Monday, May 10, 2010
Principal’s Letter - May
Main Entry: world–class
Function: adjective
Date: 1950
: being of the highest caliber in the world <a world–class athlete>
As the principal at Lincoln, one of my goals is to provide a world class education for each and every student at Lincoln. That is a daunting task in our current situation in which our district's funding lags far behind other districts. There is a task force working on preparing for a referendum next year that could hopefully prevent us from falling further behind. Please let me know if you would be willing to be part of the referendum committee work.
I always believe that we need to do whatever possible to control the destiny for a successful result for our children as much as we can. The technology initiative is an example of that as there are so many tools we need to provide our students to better succeed. I would really like to get a SMART table for our younger students and I am working on a grant to get one for about half price.
We also want to continue the amazing success with the laptop program as it is making a tremendous impact even though we are only a third of the way to full implementation.
We truly need world class efforts from all to provide that world class education for our students. Thank you for your support through efforts such as buying SCRIP, attending events like Evening of Improv, Auction, Carnival, Garage Sale, volunteering in the classroom, sharing your expertise, etc..
Together, and I mean all together, we can make the education for our students that they need and deserve. Jim Sonju
Night at the Improv – Get Your Tickets Today!
Night at the Improv is right around the corner! At 7:00 this Saturday, May 15th, Jerry Casper, Nick Mezacapa, and Greg Miller will put on a performance that is sure to leave you in stitches. The show will be held at Hill Theater at Rochester Community and Technical College. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased in the office. There will also be a cash bar. Please keep in mind this performance is most appropriate for an audience 13+.
PPT Presidents’ Letter - May
Spring has sprung and we are in end of the year wrap up! Yet, PPT is still in full swing. In fact this month at our meeting on May 17th, we'll be voting in next year's officers, so they can get started in their new roles!
The open PPT officer positions are Treasurer, Secretary and President Elect. Allison Robelia is serving as the current Treasurer. Her term has come to an end this year, but she is happy to stay on for another term. Cherie Falk-Philpott serves as the Secretary, she too is happy to stay for another term. Joscelyn Komer-Martin has stepped forward to serve as President Elect. We will be voting to fill these positions, so if you too are interested in one of these positions, or would like to exercise your right to vote, please come to the Media Center at 7pm on the 17th!
We will also show a video at the PPT meeting. Stories of the Five-Year Plan is a video on Rochester Public School's Five-Year Strategic Plan to close the opportunity gap and bring all students to proficiency. The video combines success stories of students and staff, data, and powerful information to explain and give updates on the District's Five-Year Plan.
A big thank you to the Social Committee for another successful dance. We'd also like to thank the Social Committee and Brenda for a fantastic All School Meal. It is a wonderful Lincoln tradition that the kids love, so thank you for all your efforts!
We'd like to remind you that Special Project Applications are available right now. We will be taking applications through the summer so that we can disperse the funds earlier in the school year. If you have any questions about the Special Projects process, or need more information about what Special Projects means, please contact Mary Hansen at rmhansen2002@yahoo.com. Also see page 2 of the LINCS.
We appreciate our Lincoln community! As always if you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact Jodie Meurer at odie79@hotmail.com or Chris DeMattos at annabean01@charter.net
Special Projects = Summer Homework?
Do you have a great idea for something that would benefit the Lincoln students, but just need some money to make it happen? If so, Special Projects could be the way to make it happen. Special Projects can be any project or item that will benefit the school and can be submitted by parents, teachers or students of Lincoln. Some past examples are: the Smart boards in the classrooms, the big toy, the Lincoln information sign, the popcorn popper, baseball bats and gloves – and many more. The money used to pay for the projects is money that is raised from the annual Lincoln auction over the PPT budget.
Applications are available on the LincolnLincs blog (see "Lincs" section on the left) or directly from Mary Hansen at rmhansen2002@yahoo.com or Julie Wingert at djnwingert@aol.com.
Use the school summer break to write up your project - applications are due August 20 and should be sent to either Mary or Julie. All received applications will be available for review at Meet the Teacher Day and through Auction time. The proposed projects will be voted on in November 2010 and the money will be available by December 2010.
Important Health Office Information
The Health Office at Lincoln will be closing for the summer on Monday, June 14. All medications need to be picked up by 12 noon on this day. Medication left after this time will be properly disposed of. We do not keep medication over the summer for the next school year.
All prescription medication for students will need to be renewed by a physician after July 1 for the new 2010/2011 school year. It is the parent/guardian (s) responsibility to bring the signed physicians order to school with the medication at the beginning of the year. This includes self –administration prescription medications that require a physician's signature that the student will self-carry. For example, this would include an asthma inhaler that a student keeps with them. Many health care providers are not accepting faxed med forms from the school any longer.
Over the counter medications will also need a new form signed at the beginning of the school year by the parent with medication in the original bottle. Due to limited storage space, please keep the size of the bottle appropriate for school. Please note the expiration date of the medication on the bottle before you bring it to school to be left for the year. Medication cannot be given at school after the expiration date noted on the bottle.
All medication forms are available off the school web site under Resources and then Student Health Services and then Forms.
Have a safe summer!
The Butterfly Garden is Back!
Thank you Families and Friends of Lincoln for donations of perennials and cash to help replace the butterfly-attracting plants for the garden. Ellen Hunt's Jenny Giraffe is back in her "home" again! The planting days were fun and many hands made the hard work go by quickly. Over 150 plants were added to the new and existing gardens. Please come and enjoy a stroll through the garden and greet the new plants :)
Book Swap is a Success
Thank you very much to those families who graciously donated Ziploc bags and books to the Lincoln Book Swap- or as one child called it "The Book Swamp." Indeed, several tables were "swamped" with fun books for children to choose from. One or two books from the book swap will be coming home in a Ziploc bag toward the end of the school year. The bags will also contain a bingo game and other new books received from grant money. In future years, we hope to continue sending home books for summer reading. Therefore, it would be greatly appreciated if you would send all the books back in the same Ziploc bag at the end of the summer. However, if you are in need of books or your child falls in love with them, you may keep them. Thanks again for your generous donations! The students were excited about their books.
Spring + Cleaning = Garage Sale
2nd ANNUAL LINCOLN GO GREEN GARAGE SALE
Saturday, May 22; 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
This is your chance to recycle your gently used items and help support our Technology Initiative!
Donations accepted starting Monday, 5/10.
We are looking for children's' and adult clothing and books, games, sports equipment, furniture, and household items.
We will have APEX members available to help you unload your vehicle on Monday, 5/17, and Friday, 5/21, starting at 3:00.
We could use help sorting and setting up for the Sale on Friday, 5/21, from 3:00 to ???
We also need cashiers and other helpers on the day of the Garage Sale.
If you can help, please sign up in the Lincoln Office
or email Ginger Kerr at gikerr@rochester.k12.mn.us
Lincoln Auction – Friends and Family Donations Needed
The Lincoln Auction is a success because of you! Again this year, we highlight services and items donated by our Lincoln Family and Friends.
What can you donate? Some previous donations are listed to help spark your own creative ideas:
- Vacation Experiences: Use of time shares; cabins; vacation properties; or trips to water parks with hotel
- Unique Opportunities: Fishing excursion; cooking classes, wine tasting
- Party Planning: Birthday or other theme party, complete with party planning and party supplies and of course clean up!
- Baked Goods: Decorated cakes or cupcakes; pie of the month
- Professional Services: Tax preparation, will preparation, carpentry, tutoring, haircuts, daycare, kitchen design, architectural consulting
- Special Services: Gift wrapping, garden tilling, floral arranging
- Tickets and Gift Certificates: Vikings and TimberWolves tickets; Beer of the Month Membership
- Business Donations: Donations of goods and services from Lincoln Family-owned businesses
STEM Summer Camps at RCTC for Students in Grades 3, 4, 5
STEM Summer Camps will inspire students by showing them real-world, problem-solving applications as well as exposing them to fascinating technologies they may not have yet encountered. STEM Summer Camps provides a week of intense investigation, creation and skill building in a fun-filled environment on the fabulous UCR Campus.
Two Camps will be offered August 2-6, 8 AM – 4 PM on the University Center Campus. Camps are limited to 60 students. $300 fee.
STEM CAMP #1 - Just like The Apprentice, you will design your own video game; work with a team to develop marketing tools including your own logo, using computer aided drafting; utilize information technology for advertising and build your own financial empire with your increased math skills. Instructors: Kari Stellpflug, Lisa Moreno, Margie Jensen, Greg Laughland
STEM CAMP #2 - Learn and apply the fascinating tools of a Crime Scene Investigator (CSI) as you become a Junior Forensic Investigator. Students will conduct experiments, map out a crime scene, gather evidence and solve the crime using your critical thinking skills. Fingerprinting, DNA analysis, re-creation of the crime scene, and the use of technology will give you the tools to solve the mystery. Instructors: Chuck Handlon, Jennifer Hennes, Lonne Senska
For registration form: www.rctc.edu/community/youth Scholarships available. Questions or scholarship application: contact Colleen Landherr Maddox, RCTC Community & Youth Program Director at 280-3113 or colleen.landherr@roch.edu
Lincoln....the greatest school in the Universe – Memorial Donations Requested
Last year we lost Joe Stanich, one of our school founders. It was Joe who crafted the now famous line, "welcome to Lincoln, the greatest school in the universe." Joe was great at knowing what each student needed. His presence is still felt here.
We are currently raising funds to purchase a special bench which would be placed near the small playground and the butterfly garden. It would be a great to have Joe's quote either on or near the bench.
Donations will be accepted in the office. Checks can be made out to Lincoln K-8 Choice School. Can you please help us by spreading the word? Joe influenced many lives during his time at Lincoln and we would like to offer the bench as a memorial to his incredible contribution. Thank you.
Lincoln Blood Drive - May 24th
Sign up for the Lincoln Blood Drive, May 24th from 7:30-11:30. Remember that when you donate, you can potentially save three lives. How is that for role modeling? Walk-ins are welcome or call 328-3550 to schedule an appointment.
Lincoln Sprouts Head to Farmer's Market
The Lincoln Sprouts will be at the Farmer's Market on Saturday May 15th selling their vegetable, flower and herb plants. Stop down and pick up what you need for your garden and patio this summer. You can also purchase from them at the Go Green Garage Sale.
Summer Reading: The Good, the Bad and Our Plan at Lincoln
The Good: Research shows the number of books read during the summer consistently relates to academic gains regardless of the student's family income level. Children who read six or more books over the summer show an increase in reading achievement compared to children who did not participate in summer reading. According to the National Summer Reading Association, summer reading programs need to have three critical components summarized by ABC. A being Access to books. B is Books matching students' readability and interest levels. C stands for Comprehension monitored by an adult who can ask children questions about what they are reading. Lincoln was awarded a grant for $1500 from the Rochester Public School foundation to purchase books along with $350 from Wilbooks. Your child will be receiving 5-8 books to read over the summer.
The Bad: Learning Today Inc. reveals some unfortunate facts regarding the effects of being out of school in the summer and academic achievement. In general, children from lower-income families tend to show a drop of nearly three months of grade level equivalency each year during the summer, when compared to a one-month loss by middle-income students. What is even more disheartening is that these summer losses in achievement can add up year after year and may be the major cause as to why the achievement gap between low- and high-income students continues to grow throughout the elementary school years. In the elementary grades a summer loss of three months each year will eventually accumulate to become a gap of 18 months by the end of the 6th grade! By middle school, this can produce a cumulative lag of two or more years in reading achievement, even when effective instruction during the school year is available. Our data has shown that some children at Lincoln have regressed almost a half year over the summer! We have all worked too hard to let that happen!
Our Plan at Lincoln: We have set a goal for ALL children at Lincoln to take part in the summer reading program. This reading program called "A Smarter Summer with Reading Bingo," consists of a bag of summer books for your child to read along with a bingo game. It is our strong intention to close the gap by offering a fun summer reading program. The program strives to motivate each child to read at least six appropriately leveled books while encouraging comprehension strategies, parent involvement and community literacy partnerships. This program was designed with the precise components of a successful summer reading program shown by research. A "Smarter Summer with Reading Bingo" strives to eliminate the 1-3 month regression of reading skills. Lincoln students, be prepared to have fun becoming "Smarter this Summer with Reading Bingo!" Bingo and the summer books will come home in a Ziploc bag the last week of school.
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