The first-grade team consists of Mrs. Martin, Mrs. DeLaPena, Mrs. Sherlock and Mrs. Ramsdell.  In first grade, we want our students to foster the love of learning.  We focus on building a solid foundation of reading, writing and math skills as well as independence, social awareness and responsibility.  In first grade, we like to make learning fun! Some of our memorable projects we love are our Pumpkin Book Reports in the fall and our Animal Habitat Project in the spring.  We go on field trips that are aligned to our learning objectives. 

Welcome to 3rd Grade -

A Year of Growth and Discovery!

Third grade is an exciting time when students transition from learning to read to reading to learn! Through engaging book studies each quarter, our students deepen their comprehension skills and develop a lifelong love for reading.

In our Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program, students spend half their day learning in Spanish with Sra. Gabriela Mizzi and the other half in English with Mr. Robert Clayton. This dynamic approach helps students strengthen their bilingual skills while making connections across Reading, Math, and Social Sciences.

On the Conventional side, Mrs. Alison Marsh and Ms. Yolanda Jones create a rich and supportive learning environment where students thrive. Social Science lessons take students on an exploration of Arizona’s history, geography, and culture, while Science sparks curiosity through hands-on investigations of Light and Sound.

With a team of experienced and passionate educators, we are dedicated to making 3rd grade a memorable and impactful year of learning, discovery, and success!

Mrs. Schmerfeld, Mrs. Prater, Ms. Courson,  Mrs. Loera, and Mrs. Smedstad are the current 4^th grade teachers at CTA Liberty.  Together, they work diligently to build a close-knit community among their students with shared academic and cultural activities. Their students are learning through different styles and strategies of teaching using the CUSD adopted curriculum.  One of the units learned about in social studies is "American Indians" in which the children learn about concepts such as the rock cycle including weathering and erosion.  These learning experiences are enriched by a full day trip to Karchner Caverns in Benson, Arizona. Often considered the bridge between the lower grades and the upper grades, 4^th grade's end goal is that learners leave with a solid foundation that prepares them for their future endeavors.  

The 5th grade team, consisting of Ms. Bevacco, Mrs. Althoff, Ms. Parrilla, Mrs. Apalategui, and Mrs. Logston, is dedicated to helping students develop essential skills for success. We emphasize responsibility, strong work habits, study skills, and collaboration, all of which prepare students for 6th grade and beyond.

Our curriculum focuses on cross-curricular activities such as engaging book studies, a hands-on Science Fair, poetry analysis, a creative Wax Museum project, and technology-driven presentations. These activities not only enhance learning but also foster a sense of community within our 5th grade class.

By the end of the year, students will have acquired both knowledge and practical skills that will help them succeed in their future academic endeavors.

Profe. Farmer, Mrs. Hight, Mrs. Mortensen, and Ms. Rinne are a team focused on building a school community amongst their students through learning and experiences. Students not only learn through CUSD adopted curriculum, but hands-on activities that incorporate goal setting, team building and leadership skills. Students are immersed in learning through World Civilization Day, science camp, and My Perspective book studies. Other activities across the curriculum, such as science fair, quarterly STEAM projects, special creative projects, and an end-of-the-year capstone, allow students to transfer and apply learning from other subjects. As a sixth grader, students continue to have two classroom pathways: Conventional or Dual Language Immersion.   Students leave 6th grade with practices and principles that they will utilize in junior high, throughout their academic careers, and beyond.

Kindergarten is the foundation for a child’s educational experience. Mrs. Durazo and Mrs. Soyland are our Spanish Dual Immersion teachers, while Mrs. Butters, Mrs. Hull, and Mrs. Wilson are our conventional teachers. We work hard to make each child’s first elementary school experience exciting and memorable. We achieve this through building words with our sounds, choral reading, math games, and social science inquiry and exploration. Our students participate in many fun activities throughout the year including 2 field trips, the 100th Day of School Celebration, Donuts with Grownups, Arizona Farm Bureau’s Literacy Program, and Read Across America. No matter which kindergarten teacher you end up with, you know you can trust us to provide your child with the very best experience here at CTA Liberty. 

Library - Mrs. Tollefson joined the CTA Liberty team as the Media Specialist/ Librarian in 2017-2018 after teaching at another Chandler school for 12 years.   Her passion for reading and helping students learn to read.  Mrs. Tollefson loves teaching all Eagles about the power of reading, being curious, planning super fun events like Read Across America, Books Fairs, World Read Aloud Day and hosting authors.  She loves guiding our Battle of the Books Club.  At home, she enjoys spending her time with her husband and three daughters. 

Technology – Mrs. Engstrom has been a teacher at CTA Liberty since 2017 in second and third grade. In 2023 she joined the specials team as the Technology teacher. She is very excited to work with all students on their tech skills. Mrs. Engstrom is passionate about having students learn how to use technology to further their learning experience.

Music - Dalene Husky has been the music teacher and choir director at CTA Liberty since 2008 and has loved every minute of it! She teaches almost every Liberty student and loves being able to share her love of music with them. Ms. Husky enjoys developing the students’ musical literacy skills while singing songs and playing singing games from various cultures, doing listening activities, movement activities, playing instruments, and more. One of the highlights of her Monday and Thursday afternoons is to direct the very talented Voices of Liberty. On Wednesday after school, she looks forward to teaching Liberty Orffestra, which include the xylophones and metallophones. Through choir, Orffestra, and general music, Ms. Husky looks forward to continuing the musical journey with the wonderful students here at CTA Liberty. 

P.E. - Since helping open the school back in 2002, Mr. Plamondon has enjoyed teaching PE for many Liberty families - several for over a decade!   

"Making learning and exercise fun… and changing their tomorrows," Mr. Plamondon uses various antics to motivate and reach each student where they are, encouraging all to do their very best in all activities. He has even been known to use “special guest teachers” as well. You might hear of some of his guest teachers on campus, like Darth Vader, “Kingpin” from Angry Birds, the “Food Ninja” (the Fruit Ninja’s brother), a Kung-Fu Master, or a Pizza Kitchen chef. When you do, be sure to ask your child what they have been doing in PE that week!

Our second-grade team includes Mrs. Duffy, Mrs. Jauregui, Sra. Doty, and Mrs. Santillan.   The goal of the second-grade teachers is to build successful relationships and foundations for all lifelong learners. We explore extreme weather, landforms, matter, citizenship, and cultures around the world. The second-grade students always look forward to extending their knowledge of cultures around the world through music at the Musical Instrument Museum.