january 2019 lincoln middle school, lincoln newsletter an ib … · january 2019 lincoln newsletter...

Lincoln Newsletter PAGE 1 JANUARY 2019

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PAGE 1 Lincoln Newsletter

Lincoln Middle School,

an IB World School

JANUARY 2019

Address:

1600 Lancer Dr.

Fort Collins, CO 80521

Phone Number:

(970) 488-5700

Attendance:

(970) 488-5800

Click here for

School Website

Principal

Penny Stires

Assistant Principal

Jake McCollum

Assistant Principal

Ryan Thomson

Looking for an opportunity to volunteer?

WE NEED YOU:

to help with vision

and

hearing screening on

Monday, January 28th

from 7:30-11:00

If you have time to come hang

out with some great middle schoolers for part or all of this time please

call Carol Winder, Lincoln MS Health Tech, so she can schedule you in.

Thanks in advance for your support of Lincoln students!

http://www.schooldigger.com/go/CO/district/04350/search.aspx

https://lin.psdschools.org/

https://lin.psdschools.org/

https://www.facebook.com/Lincoln-Middle-an-IB-World-School-153462148042723/

http://www.pedersentoyota.com/


Principal’s Message

Dear Parents and/or Guardians of Lincoln Middle

School Students:

We are having a Kindness Revolution! Over the

next 18 weeks, we are challenging students and

staff to complete 10,000 total acts of kindness as a

school community. Each grade level has had a kick-off assembly and

students are already engaged in the work! Ask your child what they are

doing to forward our kindness revolution.

Student-Led Conferences will be held on February 19th and February 26th. I

want to communicate that this is a change in the traditional format that we

typically follow for conferences. Students will essentially be running the

conference following agreed upon expectations. Teachers will be available

to talk as needed or requested. The goal of SLCs is to actively engage

students in their own learning process. Students assume greater control of

their academic progress and accept personal responsibility for their

academic performance. SLCs allow parents, teachers, and students to

engage in open and honest dialogue about school progress. A side benefit to

this format is that students develop both organizational skills and oral

communication skills while moving through the conference. We are also

excited for our students to have more opportunities around self-evaluation.

Additional information will follow as we get closer to conference dates.

It continues to be an honor to serve the

Lincoln community. Please never

hesitate to contact me with any

questions or concerns.

Warm Regards,

Penny Stires

Principal

(970) 488-5700

https://www.healthdistrict.org/cayac

https://www.bannerhealth.com/physician-directory


2019-2020 School Year Projected Bell Schedule

Dear Lincoln Middle School families,

After a year of extensive research and community engagement, PSD’s Board of Education voted on

November 27 to change bell schedules across the district to accommodate later starting times for

secondary school students. These changes start in August 2019. We know this is a significant change, not

only for PSD but for families and the community, and I’m thankful for your continued patience and

flexibility.

As part of these efforts, Lincoln has adjusted our schedule. For the 2019-20 school year, the projected bell

schedule for Lincoln will be:

Start Time: 8:05 a.m.

Dismissal Time: 3:00 p.m.

We will continue to update you regarding the status of these activities at Lincoln as information becomes

available ahead of the start of school in August.

For more information regarding the new bell schedules, including a helpful FAQ, visit

bit.ly/PSDbellschedulechanges.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me with questions or concerns regarding our bell schedules. Thank you for

your support of L.M.S.

Penny Stires

Principal

(970) 488-5700

http://bit.ly/PSDbellschedulechanges

http://www.eyecenternoco.com/

http://www.saludclinic.org/


Action Item for Parents!

Step 1: Grab an envelope and piece of paper

Step 2: Write a letter to your child telling

them your hopes and dreams for them

Step 3: Also…encourage them to try their

hardest on CMAS tests so they can show all

that they’ve learned this year

Step 4: Place the letter in the envelope

Step 5: Write your child’s first and last name on the envelope

Step 6: Send the envelope to Mrs. Stires

OR

EMAIL the letter to [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

https://peakclarity.com/neurofeedback/

http://www.admissions.colostate.edu/visit-campus


English Language Development - ELD Grades 6, 7, 8

Our ELD students have been working very diligently

preparing for the upcoming ACCESS test in the

domains of Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.

The test is given to the ELD students in January of each

year to measure their proficiency in the English

language. Students can score on a scale of 1-6 in the

four domains. Once the students have achieved

proficiency in the English language, they no longer will

need to be in ELD classes. ELD classes are a second

English class that helps to strengthen the students’

English skills in the areas of Listening, Speaking,

Reading, and Writing, which helps to support their

performance in all their other classes. Testing will begin January 24.

We have students from several places in the world who are students here at Lincoln. We have

students from Mexico, Central America, the Middle East, and Asia. Not only do they learn

English and study about American history/culture, their fellow Lincoln peers can learn about

other cultures in the world by getting to know our ELD students.

We will also be reading three different novels in our ELD classes. over the next few weeks. 6th

grade ELD will be reading, The Secret Garden, 7th grade ELD will be reading, The Outsiders, and

8th grade ELD will be reading, Number the Stars. In addition to reading those novels in class, the

students will also be writing essays related to the topics covered in the novels.

http://www.centurylink.com/schoolnews/


6th

Grade News

These are the unit objectives we are currently working on:

1. Define mass and describe how it is measured, including units.

2. Define volume and describe how it is measured, including units.

3. Define density and describe how it is measured, including units.

4. Understand that everything is made of matter and that atoms are the basic building block of

matter.

5. List and describe the three phases of matter.

Mr. Brennan & Mrs. Johnson

Science We finished the 2nd quarter by researching and writing about invasive species to wrap up our ecology unit.

We are beginning our next unit of inquiry, matter and introduction to chemistry. Students are busy learning

about how matter is measured. They are working on being able to find the mass, volume and density of

objects. We will also begin to explore the main states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. Below are key

vocabulary words our students will be assessed on throughout this unit of study.

matter mass weight density volume

solid liquid gas melting point boiling point

atom nucleus proton neutron electron

element molecule periodic table atomic mass atomic number

atomic symbol Bohr model interpret analyze reason

investigate apply outline

https://www.lctix.com/animaniacs-in-concert


Math

6th grade math has been working on

a ratio and rate unit. This would

involve finding the best buy between

different sized products, unit rates

like cost per pound, or miles per

gallon. As you can see there are

many uses for this math in everyday

life. Please encourage them by

having them calculate some of these

values for you.

We have started percent this week.

Please have them try percent off

calculations for sales ( if the jacket is

$50 and is now on sale for 30% off,

what would the new price be?)

Approximating tip and tax at

restaurants is a good way to practice

their math.

7/8 Math students have been doing

a short Geometry unit involving

angles, parallel lines and triangles.

We reviewed solving equations as

part of this unit. Our next unit will

involve graphing lines, and writing

equations for these lines. We will

review proportional and

nonproportional relationships as

part of this unit. Ask your students

to explain the difference between

y=kx, and y=mx+b. Thanks for

allowing us to work with your

students.

6th grade Language and Literature We are starting off the new

semester with poetry! Students will

be reading and analyzing poems, as

well as writing poems to create a

poetry portfolio.

6th graders are also working on a

reading challenge to read a

minimum of four books this quarter.

Remember to read every night, and

that homework is due on Thursdays.

6th Grade Social Studies and Humanities

During the month of January, we are

working on a book study of the

novel The Red Umbrella. It is the

story of a teenager names Lucia and

her family during the years after the

Cuban Revolution. The novel is a

great way to explore some of our

civics and economics standards. Our

unit questions are as follows:

Factual: What is authoritarianism?

What is socialism?

Conceptual: What is it like to live

under an authoritarian government?

Debatable: Which is more

important—being equal or being

fair?

6th

Grade News, continued...

http://joemivshek.kw.com/



Continued...

7th

Grade News

Science

Happy 2019! We have many fun things going on in 7th grade science during

semester two. The units we will cover throughout the rest of the year include

finishing Genetics, then onto Natural Selection and Evolution, Earth History,

Earth’s Formations, and Chemistry. In January, students will do a project where

they take on the role of genetic counselor and become experts about a genetic

disease. They will conduct research, build a website, and then do a mock counseling session with other

students. They will also build family pedigrees, debate the use of genetically modified organisms, and

evaluate GMO’s by looking at cartoons. Stay tuned to find out what we’re doing next month!

-Ms. Wren, Mr. Garcia, Ms. Ashby, 7th Grade Science

Math

Dear Family,

Family vacations provide a relaxing break from the usual routine. Whether you visit family, go camping, or

plan a “stay-cation” at home, you usually need to make a budget for your expenses. Budgeting for a family

vacation may take some research. The rates advertised for hotel rooms usually do not include taxes or

resort fees. When dining out, the tax and tip can add quite a bit to the total bill. Vehicle rentals often have

extra charges for taxes, insurance, fuel, and mileage that are not usually included in advertised rates. All of

these “hidden” costs can increase the cost of your vacation significantly. Ask your student to help create a

budget for your next family vacation. Have him or her research common fees, taxes, and tips for each part

of your plan. For example:

• Hotels sometimes have multiple tax rates—for state, county, and local sales taxes, and

sometimes even an extra “room tax.” Find out what the tax rates are and determine how much

this will add to the room charges. Are there other fees, such as resort fees or parking charges?

• Employees in restaurants and hotels usually earn most of their money from tips, so find out who

usually receives a tip and what amount is appropriate.

• Rental cars can have many taxes and fees—sometimes these cost as much as the rental fee

itself. Try to find out each rate or fee so you can plan accordingly.

Work with your student to make a budget that includes the extra charges for each item. You might want to

include other categories in your budget—such as categories for shopping, entertainment, fuel, and parking.

Having your student help with the budgeting will involve him or her in planning the vacation—and help

your student realize you can’t always afford everything you want to do.

-Mr. Martinez, Mrs. Hobbs, and Ms. Fitzgerald, 7th Grade Math


7th


Social Studies

Happy New Year! 7th Grade Social Studies is starting off 2nd Semester with

our Africa unit. Students will be digging deep into concepts of disparity and

equity, and the distribution of resources in African countries. The culminating

activity for this unit will be the creation of an educational digital book which

will be sent to a learning center in an African country. In addition, 7th graders

are invited to attend a field trip to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science

on Friday, February 22, 2019. You will receive a field trip permission slip from

your student soon. We will be looking for some parent volunteers to come

with us. If you are interested in chaperoning this field trip, please ask your

student to bring home the chaperon information, and make sure that you

have already completed the application process for being a PSD

volunteer.

-Ms. Israelson, Mr. Griffith, and Ms. Mills, 7th Grade World Geography

7th Grade Language and Literature

Mrs. Peterson and Mr. Wilson are thrilled to begin the narrative unit of study

for 7th grade language and literature! Students will read classic short stories

such as “The Medicine Bag” by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve and “Lather and

Nothing Else” by Henandez Tellez to study the author’s craft as they prepare

to write their own personal and fictional narratives. In addition, students have

been challenged to read 320 pages over the first 4 weeks of this semester. A

large order of project literacy book titles was purchased and presented to stu-

dents to check out at their leisure on the first day of class. Thank you, parents,

for helping support this initiative with a block of quiet reading time each

evening. Go Lancers!

Becca Wren

7th Grade Team Leader

Director of COPACK

7th Grade Science

Lincoln IB World Middle School


https://summitstonehealth.org/self-harm/


Continued...

8th

Grade News

Science

We finished up last semester with a look at our solar system and now move on to something

with a little more hands on experiments. Time to do some physics. We will start off the unit with

looking forms of energy and how they can be transformed with some time spent learning how

that is related to kinetic and potential energy. We will finish up the unit with how energy can also

mean renewable and nonrenewable. Next, we will start looking at waves, sound and light.

History

Welcome Back!! Students are excited to be back in US History and ready to tackle the rest of the

year. As we begin the second semester, 8th graders will continue working on understanding the

American Revolution. During this unit our criterion focus is investigating. Students will use re-

search skills to create an infographic about the Revolutionary War. This month we will also

begin one of the most interesting units of the year – American Government. Students will gain a

better understanding of how our government and system of laws work.

http://www.lctix.com/shaun-boothe


8th


Math

Semester 2 is here! In Mr. Kennedy’s Math 8 class he is beginning this semester focusing on functions.

Functions describe a relation from a set of inputs to a set of possible outputs where each input is related to

exactly one output. Help your kids thing of this as a machine where each input gives a particular output,

kind of like a redbox machine. Students will learn how to determine if something is a function, if the data is

continuous or discrete, and finally write a rule or equation that would match to the given function.

In Mr. Berry’s Math 8 we will begin in the chapter about linear relationships. This will build on our previous

knowledge of functions and focus on the characteristics of a linear relationship. Here students will find

rates of change, graph lines, use tables and write equations to model real world relationships. One example

of a linear relationship would the cost of a monthly bill and a start up fee for a streaming or cable service.

Students will learn how to use the form y=mx+b, where the slope of the line is m, and the y intercept is b.

Try talking to your students about continuous and constant relationships.

In Mr. Berry’s Algebra 1 class we are beginning the second semester by learning about exponential func-

tions, how to work with exponents and what each of those parent functions are good for in the real world.

Students will model real world exponential growth and decay by looking at different situations such as pop-

ulation growth, radioactive decay rates and more! We will also eventually build on our knowledge of arith-

metic sequences (adding or subtracting by a constant rate) by looking in to geometric sequences (going up

or down exponentially.)

English

Over the next couple months students will be learning about the Holocaust in Language Arts classes. Stu-

dents will be using theme and symbolism to construct a literary analysis of the book Night by Elie Wiesel,

all the while learning about empathy, the bystander effect, and how we, as scholars, can impact the future

of this world by learning about our p


http://www.youthclinic.com/


Visual Arts @ Lincoln

As we turn the corner to 2019 the art room is gearing up for some new classes.

Art Exploration- 6th grade: These students are

continuing in art and will be delving into color

theory and design. We will be looking at

expressionist paintings and talking about how

art can be a powerful way to express emotions.

Art 1-7th grade: These students will get to know

the art room and create art journals. We will be

learning about different materials as we practice

our drawing skills. We will be exploring how art

can be a great way to tell a story.

Art 2- 8th grade: These students will be exploring the concepts around Street Art and how art can

be used to send a message. They will use color theory to inform their designs as well as present

their ideas to the class.

Pottery/Sculpture - 7th and 8th grade: These classes will be getting grubby while they learn how to

create slab bowls. Many of these bowls will be donated to the Empty Bowls Dinner, a fundraiser

for the Food Bank of Larimer County. We will also be learning how to throw on the pottery

wheel. (Volunteers welcome!!)

http://www.orthohealth.com/


Continued...

Tech It Up!

If you missed back to school night in September, we gave a snapshot of what technology class

looks like this school year. All classes will be using an interactive notebook, accessing a class

website, and gaining skills to be successful in the workforce or higher education. If you didn’t’

know, computing is the #1 job source for wages in the United States and technology is forever

changing. Software today will not be here tomorrow. The foundations of the courses will go knee

deep in academic literacy, developing plans using creativity and problem solving, and portable

skills that can be applied to the never ending technology advancements. Have your student show

you our class website. We will use this tool to navigate through units, lessons, and software. Each

unit is equipped with an overview of the unit, slideshows for daily agendas, rubrics, and other

important resources. All classes start off with online safety curriculum. Before we can become

Techy’s, we must learn how to be safe, responsible, and savvy digital citizens so our lifelong online

reputation keeps us employed and in a positive spotlight!

Music

All music classes are starting fresh after a successful Winter

Concert. We are going to take some time in January to focus on

some fundamentals like note names, Solfege, and rhythm

reading before we dive into new pieces.

In Band and Orchestra, we are starting our January Practice

Challenge. Although not graded, practicing outside of class

crucial for growth. I am challenging students to practice at least

350 minutes in the month of January. (That’s about 30mins, 3x a

week). Students need an adult to sign off on each day that they

practice. Hold your student accountable! There will be a prize for

the students that conquer the Practice Challenge and prize for

the student who practices the most!


Lincoln Musicians of the Month

Every month students are going to nominate someone in their ensemble

that they think is a great representation of a Lincoln Musician.

Our Musicians for January (and what their peers said about them) are:

Music, continued...

Carley Petrick-

6th Grade Orchestra, “Carley is also a great

teacher for other kids in our orchestra when

they need help or just need some rosin or

other things they don't know about.”

“She wonderful role model because she is

always working hard and trying her best, she is

a wonderful leader to follow in her foot steps.”

Tade Rebman-

6th Grade Band, “Tade is a positive role

model, and works hard every day.” “He sets the

example for how to play for me on the clarinet

and what tone, and sound it should sound like.

He is always is energetic and positive.”

Addison Campbell-

7th Grade Choir “In choir she very kind and if

anyone is scared to sing she makes them feel

really good about themselves and tells them

"good job" or "you can do it".“She has an

amazing voice!”

Alice Kress-

7th Grade Band “Hearing her play now, she can

play pretty much anything, without much

practice. It's amazing how far she's come.”

“Another reason I have nominated her is

because she is knowledgeable and will always

do the right thing.”

Henry Johnston-

8th Grade Band “Henry because he always has

great leadership in the classroom and is always

in a good mood.” “He is a dedicated and skilled

musician. He is always practicing and following

the rules, and is a good clarinetist. “


Study Skills ELA

Happy New Year! This year we will continue to

focus on meeting your student’s needs in

reading by providing individualized lessons

plans. Students will be assessed on their

reading skills for the 2nd time this year using the

Core Phonics Survey. This assessment shows us

the areas your child has mastered in their

reading skills as well as those areas they may

need more support. This data is used to create

individualized lessons to help improve

student’s reading skills. So many students have

shown nice growth last semester and I’m

excited to see this growth continue.

Lastly, please encourage your child to read

every night for at least 20 minutes. Consistent

reading will make a huge difference in

supporting your child outside of school.

Carolyn Shirley

Reading Interventionist

Yearbook

The yearbook staff is excited about the 2019

yearbook and has been working hard to include

all of the great stories and students of Lincoln.

We will soon be finalizing the number of books

that we will be ordering, but there is still time

to order your yearbook if you have not done so

already.

From January 28th – February 8th the

yearbook will be on sale for $35.

You can place your order online at

jostensyearbooks.com or with our school

bookkeeper. Don’t miss out on your last chance

to guarantee a 2019 yearbook for your child. If

you have already purchased a book, thank you!

This year’s book is one you won’t want to miss!

http://www.schoolcommunicationsagency.com/


PE News

In PE to end the 1st semester students retested the Pacer fitness test to self-

evaluate how well they were increasing or maintain their fitness levels. We also

ended the year with a 2- square tournament. We combined the girls and boys

classes and played some music and had a ton of fun. Champions were crowned

King or Queen of the Courts and all hailed the two- square Royalty!

Starting off the 2nd semester students will be participating in Health class one

period a week throughout the 3rd quarter. 6th graders learn basic first aid, CPR, and fire and

outdoor safety skills from our own Poudre Fire Department, as well as some nutrition lessons.

7th graders have a variety of presenters that come to teach us about Sexual Assault Prevention,

Marijuana and Vaping prevention, and then PE teachers present the 5 components of Fitness. 8th

graders learn the District Sex Ed curriculum.

Since Health class is only one of the two or three days a week in PE, the other days will be filled

with two perennial favorites – Badminton and Indoor Hockey! Both are favorites for the fast play

and success students gain over the course of the unit!

8th

grade Spanish Literacy

8th grade Spanish Literacy will be working on a collaboration project with the local non-profit

Trees, Water & People (https://www.treeswaterpeople.org) over the next 3-4 weeks. Both 8th

grade classes will be translating the content of TWP’s website and select articles from their

newsletters to bring this information to the countries TWP works in: Guatemala, Honduras, El

Salvador, Nicaragua, Cuba and Mexico. Through the translation work, students will develop skills

in IB criterion of Analyzing language and structure, Organizing and formatting of writing and

Using Language to select the correct terminology and vocabulary for the translation.

Students will explore, learn and discuss about causes and solutions to poverty, rural economic

development initiatives, environmental conservation through efficient cookstoves and

reforestation projects. Students will connect with TWP bilingual staff in the field and through

classroom presentations, and learn about their use of English and Spanish in the work place and

career possibilities and trajectories for bilingual individuals.

Claudia Menendez

https://www.treeswaterpeople.org


¡Feliz Año Nuevo a todos!

6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Spanish Acquisition: In all three grade levels, we are reviewing material from last semester and continuing to work

with with our class novels and new vocabulary acquisition revolved around them. The 6th

graders are currently reading El capibara con botas by Mira Canion. The 7th graders are reading

La perezosa impaciente by Mira Canion, and the 8th graders are reading Los agentes secretos y el

mural de Picasso by Mira Canion. Please ensure that your child is staying up to date on both the

novel and Duolingo. If they are struggling, please also remind them to practice with the grade

level Quizlet that is posted on Google Classroom. These have all of the targeted vocabulary that

we have been working with so far. ¡Mil gracias!

6th Grade Spanish Acquisition

¡Feliz Año Nuevo a todas las familias de Lincoln! During the next few weeks, Students will

continue reading “El capibara con botas”, focusing on reading comprehension, while gaining

repetitive input in Spanish, Our goal in class is to maintain the majority of our conversations in

Spanish by using the vocabulary we learn in class and using the word walls in the classroom as a

resource.

7th Grade Spanish Acquisition

¡Feliz Año Nuevo a todas las familias de Lincoln! During the next few weeks, Students will

continue to read and finish“La perezosa impaciente”, focusing on reading comprehension, while

gaining repetitive input in Spanish, As we continue with the novel we will explore life and culture

in Colombia.

VERY IMPORTANT: Language learning requires an abundant amount of comprehended

repetitions of a certain word or phrase, anywhere between 150-175 to be exact! That is a lot

of repetition, far too many to be done in class and keep things interesting for students. For this

reason students are assigned QUIZLET homework outside of class. It is very important for

students to complete this homework, as it is part of their grade, but also helps vastly with

repetitions in a dynamic way. Quizlet homework will be assigned bi-weekly and will be posted

on Google Classroom. Students MUST BE logged in through their school Google account when

using Quizlet. After completing the assigned Quiz, students must submit their Quiz score with

a screen shot of their score via Google classroom. Quizlet can also be accessed from cell

phones, so this is a great way to have your child using screen time in a meaningful and

educational way.


Lecto Escritura Sexto Grado

¡Feliz Año Nuevo a todas las familias de Lincoln! Durante este mes seguiremos leyendo el libro

“Manolito Gafotas.” El enfoque de vocabulario de este mes es el uso de “sinónimos”, el cual

ayudará a estudiantes a comunicarse usando un vocabulario variado. Empezando este mes

estudiantes serán asignados tarea en Quizlet cada dos semanas. Es muy importante que esta

tarea sea completada, ya que tendrá un impacto negativo en la calificación de su hijo/a.

Como siempre el mejor ejemplo para su hijo es usted. Procure hablar en español en su casa y

anime a su hijo/a a leer libros en español. No existe mejor manera de aprender y mejorar que

la práctica.

Lecto Escritura Séptimo Grado

¡Feliz Año Nuevo a todas las familias de Lincoln! Durante este mes seguiremos leyendo el libro

“La casa en Mango Street.” Mientras leamos exploraremos temas como, la vida de los

inmigrantes en los EEUU, la comunidad y la identidad El enfoque de vocabulario de este mes es

el uso de “sinónimos y homófonos”, el cual ayudará a estudiantes a comunicarse usando un

vocabulario variado. De hoy en adelante, los estudiantes recibirán una calificación relacionada

con su uso de español durante la clase, con la meta que el inglés no sea usado durante la

clase. Empezando este mes estudiantes serán asignados tarea en Quizlet cada dos

semanas. Es muy importante que esta tarea sea completada, ya que tendrá un impacto negativo

en la calificación de su hijo/a.

Como siempre el mejor ejemplo para su hijo es usted. Procure hablar en español en su casa y

anime a su hijo/a a leer libros en español. No existe mejor manera de aprender y mejorar que

la práctica.

http://www.schoolcommunicationsagency.com/

january 2019 lincoln middle school, lincoln newsletter an ib … · january 2019 lincoln newsletter...

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