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Bear Bulletin
October 20, 2023
Digital Citizenship Awareness Month
This month is Digital Citizenship Awareness Month! The past 2 years all MISD schools and our district became "Common Sense Media Certified." Common Sense Media is an independent, non-profit company that is a leading source of entertainment and technology recommendations for families and schools. As a parent, you can visit their site at https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ to see reviews for movies, TV shows, books, games, podcasts, and apps based on a child's age. They also have a very helpful tab at the top of the page titled "Parent Tips and FAQs" where you can find more information on a variety of topics related to technology by age, topic (screen time, social media, cellphones, online safety, etc.), or platform (i.e. TikTok, Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnight, Snapchat, etc.). Our children are surrounded by technology, and it will become embedded in virtually any job or profession they do. We do not want to keep them from learning all they can about it. However, we do want to teach them how to use it responsibly and keep them safe while they learn. Just this week, Mrs. Mallant addressed three separate situations regarding inappropriate use of technology, two of which occurred outside of school and carried over to impact the students involved while they were here.
Why Teach Digital Citizenship:
In today's age, it is critical that students know how to use the internet safely, responsibly, and ethically. Additionally, Education Code 28.002(z) requires each school district to incorporate instruction in digital citizenship into its curriculum, including information regarding the potential criminal consequences of cyberbullying. House Bill 129, passed May 2021, places additional requirements for the Digital Citizenship curriculum in the state of Texas. Lincoln is facilitating these lessons through our library classes. These lessons are about 15 minutes long, depending on the topic and student discussions. The lessons will take place in the next couple of weeks. We encourage you to discuss these lessons with your child and how they may impact their use of technology each day.
Bark for Schools
Digital safety is critically important to Montgomery ISD, which is why we are now using Bark for Schools to help us protect students online while using school-issued technology and devices. Parents now have the option to sign up for a free account as part of Montgomery ISD’s partnership with Bark.
Bark monitors for signs of potential issues like:
- Cyberbullying
- Suicidal ideation
- Online predators
- Threats of violence
- And more
Alerts at the first signs of danger
When possible dangers arise on school-issued accounts, Bark for Schools sends us alerts so we can address the situation in a timely manner. These alerts also give us insights that help us promote the wellness of students.
Sign up to get alerts with Parent Portal
Students use their school-issued accounts both at school and at home, and families are often in a better position to respond to urgent alerts after hours, on weekends, and during breaks. To receive an invitation to create your optional free account for the Bark for Schools Parent Portal, please navigate to bit.ly/MISDbark and fill out the request form. As soon as you opt-in, you’ll be able to receive after-hours alerts if Bark detects potentially time-sensitive issues.
Bark Parental Portal Request Form
Please fill out this form if you want to receive an invitation to create your free account for the Bark for Schools Parent Portal. You will receive an email from Bark and as soon as you opt-in, you’ll be able to receive after-hours alerts if Bark detects potentially time-sensitive issues. Please email Diana Teel at diana.teel@misd.org if you have any questions or concerns.
Check out these parenting resources
- Visit the Bark Blog to stay informed on all things kids and tech.
- Download this guide for helpful tips on talking to your child about common issues.
- Join the Parenting in a Tech World Facebook group and connect with other parents raising kids in the digital age.
Learn more about Bark for Schools — including their commitment to student privacy. Thank you for partnering with us to help keep students safe online.
Thank you,
Montgomery ISD Technology Service
Words of Appreciation
Thank you to Mrs. Jackson, Mrs. Ballard, and Mrs. Roche for helping out with Picture Day today!
We also want to give a shout out to Mrs. Krien, Mrs. Craig, and Mrs. Day for signing up to help with lunch duty this past week. :)
Parent Involvement Opportunities
One of our campus goals is to build more parent involvement on our campus. As parents, you know your child best. We want to partner with you to consistently make our school better. Below are several opportunities where you can be involved or provide feedback.
- Parent Lunch Volunteers - We are always looking for help in the cafeteria during lunches. If you are able to help, complete the volunteer form and then sign up here on the form organized by our PTO.
- WatchDOGS - Click this link for more information, the program presentation from the district, the background form, and the registration form.
- Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) - Join our PTO! The cost for an entire family is only $7. Our PTO is an organization of parents that works to support our students and staff in a variety of ways. They recently purchased some toys and games that students can play with at recess. They also bring in special programs and activities for our students and find ways to show appreciation to our staff. We encourage all families to join. For more information, you can contact our PTO at mylespto@gmail.com. You can also find them on Facebook (@myLESPTO).
- Parent Feedback Form - Any time you want to share your thoughts, you can email, call, or make an appointment to visit. Another way you can provide input is to simply complete our parent feedback form at any time. Your responses are anonymous unless you choose to include your name and/or contact information.
This Week at Lincoln
Each week, we want to provide you with an overview of our Lincoln statistics and where we are as a campus. We will share information about enrollment, student behaviors, and attendance. Additionally, as we have celebrations to share regarding our students' academic successes, we'll list them here too.
Enrollment
Current enrollment: 470
Attendance
Our goal is to have 95% or better attendance each day. Good school attendance is a key indicator of future school success. Below is our average daily attendance for this month so far:
- Week of 10/2: 95.2%
- Week of 10/11: 95.4%
- Week of 10/16: 95.7%
Classes with the Highest Attendance Rates Last Week:
- Mrs. Forrer, Mrs. Kirk, Mrs. Lawson, and Mrs. Shaver - 100%! Perfect Attendance!
- Mrs. Treharne - 98.9%
- Mrs. Perry - 98.3%
- Mrs. McClain - 97.9%
- Mrs. Bush & Mrs. Haralson - 97%
- Mrs. Jorgensen - 96.7%
- Mrs. Christian, Mrs. Herzog, & Mrs. Veillon - 95.8%
- Mrs. McCullough - 95.6%
- Mrs. Meadors - 95%
Positive Office Referrals
We recently had an influx of positive office referrals. These forms are a way that our staff can recognize students for being a good citizen or doing something that stands out. The following students received positive office referrals in the past few weeks:
- Cannon C.
- Kynlee F.
- Dawson H.
- Miyah R.
- Paxton I.
- Carlos P.
- Ayden R.
- Brody G.
- Makenlee M.
- Aurora L.
- Reyna P.
- Lauren M.
- Max C.
- Caden W.
- Willow H.
- Eliza G.
We are so proud of these students who were recognized for attributes such as leadership, integrity, responsibility, empathy, resiliency, self-control, and more. Way to go!
Staff Shout Outs
You can also submit names straight to the district. Visit Montgomery ISD's Let's Talk tab on the district website https://bit.ly/3xad64c and use the "Share a Positive Story/MISD Shout Out" topic to share something great this educator has done to demonstrate a culture of respect.
Upcoming Events
Monday, 10/23
- Wear red or hearts.
Tuesday, 10/24
- Wear a kindness or positive message shirt.
Wednesday, 10/25
- Wear pajamas to school.
Thursday, 10/26
- Wear your favorite sports team attire.
- MISD Town Hall Meeting at the MISD Board Room 6:00 pm
Friday, 10/27
- Dress as your favorite book character (no weapons).
- Book character parade at 9:00; Families are invited but should arrive by 8:30 to allow time to scan in and make it to the cafeteria for seating.
Coming Soon:
- November - Military Family Appreciation Month
- 11/6-11/17 - Apex Fundraiser
- 11/9 - Veterans Day Program 6:00 pm
- 11/15 - Principal-Parent Safety Meeting 9:00 am
- 11/16 - National Parent Involvement Day
- 11/20-11/24 - Thanksgiving Break
Ribbon Week Schedule
All About Lunch
Lunch Schedules
Lunch visitors who are on a child's emergency contact list are welcome to eat with that child on the stage during the student's lunch period starting on August 28. Visitors will need to check in at the front office with their ID and get a visitor badge. Please do not invite other students to join you or provide food or snacks for other students. When lunch is over, all students will line up with their class. Visitors will return to the front office to turn in their visitor badge.
A friendly reminder, we do not have an open lunch policy so please do not order food for your child from outside vendors to be delivered to the school during the school day (i.e. Uber Eats, Grub Hub, Door Dash, or any kind of delivery service). This becomes a safety concern when staff need to leave the front office to deliver food to students or take their focus off of families who have business in the office. Food deliveries also increase the number of unfamiliar people entering the building. Additionally, our lunch times are very tight and do not allow for late deliveries. We cannot allow for learning to be disrupted by early or late food deliveries. Thank you for understanding our focus on safety and uninterrupted instructional time.
Lunch TImes:
- Pre-K & ECSE (AM) - 11:30-12:00
- ECSE (PM) - 11:40-12:10
- Kindergarten - 12:20-12:50
- 1st Grade - 11:45-12:15
- 2nd Grade - 10:55-11:25
- 3rd Grade - 11:10-11:40
- 4th Grade - 12:05-12:35
- 5th Grade - 12:35-1:05
School Hours, Attendance, and Tardies
- Doors open at 7:50
- Tardy bell rings, and class begins at 8:15. (This is the time students are expected to be in their seats in the classroom.)
- School day ends at 3:40
We are working hard to maximize each and every minute our students are here. Students who arrive after 8:15 are considered tardy and will need to be walked into the front door of the building and signed in by a parent or guardian. If your child needs to leave early, they may be checked out through the front office by a parent or guardian no later than 3:15 pm.
Attendance is of critical importance to your child's academic success. Click here on a district update regarding attendance procedures for the 23-24 school year. Rather than sending a note to school with your child upon his/her return from an absence, parents will enter the absence information through Family Access in Skyward. Directions for entering the infomation is availble in the link above.
Changes in transportation need to be made prior to 2:00 in order to allow time for the messages to be communicated with the appropriate staff member. To request a change of transportation, either
- Send a note with your child,
- Email LincolnElementaryTransit@misd.org with the note and a copy of your driver's license, or
- Come to the school with a copy of your driver's license.
About Us
Email: kerri.ashlock@misd.org
Website: https://lincolnes.misd.org/
Location: 700 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Dr, Montgomery, TX, USA
Phone: (936) 276-4700
Facebook: facebook.com/MISDLincoln
Twitter: @lincoln_MISD