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:

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”

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.”