Lincoln Families,

Happy Olympics and Happy Cardinals vs. Cubs weekend! I hope you are well and enjoying the closing days of summer. After a relaxing and rejuvenating vacation with my family last week (a picture of the Godfrey Clan is attached below!), I am officially back in the saddle and immersed in all things Lincoln preparing for the arrival of your kids in less than 2 weeks!   As we all begin to return to “school mode,”  I wanted to offer a few insights into some topics that will likely be of interest to you and your family!

Perhaps the most anticipated news of the summer is the class placement information, which will be postmarked in the mail Tuesday, August 16.  I realize the timing of this exciting information comes at a time when many of you may still be away on vacation.  Therefore, if you will be away from home next week, please feel free to send me a message and I will be sure to personally email or text your child’s class placement to you. As you can imagine, the creation of class lists and placements is quite a daunting task.  Countless factors contribute to the make up of classes at Lincoln. The teachers and I spend many sleepless nights tossing and turning over this complex puzzle. Additionally, I attempted to honor all the feedback that so many of you provided in the spring regrading your kids. Therefore thank you in advance for your support of these placements and a positive start to the school year.

In addition to the first day of school, below are several other dates you may wish to place on your calendar:

August 16: Class Assignment Mailing

August 18:  PTO Web Store & SignUp Genius opens at 7am

August 22: New Family Welcome Meeting (New Families to Lincoln)

August 25: First Day of School (full day) and Back to School Coffee

August 26: Free Domino’s Pizza Fun Lunch for All, courtesy of the PTO

August 28: New Family Park Playdate

August 29: PTO Meeting

September 1: Back to School Family Picnic

September 8: Open House

In closing, if you’re like me, then you have been glued to your TV for the past several days soaking in the drama and excitement that only the Olympics can cultivate! As I watch the games, I am always inspired by the biographies of Olympians from around our country and the world who have persevered through trials and tribulations to compete on the world’s largest stage. I also think of the amazing opportunity the Olympics provide us as mentors to children to further instill the athletes’ messages and life lessons of character, perseverance, determination and sportsmanship that the Olympics so uniquely highlight! Enjoy the closing days of Rio Olympics and sharing these moments with your kids.

As always, please never hesitate to reach out if there is anything I can do to help you or your family! Please tell your kids hello and that I am so excited to see them soon. All my best.

CG

Important Registration Information:

PTO Web Store Opens Thursday 8/18 at 7am

The following PTO sponsored activities can be ordered on the PTO Web Store beginning this Thursday morning at 7am.   You will need your students’ District 90 ID numbers to order on the Web Store. These 5-digit numbers are included on D90 registration emails and payment confirmation emails.   Teacher names and a credit card are also required for ordering.

If you have questions, please hit the “contact us” button under the “Services” menu in the Web Store, or email Janice Moskoff (“janice.moskoff AT gmail.com”).

Fun Lunch for grades 1 – 4:  The PTO serves 4 different rotating meals on Fridays (or the occasional Thursday if there’s no school on Friday).  Order all 4, or just the menus you want.  See all menu choices and prices on the PTO Web Store. Fun Lunch is the PTO’s biggest fundraiser–give yourself a break from packing lunches once a week!

The initial deadline to order Fall Fun Lunch is Sunday 8/28.  Orders placed after 8/28 will be charged a late fee, and no orders will be accepted after Monday 9/5.  All orders must be placed on the Web Store – please do not drop off checks in the school office.  Spring Fun Lunch will be available for order this winter (note that there is no full-year sign up option this year).

FLIP / Foreign Language Introductory Program  for grades 1 – 4:  Students have the option to learn Spanish, French, Italian or Chinese.  Classes are held before, after or during lunch recess.  More information will be available on the Web Store.  FLIP starts the week of Sept. 12th.  The deadline to register for FLIP is Friday 9/9.  

PTO Activity Fee:  The Lincoln PTO thrives on adding value in support of our children’s education and the teachers and staff who are their guides through this journey. Our success is contingent upon your contribution.  Please help support our efforts with this $25 donation, available on the PTO Web Store. Your funds help provide classroom supplies and technology, support student clubs, field trips and special family events, and so much more.  Thank you!

2nd Grade Harmonica:  The PTO sponsors Harmonica lessons for all second grade students during the school day.  We pay for the teacher, and ask parents to pay for the harmonica.  Please add this $12 fee to your shopping basket on the PTO Web Store.  Thank you.

2nd Grade Bike Safety: Fall 2016 is time to brush up on bike safety for 2nd graders! This is an informative and fun after school event for our 2nd graders only! Officer Glenn Czernik of the River Forest Police Department conducts a fun, informative and hands-on-the-handlebars bike safety workshop at Lincoln Elementary. Second graders are strongly encouraged to complete the workshop before becoming regular bike riders for the remainder of their Lincoln Eagle days. Classes will be offered after school on the playground on August 30 and August 31. Sign up for one session on the Web Store. Contact Steve Lefko (“s_lefko AT hotmail.com”) with questions.

3rd & 4th Grade Theater Club:  Theater Club for 3rd and 4th graders will be held the first Tuesday of every month, starting 9/6.

The goal is to introduce the children to the how-to’s of theater and give them a base they can build on once they reach Roosevelt School. Some of the subjects covered include vocal and physical warm-ups, theater games, improvisation, theater terms (upstage, downstage, blocking, tech, dress, call times, etc.), monologues (where to find them and how to deliver them), scene study (the joy of working with a partner) and auditions (what to expect at any audition from monologues to cold reads to callbacks). The students will learn that the theater always should be a safe place to express themselves.

They will become comfortable living onstage and head toward the more structured Roosevelt experience with confidence and excitement. Contact Carl Bergetz (“cbergetz AT gmail.com”) with questions.v

4th Grade Activities Fee:  The PTO sponsors and organizes several year-end items, including a breakfast, commemorative DVD and T-shirt and special field day activities, for 4th graders.  There is a special $25 PTO Activity Fee for 4th grade.  Please add this fee to your shopping basket on the PTO Web Store.  Please contact Nikki Elza (“njselza AT comcast.net”) or Christy Smith (“christysmithdesign AT yahoo.com”) for more information.

4th Grade Service Clubs:

Heartworks: This club meets once a month after school. It organizes food drives and the mitten tree at Lincoln as well as visiting local nursing homes, The Animal Care League, Housing Forward and other local organizations.

Lunchtime Leaders: This club assists students during the 1st and 2nd grade lunch period. Depending on the student interest level, students will average two lunch periods per month.

Eagle Eyes: This club serves as a safety patrol for Lincoln School. Their primary role is to monitor the playgrounds during dismissal from 3:10-3:25 to ensure all students are exercising safety and caution. The number of times students volunteer per month will depend on student interest.

We Have the Right Volunteer Opportunity for You!

Whether you work full time or from home, we have volunteer opportunities to fit your life and schedule. Our PTO Sign Up Genius volunteer page opens this Thursday, 8/18, at 7am – come take a look to to see how you can best contribute your time to your child’s school.  We need room parents, fun lunch volunteers, book fair helpers, pancake flippers, and even silent auction sales experts. Volunteer for a one day commitment, or regularly throughout the year. You can work from home, in the classroom, or in the evening.  We’d love your help!

Please contact Amy Dwyer  (“amyadwyer AT gmail.com”) or Suzanne D’Agostino (“suzanne.dagostino AT gmail.com”) for more information.  Thank you.

Earbuds Required for All Students This Year

Attention ALL parents…

The ONLY students who will receive earbuds in the SchoolKidz Kits are the SECOND GRADE students.  All other kits will NOT have earbuds and parents will need to purchase and send them in with their students.

Sorry for the inconvenience, but the earbud requirement was added to the School Supply List after the kits were arranged with SchoolKidz.  The second grade teachers have had the earbud requirement for many years; it’s new for all other grades.   Remember that your Amazon Smile orders benefit our PTO; we’re listed as “Lincoln Parent-Teacher Organization of River Forest.”

If you did not order the School Supply Kits for your students back in April from the Schoolkidz website, then you will need to purchase classroom supplies.  The above link will take you to the Lincoln list on the D90 website.

Did you meet any new Lincoln families?

Please take a moment to introduce yourself and extend a warm welcome to the Lincoln community.  While you’re at it, please be sure to tell them to sign up for the Lincoln PTO Newsletter.  Just look on the right hand side of our web page for the sign up button.  Thanks!