PPT President's Letter

Greetings!
Since it's still November and Thanksgiving season, I believe I can get away with presenting a list of things that made me thankful yesterday at our PPT meeting:

• I am thankful that superintendent, Mr. Mike Munoz, joined us at our PPT meeting, and that he understands how lucky we are to have our kids in such a learning-rich environment at Lincoln.
• I am thankful for Cathy Nathan who organized Mr. Munoz's visit to Lincoln. She is remarkable!
• I am thankful that our kids have Mr. S. encouraging and challenging them every day. How fortunate we are!
• I am thankful for the many parents who attended last night's meeting. I felt proud of the welcome we were able to give our new superintendent.
• I am thankful to our PPT secretary, Karen MacLaughlin, who made a welcome banner and had students sign it. It looked fabulous!
• I am thankful for the entire staff at Lincoln. They are the heart and soul -- and arms, legs, brains, etc. of the school.
• I am thankful for the many parents who volunteer to make Lincoln an extraordinary place, and I am thankful that I found a way to volunteer through PPT.
• I am thankful if you are still reading this, and if you haven't done so already, please consider attending our PPT meetings. The next one is scheduled for January 23rd in Lincoln's media center. If you come to the meeting, I'll be so thankful!

Chris Harmon, PPT Co-President

PPT Meeting - Meet Superintendent Munoz - Monday, November 28

Please join us to meet and greet Rochester Public Schools Superintendent Michael Munoz on Monday, November 28 at 7:00 in the Lincoln Gym. There will be an opportunity for questions and answers. Let's have a huge turnout and show our support for Lincoln!

InSciEd Out Parent Volunteers Needed

We are looking for two to three parents who could volunteer on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 to 12:30 for four weeks, starting the week of November 28 through the week of December 19. You would be working with intermediate (4/5) students to help them count zebrafish embryos, and doing setup and cleanup. Training will be provided! Email James Kulzer at jakulzer@rochester.k12.mn.us if you are willing to volunteer!

Online Safety to Digital Citizenship: Understanding Youth in an Online World - November 18

YIPA (Youth Intervention Programs Association) is hosting a conference called: From Online Safety to Digital Citizenship: Understanding Youth in an Online World. The presenters are Dr. David Walsh and his daughter Erin Walsh. CLICK HERE FOR THE CONFERENCE BROCHURE THAT GIVES MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE TRAINING AND HOW TO REGISTER.

AFTER ATTENDING YOU’LL BE ABLE TO ANSWER THESE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS:
• Are young people really good multi-taskers?
• Is Internet addiction real?
• What are healthy parameters around media use?
• Is technology connecting us or disconnecting us?
• What can young people do to become good, caring
digital citizens?

Skyward Parent Training - November 18

The SmartKids Parent Efficacy program is inviting you to atthttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifend this free session to learn how to access and navigate through the Rochester Public Schools’ online Skyward program. Cheryl Burt will demonstrate how to best utilize several features offered on Skyward. Learn how to access your child’s school calendar, grades, assignments, report cards, disciplines, etc., in this half an hour presentation.

Please join us on Friday, November 18, 2011 from 12 noon – 12:30 pm OR 12:45 – 1:15 pm at the Northrop Community Education Center, located at 201 8th St NW. Room is limited to the first 14 parents per session. A computer will also be provided for each participant.

To register, please e-mail Juan Vasquez at juvasquez@rochester.k12.mn.us or call (507)328-5639.

2011 AUCTION = HUGE SUCCESS

Wow! The 2011 Lincoln Auction and Bake Sale was an enormous success and it could not have happened without all of you. Thanks to our amazing team of volunteers, bakers, donors and bidders, the Auction grossed over $28,000. With that money, the Lincoln PPT will be able to provide exceptional opportunities for our children. We truly have a rare and wonderful community at Lincoln that gives freely of their time and money to better the educations of all our children.

It’s not too early to start thinking about next year’s Auction. Next year’s co-chairs, Melissa Murphy and Nicci Watson, would love to have you as part of the volunteer team. As the year progresses more information regarding volunteering will be circulated. Please consider giving your time to this very worthy project. Also, if you have Auction baskets left over from your winning bids, we’d love to recycle them for next year. You may simply drop baskets off at the office.

Finally, a huge thanks to Betsy Schroeder who is stepping down from her co-chair role. Betsy has been an integral part of the Lincoln Auction for many years (and hopefully many years to come!) Thank you Betsy for always going above and beyond for Lincoln!

AUCTION YARD SIGNS

The Lincoln Auction was again a huge success. We would like to thank you for helping us advertise the auction and get the word out there. Now it is that time again. Please anyone who advertised the auction with a yard sign, it is now time to return those signs to be used another day. And again, thank you.

Lincoln "PICK YOUR FAVORITE DECADE DANCE" - Friday, November 18th

It's a dance for the decades!
K-5: 5:30-7:30pm. A parent needs to be on site with child.
6-8: 8:00 - 10:00 pm. We will need a signed parent permission form from every upper who plans on attending the dance.
Please bring a canned good to donate to Channel One.
Permission slips will be sent home this week.
Children can dress up in school appropriate clothes from their favorite decade. FREE!!!

WE NEED YOUR HELP!!! Parent Volunteers Needed For the Uppers Dance...Please indicate if you can volunteer on the permission form......

Lincoln InSciEd Out Video

CLICK HERE to view a video that highlights some of the successes at Lincoln and in Rochester Public Schools with InSciEd Out.

This video was created by Rochester Public Schools as part of the "Discover" section of the district website.  Visit Discover at www.rochester.k12.mn.us for the most recent videos, articles and news about what is great at Rochester Public Schools.

Junior First Lego League Registration is Open - Deadline November 23

Are you ready to have fun mastering the science of safely preparing food and building simple machines with LEGO elements including motorized moving parts? Check out this year's Junior First Lego League - "Snack Attack"!

CLICK HERE FOR THE REGISTRATION FORM or pick one up in the office

CLICK HERE FOR THIS YEAR'S JUNIOR FLL CHALLENGE!

Registration: deadline is November 23rd
Season: January to the week of March 5th.
Payment $15 per person
You can turn in the payment and registration form to Amy Krahn in the office.

Team Structure
• Lincoln Children in K - 3rd grade and between the ages of 5 and 9 years old.
• Teams will have 4-6 children
• Most teams meet over a 6-8 week period, once or twice a week.
• The coaches can structure team meetings (meeting times and overall program length) in a way that works for their team.

Involvement: This is our first year participating in Jr FLL at Lincoln. We need coaches. Jr FLL is easy to coach. No experience necessary. Lincoln will lend teams the Lego kits and building manuals. Plus I will give a coaches training. Let me know if you are interested in coaching a team!

A few great ways to find out more about Jr FLL:

Visit the FLL Competition and Jr FLL event at RCTC on December 17th, or better yet volunteer at the event by contacting Mark Schleusner at schleus@yahoo.com

Visit the Jr FLL Web Page http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/jr.fll

Ask Cheryl Kliewer questions at Cheryl@wiseraccoon.net or 261-3699.

Free Workshops for the GATEway Science Fair in December!!

Students, parents, and teachers are invited to attend free Science Fair Workshops at the RCTC Heintz Center which will be held December 5th, 6th, and 10th.

The GATEway Science Fair will be held Saturday, February 25, 2012, from 12:30 to 4:45 p.m. at the Gonda Building of the Mayo Clinic. Registration forms will be sent out in early January, but it’s never too soon to start thinking about project ideas!

For more information, see www.rochestergateway.com, or contact Diane Hanson at 281-1498 or gatewaysciencefair@gmail.com. Make reservations early to be sure volunteers are available.

PPT Minutes - September 26, 2011

The September PPT Minutes can be accessed here: PPT Minutes - September 26, 2011

Classroom Volunteers Needed Tuesday (Today!)

A few classroom volunteers are needed today to help with zebrafish modules in the 4/5 classes - 11:00 to 12:00 in Beth and Mickey's class, 2:50 to 3:30 in Megan's class.  Let the teacher know if you can help out!

Community Education Ski/Snowboard Club - Registration November 8

Get set to hit the slopes this winter with Community Education's Ski and Snowboard Club for students in grades 4-12! Ride to local resorts on coach buses. Bring your own equipment or rent when you get there. Register at our mass registration on November 8, 2011. Information will be distributed at participating schools in October. All Lincoln students will ski at Welch Village.

A mass registration will be held Tuesday, November 8 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Willow Creek Middle School cafeteria for all ski/snowboard clubs. All participants must register at this time. One parent must attend with the student to assist in the completion of rental forms and make payment. Signatures from the student will be required, so we are asking both parent and student to attend. Helmets will be required this year. Late registrations are are possible by contacting the Community Education office at 328-4000 no later than December 16.

The Gr. 4-5 Ski/Snowboard Club fees include season pass, transportation, and rental equipment(by request). The Middle School, High School, and Private/Parochial Ski/Snowboard Club fees include transportation, rental equipment, and season pass (by request).

Additional club information will be sent home later to all club members. We invite parents to be chaperones and ask you to indicate your interest below. It is an enjoyable experience that enables you to learn more about the ski club and your child. Whether a skier or not, you will find it fun to go along.

Ski dates are as follows: January 6, 13, 20, 27, and February 3, and 10. February 17 will be the only night reserved as a makeup date for weather cancellations. The student will be a season pass holder and can ski any day of the week after 4:00 pm.
Refunds/Vouchers will NOT be available for missed sessions.

Junior First Lego League Informational Meeting - November 9

Are you ready to have fun mastering the science of safely preparing food and building simple machines with LEGO elements including motorized moving parts? Check out this year's Junior First Lego League - "Snack Attack"! CLICK HERE FOR THIS YEAR'S JUNIOR FLL CHALLENGE!

Informational Meeting:Wednesday November 9th from 7-8pm in the Media Center
Registration:November 9th - November 23rd
Season:January to the week of March 5th.
Team Structure
• Lincoln Children in K - 3rd grade and between the ages of 5 and 9 years old.
• Teams will have 4-6 children
• Most teams meet over a 6-8 week period, once or twice a week.
• The coaches can structure team meetings (meeting times and overall program length) in a way that makes works for their team.
• We will create the teams by the first week in December to give coaches a month to decide on a schedule.
Payment $10-15 per person.
Involvement:This is our first year participating in Jr FLL at Lincoln. We need coaches. Jr FLL is easy to coach. No experience necessary. Lincoln will lend teams the Lego kits and building manuals. Plus I will give a coaches training. Let me know if you are interested in coaching a team!

A few great ways to find out more about Jr FLL:
Visit the FLL Competition and Jr FLL event at RCTC on December 17th, or better yet volunteer at the event by contacting Mark Schleusner at schleus@yahoo.com
Visit the Jr FLL Web Page http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/jr.fll
Ask Cheryl Kliewer questions at Cheryl@wiseraccoon.net or 261-3699.

Lincoln's New Science Lab Celebrated!

Lots of excitement at Lincoln today as Superintendent Michael Munoz cut the ribbon on Lincoln's new zebrafish lab, created with a $65,000 grant from Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation.
Click here for the front page Post Bulletin Story - November 2, 2011
Read the whole story and check out the video of Lincoln in action here - from ABC-TV 6.
Read the article in the Post Bulletin Education Notebook here.
Congratulations to all who made this happen at the Greatest School in the Universe!