tinted window option at no additional cost. This allows for cooler cabin temperatures during the hotter months.

Although the bus is built for safety, the driver behind the wheel contributes the most to safety. Each driver is required

to have a FBI & BCII background check; pre-employment drug and alcohol testing as well as random tests any time after

employment; a clean driver abstract from the bureau of motor vehicles is required; the driver must pass a T-8 transportation

report (medical exam); perform a minimum of 12 hours of behind-the-wheel-instruction with the districts On-the-Bus instructor.

The driver must also successfully pass their CDL test at a State Exam location. After employed, the driver receives 4 hours of

in-service instruction prior to the start of each school year, 4 hours of continued training during the school year, and must

submit to re-certification every six years of service.

In conclusion, the yellow school bus is the safest mode of school transportation in the United States. Statistics show that:

58% of student fatalities are students who are being transported to or from school by another school age driver.

23% of student fatalities are students who are being transported to or from school by a parent or another adult driver.

1% of student fatalities are school bus related.

9% of fatalities are students who walk or ride bikes to school.

Over the past 60 years, Ohio has only had 2 student fatalities on board the bus as a result of a motor vehicle accident. The

State averages 6 to 8 fatalities annually as a result of students being struck by motorists who violate the school bus lights while

picking up or discharging students.

So the next time you see the big yellow bus go by, think about all of the time and effort that

goes into the construction of the vehicle and the training of the operators all with the safety of

your children in mind.

Congratulations to Mrs. Karen Peck, who has completed 27 years behind the wheel of

a school bus without any accidents or citations on her motor vehicle abstract. This is an

outstanding behind-the-wheel safety record and an accomplishment that I am very proud.

Karen began driving school buses in 1987 for Liberty Union-Thurston Local School

District. She currently drives a route on the northwest side of the district in Bus #09-9.

Mrs. Peck is pictured with her certificate of achievement issued by Transportation

Supervisor Kevin Mapes, during School Bus Safety Week. (October 19th to the 23rd 2015)

2015 – 2016 LU-T Events Month Date Time Bldg Event

Dec 1 6:30 Elem 4th Grade Choir @ Griley House

Dec 1 7:00 HS Music Booster Meeting (Music Room)

Dec 2 7:30 HS Athletic Booster (Café)

Dec 3 7:00 Elem Booster Meeting

Dec 3 7:00 HS Winter HS Concert

Dec 5 7:00 HS Bingo (Doors Open 4:30)

Dec 15 7:00 MS Winter MS Concert

Dec 19 7:00 HS Bingo (Doors Open 4:30)

Dec 22 All Bldgs End of 2nd Grading Period

Dec 23-31 All Bldgs NO SCHOOL – Winter Break

Dec 31 6:00 HS Bingo (Doors Open 3:30)

(w/ FREE Chicken Dinner)

Jan 1-4 All Bldgs NO SCHOOL – Winter Break Continues

Jan 2 7:00 HS Bingo (Doors Open 4:30) (Play for FREE with

purchase of packets on New Years Eve)

Jan 5 All Bldgs School Resumes

Jan 5 7:00 HS Music Boosters (Music Room)

Jan 6 7:30 HS Athletic Boosters (Café)

Jan 7 7:00 Elem Elementary Boosters

Jan 11 All Bldgs Report Cards Issued to Students

Jan 16 7:00 HS Bingo (Doors Open 4:30)

Jan 17 HS Winter Homecoming Dance

Jan 18 All Bldgs NO SCHOOL – Winter Break Continues

Jan 30 7:00 HS Bingo (Doors Open 4:30)

Feb 2 7:00 HS Music Boosters (Music Room)

Feb 3 7:30 HS Athletic Boosters (Café)

Feb 4 7:00 Elem Booster Meeting

Feb 5 All Bldgs Interim Reports to Students

Feb 6 7:00 HS Bingo (Doors Open 4:30)

Feb 11 4:30-8:00 All Bldgs Parent - Teacher Conferences

Feb 12 All Bldgs NO SCHOOL - Professional Development Day

Feb 13 HS Solo / Ensemble Contest

Feb 15 All Bldgs NO SCHOOL – Presidents Day

Feb 20 7:00 HS Bingo (Doors Open 4:30)

Feb 25 6:30-8:00 Elem Family Literacy Night for Families

March 11 All Bldgs NO SCHOOL - Professional Development Day

March 24-30 All Bldgs NO SCHOOL – Spring Break

April 30 7:00-11:00 HS Prom

May 24 All Bldgs Student Last Day w/ 1-Hr Early Dismissal

May 29 2:00 HS Graduation

Save the Date: 2nd Annual OUR TOWN Variety Show April 15th and 16th - 7PM

Look for Audition Information in January, 2016

Acts to be selected in February, 2016

Check the website for more details:

http://www.libertyunion.org/Content2/OurTown

JOURNALISM DAY with CBJ In early November, several students in the LUHS yearbook class

spent the day at Nationwide Arena for part of the Blue Jackets

Journalism Day. The students were accompanied by first year LU

teacher, Ms. Lauren Spector. Throughout the day, journalists from

around the State shared their “tips of the trade.” The students were

encouraged to gather information throughout the day and then create

their own news story surrounding their experience. Senior, Maggie

Turley’s article was selected “Grand Prize Winner,” and she has

been invited to attend an upcoming Blue Jackets game with her own

seat on press row for the entire game day experience.

Congratulations Maggie!

SENIORS GO BACK TO WHERE IT STARTED On November 24,

the LUHS Senior

class traveled to the

Elementary School

for a morning of

reading and

activities. The

students were able

to choose a grade

level, and many

brought children’s books which were their personal favorites. This

experience sparked a great partnership between the buildings, as well as,

many new role models and future Lions to watch in the years to come. Upon

leaving the elementary school that morning, it was impossible to tell which

group had the bigger smiles, the seniors or the elementary students.

THE SOUNDS OF THE

SINGING LIONS The LUHS has been busy the past few months with multiple individual and group performances.

Savannah Simonson was selected to sing the National Anthem at the OHSAA Cross Country State

Championship, and Danielle Hannan represented the Liberty Union FFA Chapter by performing at the Ohio

Farm Bureau State Conference.

Last Month, Choir Director Mrs. Emily Fisher, organized and hosted the All County Choir. Six school

districts sent their middle school and high school choirs to LUHS for two days of rehearsal and an evening of

celebration. LU senior Austin McClelland closed the performance with an amazing solo!

Recently, the sounds of holiday songs filled the air at the Winter Concert. Thirteen selections filled the

evening with joy and elation. Excerpts from the evening can be heard Christmas morning by tuning into

NBC4’s “Central Ohio Sings” program. Additionally, the choir is scheduled at many upcoming events in the

community to spread holiday cheer.

National FFA Convention

The Liberty Union FFA Chapter attended the 2015 National FFA

Convention. On Wednesday, October 28th before the first session of the

convention, we toured of Jungle Jim’s grocery store; that was followed by a

concert by Maddie & Tae and Jake Owen. Thursday the group toured

Churchill Downs and Louisville Stoneware before the second session of the

convention. The National FFA Vice President gave his retiring address.

Later all Ohio FFA Chapters enjoyed the Buckeye Bash. After hearing an inspirational story

from Amberley Snyder on Friday the group saw the many attractions at the Kentucky Expo

Center; toured the falls of Ohio and visited a haunted house. Saturday morning Michael Bugg

and Grace Dannemiller received American Farm Degrees; this is the highest FFA award.

Soil Judging Competition: The Urban Soil Judging Team - Emily Aneshansley, Blaise Clark,

Olivia Robinson and Logan Shell received 9th place. The Rural Soil Judging Team - Kalib

Huntsinger, Grace Hoover, Brooke Price and Maddie Vannatta received 11th place.

Forestry Team identifies various types of trees and equipment. The team, Kiersten Bell,

Blaise Clark, Alex Gibbs, Kalib Huntsinger, Davis Sodders and Zack Tucker, placed 7th overall

in the State competition.

The chapter was very well represented at the Fairfield County Fair this year. Members

showed great success. The display booth went with a new design this year that seemed to draw

a large crowd. Members who received an “A” grade displayed their projects in the booth.

3 - 2 - 1 - Blast Off! Students in 7th and 8th grade enrichment reading classes are on their way to Mars! They have

been working with NASA engineers to research 50 years of Mars exploration as well as

preparing for future missions via a distance learning experience. In phase one, we have been

assessing the various challenges faced when traveling to Mars such as lack of oxygen, extreme

cold, and reduced gravitational pull. We spoke with an engineer who verified that the wheels on

the current Mars Rover are faulty and we have been challenged with researching alternatives.

We are researching wheel materials, forms, friction, and the effects of the climate on them.

Later, we will be again distance learning live with the NASA Space Center and 3 other schools

who will each be “pitching” their ideas and solutions on how to best modify the wheels for

future space travel. We are reading high level non-fiction, applying our research skills to

problem solve, applying the scientific method, and using our math skills to collect and report

accurate data. Finally NASA representatives will be sharing various careers related to working

at NASA. We are having a “blast” implementing the same design process used at NASA!

FROM THE FOOD SERVICE DEPARTMENT:

Liberty Union Food Service is pleased to announce a new option for pre-payment of lunch money.

Pay-for-It is now active and allows payment by debit, credit, or electronic check. An

introduction letter and instructions are available on the Liberty Union website under the Food

Service Department. As always, questions may be directed to Jan Friedrich, Food Service

Supervisor, at 740-862-4126 or friedrichj@libertyunion.org.

Middle School Lion Pride

With the holiday season fast

approaching, the streets and stores

seem busier. Some might think with

the craziness, some things might be

overlooked. However; our Liberty

Union Middle School Student

Council held a food drive with

heartwarming results. The members

challenged their peers to bring in as

many items as they could in one

week. When the drive was finished,

the generosity of our students was

astounding. A total of 1,689 items

were collected and taken to Ruth Crutcher. Ruth organizes the Baltimore Food Pantry and was pleased

with the kindness by our students. Mrs. Tammy Harris, the advisor for Student Council, and

Principal, Mr. Turner were also delighted with the outpouring support for others.

Veteran’s Day Recognition

The middle school student body had the

opportunity to listen to Jackie Collins, former

army officer. Mr. Collin’s message centered

around the importance of Veteran’s Day and

why we celebrate this event. At lunch time

veterans were invited to eat lunch with the

students. Forty-one veterans participated in

the lunch time activity.

The sixth graders decorated their hallway

with large stars that were labeled with local

veterans and active service member’s names.

Last year, Mr. Robinson's 8th graders prepared

lessons on the Wamponoag Indians and taught

them to Mrs. Buskirk's 2nd grade class. This

year the role was reversed and it was the 2nd

grade's turn to teach the bigger kids what they

knew. Once the lessons were completed, the

two groups collaborated to expand their

understanding of the tribe that played an

important part in what many today consider to

be America's First Thanksgiving.

Middle School Play huge success - Under the direction of Mr. Jeff Dupler, middle school play

production members performed 4 one-act plays on November 13th and 14th. The final production was

given to the student body the following week.

From the Desk of Mrs. Rainey, Elementary Principal. . .

Great Things Are Happening at the Elementary These winter months are prime learning times for our elementary students. Routines have been established

and students are in their “learning zones.” Students are also learning about reaching out to others. See

below for highlights of just some of the impressive events taking place in our school!

Veterans’ Day Assembly On Veteran’s Day, Veterans were honored at

an assembly. Over 50 veterans were in

attendance. Students from every grade

presented information, projects, and poems

to help students understand the

significance of the day. The student body

and our guests sang patriotic songs, and

pictures of veterans with their relatives from every grade level were taken. (Above: Second graders with

Veterans.)

Kindergarten Grandparents’ Day The students in our four kindergarten classes invited grandparents to

attend our annual Kindergarten Grandparents’ Day. Nearly 200

grandparents attended and enjoyed completing activities with their

kindergartners. (Right: Violet Whittington from Mrs. Bryan’s class and

her grandpa enjoying a picture frame-making craft.)

Class of 2016 Visits the Elementary School On the day before Thanksgiving Break, every member of the senior class came to help out at the elementary

school. Teachers appreciated the extra help and students loved having the extra attention.

Giving, Giving, Giving.... Elementary students had a contest to see which class could

donate the most toys and raise the most money for Firefighter

Santa. In all, the elementary students donated over $800 in

donations! Mrs. Lauvray’s class was very generous, so a

representative from her class, Isaiah Johnson, was able to “PIE”

Mrs. Leitnaker! (Left) Students are also donating gifts to

Fairfield County Jobs and Services and canned pet food for

senior citizens’ pet for Meals on Wheels. Students who donate

help to decorate our tree! (See Logan McNulty, right.)

Follow us on at LUelementary

Superhero Social Skills Group In this group we learn how to be the best we can be through managing our emotions, being confident in

who we are, and being good people to the world. We learn how to communicate and what to do in tricky

situations as the superheroes do! The first thing we learned was 6 tips of how to be a superhero!

Tip #1 is my super breath! I

can blow bad feelings away!

Tip # 2 is my superhero pose

that brings me confidence!

Tip #3 is my invisible shield that

blocks mean and harmful words

from getting to me!

Tip #4 is to the bat cave!

This is my place to calm

myself down.

Tip #5 is my super senses! I use

my super senses to calm myself

down by taking everything in.

Tip #6 is I can be a superhero

everyday by helping my teachers,

parents, and my friends.

From the desk of: R. Scott Williamson, Middle School Athletic Director

It is a very exciting time for sports in the middle school as we begin

our winter sports seasons. The wrestling team is training very hard

for their first meet on December 9th at Heath. Our cheerleaders are

doing a great job at the basketball games keeping the home fans

cheering on the team. All four basketball teams look very good early

in the season as they strive to win a league championship.

The fall sports are now completed. The football team had a great

season, finishing with a 6-2 league record. This team has showed

great progress under the direction of Coach Chuck Bauer. The volleyball teams always provides an exciting

evening. The 8th grade had a 10-8 record losing in the semifinals to the league champions. They are coached by

Mrs. Perri Lehman. The 7th grade has a 14-5 record and were crowned MSL champions in the tournament.

This exciting team was coached by Miss Meghan Wilder. The cross country teams had a very good season.

Fifteen of our sixteen members were 7th graders and will return next year. They are coached by Mr. R. Scott

Williamson. The cheerleading squad had another great season as they fired up the crowd at our football games.

The cheerleaders are coached by Mrs. Lexy Peardon.

Pictured is our championship 7th grade girls’ volleyball team.

From the desk of Jennifer Blackstone, Curriculum Director What is CAG?

CAG is a volunteer committee of instructional leaders in the Liberty Union-Thurston Local School

district. CAG stands for the Curriculum Advisory Group. The members attend a monthly meeting to collect

information and report to their respective schools and also assist with the sharing of information with the

Curriculum Director about the instructional needs of the teachers. CAG members assist with planning

professional development opportunities and lead curriculum, instruction, and assessment initiatives within the

district. These are dedicated staff members who take the opportunity to influence curriculum and instructional

decisions in the district.

CAG meeting notes are posted on the Liberty Union-Thurston district website:

http://www.libertyunion.org/administration/3

As a parent or community member, you may keep up to date on the most current Curriculum related

discussions and also contact the Curriculum Director with issues that you would like CAG to discuss.

If you have any questions related to LUT Curriculum, please contact me directly at 740-862-4171 or

blackstonej@libertyunion.org

PROGRESS BOOK Parents wanting a Progress Book account for their child or having a

problem with an existing account should email:

Grades 9-12 email Mr. Tom Duplinsky: duplinskyt@libertyunion.org

Grades 5-8 email Mrs. Elisa Fouts: foutse@libertyunion.org

Grade4 email Mrs Linda Young: lyoung@libertyunion.org

Student account information is available for students in grades 9-12 through Mrs. Debbie

Howdyshell and grades 5-8 through Mrs. Lisa Fouts. Thank you for participating in your child’s

education.

Columbus Blue Jackets Student Achievers

The Columbus Blue Jackets are pleased to announce that our popular program Student

Achievers has returned for the 2015-16 season. As a past participant in this or another Blue

Jackets education program we wanted you to be the first to know about the exciting updates

we have made to the program!

New for the 2015-16 season; students that receive straight A’ s OR improve a full letter grade

in one subject over the course of a grading period are eligible to receive up to four FREE Blue

Jackets tickets!

How it works: Parents or guardians can log on to www.BlueJackets.com/StudentAchievers to

register. Complete the form by uploading a copy of the student’ s report card. Once a Blue

Jackets representative has verified the achievement, parents will be e-mailed instructions on

how to redeem up to four free tickets to one of the following Blue Jackets home games:

December 8 vs. LA Kings

January 21 vs. Calgary Flames

February 9 vs. NY Islanders

February 25 vs. New Jersey Devils

March 24 vs. Carolina Hurricanes New mayor hopes to lead Baltimore into a brighter future

Senior Journalist Interviews Mayor Elect For the first time in sixteen years, the village of Baltimore will be

welcoming a new mayor. His name is Mr. Brad Nicodemus, and although he

may have only lived in Baltimore for the past eight years, he has acquired a deep

love for the town and the school district. Mr. Nicodemus has a large agenda for

the village during his time in office. He intends to bring new businesses to the

town, along with community events to help bring the citizens together. Mr.

Nicodemus’s main goal during his tenure as mayor is to make life a little easier

for the residents of Baltimore.

When choosing a town to raise his family and looking for a home,

Baltimore was a must for Mr. Nicodemus and his wife. School systems, of

course were at the top of their list and they truly believe that “Liberty Union is

among the best.” This helped make their final decision to begin a family in

Baltimore. As mayor, Mr. Nicodemus feels as though Liberty Union-Thurston

Schools will make the task of getting more people to move into Baltimore. As a father of a kindergartener, he is

even more pleased with their decision of choosing Baltimore and Liberty Union. He thinks that the teaching

staff is wonderful and enjoys the sense of community. Mr. Nicodemus plans to attend as many school events,

stay involved in the community and support the youth, who are Baltimore’s future.

Mr. Nicodemus said, “I want to partner with the schools to build a better community.” He would like to

see a cornerstone that helps bring the community together. Currently, the town Restoration Committee is well

underway with restoring the village Victorian Opera House. Once events can be hosted at the opera house,

Baltimore residents will have a new way to to create a strong close knit community. The building will be able

to various groups for events.

Mr. Nicodemus, owner of Nicodemus Law, would like to see more businesses come to the town. He is

hoping there will be more restaurant options for family dining, and places for teenagers to go hang out. He

welcomes feedback from the residents, including teens. He also wants to bring in businesses that are going to

help our residents. There are many car repair shops in the town however; there is no place for them to order

parts locally. With needed businesses, citizens and businesses can spend more time and money in Baltimore

rather than being forced to travel outside of the village.

Mr. Nicodemus has great plans for the future of Baltimore and truly wants to better the community.

Maggie Turley

Address Label