Lincoln Early Childhood Center

Today our kindergarten classroom transformed into a team of digraph detectives! Students eagerly searched for pairs like “sh,” “ch,” and “th.” Anticipation filled the room as each new discovery unlocked another piece of the mystery. Curiosity drove thoughtful questions, while joyful cheers erupted with every solved clue. Through play, collaboration, and purposeful learning, students strengthened their phonics skills and confidence. This engaging foundation lesson showed that when imagination leads, learning follows. Case closed—our detectives cracked the digraph code and had a blast doing it! We can't wait for next case!

🔍❤️ Kindergarten Word Detectives! ❤️🔍 Our kindergartners went on a Heart Word Scavenger Hunt around the school, searching for words they know “by heart”! With clipboards in hand, they spotted familiar words, practiced reading them, and celebrated each find together. A fun, active way to build confidence and strengthen early reading skills! 📚✨

Students practiced the -ck digraph through a hands-on literacy activity making “Yuck Yuck Soup.” Using picture word cards with matching spellings, they blended sounds, read words, and built early decoding skills through playful learning. 📚✨

Our Pre-K artists explored the life of Vincent van Gogh, drawing inspiration from his famous sunflower paintings. Using Model Magic, they sculpted bright flowers and leaves, then built a simple 3D still life with a vase, table, and wall—proudly gluing their sunny creations together! 🌻

🌎✨ Congratulations to our kindergarten student, Eliana! We are so proud to share that Eliana’s Earth Day poster has been selected as one of this year’s winning entries in the elementary division student poster contest, celebrating Earth Day. Her creativity and thoughtful message about caring for our planet stood out among many wonderful submissions. What an exciting accomplishment for such a young artist! Way to go, Eliana! 💚

🏃‍♂️ Running Buddies at Lincoln School Lincoln School staff are excited to offer Running Buddies—a group where students build community while finding joy in running. Through regular movement and high-energy activity, students develop gross motor skills, build endurance, and enjoy a healthy outlet for energy and stress. More than running, it’s about connection, confidence, and moving together in a supportive space.

Our kindergarten artists are diving into the world of color, storytelling, and perspective! 🎨✨ Inspired by George Rodrigue’s iconic Blue Dog, students explored how to create a background that helps tell a story. They experimented with bold colors, simple shapes, and thoughtful placement to make their “blue dog” stand out in a unique setting.

Our Kindergarten scientists have been busy exploring how animals stay safe to survive! 🐾

Through the interactive “Gopher in a Hole” game, students became snails tucking into their shells, praying mantises scaring away predators, and gophers popping in and out of their homes.

By observing and acting out these behaviors, students discovered an important pattern: all animals seek safety to survive. What a fun and active way to learn science! 🌱

Our kindergarten writers are becoming storytellers! ✨ During Writers Workshop, students focused on true story writing. They began by getting comfortable telling their stories across their fingers—one part at a time—then brought those ideas to life by sketching across story frames. 🖍️ Next up: adding words to match their pictures as they continue growing into confident authors! 📖

Proud moment at the 2026 NJPBSIS Leadership Forum! Partner schools from across New Jersey, in collaboration with Rutgers’ Boggs Center for Health and Human Development, work to support students’ behavioral growth. Lincoln School’s K–2 Universal Prevention work was highlighted, showing the impact of our commitment to EVERY student! 🦁 Pictured: Kathleen Nesheiwat, P-5 Supervisor of Special Education; Dr. Gizem Tanol, BCBA Rutgers University; Dr. Tiffany Jacobson, Principal Lincoln ECC

Inspired by our reading of In the Tall, Tall Grass, our kindergarten students explored the art of weaving in the most colorful way! 🌿🐍 Using bright, “snakey” strips, students created their own patches of tall tall grass—carefully interweaving each piece to build beautiful patterns. This hands-on activity was not only fun and engaging, but also introduced the foundational skill of weaving while strengthening fine motor coordination and pattern recognition. 🌈✨

There’s something special about seasonal arts and crafts in the classroom 🌈✨ Our students had so much fun creating vibrant rainbows using small pieces of cereal and glue—an activity that was as meaningful as it was engaging! As they carefully placed each piece, they strengthened their fine motor skills, practiced color recognition, and explored seasonal vocabulary in a hands-on way. These creative moments do more than brighten our walls—they build important developmental skills while sparking joy, focus, and pride in their work. Learning truly comes to life when little hands are busy creating! 💛

A big thank you to Westfield Pediatric Dental for working with our staff to teach students about dental hygiene and important life skills. We’re grateful for your partnership! 🪥🦷

Sunshine, fresh air, and smiling faces! ☀️ Today marked the first day in many weeks that our students were able to enjoy outdoor play on both playgrounds, and the excitement was contagious. From running and climbing to laughing with friends, it was wonderful to see everyone making the most of a beautiful day outside! 🌳🛝

Kindergarten students practiced basketball dribbling 🏀, focusing on proper mechanics and hand-eye coordination 👀✋. Working in pairs 🤝, they learned the basics of dribbling while building teamwork and focus—developing both their physical skills and cooperative learning in a fun, active environment! 🎉

Kindergarten mathematicians at work! 🎲 Using dice, counting cubes, and number lines, students practiced adding numbers up to 20. Working with partners, they built math confidence while also strengthening communication, cooperation, and problem-solving skills—growing both their number sense and important social-emotional learning skills along the way! ➕🧮

Our Kindergarteners took the stage and shined at the Sing-Along for Grandparents and Special Persons! 🎶✨ Inspired by the beloved children’s book The Day the Crayons Quit, students showcased their confidence, poise, and stage presence while bringing the story to life through song and performance. It was wonderful to see them experience firsthand the power of the fine and performing arts as a creative outlet for expression. We are so proud of these young stars! 🌟🎨🎤

❄️ Huge shoutout to our incredible custodians! After the blizzard, they worked tirelessly to clear snow and ensure our school grounds are safe for everyone. Thanks to their hard work, our community can move about safely and start the day with a smile! 👏💙

🎉 Pre-K and Kindergarten students celebrated the 100th day of school with exciting, hands-on activities! From counting and sorting collections of 100 to teamwork challenges, obstacle courses, and creative 100-themed art projects, students practiced critical thinking, perseverance, and collaboration. Laughter and learning filled the classrooms as children reflected on their growth and celebrated this fun milestone together! 🌟

Valentine’s Day was filled with joy in our Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms! ❤️ Students celebrated with crafts, sweet stories, and fun games—all made extra special thanks to our incredible class parents who planned and facilitated such thoughtful parties. We are so grateful for the time, creativity, and care they bring to our school community. Celebrations like these help build connection, kindness, and a true sense of belonging for our youngest learners. 💕✨