“I used to wake up dreading going to school,” my friend Kate told me.  “I knew that I would be bullied between classes, and that teachers would always side against me if I got sent to the office for getting in a fight with someone else.  I would tell them I was just protecting myself, but they wouldn’t believe me, and I would get punished while the bully got off free.”

My friend Kate doesn’t go to school at Liberty, and has struggled with finding welcoming people at schools in her area.  Her name isn’t actually Kate, but for the purposes of her privacy, I’ll be referring to her by that name.  Not once have I heard something so demoralizing said about the students and teachers at Liberty, and sometimes I think we take for granted the generally accepting atmosphere at Liberty.  As we draw close to Thanksgiving, I think it is important to recognize and appreciate everything we have, especially what our unique school offers to us freely.

Unlike other schools nearby, Liberty not only has some of the kindest and most tolerant students, it also makes a point to include everyone in its diverse and growing community.  From Ping-Pong club to Robotics club to the football team, we have places and activities for everyone to call home.  We have pep assemblies to rally Patriot spirit, and the We Are One motto to unite us.  These aspects of Liberty culture aren’t just monuments to our lofty ideals; students at Liberty live the spirit of Patriot pride on a daily basis.

Kate now goes to a better school then she did at that time, but she still envies our school when I tell her about how kind and welcoming the students here are.  Keep up the Patriot pride, Liberty, and remember – Liberty culture really is something worthy of appreciation.