The Lion's Connection
May 2026
From the Principal
Dear Abe Lincoln Families,
Where has the year gone? I can't believe we are already in May and summer is right around the corner! Please take a minute to read about end of year items below.
Lost and Found
Make sure to check out the lost and found items in front of the school! Unclaimed items will be donated on June 5th.
State Testing
Grades 3-5 students are taking their state assessments this month in both Reading and Math. Please ensure your student gets plenty of rest each night and continue to encourage them to do their best!
Student Supplies
Thinking ahead for next school year, I wanted to let you know that we will be providing school
supplies for all students next school year. Items like backpacks, water bottles, computer mice, and
preferred types of headphones are not included though.
Arrival and Dismissal Safety (some changes)
We want to ensure everyone is safe so it is important to follow our drive-thru expectations.
- DO NOT exit your vehicle or allow your student to exit on the driver's side.
- Beginning on Monday, there will be cones with markers that let you know where students will be released to get into cars in the drive thru.
- Please make sure to pull all the way up towards the bike racks when able to allow for a speedier student loading process.
- Students are not to be dropped off in the small parking lot unless you have parked. Stopping to let your student out in the path of exiting the parking lot is dangerous.
- There are no right hand turns from McLoughlin into the drive thru circle. It is impeding southbound traffic. Please make sure you adjust your route to turn left into the drive thru.
Teachers work hard considering many factors when placing students in classes for next year. You are invited to complete this form to provide input for next year. While we ask parents to not make specific teacher requests due to possible changes in teachers' grade levels, we do value your input about the needs of your child. If you would like to provide us with information, please complete this form by May 15th. Only this form will be accepted for input on your student's placement for next year - emails and text messages can be missed.
Thank you for supporting the students and our school. I appreciate you all!
Warm regards,
Sandy Holman, Principal
· Student dress, grooming or hygiene should not cause disruption or act as a safety or health hazard.
· Pants and shorts must stay up without a belt.
· During warm weather, shorts may be worn but they must have a definite leg. “Short-shorts” or “jogger shorts” are not allowed.
· Clothing should not reveal visible undergarments.
· Clothing and accessories may not have any sign of or promote: graffiti, alcohol/drugs, racism, gang affiliation, tobacco, profanity, drug paraphernalia, sexual connotations, or violence.
· No chains, accessories (such as tails) or loose straps hanging from clothing.
· Hats, hoodies or sunglasses are not be worn in school buildings (except as a religious observance/health reason). Hats are allowed on Run Club Wednesdays.
· Shoes must be worn at all times for safety reasons. Students wearing inadequate footwear may be restricted from recess or PE activities (flip flops are not allowed).
If your student arrives at school not adhering to the dress code above, he/she will be reminded of what is acceptable and may be offered a change of clothing or a phone call home to provide parent/guardian the opportunity to bring other acceptable clothing articles.
Did you know that if your student misses 2 weeks (10 school days) per year, by the time they are in 12th grade, they will have missed more than 1/2 a school year or 130 class days. That's a lot of missed learning! We want to come alongside you to support student attendance which includes tardies.
Classes have the ability to earn rewards (extra recess, ice cream or pizza parties, and more) when they meet daily goals of 100% attendance. And if there are no tardies each Wednesday (through the front door by 7:55 AM), Mrs. Holman will dress up on Friday to greet students in the morning! Can we do it???
We are changing the way we reward students for their PAWSitive tickets! Students earn these tickets from staff when they are caught making good choices. In the past, the tickets were placed into a drawing for VIP seating and/or a raffle for prizes.
We are moving towards creating experiences for students. Now they are able to save up their PAWSitives and can "buy" a reward below:
- Maker's Space (Make and Take projects)
- Extra Recess
- Animal Shelter Project (students can "buy" items to help dogs/cats at our local Humane Society - toys, food, treats, etc.; students will have their picture taken with the donation basket, meet one of the animals, and receive a certificate documenting their generosity).
- Computer/Game Time
On the third Thursday of each month, students will participate in the experience they chose to purchase with their tickets.
Please communicate with the office and/or your student's teacher if you change plans for after school BEFORE 2:00 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays, and BEFORE 12:30 on Wednesdays.
These timelines are so we can be sure your student gets notified in time.
We would like to remind families of our No Toys at School policy. Toys can easily become broken, lost, or cause unnecessary distractions from learning. This includes items such as costumes (e.g., tails), LABUBU’s, cars, dolls, and similar items, unless pre-arranged with your child’s teacher for a special activity.
And remember, toys are also not allowed on the playground during recess. Thank you for your support in helping us maintain a safe and focused learning environment for all students.
Please do not send cupcakes or other birthday treats to school with your student. In order to make sure we maintain equity, we celebrate everyone at one time each month. Thank you for your understanding about this issue.
Every month, our PTO provides a special birthday cupcake celebration for all students with birthdays for the month. In May, we also celebrate June birthdays and in September, we celebrate July and August as well.
If your student has invitations for a birthday party, we ask that they are not handed out in class unless the whole class is invited.
For student safety, all volunteers must complete an application and pass a background check. VIM status is valid for two years. For questions specifically about the Official MSD Volunteer Application, becoming a VIM (Volunteer in Medford), or checking your expiration date, please visit the ALE Office, call 541-842-3730, or email AbrahamLincoln@medford.k12.or.us.
Medford District 549c schools are always in the process of identifying students who are academically talented and/or intellectually gifted. Previously identified TAG students remain identified and their services will continue as needed. Students may be nominated for the Talented and Gifted Program (TAG) by the following: national or state test scores, district achievement tests (i-Ready), a teacher, parents, community members, or by self-nomination. After nominations are complete, information will be gathered and a screening committee will screen each student. Students and parents/guardians will be contacted if additional testing is needed. If you wish to obtain information on this program or you have any questions, please contact Sarah Duvall, AP, at Abraham Lincoln Elementary at 541-842-3730, or Becky Sha, the district Talented and Gifted Specialist at 541-842-1043.
Medford School District staff often take photos and videos of students during field trips, school events, sports activities, performances and during classroom instruction to share the work and accomplishments of students. Those accomplishments are shared through the district website, social media, print publications, fliers, and brochures. The district also works with local news media to promote student work, as well as district projects and initiatives. If you do not want your student’s image to be published, please visit your school office to fill out a Publicity Denial form. We will make every effort to protect the privacy of your students. Please note the district cannot guarantee a student’s image will not be published if the student is photographed/videotaped in a large group or crowd setting, such as school assemblies, sports events, and public meetings. Please contact the Communications Department at msd.communications@medford.k12.or.us with any questions.
Both breakfast and lunch are offered at no charge to students for the upcoming school year. Your are welcome to send your student with a lunch as well.
ALE regularly needs substitutes for classified & licensed positions, and we love to have parents as regular subs. You can choose your hours and the school(s) where you want to work. Check out ESS online.
Abraham Lincoln Elementary School
Email: abrahamlincoln@medford.k12.or.us
Website: https://abelincoln.medford.k12.or.us/
Location: 3101 McLoughlin Drive, Medford, OR 97504, USA
Phone: 541-842-3730
