Lester Park School Newsletter - #28

• TOMORROW...SCHOOL SPIRIT DAY - Wear your blue & black or Lester Park swag!
• April 20...Book Blast Kickoff
• April 24...SPRING CARNIVAL!!

• May 4...NO SCHOOL (PD day for staff)

• May 6...Walk/Bike to School (Rain Date May 13)

• May 5-8...Staff Appreciation Week (more info coming soon)

• May 7...2nd/3rd Grade Music Program (only for their families/friends)

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)

2026-27 District Calendar HERE

Other Helpful Links:

Lester Park Family School Handbook

School District Student Handbook

Lester Park Staff List by Grade/Dept

Previous Lester Park Newsletters

Tomorrow is our next School Spirt Day!

Let's show our Lester Park School pride and wear our school colors (Blue & Black) or your Lester Park swag!

There are lots of field trips and other activities the last month of school. We try to keep the school calendar updated with these fun events to help parents when planning appointments or vacations.

Lester Park Calendar HERE

We've also started adding events to the 2026-27 Lester Park Calendar like our 'Picture Day' and 'Retake Day'

Links to our school and district calendars can always be found in the 'Upcoming Dates' section in every school newsletter.

Our school is partnering with Books Are Fun and the Book Blast program to help put brand-new, age-appropriate books into the hands of every one of our students to build summer reading libraries!

Hear from a real school about the magic of Book Blast and Books Are Fun: Fulton Elementary News Clip

Here's why we love Book Blast:

• Every student receives books they'll love and want to read
• 100% of all contributions go directly to books and classroom needs
• The book list is thoughtfully curated and truly engaging
• 
  

Here's how your student can join the fun:

They'll be bringing home a Treasure Map—their ticket to joining the fun, earning books and unlocking awesome prizes! It's simple, exciting, and brings reading to your home.

Keep an eye out for a message from me with more details soon. Make sure your kids can join in on the fun!

In the meantime, you can learn more about Books Are Fun and the Book Blast program: https://www.bb.booksarefun.com/testimonials.

We're looking forward to a great kickoff!

Last week, Officer O'Connor and K-9 Kallie visited our 4th grade classes. K-9 Kallie is a bomb sniffing dog for the Duluth Police Dept. You can learn more about K-9 Kallie and the other K-9's HERE.

We will be celebrating staff appreciation at Lester Park May 4th-8th. The PTA would love to hear how a staff at the school has impacted your student and family positively. Please fill out the form (as many times as you would like). https://forms.gle/Cmc8iUtG5FRNFqzU9

Please consider donating snacks or drinks for the week!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040D4CABAD29AAF58-63584105-lester

Another option is donating for goodies for the week!

https://lesterparkpta.givebacks.com/shop/items/699848

Spring Carnival is a week from tomorrow, April 24th, from 4:30-7:30pm. This is a favorite event for all ages!

Pre-Carnival Wristband Sales are due Tomorrow, April 17th. Information on how to purchase these wristbands went home with students this week.

*Tickets & Wristbands are CASH ONLY
*Night of the carnival- Tickets 3/$1 or Wristband $20
*Food is CASH ONLY, including Cotton Candy.

Want to be part of the excitement? Please sign up for a volunteer shift at the carnival using the QR code or this link: CARNIVAL VOLUNTEER.

We can’t make all the fun happen—games, activities, and tasty treats—without awesome volunteers like you. Grandparents and older kids make fantastic helpers too!

It's time to start thinking about the next school year! Later in May, we will begin assembling the 2026-27 classrooms. One part of the process is to look at parent input forms submitted this month.

Below you will find the link to the Parent/Caregiver Input Form. It is a similar format as in previous years. This is an optional form.

2026-27 Parent/Caregiver Input form (for current K-4th Graders)

Only 1 child per form. Form Deadline is Friday, April 28.

While we do not take formal parent requests for classroom placement, we do all we can to honor the input of parents as we are partners in your child's education.

"Walk/Bike/Roll to School" Day is Wednesday, May 6 (rain date is May 13). Lester Park Students will have the opportunity to walk, bike or roll to school. This is optional.

This event includes bussers! Buses will drop off at the Anchor Point Community Church parking lot (5202 Colorado Street), and students will walk up 52nd Avenue to our bus parking lot.

We need volunteers to help along the route. Please indicate if you would be available to help on the rain date, May 13, as well. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040D4CABAD29AAF58-63114368-walkbike

Again, this is optional. Bussers who will not participate MUST have an "Opt Out" form filled out either online or the hardcopy. Hardcopies were sent home with students last week. You can also fill out the online Opt Out form HERE. It is your responsibility to notify your child to remain on the bus. If no opt-out form is completed, the assumption is that your child will participate in the alternate drop off. Please fill out one form PER STUDENT. Last day to opt out is 4/24/26.

Any questions please email ptalp709@gmail.com.

The Lester Foundation 2026 spring sessions of Lego Play Club will be held on Thursdays in May (7, 14, 21, 28) from 3:30-5pm (in the school art room). Students who are not in KeyZone must go home after school before returning for the club.

Students grades 2-5 are invited to sign up for the series. All Lego experience levels are welcome! There will be some optional guided activities and lots of creative building time. Cost is $20 per student total for the 4 sessions.

Please register before April 21 in this google form: Lego Play Club May 2026

We are able to accommodate 24 students, if interest is over that a random drawing will be held to select participants. If your student is selected you will be e-mailed by May 1st.

We greatly appreciate any parent/caregiver volunteers to support a session or two if possible!

Yearbook production amount has been set. Now it is a first come, first served basis. Be sure to order yours online before the last one is sold!

JOSTENS YEARBOOK WEBSITE

Payment Options:

Jostens has a variety of flexible payment options available at checkout! Order your student's yearbook and choose the payment method that works best for you: Apple Pay, Afterpay, Venmo, PayPal or credit card. Terms Apply.

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 - especially Flu and GI 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.

Look At Lakeside - April/May Issue

Woodland Youth Soccer Fall Registration

More Registrations can be found HERE

Email: lesterpark@isd709.org
Website: https://lesterpark.isd709.org
Location: 5300 Glenwood Street, Duluth, MN 55804
Phone: (218) 336-8875
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lester-Park-Elementary-1900216436910729