Liberty Senior High School

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Liberty High School
Liberty High School
Facts and Figures
School type Public
Established 1977
Principal Mike Deletis
Students 1,276 (As of 2005)
Mascot
Colors		 Patriots
Silver, Green & Blue
Location 16655 SE 136th St
Renton, WA 98059
Information (425)837-4906
Website http://www.liberty.issaquah.wednet.edu Official Site

Liberty Senior High School, also known as Liberty High School or LHS, is a secondary school located on the border of East Renton Highlands and Issaquah, Washington, USA. Founded in 1977, Liberty anchors the southern region of the Issaquah School District. This affluent school takes in students predominantly from Newcastle and Issaquah, but also portions of the East Renton Highlands. Liberty is part of the Kingco 3A league and has two main rivals, the Issaquah High School Eagles and the Hazen High School Highlanders from nearby Renton, Washington.

Liberty is known for its strong focus on academics and extracurricular activities. The school is rich with tradition and spirit which is known to have a strong presence at sporting events. Liberty is consistently ranked as one of Washington State's top performing high schools, both academically and in athletics. In 2004, the Seattle Times ranked Liberty in the top tier of "Best college prep schools". The Seattle Times school guide also ranked Liberty in the highest category for "Toughest high schools". The school is well known for its solid and challenging Advanced Placement classes. Liberty’s eight-period day allows students to explore various rigorous classes.

The "College in the High School" program offers students both high school and college credits in Psychology, Spanish, French, and English. The addition of 10th grade World History brings total AP offerings to over 15 classes. Honors classes are offered through the English, Social Studies, and Science departments.

Contents

[edit] National Blue Ribbon School

In the 1998-1999 school year, Liberty received the award as the National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. Liberty was recognized at the national level in Washington DC on April 21, 1999. Representatives Edmonds, Kagi, Dickerson, Wensman, Ballasiotes, Pflug, Kenney, McIntire, Thomas, Hankins, Esser and Fortunato proclaimed, "WHEREAS, Liberty High School encapsulates the ideals and beliefs that lie at the heart of the community it serves, and embraces core beliefs honoring personal dignity, quality and excellence in performance, moral and ethical courage, and individual capacity for flexibility and growth. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives encourage every student, parent, teacher, school, and community throughout Washington to emulate the outstanding example and national recognition achieved by our National Blue Ribbon School."

[edit] School achievements

The National Blue Ribbon School
The National Blue Ribbon School
  • The National Blue Ribbon School in 1999.
  • The class of 2006 sent four students to two of the top universities in the world; two whom attend Stanford University and two others at Duke University. Also, 68 students furthered their education at the University of Washington.
  • Received top honors in 2006, as one of the best schools for theater productions in the state. The Patriot Players—Liberty’s talented group of student actors—received numerous accolades at the 5th Avenue High School Musical Theatre Awards for their production of Seussical. Designed as a high school version of the Tony Awards, the 5th Avenue Awards program honors high school students throughout Washington who put on quality musical theater entertainment. All nominees are invited to the annual awards show at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle. In addition to being asked to perform on stage during the ceremony, the Patriot Players won Best Chorus and Best Costume Design. Teacher Katherine Klekas took home Best Director. Seussical was also nominated in eight other categories: Outstanding Overall Musical Production, Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Group, Outstanding Choreography, Outstanding Music Direction, Outstanding Orchestra, Outstanding Lighting Design, Outstanding Hair and Makeup Design, and Outstanding Stage Crew.
  • Top culinary art school in the State of Washington during the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 school year. Went on to compete at the national level in North Carolina and became a well-known program around the nation. The culinary program recently opened a restaurant in the school commons called, "The L Cafe". Liberty's culinary art team defended their title in March during this years state championship. The Culinary Arts Program follows the ProStart curriculum designed by the National Restaurant Education Foundation. Students are eligible to earn 15 college credits through the Tech Prep program as they learn culinary techniques and business skills, then practice those skills by running a restaurant in the school. Students have earned top honors and scholarships at local, state, and national competitions.
  • Consistently ranked as the best high school newspaper in the state of Washington during the 02-03, 03-04, 04-05 and 05-06 school years. In 2005 and 2006, the school's newspaper called The Patriot Press received top honor as the best high school newspaper in Washington State. The Patriot Press Staff recently won two scholastic journalism awards: Honorable mention in the overall excellence category of the Edward R. Murrow journalism contest at Washington State University and first place for overall newspaper excellence in the Washington Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists contest.
  • Liberty is well known for its T.I.P. (Technology Information Project) program, which was created by faculty member, Don Robertson. This nationally recognized program is a model for computer networking, support and applications. Students can earn A+ industry certification and community-college credit. It has prepared many students for jobs after college and high school who are interested in working with computer networking. Conceived in the 1990s, the T.I.P. magnet program launched the school into the technology age and made Liberty one of the most technologically advanced high schools. The T.I.P. program has been adopted by many other high schools around the nation.
  • In 2005, Liberty competed against 12 other area high school to collect the most clothes in a fundraiser that was sponsored by the Seattle Seahawks. Liberty collected over 12,000 lbs. of clothing, nearly double the amount collected by any other school.
  • In the spring of 2006, the Unarmed Drill team and Air Rifle team of the school's NJROTC unit traveled to Mountain View High School, in Bend, Oregon for competition in Pacific northwest Drill and Rifle Conference's regional competition.
  • Beginning 2005, Liberty hired a new band instructor and has since revived the program by winning numerous awards. The Liberty marching band has made appearances in Chicago, Spokane, Portland, Vancouver and Victoria.

[edit] Curriculum

  • LHS offers core curriculum in English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Fine Arts, Foreign Languages, Music and Naval Science. Honors English may be taken in 9th and 10th grades, Honors Physics may be taken in 10th, 11th or 12th grades, Honors World Studies in 9th grade and Honors European Studies in 10th grade. Advanced Placement courses offered include: AP World History, AP English Literature (12th Grade), AP English Language (11th Grade), AP Calculus (AB & BC), AP Biology, AP U.S. History (11th grade), AP Spanish, AP French, AP Studio Art, AP Psychology, AP Government and AP Computer Science. College-in-the High School is offered through Calculus, Psychology, French and Spanish. Tech-Prep courses are offered in a variety of career and technical education programs.

[edit] Improving Student Achievement

  • Several newly adopted instructional strategies have positively affected Liberty’s learning environment. Staff emphasizes critical thinking skills in all classes at all grade levels which has increased our WASL test scores. WASL scores for 2004-05 increased in every subject. Students gained the most in Math, going from 53% mastery to 65% student mastery of this subject area. Liberty’s goal is to increase all WASL scores to over 70% mastery by the end of this school year.

[edit] Class schedule

  • The modified-block schedule implemented at LHS in 1995 consists of two four-period days with each period lasting 88-90 minutes. Students have the opportunity to take eight classes per semester. The modified-block schedule alternates throughout the calendar year, with students attending periods 1 through 4 on “A” days and periods 5-8 on “B” days. Each semester class passed equals .5 credit. Students generally take 7 classes plus a guided study or 8 classes per semester. The typical credits earned per semester are 3.5 to 4.0 credits and for the academic year, 7.0 to 8.0 credits.

[edit] What's new

  • A 15.2 million dollar addition and modernization to Liberty High School passed the February 7th, 2006 ballot measure for the Issaquah School District. A construction timetable will be released as to when they will construct 10 new classrooms, 2 new science classrooms, an additional wrestling room, expansion of the core facilities and a new state of the art performing arts center.
  • 2005-06 was the first year for a new Algebra I math program based on individually paced computer learning supervised by a highly qualified math instructor. This course, combined with new after-school study programs, compliments our increased academic focus.
  • 2006-07 brings a new English Language Learner (ELL) program, additional College in the High School classes, and new AP courses.
  • School goal: By the year 2007, more than 70% of the students will pass the math portion of the WASL.
  • New administration was chosen for the 2006-2007 school year. Former principal Kevin Davis, was replaced by Mike Deletis and Marsha Denton. Although Liberty ranks in the top 6% in the state for highest test scores, parents were still dissatisfied, thus resulting in a new admininstration.
  • The new administration's main objectives include:
    • Raise test scores
    • Have a strong administration presence throughout the school
    • Eliminate the communication barrier between parents, students and staff.

[edit] History

  • Opened in 1977 with grades 10 through 12. Transitioned to a four-year high school with grade 9 through 12 in 1984. Current enrollment is 1,276 students.
  • Liberty's school colors of silver, green and blue, were inspired by the Seattle Seahawks football team which was established a year before the school opened.
  • Before the economic boom that hit Washington State in the 1990s Liberty High School was Issaquah's small "other" high school. However, in 1988 Liberty won the state championship in football. In 1990 the PJAZZ ensemble won top awards at the Mt. Hood and Green River Jazz festivals. Also the hit Musical 42nd Street garnered region wide attendance, requiring an extra weekend of performances to meet the demand for tickets. Even in the days when Liberty was a semi-rural working class high school, excellence was evident.
  • Liberty is well known for it's "Alligator" cheer which was started in 1988, and is still used today at many sporting events.
  • In 1999, the school went under extensive modernizations and upgrades.
  • In 2004-2005, Liberty was the first Washington school to introduce "Challenge day". Challenge Day is a program designed to bring forth individual natural leadership and empower youth to become part of the solution. By taking part in powerful exercises, students identify hurts and learn ways to promote healthy emotional expression and conflict resolution, how to reduce stereotypes and racial, gender, and socio-economic tensions. Although very expensive, this program has been adopted my many other schools across the state.

[edit] Athletics

  • Liberty High School is a member of KingCo 3A Conference in Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. There are 21 sports in LHS played in 3 different seasons, and Cheer, Dance and Drill for all seasons. Student-athletes of LHS compete in sportsmanship and gain a wide range of success. The Cheer and Drill team are always seen at the state competitions where they are known to have a strong and intimidating presence. The Liberty Drill Team is one of the oldest in the state - The team has won the most "superior" awards, the highest ranking given, out of any other high school drill team. Other strong athletic teams include Football, Rugby, Men and Woman’s swimming, wrestling, Baseball and Girls Softball.
  • In 1999 the mens and womens soccer teams were ranked among the top ten high school soccer teams in the nation.
  • Liberty's Ray Reeves Gymnasium is the largest high school gym in the state of Washington. In 1999, the gymnasium was remodeled and an adjoining building was added to create a higher seating capacity. The Ray Reeves Gymnasium holds regional high school sporting events throughout the year.

[edit] Extracurricular Activities

  • Student newspaper (The Patriot Press), Yearbook, DECA, Honor society, LINK crew, Mock Trial, Culinary Arts Team, NJROTC and nine related teams/clubs, Sports Medicine Team, Drill Team, Cheer Staff, Thrift Store Club, Key Club, Squabble club, Renaissance, Dance Team, Amnesty International, and Flag team.

[edit] Special Programs

  • Greenhouse program - Learning Resource Center students have a dedicated, hands-on opportunity for learning located on the campus. A greenhouse and planting area provide concrete centers around which revolve lessons on horticulture, greenhouses, gardening and landscaping. Teamwork, work-place safety, ethics, and good work habits are emphasized as part of a larger goal, which is to learn how to get and keep a job.
  • Welding
  • Ceramics
  • Industrial Design
  • Teaching academy
  • Video in the digital age
  • Culinary arts
  • Introduction to engineering

[edit] Notable alumni and students

  • Tim Lincecum -- (class of 2004) Led Liberty to the 3A State title in 2003. Went on to play for the University of Washington baseball program through his junior year and was a 1st round pick in 2006 for the San Francisco Giants and tenth overall in the draft. After two good seasons at UW, he emerged as the top player in the nation, going 12-4 with a 1.94 E.R.A. 199 strikeouts in 125 2/3 innings, earning him the 2006 Golden Spikes Award, which is annually awarded to the best amateur baseball player in the nation.
  • Lagatila Reynolds -- (class of 1999) Played baseball at the University of Washington and went on to play in the majors for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
  • Brett Grandstrand -- (class of 2001) Played for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
  • Mkristo Bruce -- (class of 2002) Football defensive end and NFL prospect from the Washington State Cougars.
  • Chrissy Hughes -- (class of 2008) A current student at Liberty who placed 6th in the national figure skating championships and is now a 2010 Olympic hopeful.

[edit] Mission

  • Inspire the desire to grow.

[edit] Fight Song

Come on and fight for Liberty High,
honor and glory we'll never die!
PAT-RI-OT pride will shine,
through while cheering our teams on from our school!
Give it your all and fight till the end,
Patriot spirit we will defend!
FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT for Liberty
and lead us to VICTORY!
L-I-B-E-R-T-Y

[edit] Alma mater

Four years together in our school with all our hearts abide,
by graduation torn apart we are scattered far and wide.
Yet still when two or three shall meet,
the memories will hold true.
We'll sing about the PAT-RI-OTS
in silver, green and blue.

[edit] Demographics

  • Student Population: 1,276
  • Gender:
53% Male
47% Female
  • Ethnicity:
82.7% White
9.2% Asian
4.0% Hispanic
2.9% Black
1.2% Native American
Liberty High School Logo
Liberty High School Logo

[edit] Feeder schools

Secondary Schools:

Elementary Schools:

[edit] Communities

  • Cedar Grove, Washington
  • Four Lakes
  • Cedar Grove Estates
  • Maureen Highlands
  • The Meadows
  • Maple Hills Estates
  • Briarwood
  • Lake Kathleen
  • Windstone
  • Windwood
  • Amber Woods
  • Shamrock Heights
  • Four Creeks, Washington
  • Issaquah, Washington
  • Licorice Fern, Washington
  • May Valley, Washington
    • Sunset Valley Farms
    • South Firs
    • High Valley
  • Mirrormont, Washington
    • The Highlands at Tiger Mountain
    • Mirror Lake Estates
  • Newcastle, Washington
    • Olympus
    • The Highlands of Newcastle
    • The Reserve at Newcastle
    • The Pinnacle
    • China Creek
    • Stonegate

[edit] References

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