Lincoln Families,

Welcome to the second week of 2016! The first week back is always a bit sluggish, so hopefully by the end of this week we will be back into the routine of the new year!

Beginning later this week we will begin our Winter Benchmarking Assessments for students. We assess students in the areas of Reading and Math using AIMS Web, MAZE, MCap and MComp. These various assessments measure fluency in phonics, reading, and mathematic problem solving. This data is then compiled and discussed during our staff collaboration time. This data and these important discussions allow us the opportunity to monitor student progress and adjust/modify and differentiate instructional practices to meet the needs of all students.

If you or anyone you know might have an incoming Kindergarten student for the 2016-17 academic year, I am excited to announce the first ever Lincoln School Kindergarten Sneak Peek! Save the date for February 23 at 7:00 PM for an informational evening about Kindergarten at Lincoln School. There will be presentations by the Kindergarten teachers, school nurse, principal, and PTO. The event will include a school tour and the opportunity to register your new Lincoln School Eagle. Look for more information about this exciting evening in the near future. Kindergarten registration officially begins on February 5.

I look forward to celebrating all January student birthdays at Thursday’s January Principal Birthday Lunch. Also any student who may have missed a previous Birthday Lunch is welcome to attend.

As always, thanks for your continued support of our school. Please never hesitate to let me know if there is anything I can do to help you or your family. Have a great week. CG

**** The next Lincoln Log will be published on Monday, January 18, due to the Martin Luther King Holiday. ****

Lincoln Spirit Days Winners:

Thursday, December 17
Mrs. Donnelly
Mrs. Bajo

Friday, January 8
Mrs. Stasys
Mrs. McCole

 

The Character Theme for January is FRIENDSHIP

Families, the ups and downs of your child’s friendships can be hard to watch! While you can’t make new friends for your child, you can help him/her develop and practice key social skills such as taking turns, sharing, or starting a conversation. Using role play helps practice these skills in a fun way. You can also support your child’s developing friendships by being open to your child having a different friendship style than yours, inviting your child’s friends to your home, and coaching your child through difficulties with friends. Thanks for supporting our students’ continued social-emotional development!

Calendar

Monday, 1/11:

• Heartworks meetings at Lunch & after school

Tuesday, 1/12:

• Sports Camp

Wednesday, 1/13:

• Chess Club

Thursday, 1/14:

• January Principal Birthday Lunch
• Sports Camp

Friday, 1/15:

• Last Day to Register for Winter/Spring Fun Lunch!
• Lincoln Spirit Day
• Fun Lunch – Pasta
• 

Monday, 1/18:  No School MLK Day

Web Store is Open for Yoga, Tennis & Coding Club Registration

Log on to the PTO Web Store to register for the following PTO Programs.  Rev Track will not allow you to complete your order on a mobile phone, please use a computer.  Classes fill quickly and are first come, first served.

Connect4Kids Winter Core Power Yoga

Calling All Yogis, Adrienne Smith and Laurie Solberg of Core Power Yoga will be teaching children’s yoga class for 1st – 4th grade students on Mondays in the Auditorium.

Class starts Monday, January 25 and runs for 6 weeks skipping President’s Day week and Pulaski Day week.

The program will provide children with an opportunity to foster greater self-awareness and improve their concentration and self-confidence.  The team will introduce the children to the fundamentals of yoga and incorporate social-emotional themes.

The cost is $70 for 6 classes.

Connect4Kids Play For Lot Tennis

Tennis will be taught by Mirka and Luka Bagos, professional coaches of Play For Lot, in the Lincoln Gym.  The 6-week program welcomes children of all skill levels, but classes are separated by grades:

Mondays are for grades 1 and 2.  First class is on Monday, 1/25; last class is on Monday, 3/14  (no class on Presidents’ Day & Pulaski Day).

Wednesdays are for grades 3 and 4.  First class is Wednesday, 1/27; the last class is Wednesday, 3/16 (no class the week of Presidents’ Day & Pulaski Day).

There will be a Connect4Kids/Play For Lot Kick-Off Meet & Greet in the School Gym on January 13, from 3:15-4:15.  All students and parents are welcome to stop in the gym to meet the staff and try tennis.  To find out more visit:  http://www.playforlot.org/ or https://www.facebook.com/playforlot/

The cost is $70 for 6 classes.

Coding Club

Mrs. Clasky will once again be hosting a Coding Club on Mondays after school. This is a repeat session of the fall club (repeat exercises not intended for past club members), and is limited to 18 Third and Fourth Grade students.

Meetings are on Mondays, 3:15 to 4:15 pm in the Lincoln School Library

Meetings are held on school days, January 25th through May 2nd.

There is no cost for this club.

Winter/Spring Fun Lunch Registration

This is the last week to order Fun Lunch for Winter & Spring.

Fall Fun Lunch ends this Friday, January 15th, with Pasta.  If you did not order a full year of lunches in the Fall, then you need to order again for your child to continue receiving Fun Lunch through the end of the school year.

Please be sure to order fun lunches for your children by January 15 th.

Register right now on the PTO Web Store.

Not sure if you signed up for half year, or full year?  Check your order history on the web store:

• My Account
• Log In
• Order History
• click on the 2015 dates to see what was ordered  (Look for the words “Full Y” and a single menu cost of $38-$40 in the description)

If you miss the January 15th registration deadline, you will be able to order until Friday, January 22nd, but there is a $15.00 LATE FEE PER CHILD. Whether this child receives 1 or all 4 fun lunches, there will be a $15 fee added. There is no registration for lunches after January 22nd, 2016.

Don’t get stuck making lunches or paying the late fee–order by 1/15 !

Heartworks Meeting Monday 1/11

Heartworks Meetings Monday, January 11, 2016

Lincoln Multi-purpose Room

Lunch/Recess

(OR)

After School (3:10-4:00 pm)

*Please pack a NUT-FREE after-school snack for your child if he or she is attending the after-school meeting.

A huge thank you to Lincoln families for contributing to the 2015 Heartwork Mitten Tree Drive! Thanks to your contributions, the Heartworks team donated enough gloves, mittens, hats and scarves to keep the kids at Hephzibah Home warm this winter!! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!!!

Lincoln Yearbooks are now on sale!

Yearbooks are now available to order on the PTO Web Store.  Reserve a copy for your student(s) before March 1st and you’ll save $5.  $20 gets you a hardcover book and a souvenir pen.  Books are distributed during the Ice Cream Social on Friday, May 13th.

Save your confirmation email from the PTO Web Store so you can quickly confirm your order when “end of the school year” panic sets in!

Do you have some precious photos of Lincoln students at school events?

Share some of your best school photos with the Lincoln Yearbook!  We’d love to see your PTO event, playground or classroom photos.  Please email them to Ann Mills at “anncieslica AT msn.com” or Cheri Gearhart at “cheri AT gearhart.com”.

Please note, we can only use high resolution photos, so please select a large file size and know that only 3-5 photos will fit on a single email.  We don’t mind receiving multiple emails!  Or you can always share via google drive or drop box.  Thank you!

 

Lou Malnati’s Lincoln Night is 1/27

Order or dine in at Lou Malnati’s anytime between 11am and 11pm and a portion of your sale will be donated to Lincoln’s PTO. Please be sure to print out the attached flyer. Contact Nikki Elza with any questions at njselza@comcast.net.
Print out the flyer: OP.LincolnElemPTO

Connect4Kids Book Talk

In the winter months we think it may be time to curl up with a good book.  Order yourself a copy of:

Teach Your Children Well: Why Values and Coping Skills Matter More Than Grades, Trophies, or “Fat Envelopes” by Madeline Levine, Ph.D.

We invite Lincoln and Willard parents to our first Connect4Kids Parent Book Club on February 11th, 2016, 7pm @ Lincoln School.

This talk will be moderated by Dr. Cara Lanza Hurley.  Dr. Hurley is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with nearly a decade of specialized training and expertise.  She will lead an intimate discussion encouraging us to reflect on insights from the book and process the art of parenting with peers.  We are delighted she will be facilitating our post book discussion as she comes to us with positive reviews after several parent book talks in Hinsdale.

Please RSVP here by February 8th.

Extra copies of this book will be available in the Lincoln and Willard offices if you want to stop by and check them out.

Girls on the Run at Lincoln This Spring!

Make a difference: volunteer as a coach for Girls on the Run!

Girls on the Run is a non-profit, after-school program for 3rd and 4th grade girls that uses the power of running to educate girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living. The program combines training for a 5k event with interactive lessons that encourage positive physical and social-emotional development.
WHEN do we meet?
 Twice a week after school for 75- 90 minutes with your team. The program will be held on Tuesday and Thursdays at Lincoln School starting in March through May and is led by trained, volunteer coaches. (Cost will be $175 for 12 week season).
Lottery sign up to begin in February.
WHERE can I learn more? www.gotrchicago.org
Volunteer as a coach for Girls on the Run!
You don’t need to be a runner or have previous coaching experience – just the passion to change the lives of young girls.
Contact Kristin Bailitz at kristinbailitz@gmail.com if interested.

Jump Rope for Heart

Our school is proud to collaborate with the American Heart Association to help kids with special hearts! Mark your calendars now for our upcoming Jump Rope for Heart/Hoops for Heart event taking place on 2/10/16.

The save the date card will be sent home this week. Materials and information on collection donations will be sent home on 1/22.

Grades 1-4 only.

Save the Date: Lincoln Auction on 3/11/16

PTO AUCTION FUNDRAISER – Friday, March 11, 2016

Please join us for an evening to support our PTO.
Food, Drinks, Friends, and Competition – bid on prizes for sports tickets, getaways and more!

A volunteer meeting will be held on Thursday, January 21st at 8 pm.
Please click here to sign up if interested.

A Reminder from our School Nurse

As cold weather begins, so does our cold and flu season. Please help keep all of us at Lincoln healthy by following our best practices. Please remember that children with a fever of 100.5 or greater need to stay home for at least 24 hours and until they are fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications. Also remember, if your child is vomiting or has diarrhea, that they need to remain home from school until they are free of vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hours. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Thank you in advance for doing your part.

Young Filmmakers Contest

The contest is open to Grades 3 through College, with recognition in each category: elementary, middle school, high school and college. Submission deadline is 5 pm, Sunday, January 17, 2016.

Create a 3-8 minute film or a shorter animation on a specific topic related to climate change or sustainability.  See the attachment One Earth Film Contest  for details or click here for the One Earth Website.