Lincoln Eliot Community Reading Day: Lincoln-Eliot celebrated Read Across America Week from February 29-March 4. Read Across America Week is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for children and adults to celebrate reading. Motivating our students to read has a positive impact on their achievement and creates lifelong successful readers.
Last Friday morning, members of our community joined us and read to individual classes. Our “Readers” are from diverse backgrounds and represent different roles in our lives. One thread that unites us is a book or story that brings us fond memories. It is inspiring to see a member of our community share a favorite story.
Our Community Readers included: Beekeeper Rachael Bonoan, Musician Mike Costello, Retired Teacher Linda Crosby, Newton Public Schools Superintendent Dr. David Fleischman, Teacher Tahira Guillermo-Wilson, Baker Andrea Hemment, Virus Researcher Sergio Ita, Musician Zan Lamothe, Newton Literacy Coordinator Deana Lew, Health and Physical Educator Sue Marble, Title 1 Director Robin Norman, Newton Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Cynthia Paris-Jeffries, METCO Counselor Michelle Reddick, EMT Spenser Riley, Artist Michael St Germaine, Tutor Sue Tresca, Mayor of Newton Setti Warren, Newton Public Librarian Deena Zuckerman.

Our celebration was featured in the Newton Tab!

Grade 5 Parents Night:
Grade 5 parents, please save the date, Wednesday, March 30, 6:15-8:30pm, for an orientation meeting to Bigelow Middle School. A flyer with more information about the evening is attached.
NewtonSERVES:
Save the date of Sunday, May 1, 9-12am, for a community service event at Lincoln-Eliot where all volunteers will be working to beautify the school’s grounds. Adult workers are needed, as well as kids ready to work with their parents! We need 50 volunteers. We will be spreading mulch, raking, preparing our school garden, painting the class garden boxes, as well as aiding with other needed outdoor maintenance. Please see attached flyer for more information. Feel free to email Nora at noraziz@gmail.com or Amy at arpollack2@yahoo.com with any questions.

Highlights from Classrooms – Spotlight on Kindergarten!
Mrs. Bradley’s class celebrated students writing their own stories by inviting parents and families into the classroom. Students learned to write a story that they themselves could read as well as others. They have done a remarkable job!

Highlights from Classrooms – Spotlight on Grade 1!
The first graders have just begun their next writing unit, Opinion Writing. In this unit, students will come to know that people sort, rank, categorize, explain, convince, persuade, argue, change and are changed. Through this unit children will learn to write their opinions and give detailed reasons supporting them. They will learn how writers organize their ideas to make their voice clear and convincing. In the first part of the unit students are asked to bring in a collection from home. They will be reviewing their own collections and making choices about which item in the collection is best, giving supporting reasons for their judgments. The collections have come in and the kids COULD NOT be more excited!
Following our collection reviews, students will begin reviewing anything and everything: toys, restaurants, video games, etc. It is so fun to read their persuasive writing, these first graders can be pretty convincing!

Parent Volunteers Needed for Understanding Our Differences
Understanding our Differences is a disabilities awareness curriculum that is delivered to all Newton students in grades 3-5 by parent volunteers.

At least 6 parents are needed on each of the following dates to help lead activities:

• Grade 3 (Deafness/Hard of Hearing) – Friday, April 8th, 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• Grade 4 (Deafness/Hard of Hearing) – Thursday, April 14th, 12:45 – 2:45 p.m.
• Grade 5 (Autism Spectrum Disorders) – TBD, TBD

There is a 1-2 hour time commitment on the day of the unit and 30-60 minutes to train for the unit at your convenience with online materials.

LE 5th Grade Car Wash and SAVERS Donation Drive
DATE: Saturday, April 30, 2016
TIME: TBD
LOCATION: LE Parking Lot
All proceeds benefit the 5th grade camping trip! Please see the attached flyer for more details.