Week of 1/9-1/13/2023

• Monday – Day 5

• Tuesday – Day 1
  

• Wednesday – Day 2

• Thursday – Day 3

• Friday – Day 4

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

The MLEDP Kinder Care (KC) space was flooded as a result of a water line rupturing due to the extreme cold during winter break. There was extensive damage to the MLEDP KC room, supplies and equipment. The school district is working to clean up and get estimates for repair, however, it may take the month of January to get the space useable again. The KC program will be closed on Monday, January 2, to reorganize and set up an alternate space.

Care Before AM Kindergarten (7:00 - 8:30 AM) and after PM Kindergarten (3:30 - 6:30 PM) WILL be available in the Cafeteria to those who are scheduled to attend.

The plan for now is to temporarily relocate the KC program to the Maker Space, room 204. Since there is no direct outside access to this room, we are asking parents to drop off and pick up children at the school-age center, C-15, in the cafeteria. Please plan to drop off and pick up following the schedule below. The KC staff will meet you and escort the children to/from room 204.

MLEDP Kinder Care Program

• Closed on Monday, January 2, to reorganize and set up an alternate space
  
• Reopens Tuesday, January 3
• Use Door C-15
• Morning Drop off until 8:45 am
• Afternoon Pick up beginning at 3:20 pm

To contact the Lincoln KC program:

• Email: KCLincoln@mledp.org
• Cell phone: 412-628-0455

To contact the Lincoln school-age program:

• Email: Lincoln@mledp.org
• Phone: 412-207-9025

It’s almost time for the 2022–2023 Lincoln Elementary School Fourth and Fifth Grade Spelling Bee! The Lincoln Elementary PTA is excited to continue the Scripps Spelling Bee at our school this year. The qualifying round will take place in the 4th and 5th grade classrooms. This round will take place in between January 9-13, 2023, in the Grade 4 and 5 homerooms. Individual classroom teachers will be notifying the students of the exact dates and times. The top 3 spellers in each classroom will qualify to participate in the Lincoln Elementary School Bee which will be held on the evening February 9th at 6:00 pm.

Word lists for the classroom Spelling Bee and other information will be sent home with the students the week we return from Thanksgiving Break. These are the 4th – 6th grades study guide word lists for 2022-2023 Scripps Classroom Spelling Bees. These lists, as well as other great information, are available at www.spellingbee.com. While the Spelling Bee is meant to be a fun experience, we understand that some children may be uncomfortable with the format. If you prefer that your child not participate in the Classroom Spelling, you can return the Non-Participation Form from the bottom half of the Spelling Bee flyer to your child's teacher by January 2nd. Please contact Dr. Kitsko at rkitsko@mtlsd.net with questions.

Lincoln Spelling Bee Announcement Letter

Spelling Bee Word List

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.

Due to the scheduled district wide in-service days and classroom management for teachers, there is no school for students on Monday, January 16th and Monday, January 23rd. Please make note of these on your calendars.

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 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". The first rehearsal is Tuesday, January 10 at 7:55 am.

• Informance Rehearsal Information

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.

Starting Wednesday, February 1, 2023, Kindergarten registration packets for the 2023 – 2024 school year will be available at all elementary school offices. If you or someone you know has a child eligible to enter Lincoln as a kindergartner next fall, please pass along this information.

• 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 cancelled 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.

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.

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

• 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 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)

10:00 am start

• Adult supervision at Lincoln begins at 9:50 am and the doors will be open for students to enter the school at that time.

• Students should be in their classrooms by 10:00 am.

• Students are considered tardy after 10:00 am.

• The lunch schedule will run like normal.

• Afternoon dismissal for students is still set for 3:30 pm.

10:00 am start - Morning Kindergarten Session Modified Schedule

• Morning kindergarten will start at 10:00 am.
• Students will be permitted to enter the school starting at 9:50 am.
• Students are considered tardy after 10:00 am.
• Morning kindergarten dismisses at 12:00 Noon.

10:00 am start - Afternoon Kindergarten Session Modified Schedule

• Afternoon kindergarten will start at 1:00 pm.
• Students will be permitted to enter the school starting at 12:55 pm.
• Students are considered tardy after 1:00 pm.
• Dismissal for afternoon kindergarten students is still set for 3:30 pm.

Cancellation

• All students will switch to a Remote 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

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.

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.