CALENDAR EVENTS
April
13 PTA Presentation 8 a.m. 13 2-Hour Early Release 12:15 p.m. 13 Spring Family Trivia Night 7 p.m.
16 Student Holiday-No School
19 How to Thrive at Longfellow 7 p.m.
20 Heritage Night
26-28 Spring Musical
May
1 Night of Percussion 7 p.m. McLean HS
3 Pyramid Orchestra Concert 7 p.m. McLean HS
11 Principal Coffee/PTA Meeting 8:45 a.m.
15-30 SOL Testing
 LONGFELLOW STUDENTS EARN ACCOLADES AS ROTARY CLUB ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS
Congratulations to Daniel Lian who finished first in the Falls Church Rotary Club’s Essay Contest. Victoria Chen earned 2nd Place honors, and Faraz Ali Mirza won 3rd Place for a Longfellow sweep. On April 5th Rotary Club leaders presented award certificate (and monetary awards) to each of the Longfellow students. First place winner, Daniel Lian (center) read his winning essay at the awards dinner. Daniel’s essay has been sent on to compete at the district level for a $750 award.
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 LONGFELLOW MS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA - CONGRATULATIONS!
Dear Longfellow Family,
I am incredibly excited to announce that our own Longfellow MS Chamber Orchestra was selected to perform at the 72nd Annual Midwest Clinic International Band, Orchestra, and Music Conference (December 19-December 22, 2018). This is the biggest accomplishment this Chamber Orchestra has achieved! This is the first time ever in history for Longfellow MS Orchestra Program to be recognized internationally. It was a record year for applications. Out of 225 applications for the year 2018, only 3 Middle School-String Orchestra groups were invited, which is about 1.5% of the total application pool from around the world.
The conference represents a population of more than 17,000 attendees from all 50 states and more than 30 foreign countries. It’s been more than 10 years since any performing group from Fairfax County Public Schools has been invited, and more than 30 years since a String Orchestra group from FCPS was selected to perform at this clinic!
This is fantastic news and an honor for the Longfellow Middle School Orchestra Program to share. It is the highest recognition that band and orchestra can receive – INTERNATIONALLY! Recordings are submitted and judged blindly, and submissions go through a very competitive, yet thorough blind process to be showcased at the clinic the following school year.
A huge congratulations to the 2017-2018 Chamber Orchestra students, who have gone above and beyond in every direction – thank you for your commitment, dedication, excellence, and being the best you can on a daily basis. Now we can all say we have the best orchestra program in the world J I would like to especially recognize all 8th graders who were a vital part of this year’s submission that set the highest standards for all orchestra programs in and out of United States. What a great way to start Spring! This selection acknowledges all the hard work and effort you put in every day. You have inspired many. I am truly humbled to be working with each one of students on a daily basis. I cannot wait to share the experience together next year. Stay tuned for more updates!
I would also like to thank Principal Kihm, our fantastic administrative team and colleagues for supporting the Music Department and always providing the best for our students. In addition, Thank you parents for your never-ending support so students can thrive in every direction.
Musically,
Bomin Collins
Director, Longfellow Middle School Orchestras
Jacqueline Robertson
Assistant Director, Longfellow Middle School Orchestras
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SPRING FAMILY TRIVIA NIGHT
April 13th
Doors Open at 6:30 p.m.
Trivia 7-9 p.m.
$5 per person
Max. 5 per team
Pizza and snacks for sale
All proceeds go to Longfellow Quiz Bowl
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Have You Asked Your Child About Vaping and Juuling?
Parent Presentation Friday, April 13th @ 8:45
LMS Lecture Hall
Do you know the difference between vaping and juuling? Did you know that a “jule” looks like a flash drive? Or that some vaping devices look like a pen? Scientists from Johns Hopkins have also discovered that in addition to nicotine, a number of e-cigarettes release vapors with potentially unsafe levels of lead, chromium, manganese, and/or nickel. Don’t miss the very informative parent presentation by Brian Maslowski, FCPS Student Safety and Wellness Office, who understands this new world of e-smoking. Brian has seen FCPS school visits increase dramatically over the past year concerning vaping and juuling. There have been incidents of both at Longfellow Middle School. Come find out what more about this issue and how to talk to your students about it. Join us on Friday, April 13 at 8:45 AM at Longfellow in the Lecture Hall. A brief PTA update will precede the meeting.
HERITAGE NIGHT INFORMATION
• Prepare & Serve A Traditional Dish From A Particular Country (parent help requested to assist with serving) - 1 service hour. Sign up here: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0a4fa4a628a0fe3-20182
• Perform In The Talent Show (requires attendance at one dress rehearsal) – up to 6 service hours. Sign up here: http://heritagenightlms.wixsite.com/longfellow/talent-show-1
• Prepare An Interactive Cultural Display – up to 3 service hours. Sign up here: http://heritagenightlms.wixsite.com/longfellow/cultural-displays-1
• Perform In The Fashion Show (requires attendance at one dress rehearsal) – 1 service hour. Sign up here: http://heritagenightlms.wixsite.com/longfellow/fashion-show
• Parents and Student Volunteers are needed everywhere - up to 4 service hours. Sign up here: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0a4fa4a628a0fe3-2018
Please check out the International Heritage Night website (http://heritagenightlms.wixsite.com/longfellow) for more details and/or have your student (and their friends!) attend a Heritage Night meeting after school on Thursdays in Room 11 with Mrs. Pohorely to get more info! Don’t miss out!!
7TH GRADE MEANINGFUL WATERSHED EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE (MWEE)
All 7th grade science classes will be visiting Hidden Oaks Nature Center for their MWEE field trip of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The time frame is from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM and departure will be from Longfellow MS. MWEE’s are scheduled for each 7th grade science teacher on the following dates:
Science Teacher Day/Date
Ms. Sabino Friday, 4/27/18
Dr. Daniels / Mr. Scudder Tuesday, 5/1/18
Mrs. Carpenter Wednesday, 5/2/18
Mrs. Cooper/Mr. Tyrell/Ms. Boomer Thursday, 5/3/18
Mr. Bradford Friday, 5/4/18
The science teachers have distributed an information letter as well as a permission slip and emergency care form for parents to complete and return to them. The fee for the trip is $16.00. Payment is due Monday, April 23rd. Cash and checks payable to Longfellow MS will be collected by your child’s science teacher. Please be sure that your child’s name is on the check in the memo section. If the cost of the trip is a hardship for your family, please contact your child’s school counselor.
You may also pay for the MWEE using MySchoolBucks. Go to the FCPS website and click on MySchoolBucks located on the top ribbon. If you have an account, you can go to the school store and click on browse all items. The trip is listed as “7th Grade Science MWEE”. If you do not have an account, you can set one up by following the prompts, then go to the school store and look for “7th Grade Science MWEE”.
PLEASE JOIN FCAG FOR THE MATHEMAGICIAN!
Sunday, April 8th
7-8 p.m, Longfellow MS Cafeteria
Free and open to the public
A public performance of magical mathematics by Dr. Arthur Benjamin, a Math Professor at Harvey Mudd College.
Have You Asked Your Child About Vaping and Juuling?
Parent Presentation Friday, April 13th @ 8:45
LMS Lecture Hall
Do you know the difference between vaping and juuling? Did you know that a “jule” looks like a flash drive? Or that some vaping devices look like a pen? Scientists from Johns Hopkins have also discovered that in addition to nicotine, a number of e-cigarettes release vapors with potentially unsafe levels of lead, chromium, manganese, and/or nickel. Don’t miss the very informative parent presentation by Brian Maslowski, FCPS Student Safety and Wellness Office, who understands this new world of e-smoking. Brian has seen FCPS school visits increase dramatically over the past year concerning vaping and juuling. There have been incidents of both at Longfellow Middle School. Come find out what more about this issue and how to talk to your students about it. Join us on Friday, April 13th at 8:45 AM at Longfellow in the Lecture Hall. A brief PTA update will precede the meeting.
 REMINDER TO NJHS MEMBERS
A reminder to all NJHS members that your 15 hours of service learning must be entered, verified and approved in the x2vol system by May 4th. There are no exceptions to this date!!
If you have any questions regarding the process, please see Mrs. Postlethwait in room 201.
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HOSTING FAMILIES STILL NEEDED
Dear parents and students,
We still have 2 French boys in need of a hosting family from April 20th to May 1st. These students are coming here to experience everyday life in the US, and to practice their English, so you do not have to speak French, or plan anything special for them.
If you are interested in hosting, please go to https://www.alacartetravel.com/viandier-exchange-2018, for information and application, contact our French teacher Ms. Barrau at cbarrau@fcps.edu .
RAMADAN AND THE SOLs
SOL Testing Dates for Longfellow MS:
May 15 – Reading 8
May 16 – Reading 7
May 17 – Civics 8
May 18 – Science 8
May 22 – Math – ALL 8th Graders
May 23 – Math – 7th grade in Math 7HN, Algebra
May 30 – Math 7
Ramadan begins May 15 and goes through June 14
Make-up testing ends on Friday, June 1; additional expedited retakes end on Friday, June 8.
Please contact our School Testing Coordinator at mreid@fcps.edu if you would prefer to have your child take their SOLs during the week of May 7 - 11 and not test during Ramadan. Students follow their regular schedule on days when they are not testing.
What Should Students Do With Cell Phones and Other Personal Devices During SOL Tests?
Fairfax County Public Schools has a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy that encourages students to use their own personal electronic devices (such as laptops, tablets, and cell phones) during the school day to enhance learning. At the same time, FCPS has an obligation to guarantee a secure test environment during Standards of Learning (SOL) testing.
The Virginia Department of Education requires that schools restrict student access to cell phones and other personal electronic devices during SOL tests. These restrictions are designed to maintain test security and to minimize potential distractions while students are taking tests.
View these tips to help your child avoid SOL testing issues related to personal electronic devices
8TH-GRADE VOLUNTEER HOURS
SPRING HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FUN FAIR
Saturday, April 21, 2018
Attention all students in need of volunteer hours
The Spring Hill Fun Fair needs your help with games and activities.
Available shifts:
Shift 1: 10:45 — 12:35
Shift 2: 12:25 — 2:15
Shift 3: 2:05 — 4:00
Clean Up: 4:00 — 5:00.
To sign up, please e-mail us at shfunfairvolunteers@gmail.com with your name, grade and preferred shift(s)
COLLEGE FINANCIAL AWARENESS PRESENTATION
College Access Fairfax, a nonprofit foundation helping students pay for college and FCPS will be hosting several free events to help parents and students understand college financial aid programs, the cost of attending college and how to save for college.
Dates/locations are as follows:
April 10th - Walt Whitman Middle School (7-9pm)
April 12th - Lanier Middle School (7-9pm)
April 19th - Luther Jackson Middle School (7-9pm)
SIGN UP FOR THE TJ BIOCODE PROGRAMMING COMPETITION!
What is BioCode?
TJ BioCode is a bioinformatics programming competition held by TJHSST Bioinformatics Society. Open to middle and high school students, the competition will include beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels of competition. Competitors can participate individually or as a part of a team of up to four people. In this competition, teams compete with each other to solve the most number of problems that range in difficulty. These problems are all related to biology but require no previous biological knowledge and only minimal CS experience.
When and where is it?
The competition will be held at TJHSST (6560 Braddock Rd, Alexandria, VA 22312) on Saturday, April 14th, from 9 AM to 3 PM.
Why should I register?
The competition is completely free, free food will be available, and over $500 in prizes will be awarded. In addition, there are sessions you can attend and learn more about bioinformatics or programming, as well as TJ. We will have programming lectures where students can get help on solving the competition problems, or learn how bioinformatics is applied in the real world.
For more information and to register, visit: tjbioinformatics.wixsite.com/biocode
ACTIVITIES FAIR FOR RISING FRESHMEN-MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL
Friday, April 20
9:45 am-12:30 pm
Highlights include:
Club and Sport Info Booths
Summer Camp Opportunities
Fine Arts Performances
SGA Info
Additional Information:
Lunch will be sold in the cafeteria for $3.25
Or students are welcome to bring their lunch. NO LUNCH CARDS CAN BE USED.
Lunch is scheduled for 10:30.
A packet of information regarding Activities and Athletics
Will be provided for each student at the Fair
Students will return to Longfellow at 12:45
We hope you can join us!
THE ART AND SCIENCE OF TALKING WITH YOUR KIDS,
FEATURING DR. WENDY MOGEL
Wednesday, May 2, 2018, 7 p.m. at Temple Rodef Shalom in McLean
Buy your tickets here (https://voicelessons.brownpapertickets.com) for this essential guide to the art of talking with children of all ages. Learn how to cultivate the art of conversation – from infancy to adulthood – in an age of hurry, worry, and digital distraction. Presented by the Safe Community Coalition, Dr. Mogel is known for combining cutting-edge psychological research with timeless wisdom in guiding parents through the rough waters of child rearing in today’s competitive world.
In her new book, Voice Lessons for Parents: What to Say, How to Say it, and When to Listen, Dr. Mogel shows us how a change in voice can transform communication and ease the relationship between parents and children. Her research-based guidelines help parents communicate with more warmth, respect, and sincerity, as well as foster open parent-child relationships that will help ensure our children’s success in the classroom and in life. Find more information at the Safe Community Coalition website (mcleanscc.org).
HEALTH INFORMATION
When students miss too many days of school, they fall behind and struggle to keep up with their classmates. Whether the days missed are due to illness, truancy, or for any other reason, the end result for the student is the same—learning time is lost. Children and adolescents will get sick at times and may need to stay at home, but we want to work with you to help minimize the number of days your child misses school. Please go to the following link for more information: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/forms/HealthFlyerforParents.pdf
FAIRFAX COUNTY SCHOOL HEALTH PROMOTION
Serving Size…It’s All in Your Hand
Are you aware that the amount of food we eat is just as critical as the kind of food we eat?
It is essential that our daily diet includes the right varieties, as well as the right-sized portions of food. Understanding “serving sizes” can help us incorporate the proper amount of healthy foods into our daily diet. Incorporating plenty of nutrients into meals and snacks, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, will supply you and your students with the energy your body needs to keep you active and focused throughout the day.
Helpful Tips:
Students
With a multitude of distractions available, we often fail to truly focus on the act of eating. Busy schedules and a host of media choices prompt us to eat quickly and mindlessly with little thought as to what we put in our mouths. Research shows that distracted eating can lead to consuming more food – not only in the actual moment, but throughout the day, as our brains fail to recall just how much we ate. Try to slow down and really focus on your meal. Pay attention to the aroma and the flavor of what you eat. Not only will it add enjoyment, but you’ll end up feeling satisfied for a longer period of time.
Staff
It has become an increasingly common habit for us to be distracted while we eat. Things such as watching TV and browsing social media while eating can affect our body’s natural system of communicating when our stomach is full. In other words, we tend to overlook signals that indicate to us that we have consumed enough food. We become less aware and may end up eating more than we need to. Not only are we unaware of when to stop eating, but our memory of the food eaten is also impacted, which can potentially lead to more calories than necessary throughout the day.
Seize an opportunity to be mindful while you are eating and enjoying your meal.
References:
https://healthyforgood.heart.org/eat-smart/articles/portion-size-versus-serving-size
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/distracted-eating-may-add-to-weight-gain-201303296037
https://theconversation.com/five-reasons-why-we-overeat-89323
Hashtag:
#ffxhealthykids
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