Lester Living
Friday, September 27, 2024
Sign up for a parent-teacher conference by Oct. 4
Parent-teacher conference sign up is open! Sign up for a conference at www.PowerPTC.net now through Friday, Oct. 4 at 11 a.m.
Conferences will take place on the evenings of Tuesday, Oct. 8 and Thursday, Oct. 10.
Please view the parent-teacher conference signup guide (para Español: Registro para las reuniones de padres y maestros) to learn how to sign up for a conference using the system, along with other helpful information.
Fire Up for Fun Run!
We are so excited to cheer on our Lester Leopards this Sunday! Please read carefully for lots of details. Please also consider volunteering some of your time on Race Day here to help make this event a success!
Race Packets
- If you registered for the race by Tuesday 9/17, your family's race packet will be delivered to your *Youngest* Lester student's classroom in a brown Trader Joe's shopping bag on either Monday or Tuesday.
- Please promptly review your race bibs and t-shirts. If there are any discrepancies, email FunRun@lesterpta.com
- Be sure to check out all the info inside from our generous sponsors - including some goodies and savings. Thank you for supporting the businesses that support Lester!
Race Morning
- REMINDER: the 5k starts at 8:00am this year. 5k runners are welcome to join us after 7:30am; race begins at 8:00.
- Bib pickup will be available from 7:30-8:15am. Please respect our busy race morning volunteers by arriving no later than 8:15 for any race morning needs.
- All Lester families are welcome to join us on the east blacktop at 8:30am. Help cheer on the 5k finishers! Visit our sponsors at their tables!
- Welcome & Warm Up will begin at about 8:45am.
- 1 Mile race starts at 9:00.
- Remind your Leopards that in order for their time to be officially captured they must cross under the inflatable start line (not go around it).
- Awards Ceremony for 1 Mile & 5k races will take place immediately after the 1 Mile race concludes.
- Please review the course maps below for both races, and plan accordingly for street closures that will be in place starting at 6:00am.
Hummer Park Family Fun
- Following the Awards Ceremonies, please head over to Hummer Park for some post-race family fun
- Enter onsite to win fabulous raffles! Tickets may be purchased onsite for $5 each or 6 for $25. Cashless is preferred via a GiveSmart link that will be provided onsite, or purchase using cash with our Fun Run volunteers.
- Plus cool down with Kona Ice, capture memories at the photo booth, and more with Lester friends old & new!
The Fun Continues After Fun Run!
- Be sure to check out Experiences available through February. Every ticket purchased is a donation that supports PTA programs for all Lester students!
The Fun Run is made possible by Lester PTA volunteers, sponsors, families and staff - thank you and see you on Sunday!
Dear District 58 Community,
I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the fall weather that is finally upon us. In the Aug. 28 issue of Communicate 58, I shared important safety information with the community, and asked families to discuss school safety at home with their children. In light of the recent school shooting in Georgia, as well as the ongoing trend of school threats occurring nationwide, I wanted to ask you to once again discuss safety with your child in an age-appropriate manner. Please take this matter very seriously, and approach the conversation in a way that you would discuss airport safety with your child. For instance, travelers know that it is not okay to say certain words at the airport or risk arrest. It is very similar for schools.
Please emphasize the following with your child:
- Students may not make any type of threat, in person or online.
- Students may not jokingly make any type of threat, in person or online.
- Students may not talk or joke about guns, bombs, knives or other weapons, or use words that threaten harm on another person or place, in a threatening or joking manner, in person or online.
- Students may not bring any weapon, lookalike weapon or toy weapon to school. This includes on the bus, field trips and extracurricular activities. This also includes weapons/lookalike weapons/toy weapons that are concealed.
- If a student makes a threatening statement or brings a weapon or lookalike weapon to school or a school activity, the student will be referred to the Downers Grove Police Department.
- Police will investigate and consequences can include arrest, referral to the State’s Attorney and/or referral to the Juvenile Court System. The police may also require parent/guardian interviews, a psychiatric evaluation of the student, a police search of the home, etc.
- School consequences will be significant and in line with Board Policy 7:190, and may include suspension or expulsion.
Please also:
- Monitor your child’s social media usage. Report any threats or potential threats to the police or the school. Call 911 for emergencies.
- Talk to your child about the importance of “If you see something, say something.” The school can only investigate what it knows.
- Share Safe2Help and the District’s other crisis resources with your intermediate or middle school child. Students can contact Safe2Help Illinois to safely and confidentially report a crisis, threat or bullying involving themselves or someone they know. Safe2Help is monitored 24/7 by trained crisis professionals. District 58 staff will receive an alert after the Safe2Help professional provides support.
Together, District 58 and families can work together to help keep our schools safe. Thank you again for your partnership and support.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kevin Russell
District 58 Superintendent of Schools
Is your student interested in visual or performing arts? Please consider participating in PTA Reflections!
Each year through Reflections, more than 300,000 students around the country in preschool through high school create original works of art inspired by a student-selected theme. This year's theme is "Accepting Imperfection" and categories for entry include visual art (painting, drawing, sculpture, textile art), photography, film-making, music composition, dance choreography and literature. Visit our local Reflections website to learn more about the program, read the guidelines and download an entry form. All entries are due to your local school by Friday, Nov. 1.
Projects are judged and have the opportunity to advance through Council, Region, State and National levels of competition. Our Council level is called the Downers Grove Area Council and includes all District 58 schools as well as Darien School District 61. All District 58 students whose projects advance to the Council level are invited to attend a recognition ceremony on Dec. 3 at O’Neill Middle School, where they will receive a ribbon and see their work on display.
All students whose projects advance to the State level are invited to Spotlight, a state-wide Reflections celebration in May. Students with projects advancing to the National level are eligible for bronze, silver and gold medals and scholarships ranging from $200-$800.
Looking for inspiration? Browse the virtual gallery of projects that made it to Nationals in last year’s Reflections program inspired by the theme “I am Hopeful Because …”
