The Lemon Crest ROAR

Welcome back from spring break!

I hope that you and your family had a wonderful 2 weeks off for Spring Break! I had a BIG SURPRISE during my break! See the pictures below for my exciting news! 🥰

Now that we're back from Spring Break, we've got a whirlwind last 8 1/2 weeks of school left before Summer Break!

• Next week, our 3rd-5th graders start CAASPP testing, and after that, 5th grade takes the Science CAST test, physical education test, and all students Kindergarten-5th will take the final NWEA MAP Test
• We'll have a combo April + May All-School Assembly at 8am on the blacktop on Friday, May 1.
• The Rodeo Parade is Saturday, April 25 at 9:35am if you want to come out to watch! Thank you to the families of students who were randomly selected to join on the float!
• Yearbooks are on sale!
• Junior Olympics are Saturday, May 2 for our 4th & 5th graders! More info to come!
• Encourage your child to earn a Positive Office Referral for showing ROAR daily, going above and beyond OR for making big improvements to their behavior. This month, every student who earns a positive office referral will be invited to a Blind Bag Party with me on Thursday, April 30. We work hard to recognize students who are doing an amazing job every day, and this is one of the ways our staff give a special recognition for our Lions!
• Career Week is May 11-15! More info to come about dress-up spirit days!
• Our School Counselors Ms. T and Ms. Tami are working hard doing class lessons about bullying prevention, having a safe body, problem-solving strategies, calm-down strategies and showing ROAR!
• Yesterday, Principal Price and Ms. T did Grade-Level Gatherings to reinforce following our school rules and expectations of ROAR, and grade-level specific topics like test-taking strategies, keeping hands to self, etc. Ask your child what they learned during the grade-level gathering yesterday!

As you can see, we've had a busy week and have a busy last few weeks of school together! Our teachers and staff are working hard to help get your child ready for the next grade, whether that's here or for their next big step at Middle School! As always, please reach out to your child's teacher, case manager or me if you have any questions, concerns or ideas!

Take care,

Jen Price

Principal

Lemon Crest Elementary

It's that time of year! Our 3rd-5th grade students will be taking the CAASPP; Kinder through 5th take Spring NWEA MAP testing and our 5th graders take CAASPP, Science CAST, Physical Education test AND NWEA MAP! These assessments are meant to to show their learning progress for this time of the year.

Testing will take place from April 20 – May 22, 2026, with make-ups scheduled for May 11--22. Testing will occur Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM, with Fridays as a break day.

How Families Can Help Their Child Succeed:
✅ Get a Good Night’s Sleep – Make sure your child gets at least 8-10 hours of sleep before testing days.

✅ Eat a Healthy Breakfast – A balanced meal helps with focus and energy. Arrive on Time – Testing starts at 8:00 AM sharp! If your child comes late, they will go into the classroom to start their test, but being late can cause anxiety in addition to reducing testing time.
✅ Encourage a Growth Mindset – Remind your child that effort and perseverance matter!
✅ Limit Screen Time the Night Before – Reducing screen exposure helps the brain wind down for better rest.

Check out the images below - this is what Ms T and Principal Price discussed yesterday with our 3rd-5th graders at Grade-Level Gatherings! Thank you for helping us create a calm and supportive testing environment for all students!

Lemon Crest proudly partners with a few community organizations to help support families to cover basic household needs including food and hygiene items. We do require parental consent for students to access these resources, which include weekend snack bags, food boxes, and a variety of personal care products. If interested, email the school counselor, Ms. T at tpfab@lsusd.net or complete a request form, available in the main office.

5th Grade Yearbook Info:

• Thank you to all of our 5th graders who submitted a drawing for the yearbook cover contest. First place winner will have their drawing on the front cover of the yearbook: Daisy Kohler; Second place winner will have their drawing on the back cover of the yearbook: Elyse Taft; Third place will have their drawing on the first page of the yearbook: Reese Dixon! Congratulations!

• Also, please continue to send baby pictures for the yearbook to the PTA!
• Lastly, please be sure to fill out the google form with your student's t-shirt size so we can get them an accurate size for their 5th grade shirt. Please choose ONE option - either a youth or adult size and put N/A for the other option. Please do not choose both a youth and adult size.

The TK and Kindergarten Immersion interest forms for the 2026–2027 school year are now posted on our district website. If you or someone you know has an incoming TK or Kindergarten student that will be starting with us next school year, please share these links! I'll keep these in the ROAR so the links are available!

• TK 2026–27 Interest Form
• Kindergarten Immersion 2026–27 Interest Form

Registration for the 2026–27 school year will open on March 1, 2026.

Please note that any Online Registrations (OLR) submitted before this date will be deleted. Families will need to submit a new OLR once the official registration window begins on March 1.

⭐ 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 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):

• January 9, 2026
• February 6, 2026
• March 6, 2026
• April 17, 2026
• May 1, 2026

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Lemon Crest Food Pantry Dates: Feeding San Diego is hosting FREE food distribution at Lemon Crest! Receive pantry staples and fresh produce at no cost! 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 after our early release Wednesday dismissal until 1:30pm:

• January 14

• January 28

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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

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.

This year, our school's theme is Planting Possibility, inspired by the children's book, Curious Garden, written by Peter Brown. Click the link below for a read-aloud of the book by Principal Price!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZYrAMnEhRpqGdUu8PIBmrSBAW-8HkET4/view?usp=sharing