Lincoln Elementary- News
September 7th 2020
School Pictures
Order Grab and Go Meals
Fargo Public Schools is offering Grab and Go Meals for kids on their distance learning days and those in the Virtual Academy. These meals must be ordered in advance and are currently free.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScoaHLxOAnuE82iDAydOxappj6uUHBf6V8IL10PwT7wZEIOzA/viewform
Counselor Corner
My name is Amy Blesie and I am the school counselor at Lincoln Elementary. This year is definitely different than any other year but at Lincoln, we are still committed to make it a great year of learning, building positive relationships for you and your children. We are SO EXCITED to have them back in the building!
I will be going into the classroom 1/month this year to deliver an “in person” lesson with Group 1 AND Group 2 students. I will also be doing a video lesson that they will be watching. These lessons cover the Second Step curriculum that the Elementary Counselors in the Fargo Public Schools use for Social Emotional Learning (SEL) instruction. Units covered include: Skills for Learning/Respect, Empathy/Compassion, Emotion Management and Problem-Solving.
I am here for ALL students so if your child is in need of additional social/emotional support, please don’t hesitate to contact me at #446-4909 or email me at blesiea@fargo.k12.nd.us.
I look forward to working with you and your children😊 this year!
Back Pack Program
Dear Parent,
Your child has been invited to participate in a program called the Back Pack Program. This program is a partnership between Lincoln Elementary School and the Great Plains Food Bank.
The Back Pack Program will provide a backpack full of kid-friendly, shelf stable food for your child to take home. They will receive foods such as cereal, pudding, soup, fruit, granola bars, snacks and other items. If you sign your child/children up for the program, we will send a bag of food home with your child every week OR every other week (we only have so many backpacks given to our school each week), depending on how many students we have signed up for the program. The program will likely start sometime in September.
If your child is enrolled in the Virtual Academy, you can still sign your child up for the Back Pack Program by completing the form on this link: https://www.fargo.k12.nd.us/Page/2568. These backpack food bags will be distributed on Wednesdays at each of the high schools.
Please know that there will never be a charge for this program; it’s entirely funded through grants and private donations.
Please indicate below if you would like your child/children to participate in the program only if your child is coming to school. You will need to complete the bottom portion of this letter and return it to the school office as soon as possible. If your child is in the Virtual Academy, you will need to complete the form on the link above. You only need to complete one of these forms per family if you are interested in participating in this program.
School Safety Measures 2020-2021 school year:
· During Level 3 Hybrid, parents are not allowed in the building. Please understand we are doing all we can to keep our kids safe and in school. At Lincoln, we love all our families and want you to be involved in our school, it just looks a little different during this time.
· We require all students and all staff to wear masks that adequately cover both their nose and mouth.
In the classrooms:
We have hand sanitizer stations located in each classroom and around the building.
· We will provide frequent hand washing breaks.
· Assigned seating in the classroom will be socially distanced.
Students riding the bus will need stay in their seats and follow social distancing protocol. If students do not stay in their seat and follow social distancing protocol, assigned seats will be issued.
· Social distancing – there will be floor stickers located around the school.
· If your child chooses to eat breakfast at school, there will be a grab and go breakfast offered each day and kids will eat in the classroom (teacher supervised).
Arriving at School- Parent Drop Offs
If you are dropping off your child, he/she must wait in your car until the doors open at 8:05 am. Our doors will not open until 8:05 am as we do not have supervision until that time.
Students will enter through different doors to reduce the number of people and maintain social distancing as much as possible.
- Kindergarten and Third Grade enter through the Main Door.
- First and Second Grade enter through Door 8. This door is in the front of the building and if you are facing the building these doors are to the right of the main doors.
- Fourth and Fifth Grade enter through Door 10. This door is in the front of the building and if you are facing the building these doors are to the left of the main doors.
Lunch Time
LUNCH ROUTINES
All students will have lunch in the lunchroom socially distanced.
During Level 3- We are not able to have visitors or guests during the school day.
Recess will be scheduled during the school day instead of connected to the lunchtime. This is to help students to socially distance during this time as well.
End of the Day Dismissal
Students will exit through different doors to reduce the number of people and maintain social distancing as much as possible. They will exit through the doors they entered in the morning.
- Kindergarten and Third Grade exit through the Main Door.
- First and Second Grade exit through Door 8. This door is in the front of the building and if you are facing the building these doors are to the right of the main doors.
- Fourth and Fifth Grade exit through Door 10. This door is in the front of the building and if you are facing the building these doors are to the left of the main doors.
Dismissal - End of the Day Routines
We will dismiss bus students, then parent pick-up, daycare vans, and walkers. Again, our goal is to minimize the contact and clustering in the hallways and get our children home safely.
Playgrounds are closed after school. You may come back after 4.
This will allow Boys and Girls Club to have the playground after school.
Wearing Masks at School
Dr. Gandhi recently sent a message with the updated FPS Smart Restart Plan. The complete plan can be viewed at this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qyn7DNvCnSuKszHqM8C8BTAixmnCbToS/view
The document updated our mask requirements for the upcoming school year. It states:
“Masks are among the most important single measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. We require all students and all staff to wear masks that adequately cover both their nose and mouth. Exemptions will be made for students and staff with medical, behavioral, or other challenges who are unable to wear masks/face coverings."
- Mask Exemptions require formal documentation
- Students must provide medical documentation to your child’s school or have an IEP team or ICP recommendation for a mask exemption.
- All visitors must wear masks
What does this mean for students?
I wear my mask:
- · The whole time I am on the bus.
- · Going in and out of the building.
- · To and from lunch.
- · When I am in the restroom.
- · Whenever I leave the classroom to go someplace else.
- · When I am moving around the classroom.
- · When I can’t be more than 6 feet apart from others.
- · When an adult says it is an area where a mask must be worn.
I can choose to take off my mask:
- When I am outside at recess playing and staying an arms-length away from others.
- When I am sitting and eating in my assigned spot.
- When I am running and exercising in gym.
- When our teacher says it is a good time for a mask break, because we are all settled in our spots and more than 6 feet apart.
How can parents/guardians help out?
· Speaking positively about masks at home in front of children.
· Ensuring your child has a clean mask each morning before leaving for school.
Please call the office if you have any questions! 701-446-4900
Thank you for all your help. We are all in this together!
1:1 Learning Devices
Device Care & Student Safety
Students should always:
Charge their device at home every night and bring it to school (with charger) every day.
Use the carrying case provided by the district.
Keep devices away from food and open water containers. This includes not storing food or water in their carrying case.
Parents/Guardians should always:
Supervise students while they are online. There is an internet filter on the device both at school and home, but filters are not perfect. Supervising internet use helps keep children safe online.
Monitor where students charge and store their device. It is not recommended to store in the student’s bedroom.
Please consult full version of the Responsible Use Policy and the PLD Contract online on the FPS website for a complete list of expectations: Responsible Use Policy (Official District Policy--Student Use of Fargo Public Schools Information Network) Instructional Version (student friendly language we use to teach the Responsible Use Policy)
PLD Contract (What parents agreed to when completing online forms)
Tech Support
446-1450 is the student/parent tech support telephone #. Open 7:30am - 6:00pm Monday-Thursday Do not bring a broken or malfunctioning device into a store for repairs, bring it to the school or call tech support for help. Please talk to the principal if you have concerns about internet access at home.
PTA
Next PTA meeting- September 21st at 6:45 pm