Lester Living
Friday, August 19, 2022
WELCOME BACK, LEOPARD FAMILIES!!!!
We are excited to welcome students back to Lester for our first day of school on Thursday, August 25, 2022! For all of those new families, welcome! For all of our returning families, we are excited for you to be back! It's going to be a wonderful year at Lester.
My name is Katie Novosel. I am thrilled to be starting my 7th year at Lester! For those of you who don't know me, I was the assistant principal here for 5 years and this will be my second year as the principal. I live in Downers Grove with my husband and two daughters. Sadie is a 7th grader at O'Neill this year and Rowan is a 3rd grader at Fairmount. We adopted another puppy this summer and he has kept us busy but brings us lots of laughter. In my free time, you may see us at park district sports and we always love to say hello. My girls are very excited to start school as I am sure your kiddos are too!
Lauri Smith is starting her 5th year as an assistant principal in District 58. This is her 2nd year at Lester. She lives in Darien with her husband and two-year-old daughter, Emily. If you are driving through Darien, you may see her out for walks or runs with her daughter. For fun, they also spend a lot of time at their family lake house near Indiana Beach.
Lester is an incredible school that I am blessed to be a part of. Our community is like no other! District 58 & Lester focus on positive psychology and the importance of a growth mindset. Each Monday, we wear orange as a reminder of joy and positivity. We welcome everyone to join in our orange Mondays!
Each Friday at 4:00, you will receive this newsletter with information that will be helpful to read. I will also link each issue on our dg58 website. Please review this document each week.
We hope you will come join us on Tuesday for our Meet & Greet 2:45 - 3:30. This will be a great opportunity for you and your child to see the school, see their classrooms and meet the staff. You are welcome to bring your child's school supplies at this time or on the first day of school. If you ordered supplies through the PTA, they will be on your child's desk at the Meet & Greet.
As a reminder, we would love to see how your summer is going! We would still love for you to share a photo showing us your family's summer fun! PLEASE EMAIL A PHOTO TO lsmith@dg58.org AND/OR knovosel@dg58.org. We would like to create a Summer Family Fun board in our hallway to share with everyone as we welcome students back to school! :)
If you ever have any questions or need anything, please feel free to reach out. Our incredible secretaries are just a phone call away too!
Let's make it a FANTASTIC year!
See you all soon :)
Katie Novosel
Principal
Lauri Smith
Assistant Principal
Introducing our Office Staff!
Lauri Smith, Assistant Principal (lsmith@dg58.org)
Bebe Steele, Secretary (jsteele@dg58.org)
Angie Cushing, Secretary (acushing@dg58.org)
Karen Scarpelli, Registered Nurse (kscarpelli@dg58.org) - not pictured
ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL INFORMATION
LARGER PDF VERSION LINKED BELOW
Phone/Wearable Technology Use
While a student can bring their electronic device (including cell phones and AirPods) to school, all non-district-issued technologies are to be silenced and out of sight throughout the school day. Students are allowed to wear smartwatches, but they are to be silenced during the school day. The district-provided technology will be utilized for students to participate in lessons and complete assignments. Please be sure to go over the expectations with your student as the policy was recently amended.
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.
PTA will be coordinating a spirit wear makeover! More information on spirit wear to come!!!!!
PTA Annual Fun Run Information Linked Below!
After School Club Opportunity!!! Registration open NOW...
To register, visit:
ticketpeak.co/bam/classes
or scan the QR Code!
DATES TO REMEMBER:
Tuesday, August 23: 2:45 -3:30 pm K-6 Meet & Greet and PTA Social outside
Thursday, August 25: First Day of School!
Friday, August 26: Lester Spirit Day! Wear yellow and blue
Monday, August 29: 2:00 pm Dismissal & Orange you glad it's Monday- wear orange
Friday, Sept 2: Lester Spirit Day! Wear yellow and blue
Tuesday, Sept 13: Curriculum Night
6:00-7:30
Thursday, Sept 22: PTA Meeting in Lester Gym 6:00 pm
2022-2023 SCHOOL CALENDAR
2022-2023 CALENDAR DETAILS
The Board of Education approved the 2022-23 school year calendar. Calendar highlights include:
- First Day of School: Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022
- 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)
REPEATED INFORMATION BELOW:
Welcome from the Band & Orchestra Dept
During the school year, the instrumental music students will participate in one weekly pull-out lesson at their school. These lessons will begin at the elementary schools the week of Sept. 12. Please watch your email for lesson and after school rehearsal schedules for your building. In the fall, students will also begin participating in a once weekly after school rehearsal to prepare full ensemble music to play at their Winter and Spring concerts. We can’t wait to see the growth and progress our students will continue to make as the school year continues!