The Panther Post
August 16, 2026
A Wonderful First Week!
What a great first week of school! I want to start by saying thank you to our students, families, teachers, and staff for helping us kick off another exciting year at Lake Eola Charter School.
As with any new school year, we are still working out a few bugs, adjusting routines, and finding our rhythm. But even in just these first few days, it has been wonderful to see how much our students are already growing and settling into their new classrooms.
I have been especially impressed by the flexibility and resilience of our students. They have handled new teachers, new classmates, new schedules, and new expectations with such a positive attitude. Even better has been watching new friendships begin to blossom throughout our school. There is something special about seeing students who may not have known one another a week ago already laughing together, helping each other, and beginning to feel like a school family.
That spirit is exactly what makes LECS special. Small School. Big Family. Unlimited Possibilities.
As we move beyond the first week and into the months ahead, I hope we continue to show one another that same patience, flexibility, kindness, and willingness to grow. If this first week is any indication of what lies ahead, we have so much to look forward to this year.
Here’s to a wonderful year ahead, Panthers! ❤️💙
📋 New School Year Forms & Documents
As we settle into the new school year, we need the help of all LECS families in making sure that your required beginning-of-year forms and documents are completed.
All of our forms are available online, making it easy to complete everything in one place.
To complete your forms:
Visit the LECS website → Select “Parents” → Select “Forms and Documents” → Complete all of the online forms linked on that page.
Even if you are a returning LECS family, please take a few minutes to visit the page and make sure you have completed all required forms for the 2026–2027 school year.
Keeping this information current helps us make sure we have the permissions, agreements, and information we need to support your child throughout the year.
Thank you for taking care of this as soon as possible! ❤️💙
Carline Tips
🚙 Help Us Keep Dismissal Moving!
Our afternoon dismissal is getting quicker and smoother each day, and we appreciate everyone's patience as students, families, and staff settle into our routines. Now we need your help to get our carline running at its normal speed!
💙 Please Have Your Blue Car Tag Ready
When you pull up to the corner of Jefferson and Palmetto, please make sure your Blue Car Tag is clearly visible to our staff.
If your vehicle has tinted windows, please roll down your window and display the tag so that our staff can easily see it.
Beginning Wednesday, families who do not have their Blue Car Tag will be asked to park and walk up to the school so that we can verify identification before releasing a student. This is an important safety measure and helps us keep the carline moving for everyone.
If you need a Blue Car Tag, please contact the Main Office as soon as possible so we can get one to you and help you avoid this inconvenience.
📣 Students Have a Job, Too!
We are also reminding our Panthers that they need to come downstairs as soon as they hear their name called.
During our first week, there were several occasions when individual students had to be called five or more times before coming to the dismissal gate. We completely understand that everyone is still learning new routines, but this is one area where we need to improve.
After this week, if a student's name has been called multiple times and they have not arrived at the gate, we may need to ask the family to circle back through the carline while we locate the student. We certainly don't want anyone to have to do that!
Families displaying their tags + students listening for their names = a faster dismissal for everyone.
Thank you for helping us make dismissal safe, efficient, and as quick as possible for all of our LECS families! ❤️💙
Dear LECS Families,
We invite every parent, guardian, family member, teacher, staff member, and community supporter to become a PTSA member. Joining is one of the easiest ways to support our school and have a voice in the programs, events, and initiatives that benefit our students. Whether you can volunteer throughout the year or simply want to show your support, we'd love to have you as part of our PTSA family.
To join, please visit https://lecs-ptsa.givebacks.com/shop
Best,
Ylana Henderson
2026-2027 LECS PTSA President
