Lincoln Lowdown- 11/25/24

Lincoln Families,

As we approach Thanksgiving, I want to take a moment to express my appreciation for each of you. Your support, partnership, and commitment to our school community are truly invaluable.

This year, we have accomplished so much together, and it's all thanks to your continued dedication to our students' success. From cheering on our learners during milestones to supporting them through challenges, your contributions make Lincoln Middle School a place where every child can thrive.

On behalf of our entire staff, thank you for entrusting us with the privilege of nurturing and guiding your children. We are thankful for the opportunity to work with such wonderful families.

Wishing you and your loved ones a Thanksgiving filled with joy, warmth, and memorable moments.

Events this week:

11/25 - Drama Rehearsals, 3:30 - 5:30, Auditorium, Cafeteria, Room 153

11/27-29 - NO SCHOOL, Thanksgiving Break

I’m thrilled to share a wonderful example of culturally responsive and innovative teaching happening in Mrs. O'Brien’s classroom. This week, her students tackled the challenge of creating a sales pitch for an invention powered by solar energy. The task encouraged students to think critically about how renewable energy can address real-world problems and benefit society.

Through this project, students not only deepened their understanding of solar energy but also developed essential skills like collaboration, creativity, and persuasive communication. Mrs. O'Brien’s approach highlights the importance of connecting classroom learning to meaningful, real-world applications.

Please join me in celebrating the hard work of Mrs. O'Brien and her students as they continue to shine in their pursuit of knowledge and positive societal impact!

We are excited to inform you that SMMUSD is partnering with the University of North Carolina on a study that will explore the effects of smartphones and social media on children. As part of this study, your student will be asked to complete three surveys: a pre-survey, a mid-year survey, and a post-survey.

Mrs. Gutierrez, our Bilingual Community Liaison, will engage parents and collect parental consent for student participation in the surveys. Our goal is to achieve a response rate of 75-80%.

We hope to gather all parent consent forms within the next two weeks, with the first surveys starting in early November.

Attached, you’ll find the flyer with a QR code linking to the digital parent consent form. We’ve also included the digital consent form in both English and Spanish below.

Thank you for your support and participation!

We’re excited to announce that winter sports sign-up and tryouts are just around the corner! This season, we’ll be offering opportunities for boys’ and girls’ basketball as well as e-sports.

Whether your student is shooting hoops on the court or competing in a virtual arena, these programs provide an excellent way to build skills, teamwork, and school spirit.

Please encourage your student to join and be part of our Lincoln Lions winter sports family. Additional information will be sent home soon. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the school office.

This Wednesday, we joined communities worldwide in recognizing Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day to honor the lives of transgender individuals lost to acts of violence and to reaffirm our commitment to creating an inclusive, respectful, and safe environment for all.

At Lincoln Middle School, we value the diversity of our community and strive to foster understanding, acceptance, and kindness. This day serves as a reminder of the importance of supporting one another and standing together against discrimination and intolerance.

Thank you for partnering with us to ensure that every student feels seen, valued, and supported.

I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our incredible PTSA for organizing a special coffee cart and staff appreciation event this Friday. Your thoughtfulness and generosity mean so much to our team.

These moments of kindness remind us how fortunate we are to be part of such a caring and supportive community. Your efforts help brighten our staff's day and fuel their continued dedication to our students.

We are truly grateful for all you do to make Lincoln Middle School a wonderful place for everyone. Thank you for making this Friday extra special!

We need your help to help others in our Santa Monica community! We are looking to collect non-perishable items in time for Thanksgiving. A collection basket is set up next to security at our California St. entrance starting now till November 25, 2024.

Acceptable Items:

• Canned Foods - fruits, vegetables, soups, and sauce
• Dried Goods - grains, rice, pasta, granola, cereal, and oats
• Nuts and Seeds
• Crackers
• Nut Butters
• Shelf Stable Milk and Non Dairy Milk
• Canned Beans
• Canned Fish and Meats

Our amazing parent and 2nd VP will arrange delivery for all of us. Thank you Dinora Duarte!

What an incredible performance our orchestra delivered this past Thursday! Their talent and hard work shone brightly, leaving the audience in awe.

A special thank you goes to Mr. Lorenzini, whose dedication and guidance inspire our students to reach new heights. His leadership continues to enrich our school community and foster a love of music in our students.

To our orchestra students: thank you for sharing your gifts with us. Your performance was a true testament to your effort and passion. We couldn’t be prouder!

A big thank you to our Madrigals for their outstanding choir performance at the Tree Lighting Festival on Thursday evening! Your beautiful voices added so much joy and spirit to the event.

We are so proud of your hard work and talent, and we’re grateful to have you represent Lincoln Middle School in our community.

A huge congratulations to our Mock Trial team for their amazing performance and a successful season! Your hard work, preparation, and teamwork truly stood out, and we couldn’t be prouder of all you’ve accomplished.

A special thank you to Coach Michael for his dedication and guidance, which have been instrumental in the team’s success.

Thank you all for representing Lincoln Middle School with such excellence!

The Readers/Writers Workshop 8 students had fun reading to first graders in Ms. Lynch’s class at Roosevelt! Students prepared for the field trip by selecting culturally relevant books in honor of Native American Heritage Month and they practiced reading aloud to each other prior to going to Roosevelt. The first graders and the eighth graders were happy to meet one another and enjoyed the reading time together!

We were able to have such an enriching experience thanks to collaborating with our LMS librarian (Ms. DiDario) and Roosevelt’s librarian (Mr. Rodriguez). We hope to return to one of our neighborhood elementary schools in the second half of the school year.

Your Lincoln PTSA would like to extend a special thanks to our community for joining us, our premier sponsor Haven Tower Public Relations and additional supporters including Gramercy Boutique of Montana Ave, local Compass realtor, Shann Silver and our neighbor Orthodontist Center of Santa Monica. With their assistance and your support, we raised over $30,000 during our Fall Festival! Our PTSA is also grateful to the volunteers, as without you none of it is possible. And if you're looking for more ways to get involved in the upcoming year, our Spring BreakOut Fundraiser is forming a planning committee after the holidays. Please reach out if interested to volunteer@lmsptsa.org.

A big shout-out to our "Read to Achieve" Clippers Tickets winners for logging the most reading minutes!

Noah Norman

Dan Hoffman

Eloise Siegler

Kanaan Fritz

Taylor Moore

Mina Agaybi

Your dedication to reading is inspiring, and we’re thrilled to celebrate your achievement.

Thank you for making reading a priority and setting a fantastic example for our school community. Keep up the great work!

Attention 8th Grade Families,

Our Breakfast Club is up and running! Click link here to DONate time or donuts. Kids earn Community Service hours as well for helping! Each Friday earns around $100 so your support is appreciated to help give our 8th graders a great year and promotion at Lincoln.