Lester Living
Friday, February 10, 2023
Conferences were a success and we are grateful for all of Lester's family partnerships. Also, a huge shout out to our PTA for organizing the Book Fair which was a huge success! In addition, we are grateful for the delicious staff dinner to energize us for conferences. THANK YOU!!!
Students had a blast watching the jump rope assembly this week. They were able to see how far hard work, perseverance, and determination can get you. Another thank you to PTA for providing this opportunity for our students!
Next week, we are excited to have a spirit week and a PTA-provided Valentine lunch. Students will be provided with hot dog, chips, and fruit snacks. Please see the nutritional ingredients below.
As a reminder, please follow our pick up/drop off maps. We have made a couple of adjustments to our drop off zone on Indianapolis which we are hopeful will improve the flow. Please be sure that you are not parking in the white box for drop off or pick up. The white box on Indianapolis is for quick drop off/pick up of students and we need to keep this moving. Please be sure to follow the street signs and flow of traffic to ensure the safety of our students. We will continue to work with the village and the police department to ensure that our pick up/drop off is safe for all.
As always, thank you for all you do!
Enjoy your weekend :)
Katie Novosel
Principal
Lauri Smith
Assistant Principal
PTA Assembly: Do you want to order a rope? Here is how!
After School Club Opportunity
ALL SCHOOL LUNCH- PROVIDED BY PTA ON VALENTINE'S DAY!
- hot dog and bun
- fruit snacks
- Lays potato chips
Nutrition facts have been shared by Al's for your reference. Please email your child's classroom teacher and send a lunch with your child if you DO NOT want your child to receive this lunch.
PTA Spirit Week- Week of Feb 20th
Science Olympiad is an annual event where teams of students get to participate in multiple science activities. (Don't fret if you don't have a team - we can help with that!) Please be on the lookout for sign-ups February 13th. Forms will be due February 24th.
In order to make Science Olympiad a success we need parent volunteers! Please let us know if you would like to be a part of the planning and preparation committee or if you would like to lead
any of our awesome activities. Please email scienceolympiad@lesterpta.com with any questions.
Dear Elementary Families,
District 58’s number one priority is ensuring that all of our students and staff are safe and we continue to be thoughtful and proactive in terms of how we address these critical conversations with our community and with our staff and students. Preventing school violence is the responsibility of us all. In the weeks ahead, our school principals will be meeting with each classroom in their schools to review critical safety measures and reinforce expectations with our students. Below are the presentations and/or talking points that will be used with grade bands for your review.
3rd-6th Presentation (Will also be used as review with middle school)
We know that while these discussions are crucial to have with our children, as adults, it can be difficult to know exactly how to broach these topics with our children at home. We hope a review of the materials that we have developed will provide you with some of the terms, vocabulary, and developmental approaches that we use to support students’ understanding of these concepts. In addition, the materials provided below are from various organizations that specialize in this topic that can help you prepare for further discussions with your child.
Talking to Children about Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers
National Association of School Psychologists
Helping Children Cope with Frightening News and How to Ask What Kids are Feeling
The Child Mind Institute
Helping Teens with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers and Assisting
Parents/Caregivers in Coping with Collective Traumas
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
As always, our social workers and counselors can assist you in thinking through how best to tailor discussions at home for your particular child or children. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me. Preventing school violence is the responsibility of the entire community and together, we can make a difference in helping our children understand the importance of those collective efforts.
Grove Children’s Preschool will hold an open house on Feb. 15
Will your child be 3 or 4 years old this August? Do you have a neighbor or friend with a future preschooler? Please share! Grove Children’s Preschool will hold an open house on Wednesday, Feb. 15 from 5-6:30 p.m. at Henry Puffer School, 2220 Haddow Ave. Parents and guardians may tour the preschool, meet the staff, hear an overview of the program, and ask questions throughout the open house.
Grove Children’s Preschool tuition applications for the 2023-24 school year will open online at www.dg58.org/preschool on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 8 a.m. First priority applications are due Wednesday, March 8.
GRATEFUL FORM
Would you like to thank a staff member? We have had some families reach out to ask best ways to show their appreciation for staff. We have created a form as an avenue for you! Please feel free to fill out this form and we will share your gratitude with them. I will include this form weekly as an opportunity for you throughout the year. We are grateful for you and all you do! :)
Sneak Peak into Lester Life
THANK YOU, PTA!!! WE APPRECIATE YOU!
Dates to Remember:
- Tuesday, February 14: PTA All School Lunch
- Monday, February 13 - Friday, February 17: Valentine Spirit Week
- Monday, February 20: NO SCHOOL
- Tuesday, February 28: NO SCHOOL- Institute Day
- Thursday, March 23: Kindergarten Round-Up at Lester 6:00-7:00
- Mon. March 27-Friday, March 31: SPRING BREAK
- Tuesday, April 4: No School/Teacher Institute Day
- Friday, April 7: No School/Offices Closed
REPEATED INFORMATION BELOW:
Lice Prevention
Per my prior notification, although a nuisance, lice do not carry infectious diseases, nor do they pose a health risk to students and staff. However, to help prevent the spread of lice, we recommend that parents check their child’s head routinely over the next three weeks as indicated below by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Avoid head-to-head (hair-to-hair) contact during play and other activities at home, school and elsewhere (sports activities, playground, slumber parties, camp).
Do not share clothing such as hats, scarves, coats, sports uniforms, hair ribbons or barrettes.
Do not share combs, brushes or towels.
Do not lie on beds, couches, pillows, carpets or stuffed animals that have recently been in contact with an affected person.
For more information, please visit District 58’s lice webpage to learn more about lice information, prevention and treatment.
Please contact our school nurse with questions or to notify us if you believe your child has lice. Thank you!
2023-2024 District 58 Calendar
Monday evening at the board meeting, the calendar for next school year was approved. Please find this calendar linked here:
Fall is here and cold and flu season is upon us and we are seeing students with cold and flu symptoms. To prevent the spread of these common viruses in the close confines of the classroom, we are cleaning daily and encouraging handwashing in the class. To decide whether or not to send your child to school, please consider the following guidelines.
Consider keeping your child at home for an extra day of rest and observation if he or she has any of the following symptoms:
· Very stuffy or runny nose and/or a cough
· Mild sore throat (no fever, no known exposure to strep)
· Headache
Definitely keep your child at home and consider seeking medical attention if he or she has any of these symptoms:
· Fever (greater than 100 degrees by mouth. Your child may return to school only after his or her temperature has been consistently below 100 degrees, by mouth, for a minimum of 24 hours without medication)
· Vomiting (even once)
· Diarrhea
· Chills
· General malaise or feelings of fatigue, discomfort, weakness or muscle aches
· Frequent congested (wet) or croupy cough
· Shortness of breath
· Lots of nasal congestion with frequent blowing of nose
To help prevent the flu and other colds, encourage good hygiene habits:
· Wash hands frequently
· Do not touch eyes, nose or mouth
· Cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, use a paper tissue, throw it away and then wash hands
· Avoid close contact with people who are sick
The flu shot is one of the best ways to prevent illness from the seasonal influenza virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adults and children receive the flu vaccine each year. Yearly flu vaccination is needed because immunity against the flu wears off over time. In addition, the flu virus strains often change, so the vaccine also changes from year-to-year in order to match the flu viruses expected to be circulating in the community.
ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL INFORMATION
Fruit/Snack Break
Please make sure your child has a snack each day. Snack breaks should consist of nutritious food choices such as fruits, vegetables, and other portable snacks. This aligns with Policy 6:50. The health and safety of our students are our highest priorities. Therefore certain snacks or foods may be prohibited in your child’s classroom due to food allergies. A daily snack can be provided for students who qualify for free/ reduced lunch.
2022-2023 SCHOOL CALENDAR
2022-2023 CALENDAR DETAILS
The Board of Education approved the 2022-23 school year calendar. Calendar highlights include:
- Thanksgiving Break: Nov. 23-25, 2022
- Winter Break: Dec. 19, 2022 -Jan. 2, 2023
- Spring Break: March 27-31, 2023
- Last Day of School: Wednesday, June 7, 2023 (if no emergency days are used)