Lincoln Elementary School is a vibrant neighborhood school embedded close to downtown White Bear Lake with the beauty of the lakes close by. Lincoln is known for its active parent involvement, welcoming atmosphere and passion to partner with families as we prepare the whole child to reach their hopes and dreams.
Main Office: 651-653-2820 Address: 1961 Sixth Street, White Bear Lake, MN 55110
Attendance Line: 651-653-2821 or Email: attendancelincoln@isd624.org
Office Hours: 7:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
School Hours: 7:30 a.m.-2:15 p.m.
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In the event your child will be absent, tardy or leaving early, we ask that you please email: attendancelincoln@isd624.org, submit the absence in ParentVUE, or call the Attendance Line (651-653-2831) which is available 24 hours a day. Please leave a message EACH day your child's attendance will be affected. If we do not hear from a parent/guardian, we will be contacting you to confirm your child's absence. Absences not reported by a parent/guardian are marked as unexcused.
It is very important that your child attends school. One of the most important things you as a parent can do to assure your child;s success in school, is to encourage them to attend school regularly. The Ramsey County Attorney’s Family Truancy Intervention Program states: School attendance is mandatory in the state of Minnesota in order to make certain all children acquire the necessary skills for success as adults.Studies show a direct link between regular school attendance and academic achievement. Elementary age children with poor attendance records are more likely to experience difficulty in core subjects.
LAWFUL SCHOOL ABSENCES:
Sickness
Doctor appointments
Religious holidays
Extreme family emergency
INVALID EXCUSES (EXAMPLES):
Staying home to babysit
Too tired
The weather
Missed the bus
Suspended from the bus
Child is not immunized
Overslept
To ensure the safety and protection of your child, we use a student sign-out procedure. When it is necessary for a student to leave school early or for a few hours during the day, the parent or guardian must sign the child out of school using the Chrome Book located in the main foyer. Once the student is signed out, an office staff member will call the classroom teacher to inform them you have arrived and to meet you in the foyer. If the student returns to school before the end of the school day, the parent/guardian must sign the child back in school.
Regular attendance at school is very important to your child’s success. Please arrange vacations and trips during non-school days. If your child is going to be missing school because of a vacation or trip, this needs to be approved by the Principal prior to the absence.
You will be notified when your child’s attendance records indicate he/she has missed more than 10% of the school days in session. If the absences continue, a medical provider’s statement verifying that your child is not to be in school may be required.
If a child becomes ill or is injured at school, the parent will be notified. It is very important that you give us a number where you can be reached during the school day. If we cannot reach a parent and we feel that a child's life is in danger, we don not hesitate to call 911. Any cost due to emergency care from a 911 call, becomes the responsibility of the parents. Please call the health office to update or change your emergency information throughout the school year.
The White Bear Lake School District offers many after school activities during the school year. Please check out the community services page on the White Bear Lake School District for upcoming after school activities. Parents are responsible to pick up their child on time.
Your child's school day begins at 7:45 a.m. and ends at 2:15 p.m.. Students should not arrive to school before 7:25, as we do not have staff for student supervision before this time. At 7:25 all students should line up with their grade level at their designated space whether they are busers, walkers or have been dropped off by a parent/guardian. Students will be allowed in the building once the bell rings at 7:30. However, when arriving after the 7:45 a.m. bell has rung, please enter through the main school doors. The doors will lock at 7:45. Students arriving late must be signed in by an adult. If your child arrives to school after 7:45, please bring your child into the front office for check-in.
If for any reason, you need to pick up your child from school between 7:45 a.m. and 2:15 p.m., please remember call or email the Attendance Line (attendancelincoln@isd624.org or 651-653-2821). Come into the building to sign out your child using the Chrome Book in the foyer and office staff will inform the classroom teacher that you have arrived and your child will come to meet you there.
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In the White Bear Lake school district and at Lincoln, we believe each child is responsible for their own behavior and it is our responsibility as adults to help them develop self-control and responsibility. We want each child to develop to their fullest potential in an environment that is orderly, safe, and secure. The Lincoln staff has established Behavior Expectations for lunchroom, recess, bus, and hallway behavior. In addition, each classroom teacher has a set of guidelines for their room.
Lincoln Elementary School Behavior Expectations
Students are expected to be Respectful, Responsible, and Ready to learn each day. Lincoln staff teach and reinforce these expectations.
If a student makes a choice that does not demonstrate respectful, responsible, or ready behavior, the student will be supported by adults in a way that helps the student learn.
Rules and Expectations are taught for all areas of the building.
Students who do not follow the expectations are reminded with a referral process. Referral infractions are categorized into Minors and Majors.
Minor Infractions are handled in the classroom. Infractions are documented so that we can track student needs and provide the necessary supports.
Major Infractions are handled by the Principal or Dean of Students. When a consequence is necessary, it will be worked out with the child and the adult in charge. The consequence will be: a) related to the behavior, b) delivered respectfully, and c) be reasonable for the age of the child. Consequences are delivered using a progressive discipline model meaning that frequency of an infraction will require more serious consequences to help the child learn that such behavior is not acceptable in school.
Consequences may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following:
· Warning (verbal or non-verbal)
· Conference with student
· Parent contact
· Removal from class
· Loss of privileges
· Restitution
· Referral to police or other law enforcement
· Noon Detention
· In-school suspension
· Out-of school suspension
For a more complete overview of the White Bear Lake Area Schools expectations for student conduct, please refer to the Student Discipline section (Policy 506) of the District Policy Book for Safe Schools.
Only students in grades 4 and 5 are allowed to ride their bikes to school. In the spring, third graders with parent permission and teacher approval, are allowed to ride their bikes to school. Students must lock their bikes in the bike racks provided for them and the school assumes no responsibility for the safety of their bikes. Bike helmets are required.
No bikes are allowed to be ridden on the school grounds. Students walk their bikes off the grounds to the street. This is to protect the many students we have walking and the bike riders from being hit by the many cars and buses loading and unloading at our school.
If you are having a party for your child, please mail the invitations or phone parents. Students will not be allowed to pass out invitations at school. To help ensure the safety of students with food allergies birthday treats, including store purchased, are not allowed.
Our district offers a nutritious breakfast for students at the start of each day. All kindergarteners have access to free breakfast during the 2022-2023 school year. Breakfast is served at 7:30 a.m. Students receiving breakfast will eat it in the cafeteria. Students are encouraged to eat their breakfast in a timely manner in order to get back to their classrooms. Students arriving to breakfast after 7:50 will have to take their breakfast back to their classroom.
Definition of Bullying: Intimidating, threatening, abusive, or harming conduct. An actual or perceived imbalance of power exists between the student engaging in bullying and the students being bullied. The conduct is repeated or forms a pattern. It may interfere with the student’s educational opportunities or the ability to participate in school activities. An act of bullying, by either an individual student or a group of students, is expressly prohibited on school district property or at school-related functions. This policy applies not only to students who directly engage in an act of bullying but also to students who, by their indirect behavior, condone or support another student’s act of bullying.
To make a Bullying report, please contact a school employee or fill out the online bullying reporting form.
For problems with bus transportation, please email the transportation department at White Bear District Center at transportation@isd624.org.
Riding the school bus is a privilege, not a right. The privilege of riding a school bus requires appropriate behavior. Each bus driver is responsible for the safe transportation of the students on his/her bus. Students must ride their assigned bus to and from school each day and follow the below expectations:
● Arrive at your stop at least five minutes early
● Stay out of the danger zone
● Follow the driver’s instructions. The bus driver is authorized to assign seats.
● Remain seated at all times with your hands to yourself, face front, and keep the aisle clear
● Keep hands, head, etc… inside the bus
● Be courteous—no profane language
● Eating and drinking are prohibited
● Littering or throwing objects is not permitted
Incidents of misconduct will be reported by the bus driver to the school principal on an incident form.
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White Bear Lake Area Schools updated its cell phone use guidelines in September of 2024. I would like to share the Lincoln Elementary guidelines for student cell phone use, as well as smart watches and other watches with games or apps. We recognize that families often want their children to have access to a cell phone before or after school. The goal of our guidelines is to minimize distraction and maximize learning and engagement during the school day for all of our students.
If students bring a cell phone or smartwatch or other watch with games or apps to school, our expectations are:
Cell phones and Smartwatches should be put away in student backpacks and silenced during the entire school day.
Cell phone and Smartwatch use is not permitted in the hallways, cafeteria, or playground at school.
Parents and guardians are asked to contact our main office if there is a message that needs to be relayed to a student. Please do not text or call your student during the school day.
If a student does not meet these expectations, the cell phone or smartwatch will be held by the teacher until the end of the school day and parents will be notified. Subsequent failure to properly follow cell phone and smartwatch guidelines will result in the device being held in the office until a parent picks it up and a plan is in place to help the student meet our guidelines.
Please inform the school of any changes in your family status. This might include a new address, new telephone number (home or work), parent's legal name or custodial status. It is important that our records stay up to date in case of an emergency involving your child. All information is kept confidential.
Teachers often ask for chaperones when planning field trips. Please be aware that anyone wishing to help, needs to have completed a background check through the school district before being allowed to chaperone. The classroom teacher will inform the front office with names of the chaperones and will reach out to you with the next steps.
We encourage regular communication between home and school. When concerns arise please contact your child’s teacher as soon as possible. You do not need to wait until conference time. It is best to direct your concern to the specific school personnel most directly involved. Messages for school staff can be left on voicemail.
Formal conferences are scheduled twice during the school year. We consider these conferences to be very important and beneficial to both the teacher and the parents. Please make every effort to attend. Each student is allotted one conference slot.
Lincoln Elementary will follow all guidance from Minnesota Dept. of Health (MDH) , the CDC. Please reference the districts COVID-19 Info page for more information.
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Data privacy laws prohibit the release of student and staff personal addresses and phone numbers.
While we have no formal dress code, the following guidelines do apply:
During cold weather, students are required to wear hats, mittens or gloves, coats, and boots.
Tops/pants that show the stomach are not allowed.
Tennis shoes are required for physical education class.
Students may not wear hats within the school unless it is a specially designated day.
Students may not wear clothing that presents language unsuitable for a school setting.
Roller type shoes are not allowed.
Tobacco, alcohol, and chemical use are strictly prohibited on school grounds. This includes all activities before, during, and after school by all students, siblings, parents, and staff.
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Electronic devices are to be left at home, with the exception of cell phones. Students are allowed to use cellphones only before and after school hours. During school hours, cell phones are to be kept in backpacks. School is not responsible for lost or damaged items.
All students are required to have updated EMERGENCY CONTACT information on file with the school. This information should be completed online via Skyward. Please let us know if you need assistance with this process. If we are unable to reach a parent/guardian, we request the phone number of relatives, friends or neighbors whom we can contact in case of an emergency. Please keep these telephone numbers current by calling the school Office (651) 653-2831, if there is a change during the school year.
Once in a great while it is necessary to cancel school for a day. Poor weather is usually the reason for such action. This information is broadcast over WCCO Radio AM (830), KARE-TV 11, KMSP-TV 9, KSTP-TV and on the district's school closing hotline (651) 407-7540. Communication will also go out using the following:
A School Messenger phone message and email will be sent to all guardians. A text message will be sent to those who have opted in to receiving texts from the district.
A message will be posted on the homepage of www.isd624.org.
Messages will be posted on the District's Facebook and Twitter pages.
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Lincoln plans some activities away from school designed to give children experiences to supplement what they have been learning in class. Teachers will inform parents of upcoming field trips in advance so parents are aware and can ensure students are dressed appropriately. If at any time a parent chooses not to have their child attend a field trip, they have the option to opt out of this experience. Parents are often needed as chaperones for field trips. Please contact your child's teacher if you are able to help chaperone. Chaperones must have a completed background check.
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The White Bear Lake Area School District Harassment Policy #413 addresses the issue of harassment in schools. The purpose of this policy is to maintain a learning and working environment that is free from harassment and violence on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, familial status, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation or disability.
The district strongly disapproves of any form of harassment and will deal promptly with employee or student complaints. Harassment has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working or academic environment; unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work or academic performance; or otherwise adversely affects an individual’s employment or academic opportunities.
Student or employee victims of alleged harassment and third persons with knowledge or belief of conduct constituting sexual harassment are encouraged to report any incident to School District Officials, including the building principal.
A registered nurse supervises the health aide. The Health Office is staffed daily by a health aide who attends to children not feeling well and helps with dispensing necessary medications. Health Office number is: (651) 653-2829.
Wellness Procedures; Keep your child home if:
They have a FEVER (≥ 100°). Students must stay home until they have been fever-free for 24 hours without the aid of fever reducing medication. Measure your child’s temperature before giving medications to reduce fever.
They are VOMITING. Students must stay home for 24 hours after last episode.
Any RASH that may be disease related, or the cause is unknown. Check with your child’s physician before returning to school. To resume attendance at school, a physician signed consent may be required.
If your child has DIARRHEA, please abide by the following:
Early Childhood/Preschool Aged: Keep your child home until 24 hours after diarrhea has resolved.
School Aged: Your child can attend school unless they are not feeling well and/or have diarrhea and need to use the bathroom frequently. (Schools may require exclusion during outbreaks.)
Medication Procedures:
The purpose of administering medications in school is to assist students who require medication to be taken during school hours to maintain an optimal state of health and therefore enhance their educational program. The intent of these procedures is to assure safe administration of medications in school for those students who require them. These procedures apply to both prescription and over-the-counter medications.
The Licensed School Nurse must be informed about students taking any medication during the school day. All medication (prescription and over the counter) must be administered in the Health Office.
Long Term Medications: (Prescribed for more than two weeks.)
With any new medication or at the beginning of each new school year, a parent signed Authorization for Administration of Medication at School form, including a written statement from the physician is required. Doctor’s orders will indicate the name of the medication, the route, the dosage, frequency and time of administration, the reason the medication needs to be given (diagnosis), possible side effects, and termination date. Parent(s)/guardian(s) are required to supply medication in the original container labeled by the pharmacy or the physician. The container will be labeled with the student's name, name of the medication, dosage to be given, frequency and time it is to be given, physician's name, and the date it was prescribed.
Our policy is not to assign routine work to be done at home, but to provide time in school for students to complete their school work under the supervision of the classroom teacher. However, on some occasions, homework may be assigned when there is a specific reason that it cannot be done in school (exapmle: a math activity) or if the child is not completing their work in the allotted time during the school day.
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Adequate immunization information must be received for all students. Students transferring from a Minnesota school district have a ten day grace period. Out-of-state students have a thirty day grace period. Kindergarten students must have immunization records to begin school.
Instruction and guidance on acceptable use of the Internet will be provided to all students by the media specialist and classroom teachers. All parents and students will be required to sign the WBL Electronic Technologies Acceptable Use Agreement prior to students having internet access at school. The Internet is a teaching tool and students will be using it to access online reference materials. Inappropriate use of the Internet may result in suspension of computer privileges and/or other disciplinary action.
Guidelines for home use of the Internet
● Supervise Internet activities
● Discuss Internet safety, such as not providing personal information
● Practice computer ethics by giving credit for work done by the author
● Discuss that information found on the Internet can be biased or inaccurate
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The Learning Commons (formally media center) is an interactive part of our school with fiction and nonfiction books, research materials, electronic catalog, and professional curricular materials. Library books are selected to support the curriculum and provide quality literature. Students who lose or destroy a book will be asked to pay the replacement cost of the book.
Please put your child’s name on everything he/she brings to school. For safety reasons, you may put the name inside lunch boxes, school bags, etc. Your child is welcome to check for missing items in the Lost and Found at any time. Lost and Found items are set out for display at conference time near the office. Please look through them at that time, as all remaining items are donated to a local charity after each conference session and after the winter, spring, and summer breaks.
The district uses a computerized lunch system. Students will have their own PIN number. Any balances, either positive or negative from the previous year, remain in the system and will show up on the first day of school. Breakfast and lunch are available at no cost to elementary students during the 25-26 school year. Menus are available on the district website.
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The Pledge of Allegiance will be read weekly at the start of the day on Mondays. Minnesota Statute 121A.11 mandates that “Anyone who does not wish to participate in reciting the pledge of allegiance for any personal reason may elect not to do so. Students must respect another person’s right to make that choice."
The PTA helps sponsor and support events and activities throughout the year that enrich our students' lives. EVERY parent is invited to become a member of the Lincoln PTA. This allows parents to have a voice in the efforts and events held by PTA and to participate in how the PTA funds are allocated.
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All students go outdoors for two separate 15 minutes time periods each day unless it is raining or extremely cold. Children will be going outside unless the temperature and wind chill fall below -10 degrees. Please monitor what your child wears to school to ensure their comfort on the playground. In order to ensure adequate supervision, a medical provider’s note is required if your child is unable to participate in outdoor recess.
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We appreciate your cooperation in keeping your children and our students as safe as possible during the school day. The security guidelines are as follows:
All exterior doors, with the exception of the main entrance doors, are locked during the school day (7:45-2:15). Parents and all visitors need to enter through the main entrance doors.
All visitors must sign in and get a visitor sticker. If staff personnel see an adult/visitor without a sticker, they will stop them and direct them to the office for identification and a badge. All District #624 employees wear identification security badges.
Parent(s), grandparents, relatives, or friends who come to the office to pick up children will be asked for identification if they are not recognized by the office staff. If your child is to be picked up by someone other than a parent, be sure to call the office or write a note to the teacher giving us permission to release your child.
If a student returns to school after hours to retrieve a forgotten item, the student must be accompanied by an adult. The custodian on duty will unlock the classroom door for you. The office area closes daily at 3:30 PM.
The District and all of the individual schools use ParentSquare to alert families if an emergency situation arises such as an early school closing due to poor weather conditions or a late bus due to construction. It is also used to provide reminders about upcoming events such as parent/teacher conferences, grade level concerts, or PTA sponsored family events. The messages are delivered to your main contact phone number and/or email based on what you entered at time of enrollment or during the annual online update in ParentVUE.
Lincoln 4th and 5th Grade Safety Patrols help keep students safe while walking to and from school and while waiting to load the bus at the end of the day. Students who walk to and from school depend on the Walking Patrols to safely cross them at major intersections. For the safety of our students, please obey safety patrol signals and flags and talk with your child about obeying the safety patrol signals and flags.
Lincoln Elementary School has implemented healthy snack requirements at all grade levels, Kindergarten through Fifth.
Classroom snack options include: fresh fruit, vegetables, dairy or meat snack.
All snacks, grades K-5, will be working snacks lasting no more than 15 minutes.
Snacks will be worked into the classroom schedule by the teacher.
Sugary foods are not allowed for snacks. These items include, but are not limited to: fruit snacks, fruit cups, muffins, granola bars, crackers, cookies, chips, soda, etc. Students will not be allowed to eat these items in the classroom.
The only beverage allowed with snack is plain water. Kindergarten will have milk as an option.
Be mindful of allergies, NO peanut/tree-nut products, or products that may have been made in a location with peanut/tree nut products. We are a peanut/tree-nut safe school.
Due to health regulations no food will be stored in the classroom and all uneaten opened snacks will be disposed of. Unopened snacks will be returned home.
Bringing a daily snack of individual portion is the responsibility of the child.
On special occasions/class parties, Otter Lake may provide a snack such as air-popped popcorn. All snacks provided by the school are verified for safety.
To ensure we are not exposing students with food allergies to potentially harmful items, students are not allowed to share food items with other students. This includes birthday treats or treats for other special occasions, ie. Halloween.
End of day pick-up and bus dismissal can be a hectic time. Please be patient with Lincoln staff and other parents. In order to ensure student safety during this time, please follow the end of day process provided prior to school starting each fall.
Please make sure you communicate your child’s transportation schedule (bus, walk, or parent pick-up) with their teacher. If there is a change of dimissal plans, please notify your child’s teacher and the front office before 1:15. We will only honor transportation changes for which we have been notified.
Students in 3nd grade will receive free swimming lessons at the YMCA. For the 2022-2023 school year. All swimming lessons take place during regular school day hours.
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Students will be permitted to use the school telephone only in case of an emergency.
Arrangements for after school activities must be made at home. Calls will not be forwarded to the classroom during instructional times. You may leave a voicemail message for any teacher. If you have a message which needs immediate response, please call the office and we will see that the message is delivered.
We ask that students leave all toys at home. Toys include such things as stuffed animals, cars, electronic games, trading cards, etc. It has been our experience that toys tend to distract students from focusing on their academic work. There are two exceptions to this guideline:
A student may bring a toy for show and tell or a classroom project/play with his/her teacher's permission.
Student Council sponsored activities, such as Teddy Bear Day.
If a student isn't sure if an object is considered a toy, s/he should ask the teacher.
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Instruction and guidance on acceptable use of the Internet will be provided by teachers. A copy of the Internet Acceptable Use Policy is available in the school office and is posted on the district Internet website (http.//www.whitebear.k12.mn.us). The Internet is a teaching tool and students will be using it to access online reference materials such as encyclopedias, atlases, magazines, and educational sites to complete assignments. Inappropriate use of the Internet may result in suspension of computer privileges and/or other disciplinary action.
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For the safety of our students and staff ALL visitors must check-in. We will ask you to sign-in and wear a visitor pass. If you do not have a visitor pass, the staff will direct you to the office to check in.
Volunteers are an integral part of our program. We encourage every family to consider volunteering at Lincoln. All volunteers must pass a background check through the school district. Please contact the school office for forms or more information.
In accordance with the MN Department of Health recommendation, we will be doing hearing and vision screening throughout the year. If you would like to opt your student out of these screenings, please contact the Health Office at (651) 653-2829.
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Students and visitors are not allowed to possess, use, or distribute a weapon on school property. According to school board policy, immediate out-of-school suspension and notification of parent or guardian will occur. Weapons are defined as:
All firearms, including pellet or BB guns
Look alike or replicas of real guns
Any knife, including pocket knives
Matches, or any flammable liquid, including lighters or lighter fluid
Any explosives, including fireworks
Bow and arrows or darts
Any object used with the intent to cause bodily harm.