Lincoln Heights Elementary
Welcome!
Inspiring Excellence
Every Student, Every Day!
At Lincoln Heights, we believe that each and every child is unique and special. We care deeply for our students while they are in our care. Their safety and sense of well-being are our top priority, and our goal is to engage all learners through hands-on, relevant lessons that support academic success.
Academic excellence can only be achieved in an environment where one feels valued and safe. Knowing that the environment is key to educational and behavioral success, LH integrates numerous opportunities to create and sustain a positive school culture for students.
Each morning, students are greeted by name by their teachers, eat breakfast as a community in their classroom, and then have Morning Meeting. Morning Meeting is an engaging way to start each day, build a strong sense of community, and set children up for success socially and academically. Each morning, students and teachers gather in a circle for 15 minutes and interact with one another with a greeting, a sharing time, a group activity, and a morning message.
The Big Idea Experience is a fun and exciting monthly assembly that helps our LH kids learn about treating others right, making smart decisions, and maximizing their potential. These assemblies teach students how to build character and promote a positive environment, a critical skill set for their current and future success.
At LH, clubs have been a huge hit among students! Feeling connected to others with similar interests is critical to developing a positive self-image. Mrs. Donaghy hosts Running Club, which typically has over 50 students that meet and run before school weekly! Miss Robinson, the art teacher, hosts an Art Club and invites a lunch bunch. Chess and Cribbage Club are popular in 4th and 5th grades, and numerous teachers host recess reading clubs as an option. We also have a Girl Scout and Cub Scout group that meets at LH.
Lincoln Heights has partnered with the Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan to implement Be Nice, a program that creates a positive cultural change through simple daily actions. Over 50 5th-grade students have served on the Be Nice Leadership team. Our goal at Lincoln Heights is to ensure that each and every student has the opportunity to participate in activities that empower them to build healthy friendships and make positive choices. Positive Jr. Jackets is a recess group that meets weekly and rotates membership so all students can learn these essential skills.
The dedicated staff at Lincoln Heights are proud to provide many experiential learning opportunities. Our 4th graders attend Zoo School at John Ball Zoo for an entire week. Our 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades learn at the museum each year, and 2nd graders will visit a University to develop a sense of excitement for their future options. Trips to the orchards, zoos, historical markers, and plays are all planned to enhance the learning experience. Staff also welcomed DNR officers, a paleontologist, Consumers Energy, the VFW, Junior Achievement, and many other guests to Lincoln Heights to support student learning and exposure to career opportunities.
These positive experiences, possible because of the hard work of exceptional staff, have led to diverse instructional opportunities and improvement in both behavior and reading ability. School-wide reading scores have increased 15% over the past two years, and 97% of our students have earned 0-1 behavior referrals. Teachers analyze student data and design instruction to target specific learning needs weekly, and progress is monitored closely to ensure that each student receives the most relevant instruction.
Lincoln Heights is truly an exceptional place, and our students amaze us on a daily basis. Cultivating a positive learning environment for every student continues to be our first priority as we ensure that our GPS core values of integrity, collaboration, compassion, and responsibility are instilled in each and every child.
Educationally Yours,
Mr. Daum, Principal