Lincoln Families,
I hope you enjoyed the weekend and the sightly more seasonal temperatures. Hopefully, this long brutal Winter will give way to Spring very soon! The next ten school days until Spring Break will be busy ones.

I look forward to seeing you and celebrating our school on Friday at the annual Lincoln School Auction. It is always a fun evening. Even if you are unable to attend, you can still participate in the auction virtually. Please see the information below for updates on Friday’s auction.

There has recently been a lot of chatter in our community around the topic of District 90 initiatives, curriculum/ instruction and assessment. Please know I am always available to chat and answer any questions you might have. Sometimes through no fault of anyone, personal opinions on these topics cloud the facts and cause concern. We are a Fine, Fine, school and I always embrace the challenge to make our school even finer! However, to do so it is important to engage in open factual dialogue. Please reach out anytime and use conversation with teachers and district administrators as your source of information on these topics. Please know I’m always willing to find time to chat.

New Parking Restrictions/Signage
Beginning after Spring Break (April 1) The Village of River Forest will being enforcing NO PARKING Zones in the following areas on school attendance days:

• On the West Side Park Ave. from Lake St. to the North side of the Park Ave playground.
• On the East Side of Franklin Ave. from Lake St. to the North side of the gym

This is a result of the Safe Routes to School surveys/evaluations and is a decision that was made my the Village Administration. The Village will begin monitoring and ticketing this area effective April 1. Signage will also be posted in these areas outlining the above parking restrictions.

Additionally, please note the new “NO LEFT TURN,” at the intersection of Franklin and Lake.

Spring Break Spirit Week
To celebrate the countdown to Spring Break, Lincoln will celebrate Spirit Week during the week of March 18-22. Here is a rundown of the fun week we have planned:

• Monday, March 18 – Mixed up Monday:  Mix up your clothes, wear tacky colors, crazy socks, wear your clothes backwards or crazy hair!
• Tuesday, March 19 – Top Hat Tuesday: Wear your favorite hat to school!
• Wednesday, March 20 – Favorite Team Wednesday: Everyone is invited to wear clothes to celebrate their favorite team. If you don’t have a favorite team just wear red or a Lincoln School shirt!
• Thursday, March 21 – Cozy-up and Read Day: Wear your favorite pajamas, bring your favorite book and get ready too Drop Everything And Read several times throughout the day!
• Friday, March 22- Vacation Friday: Celebrate the start of Spring Break by wearing your favorite vacation shirt and sunglasses!

As always, my door remains open for anything I might do to better support your family. Thank you for your continued support of Lincoln. See you at the Auction on Friday evening. ~ CG

Quote of the Week: “Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The people who never tumble and those who never mount the high wire.” – Oprah Winfrey

Spirit Winners 2/28/19:

• 1st/2nd: Ms. Neilson and Ms. Tanglao
• 3rd/4th: Ms. Bajo

Calendar

Monday, March 11:

• yoga
• chess club

Tuesday, March 12:

Wednesday, March 13:

• Waste Free Wednesday

Thursday, March 14:

• Wonder Readers – 7:30am, multipurpose room
• March principal birthday lunch

Friday, March 15:

• Wonder Writers – 7:30am, multipurpose room
• Trinity Irish Dancers Assembly
• Fun Lunch – pasta
• Lincoln School Auction!

Don’t Forget to Buy Your Lincoln PTO Auction Tickets! 

Make sure to buy your tickets for the annual Lincoln School Auction! Join us to enjoy great wines, craft beers and delicious food while you bid on gifts, sporting event tickets, spa services, summer camps, and items from some of your favorite local businesses. As always, we will be auctioning off great experiences from your favorite Lincoln teachers and principal! And this year, be sure to check out and bid on original artwork created by the best artists in River Forest, Lincoln School students!

Event begins at 6:30, with an open bar from 6:30-8:30. Live auction will begin around 7:45 and all bidding ends at 8:30.

Buy tickets and sign up for online bidding here: https://www.silentauctionpro.com/onlineticketpurchase.php?groupId=734

Ticket prices are $60 per person or $100 per couple (purchase by midnight on 3/14/2019).  Tickets can be purchased the day of the event or at the door for $75 each.

Summer School 2019

It’s time to think about summer school! District 90’s Summer School program will be in session from Monday, June 17th through Friday, July 12th, with no classes on July 4th.Students entering Kindergarten-4th grade will be at Willard Elementary and students entering 5th-8th grade will be at Roosevelt Middle School. Registration IS NOW OPEN and closes on April 18th. Click on the link for the brochure and to register— https://www.district90.org/about/summer-school.

PE Shoe Drive

Dear Lincoln Families, My name is Jonathan Augustine and I am the new PE teacher here at Lincoln. I have great idea that can help every student excel during their PE time.

What?  A school wide athletic shoe drive!

Why?  During PE it is mandatory for students to wear  proper athletic shoes. This means no showing of the toes, only closed toe athletic shoes. During the winter and spring months students wear boots or sandals to school, often times forgetting their athletic shoes for PE and unable to participate.  I want PE to be fun and engaging for everyone, even those who happen to forget their athletic shoes.

Therefore, if you have any gently used athletic style shoes that perhaps your kids have grown out of or no longer wear, please send them in. A variety of sizes that will fit K-4 students would be appreciated. I will have disinfectant spray each time a student wears a pair of shoes. If you have any questions feel free to email me at augustinej@district90.org. Thank you for helping the Lincoln students!!!  Mr. A

Join the 2019-2020 PTO Team

The mission of the PTO is to support and enhance the education of the children at Lincoln School. But without input, ideas and support from the families at Lincoln, fulfilling this mission is not possible. As we begin to plan for the 2019-20 school year, we invite parents to join us from 7:00-9:00 pm on Thursday, April 11, to share ideas and show support for activities and events organized by the PTO.

There is a lot you can do for the PTO and for Lincoln School whether you are a working parent or a stay at home parent. Volunteer opportunities are available for events taking place at school during the week or on weekends. And opportunities are available for you to work from the comfort of your own home while younger children nap.

Spread the word and bring a friend! We hope to see you on April 11th (at Old School in Forest Park)! Thank you for your continued support of the Lincoln PTO!

Please click here to view the list of positions available (see attached) for the 2019-20 school year.

Attention Parents of Fourth Graders

Please Don’t Forget to Pay 4th Grade Activities Fee
Please click here to pay your $25 4th Grade Activity Fee. This money goes toward the t-shirt that your 4th grader will wear during Field Day and the cost of the 4th grade breakfast celebration on the last day of school. If you are unsure if you have already paid, please click here and log in to review your order history on the PTO webstore.
Any questions? Contact Amy Prestes (amy.prestes@gmail.com) or Ginger Timchak (gingertimchak@gmail.com).

Join in 4th Grade Field Day Activities
Would your son or daughter like to participate in one of Lincoln School’s Field Day traditions? Our kids have excitedly been watching the “big kids” (aka – 4th graders) over the years entertain and kick off Field Day with Drumming and the Maypole Dance. Now it’s their turn to participate! Field Day is currently scheduled for the last day of school, June 12th. Your 4th grader can choose to participate in the Maypole Dance and/or Drumming. We are still in need of parent volunteers to help guide and instruct the students in the drumming activity. Please email Amy Prestes (amy.prestes@gmail.com) or Ginger Timchak (gingertimchak@gmail.com) if you are interested. Practices start in early May.

Commemorative Video for 4th Graders: Pictures Needed
A video will be shown at the 4th grade breakfast on the morning of the last day of school, June 12th. The video will contain pictures of the 4th graders through their years at Lincoln School. So grab a box of tissues and scroll through your old photos. Please begin to gather a variety of photos of your child commemorating all of their years at Lincoln, grades K through 4. We suggest photos from school events, school concerts, class parties, field trips, PTO events, back to school pictures, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, other clubs, youth sports teams, pictures with good Lincoln buddies, etc.

Photos can be submitted to a google drive via https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Br8wAPodrOwDK0IUThraRsnGsFNttUMu?usp=sharing or emailed to Lincoln4thgradeclass@gmail.com . We want to ensure that everyone is included so in the body of the email please include child’s name, grade / teacher at the time pic was taken. We cannot use pictures from non-school events, no matter how cute. New families to fourth grade – there’s still time to take pics!
Example: Zoo field trip, 1st grade.
Feel free to email Lincoln4thgradeclass@gmail.com with any questions.

Connect4Kids Speaker Event: April 4 at 6:30 pm Willard Auditorium

Having a tough time getting your family out the door in the morning?  Would you like for your child to be more organized in their daily routines and more responsible for their belongings? Are you struggling to manage your child’s technology time? You’re not alone! Help your child develop Executive Function skills with tips from Dr. Georgia Bozeday, Ed.D, Director of Educational Services at Rush NeuroBehavioral Center.

• An overview of current research from neuroscience describing the impact of the 21st Century influences on students today
• Recommendations and strategies for organization and time-management
• Focuses primarily on grades 3rd-12th grade

  Questions? Contact laura.haussmann@gmail.com or sangs50@gmail.com

EARTH WEEK (April 22-26) call for volunteers!

 Coming up in April, Lincoln School will once again proudly celebrate Earth Week!  Want to be part of the planning?  Just want to help out that week?   Or maybe only one day?   Let us know!  The Lincoln Green4Good Team is a great way to get involved at school and do something valuable for our community, as well.  Contact Alexis Murphy (alexis_murphy@hotmail.com) or Renee Sichlau (rsichlau@hotmail.com) for more information.

Spring Yoga Registration Opens 3/17

Registration opens for spring yoga on Sunday 3/17. Yoga will take place on the following Mondays in Mrs. Burn’s room. Cost will be $80 for the 6 sessions.

Dates:
4/8
4/15
4/22
4/29
5/6
5/13

One District One Book

Please consider joining District 90 in its One District/One Book shared reading experience. This community-wide initiative encourages families and residents to engage with, reflect, and discuss the same book together. All District 90 families, faculty, staff, students, and River Forest residents are encouraged to join in the discussion of The End of Average: How We Succeed in a World That Values Sameness, by Todd Rose.

Please consider joining District 90 on Wednesday, April 3, 2019, from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Roosevelt Middle School, 7560 Oak Avenue, River Forest. There will be small group discussions and hands-on learning activities that will help bring the book’s ideas to light. Dinner will be served at 6 p.m. The event is free, but RSVPs are requested. Please RSVP at this link: RSVP One District/One Book

Please join the conversation. The End of Average is available in the River Forest Public Library and local bookstores. You can also listen to this book in an audiobook format. Short videos by Todd Rose can be viewed on YouTube or by clicking these links:

Harvard’s Todd Rose on Why Individuality Is the Key to the Future

The End of Average: Todd Rose’s 8 for 8

The Myth of Average: Todd Rose at TEDxSonoma County

Screenbreak

Screen Break is a collaboration between local community organizations and governmental entities in the Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park area.

We are challenging families to turn off the TV, tablets, cell phones and video games for one week. To make this easier, local organizations are sponsoring fun and free activities each day. Choose from special story times, improv classes, chess and creative arts classes. Disconnect from your device and reconnect with your community this week.

Check out event schedule at: PDOP.org/screenbreak