Lester Park School Newsletter

Sept 12...K-5th Grade School Assembly (8-8:30)
Sept 12...Lockdown Drill
Sept 17...PTA Meeting 6pm (more info below)
Sept 23...Fire Drill
Sept 24-26...5th Grade Wolf Ridge Trip
Sept 26...Fun Run Kick-Off (more info coming soon)
Oct 1...Picture Day
Oct 2...Fun Run Event
Oct 9...Fire Drill
Oct 16-17...NO SCHOOL (MEA Break)
Oct 22...Lockdown Drill ("Secure" drill)
Week of Oct 27...Teacher Conferences and Book Fair

More events on our Lester Park Calendar HERE

2025-26 District Calendar with 4 Day Specialist rotation HERE

(PD=professional development/NO SCHOOL for students)

Other Helpful Links:

Lester Park Family School Handbook

Lester Park Staff List by Grade/Dept

Looking for a previous school newsletter, or something you read in a school newsletter? You can find all of this HERE or by checking out our Lester Park School homepage and clicking on this image...

Tomorrow morning is our PBIS Kick-Off school assembly!

Please have students to school on time.
Students having breakfast will need to focus on eating so they can get to class on time

Duluth Public Schools works to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) as an approach for helping schools select and organize evidence-based behavioral interventions into an integrated continuum that enhances social behavior outcomes for all students.

Watch for Crossing Guards! Crossing Guards with flags out have control of the street. Cars are required to stop for Crossing Guards.

Please use the front doors for student pick-up. If you have to use Oneida St, please do not stop in the street to pick up your child. It stops the flow of school traffic and makes it more difficult for the neighbors as well. The neighbors have also asked that if you park on Oneida, please do not block their driveways or the fire hydrant. Also leave a little space so cars parked in front or behind you have room to get out. We had a neighbor's truck blocked in yesterday.

If your child crosses one of these avenues to get on/off a bus, please let us know: 43rd, 45th, 47th, or 52nd. For safety reasons, students should not cross any of these avenues and therefore a mistake was made in the bus stop assignment. We can contact the Transporation Dept and have it corrected.

Students are only able to ride the bus they are aissigned to, and get on/off at the bus stop they are assigned to. This is a school district safety policy.

If your child is absent, or going to be absent, be sure to leave a reason. If no reason is given, it will be marked as an Unexcused Absence.

For more good school imfornation, please see Lester Park Family School Handbook

We are still waiting for about a dozen bus stop changes/requests to come back from our Transportation Dept. They are 1-2 weeks behind in current requests.

When our Transportation Dept sends a finished new bus stop or bus change, the Lester Park Office will notify the parent and the teacher.

If you need help with bussing...

If your child is in K-5th grade...please email Tracy Thompson or lesterpark@isd709.org
If your child is in Preschool...email the preschool teacher

PTA Meeting

6pm on Wednesday, Sept 17

Everyone who attends will be entered into a raffle to win a parking spot at grandparents day or front row seats to a concert of their choosing!

In 2024-2025 the Lester Park Elementary School Foundation (an independent 501-3C non-profit organization) was able to reinvest $40,808.87 in enriching activities and material upgrades for students and teachers at our school! Highlights include school pod furniture upgrades, materials requested by teachers, Spanish club, Lego club, an author visit, and much needed school field and garden reseeding/maintenance. See attached the picture below for full details.

This was possible only because of the awesome support of your kids, family, friends and local businesses during last year’s Fun Run fundraiser. This year’s Fun Run will be September October 2nd and you can begin donating the week before. Stay tuned to future newsletters for details!

Throughout the year, we practice several different safety drills in order to be prepared for an unexpected event at school. Below are the dates we plan to hold each of these drills. Please contact your child's teacher at least 24 hours prior if you prefer that your child does not participate in one of our lockdown drills.

Note: drill dates are subject to change; we do our best to notify of changes when possible.

Fire Drills:
September 23
October 9
May 12
May 21

Lockdown Drills:
September 12
October 22 ("Secure" drill)
November 19
December 12
March 3

For more information on the School District's Drills and "Safe and Welcoming" Policies, click this link: https://www.isd709.org/about-us/safe-and-welcoming

Lester Park's Adapted Art & Music programming featured in article

We are thrilled to share some exciting news about a wonderful initiative happening in our schools! Our students in the Setting Three Special Education classrooms at Lester Park Elementary have been participating in a special program called "Creating Space for Joy," which offers adaptive art and music classes.

Led by music teacher Ms. Miller and art teacher Mr. Kerkhof, this program was designed to provide our students with meaningful and joyful experiences that help them build confidence and connection. They’ve developed a unique curriculum that focuses on activities that are developmentally appropriate and sensory-rich. We've seen incredible progress, with students engaging in new ways with instruments and art supplies.

We’re so proud of our students and the positive impact this program is having on their ability to participate in their general education classes. This initiative was featured on the Minnesota's Elementary School Principal Association. Read the full story at the link below.

Looking to earn a little extra cash? We are looking for another lunch/recess monitor on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There is also the potential of subbing on other days that we are short, if you like.

Hours are 10:20am-1:20pm. Pay is $15/hour.

Have questions or are interested in applying? Please email lesterpark@isd709.org. Thank you!

Breakfast and lunch will be free for all students again this school year.

Please note that cinnamon rolls are no longer served at our schools.

Breakfast and Lunch menus can be found HERE. There is also a direct link on our school homepage.

What do I do if my child is going to be absent from school?

Email lesterattendance@isd709.org (the office & nurse will both see these emails)
or call attendance line 336-8875 then “3” to leave a recorded message
Please list any specific symptoms.
Teachers may have a preferred way for you to report an absence to them.

If the office does not know why a student is absent, an automated phone call and an email message will be sent out at sometime between 8:30-9:00. This is for safety reasons.
If your child is absent, or going to be absent, be sure to leave a reason. If no reason is given, it will be marked as an Unexcused Absence.
If you have health questions, you can call our school health office at 336-8875 x2654

Many students and parents are frequently concerned about when students should stay home or attend school. The following information is intended to help with this decision.

General practice:

If a student has had a fever of 100 degrees or more, the student must stay home for 24 hours after the temperature returns to normal without fever reducing medication.
If a student has vomited two or more times in the past 24 hours and/or had diarrhea, the student must stay home until 24 hours after the last episode.
If a student has had any rash that may be disease-related or the cause is unknown, check with your family physician before sending the student to school.
If a student is ill, please call the school daily to report the illness.

When a student is sick, parents often wonder whether or not to keep a child at home from school. If a child stays home and has the care they need when first sick, they will often get better faster. Staying home and resting will help the body fight the sickness.

On school days, the interior vestibule doors unlock at 7:30am, then lock again from 7:45am-2:15pm.
All other exterior doors are locked during the school day, and most are locked 24/7.
The Office door is only unlocked from 7:15am-8am
There is a blue lit doorbell to the right of the office door that you push to speak to the office staff.
Visitors sign themselves into the green book and grab a red "Visitor" badge if they are coming into the building.
Parents sign in/out their child in the yellow book if they are coming in late or returning to school.

Does Lester Park School have a Family Handbook?

We sure do! It is here: Handbook for Lester Park Families

Does the School District have a Family Handbook?

Yep they do! It is here: Family/Student Handbook

Who do I contact about a charge on my child's lunch account?

childnutrition@isd709.org

Who do I contact about my child's immunizations showing up as non-compliant?

If your child is going into kindergarten, or you are a new family, the nurses will be entering them during September. If you are missing something, they will be sure to let you know.

Why can't I see my child's email and password in Infinite Campus?

This is likely because you haven't filled out the Blended Learning form. Scroll up for more information on how to fill out this online form.

How do I change my phone #?

Parents can change their phone #s and emails in the Parent Portal.

Will I still receive messages from the school and teacher if I do not have a ParentSquare account?

Yes, as long as your contact information is correct in Infinite Campus.

How do I volunteer in my child's classroom?

This information is on our website HERE