Welcome to Lincoln Consolidated Schools

Community Message - December 2

As we continue to process the tragic events earlier this week at Oxford High School, we have a few items to share with our community. 

First and foremost, it is important to reinforce with your children the seriousness of making threats, even jokingly. We treat all threats seriously, whether in person, on social media, text messages, or chat apps. Law enforcement will be contacted and there will be consequences. We expect to see an increase in copycat cases reported, and we will address each incident individually and thoroughly with the assistance of law enforcement. We will share information about reported threats as necessary to ensure the wellbeing of our students and staff.  The safety of our staff and students is our top priority and for this reason, you may notice an increased police presence around campus in the coming days. 

Students talk and hear things that adults never will. Please reinforce with your children that, if they hear or see something concerning, to report it immediately. Students can tell their parents, administration, the police, or a trusted staff member. Additionally, reports can be made anonymously through the statewide confidential reporting tool OK2SAY:

• Submit a tip online
• Call 855-565-2729
• Text 652729
• Email OK2SAY@mi.gov 
• Download the app for iPhone or Android

Many of the schools in the surrounding area have chosen to cancel school. We feel it is important to remain open as long as it is safe to do so. For our children, maintaining the routine of school is important. For some, the school environment is the safest place and where they may receive the only meals they have for the day.  We recognize that some families may feel uncomfortable sending their child to school right now, and that decision is theirs to make.

Throughout the school year, our schools practice a variety of safety drills including evacuation and lockdown drills.  To see the list of completed drills, you can visit your school website and view the Emergency Drill page. We will not post the drills in advance for safety reasons. 

As part of the 2018 Bond and additional grants from the Michigan State Police, our school buildings have been outfitted with multiple safety measures including secure vestibules at every school building, classroom and office door locking systems, hallway lockdown systems, and cameras both inside and outside the school buildings. 

When a crisis occurs, our first, and most important priority is ensuring the safety of students and staff. You entrust your child to us, and we take this responsibility seriously. In the age of cell phones and social media, we will never be able to beat the messages you receive from your student. Our staff needs to focus on the situation, and we need you to trust that when the crisis is over, we will communicate what we can to our community.

While every situation is different, generally the following will occur. Some steps occur quickly, others can take longer to resolve, and some may even happen at the same time. Just know that we are working quickly and will communicate as we can, either during or after the process. 

Official channels that will be used to communicate crisis communications:

• District website: www.linconk12.org
• District Facebook: Lincoln Consolidated Schools
• District Twitter: @GoSplitters
• SMS Text: Text “Y” to 67587 to sign up
• Robocall/email

While we have been, and continue to, focus on facility and operational items to increase our building safety measures, the most important thing we can do to ensure a safe school environment is to build authentic relationships with our students and families. Our efforts to get to know each and every one of our Railsplitters, to build connections, and to be there for them as resources and a listening ear, make a tremendous difference in the Lincoln Community. 

Additionally, making sure our students know of the different resources available to them through our counselors, mental health personnel, and through the RAHS Clinic, is important. Providing our students appropriate outlets to turn to is also an important aspect of our collective efforts in maintaining a safe school environment.

In closing, please keep the Oxford community in your thoughts and prayers and know that Lincoln Consolidated Schools  will continue to work to provide the safest environment possible for all of our children. 

The Lincoln Consolidated Schools staff are caring professionals who want to see our students thrive in their personal, educational, and life pursuits. We remain committed to providing a quality education in a safe environment and hope you find these resources helpful.  

We wish you a peaceful and wonderful holiday break, and we look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

• 50 Self-Care Activities Adults Can Do With Children
• Tips for Increasing Physical Activity
• Your Personal Path to Health: Steps to a Healthier You 
• Mental Health Resources in Washtenaw County

Covid Protocols & Testing Permission Forms

Permission to Conduct Covid-19 Testing Form 

Permission NOT GIVEN to Conduct Covid-19 Testing Form 

Dear Lincoln Families,

Please read the following information regarding Covid testing options at school, and return the attached form, or copy of vaccination card to your school no later than October 29. 

In an effort to keep students in school as much as possible this school year, in light of the Covid rates and working with the MDHHS through their school related Covid case guidelines, please be aware of the following: 

If your student is identified as a close contact in a classroom, you will be notified directly from your child’s school. There are three options available to you:

• Keep your child home for the full 10 day quarantine. (Day 0 is the close contact day). 
• Keep your child home for a 7 day quarantine, have them tested on day 6 or 7 by a doctor, urgent care or testing site, and provide a negative test result they can return to school on day 8. 
• Sign a parental consent form, allowing the District Nurses and/or staff to perform a Covid Antigen test on your child every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the first 7 days during their 10 day quarantine period, and as long as they remain negative, they may stay in school. 

*If your child is fully vaccinated, there is no need for testing or quarantine, but you must monitor for symptoms. Please provide a copy of their card for our files. 

As we work to make this a smooth process for testing students, there are a few things we are requesting from parents. 

• If you would like your student to be able to have Covid testing done at any point this school year where they are identified as a close contact at school, please return the attached Parental Consent form for testing to the school by October 29. 
• If your student has been vaccinated for Covid, they will not need to be tested and can remain in school, however we will need a copy of their vaccination card for our records. Please send in a copy of the card by October 29. 
• If you chose not to have your child tested and keep them home for the 10 day quarantine period, please complete the second form, indicating that you are NOT giving consent for testing and will be keeping your child home for 10 days should they be identified as a close contact. Return the form by October 29.

If you choose the Antigen testing, here is some helpful information about the testing: 

• You only need to complete the consent form once to cover the 2021-2022 school year. 
• The Covid Antigen test is NOT the same as the PCR you would receive in the hospital or doctors offices. This test does not require a q-tip to go deep into the nostrils, the q-tip is only inserted about half an inch, no further than the bridge of the nose. Very easy and not painful, please make sure your child knows this so they are not fearful of testing procedures.
• Your child may NOT ride the bus to school during their 10 days, a parent must drive them to school for testing at the beginning of the day and remain there until results are in. Results take 15 minutes. If the test is positive, the student must return home with the parent and begin their 10 day quarantine. If the test is negative, the parent will be notified, and the student may head to class. 

Testing window for each building are as follows: (District Nurses will only be available during these times, you must arrive during the testing window or will have to wait until the next testing day to return to school) 

• High School: 7:00-7:30  
• Middle School: 8:00-8:30 
• Childs Elementary: 8:05-8:30 
• Bishop Elementary: 9:10-9:40 
• Brick Elementary: 9:10-9:40 

We thank you for your cooperation to help make this a smooth process to ensure we keep our students in school as much as possible this school year. 

Together We Can!

Parents/Guardians:

Please review this short list each morning before your child leaves for school. This is for home use. You DO NOT need to turn into your school. 

COVID-19 Daily At Home Screening for Students

Volunteers/ Building Access 

District visitors, including parents/guardians, will only be able to enter buildings by appointment only. The District has to limit visitors to the buildings, and as a result, visitors and volunteers will only be permitted when necessary. 

Following these procedures will ensure the safety of all of our children. 

We are following the CDC/health department color system, the current protocol level/color will be determined and communicated by the district.

Thank you!