Lester Park School Newsletter

May 4...THIS MONDAY - 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)
May 12...Grades 3-5 Fit-n-Fun Run
May 12...Fire Drill in the afternoon
May 15...School Spirit Day (wear black/blue or LP gear)
May 18-May 22...5th Grade to Starbase
May 21...Fire Drill in the morning
May 25...NO SCHOOL (Memorial Day)
May 26...Field Day (K-5)
May 28...Battle of the Books
June 3...5th Grade Celebration
June 4...Last Day of School for Students
June 5...Last Day of School for Teachers

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

This Monday, May 4th, is the last Professional Development Day of the school year. All district staff will be attending training. Lester Park staff will be at a different school. The school office will be open limited hours.

We hope you all have a good day off and "May The 4th Be With You" :-)

Due to recent issues during three different recess periods, students are no longer allowed to bring balls from home outside at recess. We always have a varity of balls for students to use at recess. Thank you for understanding.

We will be celebrating staff appreciation at Lester Park next week, May 5th-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

These 2 events occur in May and can be confused with each other. Below is an explanation of their differences. Event dates are on the school calendar

Fit-n-Fun Run

* Tuesday, May 12

* Only for Grades 3-5

* District-wide event

* Takes place at UMD

* More information below

Field Day

* Tuesday, May 26

* For Grades Kindergarten-5th

* Just a Lester Park School event

* Takes place on our field (gym if it rains)

* More information below

Our 3rd-5th Graders will participate in the annual Fit-n-Fun Run on Tuesday, May 12. Here is what you need to know:

Permission forms were sent home with 3rd-5th grade students last week.
Please sign the permission forms and send back to your child's teacher by Tomorrow, May 1.
If you have questions about your child's participation, email your child's teacher.
The event is at UMD. Students will ride a bus to and from the event.
If you need to pick your child up from the event, you will need to sign a school district field trip release form ahead of time.
No Rain Date.
If you would like a digital copy, click here: Digital Copy

Our K-5th Graders will participate in the annual Field Day on Tuesday, May 26. Here is what you need to know:

A message was sent out this past Monday with a link to the required Student Waiver. You can also find it by clicking HERE. Please sign this waiver by Friday, May 8.
This year it will be "Ninja Anywhere Event"
The event will be held on our school field...in the gym if it rains.
You can learn more about it HERE.

In a vibrant celebration of cultural diversity, 3rd and 4th grade students from Lester Park and Congdon will take the stage at Ordean East Middle School on May 12 to perform Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance. They will also be accompanied by preschoolers, future Lester Park & Congdon Kindergartners. Students will be performing live with the 8th-grade orchestra playing traditional Indian music. This creative collaboration was the brainchild of OEMS orchestra teacher Ms. Tami Nelson, who sought to bridge musical traditions and provide students with a firsthand experience of global artistry.

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.