Lighthouse School Newsletter

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The building is buzzing this week as staff get ready to welcome students to the new year! We are less than a week from the start of the school year! Our staff has been engaged in learning together, designing learning for students, and planning to get ready for the year.

First week transportation: Our school buses will be running fifteen minutes early after school as they go through the bus routes the first week of school. You can use the MyStop app to track the bus. Find more information from transportation.

Band Students: Students that are taking band at Westwood will start with band on the first day of school.

SLPHS concurrently enrolled students: Students that are concurrently enrolled at the high school will begin their courses for the first trimester on Wednesday, September 4.

Attendance: Attendance is critical to student growth and success. Thank you, in advance, families, for helping with the most important job – getting your student(s) to school on time each day and ready to learn. Let’s start the year strong.

We can’t wait to see you next Tuesday, September 3 at 8:10 a.m. as we welcome our students to this school year!

Enjoy these last few days of summer!

Lisa Cisewski

Coordinator of Lighthouse School

Spring Lake Park Schools

lcisew@district16.org

Please review the Lighthouse School parent drop-off and pick-up information and map in order to ensure a smooth flow of traffic at the beginning and end of each day.

• Arrival: Students can be dropped off each day after 7:45 a.m. with school beginning at 8:10 a.m. Parents dropping students off should pull into the parking lot drop off area. No cars should be in the bus lane during drop off or pick up time when buses are present.
• Dismissal: At the end of the day, students who ride the bus will be dismissed at 2:45 p.m. and parent pick up will begin at 3 p.m. Students being picked up will come outside to meet their parents after all buses are cleared. Please pick students up no later than 3:15 p.m. as there is no staff supervision outside after that time.
• Change in Transportation: If there is a change in transportation, please make sure to call the Lighthouse office and let us know, 763-600-5200.

• Bus Tracking (MyStop app): We use MyStop, which is web-based application available to parents and students that allows them access to live bus GPS information. Using a smartphone, tablet or desktop computer, parents and students can view the current location of buses on routes and the estimated time of arrival at their neighborhood bus stops. Learn more about MyStop.
• Bus Safety: It is very important all students and families understand our bus safety rules:

• Stay out of the “Danger Zone” around the bus
• Follow the driver’s instructions
• Be on time for the bus – five minutes early
• Always sit down and face forward
• Be courteous. No pushing, tripping, swearing or yelling.
• No eating or drinking
• Keep your bus clean. Do not damage the bus.
• Keep your head and arms inside the bus window
• Never throw objects inside or out of the bus
• No animals on the bus

• Plan to ride the bus: For students who ride the bus, please plan for your student to ride the bus on the first day of school to help us work out all our routines and eliminate as much confusion as possible. The transportation department appreciates your patience as we navigate the beginning of a new school year.
• Transportation webpage and contact information: Find all transportation information on the transportation webpage. For any questions regarding transportation, please contact the transportation department at transportation@district16.org or 763-600-5590.

Find our Spring Lake Park Schools School Handbook for 2024-2025 at SpringLakeParkSchools.org/schoolhandbook. The handbook is a guide for families and students on the practical aspects of school – start and end times, procedures for absences, transportation, meals, policies and more. Please review the information and refer to it, as needed, throughout the year and contact your school as you have questions.

As we enter a new school year, there are several important things to know about school meals:

• Breakfast and lunch meals: Each student will continue to get one breakfast and one lunch free of charge each day at school.
• Purchase of additional food items: During lunch, students have the option to purchase additional food items (second milk, extra entree, bottled water, etc.) if they have funds in their account. You can add funds to a meal account through Campus Parent Portal, or by sending cash or check with your child or directly to your school. If you do not want your student to purchase additional items, please complete this form and email it to foodservice@district16.org.
• Educational Benefits Application: Although no application is required to receive meals at no cost this school year, filling out the application for Educational Benefits is still important and it is critical families who may be eligible complete an application each year. By completing the application, students may receive free or reduced fees for a number of school programs. Applications have recently arrived in family mailboxes. We did a district-wide communication to families earlier this week encouraging families to complete an application. Please note, if your family already received an approval letter for the 2024-2025 school year, you do not need to re-apply for educational benefits.

Learn more about school meals on the Nutrition Services webpage.

At the beginning of each year, we provide families with important notifications. Many of these notifications align to our school district policies and practices. Please take a few minutes to review the information and take any actions that align with your family’s preferences.

These notices cover:

• Media permission and directory information
• Technology responsible use policy
• Student Behavior and Attendance Expectations
• Data privacy
• Supplemental student accident insurance

Review these notifications on the back-to-school hub under Annual Required Notifications. Please direct any questions to the main office of your student's school.’

Last week, we communicated some updates to personal cell phone and earbud use during the school day. At Lighthouse School, personal devices - cell phones, earbuds, etc. – that are brought to school should be kept in lockers or backpacks. Lighthouse elementary students will keep their devices put away all day. Lighthouse secondary students (grades 7-12) will be able to use personal devices at breaks and during lunch.

The school is not responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen personal devices. If a student has a personal device at school and is found using the device during instructional time, there will be a progressive response following that outlined for Spring Lake Park High School in the school handbook.

• Students in grades 5-8 have the opportunity to sign up for afterschool activities at Westwood through Community Education. Please email Sheri Koehn if your child is signed up and will be taking the Westwood Shuttle for afterschool activities so we can make sure they are added to the shuttle list.
• Students in grades 9-12 have the opportunity to sign up for afterschool athletics and activities through SLPHS athletics and activities. Please email Sheri Koehn if your child is signed up and will be involved in afterschool activities at Spring Lake Park High School.

• Tuesday, September 3 - First Day of School: for grades K-8 and Lighthouse students, orientation for grade 9 students and grades 10-12 students new to the high school
• Saturday, September 14 - "Start your Engines" Community Event, Spring Lake Park High School, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
• Monday, September 16 - Grupo de Padres Hispanohablantes de SLP reunion, 5 p.m., Woodcrest Spanish Immersion School
• Wednesday, September 18 - LH PTO Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
• September 23-27 - Homecoming Week
• Friday, September 27 - Homecoming Football Game, Panther Stadium, 7 p.m.
• Wednesday, October 2 – Live on 65: After Hours Big Band – Buy tickets

We are sending a congratulatory shout-out to these Lighthouse School and Spring Lake Park High School students for their National Recognition Awards by College Board!

These students qualified for the award by:

• Taking the Fall 2023 PSAT/NMSQT (10th or 11th) or Spring PSAT 10 (10th) and scored in the top 10% of test takers from their award program in their state. Or, earning a 3+ on 2 or more distinct AP exams in the 9th and/or 10th grade.
• Earning a cumulative GPA of B+ or higher (at least 3.3 or 87-89%) by the time of submission.
• Identify as first-generation, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Indigenous or Native and/or attend school in a rural area or small town.

The annual PTO "Back a Bus" fundraiser will take place from September 20-October 11 – More details to come from PTO!

If you would like to be added to our parent directory, please scan the QR code to fill out our form.

Now through September 6, save 20% of Panther Gear at the store and online with code 24Kickoff. The store, located at Spring Lake Park High School, will be open Wednesday, August 28 and Thursday, August 29 from 1-3 p.m. and Thursday, September 5 from 4-8 p.m.

• Back to School hub
• Get Ready to "Start Your Engines"
• Fall programs available for all!

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