
January 2024

From the Principal
Greetings Tiger Nation!
I would like to welcome our staff and students back from the winter break and wish you all a very Happy New Year! I am excited to see what the second half of the school year brings to the wonderful students and staff at Lincoln Middle School!
As 2024 begins, I want to ask our families to be mindful of re-establishing morning routines so that your children are in attendance and on-time each morning. Arriving to school on time and ready to learn helps to ensure that the rest of the day goes well for students. In addition to morning routines, we also ask our families to continue to be mindful of scheduling appointments. We recognize that there are times when an occasional early dismissal or late drop off is necessary for an appointment or urgent family need, however this loss of instructional time can affect a student’s academic achievement. Please make every effort to schedule appointments after school is released. Together we can provide our students with a quality educational experience that leads to increased levels of academic achievement.
With that said, I wish to welcome back all of our students, parents/guardians, and school staff as we work collectively ensure that all of our educational partnerships remain focused and strong.
Lastly, let’s take a moment to look at New Year’s resolutions. Every New Year provides us with endless possibilities for new beginnings. Did you make a resolution for yourself? A fitness goal? An intellectual goal? A goal for creating greater balance? New Year’s resolutions provide a great opportunity for you to help your child to better understand that we all have the power to change the things in our life that we want to improve.
Thinking about the goal of being a successful middle school student, what shift does your child want to make to improve themselves as a student? Keep in mind, simply saying, “I will do better in math,” is not a resolution. It’s just a dream if there’s no concrete plan with measurable goals set for making this change. A better resolution might be: “I will practice every math problem that I found difficult in class even if they are not assigned as homework.” Help your child choose an academic New Year’s resolution that is realistic and encourage him/her to stick to it.
Ernest Hemingway once said, “Before you react, think. Before you spend, earn, Before you criticize, wait. Before you quit, try.” The key action verbs Hemingway uses are: think, earn, wait and try. Let us attempt to use these words in everything we do in the new year! Thank you for your support!
Yours in Education,
Dr. Mary Bachkora
Principal
Need to Know
KCPS 2023-24 Calendar
Lincoln Middle 2023-24 Student/Family Handbook
Lincoln Middle 2023-24 Bell Schedule
Lincoln's Enrollment for 2024-25 SY
Class Dojo Quick Guide
What's Happening at Lincoln Middle?
Winter Break Book Giveaway
Last month, our Media Center held its Winter Break Book Giveaway. Teachers were invited by our Librarian/Media Specialist, Dr. Miller, to bring their classes to the Media Center and choose a free book to take home and read. Students were eager to peruse through the literature on display. There were so many books to choose from! Some of our more serious readers were able to take more than one book. They also received book bags and bookmarks.
Congratulations to Lincoln parent, Debra Arnold, who won the raffle and received a ham for the holiday during the December S.A.C. Meeting! Shown below, Mr. Brown was assisted by this little princess who pulled the winning ticket from the bucket.
Way to go, Ms. Montgomery!
Lincoln ELA Instructor, Ms. Lesa Montgomery, was featured in The Kansas City Defender. Three educators from the Black Educator Support Network and Teachers Like Me share their experiences in having a group that allows them to reach their goals.
For the full article, visit https://kansascitydefender.com/education/when-black-teachers-matter-features-from-teachers-like-me/.
Lincoln Tigers Yearbook Sale
Lincoln Middle School yearbooks for the 2023-24 school year are on sale for $20.00. Here is a picture of the cover! Yearbook orders are now being accepted. Contact Ms. McCawley, Yearbook Sponsor, at (816) 418-1519 or email jmccawley@kcpublicschools.org for more information.
January SAC Meeting
SAC Meeting
SAC Meeting (Spanish)
Join the Lincoln Middle SAC at their next meeting on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at 6:00pm in-person or virtual. Dinner will be provided and Spanish translation will be available for in-person attendees. Flyers above are available in English and Spanish.
"There is no doubt when family engagement is developed in true partnership, it has the ability to positively impact students' academic, social and emotional growth, even within distressed communities." -- Kelli Cedo
Celebrating the King
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration
Our Lincoln families and stakeholders are invited to this year's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration on Wednesday, January 17, 2024 from 12:00 Noon until 1:30pm in the auditorium. Our students will be performing and there will be a special keynote speaker. You don't want to miss this!
MLK Day Observed - No School
Community Resources
Digital Skills Classes
Guadalupe Centers Workforce Development & Adult Education is offering a 9-week digital skills class that will empower individuals to develop confidence in navigating online platforms from information basics to paying your bills online. You must register to attend.
KC Parks offer Chair Aerobics
Rock of Ages Food Pantry
Tween Tech Club
The KCDML has a new club for youths ages 8-12! Tween Tech Club will be held every Tuesday from 4:30pm until 5:30pm, at the Southeast Library Branch, located at 6234 Swope Parkway in Kansas City, MO. For more information, contact Kiesha Collins at 816-701-3687 or kieshacollins@kclibrary.org.
KC Parks Anime Club
The Anime Club is a place for anyone ages 13-17 who enjoys watching, reading, and playing Anime games. Sponsored by KC Parks and Recreation. For more information, call (816) 513-0632.
Justice in the Schools (Free Legal Clinic)
This is a free service for all KCPS students and families. Contact Attorney Jaden Powell at (816) 418-2062 or email jpowell@lawmo.org.
KCMO Rent and Utility Assistance
Here is information about the City of Kansas City, Missouri's rental and utility assistance.
LOAD OF LOVE (Free Washing and Drying)
Both St. James and St. Andrew Church is sponsoring a "LOAD OF LOVE" (Fresh Washing and Drying) every 3rd Saturday at Carol's Laundromat at 55th and Paseo Blvd.
Financial Literacy Classes
Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph offers free financial literacy classes at both Kansas City and St. Joe offices. No appointment is needed; take advantage of this opportunity! For more information, visit https://catholiccharities-kcsj.org/.../financial-literacy/ or email jobassistance@ccharities.com.
Non-profit Basics Workshop
Every Wednesday at 12:00 Noon, Kansas City GIFT is opening its doors at the G.I.F.T. Business Center for aspiring changemakers. Learn from the ground up how to manage and grow your non-profit. From fundraising to forming valuable connections, they've got you covered! Spots are limited, so book your space now and start your journey to non-profit success! Visit https://www.kansascitygift.org/book-online and register.
Memorial Church Food Pantry
This food pantry is available every 2nd and 4th Wednesday from 2:00pm to 5:00pm at 11424 Hickman Mills Drive in Kansas City, Missouri.
Get Involved with SAC
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.
Become a Volunteer with KCPS
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.
Do You Have Something To Share?
"Tiger Talk"
Because we have limited time during our monthly SAC Meetings, please describe what you would like to bring attention to SAC (i.e., questions, concerns, praise, or a desired partnership) using an oniline platform called "Tiger Talk". It, too, will be checked on a regular basis.
Suggestion Box
Starting this month, there will be a Suggestion Box located in the front office. We are encouraging students, parents, and school staff to submit suggestions, comments and/or complaints anonymously or you can include your name. The Suggestion Box will be checked weekly by a SACX Delegate.