Week of 2/6-2/10/2023

• Monday – Day 3
• Tuesday – Day 4

• Wednesday – Day 5

• Thursday – Day 1

• Friday – Day 2 – Early Dismissal at Noon for Grades 1-5 – School in Session for K students

Week of 2/13-2/17/2023

• Monday – Day 3
• Tuesday – Day 4

• Wednesday – Day 5

• Thursday – Day 1

• Friday – Day 2

We are seeing more students texting or calling their families during the school day using personal phones in the recent weeks. In some cases this has led families to come to Lincoln to pick up their child from the health office and school staff have no knowledge as to why the family has come to the school. Please review the following reminders about the use of smart watches and mobile phones by students during the school day with your student(s).

• Students are expected to keep mobile phones stored in their lockers
• Mobile phones should be in silent or airplane mode when stored away
• Students may take their mobile phones with them if heading home or to shops (Grades 4-5 only) for lunch
• Video and audio recording of other students and staff members with personal mobile phones/devices and smart watches is prohibited
• Students should keep smart watches in silent or airplane mode once inside the school
• Students are not permitted to call home (or to others) using personal mobile phones or smart watches
• If students need to speak with a parent or family member, they need to seek staff approval to use one of the many phones we have located throughout the school
• Students that are ill or not feeling must be seen in health office and are not to call home using a mobile phone or smart watch - the health office staff will make ALL phone calls home when students are ill
• Family members should not call or text students during the school day - if a student's smart watch alerts the student of an incoming notification during class time, it distracts everyone that hears the device

I am asking for your support and cooperation. If your child needs to connect with you, we will make sure that happens but it needs to occur under the supervision of a school staff member.

Respectfully,

Dr. Ron Kitsko

Kindergarten registration packets for the 2023 – 2024 school year are 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. To register a child for kindergarten, please complete the 2023-2024 Kindergarten Registration Sign-Up form (It will open for submission on 2.1.23). Upon completion, kindergarten parents will be directed to the online enrollment center where kindergarten parents can download and complete all necessary registration documents; if preferred, kindergarten parents may also request a registration packet to be mailed home. Kindergarten parents may submit completed packets digitally to Lincoln Secretary, Mrs. Loree Sharp (lsharp@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:

• 2023 Kindergarten Registration Flyer

• MTLSD Kindergarten Website

• Kindergarten Readiness Brochure

Lincoln School Office 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!

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 cafeteria 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!

• 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 sessions of kindergarten will attend school on this date.

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.

Due to the scheduled district wide classroom management day for teachers, there is no school for students on Monday, February 20th. School resumes for all students on Tuesday, February 21st. Please make note of this on your calendars.

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

We are thrilled to announce an exciting partnership between the Elementary School Counseling Department and The Medical Rescue Team South Authority (MRTSA). MRTSA and one of our MTLSD parents, Mr. David Terkel, have begun the process of training a therapy dog named CJ who will be coming into schools across the district at different times throughout this school year to visit with students.

On Thursday, February 23, Mr. Terkel and CJ will be coming to Lincoln Elementary School to introduce CJ and his work to our 2nd grade classrooms as part of our counseling lessons focusing on self-management and coping skills. More information will be shared with 2nd grade families.

Congratulations to the following 5th Grade students for being accepted to participate in the 2023 PMEA District 1 Elementary Strings Fest to be held on March 17, 2023 at North Hills Middle School.

• Beatrice Rutledge, violin
• Scarlett Shestak, violin

5th and 6th grade students from throughout Western Pennsylvania were selected to participate in a day-long musical experience which will culminate in an evening performance. Mr. Pierce Cook, Mellon Middle School Orchestra Director, will be the guest conductor.

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!

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

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.

• Students sign into Schoology using Clever, or at mtlsd.schoology.com with their Google account.

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:

• Using the Calendar
• Viewing Courses
• Communication and Notifications
• The Schoology Mobile App

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.

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.

Month Long Recognitions

• Black History Month - This month celebrates the heritage and culture, as well as honors contributions, of people of the African diaspora.
  

Specific Dates

• February 1: National Freedom Day, celebrates the signing of the 13th Amendment that abolished slavery in 1865.

• February 20: Presidents Day, a federally recognized celebration in the United States of George Washington’s birthday, as well as every president proceeding Washington.

• February 20: World Day of Social Justice, celebrated to raise a voice against social injustice, which includes efforts to tackle issues such as poverty, exclusion, gender inequality, unemployment, and human rights.

https://www.mtlsd.org/district/diversity-equity-inclusion

• February 2: Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple (Orthodox Christian)

• February 5-6: Tu B'Shevat (Jewish)

• February 15: Nirvana (Buddist)

• February 18: Maha Shivaratri (Hindu)

• February 21: Shrove Tuesday (Christian)

• February 22: Ash Wednesday (Christian)

• February 27: Clean Monday (Eastern Christian)

• February 27: Beginning of Great Lent (Orthodox Christian)

https://www.mtlsd.org/district/diversity-equity-inclusion

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

• www.thepittsburghchannel.com

• KDKA Radio 1020 AM

• Twitter: @MTLSD; @MTLSDSUPER

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/MTLSD

• Push notifications through the MTL APP

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.

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.

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.