|
August 23, 2021
Dear Lancers,
What a great first day at Longfellow! It was so good to see our students enter the building today. As with all first days, there was a mix of excitement and nervousness to start a new year; however, it was an overall great day at LMS! There is a lot of information for the start of the year detailed below to include upcoming events such as Back to School Night and an Administrative Meet and Greet. Please take a moment to review this information, and feel free to reach out with any questions!
Thanks,
Jim Patrick
Principal
Longfellow Middle School
IMPORTANT DATES
August 23 - First Day of Classes 2021
August 25 - Admin Meet & Greet, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
August 31 - Back to School Night 2021
September 3-6 -Labor Day Holiday (No school on Friday, Sept. 3 or Monday, Sept. 6)
September 17 - Celebrate McLean, 4:00pm - 6:30pm
Admin Meet & Greet: August 25 from 7:00pm to 8:00pm
Parents/Guardians are invited to meet the LMS Admin Team, ask questions, and share feedback about your student’s first few days back at school. We look forward to seeing you there!
Back to School Night: August 31 from 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Back to School Night is an opportunity for parents/guardians to walk though their child’s class schedule and meet their teachers. Our Back to School Night is on August 31 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. There will be a few information sessions about Schoology, Family Life Education and ESOL services that will meet at 5:30pm. If you are unable to attend, our teachers will be posting a recording of the session to your child’s Schoology course. More information to come later this week in a separate email. Remember parking is limited so consider carpooling or walking.
RETURNING STRONG - WELCOME BACK!
KISS AND RIDE INSTRUCTIONS
Students are allowed into the hallways to go to their first classes beginning at 7:00 a.m.
Students dropped off at Kiss and Ride will be allowed to enter Exit 4 , pick up a “grab and go” breakfast or eat in the cafeteria (socially distant and masked) until they proceed to their first class (period 1 or 2).
AM Kiss and Ride Procedures
• Enter in the main driveway of Longfellow School and turn left to head to the rear of the school.
• Yield to any cars or buses that might be exiting the front of the school.
• Continue towards the back of the school and move up to the furthest point along the curb. The Farthest end point for drop off is the end of the sidewalk just down from entry door #4 (It will be marked with a sign).
• Students may enter the building through door # 4 (by the cafeteria).
• All students may proceed to their first class of the day or eat a grab and go breakfast in the cafeteria (socially distant and masked) until leaving for their 7:30 start time.
After Drop Off - Kiss & Ride drivers shall proceed towards the basketball court. Turn left onto the exit and another left to head towards the front to the exit. Please maintain the posted 1- MPH speed limit and yield to all pedestrians. Continue straight and merge onto the front loop where you must stay to the left.
We do not have permission to use the driveway to the right (not owned by Chesterbrook Assisted Living).
Drivers exit either right or left onto Westmoreland Street at this time. If left turn traffic becomes a problem left turn capability will be reconsidered. Do not use Hopewood Drive as a cut through. It is private property and cannot be used unless you have permission to use that road.
School buses have the right of way in the parking lot so please let them pass in front of you.
There is to be no dropping or picking up on the shoulder of the road or in the turn lane in front of
2030 Westmoreland St. This is against the law and it is dangerous for students and drivers.
PM Kiss and Ride Rules
PM pickup is towards the rear of the building (the same as the morning drop off). Cars may begin lining up in Kiss & Ride at 1:45 PM. Pull all the way to the end of the curb so other cars may pull in behind. When exiting, please follow the Exit directions for the AM Kiss & ride. Pick up of students on the road is not permitted. Stopping in the turn lane along Westmoreland will not be allowed.
Safety Mitigation
FCPS and LMS are continuing to use the following layered prevention strategies to keep schools safe places for all students to learn: masks, vaccination, screening for sickness, cleaning and disinfecting, hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette, ventilation and contact tracing and quarantining. The most up to date information from FCPS about the Return to School can be found here: https://www.fcps.edu/returntoschool including detailed answers to many FAQs. Below are some highlights.
Student Schedules Available in SIS - No Later Than August 19
Student schedules will go live in SIS ParentVUE and StudentVUE for all FCPS secondary students at 6:00am on August 19. To view your student’s class schedule when it becomes available, sign up for ParentVUE.
Vaccines
The pandemic disrupted routine well-child doctor visits, causing many children to fall behind the recommended vaccine schedule. For more information about which vaccines are required prior to the first day of school for 7th and 12th graders, please see this document from the Virginia Department of Health: immunization requirements.
Bell Schedule
Our school hours are 7:30am to 2:15pm. We operate on an A-B block schedule. A yearlong A-B calendar and bell schedule, including class times and lunch periods, will be provided in the coming weeks. Don’t worry! We help students understand the bell schedule and they will understand it in no time!
School Supplies
Click here to view a general list of school supplies. Teachers may have specific supply requests once school begins, but students will have plenty of time to get those materials. If you are in need of school supplies, please contact our Parent Liaison, Frances Wilson.
Lockers
Having lockers is often thought of as a right of passage for middle school students and we are pleased to announce that LMS students will be using lockers this year! Students will be able to locate and practice opening their lockers during their orientations and we are building in time for practice during our first week of school, as this is new for ALL of our students this year.
PE Locker Rooms
Students will be allowed to use locker rooms in PE this school year. Just as in previous years, students will be required to change into their Longfellow PE Uniform prior to physical activity in class. Your child’s teacher will share information about purchasing a PE uniform when school starts. Likewise, in accordance with FCPS policy, students will be allowed to unmask while they are participating in Physical Education outdoors.
Lunch
All students may receive one (1) no-cost breakfast and one (1) no-cost lunch meal each school day. This never-before implemented benefit combined with all students returning to school buildings has the potential to significantly increase participation in the meal programs. Menus, allergens, and nutrition information are all available online at https://fcps.nutrislice.com/menu/. Students should bring a water bottle with them to school which can be refilled at hydration stations. Students will not be permitted to drink from water fountains. All students will have the opportunity to eat lunch outside in designated areas (weather permitting). Students will be able to remove their masks at lunch while eating, but will be required to put them back on when they are finished.
Student Support - School Counselor Assignments
Your Longfellow school counselors have been eagerly preparing for the return of students to the building. This year we will assign students to counselors based on their grade level and last name. You can identify your student’s Longfellow counselor by reviewing the chart below. Here are some examples of how your student’s counselor can be of assistance:
• Social and emotional support and resources
• Academic support, such as study skills and organization
• Questions about your class schedule
• Assistance navigating middle school life
We understand that returning to school this year may bring up a wide array of emotions for students and we are here to help. Please reach out to your student’s counselor if you need any support.
|
Grade Level
|
Counselor
|
Last Name
|
|
7th Grade
Kevin Sami, Assistant Principal
|
Jill Scharl
|
A-K
|
|
Vaughnetta Caldwell
|
L-Z
|
|
8th Grade
Aidan Vigil, Assistant Principal
|
Bruce Walker
|
A-L
|
|
Lorraine Marshall
|
M-Z
|
|
7th and 8th Grade
ESOL Levels 1-4
|
Sam Ramatowski
|
A-Z
|
Student Office Aid Application
We are pleased to announce the return of Student Office Aids for the 2021-2022 school year. Student Office Aids are 8th grade students who exemplify positivity and strong communication skills. They are carefully selected to perform various front office tasks and routinely interact with students, families, and staff. We are limited to 2 Student Office Aids per period (excluding 4th period), per semester. When selected, Student Office Aids will have to drop a semester elective in order to participate.
If you are interested in serving Longfellow Middle School as a Student Office Aid, please review this Student Office Aid Information Letter.
Bus Stop and Route Information
Bus stops and route information will be shared with families via the ParentVue accounts on August 10. All staff and students riding a bus will be required to wear a mask. For more information about bus transportation, including how to access the Bus Delay Notification System, visit the Transportation page. If you would like to change your transportation status, please contact Kathy Holstrom, klholstrom@fcps.edu at Longfellow and they will assist you in making the update in our Student Information System.
TECHNOLOGY UPDATES
Digital Consent Forms
Fairfax County Public Schools uses a variety of resources to support student learning. In cases where FCPS contracts with a vendor to host student information, FCPS requires that the vendor adhere to the security and privacy requirements specified in a confidentiality agreement included in their contracts. FCPS does not have contracts with every instructional tool vendor. Many valuable instructional tools are governed by Terms of Service (TOS) and include both free and paid tools. Some of the digital resources your child may use this year require parental consent. You can find more information about FCPS’ commitment to student privacy at Digital Privacy in FCPS and a list of all approved digital tools is viewable online in the FCPS Digital Ecosystem Library which has links to the vendors’ privacy notices and other useful information. To provide your parental consent for each student in your family, please follow this link and follow the provided directions starting on August 11 (the form will not be live before then).
Family Life Education Instructional Program Information
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) provides a comprehensive, sequential Family Life Education (FLE) program for students in grades kindergarten through grade twelve. Instruction is seen as a partnership among parents and guardians, the school, and the community in supporting the learning essential to the development of strong families, positive relationships, and a healthy community.
Parents/guardians may choose to opt their child out of all or part of the Family Life Education program. Students who are opted out are provided with age-appropriate, nonpunitive alternative health instruction, and every effort is made to foster respect for family choices. If you wish to opt your child out of all or part of FLE for this school year, opt out forms will be included in your child’s back-to-school/orientation packets and are available online for Elementary (K-6) https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary-school-academics-k-6/elementary-family-life-education, Middle School (7-8) https://www.fcps.edu/academics/middle-school-academics-7-8/family-life-education-fle, and High School (9-12) https://www.fcps.edu/academics/high-school-academics-9-12/family-life-education-fle. Please fill in the opt-out form and return it to your child’s school prior to Family Life Education instruction.
Detailed grade-level program descriptions are available online at Elementary (K-6), Middle School (7-8), and High School (9-12). FLE grade level-specific lessons and media that FCPS has streaming rights for are available for parents online in Schoology. Parents/guardians login to Schoology using the same username and password as their Student Information System (SIS) Parent account. Grade level-specific lessons are also available at the City of Fairfax Regional Library (this location does not have media). Grade level-specific lessons and media that is not streamed online are available for review at your child’s school library. Due to copyright permissions, we are unable to stream all media online.
Program questions may be addressed at your child’s school or by contacting Instructional Services at 571-423-4550 or by contacting Carrie Reynolds, Health and Physical Education Coordinator at cfreynolds@fcps.edu.
Schoology - Learning Management System
FCPS transitioned to Schoology as our learning management system this summer. Students, families, and staff will begin using the system as we Return Strong this fall.
We are excited to share that students, families, and teachers throughout FCPS and in our school community will use Schoology (pronounced /SKOO-luh-jee/) as our learning management system beginning Summer/Fall 2021.
Here is what you need to know now:
• Starting in July 2021, we will not use Blackboard 24-7 Learning or Blackboard Collaborate Ultra (BBCU)
• Schoology has a connected web conferencing tool, Zoom
• Schoology works with Google Drive
• You need a SIS/ParentVUE account to login to Schoology: http://bit.ly/FCPSSIS
• You can learn more about Schoology: https://www.fcps.edu/schoology
• Parent accounts will be available in mid-August (Information about how to login to parent accounts will be shared with you closer to the start of the school year)
• Students will have a Schoology account by June 18, 2021 (Students will not see any classes until the grading period starts; Students use their FCPS student ID and password to login to Schoology: https://lms.fcps.edu. Look for the FCPS logo to make sure you are on the correct login page.)
Schoology is a learning space that enhances communication, collaboration, and personalized learning for students, teachers, and families. As a parent or guardian, you will be able to use Schoology to view:
• your child's class
• your child’s assignments and participation
• your child’s calendar
• teacher comments, scores, and feedback
We are asking that you:
• Make sure you have registered for a SIS/ParentVUE account: http://bit.ly/FCPSSIS
• Learn more about Schoology: https://www.fcps.edu/schoology
• Look for the next communication about how to login to Schoology.
We look forward to using Schoology along with your SIS/ParentVUE account.
• These short videos in multiple languages will help parents learn how to navigate Schoology.
o English playlist
o Arabic playlist
o Chinese playlist
o Farsi playlist
o Korean playlist
o Spanish playlist
o Urdu playlist
o Vietnamese playlist
|
Emergency Care Updates Now in ParentVUE
Please include the following in your communications to parents:
Emergency Care Updates Now in ParentVUE
Parents can update their student’s emergency care information online using weCare@school (weCare) which is now linked within SIS ParentVUE. Learn more about weCare and ParentVUE here.
PTA
Join the PTA
We highly encourage you to join the Longfellow PTA by visiting their website. Click here and learn more about this incredibly supportive organization. Longfellow offers numerous programs and an abundance of educational resources due to our strong PTA membership.
FCPS Multilingual Family Podcasts
Listen and subscribe to a FCPS Multilingual Family Podcast to hear timely, important information related to school news. The podcasts are produced in conjunction with the Office for ESOL Services and the Office of Professional Learning and Family Engagement. The goal of every podcast is to help families access key resources and understand how to best support their children’s education.
Listen and Subscribe:
Spanish Podcast: https://anchor.fm/enpocaspalabrasfcps
Arabic Podcast: https://anchor.fm/inafewwordsarabicfcps
Korean Podcast: https://anchor.fm/inafewwordskoreanfcps
|
