Changes & Enhancements for Lincoln K-8 Powerpoint and MCA Prep Tips

On March 24, Mr. Sonju and Lincoln teachers presented information on changes & enhancements for Lincoln K-8 beginning next school year.  The powerpoint from the March 24 Parent Information Meeting can be found online - CLICK HERE FOR POWERPOINT. Please contact Mr. Sonju if you have any questions.

A reminder - MCAs are coming in just a couple of weeks!
Reading tests will be April 15th and 16th for entire building.
Math and Science will follow over the following weeks online by classroom.
Ways to prepare to excel on the test:
1) Study Island- try to master each standard in your grade level!
2) MCA Samplers from your teachers
3) Read!!!

Have a great Spring Break!

Monday, March 24 6:30pm - Parent Information Meeting - Changes & Enhancements for Lincoln K-8 and 7:00pm PPT Meeting

Please join us on March 24th at 6:30pm in the Gym as we share some of the exciting changes we are making for the 2014-15 school year. Some of the items we will share at the meeting:

• We will have three All-Day Kindergarten classes next year at Lincoln. We will share the locations of two newly built classrooms and share specifics about this additional programming for our students. 
•  We will have many Multi-age opportunities and experiences in grades K-8. The configurations of some of the classrooms will change to allow for more flexibility and additional opportunities for our students. We will share what these straight grade classes with Multi-Age experiences will look like in grades K-5. 
•  We will be continuing our pilot as a National Lead School in Project Lead the Way and will share some of the new modules in the program’s future.

And at 7:00, join us for the March PPT meeting to hear the latest news from PPT.

Request for Staff Appreciation - March 25

We are planning a staff appreciation on Tuesday, March 25th. Because we are all eager for Spring to arrive we are going with a Spring theme. Any kind of treat - sweat or savory is welcome.
If you are willing to make a donation please contact Erica Yahn at ericayahn@gmail.com or 206-0089. Please bring all items to the staff lounge by Tuesday morning labeled "for staff appreciation". Please have items pre-cut if necessary and ready to serve.
Thank you so much for volunteering and showing our incredible staff how much we appreciate them!
PPT Staff Appreciation Committee

Parent Information Meeting on Changes and Enhancements for Lincoln K-8 for 2014-15 - March 24

Please join us on March 24th at 6:30pm in the Gym (before the PPT meeting at 7:00pm) as we share some of the exciting changes we are making for the 2014-15 school year.
Some of the items we will share at the meeting:

• We will have three All-Day Kindergarten classes next year at Lincoln. We will share the locations of two newly built classrooms and share specifics about this additional programming for our students. 
•  We will have many Multi-age opportunities and experiences in grades K-8. The configurations of some of the classrooms will change to allow for more flexibility and additional opportunities for our students. We will share what these straight grade classes with Multi-Age experiences will look like in grades K-5. 
•  We will be continuing our pilot as a National Lead School in Project Lead the Way and will share some of the new modules in the program’s future.

All-Pro Dads/Grandpas- March 19 - 8:00-8:45 am

We have another great day planned for Dads to share in an activity with their kids on March 19th. We have just one  event left for the year after this one, so this would be a great time to come check it out.

Highlights for the upcoming event:

• The video will be a fantastic clip showing how kids can be powerful for siblings and family members.
• Mr. Munoz (Superintendent) will be in attendance and share a few thoughts. Great chance to show him the support of Lincoln community.
• Special Door prizes – MN Science Museum and IMAX, MN ZOO tickets, MN Timberwolves, Redbox movies, FREE BOOKS from the BOOK FAIR and more!!
• Perkins will be providing their delicious muffins and juice along with Caribou Coffee providing coffee as well!

Please call or email to RSVP for the event by March 17^th  so we can have enough muffins/juice/coffee. 
 jasonju@rochester.k12.mn.us or amkrahn@rochester.k12.mn.us or call 328-3550.
The event will be from 8:00-8:45.
We look forward to seeing all the Dads/Grandpas here at Lincoln with their kids!

LINCOLN SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR IS BACK ! March 19, 20 and 21st

Help support the Lincoln Media Center and classroom libraries by shopping at the fair or by shopping online. Book Fair is held on the stage. Hours are:
March 19th 8am -5pm.
March 20th 9am -8pm.
March 21st 9am - 5pm
Can shop online from March 13-April 2 !! FREE shipping right to the school ! http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/lincolnk8choiceschool

Lincoln Ellen Hunt Scholarship - Seeking Committee Members

The Lincoln Ellen Hunt Scholarship chairs are looking for two parents to join the scholarship committee. This volunteer opportunity is a one time, short term commitment that involves reviewing submitted scholarship applications and attending a meeting to rate and select a scholarship recipient. Committee members need not have any previous experience however, should be available to attend the selection meeting on the evening of May 6th. If there are any questions or if you are interested in this opportunity please contact Jodi Kruse at jmkruse22@gmail.com or Melissa Engelken at melissae.724@gmail.com.

Reminder - Lincoln Family Directory Available on Skyward

Parents - the Lincoln Family Directory is available online through Skyward.
To access:

1. Login to your Skyward Family Access Account.
2. On the Menu at the left side of the page, find the button at the very bottom called "Back to Prior Family Access" and click on that button.
3. On the new Menu that appears at the left side of the page, go all the way to the bottom of the menu and click on "Lincoln K8 School Directory".
4. This will open a PDF document.  You can download and save this PDF document to your computer.  

Spring Cleaning? Save those items for the Lincoln Garage Sale May 17!

Now is the time to plan for the Lincoln Garage Sale on Saturday, May 17^th.

More news to come but keep in mind items for the big event to help support our school as you do some spring cleaning!

Order Your Lincoln Yearbook - Online Ordering Available - Deadline End of March

The Lincoln K-8 Choice School yearbook can be ordered using forms available from your child's teacher or easy online ordering at https://ybpay.lifetouch.com.
Lincoln's yearbook ID code is 1927714 and the cost per yearbook is $13.00.
The order is going in on the last day of March and there will not be an opportunity to get a copy later.

This weekend - RCTC Physics Demo Shows!

RCTC Physics Demo Shows at the RCTC Hill Theatre
Saturday March 8 @ 2pm & 7pm
Sunday March 9 @ 2pm
Tickets are $6 at the door.
Bring a non-perishable food item for Channel One and receive $1.00 off admission.
Children under 5 may not wish to attend due to loud noises.

Note:  Lincoln parent Rod Milbrandt is one of the masterminds behind this EXPLOSIVE event! There will be many exciting and fun physics demonstrations including a bed of nails, Tesla coil, and vacuum cannon.
All funds raised benefit the RCTC Physics and Engineering Club.

All-Pro Dads - March 19 - 8:00-8:45 am at Lincoln

We have another great day planned for Dads to share in an activity with their kids on March 19th.We have just two events left for the year so this would be a great time to come check it out.
Highlights for the upcoming event

• The video will be a fantastic clip showing how kids can be powerful for siblings and family members.
• Mr. Munoz (Superintendent) will be in attendance and share a few thoughts. 
• Special Door prizes - MN ZOO tickets, Redbox movies, FREE BOOKS from the BOOK FAIR and more!! 
• Perkins will be providing their delicious muffins and juice along with Caribou Coffee providing coffee as well!

Please call or email to RSVP for the event. jasonju@rochester.k12.mn.us or amkrahn@rochester.k12.mn.us or call 328-3550. The event will be from 8:00-8:45. We look forward to seeing all the Dads here at Lincoln with their kids! Jim Sonju

SEEKING K-3 LITERACY TUTORS for Lincoln Choice School

Lincoln K-8 Choice School has positions open for a K-3 Literacy Tutor for THIS CURRENT school year AND the 2014-15 school year. You Can Make A Difference! Learn more and apply by visiting www.MinnesotaReadingCorps.org

• SEEKING K-3 LITERACY TUTOR at Lincoln Choice School for 2013-14 School Year
• $500 Biweekly Living Stipend 
• $5,550 Education Award 

• SEEKING K-3 LITERACY TUTOR at Lincoln Choice School for the 2014-15 School Year
• Approx. $500 Biweekly Living Stipend 
• Approx. $5,600 Education Award

Lincoln Dance - This Friday, February 28

Come join your friends - Tom Garrett DJ will be providing music!
This Friday, February 28th:
K - 5th Grade - 6:00 to 7:00 PM - Parent must attend with child
Uppers - 7:30 to 9:30 PM - Permission slips required

RESULTS OF PPT SPECIAL PROJECTS CONSENSUS MEETING - PUTTING OUR LINCOLN FAMILY AUCTION $$$ TO WORK!

The special projects consensus meeting was held on Tuesday, February 19.  Participants spent several hours discussing the various project proposals, working through a three hour long process to ultimately create the funding budget.  Participants commented over and over that they wished they could fund all of the proposals. PPT leadership also walked away with some fresh inspiration for making sure Lincoln K – 8 Choice School maintains its status as the "Greatest School in the Universe"!

NEXT PPT MEETING MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 7-8 PM, LINCOLN MEDIA CENTER

Please join us for the February PPT meeting next Monday, February 24 from 7-8 pm in the Lincoln Media Center. The PPT is a great way to learn more about Lincoln and how you can get involved.  All parents, staff and guardians are encouraged to attend!

STEM on the Move at Lincoln!

Agriculture in the Classroom Grant - Lincoln was granted $300.00 for our gardening project by the Ag Literacy Grant Program to fund plantings in our greenhouse, the construction of an irrigation system by uppers students and the creation of a 15 bale straw bale garden next to our raised bed gardens. Learn more go to http://strawbalegardens.com/

Project Lead the Way Elementary Pilot (Phase 2) is under way. The following grade levels will be piloting new STEM modules for Project Lead the Way in February:

• Grade one – Light and sound module 
• Grade three – Science of Flight module 
• Grade five – Robotics and Automation module 

Science Fair - We broke another record at Lincoln with a record setting 110 Uppers’ participating in the Regional Science Fair! We are very proud of the incredible efforts of our students and want to thank our parents in supporting this important educational opportunity. Our Lincoln students will again take the Regional Science Fair by storm with the outstanding projects and huge number of students!
Special thanks to the Uppers’ staff that have been so instrumental in teaching the scientific process, working with the many projects, helping with the editing process, supporting with math concepts, obtaining materials, fish, resources, etc.. It is truly amazing to watch the process and I can proudly say our staff go way out of their way to help students excel!

UPDATED APPLICATIONS: Special Projects Applications for Review – Consensus Meeting February 18

The applications are in and are now available for review.  You helped raise the money - now it’s time to decide how $10,436 gets spent!  Please plan to attend the consensus meeting on Tuesday, February 18^th, at 6:00 pm in the Lincoln Media Center.   No experience necessary!  Please read the proposals before attending the meeting.   A facilitator will guide us through the process of creating a proposal to fund some fantastic items/experiences that will benefit the Lincoln community. 

Update on All-Pro Dads - RSVPs Being Taken for Next Event February 19

We had almost 80 Dads and kids in attendance at the first All-Pro Dads event. The theme for January's meeting was finding your kid's passions and supporting them. We had outstanding feedback from kids and Dads and already have forty signed up for for our next event on February 19.

An email received after the event made my day!
"I would like to say thank you for allowing Dads the opportunity to attend an event like All Pro Dads this morning at your great school. There are so many things that make Lincoln the best school in the universe, however opportunities like today's are icing on the cake. I love nothing more than being a Dad, and events like today's allow my Daughter and I to bond in ways that differ from the "normal". Keep doing what you are doing. I am proud to tell people that my Daughter attends Lincoln, along with my son next year, and you should be proud to hear the envious reaction I receive from other parents when I tell them that! Thanks again!"

Please RSVP for your spot on February 19 by letting Amy or Jim know you are coming.
328-3550 amkrahn@rochester.k12.mn.us or jasonju@rochester.k12.mn.us

A big thank you to Perkins for providing delicious muffins and juice. Carribou also provided wonderful coffee that warmed up the Dads on a cold winter morning. Please consider supporting these folks as they continue to support us at Lincoln.

Thank you for making Lincoln a truly special place for all our students and supporting them in many ways. Jim Sonju

Show Your Staff Appreciation - Donate to Conference Meal on February 11

It's conference time and we want to show our staff how much we appreciate the extra time and effort they put in! PPT will be having Hy-Vee cater a conference meal on Feb. 6 and we are looking for staff appreciation donations from our awesome volunteers for February 11. 

We are planning a pasta dinner and are suggesting the following items for donation:

• Salad Bread and butter (please have sliced and ready to serve) 
• Spaghetti with marinara sauce (please bring in crock pot) 
• Meatballs to add to marinara crock pot 
• Fettuccine with Alfredo sauce (please bring in crock pot) 
• Chicken breast strips to add to Alfredo crock pot 
• Other Italian dish (please bring in some type of warming dish so that it can be set out for staff to come in at their convenience) 
• Dessert (please have cut and ready to serve) 
• Water (24 count) (please chill or put in staff frig ahead of time)
•  Soda (diet, regular and Sprite/7-up) (please chill or put in staff frig ahead of time) 
• Plates, forks, knives, cups, napkins 

Please bring all donations to the staff lounge by 3:15pm on Tuesday, February 11. Items can be dropped off ahead of time in the staff lounge, please label "For conference meals".

Please e-mail dani.nikolai@gmail.com or call Dani at 254-3594 if you are able to donate one of these items. Thank you!!
PPT Staff Appreciation