LINK TO HOME for the Week of November 20 – December 1, 2017

This week Important Upcoming Dates Monday, November 20 Upper House Report Card Night, 5 pm – 7 pm, gym Monday, November 20 Grades 7 & 8, The Island School Meeting, 6:30 pm, Room 101 Tuesday, November 21 Lower House Report Card Night, 5 pm – 7 pm, gym Wednesday, November 22 Early Dismissal, 12:45 pm; No After Care or All Stars Program Thurs. & Fri., November 23 & 24 No school: Thanksgiving Important Upcoming Dates Monday, November 27 SGA New Toy Drive begins, see enclosed flyer Monday, November 27 Boy’s Basketball Team Tryouts, 4 – 6 pm, gym Monday, November 27 Cheerleading tryouts, 4-6 pm, Cafeteria Tuesday, November 28 Girls’ Basketball Team Tryouts, 4-6 pm, gym Tuesday, November 28 Cheerleading Tryouts, 4-6 pm, cafeteria Wednesday, November 29 Grade 8 Trip to Marist High school, morning Wednesday, November 29 Boys’ Basketball Team Tryouts, 4 – 6 pm, gym Wednesday, November 29 Cheerleading tryouts, 4-5:30 pm, Cafeteria Thursday, November 30 Girls’ Basketball Team Tryouts, 4-6 pm, gym Thursday, November 30 Parent Visitation Day (see enclosed flyer and response form) Friday, December 1 Boy’s Basketball Team Tryouts, 4 – 6 pm, gym

REMINDERS:

Please send in an item for the Thanksgiving Food Drive.

Grade 8: Please send back the permission slips on Monday, November 20 for the upcoming trip to Marist High School. (in today’s purple envelope)

REPORT CARD NIGHTS Link expects that EVERY parent attends Report Card Night. Report Card Night is an important time for families. You will meet with your child’s teachers to discuss his/her progress in the first quarter, both academic and personal development, and discuss strategies to help your child maintain or improve his/her progress. You will have time to ask questions and receive suggestions for how you can support your child at home. Please plan to be there!

In the first quarter, we hold separate Report Card Night on two different evenings: Upper House on Monday, November 20 and Lower House on Tuesday, November 21. Lower House teachers will NOT be in attendance on November 20 and Upper House teachers will NOT be in attendance on November 21. In the second and third quarters, both houses will convene for Report Card Night on the same evening.

The Link Parent Association will sell hot dogs and beverages this evening. THE ISLAND SCHOOL APPLICATION AVAILABLE - Upper House Students On Monday, November 20 at 6:30 pm, during Report Card Night, Link will hold a brief meeting for parents of 7th and 8th grade students interested in The Island School Expedition 2017. See the enclosed letter about the program. The application forms are also included. Applications are due back to Link by Monday, December 18. Note: The application REQUIRES the completion of

essays by the student and parents, and a photo copy of the student’s valid passport or receipt that the passport has been applied for. Use the Thanksgiving break to apply for your child’s passport! PARENT BREAKFAST WITH THE PRINCIPAL AND VISITATION DAY AT LINK Link invites you to enjoy a Breakfast with the Principal at 7:30 am and then visit your child’s classes on Thursday, November 30. You can come for one class, a couple or all day. (If you come for all day, you may want to bring lunch and eat in the cafeteria with your child.) Please see the sign up form in this week’s purple envelope and return it to us on Monday, November 20. To ensure that you can devote your attention to classroom activities as well as the least amount of disruption in the classes, we ask that you DO NOT bring younger children with you. BASKETBALL AND CHEERLEADING TRYOUTS Link participates in the NJ Charter School League’s basketball program with a boys’ and girls’ basketball teams as well a cheerleading squad. The winter sports season is about to begin! Check the calendar in this issue for the dates and times of tryouts. For the tryouts, students are to wear their Link physical education uniforms (shorts) and sneakers. So please remind your child to bring those along to change into (if the tryout days are not physical education days). To participate, students need to maintain a C average in all courses and exhibit the schools’ Core Values. Those selected will be required, by state law, to complete a medical form, which will be distributed by the team coaches. HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE The Student Government Association will begin collecting toys and gifts for children on Monday, November 27th. The toys will be donated to organizations that distribute gifts to children at the holidays: Toys for Tots (through Applebee’s), Wynona House and Galilee Baptist Church. Please see the flyer in today’s purple envelope for details!

From Your Link Parent Association…

Next meeting: Thursday, December 7, 2017, 6 pm, Gym General Meeting

Guest Speaker: Tiffany Walker Ms. Walker is a Link alumna, Class of 2003 and executive director of

Pathways Toward Peace. She will speak on mental and emotional health awareness as well as share her “Link story”.

LPA FUNDRAISER! Thanks to all who purchased cakes and pies in our recent fundraiser!

They will be available for pick up on Wednesday, November 22. We will send out a phone blast to confirm this and the time they can be picked up.

In the Classroom

TEAM CALDWELL STUDIES HUMAN COMMUNITIES As part of their social studies, students in Team Caldwell created collages – each one showing a different human community: rural, slum, urban, and suburban. The collages are on display in the Lower House (grade 5) hallway. Here are two examples:

STUDENTS SHINE AT A TASTE OF NEWARK Linkers participated in two performances at Wednesday evening’s annual fundraiser for the school. Students from Ms. Bradshaw’s creative writing classes wrote and produced a powerful spoken word piece titled In Our Beautiful Skin – We Will Rise Up. Mr. Peck’s Drama Elective from the last year performed several songs from their puppet show , “Cawdella’s Adventure.” A few students also manned the entry to the event, greeting our guests as their entered and saying “goodbye” as they left. Congratulations on a job well done by all! You represented Link beautifully!

SCHOLAR OF THE WEEK For the week ending November 17, 2017

Grade 5

Zariah Cooper, Jennings Chyna Ingram, Dominic

Nia Foote, Caldwell Mekhi Raglind, Veritas

Grade 6 Angelnafi Asare, Malala

Jordan Hunter, King Abolarin Oke, Chavez

Stephany Bonsu, Gandhi

Grade 7 Kayla Raheem, Paz Mecca Mosley, Nia

Aqulitty Olivera, Umoja Phoenix-BluuTherlonge,

Ujima

Grade 8 Cheryl Crentsil, Staha Osaruese Osagie, Haki

Kalima Stewart, Kuumba Yurelle Cooper, Imani

CORE VALUES AWARD

For the week ending November 17, 2017

Grade 5 Lamir Jones, Jennings

Camille Sergenton, Dominic Jaeden Lattimore, Caldwell

Aamarr Samad, Veritas

Grade 6 Kayla Edwards, Malala

Isaiah Jackson, King Inaya Williams, Chavez

Isaiah Baskerville, Gandhi

Grade 7 Jaheem Simpson, Paz

Rita Bey, Umoja Terry Kagiri, Ujima

Grade 8 Jesse Wilson, Staha

Fabruce Mitoguena, Haki Henry Kasunmu, Kuumba

Jaden Daughtry, Haki

HIGHEST DEANSLIST BALANCES

For the week ending November 16, 2017

Grade 5 Saffie Bonga

Jayden Lindsey

Grade 6 Nyvion Algarin Angelnafi Asare

Courtney Walcott (

Grade 7 Seki Marques Mariah Bishop

Grade 8 Tawann McGuire Sa'Eedah Sharif