Lincoln Elementary Weekly Family Update
Week of September 21, 2026
We are officially heading into Week 4 of the school year! Our staff is continuing to get to know the unique personalities, strengths, and talents of each of our students, and our classrooms are settling into their routines and procedures.
NWEA Testing Has Begun- Our students have begun NWEA testing. Please help your child come to school well-rested and on time so they are ready to do their best. If your child is healthy and able to attend school, please make every effort to avoid unnecessary absences during testing. Every school day counts, and we want to give our students the best opportunity to show what they know.
Supporting Positive Behavior- We appreciate families partnering with your child's teacher to support positive behavior at school. As the principal, I expect all students to be kind, respectful, and follow our school rules and directions. When students are not following directions or meeting our school expectations, I will hold them accountable and work with staff and families to address the behavior. Our goal is always to help students learn from their choices, make better decisions, and be successful at school.
Arrival & Dismissal- A reminder that if you are exiting your vehicle at any time, you MUST be parked in a designated parking spot. Please do not park in the loop.
Our SRO and I will continue to help direct traffic during arrival and dismissal. I am also currently working on a map with directions to make the process clearer for everyone and to help ensure that student arrival and dismissal run as smoothly as possible while keeping our students safe. Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we continue to fine-tune these routines.
Extra Clothes for Our Younger Students- Families of TK–1st grade students, please make sure your child has a labeled change of clothes at school. This should include underwear and socks. Accidents and spills happen, and having a change of clothes available helps us get students comfortable and back to learning quickly.
Missing Library Books- We are still looking for some missing library books. If books have not been returned, library fines will begin being sent home within the next week or so. Please take a few minutes to check at home and return any books that belong to the school.
Hopes & Dreams- Our students are working on their Hopes and Dreams for the school year. This gives students an opportunity to think about what they want to accomplish, how they want to grow, and what kind of classroom community they want to help create.
Donations- A big thank you to everyone who has sent in classroom supplies! We truly appreciate your generosity and support. All donated supplies have been distributed equally among our classrooms. If you would like to contribute additional supplies, please check with your child's teacher to see what they may need. We appreciate anything you are able to give and are so thankful for our supportive LES families!
Visitor Reminder- For the safety of all of our students, visitors and volunteers must follow our building check-in procedures and have the appropriate background check completed before visiting classrooms or volunteering. Forms & ID's can be emailed to carter.jessica@vdps.net.
We will continue to deny entry to anyone who does not have an ID. To help make arrival as quick and easy as possible, please have your ID ready to show the camera when you arrive at the main entrance.
Thank you for continuing to partner with us as we build a positive, safe, and supportive school community. We are excited for another great week at LES!
Have a great week, Lincoln families!
— Jackie Hoekstra
Principal, Lincoln Elementary School
Just a few important reminders for Tuesday, September 8:
📚 Full Day of School:
ALL students will attend a full day from 8:24 AM–3:26 PM.
🏫 Building Visitors:
To help keep our students and staff safe, no visitors will be permitted in the building unless they have a scheduled appointment through the main office and an approved background check on file. Thank you for understanding and helping us maintain a safe learning environment for everyone.
🚗 Early Pick-Up
If you need to pick up your student early for any reason, you must show a valid ID and arrive at the main office before 3:00 PM.
We can’t wait to see our Lincoln Lightning back in action tomorrow! ⚡
-Dismissal is at 3:26pm. If your student has to leave early for any reason, it must be BEFORE 3:00pm by an adult on their emergency contact list.
-ID's are required to enter all buildings within VDPS. You will be asked to present identification when ringing the door bell. Thank you for your understanding in keeping our students safe.
Also, we will have indoor recess today due to the heat index!
Please remember:
• Bring school supplies to the main office if you have them.
• Bring your red communication folder to school each day. You will get one today if you did not attend open house.
• Any completed forms can be turned in to your child’s teacher.
• Kindergarten: Students will be escorted from outside to the cafeteria at 8:10am.
• Grades 1–5: Students will be brought into the building through the main doors starting at 8:15am.
We’re excited for a great first day! See you tomorrow!
To help our classrooms stay stocked and ready for learning, we have put together a general school supply list.
BRING THEM TO OPEN HOUSE ON 8/27 IF YOU CAN!
✍️ Writing & Coloring
* Crayons — 24-count boxes
* Washable markers — broad or fine tip
* Colored pencils — 12-count
* #2 wooden pencils — sharpened
* Pink or white block erasers
* Highlighters — assorted colors
* Dry erase markers — **black Expo markers are preferred**
✂️ Art & Classroom Tools
* Large glue sticks
* Blunt-tip safety scissors
* Facial tissues *(Kleenex preferred)*
* Antibacterial wipes
* Baby wipes
📚 Paper & Organization
* Wide-ruled composition notebooks
* Wide-ruled spiral notebooks — 1 subject
* Plastic 2-pocket folders — red, blue, green, yellow, etc.
* Wide-ruled filler paper (especially helpful for 3rd–5th grade)
🎒 Personal Essentials (pack in backpack for the 1st day)
* Over-the-head headphones
* Backpack — please label with your child's name
* Lunchbox — please label with your child's name
* Water bottle — please label with your child's name
❤️ A Little Extra Goes a Long Way!
**There is no need to purchase everything on this list.** If you are able to donate extra supplies, we truly appreciate it! Extra supplies help us keep classrooms stocked throughout the year and ensure our students have what they need to learn and succeed.
Thank you for supporting our students, teachers, and Lincoln Elementary School!
📅 Thursday, August 27
⏰ 4:30–6:30 PM
FREE PIZZA & the first 20 families will receive a goodie bag that they can fill with books!!! Looking forward to meeting our LES community.
When you arrive, families will receive:
📋 Teacher assignment & classroom number
📁 Red communication folder with important forms and information
🏫 School & classroom exploration
👋 Meet the Principal & some of our staff
📚 School policies & procedures
🎒 School supply drop-off
🍕 Pizza & playground fun!
