PANTHER PROGRESS

Welcome back and happy new year! I hope you had a restful break and enjoyed your time with family and friends. I am grateful to have spent time with my two sons who were home from college! I’m excited to get back to school and start the new year off with courage and commitment. A new year is a powerful opportunity to reset, refocus, and build new habits that help us learn, grow, and be our best self.

As I reflected on a goal to commit to for the upcoming year, I thought about ways to increase joy while building stronger connections with students and staff. The place I find the most joy at work is when I’m in the classrooms, watching our amazing teachers provide instruction to our Lincoln Panthers. I commit to spending more time in classrooms this next semester!

I encourage you to reflect on a simple plan for forming positive new habits with your family. Research shows that lasting change doesn’t come from big, dramatic goals, but from small, consistent actions. One helpful framework comes from James Clear’s book Atomic Habits, which emphasizes a few key ideas:

• Start small. Tiny improvements, repeated daily, add up over time. Even five focused minutes of reading or practicing math facts can make a difference.

• Make habits easy and obvious. Setting out materials ahead of time, and linking new habits to existing routines (for example, reading before bedtime) helps habits stick.

• Celebrate progress. Recognizing effort and consistency builds motivation and confidence.

Thank you for your continued support as we begin the year together. We’re excited for what’s ahead and look forward to a positive, productive second half of the school year.

Warm regards,
Kim Brandenburg - Assistant Principal

As noted in the December Panther Progress, we've welcomed two new staff members to our team! Mrs. Chavez is our new Administrative Secretary in the front office and Mrs. Pardo is our new Community Liaison. Make sure to tell them "hello" when you see them around the building!

• January 8: STEM Night 5 - 7pm (flier below)
• January 15: Panther Advisory Council 5 - 6:30pm (details below)
• MLK, Jr. Award Ceremony @ TJ High School 7pm
• January 16: 2 hour early dismissal (students dismiss at 1:30pm)
• January 19: No School (MLK, Jr. Day)
• January 20: No School (Teacher Work Day)

Congratulations to our 5th grader, Sophia Vendemmia, for winning the annual Dr. King award! A student from each FCPS school is chosen to be recognized. Students were selected through teacher and student nominations based on their demonstration of positive leadership qualities, such as: responsibility, caring, fairness, trustworthiness, citizenship and respect. The ceremony will be held on Thursday, January 15th at Gov. Thomas Johnson High School at 7pm.

The staff at Lincoln Elementary School are excited to share our nomination for Megan Sutherland, Intermediate Math Specialist, as our Teacher of the Year. Megan was nominated by multiple staff members and our administrative team is in full agreement she is deserving of this recognition.

In addition to Megan’s role as math specialist, she is a SIP Co-Chair, Targeted Collaborative Planning Teacher Leader and Title I documentation specialist. But it is beyond these titles where the real impact of Megan’s work lies.

Megan is a "Teacher's Teacher." She collaboratively plans for instruction alongside grade level teachers, facilitating her own small groups, Success groups and intervention groups. She co-teaches our 5th Grade Pathways students. She knows what is needed to make a successful math classroom function on a daily basis. She has a depth of knowledge of the elementary math curriculum by grade level, recognizing both the prerequisite skills and new learning which need to be embedded within each day’s lesson. She understands how to leverage instructional resources while focusing on responding to individual student needs. She is supporting our school’s focus on how these pieces fall into place through scaffolding, inclusive practices and collective teacher efficacy.

In short, we are lucky to have Megan at Lincoln. Congratulations!!

Each grade level has created their own newsletters! Instead of linking the monthly standards, we will now include a link to each newsletter. These newsletters are also sent every two weeks directly from teachers via Talking Points. If you need a paper copy of the newsletter, please contact your child's teacher.

*Due to winter break, some teams have not had the chance to update their newsletter yet. They will be updated soon and sent to families directly.*

Use the link below to see each grade level's academic standards and assessments schedule:

Academic Standards and Assessments

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)

• Pull forward to the end of the car rider loop so we can fit as many cars inside the parking lot and off of the street.
• Wait in your car for your student. Students stay in a line order and will walk to their car.
• If you need to buckle your child into a car seat or help them with a seat belt, please pull through the line and park before helping them.

We appreciate your attention to the items above! It helps keep our line moving quickly and safely.

Occasionally, inclement weather requires FCPS to close, delay opening or dismiss early. Closing and delay decisions involve careful evaluation of a variety of factors in a short time period. Whenever possible, decisions are made by 5am for morning closures/delays and by 10am for early closings. Check the FCPS Closings and Delays webpage for more information.

*Please note - individual schools do not make closing or delay decisions. Those are made by the FCPS Central Office team. Also, while we send a Talking Points notification as a courtesy, we highly recommend signing up for notifications directly from FCPS.

For the third year in a row, we will be participating in the Frederick County Spelling Bee! Students in grades 2 - 5 were invited to participate. The first round is at the class level, then the grade level and then the school level. Family members of those that progress through the rounds will be notified. Our Spelling Champion will represent Lincoln at the county competition at Hood College in March.

We're excited to announce that we've partnered with an organization called "All For Lunch" to help keep our school lunch debt free. 100% of tax-deductible donations will go directly towards eliminating debt and donors receive an automated receipt through email. Please help us spread the word!

https://allforlunch.org/LincolnESmd/

Update - We've raised over $1400 so far!

We understand many families may be facing food insecurity at this time. We've compiled a list of local food banks to assist. Email our Community School Coordinator at Crosby.Blair@fcps.org if your family is in need of assistance.

Did you know that our students can be nominated for a positive referral each month? Students that demonstrate consistent good behavior and exhibit any of our habits of learning (self-advocating, practicing social responsibility, demonstrating perseverance and having a learning mindset) celebrate with an extra recess at the end of each month. We had 96 students nominated in December. Each student that is nominated also receives a certificate to take home. Great job!

Current Attendance Rates

• Whole School: 94.5% (The FCPS goal is 96%)
• PreK: 92.5%
• Kindergarten: 93.1%
• First: 94.7%
• Second: 95.8%
• Third: 94.9%
• Fourth: 95.2%
• Fifth: 94.9%

Current Chronic Absence Rate: 15.1% (Our school goal is to be lower than 15%)

Regular school attendance is important for a student's academic and behavioral success. We need your help! Please make sure your child is coming to school regularly unless they are sick. Per FCPS policy, anytime a student is absent, the school must receive written documentation from the guardian and/or medical provider. Written communication can be in the form of an email, a Talking Points message, or a hand written note. Our ratings on the Maryland School Report Card are heavily impacted by our attendance rates. Reach out to our Community School Coordinator at Crosby.Blair@fcps.org with any attendance questions or needs.

• C. Burr Artz Library monthly program: January
• Family Partnership Parent Education Groups (Tuesdays from 6 - 8pm)

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.

Be a part of our PAC to help us improve our school environment and our learning community! Our next meeting is Thursday, December 15th from 5-6:30pm.

ALL PARENTS AND GUARDIANS ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND!

Please email Crosby.Blair@fcps.org to RSVP.

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

• 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

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

• Mrs. Groveman (Counselor) grades 3-5 Tiffany.Groveman@fcps.org

• Mrs. Quill (Counselor) 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 support Squad would like to thank our families for their efforts to reinforce the concepts we are teaching about social and emotional learning. You can go to our website for videos we have created for you and your children to teach them about the importance of brain and body regulation.

As we begin a new year, we encourage families to try one new thing that will benefit their children emotionally and academically - read aloud to them. Pick a favorite book from your own childhood, a chapter book, and each night take time to sit together and read the book out loud to your child.

Even better if it's before bedtime. All devices off. Just the sound of your voice. Your child will sleep better, you will find a connection to your memories from childhood, and when you read out loud to your child, their brain makes connections to their own ability to read.

So for 2026....go find your favorite book, your mom's favorite book, something special. Then take 10 minutes before bed each night to read to your child(ren). We would LOVE to hear from those who try it.

You and your children are a gift to us. We are grateful for you every day.

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

If you are in need of health insurance Caseworkers at Frederick County Health Department can assist you. Staff are onsite to help complete the application, educate about Medicaid benefits and help find a provider.

Frederick County Health Department

Health Care Connection Division

350 Montevue Lane Frederick, MD 21702

1st Floor Entrance A (look for the blue flag)

Walk-in hours available (subject to change) Monday-Thursday 8am-3pm Friday 8am-12pm

Contact Lincoln's health room with any questions 227-203-1580

Happy New Year! The start of a new year is a great time to focus on learning and growth. Children’s confidence and motivation can be strengthened when they understand that abilities and skills aren’t fixed—they can improve with effort, practice, and persistence. Supporting a growth mindset helps kids see challenges as opportunities, rather than setbacks, and encourages them to keep trying even when tasks feel difficult. For families, this means praising effort, strategies, and progress instead of only outcomes. When children feel safe to make mistakes and learn from them, they are more likely to take on new challenges, develop resilience, and enjoy the process of learning.

Tip of the Month: The Power of “Yet” - Challenges are opportunities

• Reframe Mistakes – When your child makes a mistake, you can say, “Mistakes help your brain grow,” so they learn that errors are part of learning, not something to be afraid of.
• Use ‘Yet’ – Encourage your child by saying, “You can’t do this yet, but you’re learning,” to help them understand that skills develop over time and persistence matters.
• Praise Effort – Notice hard work by saying, “I like how you kept trying,” which reinforces that trying and practicing is just as important as the result.
• Share Your Struggles – Tell your child about something you had to work hard to learn, so they see that everyone faces challenges and keeps growing.

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

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

Information about bus status and delays can be found using the button below. The page refreshes every 60 seconds.

Also, please be reminded of the Maryland laws surrounding school bus safety: English; Spanish

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