Lincoln Elementary School

Dear Lincoln A-Team Families,

I have a lot of favorites at school, and I just completed one of them this past month - going into kindergarten and first-grade classrooms to talk about their “jobs”. I love their engagement, surprise, and intuitiveness as I go over their job description. We discuss job titles like principal, teacher, cook, bus driver, etc. They then learn that they have a job title just like those adults. Their job title is “Lincoln Learner”. We learn that Lincoln Learners:

Alexandria Public Schools 2026 Operating Levy

Since 1880, Alexandria Public Schools has created and sustained a highly regarded school system within a thriving community. We are proud to be a district which serves nearly 4,000 students across nine exceptional schools in the communities of Alexandria, Miltona, Garfield and Carlos. We are committed to comprehensive academic programs that foster personal growth in all students.

For the past two decades, state funding for public education has struggled to keep pace with real-world costs of running a school district. While our district has managed to absorb $5 million in budget cuts in recent years - all while protecting the core student experience - this approach is reaching its limit. Faced with a projected $4 million shortfall for the 2027-28 school year, the School Board recognized the need for a sustainable, long-term solution.

That’s why the Alexandria School Board is asking voters to consider an operating levy referendum to invest in the essential services, programs, curriculum and staff that support our students. Thanks to a new state funding program, half of the proposed operating levy would be paid by the state rather than by local property owners, if approved by voters this November. To learn more about the referendum, check out https://cardinalcommunityplan.org/

Fall goal-setting Parent/Student Conferences are right around the corner on October 8, 12, and 14. We will use ParentVue in your Parent Portal to schedule conferences. If for some reason a virtual conference meets your family’s needs, that is still an option - just let the teacher know. Please be on the lookout for specific conference scheduling information in the near future. Our goal is 100% of families represented.

Teacher Meal Sign Up

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. In October, I visit all 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade classrooms to discuss what bullying is, how it makes people feel, what we can do to minimize it, and what to do if it happens to us or we see or know it is happening to someone. I emphasize that it is important that we all understand it the same way because if we do, we can then do more to prevent it and respond if it does happen. Kindergarten, first, and second-grade classrooms discuss bullying as well in a developmentally different way. Unity Day is the signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month and has been recognized in the United States since 2011. To participate in Unity Day, individuals, schools, communities, and businesses wear or share orange to unite for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion to prevent students from being bullied. This year Unity Day is Wednesday, October 21 - let’s color our classrooms orange!

Hey Lincoln A-Team Kindergarten Families,

Mark your calendars for a Lincoln Kindergarten Gathering at Shenanigans!

Shenanigans is reserved for Lincoln Kindergarteners to come play on Sunday, November 1st from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.

We are excited to host a time for all three classrooms to play together, and where kindergarten families can get to know one another! This private party is reserved specifically for Kindergarteners from Lincoln and their parents. Siblings are welcome, but please be considerate if an older child attends. We’d like it to be a safe and respectful place of play for kindergarteners. Our goal is for all Lincoln families to feel welcome and connected.

We hope you can join us!

Lincoln Parent Connections

Who: Kindergarten students and their parents/guardians
What: Play at Shenanigans!
When: Sunday, November 1st from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.
Where: Shenanigans, 1410 South McKay Ave, Alexandria, MN
(Early Education Complex, Door #3)

Reminder: Socks are required for everyone!

To help support reading at home with your children, MDE has created a great resource for parents called the READ Act Family Toolkit. Please reach out to us if you have any questions!

READ Act Family Toolkit

Lincoln Elementary does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, or disability.

Email: scraig@alexschools.org
Website: www.alexschools.org/les
Location: 1120 Lark Street, Alexandria, MN, USA
Phone: 320-762-3320
Twitter: @LincolnLearners