Lester Park School Newsletter - #1
August 14, 2025
This is the first Thursday Family Newsletter of the new school year. We have lots to tell you, but will limit it to a handful of important things for this newsletter. We will send out a newsletter every Thursday afternoon, as well as separate emails if there are important updates that we want you to know about ASAP.
Due to the high workload this time of year, emails work better than phone calls. Also it appears that voicemails were disappearing off our phones for possibly the whole summer. We submitted a ticket to find out what the issue is, so just another reason to send an email instead of calling. If you don't know a staff member's email address, please send it to lesterpark@isd709.org and we will make sure they receive it.
Thank you and we can't wait to see all of our students and families again in a couple of weeks!!
~Tracy Thompson
Senior Lester Park Admin Asst
Aug 22...Teacher assignments posted on Infinite Campus (more info below)
Aug 26...District-wide Staff Development - ALL buildings closed
Aug 27...K-5th Grade Open House (More info below - come at your specified time)
Sept 2...First day of school for 1st-5th Graders
Sept 4...First day of school for Kindergartners
Sept 2-3...Individual Family Meet&Greets with Kindergarten Teachers
(lots of more important dates to be posted soon)
Lester Park Calendar HERE
2025-26 District Calendar can be found HERE
2025-26 District Calendar with 4 Day Specialist rotation HERE
(PD=professional development/NO SCHOOL for students)
Other Helpful Links:
Preschool families - please watch your emails for information on your Open House during this time.
K-5th Grade families - your information is below...
If you are unable to attend the Open House, please email your child's teacher once you find out who the teacher is. Supplies may be dropped off in the school office if you are unable to attend the Open House. With teachers busy between preparing their rooms and trainings, we are unable to let you visit the classroom. We kindly ask that you please refrain from reaching out to your child's teacher to ask for a separate time.
Please come only during your designated time:
4:00-4:30pm Last names starting with R-Z
4:30-5:00pm Last names starting with J-Q
5:00-5:30pm Last names starting with A-I
We understand that schedules may be challenging in the evening. Please try to attend during your designated time slot unless absolutely necessary. This will allow all families the opportunity to speak with the classroom teacher. If your family fits multiple time slots, please select the one that works best for you.
- Plan on extra time to find a place to park, and possibly walking a couple of blocks. We have A LOT of families coming.
- Teachers will provide a few forms from the office for parents to fill out and send back the first day of school. These are IMPORTANT!
- K-5th grade students may bring their school supplies with them.
- If your child is a busser, be sure to check with the teacher if the bus stop is correct. If not, stop in the office on your way out.
You can check your child's bus information using the Parent Portal of Infinite Campus. If you do not have access to the Parent Portal, please email Tracy Thompson or lesterpark@isd709.org.
At the Open House, teachers will have a list of bus information for any of their students who will ride the bus. If you see an error, please stop in the office on your way out.
Transportation changes can take up to 5-7 days per the school district, so let's get any corrections made now!
Please note that ParentSquare was accidentally opened up across the district in June and this past Monday before teacher assignments were fixed. Many teacher assignments have changed this week due to students leaving and new students enrolling. Since grade-level classrooms need to start out with equal # of students and genders, moves are necessary.
Due to privacy laws, we are unable to provide the name of your child's teacher over the phone or in an email. So, please make sure you are able to log into the Parent Portal of Infinite Campus prior to next Friday.
Each school year, parents must fill out a new online Blended Learning Agreement. This allows their child/children to have full access to Duluth Public Schools Digital Resources (Chromebook, tablet, curriculum online programs and testing, etc.). More information here: https://www.isd709.org/academics/digital-innovation
Below is the link:
Duluth Public Schools Blended Learning 1 to 1 Agreement for 2025-2026 - Digital Form
* You do NOT need to enter your child's school email.
* You do need to know their Student ID # (on the Parent Portal - see below)
How do I find out my child's Student ID # (Lunch #)?
* Log into Infinite Campus:
https://duluthmn.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/duluth.jsp
* Click on your child's picture
* Their Student ID # is under their small picture.
If you do are not signed up for the Parent Portal, please email Tracy Thompson or lesterpark@isd709.org
We will be short Crossing Guard coverage for at least the first 2 weeks of school, especially in the morning. Here is the priority order for coverage:
#1 - 52nd Ave/Glenwood St
#2 - 54th Ave/Glenwood St
#3 - 52nd Ave/Oneida St
#4 - 54th Ave/Oneida St
We will send a message out to 4th & 5th grade families this coming Monday to hopefully increase our currently small amount of crossing guards. More information about the program will be in that message.
There are a couple of different ways you can view our School Supply lists. They are below:
2025-26 Lester Park Supply List
Parent Portal of Infinite Campus
The Parent Portal is how you access your child's school information on Infinite Campus. Some items you will find are: Bus Assignment, Lunch Balance, Report Cards, and Teacher Assignment.
* Parents should update phone and email contact information via the Parent Portal.
* If you forgot your password or username, please click HERE and follow the instructions.
* If you do not have an activation key email Tracy Thompson or lesterpark@isd709.org
* After one year of nonuse, the parent portal access is discontinued, so be sure to log in a couple of times during the year. You will use it even more as your child/children move on into middle/high school.
ParentSquare
Duluth Public Schools uses ParentSquare for school communication, primarily with email, text and app notifications. ParentSquare automatically generates an account for each parent, using their preferred email address and phone number. We encourage parents to access their accounts so they can download the mobile app and update their preferences on when and how they are notified.
Here’s what you can do with ParentSquare:
Receive messages from the school via email, text or app notification
Choose to receive information as it comes or all at once with a daily digest at 6 p.m.
Communicate in your preferred language
Comment on school postings to engage with your school community
Direct message teachers, staff and other parents
Participate in group messages
Sign up for parent-teacher conferences
Send payments, sign forms & permission slips, receive report cards, sign up to volunteer and more all from your desktop or mobile device
Questions about ParentSquare? Email communications@isd709.org
Breakfast and lunch will be free for all students again this school year.
The Free School Meals Program is a State of Minnesota program that provides reimbursement to the school district for meals served to all students regardless of economic status. All students receive breakfast and lunch at no cost (excluding milk for cold lunchers, or a 2nd milk for hot lunchers).
As part of this state program, Duluth Public Schools must continue its participation in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. This means we are still asking parents to fill out the Application for Educational Benefits, formally known as the "free and reduced lunch" form.
A new application must be submitted each year. The income tables change yearly, so a new application must be processed each school year. At public schools, your application also helps the school qualify for education funds and discounts.
Use Infinite Campus Parent Portal to add money to your student's food account for optional milk costs, and to fill out our Application for Educational benefits.
We ask that all families fill out the Application for Educational Benefits form each year before Oct.1 to help us get funding for our schools. If you need a hardcopy, please email lesterpark@isd709.org.
Kindergarten families will receive an email and/or letter from their teacher probably late next week letting them know how to sign up for a meeting on one of these dates.
ABOUT US
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