Lincoln School lower grades change mascot to Foxes

The new Lincoln Foxes mascot for grades K-4 as created by Canva.

The lower grades at the Lincoln School are now the Lincoln Foxes rather than the Lincoln Knights, ending a winding process that began more than three years ago.

In the 2021-22 school year, school principals Sharon Hobbs (grades 5-8) and Sarah Collmer (grades K-4) surveyed the entire Lincoln School community to solicit feedback about whether the Lincoln School should have a new mascot. They got 482 responses from students, staff, parents and caregivers, and based on the results, they decided to go ahead. That spring, students and staff submitted suggestions for the new mascot.

In spring 2022, the school shared results on the survey with the school community. Responses cited “several positive characteristics as a reason to keep the knight: character, truth, honor, kindness, humility, self-discipline; they are protectors, brave, strong, they persevere, and show integrity, to name a few… One described how the knight chess piece is ‘a dynamic player’ that can move in unique ways and are ‘free thinkers, not pawns on the chessboard of life… willing to move outside the logical player pieces within a community and for the better of all’,” Collmer wrote in a letter to the school community.

But others said they didn’t see how the knight represents the grade K-4 CARES values (cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, self-control) or the grade 5-8 4Cs (communication, commitment, cooperation, care).

“Many do not relate to the masculine, violent, or ‘scary’ characteristics of the knight. Commenters noted that the knight’s sword “is not a very friendly vibe when you walk into the building” and that ‘armoring oneself or hiding behind your armor’ doesn’t fit with ”being inclusive, more open, breaking down barriers, putting down our armor, seeing one another fully and celebrating what we see’,” Collmer wrote.

Despitr the split opinions, Lincoln School administrators decided to go ahead because the majority of respondents were in favor and “the most compelling feedback was around the alignment of our values and the desire to find a more inclusive mascot.”

Efforts were put on hold during the transition from modular classrooms to the newly renovated school building in summer and fall 2022. Then there was another delay in 2023 when Hobbs retired and Jay Peledge became the grade 5-8 principal. But in the meantime, grades 5-8 decided they wanted to continue having the knight as the mascot.

Finally, in September 2024, a staff team reviewed the mascot submissions from 2022 and narrowed it down to four that can be found right here in Lincoln: fox, salamander, owl, or monarch. In September after a student vote.

“We are now the Lincoln School Foxes!” Collmer announce and September 7. “We can’t wait to bring the fox spirit into our school community in fun and meaningful ways.”