Lester Park School Newsletter - #26

• Feb 17...KEYZone Registration Opens at 6:00 am

• Feb 17-21...NO SCHOOL (Winter Break)

• Feb 24...NO SCHOOL (District Professional Development Day)

• Mar 6...Lester Park Science Night (6pm-7:30pm)

• Mar 13...Go Green Day

• Mar 19-21...5th Grade Wolf Ridge Trip

• Mar 27...2025-26 Kindergarten Meet & Greet

• Mar 28...Next PAW Award Assembly

• Mar 31-Apr 4...NO SCHOOL (Spring Break)

Lester Park Calendar can be found HERE

2024-25 District Calendar with 4 day rotation can be found HERE

2025-26 District Calendar HERE - NEW!

(PD=professional development/NO SCHOOL for students)

Other Helpful Links:

Current/Past Newsletters & their Table of Contents

Lester Park Family School Handbook

Next week is Winter Break! There is no school for Students and most staff.

There is also no school for students, Monday, Feb 24. This is a school district professional development day. All district staff participate in this training day.

All district Buildings are closed Monday, Feb 17 for Presidents' Day.

Lester Park School Office is opened Tue-Fri from 7am-3pm, however please call the office or email Tracy Thompson before popping by. She will be the only one there and may not always be at her desk.

Parents/Guardians are required to provide a reason of why their child is absent. If there is no reason, we must mark them unexcused. This is the policy for tardies, as well. After 48 hours from the absence, we are unable to change the reason in Infinite Campus.

Parents/Guardians may report an attendance these ways:

1) Email lesterattendance@isd709.org (email goes to the front desk and the health office)

2) Call (218)336-8875 and press #3 for the attendance line

3) Notify the teacher. Please note that if the teacher is unable to forward the absence reason on, your child will be marked unexcused.

More information below.

The first round of attendance letters are out in the mail. Letter were sent to families with a child who has 15 tardies, 30 tardies, 3 unexcused absences, 7 unexcused absences, and 12+ absences (excused or unexcused).

We love it when our Labs are in school! Here is an infographic explaining our attendance policies. Remember, we have a great team here to help if you are looking for support with attendance!

The Back to Bach Project is an international program run by students who are musically inclined. This year the East High School group of students consists of about 15 enthusiastic students. Grace Wightman, a Junior at East, is the director for the Duluth region of Back to Bach, and also a Lester Park alumna!

They came to Lester Park School today and presented in front of our 5th graders. Their goal is to help the 5th graders choose what instruments they will want to play in middle school, and why they should stick with them in the future.

Their presentation was about 45 minutes long, and included a discussion and demonstration of some arts vocabulary, solo and ensemble performances, a PowerPoint/Google slide presentation on their three steps to mastering a skill, an interactive Q&A session, and a fun Disney finale performed by all of their members.

If you would like more background information, visit backtobachproject.org. A HUGE thank you to these inspirational and talented East students!

First Witness will be here the first week in March to give presentations to each classroom. First Witness visits our schools every other year. We will be sending home Family Letters after Winter Break with more information. The Letters will also have a section on the bottom for families to return if they choose for their child to Opt-Out of the presentation.

For now, feel free to watch the video below about First Witness and "Safe and Strong Child":

Safe and Strong Caregiver Session (2).mp4

Summer K.E.Y. Zone Details:

• Registration Opens: Monday, February 17, 2025, at 6:00 a.m.

• Program Dates: Monday, June 16 – Tuesday, August 19, 2025

  (No program June 19 & July 4)
• Locations: Laura MacArthur, Homecroft, Lester Park
• More information HERE

YMCA Day Camp Details: Day Camp is structured similarly to K.E.Y. Zone but youth spend most of their time outdoors. Please view flyer for more information.

• Registration Opens: Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at midnight
• Program Dates: Monday, June 16 – Friday, August 22, 2025
  (No program July 4)
• Locations: Northstar Academy & YMCA at Essentia Wellness Center
• More information HERE

If you call you child in sick, or email the lesterattendance@isd709.org, please be sure to provide the symptems as well. This includes if they have a fever and what temperature, vomitting, cough, sore throat, etc. Thank you!

https://lesterparkelementary2023.itemorder.com/shop/home/

We are trying something new. We have lots of information in our school newsletters and provide past links, but sometimes it can be hard to remember which newsletter a topic was discussed. We now have this: Current/Past Newsletters & their Table of Contents

We will keep a link of this on our website and in each school newsletter.

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.

• 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 you have health questions, you can call our school health office at 336-8875 x2654

Fast Pitch Registration

Look At Lakeside - Feb/Mar Edition - Featuring an article on KEYZone

Hartley Summer Camp Brochure

For previous Registrations and Community Flyers click HERE

Lester Staff Directory (firstname).(lastname)@isd709.org

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