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
Lakes Families,
I cannot believe we are wrapping up our 5th week of school. This week was especially fun as we mirrored the spirit days Rockford High Schoolers participated in for Homecoming. Today was especially fun as the school turned into a sea of orange and black. Lakes students showed off their RAM pride today.
Next week, Lakes students will have a DEN assembly in the gym, wearing their DEN colors, for our first MTSS-Behavior Assembly. This year, the DEN colors include red, yellow, orange, blue, green, and purple. Students are encouraged to wear their DEN colors and represent their DENs on Wednesday, September 30. This month, our character trait focus has been Kindness. We will recognize students on Wednesday who have shown that trait throughout this month.
Next Friday, Lakes students have earned an extra recess for their efforts in the Let’s Glow Crazy fundraiser! We are halfway through our Fall Fundraiser. Thank you, everyone, for supporting the PTO, our students, and our school.
Last year, Lakes was recognized as a Green School for the many efforts made to recycle. This year, we are still collecting plastic bags through our Trex Plastic program. If you have plastic materials to recycle, like plastic grocery bags, we will take them.
Thank you for your continued partnership,
Matt Zokoe
Picture Day
Thank you to Mrs. Kwiatkowski, Mrs. Sipka, and Mrs. Bier for volunteering on Picture Day. Your help was so appreciated!
School pictures are now available! To see if your child's pictures are available to view, please log in to your account at mylifetouch.com. If you don’t have an account yet, you can create one using your email address.
To locate your child's photos, you'll need their Student ID or Portrait ID and Access Code. If you don't have this information, you can:
- Check your inbox for an email from Lifetouch that may contain your access credentials and a direct link to your child's images.
- Wait for your proof sheet to arrive, which will include your Portrait ID and Access Code.
- Contact the Lifetouch Help Center for assistance
Save The Date If Needed : Picture Re-takes will happen on Monday, October 19th.
School Pickup and Drop-off Supports
Our goal is to make drop-off and pickup as smooth and fast as possible, all while keeping safety a priority.
Morning Drop-off:
- Guardians should remain in vehicles.
- Once your car is along a curb, students should exit the vehicle on the passenger side. We ask that cars do not pass each other. As vehicles continue to move through the drop-off lane, exiting on the passenger side of the vehicle is the safest for students and staff.
- Pull up to the car in front of you or to where you are directed by the staff.
Afternoon Pickup:
- Please form two lines. Cars may remain on until you are inside the cones and our staff arrives to begin dismissal. Once staff arrives and you are inside the cones, please turn off your vehicles.
- Pull up close to the vehicle ahead of you so we are able to load many students at the same time.
- Please remain in your vehicles and follow the directions from the staff.
- Please do let staff know if your students have not arrived. Please give them a thumbs up when your student(s) are loaded into your vehicle.
Thank you for helping us to work as a team and ensure student and staff safety.
Den Assembly
This Wednesday, 9/30, Lakes students will have a DEN meetup and also gather in the gym, wearing their DEN colors, for our first MTSS-Behavior Assembly. This year, the DEN colors include red, yellow, orange, blue, green, and purple. You might be asking, “What is a DEN?” DENs are made up of 2-3 different grade classrooms working together to gain DEN points for recognized positive behavior. Each month, we celebrate the work of the DENs with an assembly where we raise the leading DEN’s colored banner, share how we are demonstrating the character trait of the month, and are challenged to help one another.
We also celebrate our Students of the Month for demonstrating our monthly character trait. Students also have their Leading Leopard tickets drawn for various prizes that include popsicles with the principal, extra recess and hammock time, lunch with a teacher, and outdoor learning with Mr. Zokoe. I am excited to support our Character Traits each month and celebrate the work of our students in this way. I hope your students are excited to support one another through our DEN challenges!
Den #1 - color orange - Wallis, Glass/Zawacki, and DeBoer
Den #2 - color red - Onak, Sedlock, and Doenges
Den #3 - color yellow - Farran, Nelson, and Fierge
Den #4 - color blue - Kraft, Ejups, and Schirmann
Den #5 - color purple - Throop, Gittus, and Post
Den #6 - color green - MacKenzie and Baird
Today is Give Like Dolly Day
However, we learned this morning that FundHub cannot process $9.25 donations. Unfortunately, we have learned that you cannot make a specific $9.25 donation amount through FundHub, so we are updating the challenge as follows:
- Make a $10 donation through a single student page (or the corresponding amount using the family page so each student receives $10). We are happy to reimburse the $0.75 to honor the original $9.25 amount if you email us, no questions asked.
- A $10 donation today will also receive a bonus raffle ticket to one of our fundraiser prizes!
It was not fun learning this new development this morning, and we here at the PTO appreciate your understanding! At the heart of it all, we are excited to be working with the Lakes Library to support literacy at our school.
Sincerely, Lakes PTO Board
Lakes PTO Updates
Welcome Kate Mara Woods to the Lakes PTO Board!
Please join your Lakes PTO in welcoming our newest board member, Kate Mora Woods, your VP of Community Service! Kate is a Rockford grad who is happy to have just moved back to the district this spring with her husband, Rusmell, and their son, who just started 2nd grade. Outside of working for Meijer digital technology and helping to run her husband’s art business, Kate also leads the local Cuban dance community called Mi Tumbao G.R. Always drawn to cultural exploration, expression, and community service, Kate is most looking forward to ensuring our Lakes students enjoy the best of childhood through the support of the PTO.
We have one Board position still open for 26-27. The VP, Community Events oversees all Community Service-oriented events and activities, working in partnership with each volunteer team to successfully execute PTO events. There are no specific qualifications required; we invite and encourage anyone who is enthusiastic about taking a more active role in the PTO to apply! Email us for more information.
Kate was voted in following our first PTO meeting of the year on September 10. You can view the minutes of that meeting in Google Docs. At the same time, the 2026-27 budget was approved by voting members. Email us if you have questions or would like to see a copy of the budget.
Let’s Glow Crazy Activity Pass Fundraiser has LAUNCHED!!
Our first week of fundraising has been a great success, and we are excited to bring that momentum into next week!
175 students have signed up to participate
Raising nearly $9,000 to date - almost a quarter of the way there!
Unlocking the first subgoal: Extra recess!
It’s not too late to jump into our weekly challenges!
Week 1 Register your account and win a vote in the Prank a Principal event
Week 2 Earn your first $20 in donations and win some cool glow-in-the-dark gear
Week 3 on deck Receive an out of state donation and get a special lunchtime treat
And don’t forget: every $25 in donations earns you a raffle ticket for one of our four cool prizes! Learn more and get started at our website fundraising page.
Be sure to share your child’s personal fundraising page so they receive credit for the donations they receive!
Were you Bummed to Miss Out on Lakes Gear @ Open House?
Don’t fret: the Lakes Spirit Store will be opening its doors from Oct 1-31, 2026. Check out a wide range of Lakes-specific apparel and other items that will make you glow with Lakes spirit. RSVP on Facebook for reminders.
Another ‘A-glazing’ Donuts for Grownups
Last Thursday, we were stoked to welcome everyone to our first family event of the year! Beautiful weather, crisp cider and delicious donuts were enjoyed by all who joined us! Thank you to our partners The Orchards at Red Barn in Lowell, as well as Perrin for supplying us with food and tableware for the night!
September Staff Appreciation: Powered by Petals
This year, we have tweaked our approach to Staff Appreciation for greater student participation. Each month, our SA team will partner with a different grade level to show their gratitude for Lakes teachers and staff. This week, our Lakes fourth graders assembled fresh-cut flowers graciously donated from Smith + Blossom and Hidden Hollow Flowers & More, wrote notes of gratitude, and hand-delivered these custom creations to classrooms and offices. Our teachers and staff work SO hard every day, and we couldn't have picked a more amazing crew to be part of our students' learning journeys.
Join the PTO!
Join our team of parent volunteers as we enhance the learning and educational experience of students and staff at Lakes Elementary. Work alongside fellow parents, get to know Lakes teachers and staff while making a positive impact on our school. We have many volunteer roles available for the 2025-26 school year. Fill out your interest form at this link.
Helpful Links
Check out our new Lakes PTO Website!
PTO Linktree, Email, and Interest Form
Rockford Booster Bucks
How to Volunteer
Step 1 : Get involved! Contact the PTO for volunteer opportunities, become a daily volunteer, sign up to be a Watch D.O.G., or check your teacher's newsletters for additional classroom opportunities.
Step 2 : Complete a RPS background check online. Background checks can take 2-3 weeks to process so please complete it early! Names are not cleared until teachers, PTO, or volunteer coordinators know that you are coming in. So DON'T hesitate to sign up for a volunteer opportunity, but DO make sure that you have completed the online form this school year! Forms must be resubmitted each school year.
Step 3 : This one is on us! We'll contact our security department to run your background check, and then you will receive an "All Clear" email!
Step 4 : Bring your driver's license on your volunteer day! Scan the back of your license, smile for a picture, and we'll direct you down to your classroom or volunteer space.
Thank you for supporting our Lakes community!
Watch D.O.G.S.
The Dads of Great Students WATCH D.O.G.S.® program is one of the nation’s largest and most respected school-based, family, and community engagement organizations designed and developed by educators, experts, and parent & guardian volunteers over more than two decades.
The program provides positive male role models for the students, demonstrating by their presence that education is important. Meanwhile, we provide extra sets of eyes and ears to enhance school security, reduce bullying, and provide a greater sense of campus safety, allowing students and teachers to focus on learning and instruction. Please remember that you are here to help and be a positive role model to all students. You may have the opportunity to work in your student's classroom, but you might be called to support other areas of the building.
Two options for this year:
1. All Day will be: 8:20 am - 3:45 pm
2. PM will be: 11:00 am - 3:45 pm
To sign-up to become a WATCH D.O.G. please follow this link? Watch D.O.G.S. Sign Up Genius
Daily Volunteers
We are seeking parent or family volunteers to support our learning community at Lakes daily. We are seeking support for both our lunchroom and recess spaces within the day. Parents will be aiding in activities that will allow our students to continue to grow in social situations here at school. Your participation is greatly appreciated as we look to launch these volunteer opportunities. Parents must complete the online background form and check in at the office when volunteering at RPS. Thank you, in advance, for your support!
Lunchroom (11:15 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 (11:00 am - 1:00 pm) or Last Recess (1:50 pm - 3:25 pm)
How to support at recess:
Play or organize a game.
Encourage positive play.
Help with chalk art.
Walk around with a group of students.
Organize a coloring table.
Supervise the Hammock Garden.
Twirl Jump Ropes.
Daily Volunteer Sign-Up Genius
Lakes Recycling Initiatives
NexTrex Plastic Recycling
The program has been revamped and our goal is now to collect 250 lbs of plastic EACH quarter.
- Produce bags, grocery bags, ice bags, cereal box liners, bread bags, bubble wrap, dry cleaning bags - Plastics that can stretch.
- Way to go Lakes! For the last two quarters, we have reached our goal of 250 lbs each.
- With your summer collections arriving, we have already reached over 120 pounds to start this year.
Papergator Recycling
The green dumpster is located in the side parking lot. The Papergator can accept office/school papers, newspapers, junk mail, magazines, shredded paper, and cereal boxes (paperboard that can be torn), etc. Please note, wrapping paper (without sparkles) can be donated to Papergator for all your Holiday party cleanup!
Pop Can Tabs
Pop can tabs are collected in the office and sent to the Ronald McDonald House. Please bring to Mrs. Low in the office.
Upcoming Dates
- 9/30: Early Release at 1:30pm
- 10/1: PTO Spirit Store Opens
- 10/8: Kindergarten Dental Screening
- 10/14: Early Release at 1:30pm
- 10/19: Picture Day Re-takes (am only)
- 10/20: Popcorn Day
- 10/28: Early Release at 1:30pm
- 10/30: Pumpkin Fun Run
- 10/31: PTO Spirit Sale ends
Important Links
School Assistance Program Information
School Lunch Offerings or the Nutrislice App on your mobile phone
