Looking Ahead at Lincoln
Week of April 15 - 19, 2024
Day Rotation
Week of 4/15 - 4/19/2024
- Monday – Day 1
- Tuesday – Day 2
- Wednesday – Day 3
- Thursday – Day 4
- Friday – Day 5
Week of 4/22 - 4/26/2024
- Monday – Day 1
- Tuesday – No School - Election Day
- Wednesday – Day 2
- Thursday – Day 3
- Friday – Day 4
Upcoming Events
Lincoln Elementary School Celebrates National Poetry Month
We will celebrate Poetry Month by hosting our own Lincoln Poem in your Pocket Day on Thursday, April 18! Poem in Your Pocket Day began in New York City in 2002 and has become a nation-wide event to promote enjoyment of poetry! All Lincoln students, families, and staff are invited to participate!
- Find a poem that you enjoy (look in poetry books from the Lincoln library, the Mt. Lebanon Public Library, home collections or online) OR
- Write your own original poem and share it!
- Print out a copy of the poem and keep it in your pocket
- Practice reading your poem aloud (or even memorizing it!)
- If you don’t have pockets in your clothes, use the attached pocket template and some yarn to make a pocket you can wear around your neck!
- Be ready to share your poem on April 18!
Happy Reading!
Mrs. Staub, Lincoln Library Media Teacher
Resources for Poetry
Visit our Lincoln Library or the Mt. Lebanon Public Library for great poetry collections! You can also find some great poems on EPIC! (Mrs. Staub’s class code is suc5404) and on the following sites:
- A well-respected poet and illustrator, Mr. Florian delighted Lincoln School with his visit several years ago! Here is his author page from his publisher. Mr. Florian enjoys writing poetry about many subjects, including various animals.
- Joyce Sidman’s poetry captivates the imagination and focuses on nature.
- Newbery winner Kwame Alexander (The Crossover, The Undefeated) has published books for all ages! He is a special poetry correspondent for National Public Radio and shares great poetry lessons in this video:What is a Poem
- Ms. Salas has published tons of great poetry for kids!
Collections by Various Poets
Mural Dedication to Ms. Cathy McClain
A mural dedication for Ms. Cathy McClain, our retired Lincoln school counselor, will be held on Thursday, April 18th at 3:45 in the main hallway. Refreshments will follow in the library. Please let Mrs. Bethann Rivera know if you will be in attendance (brivera@mtlsd.net).
Sheltering In Place Drill
Please be aware that Lincoln Elementary school will be practicing a sheltering in place drill sometime this week (4/15-4/19/2024) with the students and staff. Teachers have reviewed sheltering in place with the students and answered questions they might have. If you come to the school this week and find that you are not granted access to the school during the drill, do not be alarmed. The office staff will state via the intercom that no one is permitted to enter the school during the sheltering drill. A sign indicating the school is sheltering in place will be posted at the main entrance. Please direct questions to Dr. Kitsko.
Lincoln Talent Show
The 16th Annual Lincoln Elementary Talent Show, "Decades of Talent", is set for Friday, April 19, 2024. Showtime is at 6:00 PM. Hope to see you there!
PSSA Testing Information
The 2024 PSSA assessment window is just around the corner. The District will be administering the PSSAs this year in compliance with the PA Department of Education's direction. The results we achieve on these exams provide us with valuable information that can be used to assess our students' knowledge of grade level standards, our teaching, and our educational programming. Our students have been working hard throughout the year and are prepared for these exams. The testing schedule is as follows:
- Students in Grades 3-5 will take the PSSA ELA tests on April 22, 24 and 26, 2024
- Students in Grades 3-5 will take the PSSA MATH tests on April 29-30, 2024
- Students in Grade 4 will take the PSSA SCIENCE tests on May 2-3, 2024.
Please read the information below regarding the District's administration of the assessments:
Information for ALL Students
ALL students in Grades 3-5 will take the ONLINE VERSION of the PSSAs this year.
Students have begun practicing using the online testing program so they are familiar and comfortable taking the PSSAs online.
Students in Grades 3-5 will be asked and expected to leave their Chromebooks and chargers at school starting on Monday, April 15th - this will allow us to make sure all devices are ready to go for testing the following weeks.
Students may use wired headphones or a wired mouse to complete the PSSA tests, if they choose.
Headphones and mice will not be provided to students by the school.
Bluetooth devices (both headphones, earbuds and mice) are not permitted.
Pre-approved absences are not able to be approved for any PSSA testing dates.
Additional Information for Students and Families
- Electronic Devices During PSSA Testing
- PSSA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Code of Conduct for Test Takers
For more information about the upcoming PSSA testing schedule at Lincoln and other related resource documents, please check out my Google site at Lincoln Elementary School Assessment Information. If you have any questions or are in need of more information, please contact at the school office
Respectfully,
Dr. Ron Kitsko
Principal
NO SCHOOL - Election Day - 4/23/2024
Due to the schools being used as election sites on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, there is no school for students this date. School resumes for the students on Wednesday, April 24, 2024.
5th Grade Farewell Fundraiser - Chipotle Night
Continue supporting our 5th Graders with dinner at CHIPOTLE on 04/24/2024 between 4pm and 8pm! When ordering in person please show the following flyer at the register for your purchase to be included in our fundraiser. If ordering through the CHIPOTLE app or online please include the promotional code: K86VRAL
Please note: If your order is submitted and payment is made online/in the app without entering the promotional code, the store is unable to apply your purchase to our fundraising event at the time of pick up
Take Your Child to Work Day
Thursday, April 25, 2024, is Take Your Child to Work Day. If your student is participating in Take Your Child to Work Day this year, please consider using the attached form (linked below) to document your child’s excused absence. Paper copies are available in the school office as well.
Upcoming Field Trips
Please make sure that the students have submitted the appropriate permission forms to the classroom teachers in advance of the trip. Chaperones MUST have all three (3) clearances on file to serve as a program volunteer for all of these field trips. Feel free to contact the school office with questions. Thanks to the Lincoln PTA for its financial support for many of the Lincoln Elementary School field trips.
Kindergarten
The National Aviary
- Monday, April 15, 2024
- 8:45 am - 11:45 am
Grade 1
School in the Park at South Park
- Friday, April 19, 2024
- 8:45 am - 1:00 pm
- Friday, May 2, 2024
- 8:45 am - 2: 00 pm
Grade 2
Phipps Conservatory
- Thursday, April 25, 2024
- 9:15 am - 2:00 pm
- Thursday, May 2, 2024
- 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Grade 3
School in the Park at Bird Park
- Tuesday, May 14, 2024
- 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Grade 5
Meadowcroft Village- Thursday, June 6, 2024
- 9:00 am - 3: 00 pm
Autism Awareness Month
The month of April is Autism Awareness Month and includes observances to highlight the increasing number of individuals identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the impacts on families and support services. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes ASD as a “developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavior challenges.” The Autism experience is different for everyone. It is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is often referred to as a “spectrum condition” that affects people differently and to varying degrees. Below, you will find some resources that could be used to help families talk about autism with their children at home.
Videos
Print Resources
GoGuardian Family Pilot
Dear Mt. Lebanon Families:
As you may already be aware, the District utilizes GoGuardian to filter student web browsing on District-owned devices. Today, we are pleased to offer Mt. Lebanon families a pilot experience with the "At Home" feature of GoGuardian. This product is called GoGuardian Parent and is now available to all family members with a PowerSchool/Dashboard login. GoGuardian Parent is a downloadable app for your Smartphone designed to enable the District to share managed user history collected via GoGuardian with verified parents and guardians.
GoGuardian Parent also provides Parents and Guardians with the ability to pause their children's internet, block specific websites, and schedule internet availability on managed devices outside of "school hours." These features have no guaranteed functionality on personally owned, unmanaged student devices. The established “school hours” for Mt. Lebanon School District are 7:30am - 4:00pm on school days. Using the GoGuardian Parent app to set filters and time limits on your student will only affect your student’s browsing experience outside of these school hours.
If you would like to participate in this pilot program, there is no deadline...we will accept enrollment submissions on a rolling basis. To enroll in GoGuardian Parent, please follow the steps in the following document:
Enrollments in the pilot will begin on April 15, 2024. You will receive an email with details to get started on or after that date. Parents/Guardians can enroll in this program using the "GoGuardian Parent Enrollment" form found on their PowerSchool Dashboard. Please refer any and all questions about this pilot to our team using the RemoteSupport@mtlsd.net email address so we can effectively collect feedback and respond to everyone who contacts us.
Kindergarten Registration for 2024 – 2025 School Year
Kindergarten registration is open for the 2024 – 2025 school year. To register a child for kindergarten, please complete the 2024-2025 Kindergarten Registration Sign-Up form. Upon completion, kindergarten families will be directed to the online enrollment center where they can download and complete all necessary registration documents. If preferred, kindergarten families may also request a registration packet to be mailed home. Kindergarten families may submit completed packets digitally to the Lincoln Secretary, Mrs. Diana Sektnan (dsektnan@mtlsd.net), or call the Lincoln Office, at 412-344-2147 to make an appointment to drop off registration materials.
Click on the links below for helpful information to begin this process:
The Lincoln School staff will be in communication with kindergarten parents regarding kindergarten orientation and screening dates/times as spring approaches. We look forward to your child joining us!
Recycle your Sneakers!
Did you know that shoes in landfills can take 30 to 40 years to decompose, and emit harmful chemicals into the soil and air? The Lincoln PTA will be collecting all your unwanted sneakers for recycling from March 1st through April 26th as an Earth Day initiative. Please donate unwanted athletic footwear, paired and tied by the laces, in the labeled box at the Lincoln Elementary lobby.
Please note that all athletic footwear will be accepted, but any good or excellent sneakers in desired brands will be resold by Gotsneakers? with proceeds going to Lincoln PTA programs. Any non-athletic footwear will not be accepted at this location and should be donated at other local charities.
Art Show in May - Volunteers Needed
This year Ms. Angerett is holding an Art Show in the gymnasium during Lincoln Open House on Tuesday, May 21st. The Art Show will take place from 5:30 to 7:30pm.
All art students in grades 1st through 5th will have one piece of artwork framed for the Art Show. These frames will be available for purchase that evening for $30. If families wish to purchase their student’s artwork framed on the night of Open House (link to Artome), $21 from each frame sale will go to the framing company and $9 from each frame sale will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project during our Veterans Day Celebration next school year. If families do not want to buy the framed project, but would still like to make donation to support the Wounded Warrior Project, cash donations will be accepted during the art show. There is no expectation for families to buy their student's framed artwork.
Ms. Angerett is asking for PTA volunteers that would be interested in helping out with this event.
Helpers and Cashiers are needed to help students and families find their artwork and complete artwork purchases .
Please email: lincolnawesomeabespta@gmail.com if you are able to help during that time. Shifts will be available so that you can also enjoy Open House with your student!
If students/families do not wish to purchase a frame, they will receive their artwork back after the Art Show is officially over. Thanks in advance for your help with this project!
Get Involved in Our School Garden!
April 27th Glow-up Day: Save the date! Help beautify our school grounds by planting trees, shrubs, and seeds, spreading mulch, and participating in a garden craft. Everyone's welcome!
Adopt-a-Bed: Take ownership of a manageable section of a community garden! Keep it weeded and bring your creative ideas to life. Multiple people can share the same bed. Interested? Let us know! jeannemarie.burdette@gmail.com
Scheduled Workdays: We're organizing gardening work days on Mondays (2:30 pm - 3:30 pm) and Sundays (11:00 am - 12:00 pm) starting this Sunday. As long as it isn’t raining. Join us when you can, and feel free to work on your adopted bed anytime!
Student Garden Club: Coming soon! Look out for Student Garden Club sign-ups. Student members will gather for an hour after school on Tuesdays during May for fun activities like creating fairy gardens, planting veggies, and making garden art projects
Important Information
School Day Time Schedule
Grades 1-5
8:30 AM to 12:00 Noon
1:00 to 3:30 PM
Late bells ring at 8:35 AM and 1:00 PM
Kindergarten (AM)
- 8:30 to 11:20 am
- Late bell rings at 8:35 AM
Kindergarten (PM)
- 12:40 to 3:30 PM
- late bell rings at 12:45 PM
Recess Temperature Reminder
As we are in the season of unpredictable weather, I want to remind our students about what they should to wear during outdoor recess.
- Anytime the temperature dips below 50ºF, students should wear a jacket (of some type) outside.
- While it is a family decision as to what each student wears to school each day, I would suggest that students not wear shorts on days when temperatures are forecasted to be below 50ºF.
- Having an extra pair of pants available (left in a student’s locker) is a great way to avoid emotional situations if students wear shorts to school on cold weather days.
- We check AccuWeather and The Weather Channel apps for the current local temperature and “feels like” temperature at several times each day.
Absences and Excuses
When a student is absent from school, the family must send a written excuse or an email within 3 school days to their student's teacher. If the excuse is not provided to the teacher by the third day, the absence will be considered illegal. If a student accumulates more than three days of unlawful absences, an attendance hearing at the school will be held and the matter may be referred to the local magistrate.
When a student is absent for five or more consecutive days for health reasons, the student must be readmitted to the school through the Health Office.
Students will not be granted more than five (5) days of pre-approved absences (form linked here) during the school year. The district attendance policy can be viewed by accessing the following link - JED - Students Absences and Excuses.
Awesome Abe School Wide Positive Behavioral Program
What is a School Wide Positive Behavioral Program?
PBIS or Positive Behavioral Interventions or Supports is a school-wide positive behavior support system or set of strategies and systems to increase the capacity of schools to (a) reduce school disruption, and (b) educate all students including those with problem behaviors
- Clearly defined outcomes
- Research-validated practices
- Supportive administrative systems
- Use of information for problem-solving
WHAT ARE THE FEATURES OF PBIS?
- Establish regular, predictable, positive learning & teaching environments.
- Train adults & students to serve as positive models.
- Teach and model behavioral expectations
- Create systems for providing regular positive feedback.
- Acknowledge students when they are “doing the right thing”.
- Improve social competence.
- Develop environments that support academic success.
Counselor's Corner by Ms. Herb
A Note From The Elementary School Counselors…
Dear Families,
We hope everyone had a restful and relaxing spring break. This month we enter the final marking period of the school year! With PSSAs beginning at the end of April for 3rd through 5th graders, we would like to concentrate on the importance of self-care which is defined as intentional actions to enhance or maintain mental, physical, social and emotional well-being. As counselors, we recognize the importance of this topic and are available to work with our students. Community resources continue to be available to help families with a variety of needs. Additionally, April is Autism Awareness Month and Celebrate Diversity Month. Please see below for more information and a list of children’s books about these topics.
- The Elementary School Counseling Team
5th Grade Career Day!
We are excited to announce that we will be hosting a Career Day this year for our fifth graders! On Friday, May 31st, our fifth grade students will be given the opportunity to attend a Career Day that introduces students to a variety of career possibilities. In planning for our Career Day, we are looking for twelve speakers to volunteer 30 minutes of your day to speak with our students. If your student is in 5th grade and you are interested in volunteering to help as a speaker for this event, please complete this form no later than April 26th.
Second Step - Unit 4 Information
In the coming weeks, classrooms will be covering Unit 4 of our Second Step Program. More information about Unit 4, including an overview of what your child is learning and how to practice new skills at home, is linked by grade level below.
Inclusivity Calendar Events for March
Specific Dates
April Month Long Recognitions
- Autism Acceptance Month - This was established to raise awareness about the developmental disorder that affects an individual's normal development of social and communication skills.
- Celebrate Diversity Month - It started in 2004 to recognize and honor the diversity surrounding us all. By celebrating differences and similarities during this month, organizers hope that people will get a deeper understanding of each other.
- Month of the Military Child - This honors the sacrifices made by military families worldwide, with an emphasis on the experience of the dependent children of military members serving at home and overseas
- National Arab American Heritage Month - This celebrates the heritage and culture, as well as honors the contributions of Arab Americans.
- National Volunteer Month - It was started in 1991 to encourage volunteerism at a young age. By volunteering, people can help save lives and create better environments for us all to live within. Thanking volunteers, such as volunteer fire and ambulance departments, is also an aspect of the celebration.
April Specific Dates
- April 2: World Autism Awareness Day, created to raise awareness of the developmental disorder around the globe.
- April 14: Day of Silence spreads awareness about the effects of the bullying and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) students.
- April 22: Earth Day promotes world peace and sustainability of the planet. Events are held globally to show support for the environmental protection of the Earth.
https://www.mtlsd.org/about-us/diversity-equity-inclusion/inclusivity-calendar
April Holidays
- April 2: 23rd Night of Ramadan (Islam)
- April 6: 27th Night of Ramadan (Islam)
- April 10: Eid al-Fitr (Islam)
- April 13: Vaisakhi (Sikh)
- April 17: Rama Navami (Hindu)
- April 20: First Day of Ridván (Baha'i)
- April 22-30: Passover (Pesach) (Jewish)
- April 28: Ninth Day of Ridván (Baha'i)
https://www.mtlsd.org/about-us/diversity-equity-inclusion/inclusivity-calendar
Lunch and Recess Information
Lunch and Recess Times
Lunch
- Grade 3 (1 class), Grade 4 & Grade 5
Recess
- Grade 1, Grade 2 & Grade 3 (2 classes)
12:25- 12:55pm
Lunch
- Grade 1, Grade 2 & Grade 3 (2 classes)
Recess
- Grade 3 (1 class), Grade 4 & Grade 5
12:55 pm
- Line up bell
12:58 pm
- Return to class bell
Technology Information
Schoology (LMS)
Schoology, the Mt. Lebanon School District's official Learning Management System (LMS) provides families with a deeper look into their student's classwork and learning progress. Calendars in Schoology will have school events listed as well as course events and assignments. Classroom assignments, due dates, reminders and other events will be posted by teachers in the Schoology calendar. We hope this video is useful as you get started with your account if you are new to Schoology.
Additionally, an orientation course for families, MTLSD’s Family Guide to Schoology, is available within the Schoology platform. Visit our website (www.mtlsd.org/families/technology/schoology) for directions to join this course. If you have questions or need support with Schoology, please email us at SchoologySupport@mtlsd.net.
Schoology Information for Families
For Families
- Families can sign into Schoology by going to app.schoology.com and signing in using the email address registered through PowerSchool.
- Once signed in, parents can follow these directions to join a course.
- The access code for Lincoln families to join MTLSD's Family Guide to Schoology is NTSQ-D33Z-MCD3R. Families with more than one student only need to join one course, though it is suggested to join a secondary course if the oldest student in that family is enrolled in one of our secondary schools.
- If you have not received initial communication from Schoology about your account, email us at schoologysupport@mtlsd.net.
For Students
- Students sign into Schoology using Clever, or at mtlsd.schoology.com with their Google account.
Other Information
MTLSD Bullying Policy and Reporting Form
The Mt. Lebanon School District’s goal is to establish a secure school climate, conducive to teaching and student learning that is free from threat, harassment, and any type of bullying behavior for any reason including membership in any protected class including, but not limited to, race, color, age, creed, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ancestry, national origin, familial status, language, genetic information, pregnancy, or handicap or disability. One of the District's core values calls for each member of our learning community to demonstrate respect toward others.
Objective
The objective of this policy is to:
- Provide a safe, positive environment for learning through prompt resolution of bullying incidents;
- Educate students, employees and parents about bullying, its adverse impact on students and the District generally, and how to prevent and resolve bullying incidents, so as to minimize the potential for bullying;
- Communicate to District students, employees and parents the District's commitment to countering and preventing bullying and to inform the District community of the specific measures the District will undertake to resolve problems in this area;
- Delineate disciplinary consequences for bullying and authorize the development of prevention, intervention and education programs; and
- Identify the appropriate school staff person to receive reports of incidents of alleged bullying.
Please note that an electronic Anti-Bullying Report Form is on the school's website (and linked below) for your ease of use in reporting bullying concerns.
Mt. Lebanon School District Elementary Handbook
The Elementary Handbook contains useful and important information regarding school policies, procedures, and programs. The Elementary Handbook information is arranged by topics. Please browse the topic list by clicking on the button below to find the information you need.
Check Your Clearances
Please be aware that we are coming up on the 5-year mark from when many past volunteers have submitted their clearances. Clearances for volunteering within the district will expire after 5 years and will need to be renewed. If you have any questions or need to know the date(s) your clearance(s) expires please email Mrs. Sektnan at dsektnan@mtlsd.net.
Lincoln Elementary School
Lincoln Elementary School, named after President Abraham Lincoln, opened in 1925 and is the second oldest school in the Mt. Lebanon School District. Lincoln was awarded three United States Department of Education National Blue Ribbons (2001, 2003 and 2013) for its overall academic excellence and outstanding student achievement. Lincoln Elementary School presently serves students in Kindergarten - 5th Grade. The dedicated faculty members take great pride in working with the students and collaborating with their families to "provide the best education possible for each and every student" that attends Lincoln.
Email: rkitsko@mtlsd.net
Website: www.mtlsd.org/Lincoln
Location: 2 Ralston Place, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Phone: 412-344-2147
X (formerly Twitter): @LinkedAtLincoln