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.

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

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

This year, our online directory system has been upgraded from MySchoolAnywhere to Membership Toolkit — a technology for directories, email, and volunteer signups that will hopefully be even easier to use!  If you were in our directory before, your information will still be there, but everyone will need to sign in to Membership Toolkit and create a new account to have access to the directory.  This is also a perfect way to make sure you’re in the directory and check that your information is up to date!

Register online by going to lepto.membershiptoolkit.com and following the prompts.  If you were signed up with MySchoolAnywhere, please use the same email address, so your new account can link to your existing information.

If you are new to the directory, follow the directions to input your family information and choose what you’d like to be visible.  The process takes less than 3 minutes, and then you’ll be in the directory through high school!  Once you’ve signed up, an admin will approve your access to the directory, which may take a day or two (please email secretary@lepto.org if you have any trouble or need access quickly!).

And while you’re there, check out our volunteer opportunities for the year!

You can also download the free app by searching for Membership Toolkit in the iTunes App Store or Google Play.  After you register on the website, use the same username and password you chose in the app to access the directory, manage your family information, sign up for volunteer activities, and more— all from your cell phone.

Questions?  Contact us anytime at secretary@lepto.org!

To all our new kindergarten families:  Welcome to Lincoln-Eliot!

On Thursday, August 29th, kindergarten parents and children are invited for a short visit with your new teacher and classroom at 12pm.  Afterwards, please bring your lunch and join us on the school playground for our Kindergarten Welcome Picnic!  It’s a chance to meet other Lincoln-Eliot families, make new friends, and find out more about your new school.  We hope to see you there!  🙂

2019 Kindergarten Picnic flyer

Please email secretary@lepto.org with any questions.  And families in other grades, please feel free to stop by the picnic to say hello and welcome our newest students!

Dear families,

Thank you to everyone for a wonderful year!  A few last important notes for your calendar for our final two days of school:

June 17th: 5th grade Graduation @ 1:00pm

June 18th: 5th grade Talent Show @ 9:30am

Tuesday, June 18th: Last day for students: 12:00pm dismissal

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

• Marlene Hole: Grade One: Retirement
• Barbara Phelan: Grade Two: Retirement
• Jason Raisner: Grade Two: will be furthering his educational career outside of Newton
• Elka Kuhlman: Math Coach: school change
• Becky Kinney: Library: returning to Zervas full-time
• Sara Subach: Occupational Therapist: Maternity Leave
• Rachel Waldstein: Speech and Language Pathologist: school change
• Michelle Reddick: METCO counselor: will be leaving LE but will continue to serve METCO students in Newton elementary schools

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.

We are very excited to welcome the following staff to the Lincoln-Eliot community:

• Melissa Gayle: Grade One classroom teacher
• Catherine Warren: Grade Two classroom teacher
• Heather DeNoble: 5th grade co-teacher
• Megan Mahar: Math Coach
• Samantha Lund: Learning Center
• Heather Humphries, who will be returning to LE as a Learning Center teacher
• Julian Turner will be returning to LE full time as our Social Worker and METCO counselor
• Krista Doherty: Occupational Therapist

In addition to the changes listed above, we have a few internal grade level switches taking place for next school year:

• Dana Rooney will join the grade 2 team
• Lynn Penczar will join the grade 3 team

Summer Reminders from the School Nurse

Medication Pick-up: Parents of students who have medication stored in the health room should pick it up by the last day of school, June 18. All medication (pills, epi-pens, inhalers, etc.) not picked up will be discarded. Please plan ahead to pick medication up so it is not wasted! Medication may not be carried home by the student — it must be picked up by an adult. School nurses will not be available after June 18 to return medication to families.

Medication Order Reminder: All medication orders expire at the end of the school year. If you are visiting your child’s health care provider during the summer, consider requesting a new medication order for your child. All medication, prescription or over-the-counter, requires an order. The Medication Permission Form and the Medication Policy are both available online at www.newtonma.gov/schoolhealth

West Nile Virus and Lyme Disease Prevention: Mosquito and tick-borne diseases like West Nile Virus and Lyme disease occur in Newton residents. Take steps to avoid getting sick!

• Mosquito repellant not only works for mosquitoes, but helps repel ticks as well. Use a repellant with DEET, and follow label instructions for concentrations appropriate for children.
• Avoid being outdoors during peak mosquito hours, particularly once West Nile Virus has been detected in the mosquito population.
• Remove containers around your home (tires, kid pools, pots, tarps) that could allow mosquitoes to breed.
• Check your body for ticks after being outdoors and remove them immediately to avoid disease transmission.

Shoo the flu! Seasonal influenza vaccine will be offered this fall during the school day to students and employees. The vaccine will be available to all students in Kindergarten through grade 12, by parental consent only. Consent and screening forms will be posted at www.newtonma.gov/flu by early September, in preparation for the fall clinics.

The flu clinic date for Lincoln Eliot Elementary School will be October 30, 2019. Forms (available in Sept.) will be due to the school nurse two school days prior. This schedule is confirmed unless the flu vaccine supply is delayed, in which case the school nurse will notify families of an alternative date once the vaccine arrives.

Have a happy and healthy summer!