Lincoln Families,

Happy May! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. 

Like schools across the country, the first week of May is annually designated as our Staff Appreciation Week at Lincoln School. Over the past 365 days we’ve all been schooled in lessons of patience, resilience, and kindness. The teachers at our Fine Fine School are no different.  

Our teachers are naturally adept at being quick learners, flexible, and motivating for kids. However, for over a year, their resilience has shone brighter than ever; even while under the intense visibility, vulnerability, and scrutiny. The Fine Fine Teachers at Lincoln are natural actors and performers, but their audience is generally limited to the ten and under crowd, allowing for naturally embedded silly songs, ridiculous outfits, class cheers, and just about any other trick to engage and motivate kids.  That’s what we signed up to do as elementary educators and what we love to do. However, as the pandemic surged this past Fall and “in-person” school was delayed, our audience and critics grew to include parents, grandparents, nannies, pod leaders, and countless other relations, all with a front row seat to every lesson, silly moment, behavior correction, and technology malfunction; not to mention their own questions and critiques of each lesson. Nowhere in the training for any educator was a textbook or course dedicated to teaching our youngest learners remotely or in a blended format while also adhering to the countless safety mitigations of a global pandemic.

Yes, the argument can be made that no career path was quite prepared to adapt to “pandemic life.” However, I would argue that there is no career path quite as unique as educating, engaging, and building relationships with the youngest learners.

It’s no secret to anyone that I often refer to Lincoln as a “Fine Fine School.” Each day, decision, and lesson since August 24 has not been perfect, but in my opinion they have been Fine Fine Fine.  That is in large part due to the passion, energy, and dedication the entire Lincoln staff have poured into making the 2020-21 school year as memorable and normal as possible.

Many years from now, when this group of kids have taken their place as our future teachers, doctors, nurses, first responders, and national leaders, I’m confident they will remember how their Fine Fine School helped them to persevere, learn, and laugh during some of the most challenging times in history.

It’s sometimes overlooked that teachers are also mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons who often put the needs of their class before that of their own health and family. All that said, this year more so than any other, I encourage you to celebrate our Fine Fine Teachers and all Lincoln School staff members who make our school run. Please take a moment to spread some LINCOLN LOVE FORM  or celebrate our staff with your own personal gesture of gratitude. As we enter the homestretch of the school year, I am prouder than ever in our Fine Fine  Teachers, Fine Fine Kids, and our Fine Fine School! 

In other news, this week will continue our IAR testing for 3rd and 4th grade. Below is the schedule for the week. 

Finally, don’t forget to submit any feedback regarding next year’s class placement by Friday, May 7. Please follow these instructions.

As always, thanks for your continued support of Lincoln. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if there is anything more I can do to support your family. Have a great week. 

CG

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Calendar

Monday 5/3

• Start of Teacher Appreciation Week

Thursday 5/6

• Stan’s Donuts Orders Due

Friday 5/7

• 4th grade T-shirt orders due
• FLIP book orders due

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ATTENTION 4th GRADE FAMILIES

T-Shirt sizes & payment needed by Friday, May 7th

It is tradition for each graduating 4th grader to receive a special t-shirt to commemorate their days at Lincoln. At this time, please CLICK HERE to log onto the PTO Web Store to pay a $12 fee and select the t-shirt size for your student.

Commemorative slideshow video for 4th graders

Pictures needed by Monday, May 10!

Attention 4th grade parents, it is a tradition at Lincoln School to assemble a digital slideshow video for the graduating 4th graders commemorating their years at Lincoln, grades K-4.  The slideshow will contain photos of the 4th grade students throughout their years at Lincoln School.

Please share photos of your student from school events, school concerts, class parties, field trips, PTO events, PTO Clubs, back to school, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, pictures with good Lincoln buddies at school, etc.  Please refrain from sending photos of birthday parties, holidays, or religious events (we cannot use photos from non-school related events, as cute as they may be.)

Two ways to share:

Google Drive Upload: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1A0xbu6_HdKmZmV-Hfcpx_wJT3p5Bz8Ky?usp=sharing
Email: lincoln4thgradeclass@gmail.com

Please include the child’s name either in the name of the photo or as part of your email.

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Lincoln Flip Books are now on sale!

Flip Books are now available to order through the TreeRing website. Due to the unusual circumstances of this school year, Flip Books are being offered instead of a traditional yearbook. The softcover books are available for $20 now through May 7th. Flip Books will be distributed in person at the end of the school year. Please click here to order your 2020-2021 Lincoln Flip Book. Please see attached flyer for further instruction.

All flip book orders must be placed with Tree Ring. The PTO will not be selling flip books at the end of the school year. 

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Lincoln Love

Teacher Appreciation Week is May 3rd to 7th! Please have your child(ren) fill out a Lincoln Love Note for their awesome teachers and staff members. Parents can fill these out too! These notes will be distributed to the staff during Teacher Appreciation Week.  Lincoln Love “Shout Out” Form 

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SchoolKidz Supply Kits – Order NO LATER than May 14!

SchoolKidz supply kits are now available to order for the 2021-2022 School Year! Don’t want to spend those last few summer days searching for school supplies? The Lincoln PTO sponsors a School Supply Kit program to simplify your life! Order a kit online and it will automatically be delivered to your child’s classroom before school starts. Orders are online only and they are accepted only until May 14th. The supplier cannot accept late orders. Please remember to buy a kit for NEXT YEAR’s Grade Level. If you have any questions, please contact Julianne Heiniman.

Order your kits at www.shopttkits.com – Lincoln Account Number: 20838. Don’t delay! The deadline for ordering kits is May 14!

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Saturday, May 8th: Fundraiser with Stan’s Donuts!

Surprise your kids with some delicious donuts from Stan’s or buy Mom an entire dozen for Mother’s Day and raise money for our school at the same time!  It’s super easy (actually, it’s a little confusing – but worth it – so just follow the detailed steps below) and you’ll be enjoying before you know it:

1. Scan the QR code on the attached flyer or go to the FaceBook event listing here (on the FB listing – under the Details section, you have to click on the SEE MORE and you will see a link to place your order)
2. Click on “Click Here to Set” next to the “Order Pickup Time” prompt
3. Click on “Pickup” under the Pickup or Delivery area
4. Under “Food Pickup Time”, first select Saturday, May 8th (IMPORTANT – this is the ONLY day that donuts will be dropped off at Lincoln for pickup)
5. For the time, select any 15 minute window between 9:00 – 11:00am (we won’t hold you to this exact time, we’ll be there for all two hours)
6. Order your donuts (donuts are only available in the dozen and half dozen options shown)
7. Go to your cart and checkout
8. Come see us Saturday, May 8th from 9:00am – 11:00am – there will be a car drive thru setup in the parking lot on Park for easy pickup!

ORDERS MUST BE PLACED NO LATER THAN 9:00AM ON THURSDAY, MAY 6th!!!!!

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Help Feed Local Families in BEYOND HUNGER’S CAN DO COMMUNITY CHALLENGE

Thank you to the Lincoln community for providing for more than 500 meals with your food and monetary donations to Beyond Hunger during April’s CAN DO Community Challenge.  Thank you to the following volunteers for making it possible: Katie Avalos, Lauren Behan, Sarah Donoho, Courtney Fohrman, Alexis Murphy, and Lindsey Silver.

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One School One Book

We hope you’re enjoying reading Bob with your family.  Feel free to send in a picture of your family reading together and it will be shared on the morning announcements.

One School One Book – link to Mrs. Brauweiler’s read-aloud

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D90 School Registration

River Forest Public Schools registration for the 2021-22 school year opens Friday, April 30.  All the District 90 registration forms are online and can be found within the PowerSchool parent portal.  A link to the PowerSchool parent portal can be found under the Quick Links section of your student’s school’s website.

You will need a PowerSchool Parent Portal account to access the registration forms. A complete guide for how to complete these forms can be found in our How to Register Your Student document. All pertinent student registration documents can be found on the District 90 Student Registration page, and are there to assist you with this process.

These documents include New Account instructions, Adding a Student to an Existing Account, and if you already have an account, but have forgotten your password please refer to the Forgot Password? document.

Please fill out your registration forms as soon as possible as this information is helpful in addressing staffing needs for next school year.

Please complete the online registration forms by Wednesday, June 30.  On July 1, the PowerSchool Parent Portal will be closed to prepare for the 2021-22 school year.  The PowerSchool Parent Portal will reopen on Monday, August 2.

**Please note that registration fees are still paid through RevTrak web store. RevTrak will be available throughout the summer. Please go to our District 90 web store to pay all registration fees for your student(s).  An early bird discount is available from April 30 through June 14.**

Sincerely,

The District 90 Registrar

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Social Emotional Learning

In honor of Earth Day:

10 Native American Teachings to Live By

• 1) The Earth is our Mother, care for her.
• 2) Honor your ancestors through your actions.
• 3) Open your heart and soul.
• 4) All life is sacred; treat all beings with respect.
• 5) Take from the Earth what is needed and nothing more.
• 6) Put the good of all before your own interests.
• 7) Give constant thanks for each new day.
• 8) Speak the truth; but only of good in others.
• 9) Follow the rhythms of nature; rise and retire with the sun.
• 10) Enjoy life’s journey, but leave no tracks.

They seem so simple right? But somehow these core concepts are easy to forget or take for granted when life gets challenging.

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Technology Support

Thank you for emailing  powerschool@district90.org or helpdesk@district90.org with your technology questions/issues.  Please remember to include as much information as possible, e.g., Student Name, Teacher Name, School, iPad asset tag number, etc. Screenshots, links, websites and any other information regarding the issue is helpful. For example, my iPad/computer can’t connect to the XXXXX website when I click on this link. 

Additionally, if you have difficulty logging into your child’s special area classes, please be sure to reach out to that particular teacher to assist with any login issues.