PANTHER PROGRESS

Hello families,

As I write this, I am beaming with pride about how your child(ren) have transitioned into the start of the school year. Students came in excited, joyful, respectful, and responsible. Overall, we are observing polite and kind behaviors when students are interacting with both peers and adults. Thank you for setting them up for success and reinforcing academic, social-emotional and behavioral expectations at home.

Now that students, and teachers, have settled into a routine, Mrs. Brandenburg and I will be meeting with each grade level to discuss our key words for the year: Courage & Commitment. We will review how these key words align to our Lincoln Habits of Work: Perseverance, Self-Advocacy, Social Responsibility and A Learning Mindset. Each year, students have received a bracelet to show they are a member of the Lincoln family working to live our mission each day. If you haven’t seen it yet, they will be wearing their Courage & Commitment bracelet home soon. Please be sure to ask them about the words and how they connect to their role as a Lincoln Learner.

We look forward to seeing you next week during our "Learn About Lincoln" Back to School Night on Wednesday, September 10th at 5pm. During the administrative presentation we will be reviewing many key components of ensuring all students, and families, have a successful year.

September 9 - 12: Dental Clinic

September 10: Back to School Night (see flier below)

September 15: Hearing and Vision screening (select students only)

September 18: Hearing and Vision screening (select students only)

September 19: Early dismissal (Fair Day); students dismiss at 12 noon

September 23: No school

September 26: Early dismissal; students dismiss at 1:30pm

October 2: No school

October 13 - 15: Parent Teacher Conferences

We welcome all families in grades Kindergarten - 5th to our Back-to-School Night, what we like to call "Learn about Lincoln." It's an opportunity to receive information specific to your child(ren)'s grade level. While your child's teacher may not be present that night, representatives from each team will be on site to discuss: curriculum, assessments, schedules, communication and more.

As with all of our events, bus transportation is available from Windsor Gardens Apartments and there will be a food distribution. We hope to see you there!

Click the picture to check out what your child(ren) are learning about this month! Grading policies for all grades, including Encore, are also included:

Our students are offered breakfast and lunch every day. Click the links below for this month's menu. For more information about FCPS food and nutrition, visit the FCPS nutrition website.

• Breakfast (English)
• Breakfast (Spanish)
• Lunch (English)
• Lunch (Spanish)

*All events are from 5 - 7pm unless otherwise noted*

September 10: Learn About Lincoln (back to school information)

November 12: Multicultural Night

January 8: STEM Night

February 12: AttenDANCE

March 17: Encore Night

April 2: Lincoln Night (at Frederick High School, 5:30 - 7:30pm)

May 29: Panther Party

C. Burr Artz monthly calendar: September

Food Distribution at Mr. Tire: English flier; Spanish flier

Family Leadership Program

Dismissal changes will not be accepted after 3:20pm in order to support clear communication and a timely dismissal. Please help us stay focused on the safety of our students by minimizing front office disruptions during dismissal.

We appreciate everyone's patience in the car line. Please help us by using your turn signal when turning into the parking lot and by not parking on the south side of Madison Street after 3:15pm. We have two crossing guards and an administrator on duty during dismissal to ensure the safety and wellbeing of students and families.

We are excited to share all students will be provided an embedded tutoring block in their weekly schedule designed to meet their unique and individual needs. Embedded tutoring is a scheduled block within the student day during which students receive small-group instruction, intervention, special education services, or enrichment. The focus is on the most critical skills and knowledge that students need to master to make progress.

Studies continuously show the benefits of high-dosage tutoring:

• it increases students’ learning by an additional three to 15 months across grade levels.
• moves an average student from the 50th percentile to the 66th percentile.
• is 20 times more effective than standard tutoring models for math and 15 times more effective for reading.

These increases in achievement show great potential for using high dosage tutoring as a school improvement strategy.

Students may remain with their homeroom teacher or work in a group with another LNES staff member (other classroom teachers in their grade level, specialists, intervention teachers, multilingual education teachers, special educators, school counselors, etc.) during their Success Block. Success groups will begin by the end of September.

If you have questions about the Success Block, please contact any of our content specialists.

• Kelli Hebron, ELA PK – 2nd Grade (Kelli.Hebron@fcps.org)
• Sara Caddy – ELA 3rd – 5th Grade (Sara.Caddy@fcps.org)
• Ginny Rinehart – Math PK – 2nd Grade (Virginia.Rinehart@fcps.org)
• Megan Sutherland – Math 3rd – 5th Grade (Megan.Sutherland@fcps.org)

Family and community members interested in volunteering should begin the volunteer process by visiting the FCPS Volunteer Webpage linked below. Applicants will be directed to:

1. Complete a registration form.
2. Complete a training module on Unified Talent.
3. Await school approval on application.
4. Sign-up for volunteer opportunities facilitated by individual schools.

*Complete ONE registration form only per person. Additional school selections may be added after original approval. Please note: To avoid delays, you must complete the registration form and training using the exact same full name and email address each time. Do not use nicknames, abbreviations, hyphen variations, or alternate spellings or email addresses.

The volunteer registration and training process is completed annually for each school year. Volunteers must complete the process before being signed up for volunteer opportunities, including chaperoning a field trip. FCPS encourages family and community members interested in volunteering to complete the process early as processing times can vary.

Please make sure you fill out the Free and Reduced Meal (FARM) benefit application to determine if your student qualifies for free or reduced lunch. As a Title I school, we rely on these applications for funding from the federal government. The online application is the preferred method of submission and applications are available in both English and Spanish. The online application is currently open and can be found using the button below.

For those that do not qualify, the cost of lunch is $2.80 everyday. If you have questions, or need assistance filling out the application, contact Diana Galaviz at Diana.Galaviz@fcps.org or Crosby Blair at Crosby.Blair@fcps.org.

• Income Eligibility Guidelines
• Frequently Asked Questions

*The grace period for expiring benefits ends on October 3, 2025*

Be a part of our PAC to help us improve our school environment and our learning community! Our next meeting is Thursday, October 9 from 5-6:30pm. ALL PARENTS AND GUARDIANS ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND! Please email Crosby.Blair@fcps.org to RSVP.

FCPS updated regulation 434-01: Student Technology Use. This regulation includes language related to cell phones and other personal mobile devices (PMDs). Knowing there are some changes, school staff will spend time during the first quarter, teaching and reinforcing expectations for students. At the start of quarter 2, staff will follow the student code of conduct and progressive discipline when necessary to reinforce expectations related to personal mobile devices. The changes to regulation 434-01 are reflected in the excerpts from the regulation included below and are specific to the elementary level.

Elementary school students may possess acceptable PMDs, however, they are to be silenced and kept out of sight including when riding FCPS transportation to and from school. During the school day, acceptable PMDs shall be silenced and kept out of sight as directed by school staff. School staff may grant permission, in individual cases, for a student to have their cell phone on, for medical necessity or other exigent situations. Students may wear smartwatches or similar devices, but during school hours these devices are required to be on “airplane mode” or “school time” modes to prevent distractions.

You can support us in teaching students about acceptable use of technology in school by:

• Since students will have limited access to their acceptable PMDs during the student day, parents are encouraged to refrain from calling or texting their child’s acceptable PMD when its use is unauthorized.
• Parents are encouraged to communicate by way of acceptable PMDs outside of school hours. In exigent situations, parents may contact the school office to request to communicate with their child.
• If a child contacts their parent during school hours via an acceptable PMD, parents are encouraged to reinforce responsible student technology use expectations and remind their child to focus on learning.

In accordance with Regulation 111-01, it is a serious offense to possess any firearm, knife or deadly weapon of any kind on any public school property in Maryland. Offenders face criminal prosecution from the State's Attorney's Office and severe personnel consequences from the school system. This regulation does not pertain to use of antique weapons for historical demonstrations and classroom presentations as outlined in Regulation 200-47 or exceptions as noted in Section B of this regulation.

Lincoln is a Title 1 school. Title 1 is a federally funded program that provides supplemental funding to schools for additional staff and/or resources to support student achievement. For more information, please click the buttons below.

Meet the school counseling team: The “Super Support Squad”

• Ms. Groveman grades 3-5 Tiffany.Groveman@fcps.org

• Mrs. Quill grades PreK- 2 Heather.Quill@fcps.org

• Ms. Dodson Behavior Support Specialist Heather.Dodson@fcps.org

• Ms. Cody Behavior Support Specialist Amanda.Cody@fcps.org

The team works closely with students, staff, and families, to grow a learning community where all members are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged to be their best self. The three major areas of focus at Lincoln are:

• Teaching and practicing emotional awareness and emotional regulation

• Developing and maintaining healthy relationships, which includes the use of restorative practices to help all members learn to communicate effectively and resolve conflicts in a positive and productive manner.

• Instructing students, staff, and families about the role of the brain in learning in order to increase student independence and academic stamina

At Lincoln, we recognize the power of our names. Our names mark our space in the world. With our space in the world, comes dignity. We want to say your child’s name correctly. For dignity and safety purposes, please teach your child the following:

• Their first name
• Family name/ last name
• Names of the adults who take care of them

If your child experiences any of the following symptoms listed below please keep them home from school

• Fever over 100 within the last 24 hours (must be fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication before returning to school)
• Vomiting/diarrhea within the last 24 hours
• Rash
• Red, itchy, crusty eyes or any drainage from eyes

All students must complete the student Confidential Health Information Card every year. If you have not turned in your child’s Confidential Health Information Card please complete and return to the health room as soon as possible.

ALL medications to be taken at school, whether prescription or nonprescription (over the counter) must have a Medication Authorization form completed by a health care provider and parent. This form is available from the Health Rom staff. This form, along with the medication in a properly labeled bottle or unopened package, must be given directly the Health Room staff by the parent/guardian. Parents/guardians will be notified at the end of the school year regarding pick up of medications in the Health Room.

Hello Lincoln Elementary families! My name is Dr. Jamie Udaka and I am excited to be serving as the full-time school psychologist here this year. In my role, I work with students, teachers, and families to support learning, behavior, and social-emotional growth.

Each month, I’ll share a quick tip or resource to help support your child’s success at school and at home.

Tip of the Month: Creating Predictable Routines Children do best when they know what to expect. Routines help reduce stress and create smoother mornings and evenings. Try these strategies:

• Bedtime & Wake-Up – Stick to a regular sleep schedule, even on weekends. Our kids need 9–12 hours of sleep!
• Morning Checklist – Post a “to do list” with pictures (brush teeth, get dressed, pack backpack) so your child can independently follow the steps. You can put it up near the door or in an easily accessible place.
• Family Calendar – Post a weekly calendar on the fridge or on the wall and spend 5 minutes on Sundays reviewing the week so your kids can see what is coming up and feel prepared.
• After-School Reset: Supporting Kids Once They Get Home Afternoons after school can be tough—kids have been “holding it together” all day. Give children structured time to recharge with activities that aren’t school-related.
• Movement Break: Encourage a walk, bike ride, or a game of tag outside. Physical activity helps release built-up energy.
• Creative Outlet: Provide drawing supplies, Legos, or music time. This gives kids a way to express themselves and decompress.
• Snack & Chat: Share a healthy snack and let your child talk about their day without pressure—sometimes listening is all they need.
• Quiet Time: Offer 15–20 minutes of independent play, reading, or just relaxing. This helps them transition from “school mode” to “home mode.” Resource: Back to school sleep tips (National Sleep Foundation):– Children’s sleep guidelines.

Contact Info: Jamie Udaka, PhD (Itsuko.udaka@fcps.org)

Click the button below for this month's Judy Center newsletter!

Information about bus status and delays can be found here. The page refreshes every 60 seconds.

Please reach out if you have any questions/concerns/needs... whatever it takes - we're here to help!

Lots of Lincoln Love!

Email: Crosby.Blair@fcps.org
Website: https://education.fcps.org/lnes/home
Location: 200 Madison Street, Frederick, MD
Phone: 227.203.1580