Lincoln News

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I hope this newsletter finds you all well as we get closer to our winter break. We have had several wonderful events over the past month including the Annual Kindness Shop and Homegrown for the Holidays. It was so good to see many of you at Lincoln's trolley stop for the Melrose Home for the Holidays event. Your PTO members have spent inordinate amounts of time preparing for these two events, and I would like to express my gratitude for all they have done and continue to do on behalf of the staff and students at Lincoln Elementary. We are a fortunate community to have such dedicated individuals who make these opportunities available. Additionally, I would like to express my thanks to everyone who made the recent Staff Luncheon possible and to those people who donated wonderful treats to stock the staff lounge. I know that every staff member here appreciates the thoughtfulness and kindness they are shown throughout the school year.

PARKING LOT CONCERNS: There has recently been an increase in parents driving into the parking lot, specifically at the end of the day. As mentioned before, the parking lots are reserved for staff only. The only time parents/caregivers should enter the parking lot with a vehicle is if they have the need and a placard to park in a handicapped parking space. We are concerned for the safety and wellbeing of our students and their families, especially at such a busy time as dismissal. Please DO NOT drive into the parking lot.

ATTENDANCE: Now that we have been in school for more than 60 days (our year is 1/3 of the way over!), I wanted to bring up the topic of school attendance. According to recent data from the federal government, chronic absence has almost doubled since pre-Covid-19. Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing ten (10%) percent or more of enrolled school days (whether excused or not). For example, our school year is 180 days. If a student misses 18 or more days throughout the school year research shows that these absences have a negative impact on students, leading to academic difficulties such as learning to read by third-grade, achieving in middle school, and graduating from high school, as well as social-emotional skills needed to succeed in everyday life.

In addition, to absence, tardiness is also an area of concern. Although being late to school may not seem like it would matter, the opposite is true. If a student is 5 minutes late for school each day, that amounts to 900 minutes over 180 days. Those 900 minutes are equal to 15 hours - more than 2 full school days. When a child is late arriving to their class, they miss important activities and instruction that have been created to establish routines, build community, and encourage peer relationships. Also, when a student enters the classroom late, they disrupt the teaching and learning that has already begun for the other students.

If at any time you have concerns about your child's attendance, please reach out. We are here to support in whatever way we can. We value your partnership and are glad to have such a wonderful school community.

Wishing you the best,

Laurie Lawler

Dear Families,

We want to share a few reminders with regard to parking around Lincoln Elementary School. While we understand the parking situation isn't ideal, for the safety and wellbeing of our staff and your children, PLEASE do not enter the front or back parking lots before school, at the end of the school day, or during school hours. The back parking lot and front main parking circle are for staff parking only. Also, the area directly in front on the school on West Wyoming is strictly for a live drop-off only. Please do not park your vehicle. Doing so creates additional traffic backups to an already congested area, and makes it harder for other families to drop their students off.

There are spaces on West Wyoming and on the adjacent side streets where parking is available. With that in mind, please take note of two things:

1. It is against Massachusetts state law to sit idling in your car for more than 5 minutes. If you are parked and waiting to drop-off or pick-up your student, please turn your engine off.

2. When parking on the adjacent side streets, please be sure that you are parked in a legal space. Take note of no parking signs, and please be respectful of our neighbors by not blocking their access to their homes/driveways.

**No Dogs on school property during school hours.**

12/19/2023

Report Cards Available - Grades 1 thru 5

12/22/2023

Early Release - 12:00 Dismissal

Lunch is Served

No Education Stations

12/25/2023 - 01/01/2023

No school - Winter Vacation

01/02/2024

Schools Reopen

01/03/2024

Early Release - 12:20 Dismissal

Lunch is Served

Education Stations in Session

01/15/2024

No School - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Observance

Email: llawler@melroseschools.com
Website: https://www.melroseschools.com/lincoln-elementary-school
Location: 80 West Wyoming Avenue, Melrose, MA, USA
Phone: (781) 979-2250