The Lincoln Squirrel – News, features and photos from Lincoln, Mass.

schools

My Turn: Support teacher grant program at L-S

By Tara Mitchell and Carolyn Dwyer

Refresh, expand, appreciate, ignite, reconnect… these are all words that L-S faculty and staff have used to describe how they felt after being supported by a FELS grant. The Foundation for Educators at Lincoln-Sudbury (FELS) is a nonprofit organization that exists to support the aspirations and passions of L-S teachers and staff.

The motto, “Inspired Teachers Inspire Students,” is what drives the committee. Funds raised are awarded as grants to faculty and staff to pursue an interest, sharpen a skill, explore the world — all with the intent that what they have experienced will flow back into the classroom either directly or indirectly.

This summer, FELS grant recipients gained inspiration by studying ancient texts in Ireland, refreshment and reconnection while attending a painting retreat, and a sense of personal accomplishment by solo backpacking in the Alaskan wilderness, just to highlight a few. Whether recipients chose to develop a personal interest, pursue a new challenge or explore parts unknown, these impactful experiences reignite passions and provide inspiration in ways that pay big dividends not only for teachers but for the students they interact with.

Last year, 12 high-quality grants were submitted. Due to funding constraints, and in an effort to support as many deserving applicants as possible, FELS was only able to award 47% of the funds requested, which resulted in some partial awards.

We need your help to support even more high-quality grant applications this year. Consider making a tax-deductible donation to FELS to help meet our 2026-27 fundraising goal of $15,000. Donations can be made by check and mailed to the address above, or via PayPal here.

Please visit our website, www.FELSGrant.org, to learn more, review our grant history and see our 2026-27 schedule of events including our Thanksgiving pie sale in October and prom flowers sale in the spring.

Thank you for investing in our L-S faculty and staff and their continued growth and development!

Mitchell and Dwyer are writing on behalf of the FELS board.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnians. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

My Turn: Hanscom cost allocations

By Paul Blanchfield, Finance Committee chair

Preface: I am writing as an individual who happens to be the chair of the Lincoln Finance Committee and a member of the Collins Center Working Group.

For over 50 years, Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) has run the Hanscom K-8 school through contract with the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA).

The town benefits by being able to:

  • Educate the children of those that serve our country
  • Operate as a larger district, allowing for more extensive resources for students and staff
  • Share costs across Lincoln and Hanscom, which reduces overhead and Lincoln’s financial burden; and
  • Receive payment for these services at a higher rate than alternative arrangements. Bedford, which does not have a contract with DoDEA, educates Hanscom’s ninth- to 12th-grade students but receives federal impact aid and state mitigation aid, at a fraction of the reimbursement rate received by Lincoln via DoDEA.
Contract structure

The LPS Committee (LPSC) is solely responsible for the oversight and management of the contract, working with the Superintendent of Schools and in collaboration with town staff and committees as appropriate.

Contracts are constructed as a base year plus four one-year options exercised at DoDEA’s discretion (i.e., FY26–30 is a FY26 contract with four one-year options). In contracts up to FY25, LPS had a single negotiated fixed price for services provided within a year, independent of actual expenses. DoDEA does not provide additional funding, regardless of expenses, beyond that which is negotiated in advance, with a few exceptions (e.g., capital projects). The FY26–30 contract is based on the number of enrolled students. LPSC plans to evaluate the financial results for the new contract at the end of FY26 and determine whether there are implications for future year budgets and reserve policy decisions.

Over the life of the arrangement, revenues exceeded costs and the Hanscom Reserve Fund was established to maintain surpluses. It remains available for Hanscom-associated costs and/or future liabilities. In each contract negotiation, DoDEA regularly requests reductions to LPS’s initial proposals.

The Hanscom Reserve Fund has a current balance of ~$10 million against ~$14 million in unfunded liabilities (OPEB or other post-employment benefits, pension, unemployment), per the Collins Center.

Cost allocation methodology and working group

In late 2022, David Cuetos inquired about the Hanscom contract among numerous other concerns.

In June 2023, LPSC requested a review of the contract, procured a grant, and engaged the Collins Center, which provided a final report in May 2024, which was subsequently used to support FY26-30 contract negotiations. The report recommended the establishment of formal cost allocation methodologies for Hanscom-related OPEB, indirect town admin costs, and non-teacher pension costs, among other items.

A Collins Center Working Group was established in June 2024, including two LPSC members (Matina Madrick and Kim Rajdev), a Select Board member (Jim Hutchinson), a Finance Committee member (myself, Paul Blanchfield), and a member of the public (David Cuetos).

The group met in the summer of 2024 with a charge to:

  • Review the town’s indirect cost methodology and recommend an updated methodology
  • Confirm the town’s method to allocate OPEB and pension liabilities and propose an appropriate method going forward
  • Propose a plan to have disaggregated valuation statements for OPEB and MCRS pension liabilities across the Town of Lincoln, LPS, and Hanscom.

The working group recommended to:

  • Adopt a revised indirect cost methodology approach (percent of budget vs. fixed approach), which would result in an additional ~$190,000 in FY24 Hanscom-related costs.
  • Adopt a revised pension cost approach (disaggregated vs. fixed), which would result in an additional ~$215,000 in FY24 Hanscom-related costs.
  • The new methodology resulted in ~$1.5 million in additional Hanscom-related costs identified from FY21–FY24 from the $67 million contract over the same period, or 1.8% of the total.
Hanscom Reserve Fund transfers

LPSC adopted the working group’s recommendations for FY26 and beyond, with additional adjustments for the FY24 and FY25 pension liabilities. This was in recognition that the prior methodology was in place up to the end of FY24, that disaggregated actuarial assessments were not in place prior to FY24, and that the prior indirect cost methodology was adopted for the FY21-25 contract.

In addition, the Hanscom Reserve Fund could be needed to cover future liabilities, including but not limited to unemployment, retirement/OPEB liabilities, contract non-renewal, and closure costs should Lincoln not be awarded a future contract and/or if the base were to close. Reassessing costs from periods prior to FY21 (i.e., past contracts) was deemed not feasible given the lack of disaggregated actuarial assessments.

Summary

The town benefited from David Cuetos raising the issue and the town engaged, albeit slower than some might like, in a thorough process that included researching and confirming the issue, engaging a third-party (Collins Center) for support, establishing a working group, and adopting new methodologies.

LPSC manages the DoDEA contract and the Hanscom Reserve Fund and balances the risk and rewards of transferring funds to the town’s General Fund with the sizable potential future liabilities as noted above.

If the updated methodologies developed by the Working Group were applied to the full FY21–25 period vs. just for pension in FY24–25, they would have resulted in an additional $1.5 million in expenses ($600,000 million in pension costs and $900,000 million in indirect costs) that have not been authorized by LPSC to be transferred from the Hanscom Reserve Fund to the General Fund.

The Hanscom Reserve Fund remains available to LPSC to pay for Hanscom-related expenses or to transfer to the General Fund, now and in the future. As a fixed price contract through 2025, DoDEA will not pay LPS more for newfound expenses, and the same is true for 2026-30, save for changes in enrollment.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnians. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

My Turn: Unraveling the Hanscom misallocation

By David Cuetos

(Editor’s note: A slightly different version of this piece was posted last week in LincolnTalk by Cuetos, who asked that this revised version be published in the Lincoln Squirrel. The Squirrel has contacted members of the Finance Committee and School Committee, and at least one response will be forthcoming.

Cuetos will host a Zoom meeting on this issue on Sunday, March 8 at 7:00pm “to review the facts, explain how the issue developed, and answer questions from residents.”)

The Hanscom School operates under a contract that the town, as the operator, enters into with the Department of Defense. Lincoln taxpayer funds were systematically used to cover Hanscom school benefits and administrative costs that should have been paid with Department of Defense funds. By the later years of the FY21 to FY25 contract cycle, the annual impact of these misallocated charges had reached roughly $500,000.

I first raised the issue with town administration, the finance director, and the Finance Committee in 2022. Despite repeated follow up requests, no investigation began for nearly two years, even though those offices had direct access to the financial data and accounting systems needed to resolve the matter. The issue remained unexamined until 2024, when an audit initiated by the former School Committee chair was concluded and a working group was tasked to investigate the misallocated amounts. A sum of $2,045,000 in misallocated Hanscom expenses was confirmed for FY21 to FY25. The working group was not permitted to review earlier years, even though prior contracts operated under the same full cost reimbursement structure and used the same accounting methodology, which strongly suggests that similar misallocations likely occurred before FY21.

The confirmed expenses had been charged to Lincoln’s general fund instead of the Hanscom reserve, the dedicated account intended to cover Hanscom related costs. Correcting this is procedurally simple. These costs are legitimate Hanscom expenses that can be reimbursed to the general fund through a School Committee vote authorizing a transfer from the Hanscom reserve.

This process has been used twice already. An initial action reimbursed approximately $65,000 for split healthcare benefits. In June 2025, following executive session deliberations, the School Committee approved an additional reimbursement of about $495,000. In total, roughly $560,000 has been returned to taxpayers. This represents 27% of the confirmed FY21 to FY25 misallocated amount, leaving approximately $1,485,000 unreimbursed and any pre-FY21 amounts entirely unexamined.

The availability of funds is not in question. Under the contract structure, the federal government advances the full annual amount rather than reimbursing individual invoices, and the Hanscom reserve is fully under the town’s control. The most recent audited financials posted on the town website show a Hanscom Reserve balance of $9.7 million at the end of FY24, which is more than sufficient to correct the remaining shortfall for FY21 to FY25 and likely adequate to address earlier years if they were ever reviewed.

What has never been explained to residents is why the misallocation occurred, why it took nearly two years for an investigation to begin, why the School Committee limited the review period despite evidence that earlier years followed the same reimbursement rules, and why only a fraction of the confirmed misallocation has been corrected when the remedy is straightforward, locally controlled, and fully supported by available funds. Given the scale of the dollars involved and the fiduciary obligations owed to Lincoln taxpayers, a clear and comprehensive explanation remains necessary.

Chronology of Events (2022–2025)

  1. Benchmarking Analysis and Initial Evidence

Shortly after moving into town, I began studying our municipal finances. I wanted to understand how a town with the lowest proportion of students relative to population could still have such high taxes. My benchmarking against peer towns showed disproportionately higher taxes per capita across many departments, higher spending per pupil, and notably higher retirement benefits per dollar of payroll. A Massachusetts DESE report provided clear evidence that Lincoln was paying the lion’s share of Hanscom staff benefits.

  1. Sharing Findings with FinCom Leadership

I shared my benchmarking analysis with Finance Committee Chair Andy Payne in fall 2022 and invited him to my home. Unfortunately, we could not get past a disagreement about population numbers, and he showed no interest in the spending-per-pupil and retirement-benefits evidence. I also sent my findings to the full Finance Committee; only Fuat Koro expressed interest, though without leadership support he could not pursue it.

  1. Directed to the finance director

After continued requests, Mr. Payne directed me to Finance Director Colleen Wilkins. Following a few emails, she told me by phone that she was too busy preparing for budget season to engage in a “fishing expedition,” as she believed there was nothing to uncover. Communication ended.

  1. Submitting findings to school leadership

I also brought the matter to the School Committee and then-Superintendent Becky McFall, alerting them to the likely taxpayer subsidy. She quickly denied the subsidy’s existence and gave me access to then-Administrator for Business and Finance Mary Ellen Normen, who explained that she could neither confirm nor refute my findings because the underlying benefits accounting and payroll systems are controlled by the Town Finance Director.

It is relevant that Buck Creel — the longtime administrator for business and finance whose responsibilities included interpreting the contract, overseeing Hanscom’s financial submissions, and ensuring that eligible expenses were properly prepared and submitted for reimbursement — served in that role during the period when these misallocations occurred and was appointed to FinCom last year.

  1. Public records request and response

I filed a public records (FOIA-style) request to obtain the data. I received no response within the legal deadline, appealed to the state, and eventually received documents late from Town Administrator Tim Higgins. The response included irrelevant information that did not refute my claim. His email concluded with a statement that even if a mistake existed, it was not illegal.

  1. Escalation and lack of response

I sent multiple emails to the town administrator, FinCom, Select Board, Finance Department, and school administration explaining why the response was inadequate. None replied. I also asked a friend to brief Select Board member Jim Hutchinson, who had chaired FinCom. He told my friend they were too busy and too frustrated with my inquiries to address anything before Town Meeting. Nothing happened afterward.

  1. FinCom meeting and public comment suppression

Because no one was responding, I raised the issue during public comment at a FinCom meeting. Then-Vice Chair Paul Blanchfield cut me off, stating that he had reviewed the town’s FOIA response and that it disproved my claims. That was factually incorrect.

  1. Reduction in transparency

Following that meeting, several changes at FinCom occurred:

    • Zoom meetings became rare.
    • Mr. Payne stopped posting meeting recordings, and his YouTube channel disappeared.
    • The meeting video was missing from town archives until I provided my personal copy.
    • FinCom began developing a more restrictive public comment policy.
  1. Shift in FinCom position and additional barriers

After that meeting, I emailed Mr. Blanchfield again. His position shifted from “you are wrong” to “the town could recover funds except for certain accounting or statutory exceptions,” which was also incorrect. A new excuse emerged: that the contract was classified. I disproved this by obtaining unredacted copies of current and past contracts directly from the Department of Defense.

  1. School Committee chair steps in and launches independent audit

Former School Committee Chair John McLachlan, after seeing an interview referencing the issue, realized he had been incorrectly told the matter was resolved. He pursued the issue personally despite resistance from Town Administration and FinCom leadership. Unsatisfied, Mr. McLachlan launched an audit, reportedly provoking strong objections. A professional auditor was hired, but the process moved slowly and concluded only in summer 2024.

  1. Limitations of the audit and partial shifts in town accounting

I doubted the auditor could determine the benefit misallocation independently because benefits are managed by the Finance Department. In response to my inquiry on the status of the misallocation investigation at a fall 2023 FinCom meeting, Ms. Wilkins and Mr. Blanchfield redirected responsibility to the School Committee and the auditor. Ultimately, the benefit analysis was produced separately by Ms. Wilkins. Notably, during this same period, the Town transferred approximately $65,000 from the Hanscom reserve to the Town’s general reserve to correct split healthcare charges, an action that indicates the underlying issue had been recognized internally even before the formal findings were presented.

  1. Audit completion and formation of a working group

The audit concluded in summer 2024, though it did not examine benefits, which as I said were prepared independently by Ms. Wilkins. The School Committee formed a five-member working group: two School Committee members (Matina Madrick and Kim Rajdev), one Select Board member (Mr. Hutchinson), one FinCom member (Mr. Blanchfield), and myself. I understand that one longstanding School Committee member opposed both the creation of this working group and my inclusion, leading to a very restrictive mandate: we could examine only the FY21-25 contract, even though earlier contracts were also full-cost reimbursement.

  1. Working group findings and limitations

After discussions and adjustments to allocation methods, the committee unanimously agreed on a methodology confirming the misallocation at roughly 500,000 dollars per year. I objected to the refusal to examine earlier contracts. Before disbanding, I moved to recommend reimbursing the full FY21-25 misallocation. Mr. Hutchinson supported the motion; the other three members abstained.

  1. School Committee decision

Throughout FY25, the School Committee delayed any decision. In their final meeting of the year, they entered executive session and decided to reimburse for approximately one fourth of the remaining verified amount. No rationale was provided publicly.

My hope is that by presenting a clear and complete factual record, residents will demand accountability and strengthen oversight going forward. I have kept detailed records of all communications and am willing to review them with anyone interested.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnians. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

My Turn: Madrick seeks reelection to Lincoln School Committee

By Matina Madrick

Hello, I’m Matina Madrick, the current chair of the Lincoln School Committee, and I’m excited to share that I am running for re-election.

Over the past two and a half years, I’ve had the privilege of serving on the School Committee. Early in my first year, my colleagues entrusted me with the role of chair. The work has been demanding and deeply rewarding, giving me a firsthand appreciation for the complexity of public education — balancing strong academics with fiscal responsibility, supporting our dedicated teachers and staff, and ensuring that every Lincoln student has access to high-quality learning opportunities.

I’ve also learned how critical it is to stay connected with the community. I regularly meet with parents, educators, and other residents to listen, answer questions, and understand the perspectives that should inform our decisions. Those conversations shape how I approach my work on the Committee.

I am proud of what we’ve accomplished together:

  • Strengthening financial oversight and transparency by establishing a Finance Subcommittee, improving budget consistency, and closely tracking timelines.
  • Maintaining educational quality while respecting taxpayer constraints—passing two level-service budgets within the town’s 2.5% guideline and supporting the administration through collective bargaining and the successful renewal of the Hanscom contract.
  • Championing the selection and rollout of a new English Language Arts curriculum, which earned strong support from families and faculty and represents a long-term investment in teaching quality.
  • Improving School Committee processes to make meetings and materials more accessible, reduce meeting length, and encourage clearer, more data-driven reporting.

As chair during a period of significant administrative transition, I’ve focused on maintaining continuity and building strong, respectful relationships across the district and town — helping ensure smooth planning and stable support for our schools.

If re-elected, my priorities include:

  • Strengthening our shared campus vision. As the community center moves forward, we must collaborate to balance the needs of students, families, and the broader community.
  • Right-sizing resources. As Lincoln’s demographics shift, we need to track enrollment trends carefully and adjust budgets responsibly while maintaining the high educational standards families expect.
  • Consistently reporting on student achievement. We’ve made progress, and I plan to continue improving how we track student growth and clearly identify areas where additional support is needed.
  • Making equity concrete. Lincoln values equity and inclusion, and the School Committee must translate those values into tangible decisions — from curriculum to resource allocation — so every student has the opportunity to succeed.

I’ll be hosting several meet-and-greets and would love to connect. Please feel free to reach out to me anytime at mmadrick@gmail.com. Thank you for your consideration. I would be honored to continue serving the Lincoln community. As a reminder, Election Day in Lincoln is March 30, 2026!

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Christmas bomb threat to Lincoln, Hanscom Schools

The Lincoln School (photo from Lincoln Public Schools website)

On Christmas morning, there was a bomb threat to the Lincoln Public Schools, resulting in a thorough search of both the Lincoln and Hanscom campuses.

According to a Dec. 25 letter to staff and parents from Superintendent of Schools Parry Graham, after a faculty member received the bomb threat visa email and reported it to police, Lincoln police immediately began an investigation, conducted exterior sweeps of the buildings, and activated a regional response through the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLEC), the Massachusetts State Police, and the Hanscom Air Force Base Security Forces.

“The threat was non-specific and from a sender with no known connection to our schools,” Graham wrote.

“Given the non-specific nature of the threat, a lack of connection to our schools, and other indicators, our law enforcement partners have assessed that there is no immediate safety threat,” Graham wrote to staff and parents in a Dec. 28 follow-up email. “Out of an abundance of caution, Hanscom Air Force Base Security Forces and the Massachusetts State Police conducted K-9 inspections of both the Hanscom School and the Lincoln School, as well as the Hartwell Building, including Magic Garden. Nothing of concern was found and the schools and buildings have been cleared for staff and students to return.”

The Lincoln Police Department and school administration are “actively investigating the incident,” according to police.

My Turn: FELS donations make a difference to teachers and students

Dear LSRHS families and the communities of Lincoln and Sudbury,

As the mornings grow cooler and our students step into the rhythm of new classes and schedules, a new semester is underway at L-S, complete with new courses, new teachers, and new opportunities for growth.

As we support our students through this important transition, the faculty and staff at LSRHS are also hard at work applying their creativity, innovation, and wisdom to provide an environment where our students will thrive. Given the significant role these leaders play in our students’ lives and learning, it’s fitting that we also consider how to best support them.

Rooted in the belief that “Inspired Teachers Inspire Students,” the Foundation for Educators at Lincoln-Sudbury (FELS) is a nonprofit organization that awards enrichment grants to L-S faculty and staff to pursue their professional and personal interests and passions.Since 2000, FELS has awarded more than 100 grants to deserving LSRHS educators and staff, providing close to $200,000 in funding.

FELS grants have contributed to experiences ranging from swimming with whale sharks and creating a documentary film to exploring advanced photography techniques and partaking in an immersive foreign language experience overseas. Whether recipients choose to develop a personal interest, pursue a new challenge, or explore parts unknown, these impactful experiences reignite passions and provide inspiration in ways that pay big dividends in the classroom.

To help support the faculty and staff who work tirelessly to support our LSRHS students, please consider supporting FELS and the LS faculty and staff again this school year to help us meet our $10,000 2025-26 fundraising goal. Donations can be made online or by check mailed to: FELS c/o LSRHS, 390 Lincoln Road, Sudbury MA 01776.

Please visit our website, www.felsgrant.org, to learn more, review our grant history, and see our 2025-26 schedule of events including our Thanksgiving Pie Sale in October and Prom Flowers Sale in the spring. Thank you for investing in our LS faculty and staff and their continued growth and development!

The FELS 2025-2026 board:

Nancy Marshall, Co-President
Tara Mitchell, Co-President
Nancy Donaldson, Vice President
Ginger Reiner, Treasurer
Ruth-Anne Adams
Desiree Butter
Carolyn Dwyer
Kelly Gaudreau, Faculty
MaryAnn McCormick
Tristram Oakley
Sylvia Perry
 
Congratulations to our 2025 FELS Grant recipients!

Celebrating its 25th year last year, FELS, the Foundation for Educators at Lincoln-Sudbury has awarded close to 100 grants to Lincoln-Sudbury faculty and staff, totaling nearly $200,000.

  • Rebecca Mayer (English), “How to Connect”
  • Suanne Peterson (FATA), “Encaustic and Cyanotype Workshop”
  • Dennis Phillips (IT), “Twenty with Appreciation”
  • Susan Shields (Assoc. Principal), “Ma Francaise”
  • Brendan Wimberley (SpEd), “Pitch to the Classroom”

As shared by some of our 2025 FELS Grant recipients on their experiences:

Suanne Peterson’s skunk cyanotype

“In my workshop we waxed cyanotypes to wooden panels and then built up layers of colored wax. This skunk image is more straightforward with wax to seal it to the board and some gold powder around the edges. The dandelion has some areas with colored wax. I loved the process. Thank you, FELS!”

— Suanne Peterson (FATA faculty), “Encaustic and Cyanotype Workshop”

Brian Wimberley with his “think, pair, share” group.

“I had an amazing experience at the World Rugby L2 Coaching Clinic. My supervising educator, Martha Daines, former head coach of the USA Women’s National Team and current director of the Women’s High Performance Program, really pushed me as a coach in ways I hadn’t been pushed in 13 years. Here’s a picture of me with my ‘think, pair, share’ group.

— Brendan Wimberley (SpEd faculty), “Pitch to the Classroom”

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.”

My Turn: Residents support Ryan and Morton for L-S School Committee

We write in full support of Charles Morton and Jack Ryan, both candidates in a contested race for two vacant at-large seats on the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School Committee (LSSC). Please make an effort to get to know them both and meet Jack and Charles before Lincoln Town Meeting on Saturday, March 29, and to vote for both of them at the polls on Monday, March 31 in the Reed Gym.

How Lincoln turns out to vote on March 31 will critically impact the final outcome for our shared high school. In past elections, Lincoln has been the deciding block of votes in the election for LSSC members.

Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School is one of three things for most Lincolnites: it’s a full-on enigma to families with children younger than eighth grade; it’s the most frequently taken seven-to-25-minute daily driving route for families with high school-aged children; or it’s a wistful glimpse in the rear-view mirror for those who have LSRHS graduates who are “grown and flown.” Much of this has to do with LSRHS not being right here in Lincoln, where daily life is focused on much that is more local. It also has to do with most teens being given more freedom to grow, flourish, and learn a great deal from personal success and occasional failure.

When election time rolls around, reminders are needed of (1) the critical and special value LSRHS has in preparing our high schoolers for life after graduation, and (2) the impact of our vote for School Committee members who will serve the LSRHS students and broader communities’ best interests.

We support Charles Morton (CharlesMorton.com) because:

  • He comes with a strong academic background and is an academic by profession, and he has a deep understanding of the wide array of learners and continued need for a wide array of programs at LSRHS to educate and support those learners.
  • He understands that LSRHS is not a cookie-cutter high school; it is incredibly innovative in its curriculum and encourages teachers to be their best selves in crafting and implementing curriculum.
  • Charles is in it for the long haul, with four children who will attend LSRHS between 2026 and 2036. He chose to live in Sudbury because of LSRHS.
  • He grasps the value and perspective of all communities who are part of LSRHS, Lincoln, Sudbury, and Boston.

We support Jack Ryan (RyanforLS.com) because:

  • Jack’s institutional memory of LSRHS from his prior tenure on the L-S School Committee will serve all of us well, particularly since all the remaining members on the LSSC have served for two years or less. He has remained connected and has two grandchildren preparing to attend LSRHS.
  • Jack has a 360-degree lens on so much of Sudbury, our vital partner at LSRHS. A retired lawyer, he has an ongoing list of almost four decades of volunteer service in Sudbury, serving on the Sudbury Finance Committee, on the LSSC for four terms, and as chair of the L-S Building Committee for the now 20-year-old LSRHS, as well as myriad other civic organizations.
  • Jack knows and respects Lincoln’s partnership in our shared high school. He will work collaboratively with both towns to solve problems, craft policy, and report out to constituents.
  • Jack is also committed to serving Lincoln, Sudbury, and Boston in his work on the LSSC.

Both Jack and Charles are committed to putting in the time and hard work of being a School Committee member. Their skill sets and perspectives are distinct from each other but complementary. Particularly in these days of uncertainty around funding for public education, these candidates both want to hold steady what is valued and critical for our high school children, in line with LSRHS’s four core values:

  • Fostering caring and cooperative relationships
  • Respecting human differences
  • Pursuing academic excellence
  • Cultivating community

Please remember to vote for Charles and Jack next Monday and reach out to friends and neighbors and encourage them to do the same. Thank you!

This letter reflects the personal views of those named below. Any below-named person who also holds elected or appointed office in Lincoln is expressing their personal view, not the view of the committee(s)/board(s) on which they participate.

Abigail Adams
Murat Arslan
Alex Benik
Becky Bermont
Hans Bitter
Rebecca Blanchfield
John Bordiuk
Brian Burns
Ted Chan
Nancy Donaldson
Michelle Doyle
Joe Doyle
Carolyn Dwyer
Jonathan Dwyer
Kristen Ferris
John Ferris
Nancy Finke
Jim Fleming
Nancy Fleming
Trintje Gnazzo
Andy Gnazzo
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Students get a taste of financial realities at educational fair

State Rep. Carmine Gentile visited the Reality Fair. Left to right: teachers Kathleen Thompson and Kate Grant, Ravi Simon (Gentile’s aide, also an L-S alum and L-S School Committee member), Gentile, and Superintendent/Principal Andrew Stephens. See more photos below.

High school seniors have a lot to think about as they prepare for post-graduation life, not the least of which is money. Thanks to the annual Reality Fair, L-S seniors can get a head start on managing their personal finances.

At the interactive simulation (held this year on March 14), students start by choosing an occupation they hope to have by the age of 25. Based on that information, the Credit for Life software on a laptop they carry around automatically fills in their expected gross and net annual and monthly pay. From there, they visit booths with information on things like housing, education and training, food and nutrition, transportation, vacations, and pet ownership. They make “purchases” using cash, credit, or savings as they learn about what things cost, how much credit card companies charge, and how much they can accrue for retirement given their monthly contributions. The software keeps the students updated on their overall expenses and credit score so they can see the long-term results of their spending decisions.

For several months before it takes place, math teachers Kate Grant and Kathleen Thompson (with help from the LSPO and community sponsors) plan the fair, which includes doing everything from recruiting volunteers to fundraising for gift cards and food. This is the fourth year they’ve done it as an adjunct to the Financial Literacy course they teach. Thompson organized Reality Fairs at her previous post in Wayland. Students tend to enjoy the event; “they say it was way more fun than they thought it would be,” she said.

Many other schools (usually with the help of sponsors from banks and other businesses) state the fairs, “but we kind of put our own spin on it,” Thompson said. New this year, students also have to practice networking by talking with an adult at each booth about their career plans — dozens of volunteers from the community who man the booths and share information about their profession.

“The kids are really into it — they ask some really great questions,” said Diahanne Lucas, who works full time for WGBH but shared her experiences working part-time for extra money at Gillette Stadium.

Also unique to L-S was “Wheel of Reality,” probably the most popular booth, where participants spun a wheel and answered questions in hopes of winning gift cards. For example, they might have to locate a piece of information on a credit card statement or identify which of several text messages is actually from a scammer.

Many of the students were surprised at how much they’d need to shell out every month for things like food, rent, and streaming services, as well as how they expected to pay for them. “I thought I’d be using savings or a credit card more, but [I learned] I don’t need to go into debt,” said Annika Zurn, a Sudbury resident who plans to become a physical therapist.

“It surprised me how much you’ll get in interest if you start saving early for retirement — there’s so much more money in the end,” said Bella Chidziva of Sudbury, an aspiring nurse.

“Kate and I feel it’s our favorite day of the year,” Thompson said. “I’m fortunate to work in a place that supports this type of event and education.”

Click on photos below for larger versions and captions:

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