The Leopard Letter

Lake Forest Families,

We are excited for another great week at Lake Forest! This week, we will celebrate Start With Hello Week, a special opportunity to remind our students just how powerful a simple “hello” can be.

Throughout the week, students can participate in optional dress-up days and activities focused on kindness, connection, inclusion, and belonging. Every student will also receive a Start With Hello bracelet as a reminder to notice others, reach out, and help everyone feel included.

This week is a wonderful reflection of what we believe at LFE—Love Every Child. Challenge Every Learner. Lift Each Other. 💙💛

Encourage your Leopard to look for someone who may need a friend, offer a kind word, invite someone to join in, or simply start with hello! 🐆💚

It’s great to be an LFE Leopard!

Wishing you well,
Julie Cooke
Principal

Lake Forest Elementary School

• no student activities

• Battle of the Books (BOB), 2:30-3:30 (media center)
• 1st Good News Club of the Year
• Skate Night, 6-8 pm

• no student activities

• Salted Moose at LFE, 7-9:30 am
• Chorus, 2:15-3:30

• no student activities

Check out this Month's Newsletter from the school counseling team!

Take a moment to explore our School Counseling Newsletter for updates on upcoming events and to learn how we’re supporting students and families throughout the year.

When we assume positive intent, we remind ourselves that children are still learning the skills they need to handle big feelings, solve problems, and make good choices.

Positive intent does not mean ignoring inappropriate behavior. Instead, it helps us stay calm while communicating two important messages:

“That choice was not helpful—and I know you are capable of making a better one.”

When children feel that we believe in the goodness within them, they are often more open to correction, willing to learn a new skill, and ready to try again.

💡 Parent Tip: When your child makes a poor choice, focus less on “Why did you do that?” and more on “What can I teach you to do differently next time?”

What makes Lake Forest Elementary special to your family? Maybe it’s a teacher who made a difference, a moment when your child felt truly known and loved, the diversity of our school community, the relationships you’ve built, or simply the feeling that LFE is home. 🐆

We believe some of the very best stories about Lake Forest should come from the people who experience it every day—our families!

We invite you to take a few minutes to share your positive LFE story through the Google Form below. Your voice can help us celebrate our incredible community and show others what makes choosing Lake Forest so special.

✨ Real stories. Real families. One incredible community.

💙 Love Every Child.
💛 Challenge Every Learner.
💙 Lift Each Other.

This is the LFE Advantage. This is the LFE choice.

🐆 We are THAT Lake Forest.

👇 Share your story here:

https://forms.gle/nrbZhSNbzjxxESK48

This week, Lake Forest Elementary is participating in Start With Hello Week, a national initiative focused on helping students build connections, include others, and spread kindness.

Throughout the week, students are invited to participate in optional dress-up days and special activities that encourage friendship, connection, and a sense of belonging. Every student will also receive a Start With Hello bracelet as a reminder that something as simple as saying “hello,” inviting someone to join, or showing kindness can make a BIG difference!

We are excited to celebrate a week dedicated to making sure every LFE Leopard feels seen, included, and valued. 💚🐆

At Lake Forest, we Lift Each Other! 💙💛

Please do not send Stanley cups or other cups with exposed straws that can spill if tipped over. These types of cups create frequent messes and can damage classroom materials and technology.

Please send a small, leak-proof water bottle with a lid that closes completely. Water only, please!

Thank you for partnering with us to create the best learning environment for all of our Leopards.

Our friends at Wade Hampton High School are gearing up for Spirit Week, September 19–24, and they’re inviting the entire community to join the fun!

Throughout the week, families can enjoy community events including a Youth Sports Camp, car washes, Music at the Hamp, Wade’s Got Talent, a Silent Auction, Spaghetti Dinner, and several local restaurant profit shares.

LFE families—let’s show some love to our Wade Hampton community and support our future Generals!

Check out the flyer for dates, times, locations, and registration information. Go Generals!

Skate Night is back, and we’ve moved to a NEW night! Don't miss our first Skate Night of the year on TUESDAY, September 15, from 6–8 PM at Taylors Roller Sports. Admission is $5 per skater, and glow sticks will be available for $1.50 each (cash only).

We're inviting everyone to join the Lake Forest Elementary PTA for just $6!

Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, family friends, students...and yes, if your dog or cat could sign up, we'd welcome them too! 🐶🐱😊

Our PTA does an incredible job supporting our students, teachers, and school community all year long by funding programs, providing resources, hosting family events, and celebrating our amazing staff. Your membership helps make all of that possible.

Our goal is simple: one PTA member for every Lake Forest student. Every membership counts and helps support child advocacy, scholarships, educational resources, and so much more. Joining takes just a few minutes! Simply create an account through MemberHub and pay the $6 membership fee.

Join HERE today and help us make this our best year yet!

Reserve the LFE Pride Rocks Today!
Our Spirit Rocks are available for reservation. Painting Pride Rock is a fantastic way to send a special message, show your school spirit, or wish someone a "Happy Birthday!" The cost to reserve is $10/day per rock. We have two rocks available:

• Front Carline Entrance
• Side Carline (K4-1st Grade) Entrance

Don't miss out — reserve your spot today and make your message stand out!

Join us on the Remind App:

• Download Remind app or go to remind.com
• Our class name is Lake Forest Elementary PTA
• Our class code is @8bb434

Join Our Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/583337569143345

Follow us on Instagram: @LFEPTA

Vision

The vision of Lake Forest Elementary School is to empower students to learn, grow, lead, and succeed.

Mission

The mission of Lake Forest Elementary School is to provide a nurturing, student-centered learning environment where students are empowered to learn about the world, persevere through challenges, and develop positive character traits.

2026-2027 School Priorities

1. Providing strong tier 1 instruction
2. Strengthening our PLCs
3. Collective Ownership of ALL students
4. Enhancing our understanding and application of Conscious Discipline

Email: jcooke@greenville.k12.sc.us
Website: https://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/lforest/
Location: 16 Berkshire Avenue, Greenville, SC, USA
Phone: (864) 355-4000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LakeForestES

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lakeforestelemsc