Yay!  I am super excited to welcome y’all to a new school year for the first time!  Hope everyone has had an awesome summer and is ready to start an awesome year together doing awesome things! Let’s work together to support our kiddos and make LAKE LIFE the best life! :)

First, your child’s teacher for the 2025-26 school year will call you the week of August 18th to welcome and invite you to our Meet Your Teacher and Class Family Picnic event on Thursday, August 21, from 4:00-7:00 p.m.  Our Meet Your Teacher event will be from 4:00-6:00 and will include:

• Classroom visits & information about your child’s class and grade level

• Photo booth

• SLES merch (t-shirts, etc.) for sale

• PTA information 

• Transportation information (Bus, Walkers, & Carpool)

• Family Scavenger Hunt

Our Class Family picnic will be from 6:00-7:00 in designated areas for grade levels and classes so that families have the opportunity to meet and visit with each other before school starts.  Please bring your picnic and blankets, chairs, etc. with you.  Thanks!

 

Student school supply lists can be found by clicking HERE, on our SLES website, and at our Meet Your Teacher event on August 21.  

 

We will have monthly Family Events this year.  So far, we have planned our Meet Your Teacher & Class Family Picnic in August, Moe’s Spirit Night/Family Movie Night in September, Parent Choice Information Session in October, Parent Choice Information Session in January, Book Fair Family Night in February, Family Culture Night in March, Talent Show in April, Student-Led Conferences in May, and End-of-Year Celebrations in June.  We are still finalizing our events calendar.  Keep an eye on the PTA Newsletters and Event Flyers for updates. Can’t wait!

 

Our amazing PTA is so critical to our school’s success.  Please join our PTA via this link - Givebacks.  We are in need of parent support to make our PTA the best it can be! We are in need of officers, committee chairs/members and general volunteers!  Without the financial and people support of our PTA, our kiddos and staff would not have many of the things we do. Please help out if you can.  Thanks so much for supporting our school community!   A huge THANK YOU to Nikki Dorsam for serving as our 2025-26 PTA President, as well as the rest of our officers - Tammy Cox, Vice President; Crystal Perry - Treasurer; and Tara Loveless - Interim Secretary.  We will share an opportunity soon to meet the rest of our PTA Board.

 

Interested in volunteering?  If you were a registered volunteer last year, you should have received an email to renew your volunteer status or follow the directions found HERE.  If you are a first-time volunteer, visit Volunteering in WCPSS to get started or learn more.

 

I am happy to share the following changes for the 2025-26 school year.  Parents are welcome to visit your child during lunch or recess any day of the week.  Parents must sign in at the office first.  For lunch, parents may eat with their child in the cafeteria with the class, in the Splash Zone, or at our outdoor picnic tables.  Parents are also welcome to join your child’s class for recess during their recess time.  Yay!  SLES will also celebrate student and staff birthdays this year.  Student names will be called on the morning news, and they will come to the office to choose a birthday book.  Staff names will also be recognized.  Third grade students will continue to serve on the morning news crew but will work for a week at a time.  Multiple students may be selected to represent their classes as SWIM STARS. We will celebrate & recognize our staff and families’ cultures throughout the year school-wide, and our building will be more colorful and kid-friendly - murals, student artwork, student work and projects, etc.!   It is important to me that families feel valued and welcome in South Lakes, so please let me know your ideas and needs. Thanks!

 

Y’all!  We have so many things to be thankful for at SLES!  Let’s RESET together and make this year the best one yet!  I’m fully committed to the work and am right beside you SLES family!