On Monday, Lift For Life Academy kicked off its 25th academic year, opening our doors to welcome more than 850 students in grades K-12. As LFLA celebrates this anniversary, we think back to our humble start, in 2020, as the first charter school in the city of St. Louis, when we welcomed 60 sixth graders in a single small building. Since then, LFLA has added programs for elementary and high school students, and we have grown to become a campus of 10+ buildings, offering a wide variety of unique classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities.

This week, teachers around the Academy were getting to know their new students and diving head first into their lessons. In the Middle School’s Construction class, students dressed mannequins in safety goggles, face shields, and brightly colored shirts to demonstrate their safety knowledge from previous years. First grade students participated in a “Get to Know You” scavenger hunt to find fellow students who shared their same hobbies, such as art, reading, and sports. Math teachers in every building asked their students to complete assignments on principles they had learned in prior years, to help teachers ensure the new lessons are starting at the right level for all students.

"The first few days of school have been full of love, setting high expectations, tons of engagement, and collaboration," said Ms. Danielle Price, our new Elementary School Principal. "Our teachers have worked extremely hard over the last few weeks, and that hard work is obvious through the engagement and learning that we have seen since the first day of school. We had our first family engagement meeting, Hawk Heroes, and our families are excited to get involved with events, volunteering, and enhancing our school together. Our community is committed to the success of our students and we are so excited for what the school year is going to bring us!"

Senior Mekale S. said that he is most excited for his Computer Science SOAR 2 class, where he is enrolled in Computer Science 101 through Southeast Missouri State. “I don't know which part I like best about computer science, so I think SOAR will really help me figure that out this year before I go to SEMO next fall,” Mekale said.

 Teachers are just as happy to be back as their students. Ms. Sally Owens, a math teacher at the High School, said: “I’m so excited to be back with my students! I missed them so much over the summer!”

Ms. Tierra Jackson, the new LFLA Middle School Principal, said: “The first few days of school have been fantastic! The excitement among students and teachers is visible, filling our halls with positive energy. We’ve already jumped into academic instruction, and our new advisory groups are in full swing. Students particularly enjoyed our Wellness Wednesday guided meditation—a new initiative to bring mindfulness into our Middle School. It’s shaping up to be a great year!”

Across the Academy, there is a sense of joy and eagerness for what the year holds. We can't wait to share our celebrations and successes with you as we embark on our 25th school year!

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Scott R. Dolan

President 

Tami Fernandez

Vice President

Kate Hatfield 

Secretary

Brian Liberman

Treasurer

Ernest K. (Ernie) Banks

Dennis Cope

Sheila Gurley, Ed.S.

Beau Herndon

Mary Jo Liberstein, Ph.D. 

Mark Schweiss

Debbie Champion Snyder

Steven M. Stone

Gina Wischmeyer

Paige Fowler, Class of 2024

Student Representative

Tatyana Jones, Class of 2024

Student Representative

FOUNDATION

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Tami Fernandez

President  

Todd Taylor

Vice President

Scott Dolan

Secretary

Erich Thurmann

Treasurer

Marshall Cohen

Susan K. Goldberg

Marylen Mann

Dr. Katrice Noble

Carol Staenberg

HONORARY

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Marshall Faulk

Carla Scissors-Cohen

(Co-Founder)

IN MEMORY OF

Dr. Jack Burke

John Mann

Marshall Cohen

Co-founder/Exec.Director

Dr. Katrice Noble

Deputy Director

Charter sponsored by: