Dear Families,

As with each year, we have some team members that will be transitioning from Lincoln Eliot to new ventures:

• Ms. Laurie Conde; ESL: will be moving to the Franklin School
• Ms. Jackie Mahoney; ESL: will be moving to Memorial Spalding
• Dr. Patsy Tsang; will be relocating to Singapore
• Ms. Heather Humphries; Learning Center: will be moving to Cabot School.

The above-mentioned staff members will be greatly missed and have been instrumental in ensuring our students have received a rigorous, dynamic and fun education. Please join me in wishing them the best of luck on their journeys.

Mark your Calendar:

• June 12^th: Celebration Day: 10:00- 12:00
• Thursday, June 14^th: International Night 5:30 – 7:00
• Friday, June 22^nd: last day of school: 12:00 dismissal time

• We are doing a great job collecting BoxTops this year – so far over $300.  As you do your spring cleaning and wrap things up before school ends, please remember to bring in your BoxTops to the main office or send them in to your classroom teacher. Don’t forget to collect over the summer for our fall Boxtops submission. Every Boxtop counts! Thanks for supporting Lincoln-Eliot!

• Updates from the HHS Commissioner, Deborah Youngblood
• Before you head off into summer mode, I wanted to share a few updates particularly relevant to families with school-age children.
• Smartphones: Thinking of getting your student a smartphone this summer? This letter targeted to elementary school families highlights research and resources available to help parents navigate this decision in the context of their own family’s values and circumstances. Additional information relevant to students of all ages is available on the Newton Public Schools website, including suggested guidelines from Newton-Wellesley Hospital.
• Summer Food: Backpacks filled with a few meal’s worth of nonperishable items will be available this summer for students at locations throughout Newton. The program – a collaboration between the Church of the Redeemer’s FUEL program and the city is an effort to bridge the food gap for students who may rely on school breakfast and lunch during the year. Backpacks may include bread, peanut butter, canned fish, and canned fruits and vegetables. Nut-free bags can be requested. The locations include: Health and Human Services Department, Church of the Redeemer, West Suburban YMCA, The Boys & Girls Club, Crystal Lake, Gath Pool, Newton Free Library, and many more!
• What’s in Your Medicine Cabinet? Be a part of the solution to the opioid epidemic. Misuse of prescription drugs is a common way for teens and adults to start down the road of addiction. The most typical place young people get access to prescription drugs is their home medicine cabinet. A few simple steps taken by adults can have a significant impact. Immediately and safely dispose of unused medication. Two Newton locations are available year-round: the Newton Police Station and Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Here are additional tips, and specific addresses and resources.

Arrival and Drop Off

Morning drop off and afternoon pick up continue to be unsafe and chaotic. I wanted to take a moment to remind you of the city of Newton’s blue zone regulations in an effort to ensure a smooth arrival and dismissal. Thank you for your cooperation.

The Blue Zone: School Drop-off and Pick-up Zones

The city of Newton has created designated drop-off and pick-up areas at many schools in the city. These school drop off and pick up zones have been created and authorized by city ordinance #19-179 and are commonly referred to as “Blue-Zones”.

School drop-off and pick-up zones were designed to allow for improved traffic flow and safer drop off and pick up of students. School drop off zones are in effect Monday through Friday on days that school is in session. The ordinance specifically states:

• No vehicle may park in a school drop off zone from 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start of school until the scheduled start of school.
• No vehicle may park in a school drop off zone from one hour prior to the scheduled end of school until 30 minutes after the scheduled end of school.

• Vehicles may stop in the school drop off zone during the above restricted times to engage in the dropping off or picking up of passengers, which shall not be permitted for a period of longer than one (1) minute. Parking is allowed in a school drop off zone outside of restricted times.

 

For these drop off and pick up zones to work correctly, the following must occur:

• No vehicles may be parked or left unattended in a school drop off zone during the restricted times. This includes parents waiting for their child to come out of or go into the school.
• No illegally parked vehicles can be waiting near the school, for example in restricted parking areas, within corners, blocking driveways,bus stops, etc.

• Parents should not pick up students when double or tripled parked.
• Students must enter and exit on the sidewalk side of the vehicle.
• Other parking restrictions around the school area must be enforced.

Dogs:

Dogs are not allowed on school property but we have come up with a plan that should work for all. If you choose to walk your dog to school at arrival and dismissal times, you and your dog must wait by the Flagpole on the corner of Pearl St and Jackson Rd. Make sure to inform your child’s teacher that you give permission for your child to walk to the Flagpole area on his/her own. It is imperative that you talk with your child to create a plan in case you are late. Make sure to communicate that plan to your child’s teacher.

• Parking is challenging at Lincoln Eliot but please do not park in the teacher’s parking lot at pick up time. Due to safety concerns, we need to keep the fire lane clear and teachers and other staff members are sometimes blocked in. Thank you for your cooperation.
• FORJ (Families Organizing for Racial Justice) is a coalition of school-aged families in Newton coming together to teach our children – and ourselves – how to stand up for racial equality. Each school in the district has a team of parents organizing FORJ and the Lincoln-Eliot team is looking for more parents who are interested in enhancing our diverse community through this race, culture, and identity work. If you’re interested in learning more about FORJ at Lincoln-Eliot, please contact L-E parent Lanni Isenberg, lanni_harris@yahoo.com

Click here for the FORJ Newton Facebook page, which includes info on FORJ Newton events.

 

A few reminders from previous weeks

• Arrival and Dismissal:
• Arrival and dismissal time has become a bit chaotic and dangerous at times. As a result, I am asking you to please adhere to the following to ensure the safety of all scholars:
• Students should only be let out of the car on the curbside of the street never into the street.
• The blue zone (on both Pearl Street and Jackson Road) is a no parking zone; it should be used for quick drop off and pick up only
• If coming from the Capital Street area, please cross students at the Pearl/Jackson light in the designated crosswalk; not in front of cars on Jackson Street.
• The fire lane in the staff parking lot is a no parking zone

• In an effort to ensure student safety, we are asking for parents and teachers to remind students NOT to climb through the bushes in the front of the school when entering or exiting the building. Thank you for your assistance with this matter.

• Please notify the office if you have a change of address or phone number. It is important to have up to date contact information in the case of an emergency.