InSciEd Out – An Exciting DC Weekend!

This weekend, seven Rochester MN students from Lincoln K-8 Choice School were in Washington D.C., along with educators from the Rochester school system and researchers from Mayo Clinic and Winona State University to present posters at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference. The presentations highlighted different perspectives on the overall curriculum which introduces genetics research and the zebrafish into the classroom, with students acting as investigators. In addition to the national science conference, the team met with the leaders of Sidwell Friends School in Washington, where a science teacher is also using zebrafish in her classroom. And in a surprise development, the team met President Barack Obama during a visit to the White House West Wing and lunch in the Situation Room!

The InSciEd Out team includes Chok Koth, Bennett Robelia, Kristen Hansen, Garrett Harveland, Allison Schroeder, Daniel Perno, Jacqulyn O'Neill and Ellie Ekblad, all students at Lincoln Choice School; teachers Megan Oswald and Corey Dornack; paraprofessional Michael Gobin, and principal James Sonju. On the science side were Chris Pierret, Ph.D., graduate student Tyler Koep, Stephen Ekker, Ph.D., and Karl Clark, Ph.D., all of Mayo Clinic; and Maggie Hoody, Ed.D., of Winona State University.

For more information, and to see the posters presented and pictures from the weekend, visit www.insciedout.org or the InSciEd Out page on Facebook or Twitter.

2011 Carnival

2011 Carnival

Save the date: Friday, April 29, 2011 6-8pm

More information to follow soon!

Labels for Education Supplies are Here!

Here is what Mrs. Graff was able to order for her homeroom, math and social studies classes:

Poster markers, Color Splash washable markers, Boundary Markers, Yoga and you CD, Pencil sharpener, Character Education, The Middle Ages, Multiplication Rock

Workshop for Parents "Everyday Math"

Please join us on Friday, February 4, 2011 from 12 noon – 1 pm OR 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm at the Northrop Community Education Center, located at 201 8th St NW, Room 201. The topic of discussion will focus 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!


To register, please e-mail Juan Vasquez at juvasquez@rochester.k12.mn.us or call (507) 328-4316.

Awesome Lincoln Lynx Readers!!!

The Lincoln Lynx readers have read 4400 books so far this school year - which is over 1000 more books than last year at this time. Congratulations to all our awesome Lynx readers – way to go!!!

February No School and Late Start Days

• Friday, February 18 will be a Early Release day for staff development. School releases at 1:35 and there is no afternoon kindergarten.
• Monday, February 21 will be a No School day in honor of Presidents' Day.
  

Bingo/Pizza Night Order Form – Due February 8

The Bingo/Pizza Night Order Form is available here: Bingo/Pizza Night Order Form.

Join us on Friday February 11^th for Pizza and Bingo!

PIZZA AVAILABLE BY PRE-ORDER ONLY! Advance notice of our order is required, so please return all forms with payment by Tuesday, February 8. We cannot guarantee that there will be any "extra" pizza, so please plan ahead. We will be offering pizza by the slice for $2 per slice, or a whole pizza for $18. Beverages and desserts available for purchase that night.

PPT Minutes from January 24 Now Available

The minutes for the PPT Meeting from January 24 can be accessed here: PPT Minutes or on the PPT Minutes tab at the top of the page.

Uppers Ski Trip - Rescheduled

The Uppers' Ski Trip has been rescheduled to Friday, February 25.

Reminder to 8th Graders - Century Panther Night January 24

PANTHER NIGHT
FOR INCOMING 9TH GRADERS AND FAMILIES
CENTURY HIGH SCHOOL
MONDAY January 24, 2011
7:00 – 9:00 pm

Panther Night is a special night just for incoming 9th grade students and parents/guardians. Learn about the transition to high school, discuss registration with your student in mind, and have a chance to meet some of the teachers. After a brief presentation in the auditorium, families will have the opportunity to meet with teachers in the café where they can learn more about course offerings and the differences between the levels of courses (honors/non-honors). It is a great time to have your registration and/or transition questions answered. Representatives of the Century PTSA and Volunteers in Education will also share information about opportunities for parent/guardians to be involved at Century.

Century guidance staff will be visiting Rochester middle schools between January 19-21 to provide students with registration forms and registration guides. Registration information and forms are also available on the Century website and the
Century Panther Press www.centurypantherpress.blogspot.com.
Go to the "Links to Registration Documents" on the left side of the home page, or the "Registration Documents Available Online" tab on the top of the home page.

January PPT Presidents' Letter

Happy 2011 from your Lincoln PPT where every parent is valued and welcome!

We would love to see you at our monthly PPT meetings. The next one is scheduled for Monday, January 24th. We will be discussing the Special Projects application process and timeline. This is important to the Lincoln community because it determines how we spend the proceeds from Lincoln's Auction. The process is finished for this year, but we will discuss any proposed changes to the process for next year. This is where your voice comes in. We value your input. Then at February's meeting, we will vote to put those possible changes in place.

It's been fun to see some new faces at our meetings. We are working hard to keep our meetings informative and pertinent. Please join us! It will be time well spent!

Thanks for all you do, Parents!
Chris Harmon
Lincoln PPT Co-President

Kindergarten Acceptance Forms Due Wednesday!

Lincoln parents - if you have a kindergartener entering Lincoln in the fall of 2011, you MUST turn in your green Kindergarten Acceptance Form to Amy by this WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19. There are 14 families who still need to turn in their form.

Skyward and Uppers Parents

https://skyward.rochester.k12.mn.us/

Skyward offers each parent an up to date look at your child's progress.  Parents should be looking at Skyward at least once a week find out how your student is doing.  If you do not have skyward access, your student does or you can get your own access by contacting the office to set up a login and password.  It does not take too many missed assignments to get a student in real academic trouble.

Temple Grandin Coming to Rochester in February

There will be three opportunities for the public to hear Temple Grandin speak in Rochester in February. Temple Grandin is a world-famous animal scientist, autism self-advocate, author and one of Time Magazine's Top 100 People of 2010.

Friday, February 18 - RCTC Field House
12-12:45 pm - "My Science Teacher Got Me Turned Around" - Temple Grandin
addresses the Regional Science Fair participants and community members.
Free and Open to the Public!

Friday, February 18 - John Marshall High School Cafeteria*
5:30-7:30 pm - Dinner with Temple - Temple speaks on "Thinking in Pictures"
Class code: 8341.231
Fee: $10
Dinner includes turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, salad, and cookie.
Book signing will be held following dinner.
*Registration required with Rochester Community Education at 328-4000 or online at www.rochesterce.org/adults

Saturday, February 19 - John Marshall High School Auditorium
9-10 am - Temple will give the opening to the ISD 535 Science Fair Ceremony -
"The World Needs All Kinds of Minds."
Free and Open to the Public!

For more information, go to the Rochester Regional Science Fair page under the Community tab on the Rochester Public Schools website www.rochester.k12.mn.us.

InSciEd Out Video

Check out this wonderful video of InSciEd Out in action at Lincoln:

January No School Days

• Monday, January 17 will be a No School day in recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
• Friday, January 28 will be a No School day - District Day
  

Chok Koth Wins Science Award

Congratulations to Chok Koth! Chok is a seventh grade student at Lincoln and is one of three winners of the Science Museum of Minnesota's Science Fusion Series "Good Job Award". The Good Job Awards are given to young people who have shown exceptional facility and progress in STEM subjects. Chok's project was titled "I am a Scientist!", where he described how science transformed him into a scientist and explained how scientists work together to make things happen. On Saturday, January 15, Chok received his award and presented his project at the Science Museum of Minnesota's 19^th Annual African Americans in Science event.

Click here to watch a KTTC story and interview with Chok.

GATEway Science Fair Registration Deadline – January 19

Parents, please encourage your students in grades 2-6 to enter the GATEway Science Fair. The GATEway Science Fair will be held Saturday, February 5, from 12:30 to 4:45 p.m. at the Gonda Building of the Mayo Clinic. Public viewing starts at 4:00 p.m. Entrants will present their projects to reviewers and enjoy a fun family presentation by the Science Museum of Minnesota.
Registration fee is $6, which includes a t-shirt if registration is received by January 19. Registration is available through the Winter Community Education brochure or online.

Financial help for individual students may be available in the form of student grants of up to $25 for students who may not otherwise have the funds for experiment and display materials. Teachers, please contact the Community Education Office if you know of a student who may benefit from a student grant. For more information, or to volunteer to help on the day of the science fair, see Rochester GATEway or contact Diane Hanson at 281-1498.

Math Help Needed

Interested in helping students with their math skills?  We are in need of a parent volunteer on Mondays from 12:00-1:00 to help students practice facts and reinforce their lessons learned in the class.  If you are able to help, please contact Megan at meoswald@rochester.k12.mn.us.

Vision and Hearing screenings – January 26

 Screenings will be provided for 1^st graders, 3^rd graders and students NEW to Rochester Public Schools on Wednesday,  January 26.  Vision and hearing impairment can affect learning so we strongly encourage all students to be screened.  However, if you would like your student to be excluded from either the vision or hearing screening, please contact the Health Office at 328-3550 by Friday January 21st. 

SCRIP - We now have TARGET Scrip Cards!

SCRIP is a technology fund raiser that costs nothing to you but is a treasure to Lincoln! We work with Great Lakes Scrip Company and purchase gift cards at discount. The amount of discount is our profit – usually 2 to 4% of the value of the card. Here is how it works…You purchase SCRIP cards for the stores you normally frequent - buy a $25.00 gift card and you get a $25.00 gift card. Use it like cash, a credit card or a check. Make your normal purchases, but pay for them with the SCRIP gift card. We have cards for all the major retailers in town in a variety of denominations in the office. Maybe you make purchases at Target each week. Figure out how much money you spend each week at Target each month and purchase a SCRIP card for that amount. Each time you purchase groceries of clothing, use the SCRIP card to make your purchases. It is that easy. Work downtown and eat at the same restaurant each week? Check in the office- we probably have a card for them.

If you are interested in ordering online or want to see all the cards that are available, go to www.shopwithscrip.com. You can also register and order online and pickup your cards in the office - use the Lincoln enrollment code 58A65CB818487.

Century Panther Night - January 24

PANTHER NIGHT
FOR INCOMING 9TH GRADERS AND FAMILIES
CENTURY HIGH SCHOOL
MONDAY January 24, 2011
7:00 – 9:00 pm

Panther Night is a special night just for incoming 9th grade students and parents/guardians. Learn about the transition to high school, discuss registration with your student in mind, and have a chance to meet some of the teachers. After a brief presentation in the auditorium, families will have the opportunity to meet with teachers in the café where they can learn more about course offerings and the differences between the levels of courses (honors/non-honors). It is a great time to have your registration and/or transition questions answered. Representatives of the Century PTSA and Volunteers in Education will also share information about opportunities for parent/guardians to be involved at Century.

Century guidance staff will be visiting Rochester middle schools between January 19-21 to provide students with registration forms and registration guides. Registration information and forms are also available on the Century website and the
Century Panther Press www.centurypantherpress.blogspot.com.
Go to the "Links to Registration Documents" on the left side of the home page, or the "Registration Documents Available Online" tab on the top of the home page.

Bingo and Pizza Night

Bingo and Pizza Night

Join us for family fun on

Friday February 11^th

5:30 – 7:30 pm

Lincoln Gym

Pre order pizza (forms coming soon) and have dinner ready when you arrive! Soda and dessert available for purchase.

Honk! Squeak! Scratch! Boom!

Saturday, January 22 · 9:00am - 3:00pm Mark your calendars, Honk!Squeak!Scratch!Boom returns to the Mayo Civic Center on Saturday, January 22nd, 2011! 4th, 5th and 6th grade future musicians are invited to come try out the band and orchestra instruments they might want to play with the help of the professional musicians of the Rochester Symphony Orchestra. Musicians will provide hands-on mini lessons for each student. There is no pre-registration required. Students need to be accompanied by parents or other interested adults. For more information, please contact the RSOC office at 286-8742 or visit http://www.rochestersymphony.org/.

January Late Start and No School Days

• Monday January 10 will be a Late Start day for Staff Development. Classes will begin at 11:15 am. Students should not arrive at Lincoln before 10:50am.
• Monday, January 17 will be a No School day in recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
  

Ski Club

Ski Club Starts this Friday, January 7. We leave right after school and will return to Lincoln at about 11:15. Ski club meets January 7, 14, 21, 28, February 4 and 11. If you have not signed up and are interested, contact Community Education. If you have signed up, remember warm clothes, food or money for supper, your HELMET, and ski or snowboarding equipment.

Looking forward to seeing you on the slopes.

For more information please contact Elizabeth Glowac, Lincoln Ski Club Advisor, calisabel@me.com

Box Tops and Milk Caps and Labels, Oh My!

Will's class won the December Labels for Lincoln Classroom Competition. They collected 82.70 dollars of labels.
Their popcorn party will be Tuesday Jan. 4th at 1:15.

A big Thank You to Brenda Baker for saving labels from the Lincoln kitchen to benefit the school.

Cell Phone Usage

A reminder from the health office regarding cell phone use. If children need to phone home for any reason they are to still ask their teachers about using a school phone, either in the classroom or in the office. It is especially important for safety and attendance reasons, that if a child feels ill, they should report to the office for evaluation and help contacting parents. There have been times when students have left the building after making a cell phone call to a parent, and there have been concerns later, on the part of staff, not knowing where the student went. So, please, help keep the kids safe by continuing to abide by district policies regarding cell phone use in school.

Box Tops and Milk Caps and Labels, Oh My!

Ms. Ginelle's class is the November winner. They collected $70.11 for the Labels for Lincoln program and will be treated to a popcorn party to celebrate.

Keep collecting and bringing in your Labels for Education, Box Tops and Milk Caps. Put them in the collection bag in your classroom.

December winners will be announced in early January 2011.

Outstanding Educator Award to Lincoln Staff and InSciEd Out Partners

The Rochester Area Math and Science Partnership (RAMSP) has awarded its 2010 Outstanding Educator Award to InSciEd Out, which includes the ENTIRE Lincoln K-8 staff, Mayo Clinic scientists Dr. Stephen Ekker and Dr. Chris Pierret, Dr. Maggie Hoody of Winona State University - Rochester and Dr. Jean Leicester. The InSciEd Out team will be honored at a dinner and reception on December 14.

More on the award from the RAMSP website:  "The Outstanding Educator Award recognizes educators who demonstrate leadership and dedicated commitment to all students achieving world-class standards in math, science, and technology. Each recipient exemplifies RAMSP's aims of high student achievement; leadership & support for continuous improvement; collaboration among districts; business and higher education; and engagement of students in math, science, and technology. RAMSP is an organization dedicated to enhancing educational programs and promoting quality improvement in Partnership school districts. The organization is comprised of 13 area school districts, U of MN Rochester, RCTC and WSU, IBM, Mayo Clinic, and Workforce Development all working together to advance math, science, and technology in K-12 education."

Congratulations to all the hard-working innovators at Lincoln K-8, Mayo Clinic and Winona State
that have developed this outstanding science opportunity for our students!

WANTED: Book Donations for our Leveled Library

Did you know that your Barnes and Noble book purchase on Friday could be donated to our Leveled Library at Lincoln? We are looking for books that would be of interest to our K-3 students. Any books that are gently used from home that you no longer need would also be welcomed anytime throughout the school year! Our needs are plenty! Please bring any donations to Janis in the Media Center.
Thank you on behalf of our Lynx Leveled Library!!

Special Projects Consensus Meeting Update

The Special Projects Consensus meeting was held on December 6th. Thank you to everyone who participated - and especially to Fred Robinson (for guiding us through the process) and James Kulzer (for technical support). The agreed proposal is posted on the blog site (under links to documents, Special Projects Funding Proposal). Funds will be released December 15 for the funded projects. If you have any questions or would like more information on the proposal, please contact Mary Hansen (285-9047 or rmhansen2002@yahoo.com) or Julie Wingert (288-6293 or jdnwingert@aol.com) or the PPT presidents

We should see (or hear) about some of these newly funded projects starting in January!

This Friday - Lincoln Barnes and Noble Bookfair Fundraiser!

Our school will earn a percent of the net sales from any customer who mentions Lincoln or presents the Lincoln voucher at Barnes and Noble Rochester store locations on Dec. 10th from 2-6pm. We will also receive credit for folks who shop on-line between Dec.10-12th. Visit BN.com/bookfairs to support us and enter 10358182 at checkout.
If you would like to volunteer to help out, we will be at the downtown store location to handout coupons to use in the store. Please let me know if you would be available to staff the table for an hour or two that day. April Ekblad, ekblads4@yahoo.com

Project Fish Wish - Contribute to the Fish Tank!

The beautiful fish tank we received as a gift from Mayo Clinic is now located in the foyer in front of the office and right now it is filled only with "Fish Wishes".  On the tank are star post-it notes with items we need to get the tank up and running. If your family wishes to donate something to the cause please take a post-it off the tank and go to Fish and Pets to purchase your item. Greg (Manager at Fish and Pets) is in charge of our Project Fish Wish project and he can help you if needed. We are trying to have the tank up and running before the holidays and our goal is add the fish upon our return from Winter Break. All donations can be given to the office and our fish habitat team will help get things set up.

Thank you for all you do to support Lincoln science and for making our "Fish Wishes" come true!
The Fish Habitat Team

Like Lincoln? Become a Parent Tour Guide!

Each year, the Community Relations Committee hosts about 12 presentations/tours for families considering application to Lincoln.  We are always looking for parents interested in being tour guides for these presentations.  Take a look at the Lincoln Tour Presentation, and see if you might be interested in informing prospective families about all Lincoln has to offer.  Come to an upcoming tour and see what the parent and student tour guides do.  The upcoming tours are December 3 at 9:30am and December 13 at 1:00pm.  More tour dates are available here.

Contact Cathy Nathan at natecate13@charter.net if you are interested in being a parent tour guide or in getting more information.

Grade 1-8 Student Count Form, Kindergarten Sibling Count and Uppers Information Session

The 2011-2012 School Year Grade 1-8 Student Count Form will be sent home in backpacks this week.  You can also download a copy of the form here - Student Count Form and in the Links to Documents section of the LincolnLincs Blog.  This form must be completed by every Lincoln family so that we can obtain an accurate student count for the next school year.  Please fill out one form per family.  Remember to provide information for each of your current Lincoln students and any other children who are not current Lincoln students but may be attending Lincoln next year (subject to space available).  These forms are due by Friday, December 17.

If you have a student beginning Kindergarten at Lincoln next year, don't forget to complete the Kindergarten Sibling Count form and Application.  You can download a copy of the form here - Kindergarten Sibling Count/Application or in the Links to Documents section of the blog.  These forms are due by Friday, December 3.

The Uppers Information Session for 5th grade and other interested parents is Thursday, December 9 from 5:30 to 6:30pm in the Science Lab.  Information will be presented to help parents make an informed decision about finding the best fit for their children during the middle school years.  More information can be found here - Uppers Information Session.

NEW Parking and Pickup Procedures Begin Nov 29th! Parent Volunteers Needed!

IMPORTANT PARENT INFORMATION - Busing and pick-up/drop off areas will be EXCHANGING places beginning NOVEMBER 29.  This decision was made based on safety for our students. County road 14 will be undergoing changes which will increase the traffic on 8th Avenue in front of our school – which creates the need to change the pickup and drop off and location of busses. PLEASE READ the attached documents that can be found at these links:
Pickup and Parking Information
Pickup and Parking Map

PARENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!  We are looking for parent volunteers who are able to help out for about 15-20 minutes at the end of the day Monday, Nov. 29th and Tuesday, Nov. 30th to help guide students with the new pick up procedures. Parents that are able to help will meet at the office at 3:20 to be given instructions. Please let me know at ekblads4@yahoo.com if you are able to help one or both days. Many thanks - April Eckblad

Special Projects Consensus Meeting

The Special Projects Consensus Meeting will be held Monday December 6 from 5:30-9:30 in the Lincoln media center. The consensus meeting is the meeting where decisions are made on which special project applications are fully or partially funded using the available money raised at the auction.

To attend the meeting you need to:

• Be a Lincoln parent, guardian or staff
• Review the submitted Special Project proposals before the meeting. The proposals are posted here - "Special Projects Requests 2010"  and under the "Links to Documents" section.
• You want to have a vote on which projects are funded

At the meeting, a short overview of each project will be provided. Then the attendees are led through several discussions to help determine which projects will have the most positive impact for the Lincoln community. Funding proposals are then developed and voted on. Once a funding proposal has been finalized, it will be published for all to review. There will be a period for review after which time, the available funds will be released so that the funded projects can be implemented as soon as possible.
If you have any questions, or are unable to attend the meeting but would like to have a vote on the proposals, please contact either Mary Hansen at rmhansen2002@yahoo.com or 285-9047, or Julie Wingert at jdn.wingert@aol.com or 288-6293

To Lincoln's Great Volunteers:

First off, we are blessed to have so many wonderful volunteers at Lincoln. Each and every hour you put in is appreciated! In fact, we even keep track of all the hours put in by our great volunteers to show the district just how awesome our volunteers are. Just a quick reminder to be sure to sign in and out in the volunteer hours log book in the office when volunteering. Sadly, if you leave the sign out time blank we can only credit one hour. Also, while logging the hours, we have come across quite a few names of folks who are volunteering and signing in and out, which is great, but have not turned in the VIE form or for some reason are still not in our system. We can't log these hours. We will be working to get in touch with these volunteers, but next time you volunteer, take a minute to flip back though the log. If you see your name highlighted, you are not in our system. To fix this, just grab another form, fill it out, and ask that it be put in the VIE mail box.
Thanks again to all our volunteers who donate their time and energy to helping make Lincoln a special place to send our kids!

Special Projects vote change

There has been a change of this month's PPT agenda. Orginally, we planned to vote on the Special Projects applications on the 22nd. This year, we thought we'd be able to expedite the process to release the funds to the staff and students earlier in the year than in past years. Unfortunately, we were not able to get an official total in time to have the consensus meeting to allow for us to hold the vote at our PPT meeting on the 22nd.

Now, the consensus meeting will be held on Monday December 6th from 5:30 until finished. (roughly 4 hours) If you are interested in offering your voice as to which projects should be funded from the Auction surplus, please plan on coming to Lincoln on the 6th. Mary Hansen and Julie Wingert will walk you through the consensus project, and the options will be presented to the PPT after that date.

We apologize for this last minute change, and we will keep you up to date with the process as news is available!

We will still have our regularily scheduled PPT meeting on November 22nd at 7pm in the media center. We will get updates from the Auction committee, Carnival committee and from Community Relations, along with an opportunity for you to have any of your questions or concerns addressed. We look forward to seeing you all on November 22nd! Thank you!

Highly Gifted School Within a School Program at Friedell Middle School

Plans are underway for the fifth year of the Highly Gifted program at Friedell Middle School. For 2011-2012, classes will be available at the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade levels. The Highly Gifted School Within a School Program at Friedell was new in the fall of 2007.  This program is designed to meet the unique educational, social, and emotional needs of highly gifted students, while still being a part of a regular middle school experience. The program offers an advanced problem-based curriculum and differentiated instruction to meet the sophisticated learning needs of highly gifted children.

Important dates to consider:
November 20, 2010:  Make-up date for CogAT test at Friedell Middle School; 9:00 am
Mid December 2010:  Results of CogAT testing will be mailed to families
December 20, 2010- 3:00 pm:  Deadline for portfolio requests
January 25, 2011- 3:00 pm: Applications (Friedell and Highly Gifted program) and portfolios are due to the Office of Gifted Services, Edison Building
Early February 2011:  Acceptance/waiting list letters sent to parents/guardians
February 9, 2011- 3:00 pm:  Signed Attendance Confirmation letters due at Friedell Middle School

For additional information, please contact Joanne Michet or Monica Bowler at Friedell – 328-5650 or Cindy Martenson, Coordinator of Gifted Services at 328-4275.

Letter from ViE District Coordinator

Rochester Public School (RPS) Parent,

Hello, my name is Konnie Smith and I have recently accepted the position of Rochester Public Schools Volunteers in Education (ViE) District Coordinator. I have been employed in the school district since 2007. I am a parent of two RPS students, PTA member, parent volunteer and past ViE Coordinator for Montessori at Franklin and Friedell Middle School. My job is to work with RPS Administrators, parents and community members in recruiting, organizing and utilizing the expertise, time and talents of our volunteers to the best advantage of RPS students and staff in 22 buildings, Quarry Hill and RPS Alternative Learning Programs. Other responsibilities include processing volunteer applications, posting requests on local volunteer websites, and communicating with coordinators and staff. Each month I meet with local/State volunteer organizations and RPS ViE coordinators to keep everyone up to date with the ever changing needs of RPS students, staff and our community.

During the 2009-2010 school year we had 3,852 volunteers who logged 63,821 hours as a direct benefit to your student valued at $1.3 million, supported by 6 Cluster Coordinators, 35 Elementary Coordinators and 11 Secondary Coordinators. I am truly in awe of the time, talents and expertise that parents and community members donate for the benefit of our RPS students and staff.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions, suggestions, and concerns you may have at 328-4299 or kosmith@rochester.k12.mn.us.

Save the Date: Lincoln K-8 Barnes and Noble Bookfair!

Our school will earn a percent of the net sales from any customer who mentions Lincoln or presents the Lincoln voucher at Barnes and Noble Rochester store locations on Dec. 10th 2-6pm. We will also receive credit for folks who shop on-line between Dec.10-12th. Visit BN.com/bookfairs to support us and enter 10358182 at checkout. So spread the word! Great time to do some Christmas shopping! Plus there is a outdoor downtown movie that night, Elf, as part of the 2010 Winter Wonderland Events. So bring the family to do some shopping and support your school and make a night of it!

If you would like to volunteer to help out, we will be at the downtown store location to handout coupons to use in the store. Please let me know if you would be available to staff the table for an hour or two that day. April Ekblad, ekblads4@yahoo.com

Important Reminders About No School/Late Start Days!

There is no school this Friday, November 12 (District Day).  It is a Late Start day on Monday November 15.  School will start at 11:15am, and there is no AM Kindergarten.

Kindergarten Sibling Count

If you have a kindergarten student coming to Lincoln in the 2012-2012 school year, we need you to complete a Lincoln application form.  In order for us to determine how many spaces can be assigned to new kindergarten applicants through the kindergarten lottery, we need to know how many incoming kindergarteners there are from current families.  The Kindergarten Sibling Count form with Application is being sent home in backpacks this week.  Forms are due to your teacher or the Lincoln office by Friday, December 3.  A copy of the form can also be found here :  Kindergarten Sibling Form with Application
or in the Links to Documents section of the blog.

Wanted: Your gently used books!

Did you know you can donate your gently used books to the Lincoln Summer Reading Program? There is a blue collection bin located right outside the office. We are looking for books that would be of interest to our K-8 students. So next time you clean off your kid's book shelves, bring in the books to Lincoln!

Mittens & Gloves needed!

Yes – believe it or not – winter is coming! If you have any spare gloves or mittens that you would be willing to donate to the Media Center, would you please send them in? We have a loaner program that students can take advantage of if they forget – or do not have - gloves or mittens. Any donation would be welcomed. Thanks much!!!! Janis & Barbara

News from the Health Office

Cold weather is here now and children should be prepared for recess time by having  all the necessary cold weather gear available every day, including snow pants and boots, when the snow comes.   Students can leave an old pair of tennis shoes in their lockers, for those days when they wear their boots and forget to bring shoes.

WHEN YOUR STUDENT IS ILL . . .When a student is sick, parents often wonder whether or not to keep a child at home from school.  If a child stays home and has the care he/she needs when first sick, he/she will often get better faster. Staying home and resting will help the body fight the sickness. Staying at home is also one of the best ways to keep others from becoming ill.

Reasons why children should stay at home:
1. Severe colds, coughs, or sore throats
2. Eye infections, especially if discharge is present
3. New skin rashes, especially if draining—unless medical opinion states rash is not contagious
4. Temperature of 100º or more with or without symptoms of an illness
5. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal pain
6. Any other sign of acute illness
7. Until results of laboratory tests (i.e., throat culture, nasal swab) are known.

Children may return to school when:
1. Well enough to participate in normal school activities
2. Free of all symptoms for 24 hours
3. Temperature remains normal for a 24-hour period without the use of fever reducing medications.
4. On an antibiotic for at least 24 hours
OR
5. Your health care provider states your child can return to school.

It is often very difficult to decide whether it is really necessary to keep your child home. There are no sure rules to follow as we are dealing with variables. Hopefully, the above guidelines will be helpful to you in making this decision.

Your School Public Health Nurse

PPT Minutes - October

Click this link for a copy of the PPT Minutes from October.  The tab at the top of the page labeled "PPT Minutes"  will have an archive of the links to PPT Minutes for the whole year.

October PPT Minutes:  http://bit.ly/azvxKg

Dad's Belgian Waffles - See Tab at Top of Page for All the Info!

Dad’s Belgian Waffles -  Saturday, November 20, 2010

7:30am - 11:30am

All You Can Eat! 

$7.00 for ages 8 and up

Free for ages 7 and under

Lincoln School Cafeteria

Free Parking

This event is open to the Public

Destination Imagination

Participants are needed to fill out teams. If your student is interested in DI but did not get their registration in, now is their opportunity. For more information about DI go to www.destinationimagination.org or contact Elizabeth Glowac, Lincoln K-8 Choice School Destination Imagination Coordinator at calisabel@me.com or 280-6618. Registration form can be found in Links to Documents section, please return to the office as soon as possible.

Ski Club Registration Night

Tuesday November 9th at Willow Creek Middle School Cafeteria from 6:00 PM-8:00PM.

Ski Club is for students in grades 4 to 8. It meets on Fridays starting January 7, 2011.

Lincoln's ski club will be skiing at Welch Village.

For more information contact Lincoln's Ski Club Advisor, Elizabeth Glowac at calisabel@me.com or 280-6618.

Hip Hip Hooray! The Auction and Bake Sale Were a Spectacular Day!

So many hands made for a phenomenally successful Auction and Bake Sale.  It took every contribution, every bid, each baker, solicitor, poofer, grouper, set up person, room monitor, take down helper, committee chair, bank worker, student, teacher, Para, staff member and parent to do what was done.  To each and every volunteer - Thank You.  Truly it takes a village to raise and educate our children.  It also takes this village to step up and raise funds to support our students and teachers in their educational efforts.  We cannot say it often enough, THANK YOU for YOUR contribution to the Auction and Bake sale. 
We are thrilled to report that we have successfully met the required funding for our PPT budget AND we will be able to fund some special projects!!
It's been my pleasure learning this process from my co-chair Juli Gifford, and Cathy Nathan who "wrote the book" on this process.  I thank them for their patience with me.  I learned a lot!  I look forward to doing it again next fall with our new Co-Chair Melissa Murphy!
In the event that you now have some extra baskets lying around - we would be happy to help you recycle them for next year's auction!
Thank you again- Good work to ALL!

Lincoln Auction Yard Signs: Thank you to everyone that let us borrow space in your yard.  We appreciate it.  Now comes the time that we need the signs returned.  Please just return them to the office and cross your name off the list.  Conferences are fast approaching and this would be a convenient time to return them.  Thanks again. 

Lincoln at Today's STEM Summit

Check out the Post Bulletin Live Blog to see some of Lincoln's students shining at the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Summit!

http://www.postbulletin.com/blogs/live/

Under "Completed Events", click on "STEM Summit". Our students start blogging at the 12:44 time mark.

Special Projects

The Auction has passed and it was an undeniable success! Thank you to our Auction Co-chairs Juli Gifford and Betsy Schroeder for your outstanding effort! Everyone involved with the Auction did such a wonderful job performing their roles, we appreciate all your time and dedication!

The proof is in the pudding folks, we surpassed our PPT budget which means we have money to spend on our Special Projects! Applications were collected in September, so now we will have a meeting to decide which projects to fund with the Auction surplus. Keep in mind that as a parent at Lincoln you have voting rights, so be sure to come to our PPT meeting on November 22nd to vote on the Special Projects applications. Some of the options this year is a new sound system for our stage, snacks for our after school RAP program and more!

The meeting will be held at 7:00pm in the media center to decide which projects the PPT will fund. See you all there!

We have a winner!

Thank you to those who read the blog and voted for a teacher to win 15,000 Cambell's Labels for Education points.

Our winner is Uppers teacher, Carrie Graff.  Once she decides what to order to benefit Lincoln you will be updated.

Keep sending in your labels, box tops and milk caps to bring free money and merchandise to Lincoln.

TODAY - Lincoln Auction 2010!

The Lincoln Auction is TODAY!  Classrooms have been filled with a bevy of beautiful baskets, the gym has a display of Live items to die for, the Bake Sale is chock full of sweet treats¸and the face painting, bingo and child care are ready for the kids! You cannot miss this opportunity to shop, mingle and snack! 

Events Schedule:

Bank opens at 11:15am – get your bidder number!

Bake Sale opens at 11:15am – get your treats before they are gone!

Silent Auction bidding starts at 11:30am.

Kids’ events start at 11:30am.

Childcare opens at noon.

First Silent Auction room closes at 12:30pm.

Live Auction starts at 2:00pm.

Bingo for older kids starts at 2:00pm.

We hold an Auction so that students do not have to go door to door selling wrapping paper, magazines or pizza.  Your support of the Auction helps us to provide the unique events and equipment that are “Lincoln”.  Our auction is open to the public, so please encourage your friends, neighbors and co-workers to attend.   Support Lincoln K-8 Choice – bid high, bid often!

Labels, Box Tops, Milk Tops:

This year to encourage families to participate in the Labels for Lincoln program, we are going to have classroom competitions. Every classroom will have a brown paper sack for the kids to deposit their various brands of milk tops, box tops and labels for education (Campbell’s soup, etc).

Starting in November and running through the end of May, a volunteer will collect each classroom’s Labels for Lincoln and keep track of the dollar amount. At the end of the month, we will tally the total dollar amount for each class and offer the winning class a popcorn party! (Note: The pop tabs for the Ronald Mc Donald House will still be located in the entryway of the main door.)

Parent Survey

Fall for LLT (Lincoln Leadership Team) means working on the site improvement plan for Lincoln to set goals for the year!
As we work on this plan for the 2010-2011 school year, it is very important that we get your feedback on how your student is doing, how the staff is doing, and how the school as a whole is doing. Please take just a few minutes to fill out this survey so we can include your feedback in our school goals.
http://www.quia.com/sv/459504.html

Presidents' Letter for October

Greetings from the Lincoln PPT where every parent is valued and welcomed!

We had a successful meeting in September to start off the year. It was wonderful to see so many new faces at our first meeting.

Part of our New Business at this meeting was to gather responses to following question: "What are some reasons that you attend -- or will continue to attend -- our Lincoln PPT meetings?" The responses we heard were inspiring: "It makes me feel part of the family of the school." "I learn a lot." "It's my new school year resolution to be more involved." "I get to meet people." "Parent involvement leads to a well-rounded child." "Many hands make light work!" It's no wonder that Lincoln is the Best School in the Universe with responses like that!

Another topic of discussion was Chris "the fish guy's" idea of hosting a possible "Zebra Fish Boot Camp." The idea is to train parents about the Zebra Fish Project and to simply "have fun at the lab with Chris." More information about this will be posted in up-coming blogs, so watch for it if you're interested!

Of course the big news right now is the Lincoln Auction. Hopefully you will attend in order to support all of the good causes that the Auction funds. In fact, at November's PPT meeting, you can be part of the decision on how the money is spent. We will review the Special Projects at November's meeting and vote on the projects to be funded with the profits of the Auction. This is a great way for you to be involved!

Lastly, I want to invite you to the October 25th meeting. It is an important one. The Referendum committee is coming to our PPT meeting to discuss the importance of voting "YES" for the November election. The meeting is at 7:00 in Lincoln's Media Center.

We hope to see you soon! Have a BOO-tiful week!
Chris Harmon
Co-PPT President

Mmm…IT’S TIME FOR THE FAMOUS LINCOLN BAKE SALE!!

When: Auction Day, October 30^th                                                                

Where: Staff lounge 11:30am -2:00pm

This is a great way to make a last minute donation to the Auction!!

Donations accepted on Friday (Oct 29th) 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 jefnmel@charter.net

Destination ImagiNation

Teams are being organized now. Make sure to get your sign up sheet in to the office no later than October 29^th. Extra sign up sheets in the office and in the Links to Documents on the left side of the blog.

For more information about DI go to www.destinationimagination.org or contact Elizabeth Glowac, Lincoln K-8 Choice School Destination Imagination Coordinator at calisabel@me.com or 280-6618.

Win a prize for a teacher by reading this blog!!!

Congratualtions for reading the new lincolnlincs blog. 

Win a prize for a teacher.  E-mail therego2@yahoo.com by midnight on October 31, 2010 with the name of the teacher you vote for.  The teacher with the most votes will win 15,000 Campbell's Labels for Education points to use for merchandise from their catalog.

Thanks for reading.  Keep checking back.  Watch for a Box Tops & milk caps contest coming to your child's classroom this fall.

RAC PTSA School Board Candidate Open House

The Rochester Area Council PTSA is hosting a Candidate Open House, Wednesday, October 20th from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. in the Longfellow Elementary gym, 1516 Marion Rd SE.  The candidates will make opening remarks between 6:00 and 6:30 and will then be available to meet voters until 8:00.  The Yes 4 Students committee will also be there with information on the upcoming levy referendum.  The entire community is welcome to attend for any part of the evening.

RAC PTSA is a group for local PTSA presidents that meets monthly to discuss district and site issues.

Special Projects - Great Ideas for Lincoln!

Lincoln teachers and parents have submitted requests for funding for suggested Special Projects that will benefit the school and the kids. You can review the submitted requests by opening the Special Projects Requests 2010 document in the Links section. The projects include: additional books for the Lynx Leveled Library, additional Netbooks, Robotics for engineering, Netbooks for Andi and Ginelle, digital cameras for students and a kindergarten class, personal screen printer, hand held microphones and snacks for RAP.

How can we fund all these great ideas for Lincoln? First we need to raise the money. The total dollar amount required to fund all these projects is just over $20,000. This money comes from the Lincoln Auction, after the PPT budget has been funded. Make sure you attend and bid on all the fabulous baskets and items available – the more money raised at the auction, the more projects we can fund!

Following the auction and once we know how much money is available for Special Projects, a consensus meeting will be held to determine how the available funds will be used and which projects will be funded. All Lincoln parents, guardians and staff are welcome to attend this meeting and the funding recomentation from this meeting will be presented to PPT for final approval.

See a favorite project on the list? Remember to attend the auction and support Lincoln!

If you have any questions about Special Projects, contact Mary Hansen at 285-9047 or rmhansen2002@yahoo.com or Julie Wingert at 288-6293 or djnwinger@aol.com

VIE - Volunteers in Education - September News

Welcome back Lincoln volunteers! 

We are looking forward to another great year. Over the next few weeks the Volunteers in Education (VIE) committee will be organizing and trying to match volunteers with where they are needed.  Thank you to all of you who have turned in your VIE form!   If you have not turned in your VIE form yet, please do. 

We are still in need of many volunteers in many areas!  For example, did you know you could volunteer in 15 or 30 minute blocks of time to tutor in reading?  Think tutoring might be hard?  If you can listen to a student read aloud, you can tutor reading.  Yep, it is just that easy!  We will show you how to do it!  This is just one of the many great opportunities in VIE.  Let us help match your interests and schedule so you can help the students at Lincoln by volunteering your time. 

Please don't forget to sign in and out of the log book in the office.  Printing your name really helps us out, signatures are hard to read :)   

Thanks! April Ekblad ~ Melissa Engelken ~Kara Short

Fire Up the Oven - It's Bake Sale Time!

When: Auction Day, October 30th

Where: Linnea’s room

Why: To support OUR Lincoln kids!!    

This is a great way to make a last minute donation to the Auction. Baked goods accepted on Friday, Oct 29th in the office or Saturday in Linnea’s room. Please package items in dozen or half dozen amounts. You can label them with a price or we can do it for you. Decorative packaging makes your item a sure sell out!! 

If you have any questions, contact

Jodi Kruse (jmkruse22@gmail.com) or Melissa Engelken (jefnmel@charter.net).

2010 Lincoln Auction - September Update

Check out the link to the Auction 2010 at the top of the blog's main page to get more information about the Auction.

In case you aren't aware, the Auction is the biggest fundraiser for our PPT (Program Planning Team).  This is Lincoln's version of the PTA.  At other schools, in order to belong to the PTA, families have to pay dues to belong.  At Lincoln we believe that everyone has a voice about our school, from the minute you walk in the door, so there are no fees to belong to the PPT.  You already belong!  The PPT pays for things like the fabulous back to school picnic, and support for each classroom!

This year there are so many people working on the Auction.  The efforts of many will enable a fabulous success. In case you haven't had a chance, there are still a few opportunities left to participate!  The Auction Committee still needs your help!!  Please sign up and help make the Auction a success - we can't do it without you!

1.  Help us spread the word!  Download Auction posters to put up at places you go! www.lincolnk-8auction.org 

2.  Positions are available in the Pick Up Area, where winning bidders collect their items, the Bank, and a few Silent Auction rooms still need monitors.  To sign up contact either:

Melissa Murphy at www.mfmurphy1@charter.net (280-6367) or

Nicci Watson at www.onawat@aol.com (292-9090).

Elementary Gifted Services Programming Meetings

This fall the Rochester Public Schools elementary gifted services team will be offering two opportunities for parents and guardians of elementary students to learn more about gifted services programming at the elementary level. We remind you that gifted services programming is available for identified students in grades 3, 4, and 5. Each meeting will offer the same content and information, so select the evening and location that works for you. These sessions are open to parents from all elementary sites.

Monday, September 27, 2010      Gage Elementary Cafeteria      7:00 pm

Tuesday, September 28, 2010      Riverside Elementary Gym        7:00 pm

ATTENTION PARENTS:  The meetings have changed from the dates on the Parent Letters sent home with students

September District News

GET SMART – RAISING A READER
The “Get Smart” Mindset Efficacy team is offering a FREE one (1) hour meeting on Friday, October 1, 2010, from 12 noon – 1 pm OR 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm. The topic of discussion will focus on “Raising a Reader.” There are many simple things you can do to help raise a reader. In this session, special guest Heather Willman will help us explore a variety of ways you can help your students excel in reading. Please join us on Friday, October 1, 2010 from 12 noon – 1 pm OR 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm at the Northrop Community Education Center, located at 201 8th St NW, Room 201.

Heather Willman is the secondary reading coordinator for the Rochester Public Schools. She has a passion for helping all students become readers. She also teaches for Augsburg College and has worked with dozens of schools in Minnesota to help their teachers become teachers of reading.

To register, please email Juan Vasquez at juvasquez@rochester.k12.mn.us or call 328-4316.
www.SmartKidsRochester.org

WANTED: PARENTS AND GUARDIANS WHO WANT TO COLLABORATE WITH OTHERS AND WITH DISTRICT STAFF TO IMPROVE PARENT INVOLVEMENT.
The District-wide Parent and Family Involvement committee meets monthly to find ways to educate parents, staff, and community about the value of parent and family involvement and to provide communication and strategies that support it throughout the district. If you'd like to learn more, contact Angie Ellsworth at 328-3300 or anellsworth@rochester.k12.mn.us or Amy Kunkel at 287-1844 or dajjbears@charter.net


SKI CLUB SIGN UP - MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Registration night: Willow Creek Cafeteria
Tuesday, November 9, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
More information will be coming closer to sign up.

Lincoln Students to Perform

Clara's Nutcracker Dream (put on by the Allegro School of Dance).
The tickets are $18 until October 15 and after that the tickets are $21 through the Mayo Civic ticket office. The performances are Friday, November 26 at 4:00 and 7:00 and Saturday, November 27 at 1:00 and 4:00. Please contact Kim Bridgeman at 271-8146 or Denise Gravenhof at 285-2538 by October 15.

Principal’s Letter

Greetings Lincoln Families!

Here we go!  I couldn't be more excited to start another school year for a multitude of reasons.  I will share just a few of the reasons we should all be proud to be in the Lincoln Family.

Our MCAII results are in for last year and they look great! We are very excited about the continued growth and progress at Lincoln which is a tribute to our students, parents and staff!  These impressive results are thanks to the incredible efforts of everyone! Check out this amazing growth over the past three years with Lincoln MCAII proficiency scores:

Subject	06-07	07-08	08-09	09-10
Math	71%	80%	81%	88.65% !!!
Reading	79%	80%	85%	86.52% !!!
Science – Grade 5	----	----	68.3%	82.1% (+13.8%)
Science – Grade 8	----	----	51.7%	85.2% (+33.5%)

Our teachers have been writing exciting new science modules this summer which should be highly engaging for students this year.

We have our brand new SMART Table which was made possible by families purchasing SCRIP. We have only scratched the surface of what SCRIP can provide our students and we look forward to doing everything possible to make it easier for families to participate in this easy program to support Lincoln. We will be fully loaded with cards at Meet the Teacher to get things rolling this year!

We invite all families to attend two events on September 1st to reconnect with teachers, families and classmates. 

• Meet the Teacher (3:00-5:00) is a perfect time to visit classrooms and connect/reconnect with staff, families, and classmates. The Information Fair will be held in the gymnasium where you can get your folders, important information for the year, and sign up for opportunities at Lincoln.
• The Lincoln Back to School Picnic will take place from 5:00-6:30 and is sponsored by the Lincoln PPT (Program Planning Team). This is always a great event organized by the PPT Social Committee.

I look forward to seeing you all soon!  But in the meantime, keep reading with your kids so they are ready to roll this year!  I hope you are ready to make Lincoln the Greatest School in the Universe once again this year!

Jim Sonju

FROM THE PROGRAM PLANNING TEAM (PPT)

The Lincoln Program Planning Team (PPT) welcomes you to the Lincoln K-8 Choice School family if this is your first year at Lincoln, and welcomes you back if we've seen you before.

We're going to try some new things with our PPT meetings this year, so if you haven't been to one before, or have and didn't feel a connection, please come to our first PPT meeting on September 27th - - we want your feedback!! The PPT meets on a monthly basis during the school year, starting in September, usually on the last Monday of each month at 7:00 PM in the school's Media Center.

The PPT is made up of Lincoln parents and guardians, staff representatives, and the principal. All parents and guardians are members of the PPT simply because your child attends Lincoln, giving ALL parents and guardians, staff representatives, and the principal voting rights in the business of the PPT and the expenditures of money raised by the PPT.

The PPT organizes a variety of school activities and works to support academic and social enrichment opportunities for our students that are typically not available at other schools, helping to make Lincoln K-8 Choice School a very special place we like to call "The Greatest School in the Universe".

PPT meetings allow you to stay plugged in to what's going on at Lincoln, to learn about the many opportunities for you to help out with PPT activities and other educational efforts at Lincoln, and to positively influence the experience you and your student have at Lincoln. For the Lincoln PPT to succeed, we encourage all parents/guardians to become participating members of the Lincoln Community by volunteering and enjoying the social events offered by the PPT.

As many of you know, the Lincoln Auction is the PPT's primary fundraiser. Its success is essential to continuing the wide range of programs and activities that benefit Lincoln students and the entire Lincoln community. So, please take time to read more about the Auction and, if you are new to Lincoln this year, check out the many volunteer opportunities available.
Where to look for more information about upcoming PPT meetings and other activities?

• This and future editions of the LINCS
• The LincolnLincs blog at www.lincolnlincs.blogspot.com,
• The Lincoln Parent E-Files electronic newsletter,
• The Family Folder you will receive at the Meet the Teacher Information Fair
• The PPT website at http://www.rochester.k12.mn.us/school97/ppt.

We look forward to seeing you at the Back to School Picnic and Information Fair on September 1st.
Jodie Meurer and Chris Harmon, PPT Co-Presidents

ATTENTION KINDERGARTEN PARENTS! “PARENT OF K INFO DAY” SESSIONS SEPTEMBER 7 AND 8

This year, kindergarten parents will have the opportunity to attend a special Lincoln orientation session during your child's Kindergarten Mini Day session. Experienced Lincoln parents and Lincoln leaders will be present to pass on important information about how you and your family can make the most out of your Lincoln experience. Information will include how to make kindergarten a great year; tips for student success; orientation to Lincoln organizations, events, traditions and lingo; and a look ahead to what your child's future at Lincoln will look like.

Look for the Sign up for your "PARENT OF K INFO DAY" session in your child's kindergarten classroom during Meet the Teacher Day.

News from the Lunchroom and School Nurse

NEWS FROM THE LUNCHROOM:

• All meals must be prepaid. A payment into your student's lunch account is necessary prior to the first day of school.
  
• You will have an opportunity to put funds in your child's lunch account at Meet the Teacher Day.
  
• The balance from your child's lunch account last year will be carried over into this school year – whether it was a positive or negative balance.
  
• Incoming Kindergarten families – your student will have one opportunity this year to eat lunch at Lincoln. You may pay for that lunch during Meet the Teacher Day.
  
• You can sign up online any time (even before Meet the Teacher Day!) at www.paypams.com to electronically deposit money into your child's lunch account throughout the year. You will need your child's student I.D. number or lunch account number. Please contact Student Nutrition Services at 328-4218 if you don't know this information.
  
• If you feel you might be eligible for the free and reduced lunch program, please make sure you complete an application. Contact the Student Nutrition Services office at 328-4218 if you need an application.
  

NEWS from the School Nurse:

• Emergency Health Plan: If you received an Emergency Care Plan (ECP) in the mail; you are asked to see the nurse during the orientation/meet the teacher event. The ECP needs to be turned in, updated if needed and signed for the coming school year.  Please allow time to accomplish this important task before the start of school so we can meet your child's needs during the school day.
  
• Medication: Should your child need any scheduled or as needed medication(s) during the school day, orientation/meet the teacher is an excellent time to bring them into the health office. Prescription medications need to have a medication authorization form signed by a medical care provider. These can be found in the health office, on the Rochester public schools web site or provided by your medical care provider.
  
• Immunizations - Important Notice: No one will be allowed to start school until all immunizations are current.  Registration materials for students who need shots will be taken to the Edison Building in August, and parents will need to go there with proof of immunizations before your child can be admitted to school.

ViE – Volunteers in Education News

Dear Fellow Lincoln Families-

Welcome back to another great year at Lincoln from the ViE Coordinators! If you are new to Lincoln, we welcome you as one of the many members of our great Lincoln community. Just one of many things that make Lincoln stand out are the amazing family volunteers we have. Volunteers in Education, or ViE, links parents to the volunteer opportunities we have available at Lincoln, and within the district, to support our children's learning. A small sample of the volunteer opportunities at Lincoln include helping a teacher in the classroom, leading after school activities, media helper, reading with a student at the end of the day or before school and lunchtime math help. These are just a few of the many ways we make Lincoln the greatest school in the universe!
The VIE Coordinators will be at Meet the Teacher day in the gym to talk further with you about the opportunities available for volunteering at Lincoln. We have an interest inventory that will be coming to your inbox via email to print and bring with you to meet the teacher day. If you did not get this copy one will be available for you to complete that day. We ask that every parent fill this out if you think at any time during the year you will be volunteering at the school in any way.

We look forward to seeing each of you at Meet the Teacher day!
ViE Coordinators,
April Ekblad
Kara Short
Melissa Engelken 

Special Projects – Application Deadline Extended!

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.

What are Special Projects?

• Special Projects can be any project or item that will benefit the school
  
• Special Projects can be submitted by parents, teachers or students of Lincoln. 
  
• Special Projects are paid for by money that is raised from the annual Lincoln Auction after the PPT budget has been funded. 
  
• Special projects funded in the past include: the Smart Boards in the classrooms, the "big toy" playground equipment, the Lincoln information sign, the popcorn popper, baseball bats and gloves – and many more.
  

Applications are available: 

• Through the Lincoln PPT web site (http://www.rochester.k12.mn.us/school97ppt then click on the Special Projects section)  
• Attached to the Lincoln Parent E-Files emails  
• At the Lincoln Lincs blog www.lincolnlincs.blogspot.com 
• Or directly from Mary Hansen at rmhansen2002@yahoo.com or Julie Wingert at djwingert@aol.com 

Stop by the Special Projects table during the Meet the Teacher Information Fair to find out more about Special Projects.
 

The Special Projects timeline:

September 24^th, 2010:    Final day for application submissions for funds from the 2010 auction (*Note extended date*)

October 30^th, 2010: Attend the auction and bid – Special Projects are funded from auction proceeds!

November 2010:    A consensus meeting will be held to determine how to spend the Special Project funds

 

Please contact Mary Hansen at 285-9047 or rmhansen2002@yahoo.com, or Julie Wingert at 288-6293 or djnwingert@aol.com, if you have any questions.

Announcing! Lincoln FIRST LEGO League (FLL)

FIRST LEGO League Informational Meetings at Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC):
Monday, August 23rd 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. RCTC Room EA121. The meeting is in East Hall on the main RCTC campus.
Wednesday, September 15th 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. RCTC Room EA121. The meeting is in East Hall on the main RCTC campus.

FIRST LEGO League is an exciting robotics competition that ignites an enthusiasm for discovery, science, and technology in Lincoln 4th -8th graders. Through their involvement in FIRST programs, children learn important life skills such as planning, research, collaboration, and mentorship. Teams meet September through the regional tournament on December 18th at RCTC.

The 2010 Challenge: Body Forward - Can FIRST LEGO League Teams improve our quality of life? Through the 2010 Body Forward Challenge, 9 to 14 year olds will explore the cutting-edge world of Biomedical Engineering to discover innovative ways to repair injuries, overcome genetic predispositions, and maximize the body's potential, with the intended purpose of leading happier and healthier lives.

To learn more about FIRST Lego Leagues visit the following website: www.hightechkids.org

Video about FIRST Lego League: FIRST: Where Gracious Professionals Get In The Game!
http://www.youtube.com/user/FIRSTWorldTube#p/c/8261FACBEDF7362F/0/oHIsL4A4LRw

Coaches Needed! - We need FIRST LEGO League (FLL) coaches! No experience needed.

The skills we need in our coaching teams are:

· the desire to explore side-by-side with children
· good communication skills
· prioritizing skills
· multi-tasking skills
· it helps for one coach to have engineering and/or programming skills

The coaches facilitate instruction and optimize the learning experience of the team members. They teach robotic skills then allow independent thought. Direct adult involvement or intervention during the problem solving process is strongly discouraged.

If you are interested please attend one of the two following informational sessions and look for more information at Meet the Teacher Day. Call or e-mail Cheryl Kliewer about coaching or for more details. cheryl@wiseraccoon.net 261-3699.