May Newsletter
Let's Go, 4th Quarter!
1st National Junior Honor Society Ceremony
2nd 35th Week Progress Report Distribution
2nd Science and Family Learning Fairs
5th EOY STAR and i-Ready Testing Window Opens
5th Cinco de Mayo Day and Google Field Trip
6th Track Meet
7th Celebrating Moms
8th Cal-Ridge Math Bowl
9th Career Day and Multicultural Talent Show
11th Mother’s Day
12th Kindergarten Countdown
13th BPAC Parent Meeting - 8:30 am
14th 8th Grade Graduation Trip- Scene 75
14th Sports Banquet 10:00 am and 2025 Spring Concert 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
14th EOY Star Window Closes
15th TFN 8th Grade Visit 9:00 am - 2:00 pm and PBIS Ice Cream Social
16th EOY i-Ready Test Closes and 8th Grade Check-Out Day
16th PBIS Tiger Store and 8th Grade Sneaker Ball 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
16th 8th Annual Chicago Health, Medical, and Law Career Conference
19th 8th Grade Awards Ceremony 10:00 am - 11:30 am
19th 8th Grade Graduation Rehearsal 12:45 pm - 1:45 pm
19th Board Meeting at 6:00 pm
20th 8th Grade CookOut 10:00 am - 2:00 pm and Pre-K Last Day of School
20th Kindergarten Graduation Rehearsal Time 9:00 am - 10:00 am
21st Promotion Ceremonies: Kindergarten- 9:00 am - 11:00 am and 8th Grade- 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
21st Yearbook Sales Day
23rd Pre-K Screening and PBIS Dress Down Day $1.00
26th Memorial Day - No School
27th Pre-K Screening and Ronald McDonald Medical Van
27th School-Wide Locker Clean-Out
28th Full Day of Attendance
29th Student SEL Extravaganza 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
30th Last Day of School Dismissal at 11:50 am.
Celebrating Our Students' Achievements 3rd Quarter Awards Assemblies
What an incredible celebration we had during our 3rd Quarter Awards Assemblies! These special events were a powerful tribute to our students' hard work, perseverance, and outstanding accomplishments throughout the third quarter of the school year.
We proudly recognized excellence in academics, attendance, and character development, and each student honored reminded us of the incredible potential that exists within our school community. Their achievements result from dedication, resilience, and a commitment to growth, and we couldn’t be prouder.
To our outstanding students: Your effort, enthusiasm, and determination continue to inspire us all. Your achievements are more than awards—stepping stones to even greater success. Keep believing in yourselves and striving for excellence!
To our supportive families: Thank you for being our students’ biggest cheerleaders. Your encouragement, love, and involvement tremendously impact their growth and success.
As we head into the final stretch of the school year, let’s carry this momentum forward—because the best is still ahead!
PBIS Incentive: Glow Dance!
Our middle school students have been working hard to embody the 4 B’s: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe, and Be Kind. As a reward for their positive behavior, students who qualified, having fewer than two discipline referrals, had the privilege of attending a PBIS-sponsored Glow Dance!
Students danced the night away, celebrating their commitment to making good choices. Thank you for supporting our efforts to reinforce positive behavior! Stay tuned for the next PBIS incentive, and continue encouraging your students to make great daily choices!
Celebrating Our 2025–2026 National Junior Honor Society Inductees
We are incredibly proud of our 2025–2026 National Junior Honor Society inductees. The NJHS is a prestigious nationwide organization that honors exceptional middle school students who exemplify excellence in the following pillars:
Scholarship – Demonstrating strong academic performance
Leadership – Inspiring and guiding others
Service – Giving back through meaningful contributions to the community
Citizenship – Showing respect and responsibility within school and society
Character – Upholding integrity, honesty, and strong moral values
Students are nominated and inducted based on academic achievement, teacher recommendations, and community involvement. Membership in NJHS is a great honor and a commitment to uphold the values of excellence and service. We celebrate their hard work and look forward to their continued success!
Annual Science Fair
Our 7th and 8th grade students participated in our annual Science Fair, and we couldn’t be more proud of their hard work and dedication.
Our young scientists demonstrated outstanding use of critical thinking skills, applied the scientific method, and presented their findings with clarity and confidence. Students designed experiments, collected and graphed data, and analyzed their results to determine whether their hypotheses were supported.
It was truly inspiring to see their curiosity, creativity, and scientific inquiry on full display!
Family Learning Fair Showcases Innovation, Creativity, and Community at Lincoln
On Friday, May 2, 2025, Lincoln Elementary hosted its annual Family Learning Fair, an evening that brought together students, families, educators, and community partners to celebrate student learning in a vibrant, hands-on environment.
The event transformed the school into a hub of creativity, curiosity, and collaboration:
Ms. Ally’s 7th-grade students showcased their critical thinking and game design skills by creating math board games, which they proudly played with students and parents throughout the evening.
The University of Chicago brought six interactive STEM stations, offering students engaging opportunities to explore science and engineering concepts through hands-on experimentation.
Mr. Gerald Pearson, a guest speaker and representative from the Young Eagles program, spoke to students about aviation opportunities and helped recruit members for next year’s Lincoln Flyers STEM Club.
Mrs. Myers and her art students wowed visitors with a captivating Glow-in-the-Dark Art Showcase, turning the art room into a glowing gallery of student creativity.
Mr. Urbanczyk’s students celebrated diversity by creating thoughtful presentations about their cultural backgrounds, fostering appreciation and connection among attendees.
Mrs. Martinez displayed Science Fair projects that reflected student inquiry, experimentation, and scientific reasoning.
Mr. Wilder hosted a live music segment, with band students performing for families while he spoke with parents and students about joining the band next year.
Mr. Long energized the gym with fitness fun activities, encouraging movement and wellness in an upbeat and inclusive environment.
Ms. Sfura’s Media Club played a dual role—presenting their work and podcasting the event live, giving students real-world experience in media production.
Mrs. Alkhatib’s STEM students proudly demonstrated a variety of projects and activities completed during the year, highlighting the integration of science, technology, engineering, and math through creative problem-solving and design.
The library's book fair welcomed families to explore and purchase books and supported literacy and a love of reading.
The Family Learning Fair celebrated academic achievement and innovation while strengthening connections between home and school, inspiring students to take pride in their learning. This event showcased Lincoln Elementary’s dedication to creating dynamic, inclusive, and student-centered learning experiences.
Congratulations to our Math Bowl Champions!
We are proud to recognize the outstanding achievements of our students who participated in the Cal-Ridge Math Bowl! Three 7th and three 8th graders represented Lincoln Elementary, competing against students from five different schools.
Our 7th grade team brought home 1st place, and our 8th grade team also took 1st place in their division!
In the individual competition for 7th grade, Farihat Raheemson earned 1st place,and Isabella Rivera earned 2nd place. For 8th grade, Juan Meraz earned 2nd place, and Lymari Vargas took 3rd place.
Way to represent Lincoln—great job, team!
Google Field Trip: A Hands-On Learning Experience
Our students recently had the exciting opportunity to participate in a field trip to Google, where they engaged in interactive and educational workshops designed to spark curiosity and inspire future careers in technology.
Future in Computing
Students explored computing's current and future impact and gained insight into how they can contribute to this evolving field. Googlers shared their journeys into tech, helping students envision their paths. Each participant left with a clear next step to continue exploring careers in computing.
AI Teachable Machines
In this hands-on session, students learned how artificial intelligence is used to create innovative tools. Using Google’s Teachable Machine platform, they built interactive models that could recognize and respond to hand gestures, giving them a glimpse into real-world applications of AI.
This unforgettable experience deepened our students’ understanding of technology and inspired many to think boldly about their futures in STEM.
Career Day at Lincoln Was a Huge Success!
Career Day at Lincoln was a hit! Our students had the opportunity to learn from various distinguished guest speakers who shared insights about their careers, educational paths, and day-to-day responsibilities.
We were honored to welcome professionals from diverse fields, including:
Broadcast Journalism – Anchor/Reporter
Marketing and Business Strategy – Director of Marketing
Government Service – Illinois State Representative
Law Enforcement – Illinois State Police Trooper
…and many more!
Our students left feeling inspired and informed about their many career possibilities. We are grateful to all of our guest speakers for taking the time to pour into our students’ dreams.
The theme for May’s Student of the Month was Responsibility. We are proud to recognize the following students who consistently demonstrated responsibility in their classrooms, throughout the school building, and in their daily actions.
These students showed what it means to be accountable, reliable, and respectful members of our school community. Whether by completing assignments on time, helping peers, or taking initiative without being asked, they serve as excellent role models for their classmates.
Perfect Attendance Recognition – March and April
We are delighted to share that over 500 students achieved perfect attendance during March and April!
This is a tremendous accomplishment, and we want to thank our students for their dedication and our families for their continued support in making attendance a top priority. Your partnership plays a vital role in helping our students succeed. Each student will receive their certificate.
Congratulations to all our students who showed up daily, ready to learn!
Track and Field with the Tigers!
Our boys' and girls' track teams were phenomenal this year under the leadership of Coach Sawyer, Coach Gutierrez, and Mr. Anderson. Their dedication, teamwork, and sportsmanship truly shone throughout the season.
Imagine what we could achieve if we continue to build and develop this program with additional coaching support—our future Tigers are unstoppable!
