November 2015 Newsletter

November 2015
Volume 7 Issue 1
Lincoln Public Schools
“An educational system with a tradition for excellence, challenged by growth and diversity, is dedicated to building a
partnership of home, school, and community, in order to provide educational opportunity through standards-based curriculum
and high quality instruction so that all students can learn the skills needed to be productive citizens in a global society.”
From the Desk of the Superintendent…
Greetings!
The 2015-16 school year is well underway with changes in classroom technology, a new turf
field at Lincoln High School, and renewed energy in the administrators, teachers and staff. The
Technology Department distributed Chromebooks to teachers in early August and installed
Chromecast technology in every classroom. Teachers will use this technology to differentiate
instruction and to provide exciting new methods of learning for all of our students. Our new
elementary technology coach, Dianne Mohler, will provide hands-on training to teachers so that
they can improve their craft using the new technology. Finally, Lincoln High School has a new
turf field, bleachers, press box and scoreboard—a true state of the art athletic complex! As you
can see, LPS is a district on the move with faculty and staff who are second to none!
Inside This Issue:
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Please accept my best wishes for a productive and successful school year.
Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy holiday season!
Best,
Georgia Fortunato
Superintendent of Schools
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Like us on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter @ Supfortunato
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10 Years of the Healthy Heart Walk
October 16, 2015
On Friday, October 16, 2015 (after
inclement weather caused the walk
to be postponed from October 2nd)
all students from Northern Lincoln
Elementary School, Lonsdale
Elementary School, Lincoln Central
Elementary
School, and Saylesville Elementary
School participated in the 10th
Annual Healthy Heart Walk. The
theme for this year’s walk was “Ten
Years of Facts, Fitness and Fun.”
Elementary students walked 2-3
miles on the Albion/
Manville Blackstone
Valley bike path.
Elementary grades K, 1,
and 2 walked at 9:30
a.m. and grades 3, 4,
and 5 walked at
approximately 12:45
p.m. The bike path was
sprinkled with Spartan
themed exercise/fitness
challenges, student work, and
student generated facts.
The day began at 9 AM with a kickoff ceremony at Northern Lincoln
Elementary School with opening
remarks by Superintendent of
Schools, Georgia Fortunato, School
Committee Member/Health &
Wellness Chairwoman Mary Anne
Roll and guest speaker John
Beauregard, a retired state trooper
who competes in Spartan races.
Ten years ago Mrs. Deb Reddy had
the idea “Kids need to get out and
walk more.” The event started as
“Walk Your Way to a Healthy Heart”
to get the kids out in the community
walking and when Mrs. Reddy
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Lincoln Public Schools
Fall Activities at Lincoln Central Elementary
Page 2
Grade 4 scientists came together to conduct
experiments and practice their science
acumen! The cafegymatorium was turned
into a laboratory with parent volunteers on
hand as lab assistants -- it was a great
collaborative learning experience. Mrs.
Costa, Mrs. Archambault, and Mrs. Goyette
combined their classrooms so students
would have the opportunity to work in teams
and share their thinking with each other. It
also gave them a greater opportunity to see
a variety of results from the experiments.
Central’s PBIS team is focusing on
community service projects again this year
as part of our expanded service learning
program. For the month of November, we will
be collecting food items for the Town of
Lincoln Thanksgiving food baskets. Each
grade has been assigned a different food item
based on need. Last year, 25 boxes of food
were donated. The PBIS team meets monthly
and hosts Student of the Month assemblies
where students from each classroom are
awarded a certificate for exemplifying the
school code of conduct -Respect,
Responsibility, and Safety to Self and Others.
Central kindergarten students had some
Halloween fun dressing up. It is an annual
tradition here at Lincoln Central for the
kindergarten students to hold a Halloween
Parade throughout the school. Not to be
outdone, their teachers and teacher
assistants also got into the act!
Last weekend, the Central Elementary PACT
group held the first annual Fall Festival on the
school grounds. It was a beautiful fall day!
There was face painting, food trucks,
pumpkin carving, and just plain fall fun.
Heart Healthy Walk (cont. from page 1)
came to Northern, the walk was relocated to
the bike path.
For the past two years, Jeffrey Foster, a
Lincoln High School graduate, has
assisted with the
walk. Mr. Foster, a Spartan affiliate, has been
competing in Spartan races, marathons, and
living a healthy/fitness-full lifestyle for years
and wants to pass the love of fitness to the
younger generation.
The students started their trek from Northern,
through the neighboring community, and
continued on to the bike path. Once on the
bike path there were activities and events for
them to participate in. Students had created
dioramas picturing sports and related
activities, and these dioramas were
sprinkled along the path. High school
and middle school students and
Spartan volunteers manned the
stations and helped keep everyone
moving. It was an excellent walk with
lots of interesting and challenging
activities to keep all walkers actively
engaged. Students, parents, teachers
and guests all had a wonderful time!
Volume 7 Issue 1
Page 3
Journeys at Lonsdale Elementary School
presented are based on current
research and best instructional
practice. The Journeys program
provides students with the skills they
need to succeed, preparing them
ultimately for the high literacy
demands of college and the workplace. Using the
program, students develop reading comprehension skills as well as develop their skills as critical
thinkers, writers, speakers, listeners, and communicators.
Teachers are using the interactive components of
the program quite effectively within their classrooms. Teachers are now equipped with
Chromebooks and have been using the many
options offered to improve student understanding.
Students are using these interactive components
as well. Integrating technology into a reading
program helps to bridge students’ digital lives
outside of school and the time they spend in the
classroom. All students have been assigned an
ID number and are able to access their own
leveled readers anywhere they have internet
access. In addition, teachers can choose
particular assignments based on students’
needs. All in all, the new series has been a
wonderful addition to the teaching and learning
at Lonsdale.
Students access their online accounts to
take assessments. Each student can work
at their own pace and is given the
opportunity to access anchor texts and
lessons at home too!
Lonsdale Elementary teachers and students
have been busy implementing the newly
adopted Journeys ELA program. It is a core
reading program designed
to meet
the
diverse
needs of
all
students,
from
Kindergarten through
grade 5. The
components
of the
program and
the activities
and strategies
Our Lonsdale Community suffered a great
loss this past September. Our dear friend
and colleague, Mrs. Marla Barrett, lost her
battle against cancer. She was an
amazing educator and an inspiration to so
many people here in the Town of Lincoln.
She will be greatly missed. May her spirit
of kindness and generosity live on as we
continue to do good for others in her honor.
As Mrs. Barrett always said, “BEE the best
that you can BEE!”
Technology Coach, Mrs. Dianne Mohler, trains
teachers in the use of the digital components
contained in the new reading series.
Chromebooks have been a tremendous teaching
tool this school year!
Lincoln Public Schools
Home
Home--School Communication at
Saylesville Elementary School
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Timely communication is important to
families of school-age children. Years ago, it
was enough for a school to send home a
quarterly or monthly newsletter. However,
parents have come to expect on-going
communication, event reminders and new
ways to connect. Saylesville Elementary
School is responding by piloting new ways to
exchange information with families.
This year, Saylesville has transformed how
we deliver the daily announcements.
Students have always played a critical role in
providing the morning announcements.
Given substantial investments from the
community in innovative technology,
Saylesville has shifted from the PA system to
utilizing an iPad, YouTube and ChromeCast
to record and share our news. This effort
has been inclusive of all grade levels. To
date, over a quarter of the students have
appeared on the news with a speaking part.
Students who work on the news learn how to
use the camera and iMovie program while
working on public speaking.
The Saylesville News is
posted on the
Saylesville website
before lunch. This
gives parents the
opportunity to see their
child star on the news
and provides all families
with the same daily
reminders of upcoming events, activities, and
expectations. To see the Saylesville News, visit:
httpwww.lincolnps.org/saylesvilleelementary/
saylesville-news/
Saylesville has also been experimenting with
paperless ways of collecting information. Since
Lincoln teachers have
Google accounts,
Saylesville has been
creating Google Forms to
register students for
enrichment activities, collect
parent permission and ask
families questions. The
response from Saylesville families has been
overwhelmingly positive. Families appreciate
the on-line forms, especially time saving
features like auto-fill.
Families can sign up to be on the Saylesville
List Serv and receive emails. Principal
Sarkarati sends, at minimum, a weekly email
with information about the coming week.
Emails are also sent throughout the week to
share community information, resources and
other updates. Some emails are brief and
include a related photograph. Families who
don’t have access to email can receive
hardcopies of the emails. To sign up to
receive emails from the Principal, go to: http://
www.lincolnps.org/parents/listserv-signup
Saylesville’s PTO is supporting the
school’s effort to ensure parents know
what is going on at the school. Saylesville
families can sign up on Facebook for the
Saylesville PTO page. This private page
is open to Saylesville families. Parents
and guardians who use Facebook can get
alerts on their mobile devices.
As always, parents can contact their
child’s teachers. All Saylesville teachers
have emails and Chromebooks. For a
listing of Saylesville teacher addresses,
visit the Saylesville website:
http://www.lincolnps.org/
saylesvilleelementary/teacher-contact/
Important Dates
November 17, 2015
November 19, 2015
November 25, 2015
November 26-27, 2015
December 3, 2015
December 10, 2015
December 23-31, 2015
January 1, 2016
March 2, 2016
March 5, 2016
March 12, 2016
Middle School Only Early Dismissal Student Led Conferences
High School Only Early Dismissal Parent Conferences
Elementary Only Early Dismissal
Thanksgiving Recess (no school)
Elementary Evening Parent Teacher Conferences
Elementary Only Early Dismissal Parent Teacher Conferences
Holiday Recess (no school)
New Year’s Day (no school)
Welcome to Kindergarten Information Night
Registration for children who reside in the Central and Northern Elementary School region
Registration for children who reside in the Lonsdale and Saylesville Elementary School region
Volume 7 Issue 1
Roaring Start to the School Year at
Lincoln Middle School
The 2015-16 school year got off to a roarin’
start at Lincoln Middle School! The year
kicked off with the annual Ice Cream Social
sponsored by PACT for the incoming 6th
grade students and
newly enrolled
students. The Ice
Cream Social was
quickly followed by
the Fall Festival in
mid-September for
the entire school.
The same 6th grade students who took part
in the Ice Cream Social and Fall Festival
were then able to
take part in
a highly
educational
and socially
rewarding
field trip to Camp Bournedale where
students learned about a number of
topics including ecology, adventure,
rocketry, science exploration, marine
life, and most importantly, team building. Some students took advantage of
the Camp Bournedale
“stay” opportunity in
which 6th grade students
that stayed back from the
trip worked together with
their peers alongside
teachers for an alternate
academically and socially
rewarding opportunity. The
bonding and knowledge the students gained
from each of these opportunities is palpable
and will undoubtedly remain with them
throughout their lives. Thank you to the 6th
grade teachers that gave of their time and
talents to make Camp Bournedale a success
for the students. Thank you especially to Mr.
Matthew Barboza of Team 3 who works to
manage the Camp Bournedale trip. He,
together with Mr. Wall, Team 1 and Mr.
Bruckner, Team 2, planned the Camp
Bournedale trip for the students and the
chaperones.
Lincoln Middle School continually welcomes
new students to the school. Coming into a
new school environment can be very daunting and emotionally draining to a newcomer.
It is for this reason that the LMS “School and
Community” Professional Learning Community
set a goal of creating a Student Ambassador
Program. Mrs. Kristen Lowe, of Team 4 and 7,
and Mrs. Jennifer London, Guidance Counselor,
set out to achieve the first ever Student Ambassador Program this year. The underpinnings of the
Student Ambassador Program is to have selected
students, reflective of the LMS PRIDE mission
with a similar schedule to a new student, shadow
the new student, as a new friend, for one week in
an effort to have the new student feel welcome in
the LMS community. As Mrs. Lowe and Mrs.
London explained, there are so many things that
a new student can feel anxious about, from
getting to a class, using their locker, finding a
place to sit at lunch, and making new friends, that
a student ambassador can assist with. Mrs. Lowe
and Mrs. London were looking to slowly roll-out
the Student Ambassador Program but the need
was immediate. So far this year, there have been
three Student Ambassador pairings. Two student
ambassadors were placed with new students and
one student ambassador was placed with a
“shadowing” student with two more student ambassadors scheduled. So far, the
student ambassadors have been
individually trained. Mrs. Lowe and
Mrs. London have a group training
planned for all student ambassadors chosen by their respective
teams.
With the assistance of Kristen
Paradis, music teacher, Mrs. Lowe
and Mrs. London worked to quickly
Page 5
identify students as Student Ambassadors
when it became known that LMS had the
opportunity to have student representatives
assist at the District Healthy Walk as positive mentors to the students in elementary
school. The eighth grade teams chose 32
students to represent LMS at the district
event. Mrs. O’Dell, Mrs.
Petrarca and
Mrs. Hallam, physical
education teachers, worked
with the student
ambassadors at the
District Healthy Walk
and were impressed
by their involvement. The LMS
students assisted
the elementary
students with physical activities along
the walk as well as encouragement and
mentorship. The Student Ambassador
Program is truly a whole school effort.
Lincoln Middle School has a tremendous amount of spirit, marked by
student involvement. It seems that
every week there is another event to
celebrate. Some of these events
include “Pink Day” for breast cancer
awareness, “Pajama Day” which is a
student council “Spirit” day, “Costume
Day” which concluded with a costume
contest and an assembly marking PBIS
principles introducing the first time LMS
Rock Band. As Lincoln Middle School’s
new principal, it is such a pleasure
working with the teachers, staff, students,
parents and my fellow administrator, as we
move students to higher achievement and
demonstrate how Lincoln Middle School is
the best middle school in Rhode Island!
Lincoln Public Schools
Page 6
This year Lincoln High School adopted its
core values, beliefs and 21st century
learning expectations. These values,
beliefs and expectations represent what we
work towards each day. The academic
expectations are as follows: students will
be thoughtful communicators who read,
write, listen and speak effectively in
preparation for careers and/or postsecondary education; students will be
creative and practical
problem solvers; students
will be responsible users of
technology and media and
students will demonstrate
continuous effort towards
proficiency in all requirements
for graduation.
Recently in the English/Reading 9 class, an
example of reading, speaking and listening
took place under the direction of reading
specialist Jessica Galla. The class
conducted a text based discussion on the
classic story, The Most Dangerous
Game. The students were
asked to determine the most
important survival skill. They
used evidence from text to
support their claims. The
students were able to
respond thoughtfully to other perspectives
and have a discussion to form a
consensus. It was great to see how some
21st Learning Expectations at Lincoln High School
students
changed their
claim based on
other
perspectives.
They all worked together and responded
respectfully to each other. In the photo, the
string represents how the students
communicated with one another and the flow
of the class discussion.
Being a creative and practical
problem solver extends to many
aspects of a Lincoln High School
student’s day. On October 29,
2015, Chef Joseph Torkomian
visited Ms. Amanda MacDonald’s
Culinary Arts class. His son,
Joseph, is a student in the class.
Currently, Chef Torkomian works
for Pat LaFrieda's meats, and
works the LaFrieda spot at
Fenway Park. He has worked in
several different restaurants,
including the Boston Harbor Hotel.
Chef Torkomian helped the
students prepare mozzarella cheese and
then used the cheese to create beautiful
bruschetta. The students learned about not
only preparing the fresh mozzarella, but
assembling the bruschetta, and plating the
dish. Chef Torkomian is one of many
industry professionals that visit the Culinary
Arts class to ensure that the students have
authentic experiences.
Lincoln High School is proud to announce
that it had two commended students,
Benjamin Chiacchia and Melissa Drake, in
the National Merit Scholarship Competition.
This prestigious competition is based on the
results of the PSAT. About 34,000
Commended Students throughout the nation
are being recognized for their exceptional
academic promise. As Commended
Students, Benjamin and Melissa place
among the top five percent of more than 1.5
million students who entered the 2016
competition by taking the 2014 Preliminary
SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying
Test (PSAT/NMSQT).
Volume 7 Issue 1
Page 7
Mrs. Sue Labossiere, Lincoln Central Elementary, Teacher Assistant
Sue Labossiere is a new, and very
welcome, addition to the Lincoln Central
Elementary School team. She has 15 years
of experience in Lincoln as a teacher
assistant , beginning at the High School
where she worked for 11 years.
To her surprise, she finds she loves working
with the youngsters on an elementary level - and they love her back! Sue is currently a
teacher assistant in our self contained
kindergarten through grade 2 classroom.
Although she just started here at Central,
she has already made a great impact on the
school, quickly becoming a valuable member of
our school community. Sue is quick to lend a
helping hand, always has a smile on her face,
and provides instructional support to her young
charges that makes a big difference in their lives.
Sue lives in Lincoln with her husband of 35
years, and has two boys ages 26 and 32. During
her free time, she enjoys reading, going for
walks, and the beach. We are thrilled to have
Sue at Central Elementary -- she is truly an asset
to our awesome staff!
Mrs. Marianne Byington, Lincoln Central Elementary School, Special Education Teacher
Mrs. Byington is a special educator at
Lincoln Central Elementary for grades 3
through 5. She has been a special educator
for the Lincoln Public Schools since 2007.
She began her teaching career in New
Hampshire as a Resource teacher. She
then spent two years in Maine as a middle
school special educator before coming to
Rhode Island and beginning her work in
Lincoln.
Mrs. Byington is an extraordinary special
educator who is very devoted to her young
charges. Her skill as an educator has
allowed her students to make strong
academic gains. Her colleagues also
consider her a valuable resource, and she is
mentoring one of our new young teachers.
She is a highly regarded and talented
teacher that has made quite an impact in a
very short period of time here at Central.
She has made a considerable difference in her
young students’ lives and they have thrived with
her guidance and support. Marianne has natural
warmth that her students respond very well to,
allowing them to grow academically and socially.
She guides her students in their learning
experiences and provides them with multiple
opportunities for success. Marianne goes above
and beyond for her students and for her
colleagues.
Marianne graduated from Rhode Island College
with a degree in early childhood special
education. She lives in Cumberland with her
husband of 16 years and their two children.
When not teaching, Marianne likes to read, go
camping with her family, and travel to dance
competitions with her very talented daughter,
Abigale.
We consider ourselves fortunate to have such a
talented educator on our team., one who is
always willing to go above and beyond for
the students and staff at Central
Elementary! Marianne embodies all the
qualities of a true professional educator -dedication to her students, their families,
and her colleagues.
Mr. Thomas Rush, Lonsdale Elementary School, Crossing Guard
Mr. Thomas Rush has been a lifelong
resident of the Town of Lincoln. He has been
looking out for the welfare of our Lonsdale
students for many years as Lonsdale’s
crossing guard, positioned right across from
our school, for the past seventeen years.
Prior to coming to Lonsdale, Mr. Rush
owned and operated the former Hilltop
Barber Shop on Front Street for over 46
years. Mr. Rush also served our country
with distinction while a member of the United
States Navy. He was
only 17 years old when
he joined the service. He
remembers being stationed in the waters off Japan
during WW2 on an amphibious vessel. He was
present in those Japanese waters when the United
States dropped the atomic bomb over the
Japanese city of Hiroshima. It was a very
dangerous moment in our world’s history and we
are so very glad Mr. Rush made it home safely.
After his tour of duty, Mr. Rush married his wife,
Roberta. They were married for more than 62
years! They had two children together. Mr. Rush
said the best part about his job is meeting all the
wonderful Lonsdale families. He loves his job and
the students love him! Thank you for all that you do
to keep our children safe Mr. Rush!
Lincoln Public Schools
Page 8
Ms. Kaitlyn Birrell, Lonsdale Elementary School, Special Education Teacher
Ms. Kaitlyn Birrell is very excited to be
teaching at Lonsdale Elementary School.
She is so grateful to be a part of this
wonderful Lincoln community! This is her
first year teaching in Lincoln, but it is her
third year as a Special Education teacher.
Ms. Birrell currently works with first,
second and third graders and absolutely
loves it! She started her teaching career
after she graduated from Salve Regina
University in 2013. She taught in
Portsmouth during the 2013-2014 school
year and in Little Compton during the
2014-2015 school year.
Ms. Birrell had wanted to become a
teacher ever since the 4th grade. She
was inspired to become a teacher by an
incredible teacher. That teacher challenged Ms.
Birrell and made learning fun. That is just what
Ms. Birrell intends to do for her students. This
year she will be a part of the student council team
and is looking forward to getting to know the
Lonsdale 5th graders and working with them to
support their ideas here at our school.
Outside of teaching, Ms. Birrell enjoys playing
soccer and basketball and coaching in her free
time. Growing up, she played soccer and
basketball and then played all four years at Salve
Regina. Ms. Birrell grew up in Scituate, Rhode
Island with her mom and dad and four siblings.
Ms. Birrell says she looks forward to a fun and
successful school year!
Mrs. Donna Ferrante, Northern Elementary School, Teacher Assistant
Donna Ferrante is a teacher assistant in
the preschool program at Northern
Elementary School. She has worked with
children for over 30 years. She began this
career as a home daycare provider, then
worked 10 years at MacColl Field Nursery
School as a teaching assistant. She has
been a teacher assistant in the Lincoln
Public Schools for almost 17 years.
Additionally, Donna was the district’s
substitute call clerk for almost 2 years. In
Lincoln, she has worked at Fairlawn,
Saylesville, Central and Northern
Elementary Schools. She earned her
nickname "Auntie Ferrante" by showing love
and dedication to each child's education
and always going above and beyond for the
students.
She has enjoyed working with students across
grade levels in such ways as encouraging a
sixth grader to gain the knowledge and
confidence necessary to successfully complete
a science experiment, or by singing to a
preschooler to teach them there are "Wheels on
the Bus."
On October 7th, Donna and her husband, Nick,
celebrated their 36th wedding anniversary! She
has three wonderful children, Nicole, Jaclyn and
John, as well as the joys of her life, her two
grandchildren, Nicholas and Kaitlyn. When she
is not in school, Mrs. Ferrante enjoys reading,
gardening and spending time with her family.
Mrs. Kristen Bernier, Northern Lincoln Elementary School, Grade 4 Teacher
Kristen Bernier is a grade 4 teacher at
Northern Elementary. This is Kristen’s fourth
year teaching in Lincoln. Prior to teaching in
Lincoln, she taught at Globe Park Elementary
School in Woonsocket as a special needs
teacher for grades 4 and 5. Kristen started her
journey in Lincoln at Lonsdale Elementary as
a resource teacher before coming to Northern.
Kristen taught 3rd grade for two years and is
now teaching 4th grade. She also teaches in
the S.N.A.P {Students Needing an Additional
Push} summer program.
She enjoys participating in this program to
continue working with students over the
summer in a fun and engaging way.
Kristen attended Rhode Island College for her
Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education
and English, then continued her education at
Providence College. There she took graduate
level courses and received her Special
Education certificate. When asked if she
always wanted to be a teacher, Kristen
replied, “I always wanted to become a teacher
Continued on page 9
Volume 7 Issue 1
Page 9
Continued from page 8
and never even considered a different
profession.”
Kristen is known for supporting her students in
any way she can; she wants them to do well
and meet their greatest potential. She can
often be found after school helping students
better understand a lesson or providing
support on a project. The students in Mrs.
Bernier’s classroom learn well and know they
are respected and supported. She has high
expectations for her students and creates a
nurturing environment where students feel
comfortable and part of a family. She states that
she uses technology as often as possible and
has created a new classroom website for her
students and their parents to access at home.
Her favorite moment in teaching is when a
student figures out something they were
struggling with and gets “that” look on their face
while saying, “Oh, now I get it!” Kristen enjoys
collaborating with her colleagues and loves being
part of the Northern team where, “everyone
works together and wants the best for their
students - it’s like working with one big family.”
Northern families are supportive and always
willing to help their child to be successful.
When not at school Kristen enjoys spending
time with her family and friends, especially her
husband Derik and dog Lucy. She enjoys going
to the beach, traveling, and outdoor activities
such as bike riding and walking. Thank , Mrs.
Bernier, for all that you do for our students!
Mrs. Elizabeth Brais, Saylesville Elementary School, Teacher Assistant
Elizabeth “Betty” Brais is a fourth generation
Lincoln resident and has been a part of the
Lincoln Public Schools since 1988. This year
marks a home-coming; she has returned to
Saylesville where she made past contributions
as a parent, volunteer and teacher assistant.
Currently, Betty is working as a 1:1 Teacher
Assistant with Patti Hien, Kim Murray and Lisa
Cournoyer in a K-1 self-contained program.
Betty grew up in the Lonsdale section of
Lincoln. She graduated from Lincoln High
School and attended Providence College. She
spent some time living in Northern Virginia and
New York for ten years, before returning to
Lincoln to start a family.
Betty’s children attended Saylesville. While her
children were in school, Mrs. Brais wanted to
be actively involved. She served as a PTO
volunteer at Fairlawn Early Learning Center
and Saylesville Elementary Her dedication was
noticed by the Principal, Charles Graves.
Principal Graves encouraged Betty to apply as
a teacher assistant. That encouragement
meant so much from Mr. Graves. “I will be
forever grateful for his endorsement and faith in
me.”
Mrs. Brais has held several different Teacher
Assistant positions throughout her tenure. She
worked as a classroom Teacher Assistant and
also as a 1:1 Teacher Assistant in the
elementary, middle and high school. Early in
her career, Betty viewed Linda Menard, Celeste
Mellen and Betty Brousseau as mentors. “I feel
blessed to have had their guidance.” As a 1:1
Teacher Asistant, Betty was able to watch a
student progress from elementary school all the
way to graduation in 2009. During the 20092010 school year, Mrs. Brais began working as
a 1:1 with a new student in Mr. Chris Jones’
self-contained program. “Chris provided infinite
support so that my student could reach his
fullest potential. Chris reinforced my belief that
each and every student deserved individual
attention so that they could reach and find their
personal best.” Mrs. Brais then went on to work
at Lincoln Middle School with Amy Delfarno,
Marina Barboza and Chris Morris. “My
experience with each and every one of them
was unique and dynamic.”
Family and
tradition
mean so
much to
Mrs. Brais.
Her family
has been
spending
summers
in Little
Compton
for 35
years.
Betty’s three children have grown up, but she still
sees them often. In fact, her daughters join her
for craft nights and her extended family regularly
gets together for family game nights. Betty is
really excited for her children and very proud of
them! She will be attending two weddings and a
graduation within the next year. Both her oldest
daughter and her son are planning weddings.
Her youngest daughter will graduate from UNH in
Occupational Therapy. The Saylesville school
community is very fortunate to have Mrs. Brais as
a part of our staff!
Mrs. Anne Johnston, Saylesville Elementary, Social Worker
Anne Johnston is Saylesville’s new Social
Worker. Mrs. Johnston’s compassion, work
ethic and dedication to the students have
made a significant impact since she started
in Lincoln in September. She has proven
herself to be an asset to the teachers,
students and families of Saylesville and
Central Elementary Schools.
Mrs. Johnston hails from Columbus, Ohio.
After graduating from high school, Anne
wanted to experience a different part of the
country. She decided to attend Providence
College, the alma mater of her parents, and
decided she liked Rhode Island enough to stay
and become involved in the community.
Mrs. Johnston began her career with the Smith
Hill Community Development Corporation where
she ran youth programs for children living in a
housing development. From there she got
involved in education by working in Pawtucket
with a drop-out prevention program called My
Turn. This Alternative Learning Program allowed
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Lincoln Public Schools
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Continued from page 9
her the opportunity to further her interest in
working with children in an educational setting.
Anne decided to pursue her Master’s at Rhode
Island College. She focused on trauma,
specifically grief and abuse. While working on
her Master’s, Mrs. Johnston worked with Fast
Forward, a DCYF home-based grief and trauma
counseling program for children and families
and she also became a part-time student
assistance counselor in Barrington. When the
opportunity opened up for a full time, schoolbased social worker position in Lincoln, she
jumped on it.
“I feel really welcome and happy with the decision I
made.” Anne has been able to share strategies,
techniques and ideas that are designed to help
students take responsibility and to cope. Anne
works closely with School Psychologist Christine
Meglio, as well as principals and teachers. She
predominately works with individuals and small
groups, but she will also be working in classrooms
teaching conflict resolution skills and helping to turn
life’s bumps into lessons to grow and learn from.
Anne and her husband, David, have a halfboxer, half-lab dog named Porter. To relax,
Anne enjoys running. She ran her first
marathon six years ago. She also loves to
travel. Anne and her husband are looking
forward to a trip they have planned to Peru.
Welcome to Lincoln Mrs. Johnston!
Mrs. Teresa Kratman, Lincoln Middle School, Main Office Secretary
What do innovation, technology and
organization have in common? Mrs. Teresa
Kratman, a main office secretary working
alongside Mrs. Jeanne Martell, at Lincoln Middle
School. Mrs. Kratman has been a main office
secretary at Lincoln Middle School for almost
four years. Mrs. Kratman stated that her role is
to “make everything more efficient” because
“when everything is efficient everyone is
happier!” This statement is very true of the
Lincoln Middle School main office.
A little known fact about Mrs. Kratman is that
prior to having her family, she was a contract
administrator at MIT in Boston, MA after she
graduated from Northeastern University with a
Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice.
Mrs. Kratman undoubtedly mastered her
organizational and multi-tasking skills from her
many roles including a mother and a
professional.
What is very evident about Mrs. Kratman is her
love of her family. Mrs. Kratman and her
husband are proud parents of three girls –
triplets – who now attend Lincoln Middle School.
When Mrs. Kratman’s daughters became school
aged, she earned her Teacher Assistant
certification and began working in the Lincoln
Public Schools. Prior to working at Lincoln Middle
School as a secretary, she worked as a teacher
assistant for three years at Northern Elementary
School, where her daughters also attended school.
Although, as Mrs. Kratman acknowledges, her
daughters are now in a different stage in their
lives, she enjoys being with them in their school
once again.
Mrs. Kratman is well known for her “Morning
Announcements” which are visual slides that go
out daily to all faculty and the LMS community.
These announcements are carefully crafted and
visually appealing for the students, capturing their
attention so they are aware of what is going on at
LMS. Following the Lincoln Public School’s
technology initiative, Mrs. Kratman immediately
went to work to recreate her announcements so
they could be delivered on Google slides so the
teachers could screen cast the announcements.
In addition to the morning announcements, Mrs.
Kratman has a myriad of responsibilities alongside
her colleague Mrs. Martell. From letters, student
work requests, the organization of files, ten facility
calendars and her immediate response to parent,
student, teacher, and the administration’s
incidental needs, Mrs. Kratman accomplishes it
all. Mrs. Kratman strives to keep up with new
technologies and then applies this technology to
her work. Like the announcements running on
Google slides, Mrs. Kratman is now working to
automate the teacher schedules. Through it all,
Mrs. Kratman maintains her extremely friendly
demeanor, noted by her ever present smile and
laugh! She states that her favorite part of her
job is “the kids.”
Thank you for all that you do Mrs. Kratman!
Mrs. Jennifer London, Lincoln Middle School, Guidance Counselor
Lincoln Middle School is very fortunate to have
Mrs. Jennifer London as our new Guidance
Counselor this year following her eighteen year
tenure within the Lincoln Public School district as
a Spanish teacher. Mrs. London has been a
lifelong resident of Lincoln with the exception of
the two years that she taught in Colorado at the
onset of her teaching career.as a Bi-Lingual Culture teacher . As a student, Mrs. London attended
Lonsdale and Central Elementary Schools as well
as the Lincoln Middle School/High School, and she
feels fortunate that her own children have the
benefit of attending the Lincoln Public Schools.
Mrs. London knew she wanted to become an
educator while a senior at Lincoln High School
where she was inspired to teach by her English
teacher, Mr. Lawton. She stated that Mr. Lawton “sealed the deal” for her to become a teacher because she found him to be an “amazing”
teacher. Following her graduation from LHS,
Mrs. London went on obtain her degree in
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Volume 7 Issue 1
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Continued from page 10
teaching from Providence College and her Masters of Education in Guidance and Counseling
from Rhode Island College.
Mrs. London stated that she has always had a
love for middle school aged students. Although
Mrs. London taught Spanish at LHS and LMS
from 1998-2006, she was excited at the opportunity to work with the students in grades 6-8 in
2007 at the new Lincoln Middle School. Mrs.
London stated that she always knew that she
wanted to be a guidance counselor and that
she only wanted to be a guidance counselor at
Lincoln Middle School.
Mrs. London finds her new position as guidance
counselor both challenging and rewarding.
She stated that her favorite part about being a
guidance counselor is being able to watch a
student succeed. Working with a student who
is having a hard time academically and pulling
it together with them by following a plan and
sharing in the student’s success is very
rewarding.
Lincoln Middle School is fortunate to have
Mrs. Jennifer London as our new Guidance
Counselor. She is notably involved with the
school and community initiatives such as
PACT, of which she is a member, and the
LMS Student Ambassador Program. Thank
you for your
student
centered
focus Mrs.
London. You
truly make a
difference!
Mrs. Kelly Lariviere, Lincoln High School, Teacher Assistant
Mrs. Kelly Lariviere is in her second year as
teacher assistant at Lincoln High School. She
has worked at other schools in the district and
is now really enjoying Lincoln High School. She
works each day to help students in their classes.
Her positive attitude and constant smile make
her a welcome addition to Lincoln High School.
She has been really impressed with the hard
work of the teachers that she interacts with.
One of the things that Kelly likes most about
Lincoln High School is the extra-curricular
activities that the students can get involved in
over the course of the year. This year she is
working with Mrs. Chrisily Genesse to advise the
Best Buddies program. They have many great
activities planned for the club.
Mrs. Lariviere is most proud of her three
grandchildren, Addison, Eden and Liam. Liam
was just born in September. Addison started
kindergarten in Virginia in August and Eden is
three years old. They love getting care
packages from their grandmother and look
forward to her visits during school vacations.
She takes great pride in keeping connected to
her granddaughters even though they are far
away.
When she’s not preparing care packages for
her granddaughters or spending time with her
grandson, Mrs.
Lariviere enjoys
collecting fossils.
She has quite a
collection at her
home. She is very
happy to say that this
hobby has taken a
back seat to all that
she does for her
grandchildren!
Mrs. Rhonda Sexton, Lincoln High School, School Nurse Teacher
Serving all the medical needs of Lincoln High
School for over a decade is our School Nurse
Teacher Mrs. Rhonda Sexton. Mrs. Sexton is a
proud graduate of Lincoln High School and she
worked as an emergency room nurse at Hasbro
Children’s Hospital before returning to her alma
mater. She is known for her boundless energy
and attention to detail.
Mrs. Sexton’s role as a school nurse is very
varied. Managing medical emergencies is but
one very important part of her job. She works
with the athletic director and athletic coaches to
make sure all of our athletes have current physicals and follows up when an injury takes place.
She serves on the Rhode Island Interscholastic
League’s Sports Medicine Advisory Committee
and keeps very current with all the research on
concussions and sports related injuries. For
many years, she coordinated the Your Skin Is
In competition that warns students of the
dangers of tanning and she is the advisor to the
Gay-Straight Alliance.
Helping students feel comfortable in school is an
important part of her job. She works to educate
parents, families, faculty, staff and students
about the various medical and social issues
confronting our students. Mrs. Sexton recently
organized a parent information night that
featured panelists from various social service
agencies. The night was well attended and
really beneficial to all those in attendance. Mrs.
Sexton makes meaningful connections to health Rhonda and her husband Bill are very proud of
Ally and Kyle. Thank you for all that you do for
care providers in the community.
our students Mrs. Sexton!
Following in Rhonda’s footsteps in the medical
field are her children Ally (’08) who is studying to
be an optometrist and Kyle (’11) who is studying
at the National Institute of Health and will be
applying to medical school.
WWW.LINCOLNPS.ORG
Kindergarten and New First Grade Student Registration
TOWN OF LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
WILL CONDUCT
REGISTRATION FOR KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS
And
FIRST GRADE STUDENTS NEW TO LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
FOR THE 2016-2017 SCHOOL YEAR
at Lincoln High School 9:00 am - 12:00 noon
REGISTRATION DATES
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Children who reside in the Central and Northern Elementary School region.
Saturday, March 12, 2016
Children who reside in the Lonsdale and Saylesville Elementary School region.
Children who will be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2016 should register for kindergarten. Children now attending
kindergarten outside the Lincoln Public Schools, who will enter grade 1 in Lincoln in September 2016, must also register.
BIRTH CERTIFICATES and 2 original PROOF OF RESIDENCY DOCUMENTS (mortgage statement or lease agreement
AND one of the following: property or fire tax bill, water bill or utility bill) ARE
REQUIRED AT REGISTRATION.
A RECENT PHYSICAL, INCLUDING VISION SCREENING AND IMMUNIZATION
RECORDS with month, date and year of shots for diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DPT
5), polio (IPV 4), measles, mumps, rubella (MMR2), chicken pox (VARICELLA 2),
hepatitis B (3), lead (date and result-if child was tested) or a certificate from a licensed
physician stating that your child is not subject to immunizations because of medical
reasons, MUST ALSO BE PRESENTED AT REGISTRATION.
REGISTRATION WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED WITHOUT BIRTH CERTIFICATE, PROOF OF RESIDENCY DOCUMENTS AND
IMMUNIZATION RECORDS.
Registration packets are available online at www.lincolnps.org or you may contact one of our
schools prior to the registration dates.
Central Elementary School
Telephone #401-334-2800
Lonsdale Elementary School
Telephone #401-725-4200
Northern Elementary School
Telephone #401-769-0261
Saylesville Elementary School Telephone #401-723-5240
Enrollment is based on space availability; therefore, a student’s school assignment may be subject to change.
Distributed by the Office of the Superintendent
LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
1624 LONSDALE AVENUE
LINCOLN, RI 02865
P:401.721.3313
F: 401.728.5482