On February 13, Lake Forest Academy celebrates its annual Charter Day, a commemoration of the school’s founding. It was celebrated school-wide in Reid Hall with singing and treats, marking the 169th birthday of LFA.
Charter Day began as a declaration from the Presbyterian Church granting the right to establish the school on February 13, 1857. This historical day occurred at the same time as the establishment of Lind University, which later became Lake Forest University and eventually Lake Forest College. The city of Lake Forest was also founded in this same year.
The girls’ college, Ferry Hall, was established a few years later in 1869, and LFA celebrates this as Ferry Hall Day in September to remember the school’s origins. Yellow and white treats—the Ferry Hall colors—are shared in the Student Union, similar to Charter Day festivities.
In previous years, LFA has honored Charter Day through dressing up in school colors—orange and black—and providing orange treats in the Cressy Center for the Arts and the Student Union. This year, LFA held morning meeting in Reid Hall, where the choir sang the alma mater alongside cake, cupcakes and hot chocolate provided for the whole school. Reid Hall was decorated with orange and black balloons to commemorate the occasion.
Head of School Tom Johnson shared that his favorite part of Charter Day is singing the alma mater, explaining that he wished the school were more familiar with it. “I would love it if when people graduated, and they were alumni, they remembered the alma mater song and would come back to reunions to sing it,” he added.
Johnson also shared that the day should be treated as a moment for appreciation and gratitude. It’s a time to reflect on the long history of LFA and “appreciate that it’s been around this long, because there are not many schools that have been, and that is really special.”
Charter Day is also a chance for LFA students to embrace community. They got to experience morning meeting in a new location where they participated in festivities together. “I enjoyed that we were eating cupcakes in Reid Hall and were able to celebrate LFA,” shared Peyton Pollak ‘26.
Between themed treats, a choir performance and shared school spirit, Charter Day offers LFA an opportunity to appreciate its history and come together as a school.