LION Charter School

This past Wednesday, LION Charter School staff attended a very special and very joyous K-12 meeting, featuring our annual LION Longevity Celebration. This event honors all staff who have called LION their home for a minimum of five years, some of which who were here our founding year! This was also a moment to recognize our extraordinary 97% retention rate, a number unheard of in education. The room roared with applause and emotions as we inducted our five year members with heartwarming speeches from their colleagues, and distributed one-of-kind LION jackets and commemorative pins to all honored staff. It was truly a beautiful experience for all. Congratulations to our newest inductees and all our honoraries. Thank you for being the heart of our wonderful family.🦁💛💙

“It’s a big, bright, beautiful world—and we’re bringing it to the stage!”

Join us for Shrek the Musical, where our talented elementary school students will take audiences on an unforgettable journey through Far Far Away. Filled with laughter, friendship, adventure, and plenty of fairy tale fun, this is a performance you won’t want to miss!

Performance Schedule
Thursday, June 4 at 5:30 PM
Friday, June 5 at 10:00 AM (Elementary School)
Friday, June 5 at 1:00 PM (Middle School)

Come cheer on our incredible students as they bring this beloved story to life. We can’t wait to see you there!

20 incredible years. What started out as a small idea from several thoughtful and invested individuals grew into a bastion of success and radical joy for thousands of students, staff, families, and community members. Through trial and error, a few tears, and myriad open hearts, minds, and ears, we built LION Charter School from the ground up. On Character. Social Justice. Community. Family. Curiosity. Leadership. We did this TOGETHER. We celebrated milestone after amazing milestone, cheered at champion sporting events, cried at a plethora of graduations and moving up ceremonies, even healed as a community when the world around us was sometimes frightening and unwelcoming. There is no other school in the world as special as LION Charter School, because of you, our community, our family, our supporters.

Please take a moment to check out some of our wonderful moments from this past Thursday’s 20th Anniversary Spring Social, the crown jewel of our shared experience at LION Charter School. We laughed, cried, swayed to the music and were left in aw from our amazing performances, speeches, and testimonials. Thank you to every single staff member, alumni, student, family member and community member who helped make this event such a huge success; your dedication is remarkable, your love permeated the room.

We also want to let everyone know that our online auction has been extended to Wednesday, so there’s still plenty of time left to bid on a variety of fantastic items, experiences, and services, all benefitting our College Access and Success Program. Click the link in our bio to bid.

Thank you again. Here’s to another 20 years of LION❤️
🦁💛💙

Thank you to everyone who joined us last night for our 20th Anniversary Spring Social! As we gather the incredible photos, videos, and memories from this special celebration, we want to remind you that our online auction is officially LIVE.

Don’t miss your chance to bid on amazing experiences and one-of-a-kind items, including:

• Two premium Champions Suite tickets to NYC FC vs. Chicago Fire, including behind-the-goal seating, suite access, and all-inclusive food and beverages.

• A private four-hour Long Island Sound boat excursion for six, featuring stunning coastal views and a catered three-course lunch aboard a comfortable 29-foot cruiser.

• A four-night stay in a beautiful two-bedroom beachfront penthouse in the Dominican Republic, just steps from Playa Dominicus and the Caribbean Sea.

And much, much more!

Whether you’re looking for an unforgettable getaway, a unique experience, or the perfect gift, there’s something for everyone in this year’s auction.

Click the link in our bio to start bidding today. Bidding closes June 2! 🦁💛💙

Our middle schoolers had the best time at Field Day, a full morning of teamwork, laughter, and friendly competition across all five grades. From basketball shootouts to relay races, students cheered each other on, tried new challenges, and showed incredible sportsmanship. Teachers even jumped in on the fun too!

Field Day is one of our favorite traditions because it brings out the joy, confidence, and community spirit in all of us. Thank you to our amazing staff for creating such a safe, energetic, and memorable experience for our students.🦁💛💙

As we get ready to celebrate 20 incredible years of LION Charter School, we’ve been reflecting on the stories that define our community and remind us what makes LION so special.

For so many students, getting accepted into college is only the beginning. Behind the excitement of dorm room shopping, making new friends, and preparing for a brand new chapter, many students are also carrying the very real stress of figuring out how to afford tuition bills, books, transportation, meal plans, and everyday necessities.

For LION alum Abrianna, receiving a LION scholarship helped make continuing her college journey possible.

“Receiving the LION Scholars scholarship took a huge weight off my shoulders. I didn’t have to worry about how I’d pay my bill while also stressing about finals… Without the scholarship, I don’t think I would’ve been able to return to school next year.”

Stories like Abrianna’s are a powerful reminder of the impact community support can have on a student’s future.

Join us on Thursday, May 28th from 6:00–8:00 PM at The BankNote Building for LION’s 20th Anniversary Spring Social as we celebrate two decades of impact, honor the Class of 2026, and come together in support of LION students and alumni. Tickets can be purchased by clicking the link in our bio!🦁💛💙

Behind every college acceptance, scholarship, and milestone is a student who dared to dream big and a counselor who helped them believe they could get there.

At LION, college counselors become trusted mentors, sounding boards, advocates, and steady sources of support during one of the most important transitions in a young person’s life.

LION alum Layla shared:
“Throughout my senior year, Ms. Hernandez was a constant source of guidance and encouragement as I navigated the college application process… Knowing that I had someone who genuinely cared about my success and well-being meant more to me than I can express.”

This is the impact your support makes possible.

Join us on Thursday, May 28th from 6:00–8:00 PM at The BankNote Building as we celebrate 20 years of leadership, community, and opportunity at LION’s 20th Anniversary Spring Social!Tickets can be purchased by clicking the link in our bio.

Together, we’ll honor the Class of 2026, celebrate the journeys of our alumni, and invest in the future of LION students for generations to come.🦁💛💙

At LION, wellness is a priority, and high school students in our Bring Change 2 Mind club show us what that looks like in action.

All year long, these student leaders work to break the stigma around mental health and remind their peers that caring for your mind, body, and emotions is something to be proud of.

This week, they teamed up with our Counseling Office to host Mental Health Awareness Week, with a different theme each day, from mindfulness and movement to rest, connection, and confidence.

We are so proud of our students for creating space, sparking conversations, and building a culture of care at LION.



StudentLeaders

This past weekend, LION families from across our K–12 community came together for a truly special Family Retreat centered on connection, community, and growth. From meaningful conversations and team building activities to moments filled with laughter, reflection, and joy, the retreat created space for families to slow down, connect, and strengthen the bonds that make our community so unique.

Throughout the day, families engaged in activities designed to encourage trust, communication, and collaboration while creating new memories together. It was inspiring to watch students, caregivers, and staff come together with openness, support, and a genuine sense of belonging. These moments are such an important reminder that the strength of our school is rooted in the strength of our community.

A huge shout out goes out to all of our incredible staff who helped make this retreat possible, especially our Directors of Family Engagement, Ms. Bautista, Ms. Guerrero, and Ms. Seda, for their leadership, care, and dedication to our families. Thank you for helping create an experience that our families will carry with them long after the weekend ended! 🦁💛💙

Last week, we had the honor of celebrating our LION Charter School staff during Staff Appreciation Week. We ate delicious food, drank scrumptious lattes, played games, took yoga classes, opened the sweetest gifts from our lovely LION community, and much, much more. It truly gets no better!

As we close out this wonderful week of celebration and gratitude, we want to reiterate how truly remarkable our staff is, how incredibly lucky our students are to be under the care of such amazing humans.

As our CEO, Celia Sosa shares:

“You are the architects of possibility.
You hold the culture of this school in your hands.
You are often the quiet heroes of this work.
You are the backbone of this school,
and your contributions are felt
in every single corner of this building.”

Because of you, LION Charter School continues to shine, continues to grow without limits. You are so loved, admired, and cherished. Thank you! 🦁💛💙