October 26, 2023
Dear Lincoln Academy Community,
The tragedy and its unfolding impact on the greater Lewiston-Auburn communities is hard to comprehend and I know that you are sharing our thoughts and support for all those affected by this horrible tragedy.
We took the step to join all other schools in our region to close this morning as the best choice given the limited information we had at the time. We made this decision out of an abundance of caution and to support the efforts of local emergency responders. This pause today gives us a chance to process information as it becomes available.
In the meantime at Lincoln Academy:
- All athletics practices have been canceled this afternoon, Thursday, October 26.
- Parent-teacher conferences scheduled for today are being postponed, and arrangements for rescheduling will be communicated soon.
- Tonight’s opening of The Crucible is postponed until Sunday. Heartwood is handling the details.
- As of this time the weekend performances of The Crucible and athletic competitions (Boys soccer at Cape Elizabeth, Saturday at 1 pm, and Cross Country at the State Championships, Saturday at 11 am in Belfast) are expected to happen as planned.
At this point we plan to open school tomorrow (Friday 10/27). We will begin our day in advisor groups so that we can check in with students and answer questions. We will follow a revised A Day schedule. Throughout the day our social workers will be available to offer support.
If you or your student needs support today, we’ll do our best to help. Please feel free to reach out to Lisa Katz and Rachel Bennett, our on-campus social workers, directly at katz@lincolnacademy.org and bennett@lincolnacademy.org or advisor or other trusted adult in your student’s life. If you’re looking for resources on how to talk with your student about this tragic situation, follow these links below.
- American Counseling Association: Coping in the Aftermath of a Shooting
- The National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Talking to Children about the Shooting
- Mental Health America: Helping Children Cope with Tragedy-Related Anxiety
- Tips for Talking to Children and Youth After Traumatic Events
Thank you for your patience and support. We will update you further if anything changes, but will look to welcome all our students back on campus tomorrow morning.
Stay safe,
Jeffrey S. Burroughs
Head of School