WHAT'S UP AT LINCOLN
Weekly Newsletter and Announcements
A Message from Principal Gordon
Dear Lincoln Families,
It was so great to see you all on Thursday for our supply pick-up! Over 80% of families were able to pick up supplies and some have still been coming to grab bags and supplies. I have to personally thank Ms. Lowry for organizing and facilitating this grand event. Ms. Lowry did a ton behind the scenes to make this a successful event for our school community. With that being said, I am also thankful for our teachers and staff that came out to distribute materials. There were screams of joy and excitement when kids got to see their teachers in person and lots of smiles all around.
Likewise, I am also so lucky to have been a part of our all school celebration. Besides being able to have all of our students together at the same time (that was a first), it was great to learn and teach the Lincoln chant, hear students participate and get to jam with our special DJ-Mr. C, students and staff. I saw students dancing and celebrating with us. There will be more to come next month.
Lastly, I would like to thank those that were able to join the Coffee and Conversation! Thank you for taking out an hour of your day to chat with me and participate in our Lincoln community conversation. I have passed our concerns over to the district office and looking for ways to implement the feedback given. I will be in touch regarding some other opportunities to get together.
Take care,
Ms. Gordon
Important Dates
Oct 22-23 - Parent-teacher Conferences; student dismissal at 11:00 a.m.
Nov 3 - No School (Election Day)
Library Check out at Lincoln
Spotlight On
Please click here to read the article in the Wednesday Journal.
We are so proud of Zoe! She is an Up At Lincoln Lion.
Principal and Assistant Principal Appreciation Month
- Joanne Lowry and LeeAnn Roskopf
District 97 Information
Next Meal D97 Meal Distribution: Tuesday, Oct. 20
Meals will be provided free of cost this fall to any District 97 student in need. Each bag of food will contain five breakfasts and five lunches.
Meal distributions will be held every Tuesday, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Longfellow Elementary School (for Julian and feeder schools), 715 S. Highland Ave., and Brooks Middle School (for Brooks and feeder schools), 325 S. Kenilworth Ave.
D97 Breakfast/Lunch Menus - October 2020
Stamped' Family and Community Discussions
District 97 students, families and community members are invited to participate in a three-session discussion on the book Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. Attendees will join together for a presentation followed by discussions in separate breakout rooms.
In conjunction with Brooks and Julian middle schools' fall curriculum read, the sessions will follow along with the chapters being read by students and staff. Breakout sessions will be led by students from Dominican University, who will follow a peace circle format and draw on the Stamped Educator's Guide.
Events will be held:
- Tuesday, Oct. 20 - 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (click here to register)
- Tuesday, Nov. 17 - 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (click here to register)
- Tuesday, Dec. 1 - 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (click here to register)
These sessions are made possible with the support of: District 97 staff; Oak Park and River Forest School District 200; the Oak Park Public Library; the E-Team of Oak Park; and Dominican University’s Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) group.
Continued Social-Emotional Wellness Check-Ins for Students
District 97 school psychologists and nurses have collaborated to offer access to virtual mental health wellness checks at each school this fall. Parents may sign up children for 25-minute Telehealth sessions where they can access an open ear for their sources of stress and learn self-care and coping strategies. Students may attend up to three sessions per trimester and may then be referred for other school-based supports if needed.
To sign up or learn more about these services, please visit https://bit.ly/3m3Xece.
If your child is experiencing an immediate mental health crisis, please do not use this service and instead call the Thrive 24-Hour Crisis Hotline at 708-383-7500. You may also refer to this local resource guide created by the Community Mental Health Board of the Oak Park Township.
Halloween Information for District 97 Families
Our goal in District 97 is to create a positive learning environment where all students, staff and families feel a sense of belonging. In that spirit, we have put together information and resources for regarding culturally-sensitive Halloween costumes. We appreciate families being proactive with their children in making thoughtful costume choices. Click here for more information >
Village of Oak Park: Hours for Trick-or-Treating
Official trick-or-treating hours will be 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. this year in Oak Park as public health officials offer guidelines and recommendations on how to celebrate as safely as possible with COVID-19 still present in the community. Guidelines issued by the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention share a common theme - reducing close contact with those outside of a person's household, which officials say is essential to reducing the risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19. Local officials also are urging trick-or-treaters to respect the properties of those who do not wish to participate in the traditional ritual of handing out candy. More information is at www.oak-park.us/halloween.
"Mindful Middle-Schoolers" Program
The Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township, Oak Park Elementary School District 97, and DePaul University’s Community Counseling Center have partnered to deliver a vast array of educational and therapeutic services to staff, families, and youth through the “Mindful Middle-Schoolers Program.” Below is a list of upcoming VIRTUAL talks, which will be held via Zoom. Registration via the Eventbrite links below is requested. Once you register, a link will be emailed to you four hours prior to the start of each event.
"Mindful Middle-Schoolers" Community Talk Flyer
- Wednesday, October 21: Mindfully Coping: Strategies for Children and Families During a Pandemic https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mindfully-coping-strategies-for-children-and-families-during-a-pandemic-tickets-124150095277
- Thursday, October 29: Strategies to Support Executive Functioning and Self-Regulation https://www.eventbrite.com/e/strategies-to-support-executive-functioning-and-self-regulation-in-youth-tickets-124164006887
- Wednesday, November 4: Mindfulness-Based Strategies and Their Applications in Academic and Home Environments https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mindfulness-based-strategies-in-academic-and-home-settings-tickets-124164791233
- Thursday, November 12: Technology and Mental Health: Strategies to Promote Mindful Digital Citizenship https://www.eventbrite.com/e/technology-and-mental-health-strategies-to-promote-mindful-tech-use-tickets-124165523423
- Wednesday, November 18: Understanding Depression in Youth and Strategies for Treatment and Support https://www.eventbrite.com/e/understanding-depression-in-youth-and-strategies-for-treatment-and-support-tickets-124167264631
- Tuesday, December 1: LGBTQ Youth: Understanding and Supporting Mental Health and Well-Being https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lgbtq-youth-understanding-and-supporting-mental-health-and-well-being-tickets-124167752089
- Wednesday, December 9: Understanding Anxiety in Youth and Strategies for Treatment and Support https://www.eventbrite.com/e/understanding-anxiety-in-youth-and-strategies-for-treatment-and-support-tickets-124168632723
Staff Shout Outs
Mr. Roh goes above and beyond to address the different learning needs of all of his students. My son loves school this year mostly due to Mr. Roh. Thank you so much, Mr. Roh, for all you're doing for your students!
– Robyn Pearson
My daughter loves being in Ms. Tyler's fifth-grade class. Her communication with students and parents is excellent. She has high expectations for students coupled with compassion for the difficult situation that they (and we) are all in this year. The personalized "welcome to my class" card that my daughter received from Ms. Tyler at the start of the year was so meaningful to her, especially since we were new in town.
– Sara Baum
Ms. Meilinger has really flexed to the situation and follows up with me immediately when my daughter has missed something...and I appreciate that so much. I feel she really wants my daughter to be successful. That's important to me.
– Cynthia Alfaro
Ms. King is making the best of these circumstances, keeping our kids engaged and keeping all of us organized. Thank you Ms. King!
– Meghann Moses
Staff Shout Out
Please click here to let us know and we will feature them in the next newsletter.
How Do I Access Technology Support During Remote Learning?
Technical support will be available from school and district technology staff by accessing the Help Desk through email, helpdesk@op97.org. When an email is submitted, a Help Desk ticket is created and assigned to technology staff, who will be working throughout the day to address technology concerns. Our technology team can support District 97 devices and student online programs.
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