Lincoln Elementary

  Lincoln Elementary School

                                                                                                  The Pride of the North Side

         309 West Lake Street, Alpena, MI 49707           Phone: 989-358-5900       Fax: 989-358-5905

August 15, 2025

Dear Lincoln Parents/Guardians,

Welcome to the 2025-26 school year!  At Lincoln Elementary, we will continue to provide an educational experience that supports the whole-child.  Lincoln staff has been preparing for the start of the school year and students returning on Monday, August 25th. 

The Alpena Public School District focus is on providing students with an extraordinary education.  APS has created a strategic plan that will be key to building and strengthening relationships with the community.  At Lincoln Elementary School, we will focus on our mission statement of “Guiding students to learn their way to a successful future”.  From that mission, we will determine our collective commitments to all of our stakeholders.  The overall goal is to support the whole-child, nurture and create opportunities for students, provide excellent instruction, have constant communication through various mediums, ensure a safe environment, and know the value of partnerships.  

Staff:  Lincoln would like to welcome new and returning staff members. Here is a list of staff:

      Principal:  Mr. Banyas 

Educational Excellence: Lincoln Elementary School is focused on 21st century skills and ensuring educational excellence for your child. All staff is part of the process to provide that education and each role is vital to supporting students. Learning occurs in all subject areas aligned to state standards.  During the day, there are scheduled breaks. Technology is integrated into subject areas with guidance, modeling, and engaging activities that heighten the learning. In addition, students will participate in PE, Art, Music, and Health (2nd-5th grade) weekly.  

Daily Schedule:  For reference, our daily schedule is 8:20 am doors open for students and breakfast is served in our MPR/Gymnasium.  Students receive breakfast prior to instruction beginning @ 8:33am. All grade levels will enter through the front doors.  Instruction begins at 8:33 am. It is imperative your child is on time to school.  The Lunch schedule is as follows:  K, 1st, and 2nd grade eat at 11:45 am. 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade eat at 12:15 pm. Recess occurs before lunch.  Students are dismissed at 3:42 pm with half day release at 11:45 am.

Communication: Communication will be ongoing, informative, and an important part of the home to school connection. Lincoln will communicate as needed through Schoolmessenger, Dojo, the ROAR Report every other week, postings on our webpage, and also Facebook.  During the school day, phone calls to the classroom will go to voice messaging so that instruction is not interrupted. Please leave a voice message and the teacher will get back with you.  Or contact the office for questions or a request/need to be communicated timely. Remember, you can email staff, the directory is on the Alpena or Lincoln Elementary webpage.  Each teacher will share communication information and establish a process within the first week of school.  At the end of each week, be sure to check your child’s Friday Folder for work samples and important information from school.

Safety and Protocols: In regards to safety, a safe and orderly learning environment is paramount at Lincoln Elementary. We take guidance from the Alpena Public Schools District, state of Michigan, and follow necessary processes and protocols.  There are established expectations and procedures that will be shared with our students on a continual basis to ensure that all students feel safe at our school.  The students follow the R.O.A.R. expectations and those are modeled daily.

Wildcat Clinic: The Wildcat Clinic is here to serve your family’s medical needs.  The clinic entrance is at the back of the school by the playground. Please contact the clinic at 989-358-3998.  Remember to return the Wildcat Clinic release form if you want your child to be seen at the clinic for illnesses while in school.

Transportation: Please let the office know if there is a change in how your child is going home.  The office will inform the classroom teacher.  If your child is taking the bus with a peer, we are now required to verify with the parent.  The child will be given a pass to provide the bus driver. 

Office:  For safety reasons, all visitors must enter through the front doors and provide ID, then be buzzed into the main office area.  Once you enter the office, you will be greeted by our school secretary, Mrs. Decker and asked what your visit purpose is.  Please call 989-358-5900 to report an absence.  If you desire to volunteer, first connect with your child’s teacher on how you can help and we can provide a volunteer form that is then approved by the District. For the school year, if your child needs medication (ie. inhaler, diabetic supplies, epi-pen, etc) the parent (and Doctor if applicable) must fill out a permission form.

Open House and 1st Week:  Lincoln Elementary's Open House is Wednesday, August 20th from 4:30pm to 7:00pm.  Families can visit classrooms and also get necessary information in the MPR/Gymnasium too.   The first day of school is Monday, August 25th.  As a reminder in Alpena Public Schools, no parents/guardians are permitted to enter the building in the morning for drop-off or in the afternoon for pick-up.  Kindergarten and 1st grade parents are allowed to enter into the building to walk with your child for the first week of school only.  

Required Paperwork: At Open House, please ensure you gather all the necessary papers to prepare for your child’s school year.  Papers that need to be filled, signed, and returned are: Child’s Profile sheet (has emergency contacts, phone number, etc.), Parent Acknowledgement form (Elementary Handbook and Code of Conduct), Disclosure form (technology and photos), Household form (Breakfast and Lunch), and optional Wildcat Clinic release form. Please contact the office on any questions regarding these items.

Being a partner with the families, community, and organizations is key to Lincoln’s success to ensure your child has the best educational experience.  Go Lincoln Lions!

Sincerely,

Michael Banyas

 Principal