This past week I had the pleasure of welcoming three very dedicated Chinese students back to our community. I want to thank the students and their families for their trust and commitment to Lincoln Academy. These teens left China nearly three weeks ago and laid over in Dubai for a waiting period of 14+ days so they were eligible for entry into the US. Once they complete quarantine and health screenings they will be able to resume in-person studies rather than work remotely, 12 time zones away, on the other side of the planet, and without access to many of the educational platforms we utilize. Now that they are here on campus, they must quarantine for another 14 days and pass a second round of *double* Covid testing to be able to rejoin the residential and school communities. This is an unprecedented level of commitment and dedication to their education and our program. Welcome back “home” to Lincoln Academy, we’re proud to have you here again. Click here to read an update from Admissions Director, Lu-Shien Tan, who played a large role in helping these students return to their studies.
Five weeks remain in the first trimester and this is a good time to be talking to your student about their academic progress and goals for the school year. We had a great turnout for our first Virtual Open House event last week, but know that participation may not have been possible for some international families due to time zone conflicts and access to technology. If you missed out, or if you have follow-up questions, you can always reach out to your student’s teachers directly. Click Here for LA Faculty and Staff Directory.
We continue to embrace the fall season here in Maine. Recent highlights include a trip to the Monkey C Monkey Do ropes course, pumpkin carving, baking pumpkin treats, and cheering on students taking part in fall sports. It’s a very different year for our athletic teams with limited spectators allowed in-person at events, but it’s still wonderful to have students engaged in the sports they love and out having fun on the field.
Best regards,
Jake Abbott
Dean of Students and Director of Residential Life
Lincoln Academy
Upcoming Events at LA
- Tuesday, October 20: (during the school day) School pictures will be taken by LifeTouch for Group 2 in-person learners.
- Tuesday, October 20: 2:30-3 pm in the gym. Virtual Learners may report to campus for school photos.
- Thursday, October 22: (during the school day) School pictures will be taken by LifeTouch for Group 1 in-person learners.
- Tuesday, November 3: Election Day.
- Saturday, November 7: SAT at Lincoln Academy.
- Tuesday, November 10: Virtual 8th Grade Family Night.
- Wednesday, November 11: Veteran’s Day Holiday. No School.
- Friday, November 20: Last Day of trimester 1.
- Saturday, November 21-Sunday, November 29: Thanksgiving vacation.
Academic Notes
Dear Parents,
We’ve already reached the middle of the first trimester! We hope that you have been engaged in checking your student’s progress on Canvas (details on how to set up observer accounts and navigate Canvas can be found here). Teachers will be doing a mid-tri check of grades at the end of this week and sending out letters of concern by email and/or mailed letter to parents of students who are struggling academically. Expect those letters at the start of next week.
We want every student to be successful, despite the challenges of this unusual year. As we work with students, these are the strategies that we highlight for being successful at school:
- Contact your teacher when you are confused. You can meet with your teacher during daily office hours (2:15-3:00) for one on one help. You can reach out to your teacher through Canvas Inbox, Gmail, or GoogleChat.
- Ask your study hall teacher to help you prioritize your work.
- Look at your Canvas grades for each class to determine if you have missed assignments and to prioritize what work to complete first.
- Work through the Canvas modules sequentially, rather than relying on the Calendar to find your work.
- Create a work schedule for your asynchronous days.
- Use the extra-curricular block on Thursdays/Fridays for extra help and structured study hall support.
Parents, you can help your students by reinforcing the strategies above. Encourage students to let teachers know when they are struggling. Help them schedule their work time and check in about their progress. If you have concerns that go beyond a single class, reaching out to your child’s advisor is often the fastest way to identify and address issues. Please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have concerns.
Best wishes,
Kelley Duffy
Managing Class Work on Asynchronous Days
Please remember that on asynchronous days, students will have a full set of classwork in each of their scheduled classes. We strongly recommend that students plan their independent work to align with the regular class schedule. It is easiest to stay on top of classwork if students set aside an hour to work on each scheduled class, for example, students should work on Period A’s asynchronous classwork from 9-10 and Period B’s asynchronous classwork from 10-11 etc. If students are struggling with asynchronous assignments, they should email their teacher and ask for a virtual meeting during the teacher’s daily office hours time from 2:15-3:00pm.
Changing Learning Modes
If your student is interested in changing from virtual to hybrid learning or vice versa, please read how to go about that process at this link.
How to view grades with your Canvas Observer account.
Click on this link for a video tutorial on how to view your student’s grades through your Canvas Observer account. Find other useful tutorials on Academic Technology Coordinator Stephanie Cheney’s YouTube Channel.
Fall Athletics Update
- Click here for the Fall 2020 Athletics schedule.
- While no spectators will be allowed at games this season, all home games will live stream on the LA Facebook page.
- Check the new fall practice schedule on the LA website.
- Photos from the recent LA Cross Country Meet and soccer and field hockey scrimmages are available on the LA Flickr page.
- Click here for the Fall 2020 Athletics schedule.
- Home field hockey and soccer games start Wednesday, October 14, and will live stream on the LA Facebook page.
- Check the new fall practice schedule on the LA website.
- See notes from the October 12 Parent Meeting about fall athletics at this link.
LifeTouch School Picture Info
Lifetouch will be on campus to take school pictures Tuesday, October 20th and Thursday, October 22nd for in person learners. Virtual learners may report for photos between 2:30 – 3:00 pm on Tuesday, October 20th in the Gym. These pictures will be used for school ID’s, the 2021 yearbook, and available for purchase. If you do not want your parent email shared to Lifetouch for online order registration information and reminders, please notify Carole Brinkler by 9 am this Wednesday – brinkler@lincolnacademy.org
Senior Photos Due November 13
Yes, there will be a 2021 Lincoln Academy yearbook!
Though it may look different than in past years, we do want to remember this historic school year through a yearbook. As always, seniors have the option of submitting a senior photo or using their school photo take by LifeTouch. They should also submit a baby photo if possible.
Senior photos and baby photos are due to the yearbook staff on or before Friday, November 20, before Thanksgiving vacation. These photos can be submitted by emailing digital files to yearbook@lincolnacademy.org or uploading them directly to the yearbook portal, which will open next week.
Guidance Office News
SENIORS: SAT at LA November 7th, 2020
MANY colleges and universities are test-optional this year (Test-Optional Colleges/Universities) and MANY of you will not need the SAT. For seniors wanting to test, LA will be administering the SAT on Saturday, November 7th. This is not a make-up test from the spring SAT, but is an optional exam that you will need to pay for. You can sign up for the SAT on Collegeboard.org. There are a limited number of spots and October 7th is the registration deadline. If you are uncertain about testing, please check out the link above or contact your guidance counselor. Questions or concerns? Email Ms. Gleason (gleason@lincolnacademy.org).
SENIOR MEETINGS WITH GUIDANCE COUNSELORS
Mrs. Abbott and Mrs. Blodgett are scheduling virtual senior meetings with guidance counselors on asynchronous days. Senior meetings are important as they help plan for life after high school. Seniors will receive an invitation to a virtual meeting through their LA email including the Google Meet link, date, and time.
Seniors! The Class of 2021 Future Plans Survey was sent to all seniors last month. Check your email and fill out your Senior Future Plans Survey as it is a critical first step in planning your future!
Virtual College Visits ~ SENIORS & Interested Juniors
College representatives are meeting with students. Click here for the virtual college visit schedule and note we continue to add new colleges to the list frequently. This week:
- Thomas College: Tues 10/13/2020 12:15pm
- Hampshire College: Thurs. 10/15/2020 12:15pm
- Drexel University: Thurs. 10/15/2020 2:30pm
- UMaine at Farmington (UMF): Fri. 10/16/2020 2:30pm
All Google Meet links for virtual college visits are available on Naviance and the LA Guidance Events Calendar.
Financial Aid Help Sessions
The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) opening date is October 1, 2020. For help understanding financial aid for college, FAME (The Finance Authority of Maine) is holding a series of virtual financial aid information sessions between September 15 and September 29 … read more and get meeting links.
Seniors ~ Scholarships Available
For the current list of scholarships available, log in to Naviance. Scholarships are available for all seniors at this time! Email Mrs. Blodgett in the Guidance Office at blodgett@lincolnacademy.org
College Fairs:
NEACAC Virtual College Fairs:
https://www.neacac.org/neacac-
Totally Trades Virtual Career Week for girls:
https://mainedoenews.net/2020/
JUNIORS ~ Junior PSAT:
On Wednesday, October 14th, LA will administer the PSAT/NMSQT to interested juniors. Juniors thinking about attending a four-year college or university are advised to take the PSAT, but it is NOT mandatory. There is no make-up day for the PSAT. Juniors must arrive by 7:45am with #2 pencils and a scientific calculator. Dismissal from the test is expected around 11:30 am. If you have any questions or concerns, please email Ms. Gleason (gleason@lincolnacademy.org).
Links
- Lincoln Academy Learning Hub, with links to Canvas, PowerSchool, and everything else families need for learning at LA
- Fall Reopening Plan with daily schedules for orientation and regular school days
- LA Flickr site, which includes photos from orientation week. New images will be posted regularly
