Garbage Can Lids Needed

We are in need of two plastic garbage can lids. They should be the 55 gallon type and be plastic and clean. We need to cut holes in them to accommodate some science probes.

Blooming this Spring!

Thank you to Liz Koehler, Jane Barton and Juli Gifford who took advantage of a one day, two hour bulb sale at Sargent’s North and acquired 300 bulbs for $10.00. The bulbs were planted this week in front of the school and in one of the raised beds. Should be a blooming Spring at Lincoln!

Lincoln Grant and Equipment News!

New Classroom Fish Habitats

• This summer Lincoln teachers and Mayo Clinic scientists wrote a proposal for new Portable Fish Habitat system. We were awarded the this system for use in classrooms and in the fish room. It will be monitored, maintained, and supervised by Intermediate students (4/5). Interested students will go through as series of trainings so that they will be able to monitor and operate this system.
• Mayo Clinic has also donated a fish habitat which we have placed in the Basement science room. This habitat will be for growing and studying freshwater fish found in Minnesota. We waiting for a few cabinets to be moved so that we can get this system in place and up and running, 

Other Grants - We have also been notified that we are going to receive two grants in January:

• Dianne Arneson and Aurora Kubach will receive a grant from The Rochester Public School Foundation for $2,500 to purchase iPads for their students.
• Jane Barton received $1500 to fix the greenhouse and to build a storage shed by the raised bed gardens. 

Thank you to the staff who worked on these grants and to our community partners for their support of Lincoln!

Skyward News - Skylert Test Message This Week and Uppers Parents Check Skyward

As you know, Rochester Public Schools is using Skylert as its district-wide emergency notification system. Skylert provides the district with the ability to quickly send mass communication via phone, SMS text message, and e-mail for such things as snow emergencies.

These are the instructions we are forwarding to parents to help them with the Skylert settings in Skyward Family Access. If you would like to modify your settings in Skylert, please follow these instructions:
• Log in to Skyward Family Access from the tab at the left of the Rochester Public Schools home page.
• Click on Skylert on the left navigation bar. Your Skylert settings will display.
• To make Skylert notification changes, click Edit on the right of the screen. Skylert settings are specific to each child in your family.
• Select the type of notification you would like to receive for each phone number you enter. For example, if you do not wish to receive Emergency notifications via telephone (for snow days, etc), de-select the check box for Emergencies.
• Do the same for emails and text message until you have your notifications specified as needed.

During the week of December 3-7, we will be running a test on Skylert to make sure that everything is running correctly.

Uppers Parents and Skyward:
Make sure you are checking Skyward a couple of times a week. This time of year it is very easy for students to get behind. Skyward will tell you the assignments that are missing, a description of the assignment, assign data and most importantly the due date.

Vision and Hearing Screening - December 4

Vision and hearing screenings will be provided for first and third graders; along with vision only for all 7th graders. Screening at Lincoln will take place on December 4th. Vision and hearing greatly affect learning. Rochester public school district strongly encourages all students to be screened. If you would like your student to be excluded, please contact the Health Office 328-3538 to complete an exclusion form, by November 30th.

Dad's Belgian Waffle Fundraiser at Lincoln - November 17

Dad's Belgian Waffle Fundraiser 
Saturday, November 17th, 2012 7:30 AM to 11:30 AM 
All you can eat - Belgian waffles with choice of toppings and sausages! 
Milk, Orange Juice and Coffee 
Nineteen waffle makers – little to no waiting.
$7 Adults $5 Kids 6 - 12 Years Old Kids 5 and Under Free  

Tickets can be purchased in the office, at conferences on Thursday, after school on Friday and at the door on Saturday. Get your tickets ahead of time and avoid the line...

We are still in need of volunteers... sign up in the office or contact Kara Short at kmshort@charter.net or call her at 252-8275 if you can help out? 
(Uppers students can also volunteer) 
Kitchen Workers 11:00 to12:00 ---3 
Table Workers 6:30 AM-9:00 AM---2 
Table Workers 9:00 am to 11:00----2 
Table Workers 11:00 to 12:00---3 
Servers 7:00am to 9:30 am---1 
Here is your chance to give something back to Lincoln if you were not able to attend the Auction…A lot of hands make the work go faster!

This event will support future purchases in technology –iPad and netbooks for classroom checkout – fish room and classroom supplies for InSciEd Out projects (fish modules, Gardening projects – vegetable and flower – greenhouse repairs).

Baby it’s Cold Outside - Please Dress in Outdoor Wear

It's that time of year again! The snow is starting to fall and the temperatures are dropping! Please be sure to send your student(s) to school with appropriate outdoor wear! We spend a fair amount of time outside during the school day, and most kids have transitions between buses, so it is so important that your student have warm clothing. Warm coats, gloves, hats, boots, and soon...snowpants! Believe it or not, we still have kids only wearing sweatshirts as coats! It is far too cold some days to be outside for as much as 20-25 minutes with only a sweatshirt to keep them warm! Please help us to help your student be safe and warm during these outside times!

Destination Imagination - Interested in Putting a Team Together?

Destination Imagination - A team event in which 4-7 members meet on a weekly basis with a parent coach in order to solve a long-term problem and several spontaneous ones. A regional event is held in Rochester in March at Willow Creek, and a state event is held in April at Armstrong High School in Plymouth, MN. Scripts, Props, Songs, etc., are all created and performed by students. Registration is in November, and the world event is held at the end of May or early June. The Regional event is open to 3rd thru 12th graders. The web address is: www.destinationimagination.org.

A parent volunteer is required for this event to take place. Please contact me if you are interested in putting a team together.
Vandi King
Gifted Education Teacher
vaking@rochester.k12.mn.us

THANK YOU!!

The 2012 Lincoln Auction and Bake Sale was a great 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 $26,000. 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. We are looking for someone to chair next year’s Auction with the fabulous and fun Lincoln parent Nicci Watson. If you are interested, please contact Nicci at onawat@aol.com. Other positions will also need to be filled next year and we 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, we had one basket that did not make it to its rightful owner and likely accidentally went home with someone else. Please check to see if you have the Go Pack Go basket among your baskets. If so, please contact the school so we can make arrangements to get it to the rightful winner.

Meet and Greet the School Board Candidates and Get Info on the Sales Tax Vote - This Thursday, November 1

Parents and community members are invited to meet and greet the candidates for the open Rochester School Board seats on Thursday, November 1, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm at the Century High School Main Cafeteria. Candidates will be making statements at 7:00pm, with an open house format during the rest of the event. Information about the sales tax reauthorization vote will also be available from both Common Cents and RochesterCOST organizations.
Sponsored by the Rochester Area Council of Parent-Teacher-Student Associations (Area Council PTSA).

Lincoln Volunteers Needed

NEEDED!!! Lunchroom Volunteers!
There are still needs in the lunchroom. Currently the needs are:
Mondays, Tuesdays, 2nd, 3rd or 4th Wednesday of the month and every other Friday.
The hours are 11:50am until 1pm.
If you are interested please contact the Lincoln VIE team at, lincolnk8vie@gmail.com.

Attention Lincoln Garden Volunteers! Please meet at the Butterfly Garden on Friday, November 2nd, after school to trim back the perennials and ready the garden for next spring! Plan on working from 4-5:30pm. Bring your own gloves and pruners.
Contact Jane Barton if you’re able to make it. jabarton@rochester.k12.mn.us

Century High School Athletics - Registration for 7th and 8th Students

7th and 8th grade Kellogg, Friedell and Lincoln students interested in Century High School athletics need to visit Century's website for registration information and forms.  
CLICK HERE FOR CENTURY WEBSITE
WINTER SPORTS REGISTRATION – 2012-13
(AT CENTURY HIGH SCHOOL in the ATHLETIC/ACTIVITIES OFFICE) FOR THE FOLLOWING DATES AND TIMES:

• October 15 and 16 (7:30 am – 3:30 pm)
• GIRLS HOCKEY (7th/8th) and DANCELINE (8th) 

• November 5 (5:00pm – 6:00pm) 7th and 8th graders ONLY and 
• November 6 and 7 (7:30 am – 3:30 pm) 
• GYMNASTICS (7th/8th), GIRLS BASKETBALL (8th), WRESTLING (7th/8th), CO-ED ADAPTED FLOOR HOCKEY (7th/8th), BOYS SWIM/DIVE (7th/8th) and ALPINE SKI (7th/8th) 

If students choose to register AFTER November 7, students WILL NOT BE ALLOWED to practice on the first day of practice/tryouts. If you participated in or tried out for a FALL Sport (this school year), you just need to pay your fee.
(CLICK HERE FOR THE Century Athletics Website - registrationfee information and practice dates).

WHY THE AUCTION MATTERS

 

 

On October 27th, Lincoln will hold its 2012-13 Auction. The Auction is the primary fundraiser for Lincoln and has paid for much of the equipment and opportunities that make our school great.  Our Auction has helped pay for SmartBoards, computers, the End of Year Picnic and Back to School Picnic, school dances and other social events, Science Fair, Destination Imagination, Legos League, Uppers Electives, Snacks for MCA testing, and much, much more.  The Auction enriches your child's school experience and eliminates the need for any of our children to have to sell gift wrap, pizza,  . . . you name it!

 

What can you do to ensure the Auction is a success?  Attend!!  And bring your friends and family! The more people attending, the more Lincoln raises in funds and the more opportunities your child will enjoy at school.  The doors open at 11:30 for the Silent Auction and the Live Auction begins at 2:00. We also have face painting, tattoos and hair styling/spraying for the kids. Child care for smaller children will be available during the Live Auction.

 

Please join us for this fun-filled event for adults and children alike.  Have a good time and do something great for your school!

Haunted Hallways - Mummify Principal Sonju - TOMORROW - Wednesday, October 24 - 7:30-8:00pm

Come and Mummify Principal Sonju "Mr. S" at Haunted Hallways outside the Hall of Fun on Wednesday, October 24 from 7:30-8:00pm in Mummy Mania: Principals on the Loose!
We trap 'em, you wrap 'em! See you outside the Hall of Fun! See www.rpsfevents.org for details.

The Countdown Has Begun - Lincoln Auction Saturday, October 27!

Watch the LincolnLincs for updates as we count down to the Auction, this Saturday, August 27!

Auction Volunteers Still Needed: 
Volunteers are still needed on 10/27 after the Live Auction (2:45 to close)!
Please contact Christina Darrington at chdarrington@gmail.com Thank you!

Mmm…IT’S BAKE SALE TIME! 
When: Auction Day, October 27th
Where: Staff lounge
This is a great way to make a last minute donation to the Auction!!
Donations accepted on Friday (Oct 26th) in the office or Saturday in the staff lounge.
Please package items in dozen or half dozen amounts.
Please note: decorative packaging makes for a sure sell out!!
Questions?
Please contact Jodi Kruse at jmkruse22@gmail.com
or Melissa Engelken at melissae.724@gmail.com

Get your Auction Catalog HERE!

Dress Up Days - This Week!

Dress like your favorite teacher day- Wednesday, October 24, 2012 Team day, wear sports clothing, no hats - Thursday, October 25, 2012 Crazy hair - Friday, October 26, 2012

The Auction Catalog is Here!

Paper copies of the Auction Catalog were sent home with students today.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A PDF COPY OF THE AUCTION CATALOG

Start choosing your favorite items and planning your bid strategy for the Auction on October 27!

GET DONATIONS IN!

The fabulous Lincoln Auction is fast approaching! If you've been planning to donate, please do so now. We are working hard to get the catalog completed and we want to see your name and donation listed!

You may drop your donations off at the office with Amy or Ginger or bring it to the stage in the gym (remember to put your name on it!) We are so thankful for the amazing, creative and exciting items and services that have been donated so far. Join this fantastic group of family, friends and businesses that work to make Lincoln the Greatest School in the Universe!

The donation deadline is Wednesday, October 10th. Please get your donations in by that time or contact Melissa Murphy, 358-5107 (mfmurphy1@charter.net) or Nicci Watson, 254-7971 (onawat@aol.com).

Picking Up Students at Lincoln

Students at Lincoln have gone through Bus Safety this week to ensure that safety is always the goal. Speaking of bus safety- if coming to get your students, please be sure to pick up students in the pick-up line after school or park on nearby streets and come in to get students.
Loading right in the front of the building is for buses and handicap parking only.
Thank you for keeping the safety of all our students at the top priority.
CLICK HERE FOR PARKING AND PICKUP INFORMATION
CLICK HERE FOR PARKING AND PICKUP MAP

Guidelines for Students Attending High School Events

Parents of Students Attending High School Events - Please review the following guidelines with your child:
1. All middle school and elementary students attending the games must be accompanied by an adult
2. All high schools students must show student ID upon entry
3. No food or beverages are allowed to be brought into athletic events
4. No backpacks are allowed at athletic events
5. If students are not meeting behavioral expectations, they will be asked to leave the event

Please remember that when students are attending school sponsored events they must adhere to the Code of Student Conduct (Policy #506). If students fail to adhere to the Code of Student Conduct they could be subject to in-school consequences regarding their actions.
Thank you, Rochester Public Schools

Volunteers Needed For Lincoln Auction - October 27

Volunteers are still needed for the following time slots:

• 11:15-12:05 room monitor 
• 12:00-12:40 room monitor 
• 12:10-1:10 room monitor 
• 1:20-2:20 prize pick up 
• 2:45-close prize pick up and bank 

Contact Christina Darringtion at chdarrington@gmail.com
Remember - this is Lincoln's biggest fundraiser - No door-to-door sales for your children, and the benefits to Lincoln from Auction proceeds are numerous!

COMING SOON - LINCOLN AUCTION OCT 27

The Lincoln Auction, our primary fundraiser for the school, is fast approaching! The success of this very important event depends on all of us. A successful Auction provides our kids with numerous educational opportunities AND removes the need for door to door fundraising.

What can you do? DONATE!! VOLUNTEER!! BID!!

Right now we need donations. Please consider what you, grandparents, siblings and friends may be able to donate. Here are a few ideas:

*Vacation Experiences: Use of time shares, cabins, vacation properties or trips to water parks with hotel.
*Tickets to professional and college sporting events, theaters or concerts.
*Unique Opportunities: Fishing excursions, cooking classes, wine tastings, dinner parties, Beer or Food of the Month memberships.
*Professional Services: Tax preparation, will preparation, carpentry, tutoring, haircuts, daycare, yoga classes, professional consulting and party planning.
*Business Donations: Donations of goods and services from Lincoln Family and Friend owned businesses.
*CASH DONATIONS: We will put cash donations toward large Auction items.
*Need an Idea? Let us know and we'll suggest one for you - you buy the items and we'll "poof" it into a beautiful basket.

If you are interested in making a donation, please contact Melissa Murphy at mfmurphy1@charter.net (358-5107) or Nicci Watson at onawat@aol.com (292-9090).

Haunted Hallways 10/24-10/27 - Discounted Wristbands Available

Complete details can be found on our website: www.rpsfevents.org
CLICK HERE FOR THE HAUNTED HALLWAYS FLYER
Crawl the halls in the Kahler Grand Hotel:
Wednesday, October 24 and Thursday, October 25 from 6-9pm
Friday, October 26 from 6-10pm
Saturday, October 27 from Noon-10pm.

100% of the proceeds from the event go back to supporting Rochester schools!
Event highlights include fright levels for ALL ages!

• The Hall of Fun is not scary and for the youngest of ghouls! 
• Hall of Haunts is sure to SCARE but all ages are welcome! 
• Hall of Horrors will frighten even the bravest of guests....Enter at your own risk! Parental Discretion is advised! 

Haunted Hallways also features:

• October 24 7:30 to 8:00 - Mummify Mr. S in Mummy Mania!
• Trick-or-Treating through area businesses until 8pm each night with the price of admission
• Saturday Hollow Scream Party in the Plaza hosted by the CW with music (DJ from 4- 6 and band from 6-10), costume contest, fun food and spooky drinks, Jack-o-Lantern contest, fun activities such as Pumpkin Chucking and more in the Peace Plaza! 
• You won’t want to miss our exciting Hall of Fun Line Entertainment--find the schedule posted on rpsfevents.org in mid-October!

Remember to vote for your favorite room at the end of Haunted Hallways. The school who decorated the winning room from each hallway will win a trophy!

Haunted Hallways Discounted Wristbands $5 each
(See Amy in the Lincoln school office starting Oct. 5 through Oct. 15) 

• Each wristband allows one person to enter each of the 3 halls one time each and trick or treat at area businesses (bags provided). Wristbands cannot be shared with another person.
• One adult is free with each paid child in the Hall of Fun only. Every person entering the Hall of Haunts and Hall of Horrors needs a ticket.
• Volunteers do not need a wristband while volunteering (they will have a volunteer wristband); however, they will need to purchase one to go through all 3 halls.

We Want You Back - October 6 - Volunteers Needed - Registration Deadline September 28

On October 6, 2012, Rochester Public Schools and United Way of Olmsted County are holding the inaugural 'We Want You Back' Day. Teams of community volunteers and school district staff will go door-to-door to homes of high school students who have not returned to class, identifying why the student did not return to school, and assisting with their re-enrollment.  Community volunteers are also needed to make courtesy calls to students the week leading up to the event.  

We Want You Back – Phone Bank 
October 1-5 Shifts: 2-4 PM, 4-6 PM, 6-8 PM 
Volunteers are needed to make courtesy calls to students the week leading up to the event (October 1-5). Phone bank volunteers will receive on-site training and a phone script to assist them in making calls. This volunteer activity will take place at the Edison building (615 7th Street SW, Rochester). CLICK HERE TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE PHONE BANK 

We Want You Back - Door to Door Walkers 
 Saturday, Oct 6 9AM – Noon PLUS 1 hour mandatory training (week of Oct 1-5) 
Teams of community volunteers and school district staff will go door-to-door to homes of high school students who have not returned to class, identifying why the student did not return to school, and assisting with their re-enrollment. We are looking for 10-30 more community members to serve as Door-to-Door Walkers . Registration deadline Sept 28.
CLICK HERE TO VOLUNTEER TO BE A DOOR-TO-DOOR WALKER

We Want You Back - Event Volunteers 
October 6 Shifts:  9AM to noon 
Help at John Marshall High School the morning of October 6th. We are looking for 3-5 event volunteers for the early morning shift and 5-10 event volunteers for the late morning shift.
CLICK HERE TO VOLUNTEER TO BE AN EVENT VOLUNTEER

Flu Shot Clinic at Lincoln - October 2 - Online Registration Deadline September 30

The flu shot clinic at Lincoln K-8 Choice School is on October 2 from 9:15 – 11:00 am. This clinic is available for all children who attend Lincoln. Parents must register your child(ren) online at least two days prior to the clinic date in order for it to be properly processed. Paper forms are available in the school office.

The flu mist will primarily be used. You may call the school nurse (328-3550, ask for Martha) with questions or concerns. By providing insurance information your insurance company can be billed for the shot. If you do not have insurance, the cost will be approximately $15.

CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE INFORMATION ON THE FLU CLINIC AND THE LINK TO REGISTER ONLINE

LOTS OF FUN VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES - PLEASE SIGN UP TO HELP!!!

Volunteers Needed for Lincoln's Flu Shot ClinicOctober 2 from 9:15am-11am
We need 4 volunteers to work with district nurse and nursing students to facilitate this process.
Please e-mail lincolnk8vie@gmail.com to volunteer or call Dani at 216-4124

Volunteers Needed for Lincoln's Picture Day
October 3 from 9:15-12pm AND from 12:45-3:00pm
We need 2 volunteers for each shift to assist the photographers.
Please e-mail lincolnk8vie@gmail.com to volunteer

Volunteers Needed for Lynx Program in the Media Center
Ongoing, can you help out once a week, once every-other week or once a month?
Volunteers needed Mondays and Tuesdays from 9-9:45am.
Please e-mail Janis at jamelvin@rochester.k12.mn.us to volunteer or call Lincoln at 328-3550 and ask for Janis

Volunteers Needed to bring in food for the Uppers Conferences Oct 2 and Oct 4
We will need entree for about 7 people, dessert, drinks and plates/plastic silverware donated.
If you would like to help out with any of these donations please e-mail lincolnk8vie@gmail.com or call Dani at 216-4124

THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING -- YOU REALLY ARE CHAMPIONS AND MAKE LINCOLN GREAT!!!!

ADVERTISE THE AUCTION

Help us advertise the Auction! Pick up a car window cling (or two) in the office. Simply clean a section of your back windshield and apply the cling to the outside of your window. No worries about removal, it will just peel off.

Also, please like Lincoln K-8 Choice School Auction 2012 on Facebook. As we get closer to the Auction date, we'll be posting more about items available to be bid on. The full catalog will be posted on Facebook and Lincoln Lincs two weeks prior to the Auction.

IMPORTANT: We are still looking for volunteers and donations. If you know anyone with a business in town or if you regularly frequent a business, please ask them if they could contribute to our Auction. Contributing businesses are acknowledged by name in our catalog - good advertising for a business!

GATEway Fall Social - October 25, 2012 - 6:30 – 8:00 PM

Are you wondering about Gifted Services in Rochester Public Schools? Join GATEway as we host an informational program presented by Jennifer Lawhead, Gifted Services Coordinator of Rochester Public Schools. Ms. Lawhead will discuss an overview of K-12 gifted services, identification processes, how to know your child might be gifted before formal identification, and what parents can do before formal services begin. From 6:30 to 7:00 PM, we will have a dessert potluck where families have the opportunity to meet each other and get acquainted. From 7:00 to 8:00 PM, the school-age children are invited to enjoy activities in a supervised room while the parents listen to our guest speaker. You do not need to be a GATEway member to attend. This event is co-sponsored with Rochester Community and Technical College Community and Youth Programs. For specific location and to RSVP for the event, please visit our website, www.rochestergateway.com.

Introducing April Knipfer, Lincoln's New MN Reading Corps Member

Hello! My name is April Knipfer. I want to take a moment to introduce myself to you! This school year I will be working one on one with students at Lincoln K-8 Choice School. I will provide daily 15-20 minute sessions of extra support to help students practice their reading skills so they can become proficient readers. I am not an employee of Lincoln, or of the Rochester School District. I am an AmeriCorps member and part of a program called Minnesota Reading Corps. Minnesota Reading Corps is a statewide initiative to help every Minnesota child become a successful reader by the end of third grade. I will provide one on one reading interventions daily to those students whose reading scores indicate additional practice is needed. Testing, or benchmarking, will be done to determine which students I will work with throughout the year. Students’ progress will be monitored weekly while they are in the program. Students exit the Minnesota Reading Corps program when they are on target for four consecutive weeks. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact my supervisor, Katie Schafer. She is the reading specialist at Lincoln. Her contact information is: Katie Schafer 507-328-3561 kaschafer@rochester.k12.mn.us

I am so excited to help support readers at Lincoln this year!
Sincerely, April Knipfer, Literacy Tutor

Message from Mr Will/PE

Hello Lincoln Family!!!!!! I am so excited for another awesome year of students exceeding expectations in Physical Education! We are going to have another fun year of developing skills, improving fitness levels, and of course playing all of your favorite games and activities! We have some new recess, and PE equipment that I can’t wait to try out!

Please make sure your child has a pair of non-marking gym shoes on the days that they have PE. Your child will not be able to participate if they are wearing sandals, boots, crocs, or wheelies. Lincoln does not have a locker room to change into gym clothes, so if possible, please make sure that your child wears athletic apparel on days that they have Physical Education.

I would like to thank all parents/guardians, for your support over the years!!! Please feel free to contact me at any time at wischulz@rochester.k12.mn.us with any questions or concerns you may have! Sincerely, Will Schulz

REMINDER- TIME TO RETURN SUMMER READING BOOKS

Hope your child enjoyed reading the books from the Zip-Loc bag over the summer months. For your convenience, these books have been marked with a Lincoln Summer Reading label. We have been collecting these books in your child’s classroom and the media center. If you have additional gently used books you would like to donate to this program, there is a blue drop box located outside the office during the school year. Thanks for making reading a priority at home!

PPT Meeting -InSciEd Out Power Point

On September 17, Dr. Chris Pierret gave a presentation on the InSciEd Out program at the Lincoln PPT meeting. CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE POWER POINT PRESENTATION

Parent Orientation Night - September 13

All parents/guardians are invited to attend Parent Orientation Night on Thursday, September 13 from 6:00 pm-8:00pm. The program will start in the gym, and then parents/guardians will go to their child(ren)'s classroom(s) for presentations by the teachers. We ask that you leave your Lincoln students and other children at home. This orientation is designed for parents/guardians only. This is a one of a kind opportunity to get information about what your child will be learning and experiencing at Lincoln this year. We look forward to seeing all of you there!

PPT Meeting and InSciEd Out Presentation - – September 17

Join us for our first PPT Meeting of the year on Monday, September 17 beginning at 7:00 in the Media Center.

We will begin with a half-hour of PPT business, and at 7:30 Dr. Chris Pierret will give a presentation about InSciEd Out, the innovative science curriculum program pioneered at Lincoln in partnership with the Mayo Clinic and Winona State University. Find out the opportunities that InSciEd Out brings to Lincoln students at every grade, the status of the program this year and future developments. This is an excellent opportunity to hear about this very important and unique program that has brought so many benefits to Lincoln students and staff.
Hope to see you there!

Lincoln Dress Code Policy

Please refer to the dress code poster regarding policies for appropriate dress at Lincoln. Students will be asked to call home for a change of clothes if their clothing does not meet dress code policy. CLICK HERE FOR THE DRESS CODE POSTER

Urgent Public Health Notice from Olmsted County Public Health Services About Pertussis

Olmsted County is currently experiencing an epidemic of Pertussis (Whooping Cough). More than 170 cases have been reported since April 2012, which is 8 times higher than all of 2011 cases.

Everyone needs to be aware of the following recommendations:

• Anyone experiencing a persistent cough lasting more than 7 days should contact their health care provider to be tested for pertussis. 
• All children need to be vaccinated for pertussis starting at 2 months of age with 4 to 5 doses by kindergarten age. 
• A pertussis booster (Tdap vaccine) can be given to those 10 years of age or older in epidemic areas. 
• All adults are recommended to have current pertussis booster (Tdap vaccine), especially those who interact with children, (parents, grandparents, day care providers, teachers, support staff, transportation providers, paraprofessionals, coaches, etc). 
• Women who are greater than 20 weeks pregnant or who are receiving postpartum care need to have a current pertussis booster (Tdap vaccine).

If you fit into any of these groups recommended for vaccine please check with your medical provider to see that you are fully immunized. Anyone who is uninsured or underinsured and needs a vaccination, call Olmsted County Immunization Desk at 507-328-7500 if you have questions.For more information go to the Minnesota Department of Health website at http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/pertussis/pfacts.pdf

Project Lead the Way - Parents Needed to Cut Shapes

Project Lead the Way is the new technology curriculum being use with the uppers this year. It is an introduction to engineering class. PLTW engages students in activities-, projects-, and problem-based learning, which provides hands-on classroom experiences. Students create, design, build, discover, collaborate and solve problems while applying what they learn in math and science.

Since this is a new program, I find that I am in need of some help with materials. One of the projects students do is to use one inch cubes and circles to create shapes and then draw them identifying hidden lines. We need a large number of one inch blocks, triangles and semi-circles for students to work with. We can supply the lumber but need any parents with table saw to cut them. We will bag and label them. Let me know if you are interested…need by the end of September.

Contact James Kulzer at jakulzer@rochester.k12.mn.us

Labels for Lincoln

We are gearing up for another great year of earning Free Money for Lincoln!

Box Tops 4 Education
Our school goal for Box Tops this year is $1850.00. In order to achieve this, each family will need to send in 75 box tops. Wow you say that is a lot. It is, but with the bonus Box Tops, Double Box Tops on select items this time of year and the Bonus Tops from Cub Foods that go on periodically through out the school year ( usually 25 Bonus Box Tops) when you buy 10 or more Box Top items they add up quickly. In one shopping trip you have earned at least 35 Box Tops!! Check the Box Tops local offers at http://www.boxtops4education.com/earn/bonus/LocalOffers.aspx

KEMPS NICKELS for SCHOOLS IS ENDING!
Please send in all of your Kemps milk caps and Proof of Purchase by October 20, 2012. All Kemps items will be sent in at this time. I will be removing the bin for Kemps at this time. Thanks for your help.

Milk Moola and Dough for Donuts
Our school goal this year is $500.00. Caps should be rinsed clean and dry before sending them to school. Please do the same with the Milk Moola bag tops.

LABELS FOR EDUCATION
For those of you that did not vote int he gymnasium at the back to school Meet the Teacher day, please send me an email voting for your teacher of choice to have the chance of using 15,000 labels for education points to help out their classroom. What a great way to get extra supplies needed to make for a Champion year!
Send votes to Kate Thompson-Jewell at katiedid159@gmail.com.

Lastly, if you have a few extra hours and want to help out with sorting and counting box tops, labels for education, and Milk Moola, register with ViE and send me a note, every bit helps. 

Parent/Family of K Info Day Presentation

Parents/family members of Lincoln kindergarteners had the opportunity to attend a presentation during their Kindergarten Mini Days on September 4 or 5.
CLICK HERE FOR THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION FROM PARENT/FAMILY OF K INFO DAY

First Day of School Reminder

School starts on Tuesday, September 4 for grades 1-8. 
Kindergarten starts on Thursday, September 6.
School starts at 9:10 am.
Students may be dropped off or arrive at school no earlier than 8:50 am (unless they are enrolled in morning School Aged Child Care/SACC).
School ends at 3:35pm - all students need to be picked up by 3:45 if they are not riding the bus or are enrolled in SACC.

Lincoln Back to School News

It's Back to School Time at Lincoln!
Reminder - Meet the Teacher Day/Information Fair
Thursday, August 30, 2012 –2:00 pm-4:00pm
Back to School Picnic 4:00-6:00pm

Every family should have received a copy of the August LincolnLincs in the mail.  The LincolnLincs has detailed information about Meet the Teacher/Information Fair, Back to School Picnic and other important information for the school year.

CLICK HERE FOR A PDF VERSION OF THE AUGUST LINCOLN LINCS

CLICK HERE FOR THE SCHOOL SUPPLY LISTS

The LincolnLincs is the newsletter for Lincoln K-8 Choice School. For the rest of the year the LincolnLincs is an online-only newsletter. Watch this space for all the Lincoln news, all in one place.

One way to start the year right is to get involved with one of Lincoln's active parent/family organizations, like the Lincoln Program Planning Team (PPT), Volunteers in Education (ViE) and the Lincoln Auction. Watch this online newsletter for information on leadership and volunteer opportunities, and upcoming meetings and events, and visit the organizational booths at the Information Fair for more information.

We'll see you soon!

ViE Volunteers in Education Interest Inventory Form

The ViE form must be filled out each year prior to volunteering in the school. One form should be completed for each volunteer. Please turn the form in to lincolnk8vie@gmail.com, the VIE table at the Meet the Teacher Information fair or to the school office.

CLICK HERE FOR THE ViE Form

Whether you can help once a week or once a year, we welcome you! Lincoln’s success comes from parent (&grandparent) involvement and support! The ViE coordinators will be at Meet the Teacher Day Information Fair tomorrow in the gym to talk further with you about the opportunities available for volunteering at Lincoln.

SACC is Back at Lincoln!

SACC will be available before and after school at Lincoln for the 2012-2013 school year.
If you are interested in signing your student(s) up for SACC, contact the SACC office at Northrop. The main SACC Office is located at Northrop Education Center and is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 201 8th Street NW, Rochester, MN 55901
Phone: (507) 328-4040
More information on SACC can be found on the SACC website - CLICK HERE

Annual Notification of Pesticide and Herbicide Application Schedule and Asbestos Notification

The 2012-13 Pesticide and Herbicide Application Schedule and Asbestos Notification documents can be found on the LincolnLincs in the Links to Documents Section. 

Looking Ahead to the Fall...

Now that we have sent our 8th graders off to their high school adventures, it's time to look ahead to the 2012-2013 school year. We would like to welcome all kindergarteners and new students and their families to Lincoln K-8 Choice School, and look forward to seeing our returning students and their families as well.

The LincolnLincs is the newsletter for Lincoln K-8 Choice School. In August, you will be receiving a special edition of the LincolnLincs in the mail.

For the rest of the year the LincolnLincs is an online newsletter. Beginning in August, watch this space (www.lincolnlincs.blogspot.com) for back to school information on Meet the Teacher Day, Information Fair, Back to School Picnic, documents and forms, and important beginning of the year dates and information.

One way to start the year right is to get involved with one of Lincoln's active parent/family organizations, like the Lincoln Program Planning Team (PPT), Volunteers in Education (ViE) and the Lincoln Auction. Watch this online newsletter for information on leadership and volunteer opportunities, and upcoming meetings and events, and visit the organizational booths at the Information Fair for more information.

Have a wonderful summer and see you in August!

Reminder - Meet the Teacher/Information Fair 

Thursday, August 30, 2012 –2:00 pm-4:00pm 

Back to School Picnic to Follow

PPT Minutes - March, April and May, 2012

PPT Minutes from March, April and May, 2012, are now available.

March, 2012 PPT Minutes
April, 2012 PPT Minutes
May, 2012 PPT Minutes

PPT elects officers for 2012-13 school year

The Lincoln PPT held officer nominations/elections at the May meeting.  The officers are:

Co-presidents:  Joscelyn Martin and Donna Layton
President-elect:  Jodi Kruse
Treasurer:  Kevin Morrissey
Secretary:  Karen MacLaughlin

GARAGE SALE - June 2

We need your gently used clothing, books, toys, electronics, household goods, sporting goods, craft supplies, furniture and outdoor gear for the Lincoln Garage Sale. Today - Friday, June 1 - we will have Uppers Students available to help you unload your car, starting at 3:30.

We also need your help. We will be setting up for the rummage sale on Friday afternoon, starting at 3:30. We need help sorting, organizing and displaying the donations. We also need help pricing the items, starting at about 7:00 pm.

On Saturday, we need people to run the checkout and help bag purchases.

If you can help, please sign up at the Volunteer Desk in the Lincoln Office, or contact Ginger Kerr by email at gikerr@rochester.k12.mn.us with the time(s) that you can help. Even 1 hour of your time would be a great help.

We will also have plants for sale from the Lincoln Little Sprouts (Andi & Ginelle's 2nd & 3rd Grade Gardeners), so if you missed them at the Farmer's Market, now is your chance to get plants raised by our own students! There are flowers, herbs, tomatoes and peppers. Great plants at great prices!

The sale runs from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 2. We will have a $2.00 "Bag Sale" at 1:00.

Lincoln - an exemplary school of the state!

Lincoln is rated 18th in FR (Focus Rating) and 28TH in MMR (Multiple Measure Rating) out of 800+ schools in the state! This achievement doesn’t happen by accident and is a direct result of the outstanding efforts of our students, staff, parents and volunteers! We are all very proud of the recent article in Post Bulletin but what does it mean? Basically, it means we are making learning happen for all students through all of our efforts and closing those learning gaps for students.

The state has a new accountability system and rating system of schools. What is the new accountability system?
MMR = Multiple Measurement Rating

• Focused on closing the achievement gap and promoting high growth for all students 
• Built around multiple measurements 
• Directly addresses the achievement gap 
•  Provides support for locally-developed school improvement plans 
• MMR is a simple average of state percentiles in available domains 
• Percentiles done within school classification (i.e. elementary, middle, high school, other school
• For example, some schools (elementary) don’t have graduation data 
• MDE does an additional calculation which is essentially unnecessary (multiply by 25) 

 FR = Focus Rating

• A secondary rating, highlighting the achievement gap 
• Combines AGR and AYP 
• Proficiency for “gap groups” only 
• Average of these state percentiles, just like MMR 

Thank you for making it happen!!! We are all so proud of our amazing school and always trying to make it even better!
Jim Sonju

Uppers' Parents - Check Skyward for Missing Work

Camping trips and end of the year activities make it difficult to get “Missing” or “Not Handed In” work turned in before the end of the year. PLEASE check Skyward WITH your son or daughter THIS WEEK and look at their current grades and missing work. Students need a plan to get their missing work in before the school year ends. Teachers are available to help, but responsibility is still with the student.

End of Year Picnic Lunch at Slattery Park - June 7

PPT will be providing popsicles for the end of the year party at Slattery Park. They have done this the last few years as well. Your son or daughter will need to bring their own beverage with a sack lunch on Thursday, June 7, 2012.

Lincoln's FIRST LEGO League (FLL) - Registration Through June 5, 2012

Attached is information and the registration form for Lincoln's First Lego League (FLL) 2012-2013 season. FLL is an exciting and fun global robotics program that ignites an enthusiasm for discovery, science, and technology in kids in 4th - 8th grade. Lincoln's teams are now being formed for the 2012-2013 season. The season runs September - December. Please feel free to call or e-mail me with questions about FLL. Also call if you or someone you know would like to coach a team. We pair coaches since it is a big commitment for team members and coaches. The deadline for registration for this Fall is June 5, 2012. The registration fee will be collected in August at “Meet the Teacher Day.”

Click here for the Lincoln First Lego League Registration Form.

 Click here for the Lincoln First Lego League Informational Handout.

For more information contact Cheryl Kliewer: 280-4107 or Cheryl@wiseraccoon.net

PPT Meeting - Monday, May 21, 7pm

Please join the Lincoln PPT on Monday, May 21 at 7:00 pm in the Media Center - we will be electing officers and conducting other PPT business. All parents, guardians and staff are welcome.

This Year - InSciEd Out at Lincoln K-8

The InSciEd Out team is excited to report on another fantastic year in partnership with Lincoln K-8 Choice School. Curriculum module activities ranged from scientist question and answer sessions with the kindergartners in "What is a Scientist" to partnerships with students through GATEway and Regional Science Fairs. Out team (through STEM Village) was able to check out science equipment and bring science partners to all classes at Lincoln. Each grade in Lincoln was able to run one or more InSciEd Out units. The 4/5s developed their skills and knowledge through the zebrafish breeding project, and some of these students will serve on next year's chemical response teams responsible for maintaining the fish health and water quality of the fish tanks at Lincoln.

We would like to remind you of some of the accomplishments our school was able to achieve this year.  83% of Lincoln's uppers students entered the science fair, and 42 Lincoln partners, teachers and students will be presenting at the International Conference on Zebrafish Development and Genetics in Madison in June. Corey Dornack was named Toshiba Science Teacher of the Year at the Rochester Regional Science Fair. The new Zebrafish Lab and science room were completed, funded by Lowe's. There are two Lincoln projects (including 4 current and 2 former Lincoln students) under final revisions for publication in scientific journals. Lincoln's outstanding work has been recognized during visits from US Senator Amy Klobuchar and Minnesota Education Commissioner Brenda Casselius.

Each of these accomplishments is a reflection of your commitment to science education and your dedication to expanding student opportunities. Thank you for making this all possible and we look forward to working with you next year and building an even stronger partnership. If you have any questions about the InSciEd Out partnership, please contact information@insciedout.org or one of the InSciEd Out - Lincoln contacts: Jim Sonju, Andi Harmon, Cathy Nathan or Maddy Hammerlund, Volunteer Coordinator for InSciEd Out.

FREE money for Lincoln K-8!

THANK YOU TO ALL!

This year so far, Lincoln earned $1512.53 For clipping Box Tops AND using the marketplace to shop for online items. I will be sending in another $300.00 worth of tops at the end of May.

Lincoln can continue to earn with Box Tops program through the Marketplace over the summer. Use the link below to check out what stores you shop at and make a purchase through the BoxTops website to earn points for Lincoln! A few favorites are Barnes and Noble, Expedia, SnapFish, Target, Cabelas, Travelocity, Expedia,... the list goes on.
http://www.boxtops4education.com/earn/marketplace/Default.aspx

For the Labels for Education program, Lincoln sent in 9,395 points. Kim Sue was able to purchase art supplies with some of our points.

Keep collecting the Milk Moola. Land O Lakes and Kemps milk tops. Lincoln sent in over 7400 tops for a all three.

Ask your neighbors, grandparents and friends to collect milk tops, labels for education, box tops, shop at the marketplace and use Lincoln K-8 as the receiving school. We are able to earn up to $10,000 per year for Kemps and Land O Lakes milk tops, unlimited earnings per year for Milk Moola/Glazers, $20,000 per year for Box Tops/Marketplace, and unlimited earnings for Labels for Education.

Keep bring in the FREE MONEY for Lincoln through the end of the year, collect over the summer ( check out the websites for collection sheets for labels for education http://www.labelsforeducation.com/Coordinator-Corner/Coordinator-Toolbox/Printable-Resources ), and get ready for another fun year of earning FREE Money for the Greatest School in the Universe!!

Lincoln Family Morning at the Movies - May 5

When: Saturday, May 5, 2012
8:30 a.m. muffins and juice will be served.
9:30 a.m. movies will begin.

Where: Cinemagic Theaters 2170 Superior Drive NW.
Cost: $3 per person (pay when you arrive).
For: All Lincoln students, staff and families.

Cinemagic Theaters will be closed to the public during thihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifs event and open only to Lincolnites.

Concessions will be available for purchase (and they have offered us a couple of wonderfully priced options)!

Specific movies showing will be listed closer to the date; however, it will consist of currently playing movies at that time. We are assured there is something for everyone! The number of choices will depend on the number of people attending.

Please RSVP with your family name and number of attendees to: lincolnsc2012@yahoo.com by Tuesday, April 24. Use this email for any questions.

We hope to see many Lincoln families at the movies!

PPT Meeting - Monday, April 23, 7pm

Please join the Lincoln PPT on Monday, April 23 at 7:00 pm inthe Media Center - we will be discussing the PPT budget for next year. All parents, guardians and staff are welcome.

Parent Volunteers Needed to Teach Mini Electives - May 11

On May 11 from 9:30 to 11:30, Lincoln K-8 graders will be doing mini electives for Project Family. We are in need of parents who can teach 30 minute sessions (1, 2, 3 or all 4) on a topic of your choice. Kids will travel in groups of 5-6. Each group will have kids from primary, middle, intermediate and uppers. Mini electives can have 1-4 groups of students, so 5-24 students depending on what the leader wants. The more mini electives we offer, the smaller the classes can be. So, are you interested? Can you help us? What do you love to do? Share that with kids!

Please let Linnea Archer at liarcher@rochester.k12.mn.us know by April 27 if you can help us out. E-mail her the class you will be leading, how many kids you want, and any special things you might need to do this. Remember classes are mixed ages.

Project Family: Where did this idea come from? Student Government noticed that the big and little buddies had great relationships, but often there seemed to be a pecking order on the playground between grade levels. Student Government recognized that when we had relationships with people, we tended to respect them and their ideas more. So, we planned Project Family: a day to build community at Lincoln.

Volunteer Project Leaders Needed for Next Year

James Kulzer is looking for volunteers to help with a few positions for next year. If you are interested and are willing to commit to one of the following projects for a year or for the duration of the project, please contact James at jakulzer@rochester.k12.mn.us

• Lincoln Web Page – Take over the updating of the Lincoln web page. Adding dates to the calendar, promoting upcoming events and updating teacher pages. Our webpage is hosted by rschool and it easy to update – just takes time. This would be a year long project.
• Dad’s Belgian Waffles – Setting up this breakfast & Brunch fund raiser. It will take about a two week commitment.
• T-Shirt / Sweat Shirt – This is a three time a year project. Collect the orders and get them in a spreadsheet ready for ordering. Once the shirts arrive sort them into bags and deliver to students.
• Memory Book – Enter sales information into the sales tracker program. Basically taking the order forms and entering them into Lifetouch’s Sales Tracker program. This allows us to track the number of orders we have taken and eventually upload the order to Lifetouch. This is about a three month project but only an hour a week.
• SCRIP – This is a year long project for someone to help promote the SCRIP program, and be available to sell SCRIP at events such as conferences. We need someone to create signage and monitor the website for SCRIP deals we should be taking investigating and designing new and innovative way to deliver SCRIP and to get more parents involved in purchasing SCRIP.

Lincoln Rummage Sale June 2 - Get Cleaning!

Make your Spring Cleaning pay off for your school! Our annual rummage sale will be Saturday, June 2. This year’s rummage sale will go to purchase new gym equipment and toward the InSciEd Outside Garden Project. So clean out those closets, drawers, toy boxes, and bookshelves and save your stuff for the rummage sale. Contact your friends and neighbors to see if they would donate a few good items.

SUMMER READING - BOOKS & BAGS NEEDED

Summer is fast approaching. We will again be sending home several books with each child. Research suggests that children who read over the summer maintain or improve their reading skills!!! However, children who do not read often lose 3 or more months of instruction. This loss can amount to 2 years of regression by 8th grade. Yikes! We have all worked too hard to let this happen! Start thinking now about how you can make reading part of your child's summer routine. Lincoln prides itself on our researched based summer reading program for ALL students.

Your child will be able to choose several books to take home for the summer. This year, we are looking to expand our collection of books for summer reading. We are in need of gently used books for children in grades K-7 and gallon Ziploc bags. If you are interested in donating, there is the box outside the office or your child's classroom teacher can deliver them to Katie or Janis in the Media Center. Thank you for your donation this year

STEM Camps Offered August 6 - 10

RCTC is pleased to again offer STEM Camps! Concentrating on the four components of STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – Rochester Community and Technical College will offer three STEM Camps this summer: Junior Forensics, First Lego League Boot Camp and Future Doctor Training, August 6-10, 2012, 8 AM – 4 PM at the Heintz Center for students completing grades 3, 4, 5. Enrollment is limited to 60 students per camp.

Registration process and information on RCTC web site: www.rctc.edu/community/youth
10% discount if registrations received by April 27, 2012.

RCTC STEM Camp 2012 has been approved as a scholarship program from the State of MN ”Get Ready For College,” for students who qualify for free or reduced priced meals. Applications must be completed at http://www.getreadyforcollege.org/gPg.cfm?pageID=1958 Locate STEM2012 and complete their form. They will notify RCTC of applications. Parents/Guardians must also complete RCTC registration form, available at http://www.rctc.edu/community/youth/academics.html; provide verification of eligibility and submit a $25 processing fee.

Lincoln Receives a SHIP Grant from Olmsted County

Olmsted County received a SHIP grant to work on the following areas: Safe Routes to School, Active Recess, Healthy Snacks, and School Gardens and Farm to School. We applied and received two grants from Olmsted County; School Garden and Active Recess. Each project was awarded $1000.00 so we will be purchasing recess and noon hour PE equipment that will encourage students to participate and be active during the noon hour and recess. We also received money to start a Lincoln Garden will be on the east side of the playground between the blacktop and the neighborhood. We are planning on building raised garden beds which will be 6 X12 feet spaced about four feet apart. Each classroom that wishes to participate will have a bed constructed for them. The beds are being built by high school students and will be delivered in a couple of weeks. We will have to put them in place, fill with soil and mulch around them. Watch for more information and an invitation to help set up these gardens on a Saturday.

May 11 - A Busy Day at Lincoln

May 11 will be a busy day at Lincoln!
1. 9:30 to 11:30 - Lincoln K-8 graders will be doing mini electives for Project Family.
2. All School Meal during lunchtime
3. Playground cleanup of rubber pieces
4. Photo will be taken of all 400+ students holding the 500 books donated by the We Give Books
5. 1:30-3:30 - Talent Show!

Volunteers Needed To Help With Lincoln's Space in Haunted Hallways

Haunted Hallways is a community fundraiser for Rochester Public Schools. Last year the event had 7000 attendees and raised over $30,000.00 for Rochester Public Schools. Half or the net proceeds go directly back to participating school groups, Lincoln received a check last year for $1,000.00, and the other half is granted to Rochester Public Schools through Rochester Public School Foundation's November Grant cycle.

Haunted Hallways 2012 will be held October 24-27, 2012. School teams need to be formed now and will decorate an area of one of the three halls; Hall of Fun is a non-scary area for younger children, Hall or Haunts is a medium scare level for a larger age group, and Hall of Horrors is the extremely scary haunted house section. Last year's team worked with the Upper Students who had a lot of fun creating really great art for our room and volunteering at the event. If you are interested in leading or helping with this fun volunteer opportunity please contact Dani at dani.nikolai@gmail.com or 216-4124.

Why Every Child Needs to Read Over the Summer

By Katie Schafer, Reading Specialist at Lincoln

How could a child who could add (36+57) before Kindergarten still have so much difficulty decoding words in first grade? I told my son’s first grade classroom teacher, “For the amount of reading we’ve done at home, he should be reading Shakespeare!” (I wasn’t kidding.) He left first grade as he did Kindergarten--just barely at grade level in reading.

Knowing the research, I was determined to not let his skills regress over the summer. We made it a priority to read thirty minutes each day as we did the summer before. During times I read to him, he would have 5 books piled up eager to listen. He loved listening to books, but the grumbling began when it was his turn to read. I would answer his negative comments with things like, “Reading is a skill you’re going to need your entire life, and besides it’s fun. You learn stuff. It makes you laugh. Dad and I read all the time.” Practice continued and summer ended. I was proud of his hard work and couldn’t wait to see his fall scores. He was given his first reading assessment at “Meet the Teacher” day--where we found out that Dylan had lost 4 words per minute over the summer. I couldn’t believe it. He regressed? I was disappointed. It was a very small regression, but I was hoping for at least some sort of gain. We had worked so hard!
So we started the 2nd grade year with our same home reading routines as the year before, including the complaining. Then, one night I noticed him reading a book on the couch for FUN. He started telling me, “Mom, did you know that frogs…” followed with a similar question, and another, and another. He made me laugh with all his questions. I was so happy to see him experiencing a reader’s joy and knowledge on his OWN. His quarter 3 scores rolled in, and I was ecstatic to find out that his scores were above grade level expectations. Our hard work (including a hefty fine for overdue books at the library from summer) finally paid off.

What about the upcoming summer? You got it. We’ll be reading again. While Dylan didn’t make enormous gains last summer, he also didn’t experience very much regression. Research states that children who don’t read over summer suffer a 2-6 month loss in skills. This is known as the summer slide and can accumulate up to a 2 year gap by eighth grade! Regression can happen to ANY child regardless of reading ability, socio-economic status, gender, grade, etc. when reading does not take place over summer. Regression is happening to our children at Lincoln. In fact, when looking at a sample of Lincoln‘s population, only 9% maintained or increased reading skills over summer. When I looked at our data, here’s a sample of what I saw this past September:

Lincoln Student - - Before Summer Score - - After Summer Score
Third Grader - - - - - - -128 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -99 (Lost a years growth in fluency over summer!)
Third Grader - - - - - - - 142 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 103 (Lost almost 2 years growth in fluency)
Third Grader - - - - - - - 71 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -41 (Lost 8 mos. growth in fluency over summer!)
Second Grader - - - - - -92 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -62 (Lost 7 months)
Second Grader - - - - - -63 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -27 (Lost a year)
Second Grader - - - - - -37 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 22 (Lost 4 months)

There are many other students with similar data. If you are interested in your child’s previous summer loss or gains, I can look it up in our shared drive. E-mail me at http://www.blogger.com/kaschafer@rochester.k12.mn.us. More importantly, start thinking now about a plan to incorporate reading into your child(ren)’s routine. Stay tuned for the next post where we discuss how to make summer reading extra special.

Student Dress and Appearance Policy

It is spring and like other schools in the district we have to the follow the District’s dress code policy. Students that are not in compliance with this policy will be asked to call home and have appropriate clothing brought to school.
CLICK HERE FOR A POSTER DESCRIBING THE DRESS CODE POLICY

School District Policy - Appropriate Clothing

Clothing appropriate for the weather

Clothing that does not create a health or safety hazard

Clothing that is clean and does not distract from the educational process

Clothing appropriate for the activity

School District Policy - Inappropriate Clothing:

“Short Shorts,” short skirts, spaghetti strap tank tops, tops and/or pants that expose the midriff or underwear, and other clothing that is not in keeping with community standards.

Clothing bearing a message that is lewd, vulgar, or obscene

Apparel promoting products of activities that are illegal for use by minors (alcohol, tobacco, drugs etc)

Objectionable emblems, badges, symbols, signs, words, objects, or pictures on clothing or jewelry communicating a message that is racist, sexist or otherwise derogatory.

Hats or caps are not allowed in school district buildings except at extracurricular activities or for approved health or religious reasons.

The full Rights, Rules and Regulations booklet was distributed in the fall and is available in the Lincoln office.

PPT Minutes - February, 2012

PPT Minutes from February, 2012 are now available.
PPT Minutes - February, 2012

Everyday Math Part 2 - April 20

Please join us on Friday, April 20, from 12 noon - 1 pm at the Northrop Community Education Center, located at 201 8th St NW, Room 109 for a workshop on Everyday Math.

Carol Lucido is an elementary teacher with experience in grades 1, 4, and 6. Carol Lucido currently works in the Office of Curriculum and Instruction for Rochester Public Schools with elementary curriculum where she has done extensive training in the area of math. She also is an adjunct teacher for Augsburg College where she teachers a Math Methods course to students studying to become educators. Previously she has taught first, fourth, and sixth grade in the Rochester Schools.

The 1 hour workshop will provide parents with information on the following questions:
• How can I better understand the Everyday Math curriculum?
• How can I support my student in learning math?
• What resources are available to help?
The presentation will also provide at least 3 games/activities to take home that day!

Come join the fun and learning!
To register, please e-mail Juan Vasquez at juvasquez@rochester.k12.mn.us
NOTE: You did not have to participate in Everyday Math Part 1 in order to register for Part 2.

Goldilocks and the Gifted Child: Parents Who Parent Too Much, Not Enough, or Just the Right Amount - May 9

Southeast Service Cooperative will offer Goldilocks and the Gifted Child: Parents Who Parent Too Much, Not Enough, or Just the Right Amount on Wednesday, May 9, from 7:00 – 8:30 PM. This session, presented by Gifted and Talented Education Consultant Nancy Arey Cohen, will explore both the positive and negative short-term and long-term psychological effects of over-parenting, under-parenting, and parenting "just the right amount" - if there is such a thing. This session will be highly interactive, allowing time for attendees to discuss issues of concern and share tips with the presenter and each other.

This session is geared to parents of gifted children, classroom teachers and principals. For more information, inluding registration information, click HERE.

Would you be interested in getting SACC back at Lincoln?

A group of Lincoln parents are trying to get School Age Child Care (SACC) back at Lincoln for the 2012-13 school year.  If you are interested in before and/or after school care for your family (grades K-5) on-site at Lincoln, please contact one of the following individuals:

Donna Layton:  calldgl@aol.com
Karen MacLaughlin:  karenhome@charter.net    or    358-1888
Cinnamon Marxen:  cinnamonmarxen@yahoo.com

You can also find more information at the SACC website at:  

www.rochesterce.org/sacc

(Look for the Lincoln SACC Survey link on the left-side menu)

Lincoln SACC 2012-13

Interested in SACC at Lincoln? Contact information.

Parent or grandparent volunteers needed!

We are looking for math helpers from 12-1 each day to help students prepare for the math MCA tests. Please contact Kara Short at kmshort@charter.net if you are interested and available. Thank you!

STUDENTS - Apply to attend the 10th International Conference on Zebrafish Development and Genetics - Applications due TUESDAY

InSciEd Out invites Lincoln students grades 4-8 to apply to attend the 10th International Conference on Zebrafish Development and Genetics in Madison, Wisconsin - June 22-23.

InSciEd Out will be sponsoring 16 students to attend this conferences. InSciEd Out will be paying for all expenses - lodging, food, conference registration, poster preparation fees, and will be providing transportation and adult chaperones. Students from Lincoln K-8, Kellogg and Franklin and the Century STEM Society have been invited to apply. Students selected will be required to create a poster for display at the meeting.

Students must apply to attend the meeting. The application is due NEXT TUESDAY, MARCH 20, to Dr. Chris Pierret at pierret.christopher@mayo.edu. The application should be on one page, and should include the following information:

1. Student name, current grade, school
2. Abstract - In 200 words or less - tell us about your current work in science or science education.
3. Essay - In 200 words or less, describe how you have been personally affected by InSciEd Out’s efforts to improve science education.

The criteria/process for student selection for the Madison conference can be found HERE.

Background on the conference: http://www.zebrafishgenetics.org/
Students who attend the meeting will have the opportunity to attend workshop sessions (including two workshop sessions being presented by InSciEd Out); present their posters at conference poster session(s), discuss and build collaborations with meeting attendees in the InSciEd Out "Zebrafish in Education" room; and meet and mingle with scientists and educators from all over the world.