Lakes Elementary Newsletter January 24

Matt Zokoe - Principal
mzokoe@rockfordschools.org

Address: 6849 Young Avenue, Rockford, MI 49341
Website: www.rockfordschools.org

Phone: (616) 863-6340

From The Desk of Mr. Zokoe

Thank you for finding us on the new and improved Rockford Public Schools website. This website contains information relevant to Lakes and will inform you about everything happening here at school. Please continue to check in to stay up-to-date.

Currently, Lakes students are completing their NWEA ELA and Math winter assessments. Our teachers provide universal support for breaking testing windows up, extending testing time as needed, and encouraging students to put forth their best effort. We will continue encouraging our students to do their best and help with goal-setting throughout this testing window. This testing check-in provides our teachers an opportunity to adjust instruction as we have reached the halfway point of the year. The encouragement you provide your student to do their personal best in this assessment window is appreciated.

A quick reminder also that Early Release days return next month. Make sure those dates are on your calendar. 

Conferences are scheduled for Tuesday, February 25, and Thursday, February 27. Both nights will be in-person conferences, yet we will help support phone or virtual conferences as needed. More information will be coming soon as we get closer to conferences.

Winter is truly upon us. This past week alone, our area has experienced snow, icy roads, and below-zero wind chills. Please help make sure students are dressed for this winter weather. If a student forgets to bring boots, gloves, or even a jacket to school, we have some available if needed. Your support throughout these winter months is most helpful.

Finally, your continued commitment to Lakes Elementary does not go unnoticed. It has been wonderful to see parents supporting our students every day.

Winter Reminders!

Attendance

Absences MUST be called in or emailed to the front office. When leaving a message, you must include the following : 

• Student's name and teacher
• Reason for absence - if it is an illness we need to know the symptoms of the illness - vomiting, coughing, fever (over 100.4), cold, diarrhea, etc. 

Label Everything

The winter weather is here, and students are dressing in layers, which means our lost and found will be growing. To avoid your students' clothing from going into the lost and found PLEASE LABEL EVERYTHING!!! Label all coats, boots, mittens, hats, etc. Labeling items will ensure they will back it back home!

Staying in for Recess?

The recess period provides a change of pace, exercise, and release of tension. If your child is well enough to come to school, we can assume he/she is well enough to go outside for recess. Children coming down with or having colds, sore throats, etc. and are unable to play outside should stay home from school. All children are expected to go outside unless the weather is not suitable. If there is a medical need, a doctor's note is required for a student to be excluded from recess. 

Warm Clothing

We highly encourage all students to dress for the weather and wear the outer clothing that they bring to school. This includes hats, mittens, boots, snow pants, and coats. We ask that all students bring boots to school each day from Thanksgiving through Spring Break. Conditions change quickly and our playground often goes from muddy to snowy to just plain wet in a matter of hours.  Due to this, students will be removing their outdoor foot attire when they go into the classrooms. Therefore, all students must have a pair of shoes at school along with their boots.

Feel free to pack an extra pair of socks and sweatpants in your child's backpack during the winter months.  Don’t forget to put your child’s name on coats, snow pants, boots, etc. Thank you!

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer Background Checks

Daily Volunteers

We now have some daily volunteer opportunities for families to help foster our Lakes Community. Please visit the link for additional details and to select a time slot.

Lunchroom (11:30 am - 12:50 pm) - How to support in the lunchroom:

• Walk around and interact with students.
• Help open lunch materials.
• Review lunchroom procedures to help with the end of the lunchtime.
• Push the trash bin around to gather trash materials.
• Play a game with the 5th-grade students at their table.
• Encourage students to walk to recess.

Lunch Recess (11:10 am - 1:00 pm) - How to support at lunch recess:

• Play or organize a game.
• Encourage positive play.
• Help with chalk art.
• Walk around with a group of students.
• Organize a coloring table.
• Support the quiet area with quiet area activities.

Last Recess (2:15 pm - 3:30 pm) - How to support at last recess:

• Play or organize a game.
• Encourage positive play.
• Help with chalk art.
• Walk around with a group of students.
• Organize a coloring table.
• Support the quiet area with quiet area activities.

Dads of Great Students

Who can participate: Fathers, grandfathers, step-fathers, uncles, and other father figures.

Watch D.O.G.S can serve full days (8:15 am - 3:45 pm) or half days (pm option). Watch D.O.G.S can be assigned to classrooms as needed by the teachers, perform recess duty, complete ground checks, or other various tasks. When possible, Watch D.O.G.S will have the opportunity to work with their students or their student's classrooms. However, they may also be called to serve in a separate space as needed.

Sign Up for Lakes Watch D.O.G.S.

Watch D.O.G.S. Facebook

Lakes-A-Palooza Volunteers

Looking for any high school sports teams and/or our Lakes families to volunteer during May 15th's Lakes-A-Palooza Carnival and Art Show! Please sign up with the PTO! 

PTO Corner

• Lakes-A-Palooza : Volunteers are needed to help run carnival games, supervise the bounce house, and more! Please help us to make this event a success.
• Parents at Perrin! A Lakes parent mixer, brought to you by the Lakes PTO and our gracious partner Perrin Brewing Company. Join us for a kid-free evening of delicious food, drinks and fun entertainment. Tickets must be purchased in advance, visit linktr.ee/lakespto to buy yours today. This is a 21+ event; we hope to see you there!

Activity Pass Reminder

As you know, your student's Activity Pass is their ticket to field trips and other enriching activities throughout the school year. Here's how that breaks down:

$34 goes toward school-wide activities for students and staff, such as assemblies, field days, staff appreciation and grants, and more.

The remaining amount (varies by grade level) covers field trip entry fees and transportation costs.

• Pay Now online via Paypal or Venmo
• If you are a family experiencing financial hardship, please reach out to Mr. Zokoe for a confidential discussion.
• If you have a business that'd like to donate to the PTO scholarship fund to cover families experiencing financial hardship, please respond to this email for more information.

For students who have not paid, an itemized bill will be sent home to ensure equal opportunities. Thank you for your support!

Lakes PTO and admin

• Rockford Booster Bucks

• PTO Link Tree

• PTO Email

Recycling Initiatives

Enrollment opens 2/13/25

Enrollment for the 2025/2026 school year opens February 13th.  Children who turn five years old on or before December 1, 2025 are eligible to enroll for the 2025/2026 school year.  

Upcoming Dates

2/5 : Early Release Day. Dismissal at 1:30pm

2/14 - 2/17 : Mid Winter Break

2/18 : School Resumes

2/25 : Parent-Teacher Conferences (details to follow in Early February)

2/26 : Early Release Day. Dismissal at 1:30pm

2/27 : Parent-Teacher Conferences

4/3 - 4/13 : Spring Break

4/14 : School Resumes

4/16 : Lakes Spring Music Program (Save the Date!)

5/15 : Lakes-A-Palooza (Save the Date!) 

Important Links

After the Bell - Rockford Community Services Registrations

Lakes Facebook Page (family only)

Lakes Library Facebook Page

School Lunch Offerings : You can also download the NutriSlice App

School Lunch Payments : Make sure to select Family Portal. Lunches are free this year unless your student selects milk only.

Stay in the Know! : Sign up for Rockford Public Schools Alerts on this webpage.

Teeny Feeny

Volunteer Background Checks

Watch D.O.G.S. Facebook

Well Minded Matters