Lakes Elementary - December 19th

Principal Matt Zokoe

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,

Over the next two weeks, RPS will take a break from learning to celebrate the holiday season! Happy holidays to you and your family! Please enjoy the time away with family and friends. We look forward to seeing everyone return on Monday, January 5.

Our students are currently working on the monthly character trait focus of Generosity. It has been great to see and celebrate the acts of generosity demonstrated by our students. A highlight I want to share was the Toys for Tots campaign, which the 5th-grade Student Council helped with collections here at Lakes. 5th-grade student council members were able to bring the toys collected here at Lakes to WZZM 13 to help add to the larger Toys for Tots campaign. Here is the WZZM 13 link to check out our Student Council. This act of generosity helped our students see the importance of giving to others in a very special way.Our January character trait focus is gratitude. Gratitude is the act of showing thankfulness and appreciation for the good things in life. Students express gratitude when they say, “thank you,” recognize acts of kindness, or notice the simple joys in their day. Practicing gratitude helps students build a positive outlook and strengthens relationships with those around them. We will continue to focus on gratitude through our RAMS model when working here each day.

As we continue with our DEN challenges here at school, DEN 4 had a fun experience this week based on their point total. DEN 4 students were able to shave my hair during their lunch hour for all the students to see. This was a fun experience for DEN 4, but also a chance to celebrate the hard work all students are putting in to make positive choices here at Lakes. Finally, our school zone flashing lights have been installed. If you happen to drive past Lakes during the morning or afternoon drop off, you will see them in action. It is our goal to continue to help with traffic safety as we enter 2026! Have a blessed time away!

See you all in 2026!

Matt Zokoe

Cannonsburg Punch Pass

Cannonsburg Punch Cards are now available. Lakes' sponsor is Matt Zokoe. Cannonsburg Punch Cards

Cannonsburg's punch cards offer discounted lift tickets so that students in kinderfarten through 12th grade can enjoy winter to the fullest! Punch cards also offer discounts on rentals and private lessons. There are options for 6 and 10 punches.

Ages 7-10 can get 6 punches for $120 - a savings of $9.17 per lift ticket.

Ages 11+ can get 6 punches for $160 - a savings of $28.34 per lift ticket.

From the Shelf of Mrs. Van StenSel

Battle of the Books - Reading needs to be completed by January 9th. Please make sure to turn in your signed question and answer sheets for each book! The Grand Battle will take place Friday, January 30, 2026 at Rockford High School.

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 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!

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 during 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!

Current Available Options:

Lunchroom - 11:15 am - 12:50 pm
Lunch Recess - 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Last Recess - 1:50 pm - 3:25 pm

Watch D.O.G.S

Watch D.O.G. Volunteer Sign Up

Watch D.O.G.S. is a nationwide program with two primary goals: First, to provide positive male role models for the students, demonstrating by their presence that education is important. And second, to provide extra sets of eyes and ears to enhance school security, reduce bullying, and promote good sportsmanship.

We offer two options to make it easier to get involved. When you sign up from the link in the Lakes Newsletters, you will select if you are full day or afternoon only.

First is a whole day from 8:25 am - 3:45 pm . You will support the building from drop-off until the pick-up line is empty! This is how the program was designed and is the most preferred.
Second is a half-day option with a start at 11:00am -or- 1pm until 3:45pm).

Yearbook Sales are now open!

Yearbook are now available to be pre-ordered! Make your purchase today.

Lakes Yearbook ID is 14560826

Blue background with golden stars and accents that says, "Students of the Month Generosity - Kinder Austin S, Taliah S, and Olivia M. 1st Isla E, Silas S, Anderson G, Bella A. 2nd Presley C, Brooks M, Isla J, Charlie T, Alex B, and Ben B. 3rd Grade Flossy P, Knox R, Margo A, Maddox C, Morgan B, Kyson K, Cooper C. 4th Sawyer P, Colton S, Kira B, Brooke A, Lexi N, Kirby C, Hannah N, Liam G, Isaac P. 5th Kimber L, Michael K, Zevyn D, Oliver W, Brennan F, Evelyn C, and Holden W.

Lakes PTO

Introducing LAKESPTO.ORG - our new website!

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new website! It is a one-stop shop for all your PTO information needs. We hope that it will help streamline communication with our Lakes community and make it easier for you to stay up-to-date on our efforts in the school throughout the year. Check it out HERE!

Teacher Gift Giving Guide - Staff Favorite Things

Are you planning to purchase a gift for your teacher, staff member and/or bus driver but don’t know what to get? Check out the Staff Favorites Thing resource on our website under the Forms and Document section. It is full of helpful information that can help you pick out the perfect gift to share your gratitude. Click HERE to take a peek.

Note: This was a voluntary survey for all Lakes staff. If you do not see a specific person listed, please let us know. We’ll contact them to let them know to take a few minutes and complete it.

High Five Newsletter - Trimester 1 Recap

Check out our top five PTO highlights from the first trimester. A huge thank you to all our families and volunteers who helped us kick the year off strong. We could not do it without your time and commitment and we are excited for what’s to come! Click HERE to view.

New Opportunities

We have a number of new volunteer opportunities available below. If interested, use the provided Signup form if provided; for all others, fill out our PTO Interest Form

SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE This all-new committee will help oversee, develop and promote sustainable practices and initiatives at Lakes, doing our part to be environmentally focused.
ROOM PARENTS Do you want to be more involved with your student’s teacher and classroom? Room parents support unique classroom tasks or needs, as well as serve as a liaison for PTO and their committees.

Reminder: Activity Pass

As you know, your student's Activity Pass is their ticket to field trips (entry and transportation), as well as other fun and enriching activities throughout the school year. FOURTH GRADERS, heads up! Your field trip is coming up soon, John Ball Zoo School in January!

As a reminder, please review the Activity Pass amounts by grade and submit payment for your student. Have questions or need details on the Activity Pass? Click here!

Kindergarten ($82) - 1st ($67) - 2nd ($77) - 3rd ($98) - 4th ($133) - 5th ($127)

Pay Now online via Paypal or Venmo, or drop a check at the front office.
If you are experiencing financial hardship, please contact 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 contact the PTO for more information.

Thank you to our business sponsors this year! Their generous contributions help our scholarship fund. A warm and hearty high five to the following businesses: 85West Dental, SixOneSix Dentistry for Children, Douglas Photography, Integrated Packaging Machinery, Rockford Self Storage and Swift Printing!

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. CLICK HERE to fill out an interest form!

Helpful Links

Check out our new Website!
Follow the PTO on Facebook or Instagram
PTO Linktree and Email
Rockford Booster Bucks

Lakes RecyCling Initiatives

NexTrex Plastic Recycling

Our goal is to collect 1,000 pounds this school year so we can earn a new bench for our playground!

Produce bags, grocery bags, ice bags, cereal box liners, bread bags, bubble wrap, dry cleaning bags - Plastics that can stretch.
We've collected over 240 pounds of plastic so far this year!

Papergator Recycling

Papergator use can continue throughout the summer! The green dumpster is located in the side parking lot. 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!