Lincoln Elementary's mascot star of the school's new customized book

School pride has taken on a whole new meaning at Lincoln Elementary School in Palatine with the recent release of their own customized children's book "Hello, Paws!," written in both English and Spanish and starring the school's mascot, Paws.

The hardcover book captures in words and illustrations the culture of Lincoln Elementary, a No Excuses University school, and the school community's focus on inspiring and preparing elementary students to attend college.

"When I saw the sample book (from Dove Academy in Detroit, Mich., another NEU school), I fell in love," Lincoln Elementary Principal Christie Samojedny said. "The decision to write our own book about life at Lincoln Elementary was an easy one to make.

"It was such a perfect vehicle to share our culture of universal achievement and illustrate to students our sense of community and pride in our school."

Samojedny said Lincoln applied to become a No Excuses University school four years ago after learning about the concept from administrators in Schaumburg.

NEU was founded by Damen Lopez, a principal in California who came up with the idea of creating a network of like-minded educators from around the country who believe that all students can attend college if they choose to, and that it is the job of educators to give students the skills they need to be successful.

In order to join the network, a school has to apply and show that it has exceptional systems in place to increase student achievement, Samojedny said.

Lincoln was the first school in District 15 to join the network, and since then, 10 more District 15 schools have signed on.

Creating the book was just one more way to show Lincoln's commitment to the program.

In the book, Paws proudly wears his NEU T-shirt as he enjoys a full day of activities with his friends. He recites the Lincoln School Pledge, reviews the Lincoln Lion Laws, and daydreams about events, including the NEU Pep Rally, the Multi-Cultural Fair and other activities that make Lincoln a unique school.

Samojedny said once school officials decided to go ahead with the book, the process was very fast, taking only three months from start to finish.

Samojedny said she worked closely alongside Herndon, Va.-based children's publisher Mascot Books to create the customized book, which promotes reading, builds school spirit and serves as a fundraiser.

"I asked for teachers who wanted to participate, and we worked together to write the story," she said. "Some of our older students gave some of their input as well."

Samojedny said that Mascot Books was able to incorporate some pictures of Lincoln students and activities into the book, specifically pictures of Paws, a photo of kids holding posters outside at their NEU rally, a picture of the library with its rounded windows (which is a haven for Lincoln students), and photos of students wearing the NEU T-shirts.

"It's so rewarding to partner with elementary school principals and parent volunteers to help them promote reading, build school spirit and raise money for their school," said Shani Seidel, Elementary School Fundraising Manager at Mascot Books. "Working closely with schools like Lincoln Elementary that are part of the NEU network is an added privilege."

"Hello, Paws!," which is sold exclusively through the school, costs $10. Any money the school makes from sales of the book helps fund NEU activities, such as purchasing NEU T-shirts for every student, which they wear on Mondays to set the academic tone for the week.

"The book was a tremendous hit," Samojedny said. "The students believe that Paws wrote the book, and they compliment him all the time on it when he 'visits' us.

"'Hello, Paws!' helps us remember that we must strive to do our very best every day and have fun at the same time," she said. "We love our book that captures the essence of our great school."