Hello Lincoln Community,
We hope you and your family enjoyed Thanksgiving! This week we welcomed back our students and jumped right into learning about math, reading & writing, science & social studies, social & emotional learning, and more. It was good to be back together to reconnect, meet a few students who are new to our school, and have a full 5-day week of learning.
School Board Presentation and a Lincoln Visit: On Tuesday, November 26, our Lincoln administrator team had the opportunity to present for the Woodburn School District School Board. We highlighted several amazing students and staff who are some of our many exceptional learners and educators here at Lincoln. We also had the chance to talk about what we're working on here at Lincoln, our school goals, how we're working to improve, and some of the key strategies we're using. Additionally, yesterday (12/5) some of the School Board members, plus Superintendent Larios, came to Lincoln and spent time in classrooms, met with our student council, ate a school lunch, and got to experience our school in action. We have information and pictures included in this Newsletter that highlight these events.
Also this Week: We were back to spending time together at Community Meeting, our school choir performed at a local elderly care facility, and we hosted the Title III family night. Further, one of our District's social workers, Mr. José Arredondo came and shared a presentation with our staff on the keys to listening in a way that validates our students. It was powerful to deepen our learning about this and practice together through some role play scenarios.
In this Newsletter: This edition is full of important information about everything from state testing to the Flash Alert system, from Sense of Belonging to a reminder of our District's Integrated Plan, and our 2023-2024 School and District Report Cards. Also, please be sure to see the important dates so you can know what's ahead, including next week's Site Council meeting (12/9), Picture Retake Day (12/10), and the Winter Fest Family Event which is on the 18th of December.
Questions: As always, please feel free to send your questions or feedback to us at teresa.alfaro@woodburnsd.org or pmcdougal@woodburnsd.org. Go Dolphins!
Sincerely,
Teresa Alfaro - Principal
Peter McDougal - Assistant Principal
Thank you to the French Prairie Kiwanis for donating OBOB books to Lincoln again this year. So far we have 35 fourth and fifth grader students participating in Oregon Battle of the Books at Lincoln this year. Each team reads 16 books. In February, they will battle to see which team knows the most about the books they have read. To find out more about OBOB, go to oregonbattleofthebooks.org or contact Mrs. Kent -kkent@woodburnsd.org
12/9 - Site Council Meeting
12/10 - Picture Retake Day
12/12 - 3rd-5th Grade Community Meeting (every Thursday)
12/13 - K-2nd Community Meeting (every Friday)
12/18 - Winter Fest Family Event - 6:00 -7:30
12/20
- PBIS Assembly
- Spirit Day - Pajama Day
12/23 - Winter Break Begins - No School
1/6 - Teacher Work Day - No School
1/7 - Professional Development Day - No School
1/8 - School Resumes - First Day of School for Students in 2025
Feeling Important
After reviewing our sense of belonging survey, we've noticed that it would be good to help our students better understand how important each of them are here at Lincoln. With that in mind, during a recent leadership meeting, our team discussed what the concept of feeling important may mean for our students. Afterwards, we promoted this sense of importance by reviewing the following questions with them.
- What do you understand by being important?
- What makes you feel important in school?
- Can you share a time when you felt valued by a teacher or classmate?
- What changes would you like to see to help you feel more important here?
We then collected student insights and feedback to inform us as we continue to create and refine the strategies we use to support our students effectively.
Morning Affirmation
Also, after reviewing our data, we identified a strategy to help our students grow in their self-management skills. Starting last Monday, alongside saying the Pledge of Allegiance, we began to incorporate daily affirmations into our routine.
- I am amazing
- I am smart
- I am kind
- I am important
- I am loved
- I will do my best today!
If you would like automatic Woodburn School District notifications related to closures and delays, you can register to receive email or cell text messages by clicking on the link below and following the steps listed. See also the link below for a video tutorial.
Registration Instructions:
Create an account.
- Click on link.
- Then enter your email address and click "Subscribe".
- You will be asked to confirm your email address and set a password.
- Then click "Create your Account"
- Portland/Vanc/Salem.
- Marion Co. Schools (3).
- Woodburn Sch. Dist. Then press "Subscribe" button.
- You may add one or two more email or text message addresses. Choose the type of message and enter the address. If it is a cell text address, select the carrier that the phone uses.
- After you have added the addresses, click on "Click here to send validation message".
- The system will send a three letter code to each address (by email or text), which must be entered into the account page to confirm that address is correct. Then click "Update".
- When addresses are validated, you may click "Log Out" at the top right.
What is the Integrated Plan? The Woodburn School District - Integrated Plan is a framework designed to ensure that our District is focused on equity, academic achievement, and the well-being of all students. Whether it's improving curriculum, enhancing mental health support, or creating safe learning environments, this plan lays the foundation for lasting success.
Please Review our Plan: A link to access the Integrated Plan is provided here:
It includes links for the Slide Deck in English, Spanish, and Russian. It also provides informational videos, as well as the Survey in multiple languages.
Provide Feedback: Additionally, we would like to get your input to help us identify priorities for the 2025-27 District Integrated Plan and our School Improvement Plan.
Please complete this survey. You can read the questions or you can listen to the questions.
Recently the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) released the At-A-Glance School and District Profiles. Statewide, the At-A-Glance and District Profiles show more students on track to graduate and an increase in student attendance. Here at Lincoln, compared to the 2022-24 school year, the data shows an increase in student attendance and a slight drop in academic performance. We've linked in access to the PDFs below. They include the following:
- Lincoln Elementary School
- LES - 2023-24 At-A-Glance Profile (English)
- LES - 2023-24 At-A-Glance Profile (Spanish)
- LES - 2023-24 ESSA Accountability Details Report
- Woodburn School District
- WSD - 2023-24 At-A-Glance Profile (English)
- WSD - 2023-24 At-A-Glance Profile (Spanish)
- WSD - 2023-24 ESSA Accountability Details Report
As we continue to grow our school and focus on continual improvement, our school-wide goals focus on the following areas:
- Sense of Belonging
- Attendance
- Reading
By striving to accomplish these goals, over the coming years we anticipate improved student academic performance, steadily increasing attendance, and a school community where students grow in the feeling of a strong sense of belonging.
In this important work, we truly appreciate the partnership we share with our families. Educating the whole child, focusing on attendance, reading, and sense of belonging is greatly enhanced as we work together, families and educators. Evidence such as the 95% attendance rate at parent conferences and improved student attendance are indicators that together we are on the right track. Thank you, families!
Woodburn School District is committed to preparing every learner with academic knowledge and skills necessary for success beyond high school. Oregon’s statewide assessments in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics are fully aligned to Oregon’s State Standards and provide students in grades 3-8 and 11, along with their families, one measure of academic achievement and growth. Assessment results identify your child’s strengths and areas for improvement in English Language Arts and Math. Each subject will be broken into categories and will show how well your child performed in each area. The assessments measure student learning on a scale that allows for comparisons across time.
While no single assessment can give a complete picture of your child’s progress, having your child take the statewide assessments provides educators, administrators, and parents with one source of information about what educational approaches are working and where additional resources may be needed. The data from state assessments helps inform district systems, supports and professional development for educators. Your child’s participation is important to ensure our schools receive the targeted resources they need to help all students succeed. Lincoln Elementary will share your child’s scores with you at the end of the current school year or the beginning of the next to help support your child’s success as they move from grade to grade.
Each year throughout the Woodburn School District we distribute the Student-Parent Handbook. This is an important resource that provides information about rights and responsibilities, expectations and accountability, and systems and procedures. It's linked here in English, Spanish, and Russian.
- English: Student-Parent Handbook
- Español: Manual Para Estudiantes y Padres
- Russian: Руководство для учеников и родителей
This year we are continuing to pay close attention to ensuring that children are present at school regularly, because Every Day Matters.
Setting High Goals: We're focusing on attendance because last year 58% of our students were regular attenders (attended more than 90% of the days) and 42% were chronically absent (attended less than 90% of the days). The 58% was an improvement from the previous year when we had 51% of our students who were regular attenders. For the current school year our school leadership has set the goal to improve from 58% up to 70%. WE CAN DO IT!
So Important: There's a very strong correlation between good attendance and student success in school. Please see the visual below for more information.
Safe Oregon. Feel Safe. Be Safe.
Remember, if you see something, say something. If you become aware of a safety concern please report it to our school office at 503-981-2925 or anytime of the day.
You can also report it to SafeOregon.com or call or text 1-844-472-3367 to report it. SafeOregon gives students, parents, schools, and their communities a way to report safety issues or threats confidentially or anonymously with a simple phone call, text, email or by using the web form or mobile app.
