The Weekly Bulletin
September 4, 2026
A LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Dear LFCDS Community,
This year, as we look ahead to our 45th Lake Forest Country Day School Auction, we are delighted to gather around a theme that carries profound meaning: Beneath the Baobab.
Across central and southern Africa, the baobab is known as the Tree of Life. For generations, it has served as a place where communities gather, stories are shared, wisdom is passed from one generation to the next, and celebrations strengthen the bonds that unite people. Its branches provide shelter, its fruit nourishes, and its trunk stores life-sustaining water through changing seasons. Supporting countless forms of life around it, the baobab stands as a symbol of resilience, generosity, stewardship, and deep connection to both community and environment.
At Lake Forest Country Day School, we see these same values reflected in our own community.
Our belief that Childhood Is Championed calls us to create an environment where children are known, nurtured, and inspired to grow. Like the baobab providing protection and sustenance, we seek to preserve the wonder of these precious years while helping young people develop the confidence, character, and curiosity to flourish.
Our belief that Community Is Our Core reminds us that meaningful relationships are the foundation of learning and belonging. Beneath the shade of the baobab, generations gather to share stories, celebrate traditions, and pass wisdom from one generation to the next. The same is true at LFCDS. Through daily interactions, beloved traditions, and a shared commitment to one another, we cultivate a culture that strengthens both individual lives and the community as a whole.
As we prepare for this year’s Auction, we are excited to extend the spirit of Beneath the Baobab into the life of our school throughout the year. Through community meetings, shared reading experiences, classroom learning, and age-appropriate explorations across divisions, our students will have opportunities to deepen their understanding of central and southern Africa that inspires this year's theme, including learning about the Zambezi River region and the peoples and cultures that have called it home for generations. Together, we will explore the rich intersections of mythology, storytelling, community, and environmental stewardship that the baobab tree symbolizes, helping students appreciate both the diversity of human experience and the responsibility we share to care for one another and the natural world.
The strength of the baobab comes not only from its longevity, but from the life it supports around it. In much the same way, the enduring strength of LFCDS is found in the relationships, traditions, and shared sense of purpose that connect us across generations. Just as communities care for the baobab because they understand its value extends far beyond the present moment, we are called to steward this remarkable school for the benefit of those who follow us. The families, faculty, staff, alumni, grandparents, and friends who invest in LFCDS help sustain an environment where children thrive and where our mission continues to grow stronger with each passing generation.
As we prepare for the Auction on March 5, 2027, I invite you to join us Beneath the Baobab. Together, we will celebrate not only a cherished LFCDS tradition, but also the relationships, generosity, and shared responsibility that sustain our community. Like the Tree of Life itself, may we continue to nurture all that grows around us, ensuring that the roots we strengthen today will support future generations of learners, leaders, and families.
Thank you to our auction co-chairs, Phoebe Reaumond and Nicole Barry, and to all of you for making LFCDS a place where children thrive, traditions endure, and community flourishes.
In partnership,
John Melton
Monday, September 7 — Labor Day, No School
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Monday, September 7 — Labor Day, No School —
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