schools

Campus Master Plan Committee schedules forum

September 30, 2015

The Community Center Study Committee’s “preferred option.”

The Lincoln Campus Master Planning Committee (CMPC) invites all Lincoln residents as well as Lincoln School faculty and staff to attend its first public forum on Thursday, Oct. 15 from 7-9 p.m. in the Brooks Gym.

The CMPC, which was jointly formed by the Board of Selectmen and the School Committee in June, is in the process of evaluating the infrastructure and layout of the Ballfield Road campus to inform plans for the renovated Lincoln School and a contemplated community center building. The group met regularly throughout the summer and is working alongside external consultants LLB Architects as they review the earlier School Building Advisory Committee efforts and the Community Center Feasibility Committee study conducted last year, share initial findings, and solicit input from the community—especially those who visit the campus frequently.

Town officials and consultants also presented options and price estimates for both projects at the November 2014 State of the Town meeting.

Residents are also encouraged to attend one of two follow-up CMPC forums on Friday, Oct. 30. The CMPC will present at the PTO’s monthly meeting from 8:15-9:30 a.m. in the library story room and also at a Council on Aging session at 1 p.m. in Bemis Hall.

Letter to the editor: volunteers sought for selection committee

September 23, 2015

Editor’s note: This letter refers to the space currently leased by the Magic Garden Children’s Center in the Hartwell building on the school campus. By law, the town must periodically seek proposals from any parties who might be interested in leasing the space for educational purposes.

To the editor:

In accordance with Massachusetts General Law, the Lincoln School Committee has released a Request for Proposals soliciting interest in the lease of four classrooms in the Hartwell Building for programs with an educational purpose. The School Committee seeks two town members to serve on the five-person Selection Committee, which will evaluate the proposals and select the most advantageous for School Committee approval.

Proposals for lease of the space will be received on November 10, and the work of the Selection Committee is expected to occur immediately thereafter. The Selection Committee members must be over the age of 21 and a resident of Lincoln. They must have no connection to any proposer, and will be expected to sign an affidavit to that effect.

If you’d like to be part of the Selection Committee, please send me a brief expression of interest by email to bcreel@lincnet.org or by letter to Business Office, 6 Ballfield Road, Lincoln MA 01773. If you have any questions, please call me at 781-259-2623.

Sincerely,

Buck Creel
Administrator for Business and Finance for the School Committee

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters must be about a Lincoln-specific topic, will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Campus Master Plan group invites public to sessions

August 29, 2015

school The Lincoln Campus Master Planning Committee (CMPC), which will complete its work by December 31, invites the public to attend of their meetings and public forums this fall.

The CMPC is is charged with studying the basic infrastructure and physical layout of the Ballfield Road campus and informing the planning for the contemplated school building and community center projects. There are three at-large representatives as well as representatives from the Lincoln Public Schools, Board of Selectmen, Conservation Committee, Council on Aging, Parks & Recreation, the Planning Board, and Roadway and Traffic.

“The community’s awareness and involvement in this project is critically important,” said Committee Chair Carole Kasper. “The Campus Master Planning Study represents a unique opportunity for Lincoln residents to look at the Ballfield Road campus in a truly holistic manner—to examine the different ways in which we use the schools, other Ballfield Road buildings and recreational facilities and determine how we can serve our community better. We welcome the community’s attendance at any of our regularly scheduled committee meetings and also encourage residents to attend one of the public forums.”

The CMPC’s full schedule of meetings and public forums is listed below. All meetings will take place in the Hartwell Multipurpose Room unless otherwise noted.

Thursday, September 3 at 7 p.m.
2nd floor hearing Room, Lincoln Town Offices

Thursday, September 10 from 5:30-7 p.m.
Lincoln PTO Back-to-School Picnic – Lincoln School green playground

Wednesday, September 16 at 8:15 a.m.

Thursday, October 1 at 7 p.m.

Wednesday, October 7 at 8:15 a.m.

Thursday, October 15 from 7-9 p.m.
Public forum – location TBD

Monday, October 26 at 7 p.m.

Friday, October 30 at 8:15 a.m.
Lincoln PTO public forum – location TBD

Friday, October 30 at 1 p.m.
Council on Aging public forum – Bemis Hall (2nd floor)

Monday, November 9 at 7 p.m.

Friday, November 13 at 8:15 a.m.
Committee State of the Town run-through – Donaldson Auditorium

Saturday, November 14 at 9 a.m.
State of the Town presentation – Donaldson Auditorium

Friday, November 20 at 8:15 a.m.

Monday, November 30 at 7 p.m.

Thursday, December 10
Public presentation of draft final report

Longtime Magic Garden teacher bids a fond farewell

August 11, 2015

Peggy McSweeney with one of her young students in class.

By Alice Waugh

When Peggy McSweeney started working as one of the teachers at the Lincoln’s Magic Garden Children’s Center when it opened more than three decades ago, she had no idea she would one day be teaching the children of one of her first students.

McSweeney, who retired from the preschool last month after 33 years, started her career as a third-grade teacher in Randolph. After taking time off to raise her own children, she worked with special-education preschoolers in Concord and then as a teacher assistant for older kids.

“That’s when I realized I really loved preschool children,” she said. “Then once we started [at Magic Garden], I just said, ‘This is where I’m staying’—not knowing it would be 33 years.”

Magic Garden started in a single classroom in the Smith building and later moved into one of the Hartwell pods, sharing space with LEAP (the Lincoln Extended-day Activities Program). In the early years, there was a loft and a huge cage filled with birds that belonged to the building’s maintenance man, McSweeney recalled. The preschool has occupied several rooms in the main Hartwell building for the last 15 years.

One of McSweeney’s students back in the day was four-year-old Bowen Holden, whose grandmother used to come in and read stories to the kids, McSweeney recalled. Holden grew up, started a family and returned to Lincoln—and her own two children passed through McSweeney’s care at Magic Garden not too long ago.

Dozens of Magic Garden parents and alumni threw a going-away party in the form of a hoedown with a live band and square dance caller in the Codman Barn at the end of May. The format was chosen because she has fond memories of community square dances during summers in Marshfield growing up.

“So many families came from years and years ago—it was a big reunion of Magic Garden folks,” McSweeney said. Fellow teachers offered up an affectionate spoof and sang “You Are My Sunshine” with McSweeney-specific lyrics.

“It was absolutely fantastic—I was blown away,” she said. “I was just so touched.”

Peggy McSweeney and fellow Magic Garden teacher xxx at "Peggy's Garden" named for the retiring teacher.

Peggy McSweeney and fellow teacher Michael Graves at a school-wide dedication picnic where staff and the children named the Magic Garden area in honor of the retiring teacher.

“Peggy has abundant warmth and energy, and an irrepressibly positive attitude that has made her beloved among Magic Garden families,” said Andrew Pang, a Magic Garden parent and president of the program’s board of directors. “When I’ve told longtime Lincolnites that my sons go to Magic Garden, almost invariably the first response is, ‘Does Peggy still teach there?’”

The preschool’s board has established the Peggy McSweeney Fund for Enrichment at Magic Garden to sustain and enhance programs in art, music, movement, languages, science and outdoor learning. “These special programs complement the curriculum and, like Peggy, are particularly memorable parts of a Magic Garden education,” Pang said.

Other changes are on the horizon for McSweeney as well. She and her husband Leo are planning to sell their house in Lexington and move into a condo in the same town. The couple recently celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary.

Once they get resettled, McSweeney hopes to do volunteer work in a school, hospital or library. She keeps active doing tai chi, swimming and walking her dogs, even though she won’t be running around after toddlers every day.

“It’s just been an amazing journey,” she said.

Campus master plan design consultant approved

August 2, 2015

The Community Center Study Committee’s “preferred option” for the site of a new community center on the east side of the Lincoln School campus (see the Lincoln Squirrel, March 26, 2015).

The Campus Master Planning Committee (CMPC) has selected LLB Architects of Pawtucket, R.I. as the design consultant for the Ballfield Road campus, where the town hopes to build a new community center and renovate the Lincoln School.

The School Committee and the Board of Selectmen, which jointly appointed the CMPC, approved the hiring in mid-July.

“LLB brings a wealth of experience and a talented team of experts to the campus master planning project,” said Town Administrator Tim Higgins. “This is one of the most important projects facing Lincoln right now. We recognize that the plan will need to accommodate both the current and future education and recreational needs of our town’s resident population. I’m confident that LLB will be able to successfully assist the Campus Master Planning Committee in their charge to study the basic infrastructure and physical layout of the Ballfield Road campus and inform the planning for the contemplated school building and community center projects.”

“LLB’s technical experience, team-based approach, community focus and ability to see the ‘big picture’ make them a solid choice,” said School Committee Chair Jennifer Glass. “The project team, led by Project Executive Greg Smolley, has completed more than three dozen publicly bid projects in the Commonwealth in the last five years.”

LLB Architects, formerly Lerner Ladds Bartels, was founded in 1936. Their portfolio features design work on the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles and several projects at Brown University and the University of Rhode Island. In Massachusetts, the firm has done design work on public libraries in Bolton, Maynard, Scituate, Walpole and Watertown as well as the town halls in Acton and Harvard.

A report by Abacus Architects and Planners last March estimated that a community center just east of the Parks and Recreation pod on the Hartwell side of the campus would cost about $13 million, including a new access road, parking lot and repairs to the pods. The new building would be home to the Parks and Rec and the Council on Aging as well as various community groups.

For the rest of the summer, the consultants will review data on the campus’s physical and geographical conditions (roads and parking, wetlands, septic systems, major trees, etc.) and establish the short and long-term programmatic needs of all potential stakeholder groups. They will present their initial findings at a public workshop in October, where they will also gather public input and “identify conceptual options and present positive and negative aspects of each,” according to the firm’s preliminary project approach and timeline.

LLB will also make a presentation and gather input at the State of the Town Meeting on November 14 and at another public workshop in December before submitting their final report before the end of the calendar year.

“Lincoln is a community that values its historical buildings and spaces and engaging the public in setting direction for the future,” said LLB Project Executive Greg Smolley. “All of us at LLB Architects treasure the history of New England and have built the firm on a wide range of civic and public projects. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to work with everyone in Lincoln and are looking forward to getting started.”

For more information, residents are encouraged to attend any of the committee meetings, which are posted on the CMPC web page.

Environmental Club at L-S wins national award

July 28, 2015

Christy Goldfuss, Managing Director of White House Council on Environmental Quality, Eleanor Burke, L-S Environmental Club Advisor, PEYA awardees Michael Bader (’14) and Grace Chin (’15) and U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.

The Environmental Club at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School traveled to Washington, D.C., last month to receive the 2014 President’s Environmental Youth Award.

The club, which includes Lincoln residents Clara Cousins and Savannah Snell along with Sudbury residents Michael Bader, Brianna Bisson and Grace Chin, received the award for their efforts to bring awareness of climate change to the 1,600 students at L-S and to promote the use of reusable water bottles and recycling. The group raised money to purchase two purified water fountain refilling stations for the school with the goal of decreasing and eliminating the sale and use of one-use plastic water bottles and reducing overall plastic waste at the school.

The group started off its project with a waste audit to measure the plastic waste from the school cafeteria. Next they held a water taste test. The results showed that water from water fountains can taste just as good as water from one-use bottles as long as the temperature of the water is held constant.

The group then embarked on fundraising to purchase the water bottle refilling stations. Members partnered with Next Step Living to recruit local residents to conduct home energy audits, each of which nets $10 for the school. In this manner, the club has raised more than $2,600 to date to fund the purchase of the stations.

Through this project, Environmental Club members learned that they have the power to make a difference at the local school level and also to teach fellow students about the power of individual local action to make a difference on a town-wide and ultimately global level, since community members who’ve taken the home energy audit have learned strategies and improvements to reduce their own carbon footprints.

News acorns – 7/6/15

July 7, 2015

The Lincoln Minute Men march down Lincoln Road on July 4.

Watch video of the July 4 parade

Harold McAleer has posted a video of the first few minutes of Lincoln’s July 4 parade. Click here for a five-minute version or watch the full 18-minute version (including a glimpse of the Lincoln Squirrel at the 13:20 mark).

Berkshire condo rentals benefit Friends of the COA

A generous Lincoln resident has donated 20 nights at a time-sharing condo resort in South Lee, MA in the Berkshires, just 20 minutes from Tanglewood. All proceeds from renting these condos will go to benefit the Friends of the Lincoln Council on Aging, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of Lincoln’s senior citizens.

These condos are two bedroom/two bath with sleeping accommodations for six, including a sleep sofa in the living room. Each condo has multiple TVs, controllable air conditioning, a Jacuzzi tub, and many other amenities. One condo is available from 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 25 until 1 p.m. on Friday, July 31. Two other two condos are available from 4 p.m. on Friday, August 14 until 1 p.m. on Friday, August 21. The condo that’s available in July rents for six days at $1,500 and the two condos available in August rent for seven days at $1,700 each. All three condos are also available at $265 daily, with a minimum two-day stay.

This is an unprecedented chance for you to relax in the bucolic Berkshires this summer, enjoy world-class music and an feel good about helping Lincoln seniors weather next winter’s frigid blasts! Call (617) 378-1415 for further information on how to make these donations to the Lincoln Council on Aging.

Codman meat now available

Stop by the Codman Community Farm store to purchase Codman-raised beef and pork right from the freezer. Packages are individually priced and marked. This is an honor system, so please be sure to fill out a payment envelope, enclose cash or a check, and place it in the payment box. Products include bacon, ham, hamburger, sausage, ground pork and more, and all meat is free of antibiotics and hormones.

Scholarships announced for Lincoln graduating seniors

The Lincoln Scholarship Committee announces the winners of two awards and two named scholarships for Lincoln graduating seniors for 2015. They are:

Clara Cousins received the Fanny Campbell Award for academic achievement
Leah Kanzer received the Sumner Smith Community Service Award
Katherine Flanagan received the Ogden Codman Scholarship
Savannah Snell received the Ogden Codman Opportunity Scholarship

The Lincoln Scholarship Fund also offers need-based scholarships based in part on the community’s response to its annual appeal letter. The recipients of those scholarships will be determined in mid-July. To date, Lincoln community members have contributed $4,695 to the Lincoln Scholarship Fund 2015 appeal. The members of the committee are appreciative of all those who have helped launch these seniors on their next steps in their education. Anyone wishing to add to this support may do so by sending a check to The Lincoln Scholarship Committee, P. O. Box 6283, Lincoln, MA 01773.

Campus Master Plan Committee is up and running

June 17, 2015

The Community Center Study Committee’s “preferred option” for the location of the facility on the Hartwell campus.

The Campus Master Plan Committee (CMPC) has begun meeting and is moving quickly, with plans to interview consultant finalists on July 16.

The committee is charged with examining the implications of a Hartwell campus community center on Ballfield Road campus roadways, traffic, parking, public safety and accessibility, and recreational facilities, and to understand site issues such as wetlands, conservation land, septic fields and geotechnical conditions. One of the CMPC’s first tasks is hiring a firm with the skills needed to do this work. Residents authorized $75,000 for this purpose at Town Meeting in March.

Members of the committee are Renel Fredriksen from the Board of Selectmen, Jennifer Glass and Tim Christenfeld from the School Committee; Bryce Wolf from the Planning Board; Ken Bassett from the Roadway & Traffic Committee; Dilla Tingley from the Council on Aging board; Patricia Donahue from the Parks and Recreation Committee; either Peter von Mertens or Jim Meadors from the Conservation Commission; and at-large members Carole Kasper, Vin Cannistraro and Paula Cobb. There are four nonvoting members as well: Town Administrator Tim Higgins, Superintendent of Schools Becky McFall, Council on Aging Director Carolyn Bottum, and Parks & Recreation Director Dan Pereira.

News acorns – 6/11/15

June 11, 2015

Farmer’s market at Lincoln Station starts June 20

Beginning Saturday, June 20 and continuing through the summer months, the Rural Land Foundation will be hosting the Farmer’s Market at Lincoln Station every Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the front parking area along Lincoln Road. The event is an opportunity to support local farms and businesses and to buy some of the best local produce available. Local farms in Lincoln including Blue Heron Organic Farm, Codman Farm and Lindentree Farm will be there to sell a wide variety of their farm fresh produce, along with Matlock Farm and their fresh meats. In addition, Houtzeel’s Breadoven, AKA Bistro with some of their specialties and other surprise vendors will come to share their goods.

Reserve tickets for Codman Campout on June 20

Sign up now for the Codman Campout at Codman Community Farms (CCF) from Saturday to Sunday, June 20-21. Pitch your tent at 4:00 on Saturday afternoon and enjoy s’mores, games and an old-fashioned singalong around the campfire, and breakfast on Sunday, with coffee, orange juice and bagels. Dinner Catered by Blue Ribbon Barbecue. A tent site is $30; dinner tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for children under 12. CCF family membership is required. Tickets need to be purchased by all campers and are also available to those just wishing to come for the evening. Reserve online, call CCF at 781-259-0456 or email info@codmanfarm.org.

“Building Blocks” series for kids at Gropius House

“Building Blocks” is a series for young people, created by Gropius House staff on June 14, July 12 and August 16. Using a combination of visual thinking strategies and studio activities, kids age 9-12 will engage in group observation, dynamic discussion and studio time. Monthly sessions will have a different focal point, enabling children to participate each month, if desired, without repetition. Tickets are $5 per session for Historic New England members and $10 for nonmembers. Space is limited and registration is required. Please call 781-259-8098 for more information or purchase tickets online.

Sign up for barbecue meat CSA and regular summer CSA at Codman

Fire up your grill for locally raised steaks, sausage, ribs, hamburger and bacon. Codman Community Farms’ special summer meat CSA share runs from June through September. The four-month session gives you 10 lbs. of Codman-raised beef and pork each month. That works out to be $10 per pound for grass-fed beef and naturally raised pork that’s free of antibiotics and hormones. Pickups are the first Thursday of each month starting in June 11 from 5-7 p.m. in the Codman Barn. Feel free to sign up throughout June and the farm will arrange for your pickup. Codman’s regular six-month meat share runs from July through December and costs $600. To sign up for either CSA or to buy a 5-lb. or 10-lb. bag of beef or pork, visit the farm store web page.

George Clement

Minuteman High School names assistant principal

George M. Clement has been named as Minuteman High School’s new assistant principal and director of admissions. He succeeds Jack Dillon III, who was recently named principal. Clement has been at Minuteman since 2009 as a reading specialist and was named a finalist for Scholastic Co. “All-Star Educator Award” for reading in 2014.

Lincoln School names new K-4 principal

June 10, 2015

Sarah Collmer

By Alice Waugh

Sarah Collmer, who has a background in performing arts, is about to take on her biggest role yet: the Lincoln School’s new K-4 principal.

Collmer, 40, comes from the John F. Kennedy School in Canton, where she was hired in 2014 after serving as interim principal. Prior to that, she was Canton’s K-12 performing arts coordinator and also taught high school performing arts. She has been a music teacher for 17 years and has also worked at schools in Franklin and Wellesley.