The Lemon Crest ROAR

CHKS Parent Survey

We invite all Lemon Crest families to complete the California Healthy Kids Parent Survey and share your perspective on your child’s well-being, safety, and educational experience. Your feedback helps us identify strengths, understand areas for growth, and make informed decisions that support our students and strengthen our school community. The survey takes just a few minutes to complete, and all responses are confidential. Please complete the survey by following this link—your voice matters!

CHKS 5th Grade Consent Form

All 5th grade students received consent forms to participate in the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS). This is a very important survey that will help promote better health and well-being among our youth and improve the school learning environment. Your child does not have to take the survey. Participation is voluntary and requires your permission. Please complete and return the form ASAP or complete it digitally at this link no later than Friday, October 9th.

Jog-a-Thon is coming!

At our assembly this morning we kicked off our annual Jog-A-Thon! This year we will be rockin' to the 80's with our Totally Rad Neon Dash on October 23rd. Students will have 2 weeks to raise funds, starting now, to be eligible for some AMAZING prizes (see prize flyer below). We will be using 99 Pledges again this year to collect donation.

https://app.99pledges.com/fund/lemoncrest26

This means you can send your students personalized fundraising link to anyone around the world! Students should be bringing these flyers home today but we have attached them here in case they don't make it home for some reason. Please be sure to put in your student's t-shirt size on 99 Pledges so we can try to match it (shirt size is not guaranteed). If you would like to donate supplies for the Jog-A-Thon see our amazon wish list: Amazon Wishlist If you would like to volunteer for the Jog-A-Thon on October 23rd or our prize day on November 6th please email lemoncrestpta@gmail.com.

Thank you for your support and we look forward to a totally rad Jog-A-Thon!

Parent/Teacher Conferences are this week!

Tuesday-Friday, October 6 – 9, 2026 are Minimum Days with the following dismissal times for parent/teacher conferences:

• TK and Kindergarten dismissal: 11:10am
• 1st-5th grade dismissal: 11:30am
• Monday, October 5th is a regular school day (not a minimum day)!

Volunteer Opportunities!

• We need more people to join our School Site Council! The first meeting is Oct. 8 at 2:30pm right after school. This team is important in looking at our SPSA (School Plan for Student Achievement), and I'll explain everything at the first meeting!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Take care,

Jen Price

Principal, Lemon Crest Elementary

District policy does not allow students to wear or use smart watches or Meta Glasses during the school day. These devices should be turned off and kept in the student’s backpack or, even better, given to the classroom teacher for safekeeping during the school day. This helps us maintain a focused, safe, and distraction-free learning environment for all students.

Thank you for partnering with us and helping your child follow this district expectation. For more information, please see Board Policy 5131.8

Lemon Crest, our amazing PTA is BUSY this October creating fun family events for our Lions!

-Our 80s/Neon-themed Annual Jog-a-Thon is Friday, Oct. 23rd; This is our school's ONE BIG fundraiser for the year.

-Annual BOO-gram sales are Oct. 26-29; Look for the PTA table outside of our MPR before or after school that week! BOO-grams this year will be Halloween ducks!

-Our first LC TRUNK OR TREAT will be Friday, Oct. 30 from 5:30-7pm in our Lemon Crest parking lot! The PTA is seeking donations of candy/trinkets, as well as volunteers to set up trunks! There will be a big monster that collects donations outside the office.

Dear Parents (Guardians),

We are excited to kick off our Jog-A-Thon! This is our main fundraiser of the year. The Totally Rad Neon Dash will be Friday, October 23rd. Donations are due Wednesday, October 21st to guarantee your student receives a t-shirt before jog-a-thon day.!

We are excited to streamline our fundraiser by going online with 99Pledges. You will be able to

reach out to friends and family by email, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, instead of going

door-to-door, tracking commitments, and handling cash and checks.

You will receive an email with a link to your child’s online pledge page. You do not need to log in

or change anything. All you have to do is make a donation for whatever amount you can, and

share your participant's link with friends and family. We are shooting for 100% participation so

no amount is too small.

If you do not receive the email for whatever reason, simply search and find your child’s pledge

page here: https://app.99pledges.com/fund/lemoncrest26

If you have family or friends who are not comfortable donating online, you can still collect cash

and/or checks and keep track of them on the donation log.

If you have any questions about your child’s web page please contact the Lemon Crest

PTA at lemoncrestpta@gmail.com.

Each class will be represented by a different neon 80’s color. Have your student represent their

class by dressing in their class color on the day of the jog-a-thon. If they will be receiving a

jog-a-thon shirt they can accessories with their class color. Here is a schedule of classes and

their color. Parents are welcome to attend to cheer them on.

Thank you for your support,

Lemon Crest PTA

Unity Day

We welcome everybody to wear orange on October 21st to send a visible message against bullying!

Red Ribbon Week

Red Ribbon Week is the final week of October! Take a look at the Spirit Days we have planned!

October Attendance Challenge

Congratulations to Ms. Imhof, Mrs. Townsend, and Ms. McDonald's classes for winning the September class attendance challenge! Thank you to Care House for donating the prizes each month. Attend school everyday to help your class win this month!

Do you need help with your Infinite Campus Parent Portal?

Click the rectangle link below for answers to questions you may have about the Parent Portal!

Click the round link below for help getting your username and/or password! Please note if you have more than one student in the district, you are linked to all of them, so you can just provide information on one student.

ALL Parents/Caregivers will need to have your Parent Portal set up in order to...

-See your child's teacher assignment

-Receive important messaging from the school

-View your child's progress report for each trimester

-Update your contact information

-Provide/update emergency contact information

Safety is one of our top priorities at Lemon Crest Elementary. Read the following safety information for our drop-off and pickup times. The image on the left is for TK/Kinder & 1st-5th Grade Drop-Off & Pick-Up. The image on the right is for our SDC Drop-off and Pick-up only.

• Use designated drop-off zones only. You can park in the lots and walk your child in/out using the crosswalk where a staff member is directing traffic OR you can use the drive-through option for your child’s grade. All grades dropped off via car use the back driveway through the basketball court. ONLY TK and Kindergarten use the inside driveway for Pick-up only. DO NOT DROP OFF YOUR STUDENT AT THE CURB, BUS LANE OR IN THE PARKING LOT.

• In the drive-through line, make two lines and look for staff directing traffic. We have signs and staff to help support smooth traffic flow. Please be kind and respectful to our staff - they work hard to ensure your child’s safety. Pull all the way up.

• Do not park in front of the yellow Bus Lane curb OR in front of the red Fire Lane curb. This is for buses and emergency vehicles only.

• Follow all traffic laws for car seats, booster seats and speed limits. We work with law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of our students and staff.

• Exercise extreme caution around pedestrian areas; Slow down, be mindful of crosswalks, and follow the traffic patterns.

• If your child rides a scooter or bike, they MUST wear a helmet.

1. To Learn

2. To Stay Safe

3. To Have Fun!

This aligns with our three School Plan for Student Achievement goals (aka the SPSA) which are:

1. Academic Improvement

2. Social-emotional Wellbeing & Student Safety

3. Attendance Improvement

To help achieve these goals, we ask that you please read our Lemon Crest Family Handbook A-Z 2026-2027 with important school information! This handbook was created with staff and student input, and references our school rules, expectations and district policies and procedures. Please carefully review this handbook as a family, and refer to it if you have a question.

Please note that we have added sections for AI, student’s personal devices including smart watches, smart phones, smart glasses, etc, appropriate and responsible use of district tech (including iPads, Chromebooks and internet). Please review these sections with your child.

Our Lemon Crest School Pledge 2026-2027 will be shared at the PTA Meet-and Greet on August 15. Please pre-read this, review with your child so you can sign and return to school the first week of school.

ROAR is our school-wide expectations for student behavior: We are Respectful, On Task, Always Safe and Responsible. All students TK-5th grade are expected to show ROAR every day wherever they are at Lemon Crest Elementary, so that all students can learn, stay safe and have fun!

Each Friday, we will send out our Weekly Family ROAR, which is our our family newsletter. The newsletter will have updates, reminders, announcements, as well as lots of important information for you and your Lion to know! Please be sure to read the Weekly Family ROAR so you're up to date with what's going on at Lemon Crest!

The link below will be the page that has ALL of the ROARs for the year:

https://secure.smore.com/u/lioncrestlions

This year, our school-wide theme is Growing Stronger Together, inspired by the book The Together Tree by Aisha Saeed. In the story, a tree grows stronger as the animals around it work together, support one another, and celebrate their unique strengths. It reminds us that when we care for one another and work toward a common goal, our entire community flourishes.

At Lemon Crest, we believe every student, family, and staff member plays an important role in helping our school grow. Together, we create a place where students feel safe, valued, challenged, and inspired to do their very best. By building strong relationships, showing kindness, and working as a team, we help every child reach their full potential.

Here is a Read Aloud by Principal Price of the book, The Together Tree. Each classroom also has this book to read and enjoy with the class this year.

September:

• TOMORROW, Friday, September 25 - Minimum Day (district professional development in the afternoon); TK and Kindergarten dismisses at 11:10am and 1st-5th grade dismisses at 11:30am on Minimum Days. Please note Minimum Days are different than Early Release Wednesdays!

October:

• October 6-9 - Parent/Teacher Conferences - Minimum Days! TK and Kindergarten dismisses at 11:10am and 1st-5th grade dismisses at 11:30am on Minimum Days.

Soccer Shots at Lemon Crest Elementary

• Wednesdays, 12:25 PM-1:10 PM

• $79/month

• On-campus at school

No extra driving for parents! Join Soccer Shots for a fun and active program teaching social-emotional and soccer skills. Who knows, maybe your child will help us win one of these World Cups?! Dreams start here.

Check out the flyer below if you are interested in your child joining AYOP Soccer in our MPR on Wednesday evenings!

Haus of Dance is coming to Lemon Crest to offer dance classes for TK-5th grade on Thursdays starting October 15! It's $55 for Oct. 15-Nov 15, and if you need a scholarship for a lower cost, reach out to Coach Kira! Please see the flyer below to sign up if interested!

⭐ Lemon Crest is a TK-5 elementary school. Here are our school hours:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

Breakfast: 7:30

Arrival (if not having breakfast): 7:40

School Begins: 7:50

TK & K Dismissal: 1:55 (please do not arrive before 1:45 as it will impede bus access)

Grades 1-5 Dismissal: 2:15 (please do not arrive before 2:05)

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Wednesday

Breakfast: 7:30

Arrival (if not having breakfast): 7:40

School Begins: 7:50

TK & K Dismissal: 11:55 (please do not arrive before 11:45 as it will impede bus access)

Grades 1-5 Dismissal: 12:15 (please do not arrive before 12:05)

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⭐ School Website: https://www.lsusd.net/lemon-crest/

⭐ School Breakfast & Lunch Menu: https://schools.mealviewer.com/district/lakesideunionsdca
⭐ Address: 12643 Lemon Crest Drive, Lakeside, CA, USA
⭐ Front Office Phone: 619-390-2527

⭐ PTA Instagram: @lemoncrestpta

⭐ Lemon Crest Elementary Instagram: @lemoncrest_lusd

⭐ LUSD Calendar for 2025-2026

⭐ Lemon Crest Family Handbook A-Z for 2025-2026

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Families, you are always invited to our All-School Assemblies! We have them the first Friday of each month at 8am on the blacktop (unless there's inclement weather, then we'll reschedule):

• October 2, 2026
• November 6, 2026
• December 4, 2026
• January 8, 2027
• February 5, 2027
• March 5, 2027
• April 9, 2027
• May 7, 2027

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Lemon Crest Food Pantry Dates: We are continuing our FREE Feeding San Diego food distrubition here at Lemon Crest 1-2 times a month! This is open to all Lakeside families, but we prioritize our Lemon Crest families. We ask that you bring your own bags and/or wagon to carry your groceries. Food is distributed on a first come, first serve basis on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month from 11:30am-1:30pm (after our early release Wednesday dismissal)

• September 9, 2026
• September 23, 2026
• October 14, 2026
• October 28, 2026
• November 18, 2026
• December 2, 2026
• December 16, 2026

We'll have dates for January to June 2027 as we get closer to the new year.

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Each Friday, we will send out our Weekly Family ROAR, aka our family newsletter. The newsletter will have updates, reminders, announcements, as well as lots of important information for you and your Lion to know! The link below will be the page that has ALL of the ROARs for the year:

https://secure.smore.com/u/lioncrestlions

Coming to school every day on time matters! Attendance is directly linked to academic success, social-emotional development, and future opportunities! We pledge to work with you in order to support your family in getting your child to school every day on time!

If your child is sick, please call the Front Office at 619-390-2527 and press option 1or email: lcattendance@lsusd.net

1. Missed Lessons = Falling Behind: Even one day can mean missing critical instructions and activities, making it harder for your child to catch up.

2. Impact on Future Success: Consistent attendance is a strong predictor of academic achievement and future opportunities.

3. Building Resilience: Regular attendance teaches your child the value of perseverance and responsibility—essential skills for success in life.

4. Stronger Friendships: Daily presence helps your child develop and sustain friendships, which are crucial for emotional and social development.

5. Healthy Routine: Attending school every day establishes a stable routine, promoting better mental and physical health.

If you're finding that your child doesn't want to come to school, please reach out to your child's teacher or our School Counselor, Ms. Pfab, so we can work together to support your family! Below is an article about what you can do when your child doesn't want to go to school.

If you have a question or concern about your child, we encourage you to speak with your child's teacher first. Please note that during the instructional day, teachers and staff may not be able to respond to your message, email or call since they are busy doing what they do best: teaching! Your child's teacher will respond to you when they are able. Thank you for understanding!

Contacting Principal Price:

• Email: jprice@lsusd.net

• Call the Front Office: (619) 390-2527 - The front office staff will take a message, and Principal Price will call you when she is available

• In-Person: Call the office so Mrs. Whitehurst or Ms. Madina can help us set up a meeting so I can dedicate time to you!

Many of your questions may be answered in our Lemon Crest Family Handbook A-Z . We ask that all families read this.

Please know that there is a 24-48 hour "grace period" in my response time. When I respond, call or meet with you, I need time to get informed in order to have possible answers to your questions. I am prioritizing getting to know our students so I can support their success and am often not readily available in the office. Thank you for your understanding and support.