The Leopard Letter
September 21-25, 2026
Principal's Report
Lake Forest Families,
We are looking forward to another great week at Lake Forest!
🌎 Multicultural Night is tomorrow, Monday, September 21! We hope you’ll join us as we celebrate the many cultures, countries, and traditions that make our Lake Forest family so special. We can’t wait to see you there!
🍧 Kona Ice is coming to LFE! On Wednesday, students will have their first opportunity of the year to purchase Kona Ice during lunch. Be on the lookout for additional information about purchasing.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership. We are grateful for our wonderful LFE community!
At Lake Forest, we Lift Each Other! 💙💛🐆
Wishing you well,
Julie Cooke
Principal
Lake Forest Elementary School
Calendar of Events | Sept 21-25, 2026
Monday, September 21, 2026
Challenge Parent Meeting, 5:30 (Media Center)
- Multicultural Night, 6 pm
Tuesday, September 22, 2026
- Battle of the Books, 2:30-3:30 (media center)
- Good News Club
- First student council meeting (only the 1 class rep per 3-5 classes)
- Kona Ice sold at lunch
- Chorus, 2:15-3:30
- First Club Day of the year, 1:10-1:50 *Remind refrain from early dismissals during this time.
School Counselor Spotlight
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.
💙 Conscious Discipline Corner: Positive Intent 💛
Are you a mind reader? Neither are we! Yet, we often assume we know why a child behaves a certain way: “She’s being selfish.” “He’s trying to push my buttons.” “She knows better.”
Positive intent asks us to look at behavior differently. Instead of assuming a child is giving us a hard time, we consider that the child may be having a hard time or may simply be missing a skill.
Try changing your thinking:
“He’s being mean.” → “He wanted the toy and didn’t know how to ask.”
“She’s ignoring me.” → “She may need help stopping what she’s doing and listening.”
“He’s acting crazy.” → “He has lots of energy and needs help calming his body.”
Positive intent does not mean ignoring inappropriate behavior or removing limits. It means approaching the behavior as an opportunity to teach.
Try this simple formula at home:
See the need → Set the limit → Teach the skill
“You wanted my attention, so you hit my arm. You may not hit. Hitting hurts. When you want my attention, touch my arm gently. Let’s practice.”
When we assume positive intent, we move from blaming and punishing to teaching and connecting—helping children develop the skills they need for next time. 💙💛
Multicultural Night - September 21
Join us Monday, September 21 for one of our favorite LFE traditions—our Annual Multicultural Night!
Our Lake Forest family represents more than 30 countries, and we can’t wait to come together for an evening of food, performances, family activities, and celebration of the cultures that make our school so special! 🌍🐆
🌟 Highlights include: Mosaic students, LFE Chorus, a student-led Brain Smart Start, family activities, and more!
🌮 A HUGE thank you to Greenville Federal Credit Union for generously sponsoring a FREE walking taco dinner, drinks, and snacks for the first 200 guests! Additional food vendors will also be available for purchase.
🕔 Festivities begin at 5:00 PM and continue through 7:30 PM.
Come celebrate, connect, and belong with us! We can't wait to see our LFE families there! 💙💛
REPOSTED: Wade Hampton High School Spirit Week is coming!
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!
Kona Ice
Get ready for a cool treat! Kona Ice will be at Lake Forest on Wednesday, September 23 and will be sold during student lunch times! 🌈🍧
💙 Prices begin at $3
💛 Proceeds support our LFE PTA and our school!
Thank you for supporting our PTA and Lake Forest Elementary!
Mother Son Game Night
Mother–Son Game Night is almost here! Join us on Friday, October 2 from 6–8 PM at Lake Forest Elementary for a fun night of games, dodgeball, outdoor activities, a silent disco, and more!
Open to all K4–5th grade boys and their mothers (or a positive adult role model).
Tickets: $20 per pair • $5 per additional son Dinner included.
Please purchase tickets by September 29. Limited tickets will be available at the door. Scan the QR code or click here to get your tickets today.
💙 Join the Lake Forest PTA!
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 Pride Rock
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!
Connect with PTA
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
Our Why: LFE Vision, Mission, and Priorities
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
- Providing strong tier 1 instruction
- Strengthening our PLCs
- Collective Ownership of ALL students
- Enhancing our understanding and application of Conscious Discipline
Lake Forest Elementary School
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