Category Archives: Community News

Thank You for a Great Back to School Picnic!

We had a wonderful back-to-school picnic on Friday — despite the weather and mosquitoes conspiring to change the date and time on us!  🙂  Thank you so much to all our volunteers and everyone who donated beverages and baked goods, and thank you to everyone who came and celebrated the beginning of the school year together.  We raised over $700 for Lincoln-Eliot, which will go toward the PTO’s funding for library books, technology, and arts and sciences programs for our kids.  Hooray!

We hope to see everyone at Curriculum Night this Thursday — and then at our Fall Festival in October!  🙂  Find out more and/or sign up for our Fall Festival Team by coming to the PTO meeting on Sept. 24th or by emailing Amanda at amanda.rose.nelsen@gmail.com.

Principal Update 9.8.19

Dear families,

We had an awesome first week here at Lincoln-Eliot!  It was such a joy to welcome our scholars back and meet so many wonderful new faces.  We are looking forward to celebrating back to school with everyone at the picnic this Thursday!

Important Upcoming Dates:

Thursday, September 12th: Welcome Back Picnic, 5:30-7:00pm

Thursday, September 19th: Back to School Night/ Curriculum Night, 6:00-7:00pm  (Title 1 staff will be available to discuss Title 1 services.)

Tuesday, September 24th: PTO meeting, 6:30-7:30pm

Friday, September 27th: Picture Day

Monday, September 30th: No School – Rosh Hashanah

Have a great week!

Principal Morrissey

Back to School Picnic Thursday! – Volunteers Needed

We hope everyone can join us on the playground this Thursday, September 12th from 5:30-7pm for our annual Back to School Picnic!  (Rain date Friday Sept. 13th)  Pizza, desserts, and water will be for sale, with all proceeds going to support our school.  Please sign up to volunteer if you can (we especially still need help at the pizza table!) — time slots are short so you can also enjoy the picnic!

The volunteer signup can be reached by going to our new online directory system, Membership Toolkit (and creating your new account if you haven’t already).  Please email secretary@lepto.org if you have any trouble, or if you’d like to help but can’t get to the signup.

Thanks very much — see you on the playground on Thursday!  🙂

Sign Up to Be a Room Connector!

Looking for a fun and easy way to get involved in the Lincoln-Eliot Community?  Become a Room Connector!

What a Room Connector does:
● gather a contact list for families in your room and encourage people to sign up for the school directory
● collect voluntary classroom funds for a holiday class gift and end of year gift for the teachers
● be the point person if your teacher needs something — communication, a special project, etc.
● share information from the PTO (a ready-to-go email or flyer from the Room Connector Coordinator) with your class contact list

If you would like to be a Room Connector, please email our Room Connector Coordinator, Emily Núñez, at nunezemily77@gmail.com.  We hope to have two Room Connectors per classroom, and it is first come, first served, so don’t wait to email!

Please be sure to include:
1. Your full name
2. Your child’s full name
3. Child’s grade level
4. Child’s classroom teacher

Thanks very much!  Your child and his/her teacher will be so appreciative!

Pizza Tuesdays Are Back!

After-school Tuesday Pizza sales will begin at 12:30 p.m. at the Jackson Road entrance starting this Tuesday, September 10th.  All proceeds directly support the 5th grade camping trip in the spring!  Thank you in advance for supporting our students.

$2.00 Pizza by the slice, $12.00 for the whole pizza, $1.00 for baked goods

Or pre-order your whole pizza by 6:00 p.m. Monday and pay only $10.00 (discount for pre-orders only).  To pre-order a whole pizza, please contact Enza Kiley (email: enza2424@gmail.com or call/text: 617-785-1947).  All pre-orders must be placed on Mondays by 6:00 p.m.

Facilitated Inclusive Play at Recess – Volunteers Needed

This year, Lincoln-Eliot will be offering facilitated inclusive play during recess, and we are looking for interested volunteers to be facilitators of play at the three lunch recesses.  This is inclusive modeling with emphasis on providing a space in the playground where all kids can spend time together interacting with or playing alongside peers.

Adults are there to guide and encourage but not necessarily do the playing — although you can and it’s fun!  We use simple supplies like hula hoops, tennis balls, and chalk which are all donated and supplied.

Volunteers can be anyone with an active CORI on file with the office.  “On the job training” provided!  You can volunteer for 20 minutes or 2 hours, once a day or once a month; whatever schedule works for you.  Currently the three recesses happen between 12:15 and 2:20pm (weather permitting).  Our future goal is to have indoor facilitated recess but currently we are outside only.

Please email secretary@lepto.org if you’re interested in volunteering, or reach out to Margaret and PJ Smith for more details!

Lincoln-Eliot Facilities Update

Thank you to John Mulligan for attending the Lincoln-Eliot Health and Safety Committee meeting last Thursday, where David Stickney (Director of Facilities) provided an update on completed and ongoing projects at the school.  We have posted a summary of the meeting below, and you can find greater details from John’s meeting minutes at this link.

  • Roof: Many of you had to improvise getting to the Kindergarten rooms last week because of the lift truck needed to repair roof slate and gutter issues.  In that area the work is finished and remaining work should not need the truck.  Other problem areas have been identified and will require budget approval.  Temporary measures may be taken to prevent leaks if budget/work cannot be completed by winter.
  • Boilers: The second of two new boilers for heating the school has been installed and is running with all inspections completed.
  • Window and door replacement project: Unfortunately, this work was not completed over the summer, as we were hoping.  John noted the contract has been awarded but we do not know what delayed the project nor when it will start.  We have opened a line of communication with facilities to get more details and will keep you updated.
  • Bike racks: John is working with the DPW on having a new one installed.

Planning for Arts & Culture in Newton – Please take a brief survey

The City of Newton is currently undertaking a 7-month planning process to create a Comprehensive Arts & Cultural Plan for the City.

The plan, entitled Create Newton, will identify all of Newton’s arts and cultural assets – from our buildings and non-profits, to the events and festivals we host, to the local traditions and initiatives in our villages and neighborhoods. We will explore how arts and cultural goals and interests are aligned with our businesses, recreational opportunities, and commercial districts, and identify goals, set out recommendations, and seek opportunities to collaborate and expand our pool of funding.

Input from parents, and children 12 years and older, who enjoy Newton’s arts and cultural events is greatly valued. Please take 10 minutes to complete this anonymous survey to assist in the planning process:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QWJW2QH

(Please note that the survey is best taken on your computer and not on your smart phone or smaller device.)

Thank you for your time and input!

Newton’s Community Design for Arts & Culture Committee

Principal Update 9.1.19

Dear Lincoln Eliot Community,

I hope you had a wonderful summer.  I cannot believe we are already starting the new school year!  We are so excited to welcome our scholars back to school on Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019.  Our first day of school is an early release day with a 12:30 dismissal time.  Lunch will not be provided.

On Tuesday and Wednesday you may bring your child directly to their classroom.  We will have staff stationed throughout the building to assist with locating classrooms.  However, beginning Thursday, September 5th, we will begin implementing the district’s drop off policy of allowing students to enter the building independently.

Please review our Blue Zone Rules and this helpful video made by Lincoln-Eliot staff and families to help us keep mornings as safe and low-stress as possible:

 Please mark your calendars:

* Friday, September 6th: PTO Welcome Back Coffee, 8:15-9am by the flagpole
* Thursday, September 12th:  Back to School Picnic, 5:30-7pm
* Thursday, September 19th:  Curriculum Night, 6-7pm
* Tuesday, September 24th:  First PTO Meeting of the year, 6:30pm in the library

Happy back to school!  We look forward to seeing you all on Tuesday!

Principal Morrissey

Welcome Back to School!

Dear Lincoln-Eliot Community,

The Lincoln-Eliot Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) welcomes you back for another great year of learning!  The PTO at Lincoln-Eliot provides support to students, teachers, and the school by fundraising throughout the year.  We also build community through events held at the school.

The PTO at Lincoln-Eliot is run by a group of parent volunteers:

Co-Presidents – Lauren McMinn and David Proia (president@lepto.org)
Co-Secretaries – Tui Sutherland and Elizabeth DePasquale (secretary@lepto.org)
Co-Treasurers – Cindy Chan and Kwok Yu (treasurer@lepto.org)
Creative Arts and Sciences Team Leader – Natalie Hereford
Ex-Officio – Karen Hite
Community Board Members – Amanda Nelsen and Heather Yu

All parents and guardians are members of the PTO as well!  We hope to see you at the PTO meetings held bi-monthly at school.  Mark your calendars for the first PTO meeting of the year on Tuesday, September 24th from 6:30-7:30pm.  Childcare will be provided in the gym.

We’ll also be having a welcome back coffee this Friday, September 6th, from 8:15-9am by the flagpole on the corner of Pearl St. and Jackson Rd. — come by after drop-off to meet us, grab coffee, say hi, and find out more about the year ahead!

Please feel free to reach out to us anytime with any questions.  We hope that you have a wonderful first week at school!

Your Lincoln-Eliot PTO