Lincoln Parish STEM Center

Last night the Lincoln Parish School Board approved the 2023-2024 school calendar! To view the calendar for the next school year, click the link provided. https://5il.co/1ow2j

Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) Program | Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services Louisiana Reopens 2019-2020 P-EBT Application for Families Who Did Not Apply in May and June Families Who Received P-EBT during the May-June Application Period are NOT Eligible The P-EBT program provides help buying groceries for the families of children who were receiving free and reduced-price meals at school last school year. These one-time benefits are $285 per eligible child. This covers 50 school days missed from statewide school closures during the pandemic. Some parents became eligible for free and reduced lunch in May 2020. They would receive $91.20 per eligible child, which covers the cost of meals for 16 school days in May. The initial PEBT application period closed on June 15, 2020, and served 407,800 children. This second application period is aimed at the 264,111 children who qualified but did not receive PEBT the first time. http://www.dcfs.louisiana.gov/page/pebt-program All students in LP are eligible for free breakfast and lunch during school days until December 31, 2020 or money runs out.

There will be a Facebook Live Town Hall Meeting on Monday, July 20, 2020 at 6:30PM. The meeting can be viewed on Facebook Live broadcasted from the Lincoln Parish Facebook page at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/lincolnparishschools/ You can ask questions for the Town Hall Meeting by emailing the following account: communications@lincolnschools.org

Please use the following link to see the most up to date Lincoln Parish Schools Strong Start Plan https://5il.co/ibco

There is still time to come in and sign up for our Summer Reading Program! Children ages birth through grade 2 can earn a prize for every ten books read to them or by them. Children in grades 3-6 can earn a prize for every 500 pages they read. We are getting in new picture books, chapter books, EZ readers, non-fiction books and graphic novels weekly, so please try to get some summer reading in before school starts! After school begins, we have a large selection of the EZ readers and beginning chapter books that are recommended by the IRLA Home updates! We look forward to serving you the rest of the summer and this school year! From your friends at the Lincoln Parish Library.

Summer Reading Program at the Lincoln Parish Library Who: Birth thru high school When: May28-July 28 What: All children in Lincoln Parish are encouraged to participate to keep reading through the summer Online read-a-louds and weekly craft demos are available on the Lincoln Parish Library's Facebook page(under the video tab) To-go crafts are available each week to go with the Fairy Tale theme of the week We can get a bag of books together for you if you call and talk to someone in the Children's or Teen's department and deliver it curbside if you do not wish to come in 251-5531 This week there are two "Science Tellers" videos and a magic show "Tommy Terrific" that will be available all summer to watch

Camp Invention that was scheduled for June 8-12 has been cancelled. For those who have registered, Camp Invention will contact you about your options.

To: Parents/Guardians From: Mike Milstead Date: April 10, 2020 Use the following link for the latest update concerning Lincoln Parish Schools. https://5il.co/ez14

The City of Ruston is partnering with Lincoln Parish Schools by inviting students who need access to WiFi to park in our Historic Fire Station, Civic Center, and Sports Complex parking lots to utilize free WiFi. Please see details for each location below. Parking lot of City Hall (signal is strongest on the north side of the building). WiFi name: Public WiFi Parking lot of Historic Fire Station WiFi name: Public WiFi Parking lot Sports Complex “B” Dixie parking lot WiFi name: Ruston Sports Complex Parking lot of Sports Complex “C” Softball/Tennis WiFi name: City of Ruston Wireless WiFi

A conference call was held Sunday afternoon, March 22nd with representatives from the Governor's Office, the Louisiana Department of Education and state superintendents. All facets of the school food service program were discussed. The issue is not whether feeding students is important. We all agree that it is. At the same time, staff and employee safety must also be considered. In one week alone, through the efforts of our dedicated employees and school personnel volunteers, we have served approximately 11,000 meals. On Monday, March 23, 2020, we averaged serving about 4 meals per child which will carry us through the current week. While this program is important, we must consider the safety and well-being of our employees as well, particularly in light of the shortage of adequate protective gear such as gloves, face masks, and thermometers. Accordingly, given the shortage of these supplies and our concern for our employees, our school system will for the time being suspend our food services after serving one more day on Monday, March 23, 2020. Thanks for your understanding.

To: Parents and Community From: Mike Milstead 1. Probably the best/most important thing you can do with your child during these days away from school is to read to and with them daily. 2. Access the resources available on our website, https://www.lincolnschools.org/. Almost daily updates continue. Many lessons, interactive practices, and tests are available. Many are based on information taught in our classrooms. In addition, some teachers continue to reach out using Google Classroom and Facebook Live. 3. If you text LACOVID to 898-211, it will send you a link to connect to up-to-date FAQ with Louisiana 2-1-1. It’s a really good source of current information concerning coronavirus. 4. Beginning Monday, March 23, we will add the Lincoln Parish School Board office at 410 South Farmerville as a site for disbursing school breakfasts and lunches, 9:30-11:00 each day. 5. Continue best practices such as good hygiene, frequent handwashing, social distancing, and remaining at home to the extent possible. 6. We will get through this time together. Our goal is to offer the best possible education to all of our students regardless of the circumstances in which we may find ourselves. Be safe out there.

To: Parents and Community Members From: Mike Milstead 1. I encourage each of you to use our online resources for your children that you can access through the Lincoln Parish School Board website, https://www.lincolnschools.org/. We continue to update these resources. Some of them are our actual providers of curriculum materials. 2. We continue to work on best ways to continue our Dual credit and AP classes. More info soon on that. 3. Meal pickups continue at 8 of our school sites below between 9:30 and 11:00 for breakfast and lunch. All children under the age of 18 qualify. Choudrant High (includes Choudrant Elementary) Cypress Springs (includes RHS) Dubach Glenview (includes RJHS) Hillcrest IA Lewis Ruston Elementary (includes LPECC) Simsboro 4. Our plan remains to resume school on Monday, April 13. 5. Please support our local restaurants during this difficult time. Even if you don’t purchase a meal, try to purchase a gift card and share a meal with someone else. 6. Please continue practices that help protect your family from coronavirus: frequent handwashing, if possible staying away from those who are sick, and cleaning surfaces. We will get through these trying times. Best wishes to each of you.

March 16, 2019 Update 1. LPSB School Food Services continue 9:30-11:00 each regular school day at the following schools through March 27, 2020. Services will resume after spring break on Monday April 6 through Thursday, April 9. No meals provided on Good Friday, April 10. Choudrant High (includes Choudrant Elementary) Cypress Springs (includes RHS) Dubach Glenview (includes RJHS) Hillcrest IA Lewis Ruston Elementary (includes LPECC) Simsboro 2. Children 18 and younger qualify for these meals. 3. All LPSB Schools and school buses are being cleaned and disinfected this first week away from school, March 16-20. 4. Schools are not providing assignments during the time away from school. The Governor’s resolution was not decreed until Friday afternoon March 13 at 1:00. This timing gave virtually no time to prepare materials for student review even if we had planned to. 5. Presently educational links are available on the Lincoln Parish School Board website that could be useful as a tool to help students during this time away from school. More links will be added later. Taking advantage of these websites is encouraged but voluntary. 6. No extra-curricular activities associated with schools are occurring during the time school is not open. This includes all athletic contests and practices. 7. All LPSB Schools are closed including playgrounds and athletic facilities until further notice. 8. Lincoln Parish School Board office lobby and phones lines are open Monday-Friday, 8:00-12:00. To the extent possible, questions and concerns should be handled by phone or email.

TO: LPSB Parents/Guardians FROM: Mike Milstead, Superintendent, Lincoln Parish Schools 1. LPSB Cafeterias will be serving breakfast bags and lunch bags from 9:30-11:00 at the following locations, Monday through Friday. Ruston Elementary (includes LPECC) Simsboro Dubach Choudrant High (includes Choudrant Elementary) IA Lewis Cypress Springs (includes RHS) Hillcrest Glenview (includes RJHS) 2. You will be met at the carline sites with the meals so that you do not have to exit your vehicle. You will receive both meals at the same time. This will continue up to our Spring Break, which begins March 30th. 3. After regular Spring Break ends, breakfast and lunch disbursements will continue on Monday, April 6th at the same times. 4. More information will be sent to you using this format over the following days and weeks. Included in that information will be how you can if you choose to access online sites that might help your child continue their education during the 20 days that school are closed. 5. Stay safe. Take care of yourselves and your children.

Info concerning Lincoln Parish School Closure related to Coronavirus FROM: Mike Milstead, Superintendent, Lincoln Parish Schools TO: LPSB Parents 1. As you now know, Governor Jon Bel Edwards in a Proclamation issued today, Friday, March 13, 2020, has declared all Louisiana public schools closed Monday, March 16, through Friday, April 10, 2020. 2. Lincoln Parish Schools will reopen for students Monday, April 13, 2020. Originally, that was to be a holiday, but we will resume on Monday instead of Tuesday. 3. The Governor has waived the requirement of minutes of instruction associated with this closure. This closure will not be held against any instructional days normally required. 4. All school events during this time are cancelled. The goal is separation from social interaction during this month to the extent possible. 5. We do not yet know how this affects our normal spring testing and how that will play out. As soon as we get appropriate information, we will let you know. 6. Let’s take advantage of this time to defend ourselves and families from the Coronavirus and practice good hygiene associated with cleanliness, proper handwashing, staying at home when sick, and limiting travel. 7. I will continue to communicate with you through this means over the next few weeks.

The Lincoln Parish School Board adopted the 2020-2021 School calendar last night during the March School Board Meeting. The calendar can be downloaded at the following link: https://5il.co/dfg6

Here is some more information for Camp Invention that will take place at the STEM Center this coming Summer. Flyer Link: https://5il.co/cyzv

The Lincoln Parish STEM Center is excited to host Camp Invention this summer. This week-long summer adventure will feature activities that allow students in grades K-5 to create, invent, and problem solve in a fun, immersive environment. This summer, each camper's creativity will be sparked as they control their very own robot, protect Earth's ecosystems, design the ultimate sports complex, and learn the value of their ideas through the design thinking process. Camp is June 8 - 12, 2020 from 9:00am - 3:30pm.

On Tuesday, February 18, 2020, the Lincoln Parish STEM Center will host a STEM Day for district employee's children in grades K-6. Students will experience engineering design, robotics, coding and other STEM activities. Cost: $30 and includes lunch Time: 7:45 - 3:45 (drop-off: 7:30 - 7:45) Contact: Missy Wooley (mwooley@lincolnschools.org or 318.436.3029) Registration: https://forms.gle/jFSmmmobfkoyyAoJ7