Lincoln-Eliot’s Music/Band/Chorus Teacher Claudia Pawlikowski emailed 4th and 5th grade families last week to announce that there is a Spring Concert coming up June 7th!
There will be a daytime performance for students only at 10am and an evening performance for families at 6:30pm – both taking place in the LE gymnasium.
Please check your email or contact Claudia Pawlikowski for questions or concerns.
The Newton School Committee will hold a public hearing on the proposed FY23 budget on Monday, April 4, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. Login details are below.
If you wish to speak at this public hearing, please fill out this form:
Form – Request to Speak at Public Hearing
The form will close at 6:00 pm on April 4, 2022. There will be an opportunity to sign up in “real time” during the meeting by using the “raise your hand” feature on Zoom. Speakers will be called in the order in which they signed up, first come-first speak, followed by those who raise their hand during the meeting, or at the discretion of the Chair.
To call into the meeting via Zoom, please follow these instructions:
Zoom meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/390017072
Call-in information: 1-646-558-8656
Call-in meeting ID: 390 017 072
All budget documents can be found here: FY23 Budget Documents Folder.
A presentation on the FY23 budget can be found on this webpage: FY23 Budget Presentation
Our general PTO meeting is happening this Tuesday, April 5th at 6:30 via Zoom. There will be discussion of the recent proposed budget cuts, along with highlights and upcoming events.
Zoom link will be emailed this week ahead of the meeting.
See a full list of activities at GreenNewton.org/EarthDay.
Event will take place rain or shine. Newton’s Earth Day Festival is hosted by Green Newton, the City’s Climate Team, and Newton’s EV Task Force.
Since we weren’t able to have class photos taken in the Fall, Hayward Photography is coming back on Friday, April 29, 2022 to take class photos for each grade and classroom. We hope to have everyone present for the photos!
Lincoln-Eliot 5th Graders…Get your walking shoes on! the 5th L-E Walk-A-Thon for 5th grade fundraising is coming – Friday, April 29!
When is the walk?
The walk-a-thon will take place at Lincoln-Eliot during school hours on Friday, April 29th.
Where is the walk?
Students will walk with their classmates for one hour on the Lincoln-Eliot field.
Why a walk-a-thon?
We need to fundraise throughout the year to bring down the total cost of events for all students. To get the students involved in fundraising, a walk-a-thon is a great way to engage students in raising money while gathering in an activity as a group.
Students will ask people that they know to be a “Sponsor” with a single donation (and not based on laps or minutes walked). Altogether, the 5th grade teams aim to raise $1,000.
Not a 5th grade family but wish to sponsor and show your support? Email secretary@lepto.org on how you can help.
Let’s all wish the 5th grade families and classes good luck on the Walk-A-Thon!
Newton Bike Rodeo
When: Sunday, May 1st
Who: Grades K-6
Where: Newton South High School
Celebrate safe biking in Newton at the Bike Rodeo! MA Safe Routes to Schools instructors will teach and review bike riding skills. Volunteers from Bike Newton will also help teach fun stations including knowing signs and hand signals, how to care for your bike, and more.
This program is geared towards students in Kindergarten through 6th grade at Newton Schools that are comfortable riding a bike independently. In order to participate:
-Each child needs to bring their own bike. Please make sure the bike fits the child and is in usable condition (chain is intact, brakes work, tires are not flat, etc)
-Each child needs to bring and wear a properly fitting helmet.
-Each child must have a parent or adult present for the duration of the program. Adults, we want you to learn the skills your child is learning so you can help to reinforce the skills learned when you go home.
If you’d like your kids to participate, then sign them up ASAP (after 7:00 p.m. when registration opens). Last year registration filled within a few hours!
https://newtonma.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=30165.
Register yourself as a volunteer here to fill out the waiver.
Then sign up to volunteer for a shift or two. The shifts are overlapping so you’ll learn from the prior shift. The first shift will help set up and the final shift will help clean up.
Volunteer Sign-up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084EADA623A1FF2-bike3
The general PTO meeting will be rescheduled again due to a conflict in Principal Morrissey’s schedule. The new time will be Tuesday, April 5th at 6:30 via Zoom. There will be discussion of the recent proposed budget cuts, along with highlights and upcoming events.
Zoom link will be emailed the week of the meeting.
FORJ Elementary School Representative Collaborations
Your FORJ Representative, Lanni Isenberg, will meet with FORJ reps from other Newton Elementary Schools to map out steps for responding to incidents of racial injustice should they happen in our community. While Newton Police are poised to respond to any reports of discrimination or harassment, our goal is to have a network within the schools to provide support and educational resources to address the issue, whether it pertains to a family member, a local neighbor or school or student involvement.
Budget Cuts to Affect Most Recent NPS Hires
Newton Public Schools and Newton Mayor Fuller continue to release details on plans for necessary budget cuts. One major budget-cutting measure will involve eliminating some teaching staff. NPS has made a concerted effort to recruit diverse candidates including LGBTQIA+ and/or teachers of color for staff positions in the last few years. It is important to note that staff members who were hired over the past three years do not have professional status (tenure) yet; they are the most likely to be laid off. Be sure to attend local school committee meetings to let them know Lincoln-Eliot families are paying attention to all planning. There is a public hearing on Zoom on Monday, April 4th and another on Monday, April 11th. Click here to sign up for April 11th. Information about School Committee Meetings can be found here:·https://www.newton.k12.
Women’s History Month Feature: Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Albright (May 15, 1937 – March 23, 2022) was an American diplomat who served as the 64th United States secretary of state from 1997 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. She was the first female secretary of state in U.S. history. Albright immigrated with her family to the United States in 1948 from Czechoslovakia. She attended Wellesley College (right next to Newton) where she worked on the campus newspaper and studied political science. Then, she earned a PhD at Columbia University. Known as a bright, determined and bold person, Albright was skilled at making foreign policy easy to understand for people who aren’t in politics.
FAMILIES ORGANIZING FOR RACIAL JUSTICE (FORJ) is a group of diverse Newton families helping our children learn about issues of power and inequality and how to stand up for racial justice. We seek to generate understanding and curiosity about differences in our society, and to work together towards racial equity.
For more information about FORJ, contact Lincoln-Eliot FORJ PTO Liaison Lanni Isenberg, lanni_harris@yahoo.com.