On a Mission for Excellence

Lincoln Elementary is ready to rock a new school year. The school’s mission, Leading, Excelling, and Succeeding optimizes our vision of school excellence as we move forward into the 2020-2021 school year. The school continues to strive for excellence by continuing to refine our three big rocks consisting of flexible grouping, vocabulary development, and writing development across all content areas.

First, I would like to showcase our school staff. I feel that this is important because we have had several changes in personnel but also it is an opportunity for me to introduce a staff that works hard and daily serves students. The fourth graders will be led by a group of very dedicated, exuberant teachers who believe in developing those relationships with the students. These teachers consist of Carey Chaffin, Missy West, Octavia Patterson, Dustin Cannon, Grace Johnson, Jessie Perkins, Caitlin Crawford, Rebecca Todd, and Angie Vaughn. Our fifth grade students will be led by a group of dedicated teachers who believe in building relationships with the ultimate goal of preparing them for sixth grade. These teachers consist of Jessica Mosley, Sara Tucker, Leah Clark, Natasha Grimes, Katie Knipp, Katie Baxter, Kasey Kenyon, Maria Gordon, and Marschelle Sekora. Our Resource staff which includes: Lesley Hall, Sheteka Winston, Ashley Taylor, Carissa Smith, Carra Scott, and Lori Stevens strive daily to meet the needs of students that have an Individual Education Plan. Our Special Area Teachers work to help provide an Arts and Humanities/Physical Activity program that provides students varying opportunities to experience a well-rounded educational opportunity while at Lincoln. These teachers include: Physical Education-Jamie Neal, Music-Amber Lamastus, Art/Librarian-Jane Rahm, Gifted/Talented-Dianne Wade, Guidance- Kelly Baxter and Chinese Studies. The next group provides invaluable experiences for our students. These ladies are always smiling and willing to help in whatever capacity. They work to support our resource students as well as our intervention students in the area of reading and math. This group includes Lori Dyer, Debbie Richey, Pam Jones, Angela Perkins, and Brandon Eubanks. The school is supported by a custodial and cafeteria staff that works diligently to provide the basic needs of our students. It is important to have a good breakfast to begin the school day and all of our students can begin the day with a free breakfast in our cafeteria. The custodial staff has worked diligently all summer to prepare the school for opening day on August 12^th. The floors are shiny and bright as well as the classrooms will be decorated for a new year. The custodial staff includes: Paul Goostree, Charles Porter, and Willa Bradley. The cafeteria staff includes:. Finally, our front office and administrative staff. This group will greet you as you enter the building and will always be willing to help you by answering questions or by helping solve problems. We are here to serve the students and parents. The front office includes: Secretary-Karen Chandler, Bookkeeper-Beth Kelley, Assistant Principal-Emily Satterly, Counselor-Kelly Baxter, Social Worker-Melita Joiner, Curriculum-Kim Whitney, and Principal-Joyce Pais.

Next, our teachers have spent a busy summer preparing for your return. The teachers have worked through the social distancing and virtual training to refine our TPT techniques and all teachers will teach writing this school year in every subject. The teachers will also be integrating more questioning and discussion strategies into daily overviews and continue the work of building their toolbox with further engagement strategies. . All of this work will be integrated into a system that improves school achievement.

Finally, I would like to share with you some information that will help you and your child have a stress free beginning for the new school year.

· School day begins at 7:50 in the gym for morning meeting but students will be considered late after 8:00 a.m.

· Students will be loaded by school personnel beginning at 3:05 for 4^th grade and 3:13 for 5^th grade. Parents/Guardians must have a car rider tag displayed in order to pick up a student. If no car rider tag is displayed, please enter the building with your ID in order to pick up your child (Principal may waive this if she is familiar with the person picking up the student). Please form 2 lines entering the front entrance from John J. Johnson Avenue. If parent or guardian is early, then he or she will be asked to circle again so those behind them may move on. There will be no picking up children in the parking lot across the street. Children that want to walk to the park or home must be in the walker line in front of room 104 and a staff member will walk them across the crosswalk.

· Notes must be sent to school within three (3) school days of the absence for the absence to be determined as excused or unexcused. These notes may be parent notes up to six days or medical excuses.

Again, it is a pleasure to serve as principal of this fine school and I personally invite parents and community members to visit and watch our young people at work. Our teachers are going to be focusing on three areas within our curriculum: planning, questioning, and formative assessments. I think it is important to share our school focus areas for this school year because it is only through the continuous partnership of the home, school, and community that we help our children prepare for the future.