PANTHER PROGRESS
April 2024 Issue 9
Message from our administrators
Lincoln Family –
We hope that your Spring Break was relaxing and refreshing as we return for the last 43 days of school. Your child will be receiving their term 3 report card this Wednesday, April 10th. Hopefully, the weekly Lincoln Learner Reports, Schoology, and ongoing partnerships between home and school through various communication avenues, has brought forth strong achievement results and work habits. If not, please continue to work with your child and your child’s teacher for the remaining of the school year to reinforce any academic and/or behavior concerns that you may have. As we have been saying all year, “At Lincoln, we honor history and make history.” Collectively, let’s “make history” with your child’s achievement!
We thank you for your ongoing efforts to strengthen the connection between home and Lincoln, as our staff works hard to set your child on a trajectory of success.
We look forward to seeing you at Lincoln Night on April 19th!
Much Lincoln Love,
Eric Rhodes - Principal
Mary Beth Smith - Assistant Principal
Important April Dates
April 8th: Solar Eclipse
April 10th: Report cards distributed
April 13th: Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission event 10 - 2pm
April 15th: Spring pictures and MCAP testing begins
April 17th: Judy Center "Kids in the kitchen" commUNITY dinner @ 5:30pm
April 17th & 18th: Big Smiles Dentistry visit
April 19th: Lincoln Night @ Frederick High School 5:30 - 7:30pm
April 25th: Lincoln Learner Series #4 (PreK application) 5 - 6pm
April 30th: Parental Advisory Council 5 - 6 pm
April Learning
Select the link below to check out what your child/children will be learning this month! Grading polices for grades PK-1, grades 2-5, and Encore classes are also included: April Learning
Lincoln Learner Report
Breakfast and Lunch menus
Our students are offered breakfast and lunch every day. Click the links below for this month's menu. For more information about FCPS food and nutrition, visit the FCPS nutrition website.
Events in the commUNITY
- Events at C. Burr Artz Library: April program
- Family Partnership: April calendar
- United Way's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) appointments are available until April 15: https://www.unitedwayfrederick.org/taxprep
- GEMS (Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science) applications close April 14th
- Shrek The Musical @ Tuscarora High School April 18 - 20
- Asian American Center: Robotics Workshop (grades 5 - 7) starting May 18th
Lincoln Night is back!
We are pleased to announce the return of one of our favorite events - Lincoln Night! This pep rally will be held at Frederick High School on Friday, April 19th from 5:30 - 7:30pm. We will showcase some of our student enrichment clubs like Basketball, Dance, Unicycle and Chorus. There will also be a special visit from the Frederick Flying Cows! Attendance is completely free! This is an event you don't want to miss!!
Pre-Kindergarten applications are open
Applications for all residents of Frederick County are now open for students who will be 3 or 4 years old by September 1, 2024. For information about income eligibility, criteria and programs, please visit the FCPS PreK website. Families may apply online via the enrollment portal: English; Spanish
There are two in-person opportunities to apply. One is on April 11th from 1 - 4pm at the International Office located on Waverley Elementary campus. The other is during our last Lincoln Learner Series of the year, which is on April 25th from 5 - 6pm. Make sure to review the checklist first for required documents.
Spring Pictures
Individual and class pictures will be taken on Monday, April 15th. Each student will be sent home a paper order form, or you can order online by visiting the Spring pictures order form.
Autism Acceptance Spirit Week
In honor of Autism Acceptance Month, we are inviting all students and staff to participate in a spirit week from April 15th to April 19th.
Monday: To celebrate the beauty in the diverse spectrum of the human mind, wear RAINBOW or TYE-DYE colors
Tuesday: To celebrate how amazing it is that all of our minds work differently, wear a HAT or a FUN HAIRSTYLE
Wednesday: One characteristic of Autism is to show a focused passion for topics of interest. Wear your SPECIAL INTEREST or FAVORITE COLOR
Thursday: People with Autism often have a variety of sensory needs. Wear your FAVORITE COMFY CLOTHES
Friday: Love and acceptance goes a long way. Wear BLUE or RED to show your support and acceptance of individuals with Autism
Challenge 24 tournament
Big SHOUT OUT to Mr. Daly and our Panther Plus team, who recently participated in the county Challenge 24 tournament. Teams are divided into certain levels based off difficulty. Our "gold team" got first place and 4th grader, Prestige, won an individual 1st place award. Congratulations!
Gold team with their plaque
Prestige with his trophy
Gold team with Mr. Daly
Career Day May 17
Two of our counselors, Ms. Ellis and Ms. Dodson, are spearheading a career day event on Friday, May 17th. If you, or someone you know, is interested in sharing about their career path, invite them to fill out the interest form using this Career Day signup link. Participants are asked to create a Google slideshow (or Powerpoint) and to present to three different classes. The total time commitment is about 1.5 hours. We love sharing the expertise of our commUNITY members and helping our students learn about new paths in life!
Farm to School
Did you know that Frederick City has our own Farmers Market? It runs May - November on Sundays from 9 - 1pm at 331 North Market Street. "A farmers market is a place where products are sold directly to the consumer from the farmer. Raw agricultural products like fruits and vegetables are offered. There can also be other products like plants and prepared food." Check out the FTS newsletter for more information.
Parental Advisory Council (PAC)
Calling all parents and guardians! Do you have one hour you can spare every month? Our PAC is a way that you can share feedback and suggestions into our decision making process. The meeting is an open environment where everyone's ideas are valued and appreciated. FCPS interpreters are available AND DINNER IS PROVIDED! We meet on the last Tuesday of every month from 5 - 6pm in the media center. Our next session is April 30th. Please email our CommUNITY School Coordinator, Crosby.Blair@fcps.org if you'd like to join.
Attendance
Students that have missed 10% or more of the school year meet the criteria for being chronically absent. Reach out to our CommUNITY School Coordinator at Crosby.Blair@fcps.org with any attendance questions or concerns. You can help us by:
- Making sure your child is coming to school regularly unless they have a fever of 100.4 or higher, are vomiting or have diarrhea.
- Providing written documentation from a guardian or medical provider anytime your child is absent
- Written documentation can be in the form of an email, Talking Points message or handwritten note
Check out these flyers from Attendance Works for more information English Spanish
Current attendance rates
The FCPS goal for overall school attendance is 96%.
Whole school: 93.4%
PreK: 91.7%
Kindergarten: 92.8%
1st: 93.8%
2nd: 94.1%
3rd: 94.4%
4th: 94%
5th: 92.9%
Counseling Corner
April
Courage is something celebrated in novels and movies, and often recognized in the everyday heroes around us. But what is courage actually?
Some say there are many different types of courage such as:
- Physical courage – Feeling fear yet choosing to act. Involves bravery at the risk of bodily harm or death; and, developing physical strength, resilience and awareness.
- Emotional courage – Following our heart. Open us to feeling the full spectrum of emotions – pleasant and unpleasant – without attachment.
- Intellectual courage – Expanding our horizons, letting go of the familiar. It is about our willingness to learn, unlearn and relearn with an open and flexible mind.
- Social courage – To be ourself in the face of adversity. Involves the risk of social embarrassment or exclusion, unpopularity or rejection. It also involves leadership.
- Moral courage – Standing up for what is right. Involves doing the right thing even when it is uncomfortable or unpopular.
During the month of April we will be looking at a variety of resources to explore
different kinds of courage. We hope these will lead to great class and buddy conversations to help us all finish our year strong as a Lincoln family. Enjoy!!
The school counseling team: The “Super Support Squad”
Ms. Ellis (grades 3-5) Madison.Ellis@fcps.org
Mrs. Quill (grades PreK-2) Heather.Quill@fcps.org
Ms. Dodson (Behavior Support Specialist) Heather.Dodson@fcps.org
Mrs. Nelson (Social Worker) Amy.Nelson@fcps.org
The team works closely with students, staff, and families, to grow a learning community where all members are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged to be their best self. The three major areas of focus at Lincoln are:
Teaching and practicing emotional awareness and emotional regulation
Developing and maintaining healthy relationships, which includes the use of restorative practices to help all members learn to communicate effectively and resolve conflicts in a positive and productive manner.
Instructing students, staff, and families about the role of the brain in learning in order to increase student independence and academic stamina
This website has multiple resources for students and families. It also has videotaped lessons we use with students and parent videos that explain our emotional regulation program.
Health Room Corner
Reminders from the Health Room
Student health cards need to be completed every year. If you have not completed your child’s health card this year please complete and return to the health room as soon as possible. Call the health room at 240-236-2749 if you have any questions.
As the weather changes, some students may begin to experience seasonal allergies. Some symptoms of seasonal allergies may include:
- Sneezing
- Itchy nose/throat
- Nasal congestion
- Clear, runny nose
- Postnasal drip
Judy Center Corner
UPCOMING FUN PLAYGROUP PARTNER ACTIVITIES & EVENTS
- Thursday, April 11 - Frederick County Public Libraries (music, dance, book fun) @ 9:15
- Friday, April 12 - Breathing and yoga with Each 1 Teach 1 @ 9:15
- Tuesday, April 16 - Pediatric movement center @ 9:15
- Wednesday, April 17 - Melody music (let's sing and groove) @ 9:15
- Wednesday, April 17 - Kids in the kitchen commUNITY dinner @ 5:30
- Thursday, April 18 - Pediatric movement center @ 9:15
- Friday, April 19 - Melody music (let's sign and groove) @ 9:15
- Wednesday, April 24 - Stroller walk beginning at C. Burr Artz Library, ending for playtime at Mullenix Park @ 10
- Friday, April 26 - Enhance arts project with "Beautiful Oops" (singing, dancing, reading together) @ 9:15
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What does Judy Center do to support young children?
We serve pregnant families & families with children ages birth through 5 years by providing the following at no cost:
- Engaging learning activities, strategies, and tools that target social-emotional, cognitive, language, and physical development.
- Caregiver workshops and support, learning parties, and family events to create a collaborative and nurturing educational home environment.
- Local service provider referrals, including healthcare, childcare, career and adult education, housing, food, and other areas of need.
- Play and have fun with your children and other families!
Join our Judy Center Facebook page:
Please check out our Facebook page for more information and upcoming events:
Parent Interest Survey
Families, please open this link and complete this survey if you are interested in Judy Center. We are interested in learning if you have children in your family between the ages of birth to 4 and if you are pregnant. If you do have young children, we would enjoy having you join our Judy Center events. We can also support you in many ways!
Want to know about our upcoming events? Join Talking Points!
Please sign up for Talking Points to better communicate with Judy Center and receive notifications for upcoming events: Talking Points JC Class Code: SDY1ZH
Want to help teach your child at home? Sign up for ReadyRosie
Families, YOU play an essential role in the education and well-being of your child. ReadyRosie exists to support you in that role!
How to reach the Judy Center:
Program Administrator: Holly Sontz Holly.Sontz@fcps.org, 240.236.2744
Outreach coordinator: Erika Rape Erika.Rape@fcps.org, 240.236.2436
Judy Center winter schedule (English)
Judy Center winter schedule (Spanish)
Remaining Family engagement events for the 23-24 school year
April 19: Lincoln Night @ Frederick High School 5:30 - 7:30pm
April 25: Lincoln Learner Series #4 5 - 6pm
May 30: Panther Party, 5 - 7pm
Honor history, Make history
Much Lincoln Love!
LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Email: Eric.Rhodes@fcps.org
Website: https://education.fcps.org/lnes/home
Location: 200 Madison Street, Frederick, MD
Phone: 240-236-2650