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!