Friday, January 22, 2021 Lancer Times

CALENDAR EVENTS

January
25 Teacher Workday-Student Holiday
February
1 Picture Day-By Appointment Only
8 Picture Day-By Appointment Only
10 Virtual Rising 8th Grade Curriculum Night
15 President’s Day Holiday
22 Virtual Spelling Bee

Message from Dr. Patrick

Dear Lancers,
It is hard to believe that we are at the end of the first semester. I want to thank our students, parents, and staff for all of their hard work in the first half of the year! As we enter the second semester, many students will have new classes as they start their second semester electives. Please review the important information below about 2nd semester schedules, BBCU links, etc. that your student will need for classes starting next week.

Thanks,
Jim

Jim Patrick, Ed.D
Principal
Longfellow Middle School

Request to Change to Online Instruction

We have received questions about the ability to change students' instructional preference to online. Please complete this form by January 27, only if you would like to change your student from in-person to online instruction for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year. You can view your student’s current instructional preference in ParentVUE. Log into ParentVUE and click 'Student Info' (left side of the screen) and scroll all the way down to the 'Return to School Responses' section.

Second Semester Schedules

Schedules will be available starting today, January 22, through StudentVUE and ParentVUE.
Students will get new BBCU links in the following classes:
   • Lancer Time
   • Health and PE
   • Semester electives (*You will not receive new links for year-long electives such as Band, Chorus, Orchestra, and World Languages)
Important BBCU Link Information
   • BBCU links will be sent to your @fcpsschools.net email by January 25 at 4:00pm
   • Links will be named with the following format: “Period-Subject-Teacher Name”
      o Example: “2-HPE-White” would be Health and PE during 2nd period with Mr. White
   • Students should save new class links as favorites in their web browser and/or in their schedule template that they created at the beginning of the year
   • If you do not receive a link for a new semester class or for Lancer Time email Ms. Brooks at MLBrooks@fcps.edu or email the teacher directly by locating their email in the LMS Staff Directory
   • Questions about your course assignment- contact your Longfellow counselor

Read the Lead!

The Longfellow Lead: Leading the Charge Towards Excellence
The Longfellow Lead is finally up and running this year at https://lmslongfellowlead.com/. The Longfellow Lead is our student publication, and is written by students for students. Currently featured are stories on classrooms, like the Rube Goldberg machines created in Design Engineering and Modeling (aka Shop class); entertainment, like the story on Wonder Woman’s theatrical release and the popular game “Among Us”; and the many effects of COVID-19 and quarantine including effects on sports, the environment, and local businesses. So many more are being uploaded as we speak.

The following students have contributed to the Longfellow Lead:
(Note, all student names in the online newspaper have been shortened to first name and last initial for the safety of the students.)

School Pictures! Longfellow Families: to make the yearbook this year as special and memorable as possible, we really need input from everyone. The process to submit pictures to be included in the yearbook is very easy and we hope to get submissions from ALL students and their families. You can submit a variety of pictures – they don’t just have to be of your Longfellow student! You can include family, pets, etc. Here is the link to submit pictures: eShare – just fill out a short form and upload as many as you want – the more the better!

Portrait Information! Portraits will be by appointment only and be taken here at Longfellow on February 1st and 8th. Here is the signup link to schedule your appointment: http://pickatime.com/vos/longfellowms Students wishing to purchase a picture package will have the opportunity to do so online after they sign up for a time and after picture day. Paper picture orders will not be accepted at the camera. All picture packages will be delivered via USPS shipping to a home address. In order to maintain social distancing, the number of cameras provided will be sufficient to accommodate our school enrollment. Due to Covid-19 guidelines, walk-ins will not be accepted at this time. Instant IDs will be given to students on-site upon exiting the photography station. Appointments should be available from 11am to 6pm on February 1st and 8th. We will utilize our kiss and ride loop for portraits with students entering through door 4. SCHEDULE/COMMUNICATION REQUIREMENTS • All individuals including school staff, VOS photography staff, students and family members will be expected to wear facial coverings and adhere to physical distancing guidelines. • Students wishing to purchase a picture package will have the opportunity to do so online both before and after picture day. Paper picture orders will not be accepted at the camera. • All picture packages will be delivered via USPS shipping to a home address. • Instant IDs will be given to students on-site upon exiting the photography location.

P2 Preview - PERSEVERANCE Next week we will continue exploring the 24 P2 Character Strengths looking at the Character Strength of Perseverance (click on the link to access a 1 page character card). This week's example is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He demonstrated perseverance through his endurance as a leader in the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. King persisted in doing what he knew was right, despite the many hardships that he and his family endured. He sums up this strength, in his conclusion of the below speech at Spelman College, by stating: "If you can’t fly, run; if you can’t run, walk; if you can’t walk, crawl; but by all means keep moving." P2 Family Resources: We encourage you to visit the grade 6-8 “P2 for Families” Perseverance site here. The password for accessing these family resources is: P2

Health Screening Commitment Form Required Prior to Student Return to School Buildings As additional student groups return to school in person, parents and caregivers are asked to complete a Health Screening Commitment form before student(s) return to school buildings. This document confirms that a parent, caregiver, or guardian will complete a daily health screening and will keep their student home should they become ill. When you log onto ParentVUE the option to complete the Health Screener should pop up automatically. Electronic completion of the form through ParentVUE is preferred, but we are able to send hard copies home. Please direct all questions and completed forms to Alexia Candamo at amcandamo@fcps.edu.

2021-2022 Registration Information

Rising 8th Grade- Longfellow Middle School
Rising 8th Grade Curriculum Night- February 10 from 6:00pm to 7:00pm
We will host an information session for our rising 8th grade families that will provide an overview of the 8th grade course selections and registration process. Students are welcome to attend! Student Services staff will be available to answer questions. A link will be sent in advance.

Rising 9th Grade
Longfellow counselors will conduct individual academic advising meetings with all 8th graders, over the next several weeks, during Civics classes. Counselors will help students select their 9th grade courses and check in to see how this year is going for them. We look forward to this opportunity to meet one-on-one with our students.

Rising 9th Grade- Meeting for Students Outside the McLean Pyramid
Mr. Ramatowski will be holding an academic advising session for current 8th grade students who are not attending McLean High School on Thursday, January 28th from 2:30PM-3:00PM. This presentation will include a general overview of the academic advising process. Please make sure to check your high school's academic advising website for their rising 9th grade course catalog. Students will receive a BBCU link to this session in their @fcpsschools.net email.

Thomas Jefferson High School Admissions Update

The updated admissions information and timeline is now posted on the TJ Admissions Website. The application window will begin on February 1 at 8:00 am and close on February 26 at 4:00 pm. More details about the holistic selection process will be shared when available. If you have questions, please contact your student’s counselor.

The Diversity Committee of the Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology PTSA

Hear from people working in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) field!
• Parents, register at this Zoom link: http://bit.ly/TJStemTalk2
• Submit questions in advance here: https://bit.ly/tjdiversitytalks

Mental Health and Wellness Do you have concerns about your child’s mental health? Have a talk with your child to find out how they are doing. Give them your full attention. Listen carefully, repeat what you heard and ask if you got it right. When they feel heard and understood, they’re more likely to share with you. Notice what is going on with your child. You know your child best. The Student Services staff at Longfellow, including counselors and our clinical team are here to support families. Healthy Minds has also compiled resources to support families- click here to view their information regarding emotional wellness and crisis support.

AAUW McLean Area Branch 2021 STEM Essay Contest

Essay Theme: This essay contest challenges 7th and 8th grade students, girls and boys, to discover and publicize women who made a difference in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, but who did not receive recognition for their contributions while alive and whose contributions are not well known even today. Describe one woman's STEM contribution and its impact, as well as why you selected the woman.

Essay Guidelines:
  -Essays must be no more than 500 words and include a bibliography with 3-5 sources (not part of the 500 words). Do not include photos or graphics.
  -Essays will be judged for effectiveness in addressing the theme (description of the contribution, its impact, and your reason for selecting the woman), writing style (including organization, clarity, accuracy, originality in style, and word choice), and mechanics
(including punctuation, grammar, spelling, and bibliography).
  -Essays must be the student’s original work. Information from sources should be stated in your own words. If an essay is found to contain plagiarism or factual errors, it will not eligible for an award.

Essay Submission:
  -The deadline for submitting applications is Thursday, February 11, 2021, at 11:00 pm EST. No late submissions will be accepted. Only one essay submission per student is permitted.
  -Students must download the application (Word document or fillable PDF) from https://mclean-va.aauw.net/2020/11/12/stem-essay-contest/, and email the completed application to mcleanaauw@gmail.com. All submissions will be acknowledged with a return email stating that a complete application has been received. Students should verify that they have received this email.

Essay Prizes:
  -First Place $100, Second Place $50, Honorable Mention (2 Prizes) $25 (Winners will be notified by email.)
  -The student awarded First Place must be able to attend the virtual AAUW McLean Area Branch Event on Tuesday, March 16, 2021, starting at 6:30 p.m. to receive the award and will be invited to read his or her essay at the event. All winners and their parents or guardians will be invited to participate in the virtual event.

Employment Opportunities New Employment Opportunities in Fairfax County Public Schools: Classroom Monitors FCPS schools and centers are hiring classroom monitors to provide in-person classroom assistance for students when some staff members continue to work virtually. If you would like more information about the position, review the job description online and apply if interested. Please share information about this opportunity with anyone else you think may be interested. Classroom monitor applicants should contact Wendy Eaton at WLEaton@fcps.edu. FCPS Is Seeking Individuals to Serve as Substitute Teachers Are you or somebody you know interested in substitute teaching with FCPS? Apply online or attend one of our Friday information sessions to learn more. To sign up for a session, visit the FCPS substitute teacher information page.

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