October 2025 – Curriculum Updates from Specials

 ART - Ms. Caira

Welcome to the new school year, Lincoln School!  I've been so excited to meet all the new faces as well as welcoming returning students (who all seem to be a bit taller).  I also appreciated the chance to connect with returning and new caregivers on Back to School night! 

The first weeks of school involved reviewing expectations for our art room as well as participating in our group display by making self-portraits (as seen in our main hallway).  Self-portraits can be intimidating for students, but with the direction to make them super tiny, all were successful.  I love seeing all of our beautiful community faces represented!

Kindergarten students learned about Yayoi Kusama, queen of dots.  Her work helped us kick off International Dot Day, a global celebration on September 15th, inspired by the children's book The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds.  We then moved onto our study of cave paintings and learned about some of the first art ever discovered.  Working under tables with the lights off, students imagined what it would have been like to make their own pigment or to use a charcoal stick to draw wooly mammoths and other early creatures.  

First grade studied perspective and made a drawing of a field with their choice of "crop" gradually disappearing into the distance.  They also got a glimpse of the giant spiders by sculptor, Louise Bourgeois, and requested to make some spider art of their own.  With an introduction to collage, they got that chance!  Using found and recycled paper, they carefully cut and glued their parts down, finishing with a hand-drawn web.  Another inspiration for this project was Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti Book by Gerald McDermott — be sure to ask your young artists about it!

Second-graders studied the difference between organic shapes and geometric shapes and drew some of their own on what would become paper lanterns.  Using paint sticks allowed them to express creativity through line and shape exploration.  These have provided a whimsical and colorful display in the Art hallway!  They also created 3-dimensional rooms out of paper in which we explored the design principle of Unity.  Unity in art can be achieved when the visual elements have a sense of connectedness.  Working carefully by both drawing and constructing pieces of furniture out of paper, they designed their tiny spaces, often collaborating with a partner to create a block of rooms.  

Third graders also learned about 3D forms but took a different approach.  They focused on the simple, yet iconic, form of an apple, allowing the young artists to concentrate on shape, color, and texture.  A key focus of the project was introducing the concept of shading—learning to observe how light and shadow fall on a round object. Students masterfully, and often intuitively, used lighter colors (like yellow or white) to depict the highlight and deeper hues (like black, dark blue, or brown) for shadows and the core shadow on the apple itself, as well as the cast shadow beneath it.  The results were stunning and led to multiple requests for more of the same, so we are now creating eyes using the same shading techniques.

Fourth grade celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month by creating Alebrijes. Originating in Mexico, Alebrijes are vibrant, dream-like creatures—often hybrids of real and imagined animals—that symbolize Mexican folk art and boundless imagination.  Moving beyond simple blocks of color, the students developed complex, interwoven patterns that cover the bodies. This focus on pattern demonstrates impressive concentration and fine motor skill development for this age group.  The intentional use of high-contrast, fluorescent hues amplifies the fantastical, surreal nature of the mythological beasts, making the creatures leap off the page.

 STEM – Ms. Quigley

Lincoln students are off to a great start in STEM this year.  This year is particularly exciting because we welcome kindergarten to the STEM room for the first time!  

Kindergarten

Students in K began the year with the challenge of spelling their names using loose parts.  They took right to the challenge with creative results!

Kindergarten engineers have spent the last few weeks getting acquainted with building materials in the STEM room.   They have designed using wooden planks, magnetic tiles, Lego Duplos, straw builders, pool noodle pieces, stacking cups, and linking cubes.  Students also aced their first design challenge which asked them to design a bird house.  Way to go!

First Grade

First graders began the year with two engineering challenges - Saving a gummy worm named Fred and designing bridges for the 3 Billy Goats Gruff.  For each challenge, students worked on being flexible with their thinking and cooperating with their partners.  These two challenges were no match for our Lincoln School engineers.  First-graders also practiced using STEM materials and tools like tape, staplers, and glue to build paper playgrounds.  Their creativity for this activity was off the charts!

Second Grade - Fourth Grade

Students in 2nd-4th grade began the year by focusing on the skills of mental flexibility, cooperation, and communication.  Their first challenge involved saving a gummy worm named Fred, the second challenge involved building an index card tower, and the third challenge was to describe a hidden Lego design for a partner to build.  The challenges were tough, but the Lincoln students were tougher - they did a great job rising to the challenges!

 Digital Literacy & Computer Science – Ms. Matthes & Mr. McDonough

Grades 1, 4 - Mr. McDonough

First graders have been learning about their new iPads - how to handle them safely and how to use them safely. They've also been learning how to use the various tools in our learning management system called Seesaw. These foundational skills will help them throughout this year and into the future as they learn how to share their learning using multimedia tools. 

In this "tech rotation" (6 weeks), fourth graders are learning word processing skills by using Google Docs. Along with word processing, students have also begun their keyboarding unit which helps them learn how to touch-type. By the end of the school year, the goal is for fourth graders to be typing 20 words per minute with at least 95% accuracy. 

Grades K,  2, 3 - Ms. Matthes

Kindergarten has been learning about rules and routines in the computer lab.  We just learned a strategy for saying goodbye to technology — 'Pause, Breath and Finish Up!'.  We are about to start learning how to use a drawing app.

In Second Grade we have been learning about computers and computer hardware.  Ask your student how many different kinds of computers they found in the technology classroom.

Third Grade has not been to technology class yet.

 Wellness – Ms. Love & Mr. Trask

Ms. Love (K-2 Wellness)

Wellness in grades K-2 has gotten off to a great start! We’ve been building strong foundations for healthy habits and fun physical activity. Our focus began with learning routines and procedures to keep our class safe and organized. Students have learned recess games like 4 Square (for 1st and 2nd graders), Switch, and Toss and Catch with scoops, all helping them develop coordination and teamwork. We also practiced using Rock, Paper, Scissors as a friendly way to resolve conflicts. A favorite was the 4-Corner Rock, Paper, Scissors game, which got our hearts pumping and bodies moving while reinforcing fair play. Most recently, we’ve started our hula hoop unit, where we introduced the importance of having a growth mindset. We’re practicing changing our words and attitudes—for example, replacing “I can’t do this” with “I am still learning” and using positive self-talk to grow and stretch our brains!  We’re excited to keep moving, learning, and growing together this year!

Mr. Trask (3-4 Wellness)

Welcome to the 2025/2026 school year! In Wellness for 3rd and 4th grade, we started this year by going over some of our class expectations. We then moved into a unit on recess games such as 4 square and switch! After finishing up with our recess games, we moved into some cooperative games and team activities. We have also been working on conflict resolution and using strategies to solve issues peacefully. We are looking forward to the rest of the year!

 Library – Ms. Blumberg

For the most up-to-date library updates, please visit the Lincoln School Library Blog page. 

For the most up to date library information, visit the library webpage: Lincoln School Library

Happy October! I am delighted to be in year two as the Lincoln School Librarian. It was so much fun to welcome kids BACK into the library in September, see how they have grown, and to watch them in their new classroom communities. 

The beginning of the year in the library focuses on structures and routines designed to help all kids feel successful in our library space. Ask your child to tell you the THREE rules for our library. 

This year grades 1-5 will have their library class day and their book checkout day (when they are in their technology rotatation and do not have weekly library classes) on the SAME day so that there is only ONE LIBRARY DAY to remember all year long. Yippee!

The schedule for classes and book checkouts is:

• Monday: 1L, 4R, 5B
• Tuesday: KC, 1S, 2M, 3H, 4O
• Wednesday: 2W, 3S
• Thursday: KJ, 1N, 2Mc, 3K, 4J, 5L
• Friday: KM, 5S

The book checkout guidelines are:

• Kindergarten - One Book
• First Grade - Two Books
• Second Grade - Two Books
• Third Grade - Three Books
• Fourth Grade and Up - Four Books

Please help your child keep books in a safe place all week and remember to bring them back on library day so they can check out new ones! 

Last year, all students who had all of their library books returned on time earned a ticket for our "giRAFFLE" with the winner earning naming rights for our beloved library giraffe. The winner was a first grader and our giraffe's name is LILY. Based on the popularity of this contest (and how it helped get books back into the library!) I have a strong hunch there will be another fun contest this year. 

As we move through the year, please keep an eye on my school web page where I will share local book-related event to help kids connect with books, authors, and other cool activites in our wider community. 

Happy Reading Everyone! 

 Music: Mrs. Hoffman