Respectful, Responsible, and Ready to Learn

LINCOLN SCHOOL NEWS

SEPTEMBER 2010

www.lincolnschool.net

Welcome to another year at Lincoln School! We strive to provide your child with a safe and understanding environment that fosters student achievement and learning. In order to advance this objective, we recognize you as partners in the educational process. In order for this partnership to succeed, effective communication is essential. As part of our communication with you, we will be sending this monthly newsletter. We hope that you will find it helpful.

OPEN HOUSE AND ORIENTATION – Open House was held on Monday, August 30^th. It was good to see many of you as you became acquainted with our school and your child’s teacher. Please continue to develop and build upon this communication link that has been established by this initial visit. We encourage you to be involved in your child’s class whenever classroom needs and opportunities are made available. For those of you who were unable to attend, please read carefully the student handbook that came home the first day of school with your child so that you become familiar with school procedures and expectations.

SCHOOL VISITS – All non-school personnel must stop at the office. Visitors and guests must sign in and receive a visitor pass. Parents who have an item or a message for a teacher or student should leave it at the office. It will be delivered at a convenient time. We value time on task and classroom interruptions must be prevented whenever possible. When interruption is necessary, only school personnel will make this interruption.

Volunteers who are coming to work in classrooms for prearranged classroom activities also need to sign the volunteer form and receive a visitor pass. Initially, volunteers will complete an information sheet and sign a confidentiality statement.

BUSING – The shuttle bus (Bus #5) for intermediate grade students leaves Jefferson School for Lincoln School at 7:30 a.m. For primary students within walking distance of Lincoln School, it returns to Jefferson School from the Lincoln playground leaving at 7:51 a.m.

STUDENT ABSENCES – Please notify the office at 377-2308 when your child has a planned or a necessary unplanned absent from school. A written excuse should be given to the teacher upon return to school. Appointment considerations and checking in/checking out are discussed on page 3 of the handbook.

HOMEWORK – Sometimes schoolwork must be completed outside of the school day. As a parent, your attitudes and actions are very beneficial in making this a productive time. Please talk with your child’s teacher and read the suggestions on page 5 of the student handbook for help in this area.

STUDENT DROP OFF/PICK UP – Please use Taylor and Power Streets when picking up and dropping off students. Students will enter and exit the school each day from and to the playground. If you have parked across the street, please remind your child to use the crosswalks at the corners or make sure that an adult accompanies them when crossing. With transportation changes, the entirety of Valentine Street will be needed for buses and will be a No Parking area for all non-school vehicles. Only if students are arriving to school late should the front entrance on Nowlan Street be used. We have added additional temporary parking in front of the school so that student can proceed directly to the sidewalk. Double parking is an extremely dangerous situation with students passing through oncoming traffic, and we will be working with local officials to see that this practice is stopped.

Checking In & Out - If you need to pick your child up during the school day, please pick them up at the Nowlan Avenue entrance. Parents or guardians will need to check their child out. A “check out” form will be provided in the office. If a child is returning to school on the same day as an appointment or absence, or if they are arriving late to school, they must also check in at the office.

NOTES – If your child is planning to go with another student at the end of the school day, we need to have a written note to that effect. While one parent note is sufficient, it is best to have communication from both children’s parents so that we know that parents are involved in the arrangement. This does not apply to carpooling, daycare, or other regular arrangements.

BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION/CAMPBELL’S LABELS/COCA COLA CAPS – Lincoln School will be participating in the General Mills Box Tops for Education, Campbell labels, and the Coca Cola bottle caps programs again this year. Please clip and save labels and caps from these products before discarding the container. After collecting a significant number, send them to school in an envelope or Ziploc bag with your child’s name enclosed. Teachers will have collection bins in each classroom. More specific news will be posted in October’s newsletter.

BREAKFAST/LUNCH PRICES – Breakfast is served every school day from 7:40 – 8:05 a.m. The cost for breakfast and lunch is: Regular Price: breakfast $1.50 / lunch $2.00. Reduced Price (students that qualify) breakfast $.30/lunch .40; Free breakfast and lunch for students that qualify. Adult breakfast $2.00 /lunch $3.25. Please call the office by 9:00 a.m. if you wish to eat lunch with your child. Recess milk tickets cost $8.00 for a 20-punch ticket. Breakfast/Lunch applications were sent home with students the first day of school. You must apply every year for free or reduced lunches for your child. These forms should already be completed and returned to school.

STUDENT EXPECTATIONS – As the year progresses, we want our students become increasingly more independent. To this end, we will be spending the first few days of school helping students get to know one another, organize their work, and become comfortable with various classroom routines. Here at Lincoln School we have three school-wide expectations in regard to student work and student relationships with one another: Be Responsible, Be Respectful, and Be Ready to Learn. This motto will be a part of our daily practice and expectation for all.

CHARACTER COUNTS – Our schools will continue emphasis on the six pillars of character: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Citizenship, and Caring. These pillars will be coordinated with our “Manner of the Week” program, and our monthly newsletter will inform you of the pillars and manners.

PILLAR for August & September:

RESPONSIBILITY – Responsibility means being in charge of our choices, and

thus, our lives. Responsibility requires us to recognize that what we do

and what we don’t do – matters, and that we are morally responsible for the

consequences of our choices.

MANNERS OF THE WEEK:

8/25 – 9/5: Be responsible for your own actions – admit mistakes.

9/8 – 12: Keep your space neat and tidy. Pick up after yourself.

9/15 – 19: Cover your mouth when you sneeze, cough or yawn.

9/22 – 9/26: Blow your nose away from other people. Use a tissue.

DATES TO REMEMBER

September 3 – Early Out 1:00 p.m. (Labor Day weekend)

September 6 – Labor Day/No School

September 15 – Early Out 1:00 p.m. (Professional Development)

October 5 – Fall Pictures

October 8 - Homecoming

This monthly newsletter will be sent home once a month in printed form. It can also be accessed on the Lincoln School Website.