Lincoln Families,

I hope you had a great weekend. I enjoyed a quick visit to St. Louis for my nephew’s 7th birthday and some family/friend visits!

I look forward to seeing many of our students at next Saturday’s Young Authors Conference. Having read some of the writing submitted, I am excited to attend my first YAC!

As you might know, the district is embarking upon the important work of bringing our Strategic Plan to life. This important work will guide the future of our district. There are still opportunities for parents/community members to become involved.  Please let me know if you are interested.

This week students in grades 3 and 4 will take the CogAT (The Cognitive Abilities Test). This assessment is intended to estimate students’ learned reasoning and problem solving abilities through a battery of verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal items. This relatively short assessment will aide our staff in making instructional decisions for your child.

As always, thanks for your continued support of our school. Please let me know if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family.

Have a great week.

CG

Calendar

Monday, 1/25:

• Yoga
• Tennis for Grades 1 & 2
• Coding Club

Tuesday, 1/26:  Sports Camp

Wednesday, 1/27:

• Lou Malnati’s Fundraiser – Lunch & Dinner!
• Waste Free Lunch Wednesday
• Chess Club
• Tennis for Grades 3 & 4

Thursday, 1/28:

• Sports Camp
• Parent Speaker at Roosevelt 7pm (details below)

Friday, 1/29:

• Lincoln Spirit Day
• Registration Deadline for Jr. Scientist Expo
• Fun Lunch – Sub Sandwiches

 

Coding Club has a few openings

Mrs. Clasky is 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, but you must register on the PTO Web Store.

 

Lincoln K-4 Jr. Scientist Expo – Register Now!

What: Lincoln Elementary K-4th Jr. Scientist Expo

When:   Thursday, March 10th

• 6:15 display setup
• 6:30 – 7:30 pm  Presentations & prize drawings

Where: Lincoln Elementary Gymnasium

Are you MAD about SCIENCE?  Does the word EXPERIMENT make you BUBBLE over?  If this RAISES your TEMPERATURE then the Lincoln Jr. Scientist Expo is for you!  Groups of one, two or three Scientists can share a science project, completed at home, with friends and family.

All scientists will be recognized for their efforts and are eligible for prize drawings during the Expo – the grand prize is a real microscope!

Don’t wait…each participant must register at the PTO Web Store before January 29th for this free Lincoln PTO sponsored event.  If registering as part of a group, you must enter the names of all other group members.

CLICK Lincoln Jr Science Expo Flyer for more details and suggested website resources.

 

Lou Malnati’s Lincoln Night is this Wednesday, 1/27

Order take out or dine in at Lou Malnati’s anytime between 11am and 11pm and a portion of your sale will be donated to the Lincoln PTO.

You must show the attached Flyer on your phone or on paper:  OP.LincolnElemPTO

Contact Nikki Elza with any questions at njselza@comcast.net.

 

Parent Presentation on Bullying, Cyberbullying, Peer Victimization and Social Conflict, sponsored by the Roosevelt PTO

Carrie Goldman has garnered national and international acclaim for her work in bullying social conflict resolution. In Bullied, Goldman brings together the expertise of leading authorities with the candid accounts of families dealing firsthand with peer victimization to present proven strategies and concrete tools for teaching children how to:

• speak up and carry themselves with confidence
• call each other out on cruelty
• resolve conflict
• cope with teasing, taunting, physical abuse, and cyberbullying
• be smart consumers of technology and media.

Bullied won a National Parenting Publication Award and a Mom’s Choice Award, both at the gold medal level, which is the highest honor offered.

Waste Free Wednesdays are back!

The Green4Good Committee is encouraging “Waste Free” lunches every Wednesday until Earth Week in April. Students with waste free lunches will receive a hand stamp. Lunches that do not cause any waste to be thrown into the landfill will qualify. The key is to pack lunch items in containers that are reusable, recyclable or compostable! See the attached Zero waste lunch flyer for more information.

This is a fun and educational tool that helps Lincoln students learn about earth-friendly practices.

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 onFebruary 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.

 

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!

Last call for photos for the Lincoln Yearbook!

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” by February 1st. 

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!

Jump Rope for Heart

Our school is proud to collaborate with the American Heart Association to help kids with special hearts!  Grades 1 through 4 will participate during PE.

Please return permission slips and donation envelopes on 2/10/16.

Kindergarten “Sneak-Peek” and Registration

Kindergarten registration for the 2016-2017 school year will open on February 5th.

Mark your calendar for our Kindergarten Sneak Peek:  February 23rd at 7:00 PM

 

Lincoln PTO Auction

Save the date for our 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!