LINCOLN LINES
March 29, 2015 *** No. 29
SAVE THE DATE! SAVE
THE DATE! SAVE THE DATE!
Friday, April 3rd -- NO School
Friday, April 10th 8am – “First Friday” Coffee in
Library (see below for details)
Sat., April 11th -- Trivia Night (see below for details)
April 20 – 24th April Break (NO School)
Lincoln School’s Musical -- May 27-29th
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Dear Families,
I want to start this week’s message by thanking everyone for helping us make the
first week of our MCAS exams go so well. What made last week successful was
not the fact that we were able to successfully administer our MCAS exams, but
rather the fact that before and after these exams – and for students who were
not testing, during the exams – an incredible amount of hard work and powerful
learning continued.
I had the opportunity this past week to observe our 7th grade students debating
whether Athens or Sparta was the more effective city-state. And while the 7th
grade has not yet come to an agreement about which was overall more effective,
students learned an incredible amount about life in each of these ancient citystates. I had the opportunity to spend time in KB, seeing our kindergarten
students reading, building words, illustrating poetry, listening to audio books,
engaging in choice activities, and more. And the level of excitement of the
students in KB was incredibly high, with everyone thrilled to share all that they
were doing. I was able to spend time in the 5th grade, as students in 5H
continued to study the Civil Rights Movement and prepared to start reading The
Watsons Go To Birmingham. Second grade students were highly engaged in
chorus, singing songs in multiple parts; and our kindergarten classes were
working on reading notes and playing a variety of rhythms with rhythm sticks.
Lastly, I want to share a bit about the 8th grade iMovie presentations in history
class. Students researched a variety of topics from American History, wrote a
narrative of their historical event, and then produced an iMovie that included
images and detailed narratives about these historical events. Not only were
students highly engaged in their own projects, they were also deeply focused on
the work of their peers ensuring that they were learning from one another
throughout the presentations. I hope by next week to have some links to share
with everyone so you can see some of these productions for yourselves. This
was only some of what I observed over the course of the week.
As we move into this new week, I want to remind you that this is a 4-day week,
with school closed this coming Friday.
Monday and Tuesday is our MCAS Reading exam for grades 6 and 8. Thursday is
our Writing MCAS exam for students in grades 4 and 7. Please help us make
sure all 4th and 7th grade students are on-time Thursday, as the writing exam is
often an all-day process for students.
And a reminder that April 16th from 8-9 is our Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade
writing celebration where we will share the writing work being done across our
primary grades.
In June we have a number of performance dates – I want to remind you of these
dates to make sure they are on your calendar:
May 27th, 28th and 29th are our spring musical performances of Beauty and the
Beast
June 2nd is our K and 1 Concert from 8:15-9:00 a.m.
June 3rd is our 2 and 3 Concert from 8:15-9:00 a.m.
June 2nd at 6:30 p.m. is our Orchestra Performance (@ Runkle School)
June 3rd at 6:30 p.m. is our 4th-8th grade Band concert
June 4th at 6:30 p.m. is our 5th and 8th grade Chorus performance
And New: June 17th is our 4th and 5th grade Concert (all 4th and 5th grade
music classes will perform) from 8:15-9:00
In addition to these performances, a school-wide display of work from our visual
arts class will be on display throughout the school the week of June 1st.
If you have any questions about these dates or any of the above information,
please do not hesitate to e-mail me or call. Have a wonderful week!
Andrew
LINCOLN EVENTS AND
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Important Reminders from the Lincoln School Office
Picking Up Children – Please call the office (617-879-4600) 5 minutes
before pick-up arrival so that we can have your child ready for you. Your
child must be signed out of school from the School Office.
Dropping off items - i.e. forgotten homework, lunches, musical
instruments – please bring these items to the office. We will see that they
get delivered to the classroom.
Parking – The front circle and the back parking lot are reserved for staff
parking only. You may not park in the Handicapped Area without a
Handicap Sticker.
Lost and Found – Please label your children’s clothing and lunchboxes,
our lost and found collection is growing. We will be donating all unclaimed
items to charity on April 17, 2015.
Absences/Tardy – Please call the office if your child is going to be absent
or tardy.
SCHOOL BEGINS PROMPTLY AT 8:00 A.M. Late students MUST SIGN
IN LATE!
Lincoln School T-shirt Design Survey Is ON!
Tell us what you think and cast your vote!! The T-shirt design finalists will
be posted on PTO bulletin board tomorrow morning. Look out for the
survey link emailed to you tomorrow. Questions? Contact Matt
Hyatt [email protected]
April’s “First Friday’s Coffee” will be April 10th at 8am
On Friday, April 10, there will be a First Friday Coffee to provide
information about Brookline's upcoming May 5 election as concerns the
schools. Susan Wolf Ditkoff, Chair of the Brookline School Committee, will
give an overview of the two ballot questions, the override budget scenario,
and the no override budget scenario, as outlined by the
superintendent. Please bring your questions!
Trivia Night is Approaching! Join In On The Fun on Sat. April
11th!
Lincoln parents, friends, and staff will participate in our annual trivia event
hosted by Teamwork Trivia DJ Ed Mullen. After Pumpkinfest, Trivia
Night is our second largest fundraiser. So come out and support Lincoln
School PTO and help us support our teachers! Get together a team of
grade-level parents, neighbors, friends, or sign up as an individual. Some
groups come in themes, others come just for fun! No dress up necessary.
For those who come in costumes fun prizes await.
The night starts at 6:30 on Saturday, April 11th. It’s adults only, cash bar,
hosted by Teamwork Trivia DJ Ed Mullen. 8 people/per table. $25/person,
$200/table. Sign up with Google Form http://goo.gl/forms/yolCGuo39D, or
paper Sign-up sheets in Lincoln office & on PTO board in lobby.
Contact Gretchen Thompson to sign up -- [email protected]
Available from Lincoln’s Silent Auction: 2 weeks at Camp
Cody this summer!
Camp Cody, founded in 1926, located in Freedom, NH, is a sleep-away coed camp for ages 7-13 on the Lake Ossipee beach in the White Mountains.
Camp activities range from tennis, horseback riding, laser tag, dramatics,
gymnastics, biking, archery to name a few. This package is for a two-week
session any time between 6/21-8/15 (subject to availability). Valid for new
Cody families only. The SAME new Cody family can purchase two
packages. There is an additional $200/session Trip Fee to cover out-ofcamp trips. Regular tuition is $3,300 for the two week sessions, but this
package is available for $1,900 for Lincoln families only. Contact
[email protected]. www.CampCody.com
Science Night Survey
Please take a few moments to take a survey about the event, so we can
make it even better next year!! Multiple people can do the survey on the
same computer and please encourage your children to take the survey,
too. Follow the survey link here:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZXCJ98S
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Am I Registered to Vote in this Election? Is my Address
Correct? Click here to find out:
http://www.sec.state.ma.us/VoterRegistrationSearch/MyVoterRegStatus.as
px
The Lincoln "YES for Brookline" team answers: What is debt
exclusion? Lincoln YES for Brookline team answers: Why Does the
May 5th Override Matter? (Part 1)
(www.yesforbrookline.com)
Why We Need the Override (Question 1)
Enrollment growth of 38% (and climbing) in the elementary schools since
FY2006. At the time of the last override (2008), we had 496
Kindergarteners; as of March 2015, we have 703;
Override Study Committee confirmed that there is no fat or waste in the
Schools budget, and that an override is needed to address enrollment
growth;
School Committee has used every other option to balance the budget
without an override: allowed average class size to grow; cut back services
such as library hours; postponed adding critical student support staff such
as math and literacy specialists, nurses, and guidance counselors; raised
fees for school lunches, athletics, and the use of school buildings in nonschool hours;
We are falling behind our peer districts in best practices for student learning
& achievement. This has been most evident in Brookline’s woefully
outdated educational technology.
What Will Happen if the Override (Question 1) Fails?
These are just some of the likely cuts outlined by the Town Administrator
and Superintendent of Schools:
$682,000 in cuts to Town services, including Police, Fire, and Mental
Health
Elimination of more than 16 educator positions and 3 public safety positions
Consolidations of classes in the middle grades, raising some class sizes to
29
 Cuts or elimination of Enrichment Challenge Support (ECS), Brookline’s
flagship K-6 World Language program, and BHS Tutorial over the next
two years
Cuts to planned improvements for Steps to Success, which serves students
living in public housing, limiting its ability to serve growing socioeconomic
need in the schools.
Parents of school-age kids need to take an active and leading role to
ensure passage of Questions 1 & 2 on May 5th! For information and/or
to get more involved in this important effort, please contact Kate
Moschandreas ([email protected]), Karen Kraut
([email protected]) or David Knight ([email protected])
Calling All Boston Globe Subscribers Who Support the BEF!
Please look in the mail for a silver envelope with a voucher from
the Boston Globe GRANT program, enter our full name: "Brookline
Education Foundation, Inc., 40 Webster Place, Brookline Village 02447."
The BEF can then "redeem" vouchers for free space in the Globe to
advertise our Honor A Teacher campaign and the rest of our
programs! Many thanks from the Brookline Education
Foundation, Supporting Excellence in Teaching & Love of Learning in Our
Schools.
8th Grade Parents -- Everything You've Always Wanted To
Know About Teen Sexuality... But Were Afraid To Ask"
April 7 At 7 P.M., MLK Room
What do you get when you combine the hyper-sexuality of today’s culture
and unrestricted media access with the impressionable, still-developing
teen brain? Add in the unpredictability of raging teen hormones and you
have a perfect storm for risky decisions. What do parents need to know?
Planned Parenthood’s Amy Cody leads this B-PEN forum in straight talk
about current trends in adolescent sexuality and sexual behaviors, as well
as tips for having ongoing conversations about making respectful,
responsible choices. For more information, go to https://april7bpen.eventbrite.com/
In addition, Brookline High Peer Leaders and staff, will be taking part in a
Wellness Summit on “Sexuality and Brookline Teens” Thursday morning
April 9. This community discussion will address key takeaways from the
evening event and strategize ways to address some of the current issues
around teen sexuality, from media perception and self-esteem to the impact
of alcohol and the decrease of condom use by Brookline students. For
more information contact Mary Minott, [email protected]
Music and the Brain: Linking Music, Language, and Learning,
Thursday, 4/9, 7pm at Brookline Music School, Free -- On April
9th at 7:00pm, discover the importance of music to brain development in
the free discussion, Music and the Brain: Linking Music, Language, and
Learning, an Evening with Dr. Nadine Gaab of Boston Children’s
Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Based on her research, she will present
how music perception, language, and reading abilities are associated with
whether music may be utilized as a diagnostic and intervention tool for
language based learning disabilities. She will further explore whether
musical training may promote the development and maintenance of certain
executive functioning skills. This engaging presentation is free and will
begin at 7:00pm.
**If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Hollie Fleming at [email protected] by
Monday, April 6, 2015.** Dr. Gaab was featured this past summer on WBUR’s “Brain
Matters” series. To learn more about Dr. Gaab and her research, visit
childrenshospital.org/gaab-laboratory.
Come Sing And Dance With Vanessa Trien And Philip
Alexander At The 8th Annual Family Concert! On Sunday
April 12th!
Vanessa and Philip and the band will give us a shoe stomping, hand
clapping show that is sure to be a rollicking good time for everyone. Bring
your family and your friends and join us for a morning of quality family fun!
Purchase tickets through this link to our event page! Or tickets may be
purchased by cash or check the day of the show.
https://beeppto.ticketbud.com/8th-annual-family-concert
Empowering Girls to Stand up to Media on Tuesday April
14 -- 7:00 pm
Michelle Cove, founder of MEDIAGIRLS, will be speaking to parents of
teen and pre-teen girls on Tuesday April 14 7:00 pm at the Coolidge Corner
Library. Take home specific strategies to help your daughter feel more
powerful!
2015 Brookline Teen Grantmakers Request for Proposals).
The Brookline Teen Grantmakers Program (BTG) provides a hands-on
learning experience that teaches teens about philanthropy and the
fundamentals of grant making. Since the program's beginning in
2011, Brookline teens have given $34,000 in grants to local non-profits
working on a range of issues. The submission deadline for proposals is
April 22, 2014 by 5pm and funding decisions will be made by late
May. The RFP and all guidelines and application materials can be found on
the BCF website.
COMMUNITY ADS
Parenting Training in Think:Kids Collaborative Problem Solving Approach:
Do you ever feel frustrated with your child? Find yourself shouting often
and imposing punishments or rewards in reaction to challenging behavior?
Do you wish you had a more effective parenting approach that also helps
to build a better relationship between you and your child? Then this training
is for you. Think:Kids Collaborative Problem Solving parenting model,
based in MGH's Department of Psychiatry, provides parents with concrete
tools to better understand and help children (ages 3-18) with challenging
behavior – from ordinary, day-to-day challenges like getting to school,
homework and bedtime, to more serious challenges. It’s based on the
understanding that many kids lack the skill, not the will, to behave well –
specifically skills related to problem solving, flexibility and frustration
tolerance. For more information and to register for the upcoming May
training in Brookline, please
visit: http://www.betheparentyouwanttobe.weebly.com
Math Tutoring: Experienced Northeastern University Honors Mathematics
Graduate and Brookline community member is eager to help students with subjects
such as Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus and Achievement
Tests (SSAT, PSAT, SAT I& II, MCAS, ISEE & GED). Each session tailored to
the student's needs . Sessions start at $20.00/hr. For more information or to set up
an appointment, please contact: Jeff Weinstein at 617-277-3106 or
[email protected]
Intergenerational Music Classes: Ruth Schechter (Start with Music!), an
experienced teacher formerly at Brookline Music School, holds a music class for
young children (0-3s) for families and residents at Goddard House Assisted Living
in Brookline, Fridays at 9:30. New session starts March 27, first class is free!
There is a class fee, but scholarships are available. Contact Ruth for more
information, at [email protected].
Volunteer Opportunity: Brookline Adult and Community Education is looking
for volunteers to help out with the program. Responsibilities may include office
work, assisting with classes, or making calls. In exchange for volunteering, you
will receive credit towards their many classes. If you are interested, please contact
the office at 617-730-2700.
Piano Lessons: Gloria Jasinski -- Bachelor of Music in Composition from
Berklee College of Music, Master of Music in Jazz Studies from New England
Conservatory. 30+ years teaching experience. Learn Jazz/Blues/Classical, theory,
sight reading. Build a high quality musical foundation with a patient, upbeat, and
caring instructor. Beginners especially welcome. Have a positive and successful
learning experience. Phone: 617.566.9704, email: [email protected]
Sandra Perreira, is looking for extra part-time work. She cleans and organizes our
home and occasionally babysits for our children. She works for us weekday
afternoons, but would like to help another family in the mornings, and is available
any weekday morning between 8-11 a.m. She is extremely careful, hardworking,
thorough and reliable. Lincoln Parent Rebecca Breslow recommends her without
any reservations and would be glad to provide a reference by contacting her at
[email protected]. If interested, please contact Sandra directly: 617-8279274.
April Break Programs/Camps:
April Vacation Activities: SmartVacations: Ages 5-12: Students will take part in
fun arts & crafts projects, cooking and baking experiments, computer and theater
games, and swimming in the Tappan Street Pool. Activities meet in the Unified
Arts Building. Students can join us in the morning, or afternoon, or for the entire
day: 9:00 am-4:00 pm. Plus, we offer an early morning drop off option from 8:009:00 am each day, and a late afternoon pick up option from 4:30-6:00 pm.
Choose Your Instrument – April Vacation Week
4/21-4/24, 9:30am-12:30pm Brookline Music School (25 Kennard Rd. Brookline)
Designed for students entering 4th & 5th grades who will be taking an orchestral or
band instrument and need to choose an instrument before the end of the school
year. Hands-on exploration of percussion, wind, and string instruments.
Early Release Programs
Brookline SmartPrograms/Adult & Community Education is offering both
Early Release Afterschool Programs. Find out more information by visiting:
www.brooklineadulted.org or 617-730-2700
Brookline Interactive Group: is extending its programing for K-8 grades. We are
offering early release day classes for the remainder of this school year: April 7, 15,
28 & May 6. To sign up, please visit our website
at http://brooklineinteractive.org/content/workshops or call 617-731-8566.
Summer Break Programs/Camps:
Headfirst Camps: located at Hellenic College Holy Cross in Brookline is excited
to announce a 4 week multi-sport camp. Click here and learn more about
Headfirst Multi-Sport Camp at Hellenic College Holy Cross. As a member of
Brookline Public Schools you can receive 25% off your total purchase if you
enroll by 11:59p ET on Thursday, April 15th. Simply enter the code BPS25 at
checkout to take advantage of this offer.
Steve & Kate’s Camp is coming to Brookline: Steve & Kate’s has been
operating on the West Coast for over 35 years. Building on a successful 2014
summer in Belmont, they will be running their special brand of camp at the Heath
School and Mt. Alvernia Academy this summer. Check out the full list here:
http://steveandkatescamp.com/locations/brookline/#events and sign up to be
notified at: http://steveandkatescamp.com/email/.
2nd Annual Brookline Warriors Summer Basketball Clinic
Applications for the 2nd annual Brookline Warriors Summer Basketball Clinic are
now being accepted. The Clinic will run June 29-July 2 (Monday-Thursday) from
9:00-3:00 in Schluntz Gymnasium at the high school. Boys ages 8-14 are eligible.
Brookline HS head coach Luke Day is the Clinic director, and the staff includes
BHS JV coach Dave Ford and Freshman coach Darren Martinez. Go to
www.brooklinehoops.net to find out more information and download an
application.
Boston Patio Playhouse is now registering for its summer programs!
Backyard Opera Summer Program is open to students ages 12-18 who love opera,
operetta, and classic musical theater. July 6-17 (Mon-Fri), 9:00am-4:00pm.
Front Porch Players Musical Theater Summer Program is for students ages 12-16
who love classic and contemporary musical theater. August 3-14 (Mon-Fri),
9:00am-4:00pm.
Visit www.bostonpatioplayhouse.com for more information and to register today!
MEDIAGIRLS® gives middle-school girls (ages 11 to 14) a fun, nurturing space
to explore how girls and women are portrayed in pop culture. We critique videos,
discuss magazine ads, and talk about changes we would make to media.
Participants learn to write empowering blog posts for the MEDIAGIRLS blog,
which we then blast out to the world using our social media. Classes run from July
13th to July 17th, 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM at the Brookline Interactive Group. Space
is limited to 12 girls. Visit www.mediagirls.org to learn more, read testimonials,
check out our blog and register.
Coach Jones Summer Basketball Clinic
Coach Jones and the BU basketball staff welcome boys ages 7-18 to the fourth
annual Coach Jones Basketball Clinic. Campers will receive coaching from our
highly qualified coaching staff and be divided by age and skill to ensure that each
camper has a meaningful and fun experience. The clinic will be held June 29-July
2 from 9am to 3pm at the Case Gymnasium. For more information and to register
please visit coachjonesbasketballclinics.com.
Be a summer star! Join the Brookline SmartSummers Theater Arts Program
at the Lincoln School in Brookline, Summer 2015! Half day introductory
program for young children, ages 5-7 is available through our Playful
Performances Program. Older children, ages 7-13, can join us for a full day of
theater and work on an original musical production. For more
information,visit https://sites.google.com/site/smartsummerstheaterarts/home or
www.brooklineadulted.org.
Big Picture Summer Photo and Film workshops offer a "boutique" learning
experience for no more than 7 students in 6th-10th grades. Workshops are one
week long from 9:30-3:30 with a shuttle offered from the monument in Jamaica
Plain, professional DSLR cameras provided. Contact: Jennifer Connelly,
owner/teacher, 781-696-1138, [email protected].
2015/16 Programs
HomeBASE: Brookline Afterschool Enrichment: For the 2015-2016 School
year: an exciting and new after school program is launching for Fall 2015.
Children in grades K-3. Programs are organized by grade level. Children can
attend two to five days per week; hours are from 2:30-6:00 PM on M-Th, and
from 1:40-5:45 PM on Fr. Transportation from Lincoln available for a fee. Early
release days included and vacation coverage available. Conveniently located in
Coolidge Corner, housed at Temple Ohabei Shalom 1187 Beacon Street. Contact
Sam Gragg at [email protected] or visit www.ohabei.org/homebase for rates and
information.
The Pine Manor College Child Study Center is currently accepting applications
for the 2015-2016 school year. This accredited preschool enrolls children 2 years 9
months through age 5. Visit our website at www.pmc.edu/csc for more
information about enrollment options. To schedule a tour, please contact the
Director at [email protected].
Lincoln Lines is a weekly newsletter by and for
the Lincoln School Community. Submit by Friday at 4p.m. to
[email protected] for publication the following Sunday. Ads
will run for two weeks and then need to be resubmitted to continue being
included.
Comments and suggestions are always welcomed!