head of school’s annual report the lincoln …for events like our march celebration of ghana’s...

1Annual Report 2011-2012

Wisdom does not reside in one head alone - Ghanaian proverb

The Lincoln Community

School Year 2011-2012

Head of School’s Annual Report

LincolnCommunity School

Lincoln is an International BaccalaureateWorld School

Dressed in bright Ghanaian colors and cloths, elementary and early childhood students looked on, attentive and fascinated, as teaching assistants created an on-stage tableau to help Lincoln students learn about Ghana’s ten regions. Later, ECC students

took the stage to explain what the colors of Ghana’s flag mean. Still later, student, teacher, TA, and parent voices combined to sing the Ghanaian national anthem. A special celebration of Ghana’a indepen-dence Day in March, everyone in the MPH that day lived an important part of Lincoln’s vision. Together in that place and time, they “maxi-mized the benefits of living and learning in Ghana.”

The Lincoln vision, created by the LCS community just over two years ago when some 100 teachers, students, administrators, staff, and parents came together to discuss Lincoln’s future, drives planning for events like our March celebration of Ghana’s Independence Day. Indeed, you will see our vision (a copy is on the back cover) reflected throughout this 2011-2012 report. It’s the theme of Head of School Dr. Dennis Larkin’s introduction on pages 4-5.

As for the rest of the pages in this report we shout thank you to ev-eryone who helped us assemble it – the parent and student photog-raphers who gave us photos of the people and events they covered; the many individuals who patiently answered our questions and, on deadline, told their stories of school year 2011-2012.

Finally, it is the nature of life in international schools that just as one school year ends another is in the planning stages. So it is at Lincoln. Teachers prepare class unit plans, support staff plan a busy summer schedule of campus imporvements, and administrators work to make Lincoln an even more vibrant learning community. And so it goes.

www.lincoln.edu.gh

This publication is produced by the Head of School in cooperation with the Office of Advancement. ©2012 Lincoln Community School. Printed and boundby Artbanc in the Republic of Ghana.Editor, writer – Craig TrygstadAssociate editor – Tara Nkrumah with Khushboo Moolchandani and Gabriella Glymin Photographers – Jeffery Adjei, Gary Craggs, Malcolm Khaldi, Tara Nkrumah, Julie Olson, Lone Seidenfaden, Craig Trygstad

- Craig Trygstad June, 2012

2 Lincoln Community School

Faces of the LCS community

2011-2012

Highlights from an

all around good year

4

1

2

iPads Photo 1 – What began as a small pilot project using iPads at the beginning of 2011-2012 had grown significantly as the year ended. The result? More classroom innovations with iPads in students’ hands in school year 2012-2013.

Students celebrate Ghana at 55 Photo 2 – ES and SS students celebrated Independence Day for Ghana in early-March with traditional dances, drumming, and stories about our host country.

A new MS classroom building goes upPhoto 3 – A new classroom building (construction began in January, 2012) will expand Lincoln’s enrollment capacity.

U.S. Ambassador hosts a reception for LCS Photo 4 – U.S. Ambassador Donald Teitelbaum, at left in photo, posed with Dr. Larkin and Soban Pasha, ATC Tower, at a reception for LCS In November, 2011.

3



65

The Lincoln FundAn annual campaign to enhance educational opportunities for LCS students

IB Symposium Drummers from the LCSGhanaian culture class andspecial directional signs welcomed visitors from 28 international schools across Africa to a special IB Sym-posium, hosted by LCS in April. A watershed meeting, it was the first of its kind in West Africa.

The Lincoln FundGraphic above – Organized through the Advancement Office and supported by parents, teachers and administrators, and LCS friends, The Lincoln Fund was introduced in October. See page 12.

New teachers, administrators join LCS Photo 5 – Lincoln welcomed 14 new teachers and two new administrators this year. They gathered for this photo during orientation sessions in August.

Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) Photo 6 – PTO President Rima Fakhry and Lauren Wassink helped keep the day moving at the LCS Bazaar in March. Through the year PTO volunteers helped move school initiatives.

Board members at International Festival Photo 7 – Board members Laurel Fain, Marjatta Eilitta, and Nassima Brown staffed a Board of Trustees information booth on International Festival Day in October.

7



Looking back . . . and thinking ahead

Written two years ago, our

LCS vision permeates our

thinking and guides

our decisions

Monthly coffee mornings for parents gave Head of School Dennis Larkin a chance to announce school initiatives and listen to parent concerns.

“Wisdom does not reside in one head alone.” - Ghanaian Proverb By Dr. Dennis Larkin, Head of School

Looking back on this 2011-12 academic year at Lincoln Community School two paral-lel themes seem to capture the spirit of our work together.

One theme is, perhaps, best expressed in the Ghanaian proverb noted above. At LCS we have a shared wisdom that describes our goals and aspirations…. And it came from the heads of many LCS community members who just two years ago wrote the LCS Vision. Our wisdom is forward- looking; it is expressed in that LCS Vision. Now two years on, the LCS Vision permeates our thinking and guides our decision-making. It challenges us to do some things differently, to re-consider and re-order our priorities, and to continue to learn together.

A second theme for this year is the focus on today while preparing for the tomorrows of our children and our community. Our progress toward this second theme can be described, both literally and metaphorically, by the word ‘concrete’.

Metaphorically speaking, this year we have taken concrete steps and have demon-strated concrete achievements in all areas of our vision. Literally speaking we have poured a great deal of concrete to construct a new middle school classroom building to open in August.

The story of the middle school building offers a ‘concrete example’ of how our vision is related to our work and how our work also drives our vision. Let me offer four examples of how the LCS vision relates to the construction of a new middle school classroom build-ing for Lincoln.



We are working together to achieve our vision for today and tomorrow

Example One: The Middle School building will increase enrollment capacity up to 120 additional students, which, in turn, will improve our financial position, which will, in turn, provide a solid foundation to achieve a new campus for our community.

LCS vision: •ensuresoundfiscalplanningthatprovidesfinancialstabilityforthepresent and the future.

•Developapurpose-builtcampus.

Example Two: To create space for the building we needed to move our parking lot; to move our parking lot we needed to find space for staff to park; to find space for staff to park we entered an agreement with the Baptist Church, our neighbor, to upgrade its parking lot and make it available for LCS staff use.

LCS vision: •developmutuallybeneficialpartnershipswithGhanaianinstitutions.

Example Three: The increase in student enrollment will place higher demand on Lincoln’s facilities. To meet this demand for physical education space, we entered into an agreement with another of our neighbors, the Anglican Church, to upgrade their field for use by our physical education classes during the day. We agreed that church mem-bers would use LCS parking lot during off hours. The church members now have access to secure parking; the additional field for LCS use will remain in good repair.

LCS vision: •developmutuallybeneficialpartnershipswithGhanaianinstitutions.

Example Four: We needed to remove two large trees to clear space for the middle school classroom building. The timber from these trees was used in our first Artisan in Residence Program. Richard, who is a local wood carver, demonstrated his craft to students while he worked here at school each day. The timber from the trees was used to create Ghanaian artifacts for display in offices and libraries on campus.

LCS vision: •maximizethebenefitsoflivingandlearninginGhanaandAfrica.

Throughout this Annual Report you will see that our vision is the focus of so much of what we do. This Annual Report tells a bit of the story of LCS this 2011-12 school year.

It is a story of students, teachers, and staff working together each day in the classrooms, on the playing fields, on stage, and in the greater community.

It is a story of the wonderful support we enjoy from our active parent volunteers and Parent Teacher Organization membership and leadership team.

It is a story of growth and of vision focused achievement.

Indeed, our story this year bears out the Ghanaian proverb, wisdom does not reside in one head alone. At Lincoln Community School, we are working together to achieve our vision for today and tomorrow.



Lynne Coleman juggled three roles in school year 2012-2012 – director of education programs, MYP coordina-tor, and SS vice principal. Ask her what she will remember from the past year and she will give you a

long, anecdote-filled list. At the top of it will be working with teachers in building Lincoln’s curriculum.

“I’ll remember a room full of teachers, last September, pouring over the exam scripts from the previous year’s IB exams to deter-mine what we needed to do to help kids do better. Following that meeting, six K-12 lan-guage arts teachers revised their standards and benchmarks and, importantly, agreed upon regular writing prompts to determine the progress each child makes each year. They further adopted a common writing rubric and integrated African literature into each year of students’ reading experience.

“Some two weeks later the K-12 humani-ties team met, sat shoulder to shoulder, and decided to adopt the same writing rubric and began constructing marking ladders to clarify for students exactly what aspects of writing would be assessed in their humani-ties papers.

Next came science teachers, who not only took the writing rubric on board, but revised it to be science-specific.”

She’ll also remembers the PYP faculty, with teacher leaders out front, who choose areas of inquiry to improve their own practice – topics like technology, inquiry, and language

arts. “Those teachers are living the LCS vision,” she said.

She also worked with the K-12 math team that took on the challenge of refining Lincoln’s mathematics curriculum.

“All of this sounds simple as I say it, but the work represents hours of collaboration and care on the part of each of these K-12 teams”, she emphasized. “More than that it represents a faculty eager to build rigor into our academics in an intentional, school-wide way that makes sense in all subjects.”

She will also remember Lincoln students.

“How can I forget the persuasive presen-tations that Nishant and Mikolaj made to a Board of Trustees meeting in January? Nishant, for example, conducted an en-ergy audit of the school and presented his data to show how Lincoln can be greener through simple changes of practice.”

Lynne ColemanDirector of Education

Programs and MYP Coordinator

Education Programs

This year’s progress on curriculum was produced by a faculty “eager to build rigor into our academics in an intentional, school-wide way that makes sense in all subjects.”



His presentation, unfailingly thorough, was persuasive and will lead to school-wide education and changes of habit.

Then there were grade 5 students Aadrita and Keziah who were so eager to learn more about their exhibition topics. Smiling, she remembers that “we met to talk about those projects – Aadriti researched homing pigeons; Keziah worked out responsibilites we owe to the animals, dogs in particular, that we train.”

Coleman says it is students like Nishant, Mikolaj, Aadrita, Keziah and their their peers that “drive me to do what I do. And remind me why Lincoln is such a wonder-ful place to work.”

Education Programs

Lincoln’s Education Programs office produces DP, MYP, and PYP guides – in print and online.

LCS on the global scene in 2011-2012Lincoln stepped up its presence on the global scene this year. Seven SS teachers were named subject examiners for the DP or moderators for the MYP (see page 11), two teachers have trained as site visitors for schools going through evaluations, and two teachers are trained IB workshop presenters (a third joins the staff in 2012-2013).

Lincoln hosted the first African Orientation and Symposium for the IB Africa/Europe/MiddleEast (AEM) Region in April, 2012. Schools from 22 African nations, including 50 heads of schools and IB coordinators, traveled to Accra to participate. Seven AEM regional leaders plus three LCS teachers led the symposium.

Lincoln assumed leadership of WAISAL this year – Head of School Dr. Dennis Larkin is president and Dawne Kaba is Activities Director Chair.

Lincoln’s Head of School, Dr. Dennis Larkin, was elected to the Board of the Association of International Schools in Africa (AISA).



When you ask Julie Olson, elementary school principal, to give you highlights from school year 2011-2012, her first year at Lincoln, she may equivocate

at first (“there are so many great things here,” she says). But if you press the point she is ready with answers.

She fondly remembers, for example, the elementary school celebration of Ghana’s birthday in March, 2012.

“It was a moving tribute to our host country. And watching the whole of the elementary school take part – from

teaching assistants who took leading roles in a skit about Ghana’s ten regionsto our youngest learners who explained the colors of the Ghanaian flag – made it all the more memorable for me.”

She will also tell you how impressed she has been with her LCS students.

“Our student-led conferences gave students a chance to organize, explain, and reflect about their learning for their

Julie OlsonElementary School

Principal

Elementary School

Photo right – Water Raft Regatta, the culminating experience of an ES enrichment cluster, gives students a chance to ask questions and, under the guidance of adults, to produce a product. One of 50+ enrichment clusters offered during the school year this one, a clear favorite, lets students spend a six-week inquiry cycle learning about propulsion, flotation, how to construct a ‘boat’ from recycled materials, and, importantly, how to win a race in the LCS pool against other students who have created similar flotation devices.

parents. Seeing our students prepare and present to their parents was inspiring.”

“We really have some inquirers here. And what those students do everyday speaks loudly to the importance of our inquiry-based program”, she says proudly.

“Truely, after some 20+ years in education I can say that I have not come across a group of students who can ask questions better than our ES students can,” she says. “That realization strikes me when I watch our kids in assemblies, when I visit them in their classrooms, and when they interact on the playground. Our students remind me on a daily basis that this is a great place to learn.”

Our students remind me on a daily basis

that this is a great place

to learn.”



3

2

1Photo 1 – ECC students toured the Botanical Gardens near the University of Ghana. ES and ECC students visit educational sites in and outside of Accra culminating in grade 5 when students go on an overnight to Cape Coast.Photo 2 – Parents learned about using the LCS online library catalog to find library information and other resources during a workshop, led by Tanya Galleti, Rhona Polansky, and Jeff Adjai, in April. Photo 3 – It was August 10, 2011 – day one of 2011-12 when our photographer captured this image of grade 5A.



Goeff Smith, who has been princi-pal of the secondary school over the past two years of its growth and development, extols his teachers.

“I have loved being part of some great conversations about teaching and learning going on among secondary teachers this year,” he says. “I compare this faculty favorably to any I have worked with.”

“The quality of people who are coming here to teach is really strong. And that is what it takes to make a great school, a great faculty.”

Ask him to get specific and he will tell you about several of his faculty members who get “very excited about planning and

Geoff SmithSecondary School Principal preparing their lessons.” They generate

an atmosphere of energy that, in turn, creates a level of discourse about how our students are doing that is hard to resist.

Challenges moving into this third year as principal? “We need to continually work with students to keep the bar high and keep them focussing on their academic and social development.”

In this school as in all others, he adds, “it’s all about students and teachers working together” that creates a vibrant learning community.

“Lincoln has great people – from our parents and students to our support staff and faculty. We have challenges but this community makes you feel like you can really make a difference.”

When I walk around this school and into classrooms I get very excited. There is a serious commitment to Lincoln from teachers, administrators, and agreat support staff.

Secondary School

Above – Grade 6 students read during DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) time, 11:45 am to 12:15 pm. DEAR, a four-times-per week cross-campus silent reading time was introduced this year week. Everyday, Monday through Thursday,. students sat down with a book they chose. Why? “Because of the incredibly important place that reading holds in student success,” says Principal Smith. “DEAR happens at a good time of the day for quiet time; and the more they read the better.”



Secondary School

LCS secondary teachers invited as IB examinersSeven secondary school teachers have been invited by the International Baccalaureate to serve as IB Diploma Programme subject examiners or Middle Years Programme moderators – some to serve in both programmes.

An honor to be invited, IB examiniers and moderators work to assure IB standards globally.

n in visual arts, Mansa Nkrumah

n in French A, Cecile Nutakor

n in French B, Penninah Nakyeyune Aviles

n in mathematics, Judit Szili and Clive Russell

n in English (literature), Lauren Biegert

n in TOK and the extended essay, Gary Craggs

Photo 1 – Iman Sow researched emigration – an interest developed when several of her own Senegalese family members chose emigration – for her grade 10 personal project, a key culminating project of the MYP programme.

Photo 2 – It was day #1 of 2011-2012 when new Lincoln mathematics teacher Judit Szili greeted her new advisory students.

Photo 3 – Aparajita Mehra, grade 11 IB student, worked out a problem in her economics class.

1 2

3



Advancement Office

Nkomode Performing Arts Theater (better known around campus as NPAT, photo above) was constructed this school year, thanks to funding from The Lincoln Fund. NPAT quickly became a popular venue for meetings (principals and PTO coffees, for example) concerts (grade 3 Clowns, photo left) and After School Activities (from karate to dance classes).

The Lincoln Fund 2011-2012

Expenditures$46,054.00 Nkomode Performing Arts Theatre (NPAT)

25,000.00 iPads, elementary school (estimated)

1,250.00 Grade 3 musical

1,047.06 Support for lighting in MPH

528.66 Theater lighting and speakers at NPAT__________$73,880.00

Donations (as of May 10, 2012)$74,750 5,187 (9180 GHC)_______$79,937$15,000 (pledged by end of June)

Head of School Dr. Dennis Larkin, Advancement Committee Chair Nabil Moukarzel, and Director of Advancement Craig Trygstad paused for this photo just after the official launch of the Lincoln Fund in the NPAT on October 11, 2011.

An annual fundraising initiative aimed at enhancing programs and experiences for Lincoln students became a reality in 2011-2012 with the introduc-

tion of The Lincoln Fund.

Organized through the Advancement Office The Lincoln Fund provided funds to build the NPAT, to purchase needed technical equipment in the MPH and NPAT, to support the grade 3 musical Clowns, and to purchase iPads for a special project in the elementary school in 2012-13.



Advancement Office


Step-by-step

Our admission process

For U.S. Embassy/Accra families

www.lincoln.edu.gh

We make admission decisions soon after you submit all of the appropriate documents and they have been reviewed by our

Admission Committee. Sometimes we will contact you for further information; on occasion, we may require an on-campus

interview. In any case, the final admission decision will be conveyed by the Admission Office to parents as soon as possible,

generally within two weeks after fully-completed forms are competed. Here are the forms to complete and documents to gather

and submit as a package to the Admission Office . . .

A completed Application for Admission form.

Completed medical forms (immunization, health information, health examination, and authorization forms).

Confidential School Report form (which must be completed by a designated official from your child’s current/previous school).

Official transcripts (Grade 6-12) and copies of the past three years of grade reports (Kindergarten-grade 5).

Admission forms for students entering grade 9 - 12.

Admission forms for children who have not previously attended school.

Copies of any standardized test scores.

A copy of the student’s passport or birth certificate.

A signed enrollment contract and Parent-Student-School Agreement.

All of the required application materials are available on our website (www.lincoln.edu.gh, choose Apply/LCS Admission) or in

hard-copy versions from our Admission Office.

First, complete the application form, secure copies of documents

Include standardized test scores or take the Online Placement Inventory (OPI)

If your family will arrive in Ghana from the United States, where your child has studied in a U.S. school, or if you transfer from

another post, where your child has attended an international school, be sure to include standardized test scores (e.g., ITBS, CAT,

Stanford 9 or 10, ISA, ERB) with your submission. The results of standarized tests generally speed the enrollment process. If that is

not possible, we will organize an online placement examination, the OPI, that your child can take before arriving in Ghana.

And when you join the LCS Community . . .

Lincoln welcomes all students who can benefit from our well-balanced and rigorous programs. And we’ve found, over the years,

that it will not take long for new students to settle in or for families to become part of the LCS Community.

So now it is important that, when you hear from the Admission Office, you enroll your child(ren) right away. That is what secures

your place in Lincoln classes. Here are the final check-off items for you to make sure everything is handled:

1. Sign the Parent-Student-School Agreement form.

2. Make sure all medical records are updated and complete and submitted to the Admission Office. Note: We require all four

medical forms to be complete and submitted to us before your child’s first day at school.

3. Update your details, especially your email and telephone numbers, with the Admission Office.

4. Sign the laptop borrower agreement form from the library (students and parents must sign).

5. Meet with a counselor (Secondary students only) for scheduling classes.

6. Purchase lunch coupons (only for Elementary students) in the Elementary Principal’s Office.

7. Have your photos taken (students, parents, drivers, nannies) in the Technology Office for your ID cards..

8. Purchase physical education (PE) uniforms and school supplies from the school store.

9. Collect automobile entrance sticker at the reception desk in the Administration Building (you’ll need your car registration number).

10. Drop by the Admission Office to collect your Welcome to Lincoln packet.

Note: Once enrolled as a student, Lincoln will automatically invoice the U.S. Embassy for payment of tuition and fees.

Welcome to Lincoln

Second, submit your application materials for review

Our Admission Committees (one in the elementary school, one in the secondary school; each is headed by their principal) review

enrollment applications as soon as we receive all of the required materials (above) and, within two weeks, will be in touch with you.

Indeed, you can count on our Admission Office to stay in close communication with you throughout the process.


Step-by-stepOur admission process

For families arriving from countries outside of Ghanawww.lincoln.edu.gh

As a general rule, we make admission decisions soon after you submit all of the appropriate documents and they have been successfully reviewed by our Admission Committee. On occasion, we also may require an on-campus interview. In any case, the final admission decision will be conveyed by the Admission Office to parents as soon as possible. Here are the forms and documents to complete or gather and submit as a package to the Admission Office . . . A completed Application for Admission form. Completed medical forms (immunization, health information, health examination, and authorization forms). Confidential School Report form (which must be completed by a designated official from your child’s current/previous school). Official transcripts (Grade 6-12) and copies of the past three years of grade reports (Kindergarten-grade 5). Note: transcripts must be translated into English. Admission forms for students entering grade 9 - 12. Admission forms for children who have not previously attended school. Copies of any standardized test scores. A copy of student’s passport or birth certificate. A signed enrollment contract and Parent-Student-School Agreement.Finally, don’t forget to include the application fee of $125 when you submit this package of documents and copies.All of the required application materials are available on our website (www.lincoln.edu.gh, choose Apply/LCS Admission) or in hard-copy versions from our Admission Office.

First, complete the application form and secure copies of documents

Include standardized test scores or take the Online Placement Inventory (OPI)If your family will arrive in Ghana from other counties in Africa, Europe, North America, or Asia where your child has attended at an international school or national school be sure to include standardized test scores (e.g., ITBS, CAT, Stanford 9 or 10, ISA, ERB) with your submission. The results of standarized tests generally speed the enrollment process. If that is not possible, we will organize an online placement examination, the OPI, that your child can take before arriving in Ghana.

And when you join the LCS Community . . .Lincoln welcomes all students who can benefit from our well-balanced and rigorous programs. And we’ve found, over the years, that it will not take long for new students to settle in or for families to become part of the LCS Community. So now it is important that, when you hear from the Admission Office, you enroll your child(ren) right away. That is what secures your place in Lincoln classes. Here are the final check-off items for you to make sure everything is handled: 1. Sign the Parent-Student-School Agreement form. 2. Make sure all medical records are updated and complete and submitted to the Admission Office. Note: We require all four medical forms to be complete and submitted to us before your child’s first day at school. 3. Update your details, especially your email and telephone numbers, with the Admission Office. 4. Sign the laptop borrower agreement form from the library (students and parents must sign). 5. Meet with a counselor (Secondary students only) for scheduling classes. 6. Purchase lunch coupons (only for Elementary students) in the Elementary Principal’s Office. 7. Have your photos taken (students, parents, drivers, nannies) in the Technology Office for your ID cards. 8. Purchase physical education (PE) uniforms and school supplies from the school store. 9. Collect automobile entrance sticker at the reception desk in the Administration Building (you’ll need your car registration number).10. Drop by the Admission Office to collect your Welcome to Lincoln packet if you do not arrive on campus in time to attend our New Families Orientation Day.11. Visit the Business Office if you have not received your LCS invoice or if you have questions about it.

Welcome to Lincoln

Second, submit your application materials for reviewOur Admission Committees (one in the elementary school, one in the secondary school; each is headed by their principal) review enrollment applications as soon as we receive all of the required materials (above) and, within two weeks, will be in touch with you. Indeed, you can count on our Admission Office to stay in close communication with you throughout the entire process.

LincolnCommunity School Step-by-stepOur admission processFor families arriving from other schools in Ghana

www.lincoln.edu.gh

First, complete the application form and secure copies of documents

Include standardized test scores or take the Online Placement Inventory (OPI)

If your child is transferring from an international school or national school where standardized tests are administered (e.g., ITBS,

CAT, Standford 9 or 10, ISA, ERB), include the results. Standarized test scores generally speed the enrollment process. If it is not

possible, we can organize an online placement instrument, the OPI, that your child can take in lieu of standardized test scores.

And when you join the LCS Community . . .

Lincoln welcomes all students who can benefit from our well-balanced and rigorous programs. And we’ve found, over the years,

that it will not take long for new students to settle in or for families to become part of the LCS Community.

So now it is important that, when you hear from the Admission Office, you enroll your child(ren) right away. That is what secures

your place in Lincoln classes. Here are the final check-off items for you to make sure everything is handled:

1. Sign the Parent-Student-School Agreement form.

2. Make sure all medical records are updated and complete and submitted to the Admission Office. Note: We require all four

medical forms to be complete and submitted to us before your child’s first day at school.

3. Update your details, especially your email and telephone numbers, with the Admission Office.

4. Sign the laptop borrower agreement form in the library (students and parents must sign).

5. Meet with a counselor (Secondary students only) for scheduling classes.

6. Purchase lunch coupons (only for Elementary students) in the Elementary Principal’s Office.

7. Have your photos taken (students, parents, drivers, nannies) in the Technology Office for your ID cards.

8. Purchase physical education (PE) uniforms and school supplies from the school store.

9. Collect automobile entrance sticker at the reception desk in the Administration Building (you’ll need your car registration number).

10. Drop by the Admission Office to collect your Welcome to Lincoln packet if you do not arrive on campus in time to attend our

New Families Orientation Day.11. Visit the Business Office if you have not received your LCS invoice or if you have questions about it.Welcome to Lincoln

As a general rule, we make admission decisions soon after you submit all of the appropriate documents and they have been

successfully reviewed by our Admission Committee. We may also schedule an on-campus interview.

In any case, the final admission decision will be conveyed by the Admission Office to parents as soon as possible. Here are the

forms and documents to complete or gather and submit as a package to the Admission Office . . .

A completed Application for Admission form.

Completed medical forms (immunization, health information, health examination, and authorization forms).

Confidential School Report form (which must be completed by a designated official from your child’s current/previous school).

Official transcripts (Grade 6-12) and copies of the past three years of grade reports (Kindergarten-grade 5). Note: transcripts

must be translated into English. Admission forms for students entering grade 9 - 12.

Admission forms for children who have not previously attended school.

Copies of any standardized test scores. A copy of student’s passport or birth certificate.

A signed enrollment contract and Parent-Student-School Agreement.

Finally, don’t forget to include the application fee of $125 when you submit this package of documents and copies.

All of the required application materials are available on our website (www.lincoln.edu.gh, choose Apply/LCS Admission) or in

hard-copy versions from our Admission Office.Second, submit your application materials for review

Our Admission Committees (one in the elementary school, one in the secondary school; each is headed by their principal) review

enrollment applications as soon as we receive all of the required materials (above). Within two weeks we will be in touch with you

about your application and, for elementary school students, to schedule an on-campus interview. You can count on our Admission

Office to stay in close communication with you throughout the process.

Images above –A new website, designed and edited through the Advancement Office in 2011-12, offered plentiful background information for new parents and released frequent news stories about classrooms and activities on campus. In addition, the Admission Office published helpful new enrollment materials for new families.

Photo left – Khushboo Moolchandani, who managed the Lincoln website, created a new LCS presence on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. In the photo she spoke with PTO members about the website and Lincoln’s presence on social media.



The PTO is a vital partof our community. We appreciate the time and energy of our parent volunteers and we appreciate working with administrators and the advancement team.

Rima FakhryPTO President

Administrators met with parents to look at parent/teacher communication during a PTO coffee in April.

There were “challenging moments” in 2011-2012, she admits, but in the end the PTO, led by Rima Fakhry, enjoyed a most successful year. PTO members hosted two Welcome Brunches for new parents (one in

September, one in January at the beginning of the second semester), organized regular meetings with LCS administrators (the execu-tive committee met monthly with the Head of School and Director of Advancement), and successfully sponsored their three annual fundraising events (International Festival Day, Dinner Dance, and LCS Bazaar and Fun Fair raised some $20,000 in 2011-2012 to sup-port campus improvements). All of that in addition to overseeing class representatives, organizing special after-school acstivities for the ECC, and supporting performing arts events, among others, throughout the year.

Who drives the organization that makes all of those activities succeed? Rima’s answer is straightforward: “The PTO is a vital part of our community and we deeply appreciate the time and energy of the many volunteers involved in PTO activities during the year.”

She learned, first-hand, about being a suc-cessful volunteer. It began when her son, Jawad, started PreK class. And she has been at it ever since – as a room parent, an ECC coordinator, and PTO President.

The experiences “helped me understand bet-ter our school vision and developed my pride in being a part of it”, she says.

“It also gave me the chance to be part of my kids’ learning experience, to build a good rapport with their teachers, to know their friends, and to meet their friends’ parents.”

Parent Teacher Organization



By the numbers Students

Kindergarten (KgA)

Grade10

When our school photographer arrived on campus in November, 2011, we asked students to gather in the MPH for group photographs. Trust us, students also struck serious poses for

their class pictures; but when we said “now have fun,” these were the results for KgA and grade 10 students.

As of May, 2012, the enrollment at LCS was 636 students who come from 61 countries.

Elementary School 316 Secondary School 317

LCS Student Nationalities

Pre-School 10 Pre- Kindergarten 20 Kindergrten 39Grade 1 54Grade 2 58Grade 3 43Grade 4 45Grade 5 47

Grade 6 50Grade 7 47Grade 8 37Grade 9 45Grade 10 60 Grade 11 39 Grade 12 42

Elementary School Secondary School



Human Resources

Secondary School Teachers and Teaching AssistantsFaculty members and teaching assistants from the elementary school and secondary school took a break from pre-school workshop sessions in August, 2011, to get together for group photos.

Elementary School Teachers and Teaching Assistants



Ghana 24United States 31Canada 7Great Britain 3Ivory Coast 1India 1Uganda 1France 2New Zealand 2Sweden 1Dutch 2Australian 1Hungarian 1Nigeria 1

69%

30%

1%

Teaching Staff Qualificatoin Masters Bachelor Doctorate

Lincoln faculty 2011-2012

Teaching staff qualifications

Louisa Mensah-BaahHuman Resource

Director

Numbers of Faculty and Staff 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12

Teachers, Counselors, Nurses and Librarians 67 74 74 78

Administrators 4 4 7 7 Teacher Assistants 28 31 30 36

Non-instructional administrators and support Staff 52 46 54 55

Total 151 158 165 173

By the numbers Human Resources

Ghanaia: 24

United States: 31

Canada: 7

Bri6sh; 3

Ivory Coast: 1

India: 1

Uganda: 1

France: 2

Nigeria: 1

New Zealand: 2 Sweden: 1

Holland: 2 Australia: 1

Hungaria: 1



2010/11 2009/10 2008/09

Total Income 10,596 9,709 8,698

Total Expenses 10,330 9,198 8,502

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

US Dollars ('00

0)

Income & Expense Statements (2008/09 to 2010/11 )

Income for the school year 2011/12 is projected at US$12.3 million as against expenses of US$11.5 million, resulting in a surplus of US$0.8 million.

This surplus is due mainly to the school exceeding its budgeted enrollment figures and also to the depreciating Ghana cedi.

The school has presently reached its maximum capacity in terms of enrolment and has taken steps in its budget for next school year to increase enrollment capac-ity by 120 students. To this end, a new Middle school block is under construc-tion financed wholly from the school’s reserves. This block is expected to be completed for the opening of school in August, 2012.

Financial stability is of extreme impor-tance to the growth and development of the school. The school has devel-oped a Long Term Financial Plan which

guides its annual budgets. Annual financial results, guided by the long term financial plan have gen-erated modest surpluses that have strength-ened the finan-cial stability of the school. The

balance sheet of the school which is shown on page 19 indicates this financial health.

TUITION LEVELSLCS provides quality educational programs, well qualified faculty, and facilities that compare well with other international schools in West Africa.

Our tuition levels have, however, remained competitive within the Association of Inter-national Schools in Africa (AISA) region.

Comparative Income and Expense Statements

2010/11 2009/10 2008/09 INCOME Fees 10,320 9,464 8,419 Other Income 276 245 279

Total Income 10,596 9,709 8,698

EXPENSES Staff costs 7,455 6,923 6,405 Other costs 2,875 2,275 2,097 Total Expenses 10,330 9,198 8,502 Surplus 266 511 196

NET WORTH Prop, Plant & Equip 2,752 2,564 2,279 Net Current Assets 290 213 -13 Net Assets 3,042 2,777 2,266

By the numbers Finance

Emmanuel Asiedu-AppiahDirector of Business

and Finance

Expenses by category 30 June 2011

20%

72%

5% 3%

Expenses by Category June 2011

Indirect Opera3ng Costs

Personnel Costs

Direct Educa3onal Costs

Repairs & Maintenance

Expenses by Category June 2011

Indirect Operating Costs 2,039,644

Personnel Costs 7,455,307

Direct Educational Costs 527,775

Repairs & Maintenance 307,527



As LCS enrollment has grown, the school’s financial plan accounts for the addition of teachers and support staff to meet the needs of our expanding student population. The chart below demonstrates Lincoln’s steady incremental growth over the past five years.

Year Max # Max # students teachers

2007-08 564 70

2008-09 563 66

2009-10 580 72

2010-11 584 71

2011-12 634 75

Balance Sheet as of 30 June 2011 2011 2010 PROPERTY, PLANT & EQUIPMENT 2,751,695 2,563,557

CURRENT ASSETS Accounts Receivable 1,777,435 1,650,063 Short Term Investment 640,351 1,177,787 Bank & Cash Balances 3,202,108 2,293,378 5,619,894 5,121,228 CURRENT LIABILITIES Accounts Payable 5,329,561 4,908,006 NET CURRENT ASSETS 290,333 213,222 NET ASSETS 3,042,028 2,776,779 FINANCED BY ACCUMULATED FUND 3,042,028 2,776,779

By the numbers Finance

PLANNING FOR GROWTH



Board of Trustees 2011-2012 Mary Kay Jackson, President Nabil Moukarzel, Vice President Amit Agrawal, Treasurer Alan Lambert, Secretary

Alhassan Andani Nassima Brown Michael Byrnes Marjatta Eilittä Laurel Fain

Board CommitteesExecutiveMary Kay Jackson, chairNabil Moukarzel, Amit Agrawal, Alan Lambert,Dennis Larkin

FinanceAmit Agrawal, chairAlhassan Andani, Michael Byrnes, Emmanuel Asiedu-Appiah, Dennis Larkin

TrusteeshipLaurel Fain, chair, Marjatta Eilittä, Alan Lambert, Dennis Larkin

AdvancementNabil Moukarzel, chairNassima Brown, Marjatta Eilittä, Laurel Fain, Rima Fakhry, Gale Kalitsi, Dennis Larkin, Tara Nkrumah, Naami Oddoye, David Powell, Craig Trygstad

New Campus Task ForceMary Kay Jackson, chairNassima Brown, Michael Byrnes, Nabil Moukarzel, Dennis Larkin

Administration 2011-2012Dennis LarkinHead of School

Craig TrygstadDirector of Advancement

Emmanuel Asiedu-AppiahDirector of Finance and Business

Louisa Mensah-Baah Director of Human Resources

Lynne Coleman Director of Educational Programs

Julie Olson Elementary School Principal

Geoff Smith Secondary School Principal

head of school’s annual report the lincoln …for events like our march celebration of ghana’s...

Documents