 The Liberty Ledger
Weekly newsletter providing families with the important updates and report of events happening at Liberty Middle School.
Important Dates:
- Wednesday, January 28- End of Quarter 2-Hour Early Release
- Thursday, January 29- School Closed (Staff Development Day)
- Friday, January 30- School Closed (Teacher Work Day)
Inclement Weather:
Winter weather will be here before you know it! Watch this video to see how weather closing decisions are made at FCPS.
FCPS’ website is generally the first place to find out about emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible, including email, text, social media, the new FCPS mobile app, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated.
Be sure to plan for the winter season. Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, bookmark the FCPS website, and arrange emergency child care if needed.
WIDA Testing:
Liberty Middle Families,
All students identified as multilingual learners (MLs) are assessed annually to monitor their progress and proficiency in English as required by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). In Virginia, all divisions use the WIDA ACCESS for this purpose.
The WIDA ACCESS is aligned with the WIDA English Language Development standards and assesses English in the four language domains of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The assessment will:
- Determine students’ English language proficiency level and eligibility for ESOL services and testing accommodations.
- Help students and families understand students’ current level of English language proficiency along a developmental continuum.
- Provide teachers with information they can use to plan for and support student learning.
- Determine whether MLs have met English language proficiency criteria and exit ESOL services.
All MLs, including those who have opted out of ESOL services, participate annually in the ELP assessment until they reach English language proficiency criteria (ELP level 6). Alternate assessment formats are available for certain students with disabilities.
If you have questions about the annual ELP assessment, please contact the school’s test coordinator for more information.
Amber Wickstrom
Liberty Middle School School Test Coordinator
AKWickstrom@fcps.edu
703-988-8130
For a translation of this document, please visit the webpage at https://www.fcps.edu/node/43961 or contact your student’s school.
Rising 8th Graders:
Important Dates!
Course Verifications Sent Home
March 13, 2026
Families will receive course verification forms to review student selections.
Last Day for Course Change Requests
March 27, 2026
This is the final day to submit any course change requests for the 2026–2027 school year.
Counselor Assignments:
- Last Names A–F, Cat B, CSS
Counselor: Mr. Wigfall – qjwigfall@fcps.edu
- Last Names G–Moo, ELP Levels 1–2
Counselor: Ms. Alvarez-Leon – salvarezleon@fcps.edu
Counselor: Ms. Hart – rlhart@fcps.edu
More details will be provided as we get closer to each date. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your assigned counselor.
Mark your calendars and get ready — exciting curriculum events are on the way!
Valerie Peters
Director of Student Services
Liberty Middle School
Liberty Middle School PTA's Online Auction is live!
Bidding closes on January 24 at midnight. Check back often - new and exciting items will be added! https://app.givebacks.gives/lmspta-auction2026
Items include reserved seats to LMS events; pizza lunch bunches with LMS staff; tickets and experiences; health & beauty packages; LMS spirit wear; and lots more! This fundraiser will help fund the 8th grade year-end celebration, and all PTA programs that give back to LMS students, staff and our entire school community. LMS PTA is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization.
Thank you for your support! Email vpwaysandmeans@lilbertymspta.org with questions.
Immunization Events for FCPS Students:
FCPS, in partnership with Inspire Health Alliance, will provide school-required immunizations and optional flu shots for all FCPS students with no out-of-pocket costs. Multiple events will take place at designated FCPS locations. Additional dates will be available throughout the school year.
Parents or guardians may view upcoming events and schedule an appointment for their student. Participation is voluntary. View immunization resources on the FCPS website.
Spanish: Eventos de Vacunación para los Estudiantes de FCPS
FCPS, en asociación con la organización Inspire Health Alliance, estará ofreciendo sin costo alguno vacunas obligatorias para la escuela y vacunas opcionales contra la “flu” o influenza a todos los estudiantes de FCPS. Se realizan múltiples eventos en lugares determinados de FCPS. Se programarán fechas adicionales a lo largo del año escolar. Padres y tutores podrían revisar las fechas de los próximos eventos y programar citas para vacunar a sus estudiantes. La participación es completamente voluntaria.
Hay disponibles recursos adicionales para la vacunación.
Graduation Status Now Available in ParentVUE & StudentVUE:
A new Graduation Status section is now available in ParentVUE and StudentVUE. The Graduation Status is a tool that helps parents and students monitor and track their progress in meeting graduation requirements. This feature includes progress towards the Standard or Advanced Studies diploma for high school students and middle school students who have enrolled in one or more high school courses. This new graduation status section is available in addition to the course history and unofficial transcript options in ParentVUE and StudentVUE. To view the graduation status section, please take the following steps:
- Login to your SIS ParentVUE Account
- Go to “Course History” for your middle or high school student
- Go to “Graduation Status” and toggle “on”
For questions about graduation requirements, please contact your school counselor. Additional information about ParentVUE is available on the following website: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/technology/student-information-system-sis-fcps/sis-parent-account-overview
Additionally, a resource guide with frequently asked questions (FAQ) for the Graduation Status section is available for school counseling professionals on the Graduation Requirements site.
FCPS 2 E Series Registration:
FCPS is having a twice exceptional (2e) information series presented by Dr. Nonye Oladimeji, our AAP Twice Exceptional Specialist. Here are the blurbs. Question: Should I target 2e families or should this go out to all families? Can the following information be included in the community newsletter and the school webpage?
February 20: The Social Lives of Twice exceptional (2e) Students: Friendship, Belonging, and Identity
Families will understand how some 2e students navigate peer relationships and how to support them establishing authentic connections.
May 15: Beyond High School: Preparing Twice exceptional Students for College, Career, and Adult Life Through Executive Functioning and Essential Life Skills.
Families will learn strategies to support 2e students in developing executive functioning skills and essential life skills while empowering them to navigate college career, and independent adult life successfully.
Register here for the webinar series
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
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.
Liberty Library:
Want to know what's happening in the Liberty Library? Check us out on the Liberty Middle website! Click here to visit our website!
After-School Program:
AFTER-SCHOOL REGISTRATION
 REGISTRATION Is REQUIRED for EVERY Student!
Almost 100% of students stay at least one day for a rehearsal, activities, or with a teacher for help.
Consent Forms: Please review and provide your consent for After-School Registration and Digital Resource Access through FCPS’s easy-to-use..
Parent Digital Consent System.(This is the After-School Consent, too)
These forms are required for all.
Please review each consent as one is for Army Affiliation and should only be "accepted" if your family is an Army family.
For more information, visit the Fairfax County Public Schools website.
Completing the above consent is all you need to do for your student to stay after school for activities, sports, clubs, rehearsals, and even extra help from a teacher. ✅
|
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)
Raychal Hart, Lead Liberty Counselor (Last Names Mop-Z)
Free and Reduced Meal Eligibility
If your children qualify for Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FRM), they may also be eligible for:
- Waivers or reduced fees for other FCPS fee-based programs.
- Information about scholarships, classes, and services from non-FCPS agencies and organizations.
To receive these additional benefits, you must give written consent allowing FCPS staff to share your children's meal eligibility status with administrators, school counselors and the school's finance technician. This information will not be shared with any other parties.
The Consent to Share is available here in multiple languages.
If you have any questions or need assistance with the application, feel free to contact our Family Liaison, Jaime Fajardo, at jefajardo@fcps.edu or 703-988-8234. All applications and related conversations will be handled confidentially.
Questions or Concerns?
If you have any questions regarding resources like food and family assistance, please contact Sarah Hughes, School Social Worker at shughes@fcps.edu or visit our Social Worker Page.
Helpful Resources
Liberty MS Website Blogpost:
Check out what’s happening at Liberty! Read our latest website blogposts: | 
