The Weekly Update #4

Lincoln's fourth grade students were able to star in the opera, Beauty and the Beast, earlier this month. A special thank you to Lincoln's Family Teacher Partnership for financially supporting this great event. The entire school was able to watch the performance and see our student's sing and perform.

5- Spring Picture Day (*students without a photo form will not be photographed)

6- Elementary String Recital for Orchestra students at 3:40 pm

11- No School for Students. Teacher professional development day

13- FTP Meeting- virtual at 6:15pm

15- Cops and Kids reading program with K and 1

15- High School NHS students visit with our 5th grade students

19- Culver's Night 4-7 pm

20- STEAM Night in the Lincoln Gym 5-7 pm

22- Family Friday Assembly- Wear your Lincoln gear!

23- April 2- Spring Break

April 2- No Students- Teacher PD

April 3- Classes resume

It was the most difficult battle in the history of the Battle for the Books! Six student teams competed along with a teacher team on Friday afternoon, February 16.

After 20 questions there was a tie between the Book Nerds (fourth graders Lyonel Hernandez, Audrey Bleck and Sloane Callahan) with returning champs the fifth grade team of Returning Rhinos (JJ DeLazzer, Camden Kachel, Owen Pinzino and Zeb Davis). It took 5 more questions in a sudden death match before the Returning Rhinos were victorious with their second win in as many years. Congratulations to all students that participated in the event.

Battle of the Books is a team competition where teams answer questions about the books by providing the book title and author as answers. In October teams are formed and practice begins. The teams are given 40 books to read as a team. On the day of the competition teams are given a sheet with the book titles and authors to use to answer to questions. Teams receive 1 point for the correct book and an additional point for the correct author.

There are a lot of fun things happening in the Lincoln art room right now! Our amazing student teacher, Miss Templeman from UW-Whitewater, has been lead teaching all of the classes for the past few weeks. She will be with us until Spring Break.

Currently, students are pausing work on their normal lessons and creating their one ceramic piece of the year. Miss Templeman came up with fun ideas for each grade level to create- the students can't wait to show you their clay pieces!

There is a small mural going up in the office which is being worked on by a handful of 5th grade students after school. We are excited to see this project come together.

There will be a 4th and 5th grade after school art club starting on March 14th- application forms are available in the art room and are due to Mrs. Belzer by March 5th. Art Club is run by Mrs. Belzer and Mrs. Dominguez and will take place Thursdays after school- 4pm in the art room.

Kindergarten students show success during the math workplaces. Each lesson students get to use their math skills and rotate through different stations to enhance the math they are learning.

Dear Parent/Guardian:

Wisconsin students in grades 3, 4, and 5, will be participating in the Wisconsin Forward assessment during the Spring testing window. State assessments, including the Forward , are required by both State (Wis. Stat. § 118.30) and Federal ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) (Every Student Succeeds Act) Law. Our school is scheduled to take the Forward assessment between March 18 and April 26.

Third and fifth grade students will be tested in Math and ELA. Students in fourth grade will be tested in Math, ELA, Science and Social Studies. One or more subtests may be administered daily during our selected time frame. Students not in school on testing days will be scheduled for a make-up test prior to the close of the testing window.

Below is Information for Families that gives more information about the assessment. The Forward assessment measures the knowledge and skills students should have for their grade-level. Students’ performance on the assessment will not affect their grades. Please encourage your child to do the best they can. The results of these tests will be used to help school staff make determinations regarding curriculum, placement, and services to best support students.

If you have any questions, please contact me at (262)472-8500.

Thank you,

Brad Gefvert, Principal

Many elementary school parents may question if their children are experiencing anxiety. Childhood fears are a normal part of growing up. Fear and worry are emotions that all people experience, and they help keep people safe from harm. When a child’s fears or worries become excessive or when they occur over an extended period of time then you may be seeing anxiety. Anxiety can vary in intensity and can range from mild to severe. It’s important to keep in mind that there is a lot of variation in what is thought of as anxious behavior. Anxiety is the most common behavioral health disorder among children and adolescents. The literature tells us that parents reported approximately 6% of children ages 6-11 and 10% of children ages 12-17 were diagnosed with anxiety. Included is a resource that may provide you some information and things to look for.

• Students walking home afterschool should not be playing on the playground afterschool. These students should start walking home right after the afternoon bell.
• Please refrain from dropping off students at the front entrance (Door #1) in the morning. Feel free to park in the lot and walk your student to the main entrance if you would like to use the main entrance.

Lincoln makes a special effort to ensure that all students fully benefit from their education by attending school regularly. Student attendance is an essential first step for students to learn. The pandemic created many barriers for students, and we want you to know that our school is committed to supporting your child to attend and access their education. Your child’s future is our first priority, and we want to partner with you to ensure their success.

There is a lot of data that shows significant effects from poor attendance. Missing 10 percent (just two days a month or about 18 days in a year) increases the chance that your student will not read or master math at the same level as their peers. Poor attendance can also have a negative effect on social and emotional development.

WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU

We miss your child when they are not in school and we value their contributions to our school and classroom community. We would like you to help ensure that your student attends regularly and is successful in school.

OUR PROMISE TO YOU

We know that there are a wide variety of reasons that students are absent from school, from health concerns to transportation challenges. There are many people in our building prepared to help you if you or your student face challenges in getting to school regularly or on time. We want to help!

WHAT YOU CAN DO

• Set a regular bedtime and morning routine.

• Prepare for school the night before, finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep.

• Keep a copy of the school calendar on the refrigerator or somewhere visible in your home to keep track of school days after breaks.

• Follow our district and state health guidelines on when to keep your child home due to illness.

• Avoid appointments and extended trips when school is in session.

• Keep track of your student’s attendance. Missing more than 10 days could put your student at risk of falling behind.

• Talk to your student about the importance of attendance.

• Talk to your students’ teachers if you notice sudden changes in behavior. These could be tied to something going on at school.

• Encourage meaningful afterschool activities, including sports, clubs, and family engagement activities

Can we get to 94% in March?

Greetings WWUSD Parents,

The Whitewater FFA is again sponsoring a Donkey Basketball game at the Whitewater High

School gymnasium on March 7 th at 7:00pm. The event is great family fun and no one goes home

without a big dose of laughter.

Proceeds this year will benefit the many activities of your Whitewater High School FFA chapter.

Players will actually be riding donkeys while they play basketball against one another. The

donkeys are not always cooperative which makes the games more exciting. There will be four

teams competing. Teams will include the Whitewater FFA, Milton FFA, School district staff, and

the East Troy FFA.

During half time of the event, students under sixth grade will be allowed to ride donkeys as time

allows.

Tickets for the event are $7 in advance and $10 at the door. Advance tickets are available from

FFA members, Banco Insurance located in First Citizens Bank or please call the high school

agriscience department at 472-8177.

We hope you can come and enjoy the show.

Mr. Paul Majors

Agriscience/Natural Resources Instructor

Whitewater High School

534 S. Elizabeth St.

Whitewater, WI 53190

pmajors@wwusd.org

262-472-8177 work – direct line

Thanks to Zeb for reading the student school board report at the February board meeting. He did a great job highlighting all of the great activities going on in each of the buildings.

Dr. Tooth was able to visit the first grade classrooms this past week. They were able to teach the students the importance of brushing and taking care of their teeth.

Lincoln Elementary School welcomed Governor Tony Evers on Thursday, February 15. The Governor’s time was limited, so he was only able to visit one of the three elementary schools collectively implementing new literacy programming and practices aligned with the Science of Reading (SOR) and supporting our multilingual students. However, “It was an honor to have Governor Evers visit Lincoln Elementary and witness firsthand the incredible impact the programming and practice aligned with the Science of Reading program is making in our elementary schools,” said Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty, Superintendent of the Whitewater Unified School District. “Our staff have been instrumental in enhancing our student's literacy skills and providing them with the foundation for lifelong learning. We appreciate the governor stopping by to share in this success.”

Since adopting the SOR program in the fall, all three elementary schools have seen notable advancements in student literacy outcomes. Recent data from the school's Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills assessment (DIBELS) reveal positive trends in students' foundational skills, including fluency and comprehension.

The DIBELS assessments, administered to elementary students in September 2023 as part of the transition to the SOR-aligned instructional model, serve as a benchmark for measuring progress in literacy development. Students underwent reassessment in January 2024, four months after the program’s implementation, to monitor the impact of the new SOR-aligned approach.

Thank you to all of the families that supported and bought books at the book fair. Book Fairs take place in our school district in the fall and the spring. They are matched up with Parent Conferences so that parents can easily attend. Book Fairs are fundraisers. In the fall, the money that is raised goes toward helping build teachers' classroom libraries as well as supporting each building's library.

In the spring, profits are given back to the students through reading incentives they can choose to participate in. This year we had 199 students take advantage of their book fair dollars earned. If they read 400 minutes they earned $7.00 for the book fair, and if they read 800 minutes they earned $14.00. We gave back $2282 in books to our students at Lincoln Elementary.

Our FTP also supported our students by giving our teachers money to build their classroom libraries. Their donation of nearly $3000.00 made it possible for every teacher in the building to add new books to their classroom library to share with their students.

Book Fair profits also help fund our classroom libraries, reading incentives, Battle of the Books program, our elementary book giveaway program, raffle baskets at events and improvements to all of our libraries. Thank you to all of the families that support us with their purchases!

The Fort Atkinson Regional Science and Engineering Fair is open to all students K-12. This is a great opportunity to delve into a topic of your choice. Students will be able to explore, research, analyze, and present their findings on April 14th. Science Fair projects will need to be completed at home on students' own time with transportation to/from fair provided by families. If your student would like to participate in this event and needs support in ideation, planning, or feedback please contact Ms. Nelson at nelca01@wwusd.org. This is a great opportunity for curious and innovative minds!