Lincoln Elementary News

Principal's Message

Welcome to October! Fall is in full swing, and our students are making great progress in and out of the classroom.

Each October, the district focuses on Growth Mindset, one of the core competencies in our Vision of a Lakewood Ranger. This feels especially apropos this year as the new school boundaries are released. I appreciate the PTA for creating space for those who desire to gather and process this news together. Our work with growth mindset will also strengthen the tools we have for managing new learning challenges. We encourage you to ask your child at home how they are using their growth mindset when encountering challenges.

In addition, we are excited to gather at the 11th annual Lincoln Fun Run at Kauffman Park. The generosity of this community will allow us to celebrate Lincoln's last lap in many joyful ways.

Finally, we always look forward to the intentional collaborative time we get with each of you during conferences. We are certainly better together.

Important October Dates to Remember:

Oct 1: Picture Day
Oct 3: Fun Run
Oct 9: No School
Oct 23: Halloween Parade + Trunk or Treat
Oct 28-30: Parent Teacher Conferences

Thank you for your continued partnership and support in making our school community a wonderful place to learn and grow.

STEM Team Challenge

Our new STEM teacher, Miss Evans, started the year with team building STEM challenges. Be sure to ask your student about theirs, and how they helped their team succeed.

End of Unit Celebrations in Grade 3

Our third graders celebrated the completion of a Classic Tales Unit centered around The Wind and the Willows, and other classic tales. Students were enchanted by memorable characters, and explored character traits, elements of fictional narratives, and themes of friendship, loyalty, hospitality, responsibility, and irresponsibility. Ask your third grader about what stuck with them.

Kindergarten House Reveal

The day finally arrived, and it was hard to tell who was more excited, our G1-5 students to welcome new member into their Houses, or our K students to join the fun, and have a new place to belong at Lincoln. Overall it was a grand celebration!

Vision of a Lakewood Ranger

What Would you Do Wednesdays

Every Wednesday morning, third graders in Mrs. Gleason’s class gather in a close circle on the rug for “What Would You Do Wednesdays,” a routine dedicated to navigating social situations with kindness and empathy. Post-it notes are distributed before a scenario is presented. Last week's scenario was: “A friend says something, everyone laughs, and you clearly see they feel embarrassed. What would you do?”

Students put themselves in others’ shoes and jot ideas on their sticky notes. Then sharing ensues. In response the most recent scenario, to Archer Shippee said “Empathy is trying to see what someone else feels... In that situation, you can see they were embarrassed and you could help them.”

Mason Wampler highlighted how sharing ideas builds confidence: “It helps us to learn more things we can do in new situations, and our ideas can help someone else.”

These weekly circles build vital muscle memory for empathy, teaching students that their choices have the power to uplift those around them. If you haven’t already, we encourage you to try this at home and watch your student’s confidence grow!

Learn More about The Vision of a Lakewood Ranger

Conference Sign Up

Lincoln Elementary is again using PTCFast to make conference signups as convenient as possible.

Please click on the link below to get started.

https://www.ptcfast.com/schools/Lincoln_Elementary_School_13

Then choose your students' teacher(s) and proceed. If you have any questions, please contact the office. We look forward to connecting with you in person.

Shaping Tomorrow, Together: Our Elementary Transition Plan

Elementary Boundary Map Available

The District has finalized new elementary attendance boundaries for the 2027-28 school year, an important milestone in the Elementary Transition Plan.

Superintendent Niedzwiecki presented the boundaries at the Sept. 28 Board of Education meeting, and families have been notified of their child's school assignment. The plan includes repurposing Lincoln Elementary into the Lincoln Early Learning Center and sets new attendance areas for the District's six remaining elementary schools.

In drawing the boundaries, the District considered enrollment, building capacity, walking distances, major thoroughfares, and existing middle school boundaries. Five of the six attendance areas will see no change in average walking distance, and the largest average increase is about 0.1 mile.

A new school assignment is a significant change for many families, and the District is committed to making the transition as seamless as possible. Leading up to the 2027-28 school year, our schools will focus on welcoming students, building relationships, and giving families the information and support they need.

Families can view the new boundaries and learn more about the plan on the Lakewood City Schools website.

Learn More

Shaping Tomorrow, Together--Student Input

On October 21st grade 4 representatives, one per house, per building will meet with the District Leadership to share thoughts and ideas related to the elementary transition. Prior to that, our G1-4 classroom teachers will lead a gentle conversations with their class about things that would make them feel welcome in a new situation (new school) and things they may feel unsure about or want to know more about their new school. They will capture this feedback and it will be carried forth by Lincoln staff to the session on October 21st. Then we will return to our focus on the present. At this time we will also remain focused on helping our K students them feel confident in the routines and expectations of this year.

Click here for Tips for Talking about a School Transition with your Student

Stay in the Game: Attendance Update

Building Strong Habits Early

Did you know that missing just two days of school per month can add up to nearly a month of missed learning across a school year? Establishing strong attendance habits in elementary school helps set students up for future success Thank you for helping your child arrive at school on time and ready to learn each day.

Learn More

Active Transportation

Safety Reminders

Some points to keep in mind as we work every day to keep our students and families safe:

As daylight hours decrease, drivers should use extra caution and watch for students walking and biking in low-light conditions.
Students biking on sidewalks should dismount and walk their bike when sidewalks are crowded with walkers.

Lakewood Performing Arts Boosters

Welcome back Rangers! The Lakewood Performing Arts Boosters (formerly Lakewood Music Boosters) is an organization of parents, teachers, alumni and community members who support the 70+ music and performing arts groups enriching the education of Lakewood’s children. Our mission is to support district music initiatives from elementary through high school, award scholarships for private music lessons, camps, volunteer for events/concerts and so much more! Whether you are a current family member, alumni or community member, we would love to have you as a part of boosters! Check out link below for more information and to join today!

Membership Link – Lakewood Performing Arts Boosters

Lincoln PTA Family Fun Night: Trunk or Treat

When: Friday, October 23 from 6 – 7 PM
Where: Lincoln Parking Lot
Who: Lincoln Families and Friends
What: Kids should come dressed in costume to safely trick or treat around the school parking lot.

How do I get involved? If you would like to volunteer to decorate your trunk and pass out candy to the kids, please sign up here:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C4AA9A92EA1FF2-66306083-2026

No RSVP required for trick or treating.

Back-to-School Registration in IC-- 72 Still Incomplete

There are still 72 students at Lincoln Elementary that do not have their Back-to-School Registration for the 26-27 school year complete.

Is one of them your student? This is your updated contact information, permission for your student to be photographed or not, general field trip permission, annual technology use agreement, access to upcoming report cards, and more.

If you need support in completing this email ichelp@lakewoodcityschools.org

Upcoming Events & Reminders

September 29 - Lincoln Family Meet Up, Lincoln Playground, 5:30-7:30pm
September 30 - PTA Meeting, 6:00, room 116

October 1 - Picture Day
October 3 - Lincoln Fun Run, Kauffman Park, 1:00pm
October 6 - Fire Prevention Assemblies
October 9 - No School (NEOEA Day)
October 12 - PTA Meeting, 6:00, room 116
October 13 - K trip to Stocker Center and Cahoon Park
October 16 - End of Q1
October 16 - G3 to City Hall
October 16 - House Meeting Day!
October 19 - G4 to Cuyahoga Valley National Park
October 21 - G3 ELA OST Part 1
October 22 - G3 ELA OST Part 2
October 23 - Costume Parade, weather permitting, 2:55pm
October 23 - Trunk or Treat, Lincoln Parking lot, 6:00-7:00pm
October 28 - Elementary/MS Evening Parent Conferences
October 29 - No School for K-8 Students (Elementary/MS Parent Conferences)

Every Monday is House Spirit day at Lincoln. Wear your house colors!

Every Friday is Ranger Spirit day at Lincoln. Wear Lakewood gear, Lincoln gear, or purple + gold!

View the Calendar

Lincoln Elementary PTA

Stay in the know about the Lincoln Elementary PTA! Find volunteer opportunities and other ways to support our students and staff by visiting the PTA website.

Lunch Menus and Nutrition Services

Find lunch menus and other important information from our Nutrition Services Department by visiting their webpage.

The Library

Throughout the school year, students will engage in carefully crafted lessons designed to meet ODE's Library Standards: Media Literacy, Foundations for Lifelong Learning & Literacy, Digital Literacy, Information Literacy. Learn more.

Lincoln Elementary Photo from Clifton Blvd

Contact Information

Lincoln Elementary School

15615 Clifton Blvd

Principal: Brenda Budzar

Important Numbers:
Absent line: 216-529-4305
Office: 216-529-4232
Fax: 216-227-5722

School schedule: 8:55 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.
(students may enter building at 8:45 a.m.)

2026-27 Family Handbook

Lincoln Elementary News