Lester Living

Friday, August 16, 2024

Hello Lester Families,

We had a wonderful first day of school! It was so much fun to see all of the smiling faces. Lauri and I were able to come around and check in throughout the day. We loved hearing about how everyone's summer went and students are excited to be back.

Information about Curriculum Night is included as well as information to sign up for milk and lunches. Please be sure that you are sending your child with a lunch, fruit break snack, and labeled water bottle each day. This is very helpful so that our secretaries are not overloaded with deliveries to the classrooms throughout the day with forgotten items. Thank you for your help with this.

We have also included a welcome video for you to watch. This is a video that will provide you with some information about Lester School and some of our expectations and procedures. In addition, our amazing staff created videos to introduce themselves to you.

We look forward to seeing many of you at the Back to School Bash on Sunday afternoon! :)

Enjoy your weekend,

Katie Novosel

Principal

knovosel@dg58.org

Lauri Smith

Assistant Principal

lsmith@dg58.org

Our wonderful staff created some quick videos to introduce themselves to you. We are excited for a wonderful 2024-2025 school year! Please know that we are all here for you!

KINDERGARTEN team video

Specialists team video

Food service in District 58

Elementary School Food Service

Elementary schools provide pre-ordered boxed lunches for students, through www.MyMealOrder.com. Lunches cost $4.60. Click here to learn more. Elementary boxed lunches will be offered starting the week of Aug. 26. Orders must be submitted by Aug. 22 to receive boxed lunch the week of Aug. 26.

In addition, elementary students may sign up to receive daily milk for $53 (which is 30 cents per day). Families should complete this Elementary Milk Order Form to sign their child up for milk. This is separate from the boxed lunch option. The $53 milk fee will be posted to the student's PushCoin account next month.

Free and Reduced Meals and Milk

District 58 provides free and reduced-cost meals and milk to students who qualify and apply. These meals will be provided starting the first day of school.

Please visit District 58's Food Services webpage for more information.

Fee waiver form ENGLISH

Fee waiver form SPANISH

A Peek into Lester Life

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Friday, August 16: First Day of School (full day of school)

Sunday, August 18: Back to School Bash 4:00-6:00 pm

Wednesday, August 21: First Day of math class switching in grades 4-6

Monday, August 26: First day of 4th grade Gifted (at Lester)

Tuesday, August 27: First day of 5th grade Gifted (at Henry Puffer)

Tuesday, August 27: Lester Curriculum Night 6:00- 7:30

Friday, August 30: First day of 6th grade Gifted (at Henry Puffer)

Monday, September 2: NO SCHOOL- Labor Day

Monday, August 19- Friday, September 6: Fall Benchmark Testing

REPEATED ITEMS BELOW:

DROP OFF/ARRIVAL PROCEDURES

We have 3 official drop off locations.

DROP OFF ZONE #1- Indianapolis Avenue

DROP OFF ZONE #2- through the parking lot off of Indianapolis Avenue

DROP OFF ZONE #3-Lincoln Avenue

*The locations are marked on the map.

There are two options for drop off:

OPTION #1

You drive up to one of the drop off zones, have your child exit the vehicle on the school side of the vehicle, & drive away to keep traffic moving.

Staff members will be on duty to assist until school starts.

OPTION #2

If you want to walk your child to his/her line, we ask that you park on a side street (not Lincoln or Indianapolis). These two streets become congested and we would like to keep traffic moving on these two streets.

PLEASE NOTE:

We do have staff on duty outside with all grade levels at 8:05 am. These staff members will assist with ensuring your child gets to their class line if you are dropping off through our drop off zones.

Students need to use the crosswalks when crossing streets. In addition, please be sure to follow all traffic safety guidelines to ensure student safety.

Please be mindful of student patrols. We ask that you follow their guidance as well.

Students may arrive at Lester School beginning at 8:05 a.m. each day when adult supervision begins. In order to assist with a timely and safe arrival process, the school playground will be closed before school. Upon arrival, students should line up in their assigned classroom teacher line location by their assigned door. Students will be directed to enter the building at 8:15 am. Anyone arriving after the lines of students have entered & doors have been closed should enter through Door 1 (front office).

***We appreciate everyone's help and cooperation as we organize safe drop off and pick up procedures for our students. Thank you!

PICK UP/DISMISSAL PROCEDURES

Students will exit the doors they entered for arrival. Students will be dismissed at 2:00 pm on Mondays & 3:00 pm on Tuesdays through Fridays.

Once outside the building, students will do one of the following:

Meet FAMILY at a previously designated location on school grounds

Walk/bike home as they normally would

Walk to a designated pick-up area for a parent to pick up in a car (Please refrain from parking in these pick up zones for families who will be driving up, picking up students, and driving away)

Please communicate this information to your child(ren) so the Lester staff can assist in guiding students to the family’s pick-up location.

The east blacktop area will be opened up for parent pick-up at dismissal time.

Following daily dismissal at Lester School (2:00 p.m. on Monday and 3:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday), all students who are not scheduled to remain in the building must leave the school grounds and check in at their destination as there is no supervision on school grounds after the school hours. We want to ensure the safety of all students.

RAPTOR SECURITY SYSTEM REMINDER!

For those of you who are new to Lester, please be sure you read the following letter. Lester's doors remain locked and closed at all times. Only school staff and students are able to enter the building through outside doors other than Door 1. Any adults who are not staff members as well as children who are not Lester students must enter through Door 1 and go through our Raptor system. Thank you for taking the time to review this important information to keep our school safe.