Hello Lester Families,

We hope that you have had a wonderful week. It has been a cold week, but thankfully students were able to get outside yesterday and today. Students have been working hard on their MAP tests and making great gains. We are continuing to count our growth and will let you know if we meet our school wide growth goals in reading and math!

As cold temperatures arise, please be aware of our cold weather procedures in district 58. These are included in more detail below.

We are excited to share that the PTA has approved the purchase of the One School One Book books this year so that program will be happening in March. This is such a great opportunity to have families read together.

Next week, our Student Council will be raising money for the American Red Cross to assist with the LA Wildfire Relief efforts. Thank you to all who participate in this fundraising effort.

As a reminder, we do not have school on Monday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.

We look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday :)

Katie Novosel

Principal

knovosel@dg58.org

Lauri Smith

Assistant Principal

lsmith@dg58.org

GRATEFUL FORM

ABSENCE REPORTING FORM

LINKS TO PRIOR LESTER LIVINGS

The forecast for Monday and Tuesday morning calls for very cold temperatures. While the air temperature and wind chill will be low, the current forecast for Tuesday does not meet District 58’s threshold for a cold day requiring a pivot to e-learning. For a cold day to be called, the following criteria are considered:

Air temperature: How cold is it? What is the wind chill? Can children safely walk to school? There are times when schools may need to be closed due to dangerously cold temperatures. In these situations, wind chill is also taken into account, as well as the extent to which the temperatures are sustained throughout the school day. District 58 has collaborated with District 99 and the elementary districts that feed into District 99 to develop consistent standards. We will likely close school based on extremely cold conditions when an extreme cold warning is issued by the National Weather Service during the times students are traveling to or from school. An extreme cold warning is typically issued when apparent, or "real-feel" temperatures are around -30 degrees Fahrenheit or colder.

As always, District 58 will consult with local superintendents, the bus company, and the Board President regarding the weather. While it will be cold on Tuesday, we anticipate we will be in school. If the weather forecast changes and District 58 cannot be in school on Tuesday, District 58 will use an e-learning day. In this case, we will promptly email and call all District 58 families. We will also post the update on our website (www.dg58.org) and on our social media pages. If school IS in session as usual, we will not post an update. Please see our Winter Weather Procedures webpage for more information.

Winter parent-teacher conference signups will be open from Thursday, Jan. 23 at 11 a.m. through Friday, Jan. 31 at 11 a.m. Families can sign up using the PowerPTC system.

Conferences will take place the evenings of Feb. 4 and Feb. 6.

View conference signup instructions here. (para Español: Registro para las reuniones de padres y maestros).

We value communication with parents and guardians, but we have received feedback that as a result of strong and ongoing communication between home and school a winter conference may not be necessary for all families. You can simply choose not to sign up. Regardless, please know that you can request a conference with your child’s teacher at any time throughout the year. Additionally, your child’s teacher(s) may contact you at any time if they feel a conference would be helpful.

Monday, January 6- Friday, January 17: MAP TESTING & Aimsweb Testing

Sunday, January 19: Harlem Wizard game at DGS (Ed Foundation)

Saturday, January 25: District 58 Science Fair

Sunday, January 26: Lester Talent Show at DGN

Tuesday, February 4 & Thursday, February 6: Parent/Teacher Conferences

Week of Monday, February 3: Book Fair

Save the Date: Thursday, March 13th Kindergarten Round-Up for incoming Kindergarten 2025-2026

As you are spending time over the next few weeks with family, please consider submitting a recipe along with a photo of the recipe and/or you creating the recipe as a family in this form (optional). We would love to hear about the delicious recipes that represent your culture and your family’s history. Please share a recipe that is meaningful to you, the culture it represents, and any story behind it. We will then put them all together and create a document to share with all of our families!

District 58 is busy planning for its 2025 Summer School and Extended School Year (ESY) programs!

While details aren't finalized, we wanted to share basic information for families who may want to start making summer plans.

More information, including registration links, will be shared next month.

Summer School: General Education & Enrichment classes will take place Monday, June 9 through Friday, June 27, 2025 at Henry Puffer School. No class will be held Thursday, June 19. This session will offer math and reading grade-level readiness courses, as well as enrichment classes; topics are still being finalized.

Summer School: Band & Orchestra classes will also take place. The schedule is still in development and will be shared soon.

Extended School Year classes will take place Friday, May 30-Friday, June 27 from 8:15-11:15 a.m. at Henry Puffer School. No class will be held on June 19. This session is open to students who qualify through their Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The student’s IEP team will identify targeted goals and specific special education services for the student.

Please note, District 58 will not offer the Essential Skills Summer School program this year. This program was previously funded by federal money that is no longer available.

Did you move? Let us know! District 58 will start residency verification after winter break!

If your family has moved in the past year, or if your student’s address information has changed in any way, please contact Bebe (jsteele@dg58.org) or Angie (acushing@dg58.org) or call Lester School at 630-719-5855 and provide your updated information prior to winter break. In addition, if you rent a property, please make sure that your school has a copy of your most recent lease. You may email a copy of your lease to Bebe (jsteele@dg58.org) or Angie (acushing@dg58.org) or drop off a copy at our school office.

District 58 will open 2025-26 student registration in February 2025. As part of the student registration process, District 58 works with a third-party vendor to verify that all students live within the District’s boundaries. After winter break, District 58 will begin the student address verification process. By starting this process earlier, we hope student registration will go more smoothly and more efficiently.

If our third-party vendor, Thomson Reuters CLEAR, cannot confirm that a student lives at their registered address, they will flag that student. District 58 will contact the student’s family and request additional documentation to confirm their address. A family will not be able to register their student for the 2025-26 school year until their residency is confirmed.

Keeping your child’s address information up-to-date will help make the registration process go more smoothly and ensure your child’s registration is completed without delay. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter! District 58 will share more information about 2025-26 student registration after winter break.

If winter weather requires schools to close, District 58 will promptly email and call all families and staff. The District will also post school closure information on the website, www.dg58.org, and social media channels.

District 58 has the option to use an e-learning day or an emergency day (also called snow day) during bad weather.

This year, District 58 will likely use e-learning days. E-learning days do not need to be made up at the end of the school year. District 58 needs to maximize the summer for referendum construction, so e-learning days would allow District 58 to keep on its construction schedule.

Learn more about District 58's winter weather procedures.

Read District 58's e-learning plan.