Happy New Year
I hope everyone had a wonderful winter break. At Lincoln-Eliot we got right back into the swing of things the first week back after the winter break. In January we welcome new Lincoln-Eliot families as the start of the school year begins at different times across the globe and there is often movement within the United States.
SAVE THE DATE
January 25th (8:30-9:30 a.m.)
PTO Meeting with Superintendent David Fleishman and School Committee Members: We want to hear from you! Please join Superintendent David Fleishman and members of the Newton School Committee for their annual visit to our school. The meeting will include a brief update on district initiatives, followed by an interactive session to answer your questions and listen to feedback. Light refreshments will be served.
Massachusetts Cultural Arts STARS Residency Grant
Remember the morning of December 4th when you were greeted by drums upon entering the school? They were the Crocodile River Music musicians. This program was such a huge success with the children. The musicians received a standing ovation when they went into the cafeteria to pick up their lunch mid-day. Lincoln-Eliot School received a grant from the Mass Cultural Arts Council to bring Crocodile River Music back for 2 additional drum and movement workshops for grades 1-5 on January 28th and 29th. Stay tuned for highlights.
Potato Hill Poetry
January also brings L-E’s favorite poet Andy Green (Potato Hill Poetry) back to work with grades 2, 4, & 5. This is an annual CASC program that provides a yearly enrichment opportunity over a few years for our students. Andy immerses the students in writing poetry across the grades. See the attached flyer for more details.
Crocodile River Music and Potato Hill Poetry are two of the wonderful programs supported by your PTO contributions.
Traffic and Safety – (I need your help!)
We need everyone’s cooperation to keep morning drop off and afternoon pick up safe for pedestrians and drivers. With the cold winter weather we are seeing more cars using the Blue Zone on Jackson Road.
Please remember:
- Jackson Road is a Blue Zone (a live drop-off area). Lincoln-Eliot staff will be curbside to greet and open car doors for students. In order to create an efficient system, please have your children ready to exit the car on the curbside. Parents will not be allowed to stop, exit the car, and walk their children to the door in the Blue Zone. Children must be ready to hop out of the car. This is a “live drop-off area” only. If you would like to walk your child to their classroom, please park in a designated zone.
- We need to unload as many cars as possible quickly so pull as far forward as possible. DO NOT STOP close to the corner near the fire hydrant. This causes a back-up of cars up into the intersection at the light.
- PLEASE only cross Jackson at the light and crossing guard. It is too dangerous with all the traffic to cross from Capital. Staying safe is worth the extra steps and it teaches your child pedestrian safety.
- Thank you in advance for working together on this. It may take a few extra minutes but your family’s safety is our only concern.
Family Science Night
SAVE THE DATE- Tues. February 23rd.
Lincoln-Eliot is excited to host our second Family Science Night. We are moving into the gym this year to allow for more space based on last year’s participation. We hope every child (and family) work on a science project. Family Science Night is not a competition. Students may work independently, with a partner, or with their family. All participants receive a participation medal. See the attached flyer for details.
Highlights from Classrooms – Spotlight on ELL!
Happy New Year! ELL students continue to listen, speak, read, and write in English in Kindergarten through Grade 5. This month, Kindergartners are becoming readers! Grade 1 is working on sequencing events in a story. Grade 2 is learning about poetry and practicing questions to ask the visiting poet, Andy Green. Grade 2 and Grade 3 have started an information writing unit. Grade 4 is learning new vocabulary and concepts related to the Civil Rights Movement. Grade 5 continues to work on constructive conversation skills, summaries, and research writing related to their unit on survival. All ELL students will also be taking the ACCESS test this month. This year the listening, reading, and speaking parts of the test will be done on computers. Students will practice before the test later this month. Students are excited about this new way to take their annual English language test.
Attention 5th Grade Parents!!
We need your photos! We’re on our way to making the 5th grade yearbook! If you haven’t sent in photos, there is still time!
What we need:
- One baby photo of your child
- Candid photos from field trips, dances, performances, in-class presentations, etc.
Please make sure that your candid school photos are labeled with the grade or year they were taken. Digital photos can be sent to Andrea at ahemment@gmail.com. Need your photos scanned? Please contact Miriam at Miriam.alandydy@gmail.com. All
Community News
Grandparents Raising or Helping to Raise Their Grandchildren
Tuesday, January 12
7:00 – 8:15PM
Education Center (Room 304), 100 Walnut Street, Newton, MA 02458
You are not alone! Meet other grandparents in a similar situation, discuss the joys and challenges of grandparenting and hear what resources may be available to you and your family.
Special guest speaker, Dr Maxine Weinreb, Ed.D, is a psychologist, family therapist, and mental health counselor. Maxine will talk about her work as a consultant to the Children Witness to Violence Project and answer questions about the trauma that grandchildren may have experienced.
For more information or if you need free child care on this night, please contact Beverly 617.559.2062 Beverly_mobilia@newton.k12.ma.us
The City of Newton’s 48th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration –
Monday, January 18
10:00AM
Our Lady of Help Christians Parish, 573 Washington Street, Newton, MA 02458
Program will include performances by Newton’s All City Treble Singers and the Harambee Gospel Choir from Newton South, Essay Readings by student representatives from Bigelow, F.A. Day, and Newton North HS, and the Love Tones from Myrtle Baptist Church.