The Liberty Ledger

Weekly newsletter providing families with the important updates and report of events happening at Liberty Middle School.

Important Dates:

• Monday, October 13- School Closed (Staff Development Day)
• Wednesday, October 15- PTA Chipotle Night 
• Thursday, October 16- MWEE (Onsite 7th Grade Field Trip)
• Thursday, October 17- MWEE (Onsite 7th Grade Field Trip)
• Monday, October 20- School Closed (Holiday)
• Thursday, October 23- NJHS Induction Ceremony
• Friday, October 24- PTA Trunk or Treat
• Friday, October 31- End of Quarter Early Release at 12:15 p.m.

National Principals Month: October is National Principals Month, and we’re excited to give a huge shout-out to our incredible leader, Principal Adam Erbrecht! At Liberty Middle School, our principal leads with heart, vision, and dedication each day. Whether he’s welcoming students at the door, supporting instruction, uplifting teachers, or making sure our community feels connected and informed, Mr. Erbrecht brings kindness and commitment to everything he does. Let’s take a moment to thank him for all he does to make Liberty a place where EVERYONE can learn, grow, and thrive. Feel free to send him a note, leave a sticky of appreciation in the main office, or just share a kind word when you see him! Thank you Principal Erbrecht for leading the Liberty Lions!

Early Release Bell Schedule:

Our first early release will be Friday, October 31- End of Quarter at 12:15 PM. See student bell schedule below.

MWEE (Meaningful Watershed): We need chaperones to help with our MWEE (Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience). This year, Liberty Middle School 7th graders will be attending a watershed field experience on-site. The following dates are (UPDATED DATES) :  Thursday, October 16 Thursday, October 17 If you would like to volunteer, please email Julie White at Jawhite2@fcps.edu to schedule your date(s). You must be a Parent/Guardian or Grandparent of student attending MWEE. Thank you!

Materials Review Committee:

We are seeking parent volunteers to serve on our Materials Review Committee. Committee members will read or watch the texts that teachers submit for approval to ensure that it is age appropriate for students. We will also meet monthly to discuss the texts prior to completing the required forms.

Please reach out to Maggie Wickham at mpwickham@fcps.edu if interested in serving on the committee this year.

Procedures for Kiss and Ride:

Parents should always enter and exit from the 2^nd entrance closest to Compton Road. The bus entrance is for buses, not kiss and ride. Please follow the signs and directions of school staff. Students may exit their vehicles starting at 7:05AM.

Please remember SAFETY and PATIENCE when dropping off (7:05AM) or picking up your student in the Kiss and Ride loop. Students will not be allowed in the building until 7:10. If they are allowed in due to weather or other reasons, students must report to the cafeteria until 7:10.

Always enter and exit the kiss and ride loop at the second entrance closer to Compton Road. In the mornings, please pull all the way around to the last kiss and ride sign that tells you to stop. This allows us to unload several cars at once instead of only a few when a car stops in the middle of the loop. Give other cars time and wait for them to pull out. This means do not pass on the inside lane. Staff will direct you around slow or stalled cars. Safety is our #1 priority.

If possible, your student may walk or ride the bus.  

In the afternoons, drivers may line up in the kiss and ride circle. Students will be dismissed at 2:15 and report to the kiss and ride circle. Staff will direct cars out safely, as soon as the student is in the car. Thank you very much for your patience and cooperation!

World Language Credit By Exam (WLCBE):

• In response to the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of our community, students in grades 7-12 are offered the opportunity to take the World Languages Credit By Exam (WLCBE). The WLCBE assesses language proficiency in languages other than English and recognizes the strengths that our students bring as effective communicators in multiple languages.
• Students who wish to take the exam should be able to proficiently understand and communicate in the testing language, and will be asked to listen, read, speak, and either write/type or, for American Sign Language, sign/interpret. For more information on how to prepare for the exam and scoring criteria you may visit our website: World Languages Credit By Exam
• Students interested in taking the WLCBE should complete the pre-registration form: Liberty MS-FCPS WLCBE Fall 2025 Pre-Registration Interest Form
• Registration closes: Friday, October 17th. 
• WLCBE Test Date: Thursday, November 13^th.
• Questions can be directed to student’s counselor or school testing coordinator
• Last Name A-F - Quesuan Wigfall
• Last Name G-Moo - Shirley Alvarez-Leon
• Last Name Mop-Z - Raychal Hart
• STC - Amber Wickstrom

Liberty Yearbook:

Don't miss out on capturing all the great memories from this school year! Now's the perfect time to order your yearbook and lock in the best price.

Yearbook prices will increase throughout the year, so the sooner you order, the more you'll save. Here are the deadlines and pricing:

Payments can be made online in MySchoolBucks:
https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/login/postlogin.action

• September 16, 2025 – January 9, 2026: $26

• January 10, 2026 – April 10, 2026: $30

• April 11, 2026 – June 30, 2026: $38

Fall Full-Time AAP Screening:

Parents and teachers interested in referring students for the fall full-time AAP screening must submit a full-time AAP referral form to the school’s Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART) by October 15, 2025. Fall 2025 screening is only available to students newly enrolled in FCPS after January 1, 2025, who were not screened in Spring 2025.

For information pertaining to the screening process, testing and identification timeline or identification and placement, please contact Laura Ballou at liballou@fcps.edu.

FCPS 2025 Bond Referendum: 

Why Are Bonds Needed to Fund FCPS Construction Projects? The building and renovation of schools are not financed through the FCPS’ operating funds, but through bonds. Similar to an individual or a family obtaining a mortgage on a residence to spread the cost of home buying over several years, bonds spread the cost of major capital improvements over a number of years. This ensures that current and future residents and users share in the payment. 

This approach is good for our taxes, too. If capital construction were financed out of current tax revenues on a pay-as-you-go basis, projects would need to be paid for in a much shorter time frame, likely reducing other county services or necessitating tax increases. Fortunately, the county’s bonded debt is not likely to be a contributing factor to any increase in local taxes. 

A bond referendum to benefit FCPS will be on the ballot this Election Day, Tuesday, November 4. It represents an investment by the community into the facilities everyone uses — whether for school or to gather as a community.

Read more about the FCPS 2025 Bond Referendum. Learn more about registering to vote. Make a voting plan and vote on Tuesday, November 4. 

Red Bag Event: Our school is partnering with Food For Neighbors to help feed our local students who deal with food insecurity outside of school hours. Even in an area as wealthy as Northern Virginia, one in four kids are struggling with hunger. Food For Neighbors is a local organization addressing this problem by collecting food from our community via the Red Bag Program and donating directly to our local schools. The food is then distributed to the students every week through our food pantry. We hope you will consider participating in the Red Bag food collection program. You can make a difference in a local student’s life by simply adding a few extra items to your shopping cart every two months. Here’s how it works: 1. Request a reusable Red Bag here and Food For Neighbors will drop it off at your house. 2. Fill the Red Bag with food items that are listed on a tag on that bag. 3. Put the Red Bag outside your front door in the morning on the next bag collection day. Collection dates are also listed on the bag tag. And don’t worry, FFN will send reminders. Your Red Bag will be picked up from your house, the food sorted at a local school and delivered directly to our school food pantry.  For more information on the Red Bag program click here.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Student Services or our Family Liaison.

This week in the Liberty Library:

Library Spotlight!

Our library has new seating this year! Thanks in part to our PTA, students can work at high-top tables, a comfy couch, or smaller round tables.

It's the perfect set-up for our Learning Center, an after-school program twice a week where student can stay to work on assignments and get support from staff members. 

October Library Calendar:

For questions about our Liberty Library, please contact our Lead Librarian Maggie Wickham.

After-School Program:

AFTER-SCHOOL REGISTRATION

*FCPS MS Interscholastic Sports*

CRITICAL & NEW this year - Any student that wishes to play on a team that will play another school, must complete the following...

• MS Sports Registration Link for Fall 2025 - Filled in by the family for each student.(siblings completed separately for everything)
• PPE- NEW Forms  (FCPS Middle School Sports Athletic Participation/Parental Consent/Evaluation Form) Families need to turn in at least pages 1,2,3.  This includes the physical form your child's doctor needs to complete.  
• ANY physical done on or after July 1st, 2025, must be on the NEW forms. Old forms dated after July 1st, 2025, will not be accepted
• Emergency Care Form-  A new form filled in for every student is required for every season

Hard copies of all forms can be picked up in the main office or outside the After-School Office (D122).  A parent meeting will be set up for our families before the first games/meets.  

Students have a variety of interests, and our After-School Program tries to match our activities to meet these. We would appreciate student input as we hire staff, contract with outside vendors and schedule our activities. Please speak with your student and use the form below to note activities your student would like to participate in After-School. No promises, but it will help us plan for the school year.

Student Panel "Thriving at CVHS" Oct 14 PTSA

October 14 - PTSA Meeting, “Thriving at CVHS” Student Panel: 

The Centreville High School PTSA invites you to their next meeting on Tuesday, October 14 at 7:00 PM in the Centreville High School Library for a special student panel, "Thriving at Centreville High." Hear directly from current juniors and seniors as they share their unique journeys and tips for making high school both successful and enjoyable. As a future Wildcat, this panel is a great opportunity to gain insight, ask questions, and feel inspired. All students and families are welcome!

Student Services Team

Shirley Alvarez-Leon, Liberty Counselor (Last names G-Moo)

Valerie Peters, Director of Student Services 

Quesuan Wigfall, Liberty Counselor (Last names A-F)