Lincoln Family Newsletter

Our BPS Mission: "Empower every learner to thrive."

Our BPS Vision: "Together, our strong relationships build inclusive, collaborative, and innovative environments that create agency and inspire a passion for learning, excellence, and discovery."

Our BPS Values: Inclusion, Excellence, Innovation and Leadership

It is an honor and a privilege to welcome you to the 2023-24 school year. Our Lincoln team is very excited to meet and greet our 640 students and families into this learning season. I hope your summer was filled with quality time with your family and friends. I cannot begin to express how thrilled I am to be entering into this truly exciting time as your principal and to continue to get to know all of you and your children.

We have many returning and a few new staff members who are all committed to strive at making progress toward our mission and vision, and keep our BPS values and commitments at the forefront for all our learners, ourselves included.

As we partner this year with you, in your child’s education, we want you to know that we value your involvement and support. We extend a special yearlong invitation to our families to join us at school activities and events whenever possible. Additionally, please consider joining our PTO. Our PTO meets the first Tuesday of every month from 6:30 - 7:30 at Lincoln Elementary.

I am looking forward to seeing all of you at our Open House on Tuesday, August 22. See details below.

Class placement/ teacher assignments will be emailed to families on Friday, August 11th.

The school supply list for Lincoln Elementary can be found on our website under the announcements or by clicking HERE.

Lincoln Open House is scheduled for Tuesday, August 22nd. Teachers will be in their classrooms to meet the students from 4:30-6:00 pm. Students are encouraged to attend the Open House and bring their school supplies to the classroom. At Open House this year, your family will receive a passport to visit different locations and people at the school. All completed passports will be put into a drawing for a special prize!

Kinder parents...If you haven't already completed this survey, please do so at your earliest convenience.

We are so excited to start to get to know your child as well as your family! Please fill out the following questions as thoroughly as possible. It is important that you are as honest as possible so that we can create classrooms that ensure the best learning environment for each student. Thank you for taking the time to help us out!

Breakfast is served from 7:45 to 8:15. There is no breakfast supervision before 7:45. Playground supervision begins at 8:00. Please remember, only supervisors are permitted on the playground. School is dismissed at 3:05 and all students should depart immediately after school is dismissed. There is no supervision after school. In order to assure the safety of all children, please make arrangements to have your child picked up promptly or enrolled in an afterschool program. Thank you for your cooperation.

Thank you in advance to all families for following the drop-off protocol and who will ensure that student drop-off in the morning provides the opportunity for students getting to school in a safe manner. This process will also provide a quick experience for families needing to get to work. Here are a few things that we learned last year when implementing this protocol for morning drop-off.

1. When the process is followed, it is smooth and efficient.
2. Our students are eager to support this process. They asked if they can assist in the morning and in an effort to support meaningful work for them, have given them a process to follow. Although, we will not let students or adults provide guidance when the weather conditions hit the -10 degree mark.
3. If your child needs a little more assistance, please pull into the parking lot, park in a parking space, and then assist your child out of the vehicle and to the crosswalk.
4. DO NOT go around vehicles in the drive-through (drop-off) lane to get a spot in front of vehicles currently dropping.
5. This protocol is intended to be utilized during our high traffic drop-off time of 7:30 - 8:30 am.

Please see the following guidelines for clarification of dropping students off at Lincoln Elementary.

• This is a DRIVE-THROUGH zone ONLY.

• Drop-off should occur only in the drive-through lane (RED - the right lane nearest the curb. See map)

• Exit lane (BLUE - left lane nearest the parking lot. See map) is strictly for exiting this zone after students have exited the vehicle.

• Students should NOT be dropped off from anywhere in the exit lane.

• Dropping off from within the parking lot is strictly prohibited as it is a major safety concern and often blocks our handicapped parking spaces.

• Students should be COMPLETELY ready to exit the car before entering the drive-through zone.

• While in the drive-through lane, please pull all the way to the sign (RED X on the map) or until traffic is stopped.

• Park next to the curb and come to a complete stop. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE

• Students should exit vehicles IMMEDIATELY on the passenger side, once vehicles come to a complete stop in the drive-through lane.

• When a student has exited the vehicle and is making their way to the door, the driver should signal and turn into the exit lane.

If you are sending medication for your child to take at school, you must complete a Medication Administration Authorization form. This form is found on the Bismarck Public Schools website under Departments, Health Services, and then Medication on the left. We will also have these forms available in the office. All prescription and non-prescription medicine must arrive in its original container. We will not accept any medication arriving in baggies, envelopes or other types of packaging.

The BPS meal payment platform has changed to a new system called LINQ Connect. This system will provide parents with more control over school lunch accounts while offering many convenient new features. Activity and library fees will continue to be processed with My Payments Plus. All families with students who eat school lunches must create an account for LINQ Connect. Balances from the old system will automatically be transferred over.

Registering is simple, just follow these steps:

1. REGISTER at linqconnect.com by clicking on the register button near the upper right-hand corner. Next, input your name, email address, and password. Choose your language and timezone and check the I agree to the Terms of Use box. Finally, click submit.
2. VERIFY YOUR ACCOUNT by opening your email and clicking on the verification link sent to you from LINQ Connect. After doing so, please click the Back to LINQ Connect button in the email. BPS staff will need to use their personal email, you cannot use your BPS email address.
3. SIGN IN. You should be automatically signed in, but if not please click the login button in the upper right-hand corner.

To add students:

1. After logging into LINQ Connect, click the plus sign in the upper right-hand corner.
2. An “Add” menu will appear. Here, you will choose type, which will be student for student accounts. Next, type in “Bismarck Public Schools” for the district area.
3. Now you will be able to input your child’s first name, last name, and birthdate in order to add a student. Please note that the name must match what is in PowerSchool.

Adding Auto Pay

1. On your account homepage, click the Add Money to Account button.
2. You now have options to transfer balances or add auto pay.
3. Click Add Auto Pay and fill out your payment account information. The frequency option allows you to choose when payments will occur.

Download the new LINQ Connect app in the Google Play Store available now, or visit LINQConnect.com to manage all your payments in one convenient location. An Apple Store version will be available soon. Within the LINQ Connect portal, you can set up one-time or recurring payments for your students’ meals, view previous transactions, set spending limits, transfer funds between students, set low-balance notifications, and more. It’s an easy way to manage meal payments without the hassle of sending cash.

For more information and helpful resources about LINQ Connect, please visit www.bismarckschools.org/linq or see the LINQ Connect FAQ.

Missing just 1 or 2 days a month makes it hard for students to:

• Gain and retain reading and math skills

• Build meaningful relationships

• Develop life and work habits

• Feel positively about school and themselves

What you can do...

• Set a regular bedtime and morning routine
• Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before
• Use the school calendar in your family planning
• Talk about and celebrate school everyday
• Keep up to date with school communication
• Create a routine for practice and learning at home

Start the school year off right!

• Generate excitement by doing a countdown until the 1st day of school.

• Attend open house with your child to meet teachers and classmates.

• Read the school handbook for health and safety procedures.

• Ask for resources to continue learning at home when needed.

• Have a backup plan for getting to school such as family members, neighbors or another parent.

• If your child seems anxious about school talk to your teacher, doctor or other parents for advice.

Below you will find a 23-24 school calendar to support you in planning vacations and appointments. You will have access to receive a hard copy during our Open House on August 22nd.

Bismarck Public Schools uses PowerSchool, a student information system. Parents and guardians can create their own PowerSchool username/password and view all children's information from one account. This account will remain the same from year to year to access your children's academic progress and attendance. If you need any assistance please contact our office.

Employing high quality teachers is a priority in our school district. Through federal law, you have the right to information about the professional qualifications of teachers and paraprofessionals at our school. If you are interested in learning this information, please contact the school office at (701) 323-4310 to receive a list of the teaching staff at Lincoln along with their licensing, education, and experience. You will also receive information regarding the names and qualifications of the paraprofessionals at our school.

August

11 - Classroom Placement Emails

22 - Open House (4:30 - 6:00)

24 - First Day of School

September

4 - NO SCHOOL (Labor Day)

5 - PTO Meeting (6:30 - 7:30)

6 - School Picture Day

25 - NO SCHOOL (Staff Development Day)

October

3 - PTO Meeting (6:30 - 7:30)

19 & 20 - NO SCHOOL (Administrator's Conference)

24 - School Picture Makeup Day

28 - Trunk or Treat

Email: melissa_hurt@bismarckschools.org
Website: www.bismarckschools.org/lincoln
Location: 3320 McCurry Way, Lincoln, ND, USA
Phone: 701-323-4310
Facebook: facebook.com/LincolnElementaryBismarckPublicSchools

Any third party non-school district events in this newsletter

are not sponsored/endorsed by Bismarck Public Schools.