PRINCIPAL NEWSLETTER
Tuesday, April 30, 2024
A Message from Ms. Gordon
Happy Tuesday Lincoln Families,
I hope you all are enjoying the start to this week with great weather.
As many of you know, Lincoln is the only elementary school that has the Best Buddies program. This weekend we participated in the Best Buddies Walk. a huge shoutout to our staff, students and families that help to make this a wonderful program and for this weekend's support!
Please click here for the updated Lost and Found Website. We have so many items and will be donating the clothing that we have had for weeks on May 3rd. PLEASE help mange lost and found by labeling your child's jackets and gloves.
We are looking for parent volunteers for our Mini-Monsters Bears Camp on May 9th. Please click here to sign up.
The All School Family Reading Night is on May 16th. The last day to order your own t-shirt is tomorrow. Information on that is below.
Finally, this is our last push for gift cards for Teacher Appreciation Week. If you can, please deliver any donations of gift cards to the main office. We are pretty light this year, but as always, want to support teachers in any way we can.
I hope you all have a great rest of your week!
Take care,
Ms. Gordon
IMPORTANT DATES:
MAY
2 - Gran Fandango Performance for Spanish Immersion Families at 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
8 - Lincoln will administer Panorama Survey for Grades 3-5
9 - Mini Monsters Bears Camp for Grades 2 - 5
14 through 17 - Spring Book Fair
16 - Family Reading Night from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
24 - Annual Memorial Day Ceremony lead by 5th Grade. 8:15 a.m. by the cul-de-sac
28 - Olympic Day (more details to come)
27 - No School for Memorial Day
31 - PTO Year End Picnic from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
JUNE
4 - Last Day of School
AUGUST
22 - First day of attendance for the 24-25 School Year. The 2024-2025 calendar can be found here.
ABC COUNTDOWN
Monday marks the final 26 days of the school year. Please join us in the daily activities planned for our students.
Mini-Monsters Bears Camp for Grade 2-5
We are looking for parent volunteers on Thursday, May 9th to assist with the Bears Mini-Monster Clinic. Please click here to volunteer.
There are two sessions to the day, and ideally we are looking for parents who can volunteer for both sessions.
Session 1: 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. (grades 4 and 5)
Session 2: 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. (grades 2 and 3)
Volunteers will need to arrive at 9:30 a.m. for training (12:00 p.m. if you are only volunteering for Session2).
You will be assisting clinic staff with the organized drills: punt catching, punting, throwing, tackling bag exercises (individually done with the use of mats), blocking, running, racing and/or field goal kicking.
To volunteer, you must have a completed background check.
Please contact the Lincoln Office at 708-524-3110 if you have any questions.
What's Up in the Lincoln Library
READING IS OUT OF THIS WORLD at Lincoln School!!
On Tuesday, April 30th, Lincoln is celebrating National Poetry Month with “POEM in your POCKET” Day! The gist is that everyone (staff and students) will have a written out copy of either an original poem or a poem they like and everyone can share the poem that’s in their pocket throughout the day with others. You share yours + they share theirs=POETRY CELEBRATION!
Save the Date for our annual Family Reading Night on May 16th from 6-7:30pm! Included in this evening of celebrating reading will be:
Our featured author Rehka Rajan!
Bilingual local author Virginia Martinez
Oak Park Public Library read alouds
Family Reading Room
Anderson’s Book Fair
Space Literacy games and activities
Rover and Space Movement Activities, Snacks, Crafts
And much more!!
Reading Night T-Shirt Order Form
LINCOLN SCHOOL PTO INFORMATION
TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK: GIFT CARDS NEEDED
May 6-10 is Teacher Appreciation Week and we need your help! Our Lincoln Community is honoring our amazing teachers and staff with a Gift Card Grab Bag.
Please show your appreciation for all our teachers do by donating a $10, $15 or $20 gift card(s). Gift cards can be dropped off to Ms. Lowry or Ms. Roskopf now until Friday, May 3.
TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK: SUGGESTIONS FOR PARENTS
New this year–teacher appreciation suggestions! Choose what method works best for you! We encourage everyone to participate in one day.
Monday: Pick something off of your teacher’s wishlist or something they need in the classroom.
Tuesday: Bring your teachers’ favorite snack or treat. Find that //here//.
Wednesday: Have your child write a note or draw a picture to express gratitude, share what they love about their teacher, or what they’ve learned.
Thursday: Parents, write a note/email of appreciation, sharing how they have made a difference or what you appreciate about them.
Friday: Your Choice! Thank them at pick-up drop off, record a video message, or send a small token of appreciation. You can find their favorite things listed //here//.
PRINCIPAL APPRECIATION: THIS WEDNESDAY
May 1 is Principal Appreciation Day! The PTO will send a token of our appreciation to Principal Gordon and we invite families to send in notes, artwork or emails to share your gratitude.
BOOK FAIR HOURS & VOLUNTEER SHIFTS
The Anderson’s Book Fair will be taking place in the Lincoln Library from May 14-May 17! Students will have the chance to browse for books during library time.
Shopping hours will be available after school:
Tuesday 5/14, 3:10 - 5:00 pm
Wednesday 5/15, 2:40 - 5:00 pm
Thursday 5/16 (Family Reading Night), 5:00 - 7:30 pm
Volunteers needed! We're in need of volunteers to help make the book fair a success. Volunteer shifts are available for set-up, teardown and staffing our shopping hours during the week. Sign up //here//.
LINCOLN ALL-STAR AFTER SCHOOL ENRICHMENT TAKING A PAUSE
Lincoln All-Stars after school enrichment programming will not run in the fall 2024 as we strive to create a program that works best for the staff, students and parents of Lincoln. To meet that goal, the student enrichment team is looking for people who would be interested in working together to help determine the future of after-school enrichment programming at Lincoln, as well as solidify the goals of student enrichment through the PTO.
We welcome anyone who has interest or experience in this area. Best of all, this NOT a long-term OR time intensive commitment. We're hoping to start with just a series of informal chats over the next couple months; then progress from there.
Anyone who might like to be involved in these initial conversations should email Amanda Turnbull, Co-VP of Student Enrichment at turnbull.amanda@gmail.com by the end of the school year (June 4).
SPIRITWEAR SALE
Shabby Fly is clearing their warehouse and all spiritwear is on sale. Buy your discounted spiritwear //here//! If you need financial assistance to purchase spiritwear, fill out this form.
SAVE THE DATES
5TH GRADE YEAR-END EVENTS
For a list of 5th grade end of the year events, click //here//.
KINDERGARTEN PLAYDATE: MAY 19
Please join us for a kindergarten year-end playdate from 1-3pm at Maple Park. BYO snacks, drinks and a picnic blanket.
END OF THE YEAR PICNIC: MAY 31
May 31st will be our end-of-the-year picnic, starting after school. More details to come- but there will be lots of food, fun, and entertainment!
ANGEL FUNDS
If your family could use financial assistance to ensure your child's success in school, Angel Funds are available. Angel funds can cover school supplies, clothes and more. Requests are confidential and only viewed by specific Lincoln Staff members. Please complete this form to request assistance.
INFORMATION FROM DISTRICT 97
Acceleration Opportunities in District 97
District 97's Single Subject and Whole Grade Level Acceleration process for students for the 2024-25 school year opens on March 1st!
District 97 believes that all students should be challenged and supported to develop to their maximum potential. For students who demonstrate they may benefit from accelerated placement, we provide opportunities to participate in an instructional setting that is usually reserved for students who are older or in higher grades than the child. This includes, but is not limited to:
Single subject acceleration
Whole grade acceleration
In accordance with the Illinois Accelerated Placement Act, District 97 has continued to refine procedures to ensure equitable access to acceleration opportunities for all students. Continuing this year: all students who are grade eligible to take the Illinois Assessment for Readiness (IAR) must participate in the assessment in order to be deemed eligible for acceleration. The IAR is a critically important measure in determining the mastery of grade level standards and must be considered by the school team along with other sources of data.
Applications for single-subject and whole-grade acceleration will be accepted from March 1 to May 15 of each school year. The general process is outlined HERE.
Information about the District 97 Accelerated Placement Program, including definitions and timelines, can be found at http://www.op97.org/acceleration.
Health Department: Uptick in Fifth Disease Cases in Oak Park
The Oak Park Department of Public Health has been informed of an increase in Fifth disease cases in our community. Fifth disease (parvovirus B19) is a viral infection that typically presents with a red rash on the face, in addition to other symptoms. Please review the letter provided by the health department for more information.
The health department notes:
Families should not send child(ren) to school with a rash without first being evaluated by a physician. A return to school note may be required.
Any individuals who are pregnant should carefully review the letter, as Fifth disease can pose complications. Please contact your physician for additional guidance.
Additional information about health guidelines for District 97 students can be found at https://www.op97.org/health-services/sick-day-guidelines.
Registration for 2024-25 Now Open for All Students
Online registration for the 2024-25 school year in District 97 is now open for all students. Complete details about the process—including residency documents, timelines and other helpful resources—are available on the district web site: www.op97.org/registration.
Returning Students
Registration for returning District 97 students will be open March 5 - April 19. Complete details can be found at https://www.op97.org/hr/returning-student-registration.
New Students and Kindergarteners
Registration for kindergarten and new students opened Feb. 22. Please click the links below to learn more about the registration process for kindergarteners and new students.
In order to register your student, you must be the custodial parent/guardian and currently reside in Oak Park. Students who are registering for kindergarten for the 2024-25 school year must be at least 5 years old and must be born on or before Sept. 1, 2019.
We appreciate your partnership in preparing for a successful 2024-25 school year!
2024-25 District 97 Blended Preschool Program
On Wednesday, April 3, District 97 will begin accepting applications for the early childhood blended classrooms at Whittier Elementary School for the 2024-25 school year. There will be a limited number of spaces available. Click here to view the 2024-25 D97 Blended Preschool flyer >>
District 97 is seeking students who:
are non-IEP students who will be between the ages of 3 and 4 years by Sept. 1, 2024;
demonstrate age-appropriate language and social skills;
are Oak Park residents;
are not enrolled in a preschool program.
The registration window will be open April 3, 2024, through May 24, 2024. For more information about the Early Childhood Blended Program or to apply beginning April 3, please visit https://www.op97.org/teach-learn/ecblended.
PREVIOUSLY SHARED IMPORTANT INFORMATION
ATTENDANCE REMINDERS
Absences
If you child will not attend school, please be sure to contact the office by 8:30 a.m. You can call 708-665-3067 or email lincolnattendance@op97.org. If you are emailing the classroom teacher, please also copy lincolnattendance@op97.org.
Early Pick Up
If you are picking your child up early, please send an email to the classroom teacher and copy lincolnattendance@op97.org. Call the office when you are on your way and they will have your child ready for you.
Change in Dismissal Plans
- If there are any changes in dismissal plans, please email teachers before the start of the school day. Any "day of changes" MUST be communicated directly through the main office at 708-524-3110. Teachers are not always able to check their email during the day or might be absent.
- If you will be picking your child up instead of them taking the bus home, please arrive a bit early and meet them by the buses on Harvard Ave. This is the most efficient and least disruptive to dismissal routines.
- If you are running late and will not arrive by 3:00 p.m., please contact the office as soon as possible.
BACKGROUND CHECKS
Please note that background checks now expire after three years. Please contact the district office to confirm your prints if it has been longer than that.
RESOURCE CENTER
About Us
Email: lincolnoffice@op97.org
Website: op97.org/lincoln
Location: 1111 South Grove Avenue, Oak Park, IL, USA
Phone: 708-524-3110
Twitter: @UpAtLincolnOP