The Leopard Letter

Principal's Report

Lake Forest Families,

This week, we look forward to sharing our 2025–2026 South Carolina School Report Card with our Lake Forest families! The South Carolina Department of Education will officially release school report card ratings on Monday, October 12.

Each year, school report cards provide valuable information about student achievement, academic growth, school climate, and other important measures of school success.

While an overall rating is one measure of our school's performance, we believe it is equally important to celebrate the progress we are making in individual areas and recognize opportunities for continued growth.

We are incredibly proud of our hardworking students, dedicated teachers and staff, and supportive families. Our commitment remains the same: Love Every Child. Challenge Every Learner. Lift Each Other.

We look forward to sharing our results with you this week and celebrating the many ways our Leopards continue to learn, grow, and succeed! 💙💛

Wishing you well,
Julie Cooke
Principal

Lake Forest Elementary School

LFE Commitment Statement

At Lake Forest Elementary, everything we do begins with a simple but powerful commitment:

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

These words reflect the heart of who we are as a school community and guide the decisions we make, the relationships we build, and the expectations we set each day.

Love Every Child. We believe every child deserves to feel safe, valued, accepted, and loved. We want every Leopard to know they belong and that there are adults at school who genuinely care about them.

Challenge Every Learner. We believe in the potential of EVERY student. We are committed to setting high expectations, providing meaningful learning experiences, and meeting students where they are while helping them grow into all they can become.

Lift Each Other. We believe kindness, encouragement, respect, and strong relationships make our school a special place. We want our students to understand the importance of supporting one another, celebrating successes, and helping others through challenges.

Our commitment is not simply something we say. It is something we strive to LIVE every single day.

Families, thank you for partnering with us and trusting us with your children. Together, we can create a school community where every child feels loved, every learner is challenged, and everyone is encouraged to lift each other.

🐆 That's the Lake Forest way! Taking Pride in Learning! 💙💛

Calendar of Events | October 12-16, 2026

Monday, October 12, 2026

Student Council officers announced
Beta Club Meeting, 2:30-3:30

Tuesday, October 13, 2026

2nd-5th ELA Benchmark
Battle of the Books, 2:30-3:30
Good News Club
Chick-fil-A Spirit Night, 5-8 pm

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

2nd-5th Math Benchmark
PINK OUT for Breast Cancer Awareness

Thursday, October 15, 2026

End 1st Quarter
4th Grade Science Benchmark
5K Readiness: KRA assessment ends
Chorus, 2:15-3:30

Friday, October 16, 2026

Teacher workday - no school for students

School Counselor Spotlight

Check out this Month's NEW 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 Parent Tip of the Week: Two Positive Choices!

This week, let's revisit a Conscious Discipline skill we introduced last school year—the Power of Two Positive Choices! Have you been using this strategy at home? How's it going?

Giving children two acceptable choices helps them feel empowered while allowing parents to maintain clear expectations and boundaries. It's a simple way to reduce power struggles and build independence!

Here are a few examples to try at home:

👟 Instead of “Put your shoes on right now!” try: “Would you like to wear your sneakers or your sandals?”

🧸 Instead of “Clean up your toys!” try: “Would you like to pick up the blocks or the cars first?”

🪥 Instead of “Go brush your teeth!” try: “Would you like to brush your teeth before or after putting on your pajamas?”

💡 Remember: Both choices should be acceptable to you! Your child gets to make a decision, but the expectation remains the same.

Parents, how is it going? Have you tried offering two positive choices at home? Has it helped reduce power struggles? What successes or challenges have you experienced?

🐆 At LFE, we're working together to help our Leopards develop independence, responsibility, and problem-solving skills—one positive choice at a time! 💙💛

PINK OUT at LFE!

Lake Forest is going PINK on Wednesday, October 14 in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Students and staff are encouraged to wear pink as we show our support for those who have been impacted by breast cancer and honor the strength of survivors. 🎀

Let’s fill LFE with PINK! 🩷🐆💛

Benchmark Assessments Next Week!

Next week, our students will participate in their first round of benchmark assessments for the 2026–2027 school year!

📚 Tuesday, October 13: ELA (2nd–5th Grades)

🔢 Wednesday, October 14: Math (2nd–5th Grades)

🔬 Thursday, October 15: Science (4th Grade Only)

📢 Important Change This Year!

In previous years, benchmark assessments measured only the standards students had been taught up to that point in the school year. Since students take benchmarks three times each year, the assessments gradually included more standards as the year progressed.

This year, benchmark assessments will be comprehensive from the very first administration. This means students will see questions covering standards from the entire school year, including some they have not yet been taught.

What does this mean for your child?

Please don't be concerned if your child encounters questions about material they haven't learned yet! Our teachers will use results from previously taught standards to monitor student learning and identify areas where additional support may be needed. Results from standards not yet taught will provide a helpful preview as we plan instruction for upcoming units.

Our goal is to use these assessments as a tool to guide instruction, celebrate growth, and ensure every student continues making progress throughout the year.

Please help your child arrive at school on time, get a good night's rest, and simply do their best!

💙💛 Thank you for partnering with us as we continue Taking Pride in Learning! 🐆

REPOSTED: Book Fair is Coming Soon!

We’re excited to welcome the Scholastic Book Fair to Lake Forest Elementary Friday, November 6 through Friday, November 13! The Book Fair will be open each school day from 7:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Be sure to join us for Family Reading Night on Monday, November 9! The Book Fair will be open during the event, making it a perfect time to shop together as a family. 📖💙💛

Important Reminder: Per GCS policy, students must have a signed permission slip to visit or shop at the Book Fair. Permission slips went home this week, so be on the lookout for the bright red paper in your child’s folder!

Our PTA will also be sharing a volunteer sign-up link. The Book Fair is a big event, and we couldn’t make it happen without the support of our wonderful parent volunteers. We appreciate everyone who gives their time to help make this experience special for our students!

We can’t wait to see our Leopards excited about books and reading! 📚🐆

REPOSTED: Red Ribbon Week Oct. 26-30

Mark your calendars for October 26–30! We’re looking forward to celebrating Red Ribbon Week with a week of fun dress-up days while encouraging our Leopards to make healthy choices and be drug free!

🧦 Monday – “Sock It to Drugs!” Wear crazy socks!
🌈 Tuesday – “Don’t Get Mixed Up with Drugs!” Wear your wackiest, mismatched clothes!
🤠 Wednesday – “Give Drugs the Boot!” Wear your Western gear!
💙💛 Thursday – “LFE is Drug Free!” Show your LFE spirit!
🎃 Friday – “Say BOO to Drugs!” Wear a Halloween shirt!

We’re sharing the schedule early so families have plenty of time to plan. We can’t wait to see our Leopards showing their school spirit all week long! ❤️🐆💙💛

REPOSTED: America 250

In honor of America’s 250th Birthday, Greenville County Schools is inviting students in Pre-K through 12th grade to share their creativity and talents! Students may submit an entry in poetry, speech, song, dance, artwork, photography, or essay. (see flyer attached below)

🏆 Winners will be selected in each category at every school, and school winners will advance to the district-level competition. District winners can earn $50 prizes, with four top GCS winners receiving $100 prizes!

📅 Deadline: October 30, 2026

We would love to see our LFE Leopards represented! 💙💛 Share your voice. Celebrate our nation. Inspire others.

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America 250 Event Flyer.pdf

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Chick-fil-A Spirit Night

🐔💙💛 What’s for dinner Tuesday night?

Chick-fil-A, of course… because you’re NOT cooking! 🙌🎉

Take the night off from cooking and support our Leopards at the same time!

🐆 LFE Chick-fil-A Spirit Night
📅 Tuesday, October 13
⏰ 5:00–8:00 PM
📍 Chick-fil-A – Taylors Location

A percentage of proceeds will be donated right back to LFE! 💙💛

✅ Ordering in person? Mention Lake Forest Elementary at checkout.

📱 Ordering through the app? Select “Community Event” when placing your mobile order.

No cooking, no dishes, AND you're supporting our school? Sounds like a WIN-WIN! 🐆💙💛

Spread the word, Leopards! Let's have a great turnout!

🍧 KONA ICE IS COMING TO LFE!

It's time for our monthly Kona Ice treat, and our Leopards are in for something SWEET! 🎉

📅 Wednesday, October 21
💵 Just $3 per student
🍧 Available during all lunch periods!

Time to dig through those couch cushions, check your cup holders, and round up that spare change! 🪙😆

If your Leopard would like to enjoy a refreshing Kona Ice, simply send $3 cash with them on Wednesday!

💙💛 A little ice, a lot of smiles, and a SWEET day at LFE! 🐆🍧

💙 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.