Looking Ahead at Lincoln
Week of January 16-20, 2023
Day Rotation
Week of 1/16-1/20/2023
- Monday – NO SCHOOL - Teacher In-Service Day
Tuesday – Day 5
Wednesday – Day 1
Thursday – Day 2
- Friday – Day 3
Week of 1/23-1/27/2023
- Monday – NO SCHOOL - Teacher Classroom Management Day
Tuesday – Day 4
Wednesday – Day 5
Thursday – Day 1
- Friday – Day 2
Books of the Month
In recognition of Poverty In America Awareness Month, I have selected the following books as my books of the month for January:
- Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton
- Saturday at the Food Pantry by Diane O'Neill
I will be sharing Coat of Many Colors as a read aloud text with each homeroom in Grades K-2; while Saturday at the Food Pantry will be shared with each homeroom in Grades 3-5.
The following summary of Coat of Many Colors comes from the Penguin Random House website (Click here to access link)
- "Country music legend Dolly Parton’s rural upbringing in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee provides the backdrop for this special picture book. Using lyrics from her classic song “Coat of Many Colors,” the book tells the story of a young girl in need of a warm winter coat. When her mother sews her a coat made of rags, the girl is mocked by classmates for being poor. But Parton’s trademark positivity carries through to the end as the girl realizes that her coat was made with love “in every stitch.” Beautiful illustrations pair with Parton’s poetic lyrics in this heartfelt picture book sure to speak to all young readers."
While the following summary of Saturday at the Food Pantry comes from the Barnes & Noble website (Click here to access link)
- "Molly and her mom don't always have enough food, so one Saturday they visit their local food pantry. Molly's happy to get food to eat until she sees her classmate Caitlin, who's embarrassed to be at the food pantry. Can Molly help Caitlin realize that everyone needs help sometimes?"
Let me know if you should have any questions.
Dr. Ron Kitsko
Principal
Important Information
MTLSD Superintendent Search
Dear Mt. Lebanon School District Community,
As you may be aware, the Mt. Lebanon School District Board of Directors has initiated a search for a successor Superintendent of Schools. To assist and counsel the Board through this process, we have retained the services of Hazard, Young Attea & Associates (HYA), a consulting firm that specializes in assisting school boards in identifying and recruiting executive-level educational leaders.
There are four phases to the HYA search process. Those phases are engagement, recruitment, selection, and transition. The engagement phase consists of designing and planning a process of engaging the Board and stakeholders through interviews, online surveys, and focus groups. Information from these interactions will assist the Board in developing a leadership profile and selection criterion that match the priorities of our community and that meet the unique needs of the students served through the Mt. Lebanon School District. This disciplined, inclusive, and research-based approach will be designed to ensure all stakeholders have an opportunity to be part of the search process and will provide valuable feedback about the school district that will assist the search firm in better understanding our district in the broader marketplace.
We invite you to be a part of this community engagement process by attending one of the community town hall sessions. The in-person sessions will be held on January 18 at 9:00 a.m., or 7:00 p.m., in the Fine Arts Theatre at the High School. We will host a third community town hall session via zoom on January 19 at 7:00 p.m.
By Computer:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86262292353
By Phone:
(312) 626-6799
(646) 876-9923
(646) 931-3860
(301) 715-8592
(305) 224-1968
(309) 205-3325
(360) 209-5623
Webinar ID: 862 6229 2353
Additionally, your input and participation are encouraged through the community stakeholder survey. We encourage you to share this link with friends, neighbors, and family members in the Mt. Lebanon community.
We look forward to and encourage community involvement in the engagement phase of the search process. It is our intent to keep the process transparent through updates on the district website and the community information avenues that are currently in place.
Sincerely,
Mt. Lebanon School District Board of Directors
School Delays and Cancellations - UPDATED
2 HOUR DELAY start
Adult supervision at Lincoln begins at 10:20 am and the doors will be open for students to enter the school at that time.
Students should be in their classrooms by 10:30 am.
Students are considered tardy after 10:30 am.
The lunch schedule will run like normal.
Afternoon dismissal for students is still set for 3:30 pm.
2 HOUR DELAY start - Morning Kindergarten Session Modified Schedule
- Morning kindergarten will start at 10:30am.
- Students will be permitted to enter the school starting at 10:20 am.
- Students are considered tardy after 10:30 am.
- Morning kindergarten dismisses at 12:30 pm.
2 HOUR DELAY start - Afternoon Kindergarten Session Modified Schedule
- Afternoon kindergarten will start at 1:30 pm.
- Students will be permitted to enter the school starting at 1:25 pm.
- Students are considered tardy after 1:30 pm.
- Dismissal for afternoon kindergarten students is still set for 3:30 pm.
Cancellation
- All students will switch to a Remote Day Schedule unless otherwise instructed.
Phone Alert System
- In the event of a school delay or closing, you will receive an automated phone call from the District's Phone Alert System to the primary phone number you have listed with the school.
- Only one call per family is made.
- Calls are typically made no later than 10:00 p.m. and no earlier than 6:00 a.m.
- On rare occasions, school may be delayed or cancelled after 6:00 a.m. or a delay may be changed to a cancellation when there is a question about road conditions or extreme cold.
- Your caller ID will display “Mt. Lebanon School District” and the District’s main number of 412-344-2000.
- To opt into text alerts and update your preferences, please refer to this Mt. Lebanon SMS Alert Guide.
- The success of this system depends on accurate contact information obtained from school records.
- If your information has changed, please update your contact information in the Dashboard or ask the building secretary to update your files.
Information Sources for a Delay or Closing:
MTLSD website: www.mtlsd.org
School District Cable Channels 19 (Comcast) and 33 (Verizon)
Mt. Lebanon Public Access Channels 17(Comcast) and 34 (Verizon)
KDKA TV and www.kdka.com; WPXI TV and www.wpxi.com; WTAE TV and
KDKA Radio 1020 AM
Twitter: @MTLSD; @MTLSDSUPER
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MTLSD
Push notifications through the MTL APP
2 HOUR Delay Crossing Guard Schedule
Upcoming Events
In-Service and Classroom Management Days
Due to the scheduled district wide in-service and classroom management days for teachers, there is no school for students on Monday, January 16th and Monday, January 23rd. Please make note of these on your calendars.
Winter Benchmark Assessments
In January, we will administer the winter benchmark assessments to students in using AimsWeb Plus and Measures of Academic Progress (MAP). The MAP assessments (Measures of Academic Progress) are given in reading and mathematics for all students in Grades K–5. The MAP assessments are administered on-line using Chromebooks and/or iPads. Additionally, students in Kindergarten – Grade 3 will take the AIMSWeb Plus literacy and mathematics assessments. These tests target literacy and math development skills and are proctored individually to each student in Kindergarten - Grade 1, while students in Grades 2 - 3 will take these assessments within their homeroom classes.
All of this data is used by our teachers to monitor the students’ growth and progress. Staff members also use this data to inform instructional planning within the regular classroom setting, as well as for instructional support services in reading and math. Year end reports will be sent home with all students in June 2023. If you have questions about these assessments or about how they impact when support services are offered, please speak with your child’s classroom teacher or Dr. Kitsko.
Grade 5 Students Meet With JMS Counselors
On Thursday, January 19th at 9:00 am, our Grade 5 students will meet with the Jefferson Middle School counselors at Lincoln to learn about course scheduling for 6th grade. The district has moved to a fully online process for course selection which includes the middle school course catalog. As such, we would ask that our 5th graders come prepared with a charged device for this meeting. Please connect with Dr. Kitsko if you have any questions.
Transition to 6th Grade Information
Dear Elementary Families,
Greetings From Jefferson Middle School!
It's only January, but it is already time to start planning for the 2023-2024 school year and that means a move to 6th grade at Jefferson Middle School. We are looking forward to meeting you and welcoming you and your family into our school community.
To begin this process, we would like to invite you to a parent/guardian information session to discuss the middle school schedule, course offerings, interdisciplinary teams, and transition in general. The parent/guardian session schedule is below. In the event you cannot make the session assigned to your elementary school, feel free to attend a different session or the evening session. The information presented will be the same in all sessions.
January 18th - Jefferson & Hoover Elementary Families - 9:00AM - JMS Auditorium
January 18th - General Session (HES, JES, LES, MES) - 7:00PM - JMS Auditorium
January 19th - Lincoln & Markham Elementary Families - 9:00AM - JMS Auditorium
In the next few weeks, our Jefferson Middle School counselors will be meeting with the 5th graders to share information about 6th grade course selections for the upcoming year. During these meetings, students will obtain scheduling information and an electronic copy of the course description booklet, learn how to register for classes on Dashboard, and have all their questions answered. Students will, in turn, be asked to share this information with you and ask for your help in completing the course selection process.
Course selection is an online process that will be completed through Dashboard between January 27th and February 6th. We look forward to meeting with you to discuss the wonderful middle school experience your child is about to embark upon! Please let us know if you have any questions. We are here to help!
Sincerely,
Dr. Sarah Shaw, Principal
Mrs. Amanda Jackson, Assistant Principal
The Great Kindness Challenge - January 23-27, 2023
Grade 3 and Beginner Orchestra "Informance"
The 3rd Grade and Beginner Orchestra students will be hosting an "Informance" on Thursday, January 26 at 3:00 pm in the Lincoln Gym. Participating students may invite family members to attend this special event where they will share what they have been learning in strings class this year. All guests will enter the school using entrance A1.
The following letter contains information for 3rd Grade and Beginner Orchestra students regarding rehearsals and the "Informance". Click the following link for more information about the informance rehearsals - Informance Rehearsal Information.
Report Cards for Quarter 2
2nd Nine Weeks grades and report cards will go live in Dashboard and will be emailed to families on Monday, January 30, 2023. Questions about the grades and comments posted for individual students should be directed to the appropriate classroom teacher.
Kindergarten Registration for the 2023 – 2024 School Year
Starting Wednesday, February 1, 2023, Kindergarten registration packets for the 2023 – 2024 school year will be available at all elementary school offices. Students MUST be 5 years of age BEFORE September 8th to be eligible for enrollment in kindergarten this fall. If you or someone you know has a child eligible to enter Lincoln as a kindergartner next fall, please pass along this information.
Lincoln Spelling Bee
It is time for the finals of the 2023 Lincoln Elementary School Fourth and Fifth Grade Spelling Bee! The Lincoln Elementary PTA is excited to bring back the Scripps Spelling Bee to our school. The qualifying rounds are complete. The 21 finalists set to compete the evening of February 9, 2023, at 6:00 pm in the Lincoln gymnasium have been determined. Congratulations to all who competed in the classroom Spelling Bees. Good luck to the finalists (listed below) as they prepare for the next round!
Early Dismissal on February 10th
- Students in Grades 1 – 5 will have an early dismissal at Noon on Friday, February 10, 2023.
- Students will not eat lunch in the school this date.
- Both Morning and Afternoon kindergarten sessions are running as normal this date.
Valentine’s Day Parties
On Tuesday, February 14, 2023, we will have our annual Lincoln Valentine’s Day Parties. To make this day a little more colorful and festive at Lincoln, we are asking everyone to wear something RED or PINK this day. Some important reminders about the events for this day are listed below
Students in AM Kindergarten
- Party from 10:30 – 11:20 AM
- Volunteers will be released to the classrooms at approximately 10:20 AM
Students in PM Kindergarten and Grades 1 – 5
Party from 2:45 –3:30 PM
- Volunteers will be released to the classrooms at approximately 2:35 PM
Some other reminders about these events:
- Remember, we are not serving food during the classroom parties.
- Only family members designated as homeroom adults and class photographers for this event will be permitted to go to the classrooms. This is for the safety of the students as well as to keep the parties organized and on time.
- A maximum of three (3) adult volunteers and one (1) classroom photographer can be present for each classroom party.
- Party volunteers MUST have the Casual Volunteer Affirmation form or all three (3) clearances on file to serve as a volunteer for this function.
- As the school will be especially crowded on this day, please pay close attention to all of the standard parking and traffic rules and exercise caution while in your vehicle. Also, remember that parking in front of the school is not permitted.
Classroom Management Day
Due to the scheduled district wide classroom management day for teachers, there is no school for students on Monday, February 20th. Please make note of these on your calendars.
Elementary District Chorus
One of the many music opportunities provided for elementary students in the Mt. Lebanon School District is the chance to participate in the 5th District Chorus. Approximately 120 students from the seven elementary schools who have exhibited interest in and enthusiasm for singing will be a part of this special group. Lincoln Elementary students will practice independently on their own and as a group weekly. Later, they will combine with students from the other elementary schools to prepare for the special District Chorus Tiered Concert which will take place on Tuesday, February 21.
This special celebration of choral music in the Mt. Lebanon School District will also feature performances by the 8th Grade Choirs and the High School Concert Choir. All singers will join together for the final musical piece of the concert, “Blessing.” The concert is free and open to the public. It begins at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, February 21 and will be held in the Mt. Lebanon High School Auditorium.
Participating Lincoln Elementary Students include:
- Zeynep Akel, Calypso Allgire, Sofia Berger, Mac Closson, Enzo Cornacchione, Rocco DeArdo, Charlee Douglas, Asher Ehrhardt, Imani Ellis, Michael Ewansik, Laney Fabean, Coleson Flynn, Esme Fracul-Conti, Paige Fronczek, Paige Gentzel, Brady Holland, Cecilia Johnson, Evelyn Jory, Cameron Keefer, Taiga Kitani, Vivien Kleinfelter, Rhonda Kovach, Claire McCluskey, Logan Nalitz, Quinn Oden, Silas Paracca, Allison Reagan, Beatrice Rutledge, Scotlyn Rutter, Flora Shirey, Braden Sicher, Kenley Simpson, Lucy Smith, Izabella Strother, Lorelei Von Arx, Thomas Wagner
Lincoln Science Fair 2023
2023 Science Fair
Calling All 2nd - 5th Grade Students
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
6:00 - 8:00 PM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Work by yourself or with a friend and discover something new! Projects can cover just about any topic. Your experiment can be done in an afternoon or over a few weeks—you get to choose!
All participating student scientists are asked to create a display board and speak knowledgeably about their projects. The Judges will visit each project and speak with the student(s). Further details and requirements will be emailed once we receive your online registration. You should expect an email with those additional details the first week in February.
During the Science Fair, we will have snacks and science-based fun for the entire family. Every scientist will receive a participation ribbon and the top three projects at each grade level will receive trophies.
Science is Fun!
Bring out your inner wacky scientist and participate in the 2023 Lincoln Science Fair!
The deadline to register is February 8, 2023.
Register online by clicking this link.
If you are a parent willing to volunteer to help assist with the event, please click HERE to complete the volunteer survey.
PMEA Elementary Band Fest West Selections
Congratulations to the following 5th Grade students for being accepted to participate in the 2023 PMEA District 1 Elementary Band Fest West to be held on March 31-April 1, 2023 at Shaler Area Elementary School.
- Frankie Carney, Clarinet
- Oliver Davies, Trumpet
- Elisa Patrick, Alto Saxophone
5th and 6th grade students from throughout Western Pennsylvania were selected to participate in a two-day musical experience which will culminate in a performance on Saturday afternoon. We are very proud of these students' accomplishments and know that they will be wonderful representatives from Lincoln Elementary!
Technology Information
Schoology Tip of the Week
Schoology for Families Webinar - The Schoology App
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. As of the Fall of 2022, all online assignments will be collected through Schoology.
Calendars in Schoology will have school events listed as well as course events and assignments. Beginning in 2022-2023, the Schoology calendar will replace Dashboard/PowerSchool as the primary calendar for classroom activity. Classroom assignments, due dates, reminders and other events will be posted by teachers in the Schoology calendar.
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.
Schoology Family Experience
If you are interested in getting to know the family experience in Schoology, please consider checking out the following resources. The webinar series covered four major topics:
Each video is organized into "chapters," which you can use to find specific content within each video. You can do so either by scrolling across the video timeline, by clicking a chapter title, or by clicking a timestamp in the video description.
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.
Inclusivity Calendar Events for December
Month Long Recognitions and Specific Dates in January
Month Long Recognitions
- Poverty In America Awareness Month - This month of observation draws attention to the poverty epidemic and to warn of its long-lasting effects on individuals, local communities, and our larger society.
Specific Dates
January 1: New Year’s Day, the first day of the year according to the modern Gregorian calendar, is celebrated within most Western countries.
January 4: World Braille Day, observed to raise awareness of the importance of braille as a means of communication in the full realization of the human rights for blind and partially sighted people. Celebrated on Louis Braille’s birthday, the inventor of braille.
January 16: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a federal holiday in the United States marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., observed on the third Monday of January.
January 27: UN Holocaust Memorial Day is held on the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau to honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and millions of other victims of Nazism and to develop educational programs to help prevent future genocides.
January Holidays
- January 6: Epiphany (Christian)
- January 6: Theophany (Feast of the Baptism of Christ) (Orthodox Christian)
- January 7: Christmas (Orthodox Christian)
- January 7 : Mahayana New Year (Buddist)
- January 13: Lohri - Maghi (Sikh)
- January 15: Makar Sankranti (Hindu)
- January 15: World Religion Day (Bahá'í)
- January 20: Guru Gobind Singh Ji's Birthday (Sikh)
- January 22: Lunar New Year (Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist)
Other Information
"Little LEBO" Pre-school Program
Mt. Lebanon High School’s “Little Lebo” preschool program is accepting applications for our Spring session which will run March 13th through May 25th, Monday through Thursday from 9:15 am to 10:40 am. This is a great first school experience for children who may not be ready for full-time preschool. Our program offers unique learning experiences through in-house field trips to places such as the wildlife biology room, dance studio, percussion room, choir room, and the commercial kitchen in the cafeteria.
Children who have turned three years old by January 1st and no older than four years six months on March 1st may apply. All children must be fully potty trained. Enrollment is limited to ten children and acceptances are on a first come first serve basis. The total cost is $75.
For more information, please contact the secretary, Ann Carini at 412-344-2023.
RECESS TEMPERATURE REMINDER
As we are in the season of unpredictable and colder 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.
- When the thermometer dips even lower, students must be prepared to wear jackets, hats and gloves during outside recess.
- We will go outside if the “feels like” temperature is at or above 15 ºF.
- Students may be permitted on the field even if snow is present. However, snow-style boots are a must for this.
- We check AccuWeather and The Weather Channel apps for the current local temperature and “feels like” temperature at several times each day.
Reporting a Positive COVID-19 Case
If your child is experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, please contact your child's school nurse immediately. The direct contact for any illness/COVID-19 or injury related questions or reporting of symptoms should be your child's school nurse.
If your student is COVID positive, please complete the COVID Student Notification Form in addition to notifying the school nurse.
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. Sharp at lsharp@mtlsd.net.
Links to Other Technology Resources
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
Twitter: @LinkedAtLincoln