Lester Park School Newsletter - #15
November 24, 2021
Hello Lester Park Families!
We hope your family has a wonderful and healthy Thanksgiving!
Upcoming Dates:
Nov 25-26...NO SCHOOL (Thanksgiving)
Dec 1...2nd shot for children at Lester Park School's Vaccine Clinic
Dec 22...School Spirit Day - Pajama Day
Dec 23-31...NO SCHOOL (Holiday Break)
Jan 14...School Spirit Day - Blue & Grey Day
Jan 17...NO SCHOOL (MLKjr Day)
Jan 21...NO SCHOOL (Semester Break)
The School Calendar is on our website HERE
Wondering which #1-8 Specialist Day it is? Click HERE
IMPORTANT! Please Be Prepared If a School Bus Route Is Cancelled!
From the School District...School bus driver shortages and rising COVID rates make it possible this school year that there may be days where a school bus route must be cancelled at the last minute.
Cancelling a school bus route at the last minute is not a preferred strategy and we hope we never have to take this step. However, Duluth school district schools and staff are preparing for this possibility and to ensure families are prepared as well.
- The need to cancel a school bus route for a day may be announced the night before or early in the morning (between 5AM to 6:15AM)
much like a snow day.
- The bus route will be referred to by School Name/AM or PM Service/Route Number.
In Infinite Campus Parent Portal you can check your child's morning and afternoon route numbers.
- Families impacted by the bus route cancellation will be notified:
Automated phone call from the school district
Email from the school district
Text from the school district (if the family is set up to receive texts)
- Families impacted by the school bus route cancellation can either:
Provide transportation for their child in place of that route or
Keep their child home and, as long as they report the absence to the school, It will be considered excused.
- Families, especially those with elementary age students, should have a contingency plan for their children
in the event of a school bus route cancellation.
Please know that we are all doing our best to work through challenges specific to school bus transportation and greatly appreciate your patience and understanding as we do so. We apologize for any inconvenience changes may cause.
The Duluth school district continues to actively recruit new bus drivers and there are currently new drivers in training. We encourage anyone interested in becoming a school bus driver to apply at www.ISD709.org/Jobs .
If you get a "Bus" exposure or cancellation notification, but your child does not ride a bus...
...this means your child is still signed up for a bus. To fix this problem, or any bus problem, please email tracy.thompson@isd709.org, or call her at 336-8875 x2652. Well, Tracy can't fix every bus problem, but she usually knows who can :)
Parents can check Infinite Campus to see if their child is signed up for a bus.
Donations for our Toyland Express box
Lester Park School is again a Salvation Army's Toyland Express drop off site! If you have a new, unwrapped toy you would like to donate, you may drop it off in the school office during the school day, or place it in the box yourself in the main hallway through 530pm. We are not sure when they will be picking up the toy boxes, so we recommend bringing in your donation by Monday, Dec 13.
PTA Craft Kits for Lester Park School Families!
The PTA is getting crafty!
When: Monday, November 22nd through Winter Recess
What: Labeled bins of crafts and coloring pages for families to take home. Instructions and supplies will be in the bag with the craft. There will be a separate bin of supplies you may take if needed at home (markers, glue, etc) Take what you need!
Where: On a cart in the school vestibule (open 6:30am-5:30pm)
Crafts will be refilled and rotated regularly! Please check back for new arrivals throughout the month. Feel free to send us some pics to post on our Facebook page. Have fun!
2nd Dose COVID Vaccine Clinic at Lester Park School
Here is some information:
* Lester's will be from 3pm-7pm next Wednesday, Dec 1st.
* Please remember NOT to arrive early for your child's appointment. If you do, you may be asked to go back outside and wait in your car.
* The layout will be the same as the first vaccine clinic we had here on Nov 10.
If your child missed out on the 1st Vaccination clinic and you would like to schedule a 1st dose for your 5-11 year old at one of the "2nd dose clinics", you certainly can. Just remember that you will need to schedule their 2nd doses at another location (Walgreens, CVS, through Local Public Health, etc.). There are currently no online 1st dose appointments available for the Lester Park School clinic next Wednesday. We do not know if they will allow walk-ins, and if they do, how many. Below you will find a list of 2nd vaccines at other schools if you would to schedule a 1st dose:
- Thurs 12/2, 3PM - 7PM: Lakewood Elementary - link
- Thurs 12/2, 3:30PM - 7:30PM: Ordean East Middle School - link
- Fri 12/3, 3PM - 7PM: Congdon Park Elementary - link
More ways families will be able to find a shot for their child age 5 to 11 following CDC approval:
Contact their pediatrician or family medical clinic about appointments;
Visit mn.gov/vaccine to use the Find My Vaccine map to locate providers near them;
Use CDC’s Vaccine Finder at vaccines.gov to find pharmacies with pediatric vaccines.
How currently eligible Minnesotans 12 years and older can get their free shot:
Minnesota Department of Health COVID-19 Public Hotline 1-833-431-2053
Use the state’s Vaccine Locator Map to find a vaccine provider near you.
Check for vaccine appointments using the Vaccine Finder. You can search for appointments by vaccine type (e.g., Pfizer).
Contact your primary health care provider or a local pharmacy
Illness and Absence Information
Do you have COVID-19 questions (symptoms, quarantine, etc)?
- MN Dept. of Health COVID-19 Decision Tree for Schools (Toward the top of this tree are the lists of what are the "More" common and "Less" common symptoms)
- You can also contact our school health office. Emails and Phone #s are below:
Health Office Hours: 7:30am - 2:15pm
Lori Saari, RN, LSN - lori.saari@isd709.org
Holly Marshall, LPN Health Assistant - holly.marshall@isd709.org
Phone: 336-8875 ext. 2522 (Lori) and ext. 2654 (Holly)
What do I do if my child is going to be absent from school?
Call attendance line 336-8875 then “3” to leave a recorded message
Or email lesterattendance@isd709.org (the office & nurses will both see these emails)
Please list any specific symptoms, especially with COVID still making its rounds and during times of increased influenza.
Teachers may have a preferred way for you to report an absence to them.
If we do not hear why a student is absent, an automated phone call and an email message will be sent out at sometime around 8:30. This is for safety reasons
ABOUT US
ISD709 School District Update Center
Email: tracy.thompson@isd709.org
Website: https://www.isd709.org/lester-park-elementary
Location: 5300 Glenwood Street, Duluth, MN 55804, USA
Phone: (218) 336-8875
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lester-Park-Elementary-1900216436910729