11/1 Lincoln Log

Lincoln Families,

Happy November! I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

In all my years as a principal, I can’t think of a time when I felt such a sense of community as I did at yesterday’s Pan K/5 K. It was great to see so many of our families in attendance. Despite the dreary weather, it was so great to be a part of the 5K and Pancake Breakfast! Many thanks to all the volunteers who put in countless hours of preparation, execution and cleanup. It is the amazing collaboration and volunteerism between families and our school that makes Lincoln such a Fine, Fine School!

It’s hard to believe 1/3 of the school year is complete. I look forward to seeing many of you this week for the kick off of our Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences. Conferences provide a unique opportunity for you to learn of your child’s progress so far this year and to dialogue with your child’s teacher. If you have any questions regarding conferences, your scheduled time, or anything else, please feel free to contact me or your child’s teacher. We would be happy to help in any way. As you prepare for conferences, here is a great link from the Harvard Family Research Project which provides tips and resources for educators and families to help maximize this all important conference time. Parent-Teacher Conference Tips

In an effort to further develop myself and increase communication for our school, I will be venturing into the world of Twitter to share updates about student learning, school events and other important information about our Fine, Fine School. Being new to Twitter, I will do my best to share pertinent information and updates about our school. Should you be interested, please feel free to follow me at Casey Godfrey @FineFineSchool. This will also be a great way for you to receive updates on the National Blue Ribbon Schools Celebration that I will be attending with Mrs. Moriarty, Nov 7th-10th. I look forward to this new adventure and to bringing more information about our school to your fingertips! 

Finally, here is a picture of our Buddy Bench which has been officially installed on the Franklin Playground. We are very excited about this additional tool which supports our school’s Social Emotional Learning efforts. 

buddy bench

As always, thank you for your continued support of our Fine, Fine School. I look forward to seeing you around soon. Please never hesitate to reach out if there is anything I can do to help.

Have a great week.

CG

Calendar this Week

Monday, 11/2:

  • PTO Meeting at 8:45am at Lincoln–all are welcome
  • Heartworks Meetings:  Lunch Hour or 3:10-4:00pm in the multipurpose room, 4pm pick up on the Park Side please.

Thursday, 11/5:

  • Conferences 3:30 to 7:00pm
  • Fun Lunch:  Chicken Tenders/Veggie Burgers

ChickenTenders

Friday, 11/6:  

  • NO SCHOOL,  Conferences 12:30 -3:10pm

 

Looking Ahead…

Thursday, 11/12:  Parent-Teacher Conferences, 3:30 – 6:50 pm

Fridays in November:  Spirit Wear Challenges–get your Gear on!

November 17 – 20th:  Lincoln Book Fair

 

Heartworks News

Thank you, Lincoln Families, for contributing to our FoodBucks Drive for the OPRF Food Pantry.  We collected $200.45 last week (which the food drive can multiply by 10 at wholesale prices) to support local families in need.  And a special thank you to the Heartworks Club for collecting on behalf of Lincoln School–Bravo!!

Is your 4th grader interested in joining Heartworks, Lincoln School’s community service club? 

Heartworks is a great way for 4th graders to get involved in community volunteerism, become leaders at Lincoln, and bond with their fellow 4th grade classmates!

Meetings are held on the first Monday of each month. Your child can choose to attend a meeting at recess OR after school on the first Monday of each month.

Please sign up on the Lincoln PTO Web Store.

Heartworks is meeting Monday, November 2nd.

This Monday there will be a speaker from Hepzibah, followed by a craft project tied in with our November service project (collecting hats, mittens and scarves for Hepzibah), and some time for the children to offer and discuss other potential service projects that they would like to work on this year.

Mark your calendars for future Heartworks Meetings, and remember, meetings will be held at recess AND after school.  Students can choose which meeting time works best.  For 4:00pm pick up, please pick up on the Park side. 

  • December 7th
  • January 4, 2016
  • February 1st
  • March 7th
  • April 4th
  • May 2nd

We hope that your 4th grader can join us!  Questions?? Email Christine Khaledan at “chrissy_conroy AT yahoo.com or Howard Wax at “howardwax AT hotmail.com”

 

November & December Character Trait

POSITIVE ATTITUDE

Because Positive Attitude is so important and because the month of December is shortened by winter break, we focus on this character theme for two months in a row!

A person with a Positive Attitude:

  • Always sees the good in a situation
  • Tries to find solutions to problems
  • Takes time to appreciate the little things
  • Is happy with what s/he has
  • Takes responsibility for his/her actions
  • Understands the need to listen to other people
  • Doesn’t complain often
  • Enjoys life!

How does the Buddy Bench work?

The buddy bench is a special, designated spot where kids can sit and this, in turn, is a “signal” to others on the playground that they need a friend.

If you are the student sitting on the bench:

  • you may be new to school and not know anyone
  • your friends are playing with other kids or aren’t at school today
  • you want to play something different than your friends
  • you want to make new friends, but aren’t sure how

If you are not sitting on the bench:

  • keep your eyes open for anyone sitting on the bench
  • ask your classmate on the buddy bench to play
  • make a new friend today and keep growing your circle of friends

Make Buddies, Not Bullies!

Every 7 minutes, a child is bullied, according to an estimate by the U.S. Department of Justice. We want to give students a safe space to eliminate loneliness and foster friendships.

For more information about the buddy bench, please visit: www.buddybench.org

 

PanK and Blue Ribbons…

The PTO would like to thank all the volunteers and patrons at this year’s PanK 5K Run and Breakfast!  A special shout out to organizers Steve Lefko and Cal Davis for another memorable event!  Thank you!

By tying a blue ribbon around your parkway tree, you have demonstrated your school spirit and support of Lincoln School.  While we would like to keep the ribbons streaming until the U.S. Dept. of Education makes its official visit to present our award (this month), we do understand if you feel the need to take them down.  However, if you are comfortable with keeping them up until the official visit (we don’t have the date yet),  we’d appreciate it.  Thank you again for your school pride!

 Book Fair

Lincoln School Book Fair

Get a head start on your holiday shopping at tax-free prices and support our school library by shopping for quality books, calendars and other fun gifts at the Lincoln PTO Book Fair.

Your child will visit the Fair on Tuesday, November 17 to make a personal wish list to help you learn what they might like for their own bookshelves. There will also be staff wish lists for those who may be looking for the perfect gift to show your appreciation. Look for the “Apples” on the bulletin board outside the LLC.

We will be hosting a family story time on Wednesday, November 18 from 6:30-7:30PM. We will have readers from the community,  including a police officer and a librarian from the River Forest Public Library.

New this year, we will be having a book mark decorating contest. The week before the Fair, all students will receive a black and white book mark to decorate. The two best from each grade will receive a $5 off coupon to use at the Book Fair!

If you can’t make into the Fair this year, you may order online at abcfairs.com. Purchases will still benefit the Lincoln PTO.

Volunteers are needed to help staff the Book Fair. Please see Sign Up Genius for available time slots.  Thank you! 

2015 BOOK FAIR HOURS

  • Tuesday, 11/17:  Exclusive shopping for STAFF & VOLUNTEERS 8:00am to 3:10pm

OPEN TO ALL:

  • Tuesday, 11/17:  3:10 pm to 5:00 pm
  • Wednesday, 11/18:  8:00 am to  8:00 pm (FAMILY STORY HOUR is   6:30-7:30 pm)
  • Thursday, 11/19:  8:00 am to 5:00 pm
  • Friday, 11/20:  8:00 am to 9:30 am

 

International Festival

 

International Fest

On Sunday, February 7, Lincoln School will be hosting our first International Festival where children will interactively learn about the many countries represented in our student body. We’ve only just begun planning the event and are looking for international families to participate. Whether you are from another country, or simply passionate about another country, let us know! Please fill out this form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Fofu7bMD0I2ADcxgeY4AoLrFdBOhsygvpLMkfcPrGvo/viewform?usp=send_form) or email Vanessa Druckman “vanessadruckman AT gmail.com”.

Young Filmmakers Contest

One Earth Film Contest

The contest is open to Grades 3 through College, with recognition in each category: elementary, middle school, high school and college.

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.