Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Back to School Information for Fall 2017


This Blog post will be long... I apologize and promise that it won't be this long regularly. Please take some time between now and Ice Cream Social (August 29 from 6:00-7:00pm) to read and watch all the information.

Welcome to the 2017-2018 school year!  If you haven't seen the news, I want to share with you that St. Joseph Public Schools was ranked as one of the Top 10 Districts in West Michigan, coming in at #6!  For more information check out: 

Most of the sheets included in your mailing will be self-explanatory, but I do want to draw your attention to a few.
1)   The Application for Ridership only needs to be filled out if you are using bus transportation to and/or from school.  This form is not necessary for field trips.
2)   There is a white half sheet that indicates transportation instructions for your child.  We use this as our main source of information when directing children at the end of the day.  Please complete it and turn it in at Ice Cream Social or in the school office before the start of school.
3)   Our PTO provides many wonderful experiences for our students.  Please review the information they have included and find some time to volunteer!

Monday, February 20, 2017

Lincoln School Update 2-20-2017

Community Cork Board
Follow the link below to learn of school and community events and activities for our students:
https://www.sjschools.org/lincoln-elementary-parents/community-cork-board-lincoln

2017 Ren Baldwin Student Technology Festival
Follow the link to find out about this year's festival including project due dates and the date of the festival:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jg-xvJsuKTLZXxLfcWxP88LYbQ3jPjK2Gy91Qq7Mhdc/edit

Zoup School Night Fundraiser!
Take your family to dinner and help out our Lincoln School PTO!
Zoup! 110 Main St., St. Joseph, MI.
Tuesday, March 7 from 5-8 pm.
Enjoy great food with your family and friends during our School Night at Zoup!
Be on the lookout for your Zoup voucher.  You must present the Zoup voucher when ordering and up to 25% of the sales during the event will go directly to our Lincoln School PTO!

Kindergarten Round-Up
It's time to learn about Young 5s and Kindergarten for Fall of 2017.  Our parent only meeting will be held on Thursday, March 9 at Lincoln School at 7:00 pm.  Feel free to email me with any questions.  

Upcoming Report Cards
As our 2nd trimester comes to an end, I wanted to be sure to inform you of some changes regarding our report card.
Report cards have been changed in the area of math to be reflective of our work to clarify what we want students to know and be able to do.  (We refer to these as essential standards)
In some cases/grade levels, report card standards from first trimester remain and you will see cumulative progress for second trimester.
In many cases/grade levels, the standards for second trimester are new, replacing standards from first trimester.  In this case, you will not see any cumulative progress.

Spring Book Fair
Coming to Lincoln School March 13th - 17th.  Be on the lookout for more information about our March 14th Sleep Tight Story Time.

PTO International Night
Information will be coming home soon for families to host a table at our International Night here at Lincoln School on Friday, March 24 from 5-7 pm.  Please be on the lookout for this information, and consider sharing your heritage/culture with our Lincoln School Family.

Half-days of School
Just a reminder that we have a half-day of school this Friday, February 24 for Teacher's Record Day, and again March 2nd and 3rd for Parent Teacher Conferences.  Dismissal for students on half-days is 12:05 pm.

PLC Late-Starts
We are so grateful for our PLC Late-Start time!  Thank you!  We have one hour delays this Wednesday, February 22 and in March on March 8, 15, and 22.







Friday, February 3, 2017

Lincoln School Update 2-3-17

HealthWorks Parent Night
A reminder that HealthWorks Museum Parent Information night for parents of current 4th and 5th graders is scheduled for Thursday, February 9 at 6:00 pm in the Media Center at Brown School. This is a parents only meeting, and gives you the chance to hear about and review an outline for units of study to be used in 4th and 5th grades program of instruction, which includes HIV/AIDS and other serious communicable disease prevention education and sexuality education.

1st Grade Program & PTO DQ Day
Our Lincoln School 1st Grade Musical Program will be held this Thursday, February 9 at 6:00 pm in our gymnasium.  As with all musical program dates, this is a PTO Dairy Queen Day!  Stop out at the St. Joseph or Stevensville Dairy Queen, inform them you're with Lincoln School PTO, and they will donate a portion of your purchase back to our PTO.

Mini Mozarts
Winter Session for Mini Mozarts for students in grades 3-5 is about to get underway.  Sessions will run on Thursdays from 3:50-4:50 pm.  Program fees are $120 and include instrument rental, supplies, and 8 group lesson using a Suzuki-based teaching method.  Sign-ups for this session will be this Thursday, February 9th right after school in the Music Room.

Elementary Gym & Swim
Next Friday, February 10th from 6:00-8:00 pm!  Elementary students accompanied by an adult may enjoy the use of the pool and field house at St. Joseph High School.  There is NO charge!  Come and enjoy the wonderful facilities at SJHS.

Ice Skating

Ice Skating has been rescheduled for Feb. 14th.  Students will walk with their buddies and teachers to and from the Howard ice rink.  If you are able to volunteer, please call the office at 926-3700.  See the Lincoln Elementary Page under “Groups” in Its Learning for more information and schedules.

Choir, Band, & Orchestra 5th Grade Parent Meeting
A meeting for 5th grade parents of students interested in choir, band, or orchestra will be held at Upton Middle School at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, February 6, and repeated again on Tuesday, February 7.  Parents need only to attend one of these Parent only meetings.

Count Day & 1-Hour Delay
Our Winter Count Day for the State of Michigan is Wednesday, February 8th.  Please do everything you can to have your child in session on this day, but please do not send them if they are running a fever and sick.  It is also a 1-hour delay day.

Yearbook Orders Extended through February 10th
Yearbook orders due today have been extended through Friday, February 10th.  Extra forms are available in the office.  Our yearbook volunteers decide how many yearbooks to order based on the number of order forms they receive ON Feb. 10th.  Please reserve your yearbook now to ensure your child will receive one when yearbooks are delivered to school in May.  If you do not order one now, there will be no guarantee that an extra one will be available in May.  You may also order your yearbook on-line at www.inter-state.com/yearbook and enter order code 14313P.  On-line orders end today at midnight.

Monday, January 16, 2017

Lincoln School Update 01-16-2017

PTO Meeting
Please join us tomorrow, January 17 at 7:00 pm in the Lincoln School Media Center for our January PTO Meeting.

PTO Movie Night
This Friday, January 20 at 6:00 pm in the Lincoln School Gym.  The movie is free.  Popcorn and water will be available for purchase.  Students must be accompanied by an adult.  Bring your lawn chair, or sleeping bag and pillow and enjoy the movie "Up".  Hope to see you here.

The Great Kindness Challenge
It's coming!  Be on the lookout for more information about the week of January 23-27.

Half-day Reminder
Just a reminder that we have a half-day of school on Friday, January 27.  Students are dismissed at 12:05 p.m. on half-days.  Staff will be spending the afternoon on school improvement.

SJHS Winter Softball Clinic
SJHS Softball will be hosting a one day clinic on February 19th.  For more information and to register, please click on the link below:
https://www.sjschools.org/images/District/Community%20Cork%20Board/SJWinterSoftball.pdf

Sunday, January 8, 2017

Lincoln School Update 01-08-2017

Lincoln Spelling Team
Congratulations to our top 12 spellers for participating in our Lincoln School Spelling Bee this past Friday.  Our top 3 spellers and 1 alternate will represent Lincoln at the Cloverleaf Spelling Bee at Lake Michigan College in  February.
                                                             1st Place     Lillian Shasky
                                                             2nd Place    Elizabeth Fiesbeck
                                                             3rd Place     Delaney Kelley
                                                             Alternate     Priscilla Wang

Staff Parking
Please remember that the parking at the south end of Lincoln School is designated Staff Parking. Thank you for your support and understanding.

Yearbooks on Sale
2016-17 Yearbooks are now on sale.  Order forms were sent home last week.  Extra order forms are available in the office.  Yearbooks are just $11and orders are due no later than February 3, 2017.

HealthWorks Parent Information Night
HealthWorks Museum Staff of South Bend will be presenting a Parent Information Night for 4th and 5th grade parents on Thursday, February 9 from 6:00-7:30 pm at Brown School.  Please be on the lookout for more information coming home soon.

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Lincoln School Update 1/3/2017

Welcome Back & Happy New Year!

Hope everyone had an enjoyable and relaxing break!  We're looking forward to seeing everyone back at school.  Please be sure our students are sent to school with appropriate clothing for the weather and outdoor recess.  It looks like it's going to get very cold again.

Now's a great time to remind our students of our Bear Necessities!  Be Responsible Every Day, Always Be Respectful and Safe!

Looking forward to a great 2017 and a super second half of the school year!

GO BEARS!

Sincerely,

Mr. Wagner


2017 Lincoln School Spelling Bee
Our Lincoln School Spelling Bee for our final 12 students will be this Friday, January 6 at 11:55 am in our Media Center.  Students competing in the spelling bee will eat their lunch at 11:30 am on Friday.  Parents are invited and encouraged to attend.  Mrs. Gruchot has sent an email to the parents of each of the students involved with information about word lists and a practice opportunity.  Good luck to all students as they prepare for Friday's Spelling Bee!

Girls On The Run
Online registration is open from December 14-January 12th.  Space is limited and registrations will be accepted on a first come/first serve basis so register today at www.gotrberrien.org.  Registration is also available on your mobile device. Scholarships are available to all residents of Berrien County and are based on each family’s income.  You will select your family income during the registration process.   

If you do not have access to a computer or mobile device, our school will hold an open house on: Thursday, Jan. 5th at 6:00pm in Room 208 at Lincoln Elementary.  Please see more information in its Learning under the Lincoln Elementary Group page.

Girls Biddy Bear Basketball
Biddy Bear Basketball for girls in 2nd - 5th grades begins this Saturday, January 7th.  More information and a registration form can be found on our Community Corkboard.

St. Joseph Winter Softball Camp
The St Joe Varsity Softball Coaching Staff & Players are hosting a youth camp on Sunday, February 19th.

Look for more information to be posted soon on our Community Corkboard.

Where:     St Joe High School
Time:     12:00-2:00 (Grades 3-5)
                3:00-5:00   (Grades 6-8)
Cost:     $40 per camper-includes a camp t-shirt

Max 30 campers per session.

Thank you in advance for supporting the St Joe Lady Bears Softball program.

Tim Farrish

Softball Boosters President

Important January Dates...
January     5     Girls On The Run Registration Open House (6:00 pm Room 208)
                11     PLC Late Start, One-hour Delay
               16     Martin Luther King Jr. Day, NO School
               17     PTO Meeting 7:00 pm in the Media Center
               20     PTO Movie Night 6:00 pm in the Gym
              23-27     The Great Kindness Challenge   (be on the lookout for more information)
              27     Half-day of School for Students





Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Lincoln School Update 12/13/2016


PLC Late Start / One-hour Delays
I actually get a few questions about late starts and what we do with that time.  The hour is spent in very specific ways, below is a list of what you would see if you sat in on a grade level PLC (Professional Learning Community) late start meeting.

-Teachers might be preparing for a unit by identifying the essential standards of knowledge from the unit.
-They might be developing a common formative assessment of those essential standards to monitor which students have mastered the knowledge and to help guide instruction.
-They might be analyzing assessment data and comparing results and teaching practice.
-They might be planning for WINN (What I Need Now) time.  A period of the day or six-day cycle where kids are broken into groups based on what they need to master the essential skills.

Our goal is to insure that all children master the essential standards from each unit and those that master the knowledge early get a chance to explore the concept in depth.  To do so, we focus on 4 main questions:

1.  What do we want ALL kids to know?
2.  How will we know if they know it?
3.  What do we do if they don't know it?
4.  What do we do if they do know it?

Sounds simple, but it really helps us focus on learning for all students.  Thank you for allowing us the time to do this important work!

K-5 Buddy Ice Skating Monday, December 19th & Volunteers NEEDED!
Please check out the following our Lincoln School Group Page for Ice Skating information and schedule as well as the adjusted lunch recess / lunch schedule for that day.  We will need a boat load of volunteers to make this happen.  Thanks!

Top 12 Spellers & Upcoming Lincoln Spelling Bee
The following 3rd-5th graders have made our Lincoln Top 12 and will compete in our building's spelling bee on Friday, January 6 at 11:55 a.m.

   3rd Grade -  Brandon Urias
   4th Grade - Isaac Dahlke
                      Priscilla Wang
                      Betsy Fiesbeck
                      Violet Waters
   5th Grade - Brad Rohaly
                      Lily Shasky
                      Jack Hammerschmidt
                      Kayde Williams
                      Hannah Webb
                      Delaney Kelley
                      Ceci Ruchti

Good luck in your quest to be in our Top 3!

A Few Reminders...
   Outside Recess - Students will go outside for recess unless the temperature (with or without windchill) falls below 10 degrees Farenheit.  Students may only stay in from recess with a note from a doctor.  Students must have winter boots, snowpants, winter coat, hat, and gloves or mittens.

   Drop-off & Pick-up - Please remember that students are NOT to be dropped off at school before 8:00 am if eating breakfast and 8:15 am if not eating breakfast.  And, students must be picked up, or be headed home if walking, by 4:00 pm unless accompanied and supervised on the playground by a parent.
  Out Parent/Student drop-off & pick-up area is at the south end of Lincoln School on Lincoln School Drive.  The north end is for bus drop-off & pick-up.  Please  use the south end!  Do NOT park and leave your car in the drop-off/pick-up lane to walk your child to, or pick your child up from their line. You must park in a designated parking area if you must walk your child.  And, parking is very limited.
  The winter weather appears to be here to stay for awhile.  Please be patient and move cautiously looking out for all of our students!

PTO Movie Night at Lincoln
Our next attempt at PTO movie night at Lincoln is Friday, January 20th.  The movie will be Up.
Hope to see you there.  Movie begins at 6:00 pm and admission is free.  Popcorn and water will be available for purchase.  No outside food is allowed with the exception for students with severe food allergies.  Students MUST be accompanied by a parent.  Bring your lawn chair, or a blanket and pillow!
We'll need volunteers to help make this happen!

Grief Support Group to Start in January
Mrs. Jasiak, our School Social Worker, with support from Lory's Place will be starting a Grief Support Group in January.  If you are interested in more information about this group, please contact Mrs. Jasiak at cjasiak@sjschools.org or call her at 926-3657.

Lincoln School Talent Show
Information and permission forms are available in the office for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders interested in trying out for this year's Talent Show.  All forms are due back in the office by Friday, January 6, 2017.  Stage crew is needed and students interested in this should also complete the same forms with help from a parent.  Our volunteer director, parent Tina Shasky can be contacted at tinashasky@yahoo.com or by calling 930-3835.

Adult Sound & Light Volunteer Sought for Talent Show
If you have experience working sound & lights, and would be available and interested in helping with this year's Talent Show, please contact Mr. Wagner at 926-3700.  Thanks for considering!

Girls On The Run Coaches Needed!
This is an extremely popular, and very cool event for our 3rd-5th grade female students.  We're looking for new coaches for the Spring 2017 Season!  You do not have to have a daughter in the program to coach.  The season consists of 2 practices per week for 10 weeks beginning the week of February 27th and ending with the Girls On The Run 5K on Thursday, May 18th at the Berrien County Youth Fairgrounds.  Check out the link below for more information:
   https://www.raceplanner.com/volunteer/signup/berrien-coach-2017

First Lego League (4-5) and Junior First Lego League (2-3)
Both begin the week of January 9th.  If your child is interested, please see more information in itsLearning under the Lincoln Elementary Group page.

5th Graders Interested in 6th Grade Fine Arts (Band, Orchestra, or Choir)
Our Middle School and High School Fine Arts Teachers will be meeting with all 5th graders to discuss participating in the Fine Arts at Upton Middle School in 6th Grade.  Please see important dates below:

     January 30, 2017     5th Graders to SJHS for a Fine Arts Concert.
     January 31, 2017     Fine Arts Staff meets with 5th graders during music class.
     February 3, 2017     5th Graders participate in Instrument Trial Zoo at Lincoln during the school
                                     day.
     February 6 OR 7, 2017     Parent Informational Meetings at 7:00 pm at Upton Middle School.
                                               Parents must attend one of these dates, but need not attend both.

This seems early, but it's important as Administration at UMS starts scheduling for next year in the Spring.

Congratulations CUB Students!
The following students were Caught Using the Bear Necessities and were selected to attend the CUB Luncheon with Mr. Wagner and Staff:

November CUB Students
Khai Lloyd, Tobey Burritt, Sophia Lawhead, Kamari Fester, Milah Renbarger, Aaron Espinoza, Chris Prince, Logan Webb, Finn Monahan, Stiles Miller, Kyra Miller, Gabi Queiroz, Ellie Fischer, Heidi Krohn, Daniel Fedewa, and David Rojas

October CUB Students
Sydelle Wright, Jillian Morris, Hunter Grigereit, Julie Ann McClure, Tyler Thompson, Shilynn Cain, Gracelyn Sheldon, Mya Haught, Sophia Brainard, Sally Shelby, Bridget Anderson, Corey Poole, Christian Blazina, Luke Tinkey, Brittany Grigereit, and Cam'ron Warr

Congratulations!

Earth Day 2017 Poster Contest
Information available in the office.  Open to all K-5 Students.  Entries must be received by contest promoters by February 17, 2017.  Winners will be honored Thursday, April 20, 2017, at Constitutional Hall in Lansing, Michigan as part of the DEQ, DNR, and Michigan Department of Agriculture's Earth Day Celebration.

2017 Severe Weather Awareness Poster Contest
Information available in the office.  Open to students in grades 3-5.  Entries must be received by the National Weather Service Office by February 13, 2017.  Winners receive cash prizes.

Winter Break is December 21 through January 3.  
Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!