Liberty Middle School

With the help of Gerald Bailey the Liberty Knights, the Knight Nation was able to raise $2,100 for the Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Organization. For several years now, Liberty has worked hard to bring awareness for the research being done to find a cure in the field of breast cancer. We are proud to be a part of such a wonderful organization. Thank you Knight Nation for all your help and support with this fundraising effort.

Congratulations to Hoai "Ann" Hoang for placing 1st in the Liberty Middle School Spelling Bee and to Raya Cannon for winning the runner-up position. Ann and Raya will go on to the county level to represent Liberty at the Newton County Spelling Bee competition later on in January. Also, a Special Congratulations to all of the semi-finalists for the Liberty Middle School Spelling Bee. AP Sorrell sends each of you a huge High-Five, for a job well done. Good job everyone. The Knight Nation is very proud of each and every one of you.

Congratulations to Liberty Knights own Lauren Parsons for winning first place in the annual FCCLA Chili Cookoff competition. If you see Lauren, please congratulate her on this wonderful accomplishment.

Today, the Knight Nation was able to formally recognize and celebrate our students of the month in the first in-person ceremony since the start of the pandemic. We want to congratulate all our students that are working so hard to show what it means to be a Knight. A special thanks goes to Mr. Gerald Bailey and his Student of the Month Committee, for without their help none of this would have been possible.

Greetings parents... Liberty is currently distributing Chromebooks to those students with their technology form signed by a parent or guardian. If you have not done so, please sign this form and return it with your students as soon as possible.

Liberty Middle School from Covington, GA PLACED SECOND IN THE NATION!!! at the FCCLA National Leadership Conference in San Diego, CA Liberty Middle School FCCLA Knights joined more than 7,000 Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) student members, advisers, and guests at the San Diego Convention Center, June 29-July 3 to participate in the annual National Leadership Conference (NLC). The conference provided Liberty Middle School’s members opportunities for listening to inspiring speakers, attending youth workshops, competing on the national level, and networking with other youth leaders. The theme of this year’s conference was “Make It Count,” which inspired attendees to share how they make it count while exploring career opportunities, developing leadership skills, and growing personally while making a difference in their families and communities. In Competitive Events, Liberty Middle School FCCLA Knights placed in Top 3 in 2 categories, Top 10 in 1 Category, and Top 20 in 2 Categories! Liberty Middle School’s VP of Membership and GA FCCLA Region 6 Officer, Zamya Delamar facilitated a highly engaging and informative Youth Workshop entitled “Perfection in Progress” for the FCCLA NLC attendees. The workshop gave attendees invaluable tips on how to prepare for public speaking opportunities and how to track their progress. “I am very proud of all my students for their accomplishments, and the strides they have made to becoming great leaders. My heart was overwhelmed witnessing my students being recognized on the national stage. I’m sure the 2022 FCCLA NLC experience will be an inspiration for the students to strive for and accomplish more in their future both academically and within the community, said Felicia Wright Hodges, FCCLA Chapter Adviser for Liberty Middle School. “We would like to give a hearty THANK YOU to all our sponsors and partners for making this trip possible: Newton County Board of Commissioners, Double Good Popcorn Fundraising, Newton County Schools BOE/CTAE Director Dr. Tim Schmitt, Liberty Middle School/Principal Malcolm Brown, Your Pie of Covington, Zaxby’s # 35405, Probate Judge of Newton County Melanie Bell, Dr. Keith Stevens, and a host of family and friends.”

It’s been a tremendous year of accolades and amazing accomplishments for the Liberty Middle School Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) club members, who culminated the school year by being named the Georgia FCCLA Middle School Chapter of the Year! “We are elated to receive the highest honor for a middle school chapter,” said Felicia Hodges, Liberty Middle School FCCLA adviser. “Honestly, that has been our goal every school year. However, every year I explain to the chapter that success is not achieved accidentally. Success is achieved through hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, adapting, sacrifice, and most importantly the love of what you are doing.” In addition to the Chapter of the Year award, Hodges received the 2022 Adviser Mentor Award, which recognizes advisers who have been successful in achieving Master Adviser Recognition, devoting two years to new adviser assistance, assuming adult leadership roles in FCCLA, conducting adviser workshops, attending training workshops and using national and state FCCLA resources. “I am honored to receive the Adviser Mentor Award,” she said. “It fills my heart with joy to be able to provide new advisers with the resources needed to encourage, enlighten and inspire student leaders to realize the power they have within to make a difference not only in their own lives, but also in the lives of their families and communities.” According to Hodges, there are over 20,000 Georgia FCCLA members and over 200 Georgia FCCLA chapters and Liberty Middle School’s organization walked away with several of the highest honors from the recent Georgia FCCLA State Leadership Conference, earning them the opportunity to compete at the National FCCLA Leadership Conference in San Diego, California later this year. "I am overjoyed and very proud about my students' accomplishments,” said Hodges. “Not just because they advanced to Nationals, but also because each team had challenges they faced yet, they made a conscience decision to overcome the challenges and to strive for the gold! I started beaming when I saw the students were stepping into their own power and their true authentic selves as leaders.” Liberty Middle School eighth-grader, Zamya Delamar earned the 2022 Region 6 Officer Award. According to Hodges, being a region officer involves a tremendous amount of time, commitment, and responsibility to the organization. The school organization was also named a Stand UP-National Program State Winner and a Georgia FCCLA Honor Roll Program with Distinction. Honor Roll chapters are the most dedicated, committed, involved in all of FCCLA’s programs, events, and activities. Several Liberty FCCLA students also brought home gold medals at the recent State Competition and earned the right to compete at the National FCCLA competition. Clarkston Lowe and Nina Ware earned Gold for their Chapter in RRRRDisplay and Tamaya Duncombe and Kylah Thomas brought home gold for their project, “Food Innovations—It’s Buzzin’”. All four also placed first as national qualifiers in the state. In addition, Kanya Kossonou brought home a gold medal for “Entrepreneurship—K & K Cosmetics” and Emily Armendariz and Lauren Parsons teamed up for “Jeans & Things’ in the Repurpose & Redesign category. Kossonou, Armendariz, and Parsons also qualified for the National Competition. Alexcia Delamar competed in the National Online STAR event and qualified to compete at the National Leadership Conference with her project, “Did You Hear What Happened to Olivia” in the Digital Stories for Change category. In addition to the gold awards, Zamya Delamar and Aaliyah Parsons brought home the second place award along with $75 for their project “Digital Delish Dish—The Ooey Gooey Butternut Squash and Cauliflower Mac n Cheese.” “Liberty's FCCLA chapter had a very impressive year and I am proud of the hard work put in by our students and their adviser,” said Dr. Tim Schmitt, NCSS Director of CTAE and Workforce Innovation. “Student leadership and competitive skill development is a cornerstone of Newton County's Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education program and Liberty serves as an example for others to follow.” As Liberty Middle School FCCLA members prepare for their trip to the National Leadership Conference, the program is seeking donations and sponsorships to help offset the cost of the trip. The team has estimated they will need $1,200 per FCCLA member to fully fund this exciting endeavor. Anyone interested in sponsoring a member and/or the chapter should contact Ms. Felicia Hodges at [email protected] or Dr. Tim Schmitt at [email protected].

Congratulations to the following students for placing in the top tier of the Science Fair Competition. 1st Place--Marc Goring, Devin Smalls, Jonathan Phillips, Payton Tremblay 2nd Place--Shi'Nara Robinson, Madisen Joseph, Jeremiah Campbell 3rd Place -- Payton Tremblay Honorable Mention in the Junior Division Devin Smalls and Marc Goring Jonathan Phillips

Congratulations to Layla Albert for winning the Liberty Spelling Bee Competition. She won the top prize amongst a pool of over 900 students. We would also like to give an honorable mention to Kimberly Martinez and Tristen Haynes-Brown for being the runner-ups in the competition. Go on to make us proud in the county competition in December.

Congratulations on our Liberty Knights Football team for bringing home the NewRock Championship trophy to its rightful place. We are proud of each and every one of you for working hard for this victory both on the field and in the classroom. Keep up the hard work and lets show the world why "Once a Knight, Always a Knight!" rings true.

The Knight Nation is pleased to announce that our FCCLA group, spearheaded by Ms. Felicia Hodges, has brought home 1st place in all four FLC Competitions from their annual Georgia FCCLA Fall Leadership conference. Congratulations to the following students for placing 1st in their respective categories. Zamya Delamar in the New Membership Recruitment Display. Kennadi Drew Wilson & Nina Ware in the Pen It. Print It. Present It (Through the Vine Children's Book). Tamaya Duncombe for the Fashion Stylist. Clarkston Lowe in the Preserve and Serve Okra. Congrats to all you Liberty Knights on a wonderful job.

At a special called board meeting for personnel action on Wednesday, July 14, the Newton County Board of Education approved the promotion of Mr. Malcolm Brown to principal of Liberty Middle School. He will replace Ms. Keisa Vincent, who accepted the position of Newton County School System (NCSS) Director of Transportation. Mr. Brown currently serves as an assistant principal at Liberty Middle School. "I am excited to step into the role of principal of Liberty Middle School,” said Brown. “I look forward to working with all stakeholders to build a culture of high expectations for all students." Mr. Brown earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with honors from Georgia State University (GSU) in 2001 and a Master’s in Middle School Math and Science Education from GSU in 2007. He earned his Education Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership from Liberty University in 2011 and is currently working on his Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction at Liberty. Mr. Brown began his career in education as a science teacher for the DeKalb County School System in 2003. He later taught science in both the Henry County School System and Atlanta Public Schools before joining the Newton County School System team as an assistant principal at Liberty Middle School in 2015. He has worked for NCSS and Liberty Middle School ever since. “With his extensive experience, I am confident that Mr. Brown will continue the culture of high expectations at Liberty Middle School and I am sure that his knowledge, care, and commitment will lead to continued student and staff success at the school,” said Samantha Fuhrey, NCSS Superintendent of Schools.

It is with great honor and respect that the Knight Nation publicly announces that Mrs. Teraye Law, 8th grade science teacher, is our 2020-2021 Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Law has been a pivotal foundation block to the success of the Knight Nation. She is a dedicated and hard worker that truly cares for our students. Her high energy no non-sense approach to teaching has led our students to rank among the highest achievers in the field of science. We are very proud of you Mrs. Law and all you have done for the Knight Nation. It is our absolute pleasure to have you represent Liberty as the 2020-2021 Teacher of the Year.

VIDEO: Superintendent Samantha Fuhrey Presents Coin of Distinction to Christian Swope It was just a typical day at Liberty Middle School. Sixth-grader, Christian Swope, was eating his lunch in his class Wednesday when he sensed a classmate was in danger. He instantly recognized the signs that his friend was choking and couldn’t breathe. Christian ran to his aid, performed the Heimlich maneuver, and successfully dislodged the food from his friend’s throat before a tragedy could occur. He is only 12 years old. “My friend was choking and couldn’t breathe,” said Christian. “My Auntie is a nurse and she taught us how to do CPR and the Heimlich so I wasn’t scared because I knew what to do.” “I have a skeleton that I bought during nursing school so last year I taught my boys how to do different safety moves,” explained Christian’s very proud Auntie, Ms. Mercy Aguilar. “I was just so ecstatic and shocked when I found out. When you get a call from the school during the day you don’t expect it to be good news. I was just speechless and absolutely proud when they told me what he did. He actually saved a life.” She added, “When I was teaching both of them the safety moves, I never in my wildest dreams thought they would ever put them to use. But he did. I’m absolutely proud of him. He actually got it and was effective using the maneuver.” After the frightening experience when they determined his friend would be okay, Christian said his classmates, “called me a lifesaver and they clapped for me.” When asked how he felt Christian said, “I feel good. And I feel proud of myself. When I got home my auntie called me a hero.” Liberty Middle School Principal, Keisa Vincent, thinks young Christian is a hero, too. “Christian stepped in and took charge of the situation and saved his friend’s life,” said Vincent. “In a situation where many adults may have panicked, Christian was calm and knew what to do. To know how to do the Heimlich maneuver at 12-years old is amazing. He’s definitely a hero in my book.” When Newton County School System Superintendent Samantha Fuhrey learned of Christian’s actions she made it a point to meet him. Thursday morning, she paid a surprise visit to Liberty Middle School to meet Christian and present him with her Superintendent’s Coin of Distinction. “This coin is reserved for the individuals who go above and beyond because it’s the right thing to do; they are selfless and demonstrate their commitment to others through their actions and words,” Fuhrey explained to Christian as she presented him the coin. “Very few people receive the Superintendent’s Coin of Distinction, but you get it because you’re a hero. You saved someone’s life when you performed the Heimlich maneuver in the classroom and that is most definitely worthy of the Superintendent’s Coin of Distinction.” “He’s a remarkable young man,” Fuhrey noted. “I am beyond proud of him. I reserve the Coin of Distinction for only the best of the best, and Christian definitely meets the criteria.” Fuhrey has only awarded the Coin of Distinction to those who exceed expectations and relatively few coins have been presented during her tenure as school superintendent as it is saved as her highest honor. Students in a class at South Salem Elementary School received coins when they worked together to rescue their teacher, who had a medical emergency on the playground. In another instance, she travelled to Henry County Schools to reward a student who stopped a high school baseball game in the midst of an at-bat to comfort an Eastside High School pitcher whose father has passed away unexpectedly after a medical emergency at a prior game. Most notably, Fuhrey awarded her Coin of Distinction to American civil rights hero, the late Dr. Frederick Douglas Reese who was a member of Selma’s “Courageous Eight”. “That’s how elite Christian is---he shares this recognition with Dr. Reese! It really is a very unique award,” said Fuhrey. “So congratulations to Christian on a job well done. I hope his coin serves as a reminder of just how extraordinary he is.”

Today, 6 of our Boys Advancing to Men (B.A.M.) members went to South Salem Elementary, in order to read to Kindergartners for Dr. Seuss Day. The students were met with a warm reception and found the experience to be very rewarding. We are extremely proud to partner with our sister school, in an effort to help our own students grow up to be honorable members of society.

This past Saturday, the LMS FCCLA's chapter traveled to Augusta, GA, to compete in the Region 6 STAR Events Competitions. I am so proud to announce that 8 teams out of 9 qualified to compete at the GA FCCLA State Conference March 20-22, in Atlanta. Please help me CONGRATULATE the following students: Chapter in Review Display: Mariah Cunningham - 8th RECEIVED GOLD! Entrepreneurship: Cerenity Christopher - 8th, Mylasia Cole - 8th, Paige Jones - 6th RECEIVED GOLD! Event Management: Kayla Bennett-7th RECEIVED SILVER! Interpersonal Communications: Kayla Parsons-8th; Aaliyah Parsons-6th; Zamya Delamar-6th RECEIVED GOLD! National Programs in Action (STOP the Violence): Clarkston Lowe-6th RECEIVED SILVER! Nutrition and Wellness: Shanell Edie - 7th RECEIVED SILVER! Professional Presentation: Shamiya Dawson - 8th, Ta'Riyah Williams - 8th RECEIVED GOLD! Repurpose and Redesign: Addison Armendariz - 7th, Emily Armendariz - 6th, Jennifer Alston - 6th RECEIVED SILVER!

Business and Computer Science - Kiera Bridges (8th) Family and Consumer Science - Mariah Cunningham (8th) The Knight Nation would like to congratulate our very own Keira Bridges and Mariah Cunningham for being nominated for Students of the Year for the Newton Co. School System. These young ladies will participate in the Newton County CTAE Awards Night, February 27 at the Porter Performing Arts Center. During the awards night, the ladies will respectively compete for the title of Newton County Business and Computer Science Student of the Year or Newton County Family and Consumer Science Student of the Year. Ultimately, these young ladies will be competing for the Newton County Middle School Overall CTAE Student of the Year! Please congratulate these students when you see them and wish them luck.

Liberty Brings Home Social Studies Awards

Liberty Middle School Staff and Students proudly donated $2,250 to the Susan B Komen Breast Cancer Search for the Cure organization. We believe that their is a cure for this terrible disease and we are excited about supporting this organization in the search for its cure. Thank you to everyone that contributed to this cause. Next year is going to be even bigger.

he AdvancED Global Commission has approved Newton County School System (NCSS) and each of its schools for accreditation.

Chelsea Williams of Liberty Middle School and Ava Jane Teasley of Eastside High School are Newton County School System’s 2019 CTAE (Career, Technical and Agricultural Education) Students of the year!

GREAT NEWS!!!!! This weekend Liberty participated

Congratulations to our Liberty Knights for bringing home the silver and bronze in 8 categories of the Regional Social Studies Fair that was held at the University of North Georgia on Saturday February 23rd.

Liberty FBLA members place 1st in Regional Competitions and are headed to the state competitions in February.

Liberty Middle School does it again. At the beginning of the robotic season Liberty set out to take all its teams to state.

Congratulations to the 7th Grade Liberty Knights for winning the first ever Liberty Learning Commons Know Your Band Competition.

November 12-16 is American Education Week! This year’s American Education Week theme is Great Public Schools: A Basic Right and OUR Responsibility.

The Knight Nation cannot express enough how proud we am of OUR scholars!

Congratulations to the Liberty Robotics Team for placing 2nd in the Robotics competition over the weekend.

Tuesday, November 6th will be a Teacher Work Day.

Congratulations to our October Students of the Month.

In a close game against Cousins Middle, Liberty thru

Innovations for Learning (IFL) is partnering with Newton County School

Desktops 4 Ed is a computer refurbishing program sponsored by Newton County Schools and the Newton College & Career Academy's Future Business Leaders of America student organization.

Today, the Newton County School System along with Liberty Middle School launched their brand new website. These websites should make it much easier for stakeholders

Congratulations to all the participates of the Knights of the Apollo. It was such a fun filled night. Full of singing, dancing, interpreted dance and even comedy. The Knight Nation is so proud of all of you. You are why we are the number 1 school in Newton County.

Congratulations to our wonderful Liberty Knights for receiving the September Student of the Month awards. We are so proud of each and every one of you for this awesome accomplishment.

Welcome back students... We hope you had a restful summer

Congratulations to Mrs. Felicia Hodges for being

Congratulations to all Rising 9th Graders.