February 2024

Greetings Tiger Nation!

Being respectful is more than just using good manners. It means treating people the way you want to be treated. Keep these ideas in mind to help your whole family focus on respect. It’s a fact that shouting often leads to more shouting. Ask your child to speak in a normal tone to show respect for the person he or she is talking to—and for everyone around them. If they start yelling, speak to them in a whisper. They will likely lower their voice to match your volume. Or if they shout from another room, wait until they come to you, so they’ll learn that you don’t respond to yelling. If a conversation is getting heated, they could simply say, “Let’s agree to disagree and talk about something else.” When you look at the makeup of our school, you will see our families and staff come from all over the world. We have several mixed-race families as well. We have people who make a good amount of money and people that are struggling to get by. We have Christians, Muslims, Mormons, and people who are not religious at all. Lincoln Middle School welcomes and respects all of these groups. We want to be a place where your personal story is valued; a place where you can feel accepted as you are. We will continue to be actively engaged in the promotion of kindness towards others.

When our students behave in an unkind way, we address the situation and work to help them make progress. We encourage them to reach out into the community and help those in need. We raise awareness about poverty, the disabled, the elderly, and persecuted. This month, we celebrate the great heroes who helped make our country become a more tolerant and empathetic place. We encourage our students to stand up for what they believe is right and to speak out against hate and racism. I can only tell you that, as the leader of this school, I will do everything I can do to make sure our school is a place where everyone is respected and safe, regardless of their religion, race, beliefs, gender, or sexual orientation. Although we are small, we are mighty and will always stand for peace, love, and positivity.

Yours in Education,

Dr. Mary Bachkora

Principal

To access the 2024 Interscholstic League Calendar for Lincoln Middle and other KCPS middle schools, click on this link:
https://www.interscholasticleaguemiddle.org/g5-bin/client.cgi?G5genie=1786

"RED" Kingdom Spirit Week is February 5‑9 at Lincoln Middle! Our school is excited about the Kansas City Chiefs playing in Super Bowl LVIII. Please see the attached flyer for a complete list of details. These activities are spearheaded by Lincoln Middle's Student Council. GO CHIEFS!

Our school's athletic program could use the support of every parent/caregiver and stakeholder during their World's Finest Chocolate Spring Fundraiser that will take place at the end of Februrary. They are selling World's Finest Chocolates for $2.00 a bar. Details on the flyer. They would appreciate your patronage.

On Tuesday, January 30, Lincoln's Debate Team participated in the debate tournament at Eastgate 6th Grade Center in North Kansas City, Missouri. Our students did an awesome job!

Policy Varsity Speaker Awards:

5th Place: Brayden Fernn

4th Place: Stephanie Goano

3rd Place: Tulip Welde

2nd Place: Eliza Straight

1st Place: Ana Davis-Hernandez

Policy Varsity Team Awards:

3rd Place: Henry Nelson

2nd Place: Tulip Welde

1st Place: Ana Davis-Hernandez

Congress Novice

Josthin Flores-Pena

(This was after just two weeks of class and his first time participating!)

Midwest Innocence Project hosted the young ladies of Awesome Ambitions to unforgettable event at Bryan Cave Leighton Law Firm in Downtown KC. The young ladies had the opportunity to hear from and mingle with Laquanda "Faye" Jacobs, who spent over 26 years in prison for a crime she did not commit. They also had the opportunity to speak with, eat lunch, and take pictures with Mayor Quinton Lucas. The girls commented it was one of the best field trips ever!

We are now accepting orders for the 2023-24 Lincoln MIddle School Yearbook. The cost is $20.00. If anyone was unable to get last year's, we have some available at a discount. Individuals can order both for $35. Payment can be made in the main office. Delivery will occur in mid-May.

Click on the link below to place your yearbook order:
https://www.cognitoforms.com/JoyceMcCawley/LincolnMiddleSchoolYearbookOrderForm

Black History Month is a special time to reflect on the contributions and achievements of Black leaders, past and present, to inspire future contributions, innovation, and achievement. All students benefit from learning Black history.

Black History Month is a time to spread awareness and learn more, while continuing to support the Black community's histories, traditions, and culture. Black History Month was created to focus attention on the contributions of African Americans to the United States. It honors all Black people from all periods of U.S. history, from the enslaved people first brought over from Africa in the early 17th century to African Americans living in the United States today.

Lincoln Middle School is doing our part to honor those who helped pave the way for today's society by:

• Displaying posters around the campus of famous Black leaders.
• Field trip to Störling Dance Company's Underground
• "Great Moments in Black History" (daily announcements over the intercom highlighting a person, event or fact)
• An African Heritage Exhibit in the Library Resource Center
• Door Decorating Contest (among the Advisory classes)
• Essay Contest (administered through the Social Studies classes)
• Mass Celebration (school wide assembly)
• Soul Food Feast (for school faculty and staff)

Through the efforts of our SAC Chairwoman, Maxine Williams, the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art loaned our school certain African Heritage artifacts to create a special exhibit. These items are currently on display in the library resource center. During this month, teachers are invited to bring their class to the library and look at the exhibit. Thank you Ms. Williams and Nelson Adkins for affording our school this opportunity!

On February 1, students went on a field trip to Kauffman Performing Arts Center to see the stage production of Underground, by Störling Dance Company. Underground is called Störling's “Nutcracker” of the year, as the performers presented the Underground Railroad story in a historically accurate way and experienced the heroism and inspiration of overcoming one of America's greatest challenges. When we asked the students what did they enjoy most about the show, many of them replied, "We were just happy to not do any work today." 😄

For more information about Underground, go to https://www.gounderground.org/.

Kudos to FaCE Liaison, Dr. Brown, for arranging this opportunity for the Tigers! Not only did he manage to receive discounted tickets, but through his connections, our school had front row seats inside the theater. Woo hoo!

National School Counseling Week is always celebrated the first full week in February. This five-day week takes place every year to bring to the public's notice the priceless contribution of school counselors in the United States.

This special week honors school counselors for the important role they play in college and career readiness and in helping students examine their talents, strengths, abilities, and interests.

The 2024 theme is: “School Counseling: Standards-Based, Student-Focused.”

Lincoln Middle is fortunate to have Ms. Darr as our Counselor. Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do for our students.

We are looking for at least one (1) parent/caregiver representative from our school to attend KCPS Advocacy Day in Jefferson City, Missouri, on Tuesday, February 6.

KCPS will provide transportation to Jefferson City, where we will meet with state legislators to discuss issues important to public education. We will be heading back to Kansas City that afternoon.

Save your spot by emailing KCPS Senior Policy Strategist, Kathleen Pointer, at kpointer@kcpublicschools.org, or fill out the form at https://tinyurl.com/advocacy2024

Spanish interpreters will be available for Spanish‑dominant families. Thank you for your participation.

Our Curriculum, Instruction & Professional Development Department will once again put on a fantastic event for families to learn more about iReady assessments, social-emotional wellness learning strategies, culturally-responsive practices, and math & reading resources.

Space is limited for this ELA & Math Caregiver Curriculum Night, so click here to RSVP!

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

5-6:30pm

Board of Education Building (Westport Room)

2901 Troost Ave.

Kansas City, MO 64108

Parking: Please use the visitor lot on East 29th Street (Northeast side of the building). The Westport room is directly across the street from the visitor parking lot.

Parent-Teacher Conferences will be Thursday, February 15, 2024 from 10:00am to 6:00pm.

Virtual conferences are from 10:00 am to 1:00pm (Sign-up information will be provided). We will break for lunch from 1:00pm to 2:00pm and resume with in-person conferences inside the cafeteria from 2:00pm until 6:00pm. Sign-up details will be available in the days ahead.

The purpose of Parent-Teacher Conferences is for you to communicate directly with teachers about your child. It is also a time for you to find out about the learning that is taking place in each of your child's classes. They will talk about your child’s progress at school and how we can help each other support your child in reaching his or her goals.

We ask you to please limit your visit with each teacher to 5-10 minutes, as many teachers are assigned 150+ students. If more conference time is needed, you may plan with the teacher to discuss issues at a later date.

You play a vital role in your child's education. We are looking forward to sharing the wonderful learning opportunities that are happening in our classrooms.

Due to Valentine's Day falling on the second Wednesday, the next School Advisory Committee (SAC) General Body Meeting will be held on Thursday, February 15, 2024 at 6:00pm. Attendees may join in-person or virtually via Microsoft Teams. Information on how to access the meeting via Microsoft Teams is provided on the flyer. Light refreshments will be served and Spanish interpretation will be available for in-person attendees.

Lincoln families and stakeholders are invited to this our Black History Month Celebration on Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at 12:00 Noon. Our students and staff will be expressing themselves through dance, fashion, music and speech. You don't want to miss this!

We have an exciting opportunity for our students!

KCPS is partnering with Kansas City Urban Youth Academy and the Kansas City Royals to offer baseball and softball clinics this spring. Go to royals.mobilecoach.org/events or scan the QR code for more information and register.

There will be no school on Thursday, February 15 due to Parent-Teacher Conferences.

There will be no school for students on Friday, February 16. It will be a Teacher Inservice Day.

In observance of President's Day, KCPS offices and schools will be closed on Monday, February 19.

The School Advisory Committee (SAC) at Lincoln Middle School is a collaborative team that works to improve student achievement, effective teaching in the classroom, and family and community engagement in the educational process. It is a school-based volunteer group made up of students’ family members, school staff and community members. SAC helps to ensure that our students have the resources and support they need to succeed.

SAC will help our students by:

• ·Getting the word out about our successes
• Discussing our challenges
• Volunteering to support success and address challenges
• Organizing and/or helping with activities and events
• Staying updated on KCPS news and activities

SAC is responsible for final decision making at the school relating to the implementation of the provisions of the annual School Improvement Plan (SIP). It assists in the annual preparation and evaluation of both the SIP and the school’s annual budget.

Among the functions of SAC are:

• Support Academic Achievement
• Improve School Climate
• Strengthen Family and Community Engagement

Topics generally covered during SAC meetings include, but are not limited to:

• Structure, Purpose, and Roles
• Family Involvement
• Needs Assessments
• Data collection and analysis
• School Climate Surveys
• Review of the Improvement/Accountability Plan
• School Events

The School Advisory Committee meets every second Wednesday at 6:00pm. To contact our school's parent organization anytime, email lcpamssac@gmail.com.

Lincoln Middle School is a unique learning community that values and demonstrates respect for the individual and the educational experience at every level. Gifted and dedicated students, a progressive and expert faculty, caring and supportive parents, and community partners work together to create a place that continually exemplifies what is possible in public education.

Lincoln is home to challenging and rigorous programs that yield great results. Our standardized test scores have established Lincoln as a premier school on a local, state, and national level. A more profound measure of our success is evident when we reflect upon the intellectual, social and emotional development that cannot be captured on standardized tests. We are nurturing extremely capable, creative, and ethical leaders who are positively changing the world.

An approved volunteer is defined as meeting the following requirements:
• An adult over the age of 18 years
• An individual approved by KCPS who has completed ALL volunteer requirements
• An individual selected for a specific activity

*Volunteers working with students must complete a background check and have a signed code of conduct and release of liability. All this can be done on our volunteer website.

Please visit https://kcpublicschools.galaxydigital.com/ to register. Bear in mind it takes 24-72 hours for background checks to process.

Volunteer Requirements and Expectations

KCPS acknowledges the significant role volunteers play regarding programming, services, and achievement, and greatly appreciates the many contributions made to its students, staff, and schools! To ensure consistent practice and a positive, productive experience for district volunteers, expectation guidelines are provided.