Monday, May 1, 2022 Lancer Times

Monday, May 1, 2022

Dear Lancer Community,

It’s the first week of May and it is also teacher appreciation week! This is one of my favorite weeks of the year, I am so grateful for all that our teachers do each day for our students; it’s my pleasure to formally celebrate them this week. Thank you to all the hard work that our PTA has done to truly make this a special week for all of our staff. I know they truly feel appreciated!

Friday kicks off the first of three SOL testing days for us at Longfellow Middle School. Our 8th graders will be taking Science, Math and Reading and our 7th graders will be taking Math and Reading. We know how hard our students and teachers have worked together this year.

As we reach the end of the school year we are noticing an increase in students arriving to different class periods late.  We are going to continue to remind our students of the importance of getting to class on time.  Not only do we not want them to miss instruction, but it is disruptive to the teacher and the rest of the class when students “trickle in” after the bell.  Please help us by reinforcing this expectation with your child at home.   

Thank you again for all of your support.  Feel free to reach out to me with any questions.

Jim Patrick

Principal

IMPORTANT DATES

May

6 - Science 8 SOL

11 - Reading SOL

13 - Math SOL

12 - 14 - Spring Musical Performance

19 - Rising 7th Grade Open House, 6:00pm - 8:00pm

30 - Memorial Day - No School 

May 19 - Rising 7th Grade Open House

Longfellow is excited welcome our newest Lancers to our Rising 7^th Grade Open House on May 19 from 6:00pm – 8:00pm! Visitors will be able to walk the halls of Longfellow and see how our classrooms are set up, check out the cafeteria, hear from some of our student organizations and more! Longfellow administrators and counselors will be on hand to answer questions. There will not be a large-group presentation; this is an ‘Open House’ style event in which students may come with their family at any time during the evening. If you have any questions, please contact Katie Madigan, Director of Student Services, at kemadigan@fcps.edu.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Morning Attendance Notifications - Suspended

Morning attendance calls, texts, and e-mails are suspended until June 10. Many of our students are involved in AP and SOL testing and are in designated testing sites during our normal attendance-taking time. Evening attendance notification will continue. Parents and guardians, continue to use the normal absence reporting.

After School Program Survey

Below is a link for a quick survey about the Middle School After-School Program. The survey should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete. The survey is an important component of the after-school program evaluation and is critical for future funding. The more responses we receive, the more valuable and reliable the data. The responses not only allow us to assess the impact of the after-school program but they help drive program improvement and program quality. This Survey has been approved by the FCPS Internal Survey Review Committee. Seal Approval Number 22224. Over 90% of our students participated in the after-school program this school year, with over 21,000 occurrences of students staying after-school. Thank you for your continued support of the Middle School After-School Program!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/C2SY3BV

Spring 2022 SOL testing Information

Information about the Spring SOL tests can be found on our website here: https://longfellowms.fcps.edu/student-services/sol-testing-information

April 2022 Notes from the Library

Hello Lancers!  We have been busy in the Library this month with plenty of book talks and research projects!  We just finished our Virginia Readers’ Choice Challenge for the year, and to celebrate we invited the students who completed the challenge to a donuts and cocoa party in the Library during LancerTime.  During the party, every student agreed that Planet Earth is Blue by Nicole Panteleakos is the best VRC book this year!  This is the first time I have had a unanimous decision in VRC voting.  Congratulations to all the students who entered our VRC Challenge.  If you are looking for some great books to read, check out this year's Virginia Readers’ Choice titles.

NJHS Information

All current NJHS members (8th grade): This is a reminder that NJHS Service hours are due May 6.  You should have TEN completed (submitted, verified and approved) hours by the May 6 deadline.  If you do not have the required amount of service hours by May 6, you will be dismissed from NJHS.

7th graders interested in NJHS: In May, an NJHS application will be sent via school email to eligible students (3.75 or higher GPA).  The deadline for the application will be June 10, 2022 – no exceptions!

Any questions regarding 8th grade service hours, please email Heather Postlethwait – hcpostlethwa@fcps.edu 

Any questions regarding 7th grade applications, please email Bindhu Zachariah – bezachariah@fcps.edu  

Tutor.com

We are pleased to announce that students now have unlimited access to online tutoring support services through Tutor.com at no cost to families. Tutor.com is available 24/7, through online voice or text chat, and in your student’s preferred language. Student participation is optional and parents/guardians can opt their students out of accessing the service. You can learn more about Tutor.com on the Tutor.com Online Tutoring Services website. Students will be able to access Tutor.com via a link in Schoology.  Additional information about how to log in and access a tutor is provided to families via the following instructional videos: elementary video and secondary video. Questions not answered in the posted resources may be sent to onlinetutoring@fcps.edu. This new service will help many Longfellow students complete assignments, better understand classroom lessons, and be successful.

E Hall Pass

Longfellow Middle School is committed to providing our students with a safe and secure learning environment. Beginning on April 25, LMS will be piloting e-hallpass. Students will be trained on how to use e-hallpass this week during Lancer Time. E-hallpass is an online platform that allows LMS staff to issue hallway passes to students while also monitoring the activity in the school hallways. Students are able to access e-hallpass through their school-issued device using any web browser and via a desktop shortcut. Students may request a pass to leave the classroom for an appointment with a staff member (counselor, administrator, clinic, etc.).  Staff are able to automatically approve the passes quickly with limited impact on the instruction of the classroom. Student devices will be left in the classroom with their teacher for round trip passes or carried with the student to an appointment. We believe that using E-hall pass will be a way that we can continue to create a safe learning environment for all students. 

FCPS Academic and Career Plan 2021-22

Your student has been working on his/her Academic and Career Plan (ACP) through Naviance Student, throughout the school year. Counselors and teachers have and will continue to conduct ACP lessons, promoting goal setting and career readiness.  We encourage students and parents/guardians to log onto Naviance Student together and explore the resources and exploratory activities.  Please review your student’s Academic and Career Plan progress in Naviance Student and complete this Google form as verification by Friday, May 6. If you have any questions about your student’s ACP please email his/her counselor.  For more information about the FCPS Academic and Career Plan program, visit https://www.fcps.edu/academics/graduation-requirements-and-course-planning/ or the ACP website.

Academic Advising 

Review Rising 7th Grade & 8th Grade Requests

Now that academic advising season is over for the upcoming year, it is time to review your student's course requests on ParentVue. When you login to ParentVue on the left hand navigation menu you will see "course requests." Click on this and check to see if the courses are correct. Adjustments will be made to advanced math courses later in the spring. Please reach out to Katie Madigan kemadigan@fcps.edu, if you have any questions or need any courses adjusted. 

Let's Go Lancers!

Congratulations Will Terzaken! 

8th grader, Will Terzaken, won a National gymnastics competition this weekend in Battle Creek, Michigan.  He competed against almost all Level 8 gymnasts in the eastern half of the United States and came in first in the all-around and won four individual events at the 2022 Mens Gymnastics East National Championships.  Congratulations Will on this amazing accomplishment!

Longfellow MUN wins Best Middle School Delegation

The LMS Model UN (MUN) club participated at TECHMUN this Friday and Saturday at Thomas Jefferson High School. We had 16 students attend and they won the big award along with many other individual awards.  Longfellow claimed, "Best Middle School Delegation".  It was a wonderful weekend for all who participated. We are so proud of our Model UN club, and how they represent Longfellow!

Updated Isolation Procedures for Students Effective May 1

Since the start of the pandemic, Fairfax County Public Schools has regularly reviewed and adjusted our health and safety guidance in alignment with recommendations from local, state and national health experts.

As a result, FCPS will be changing current isolation procedures for students who have tested positive for COVID-19. Beginning May 1, 2022, your child may return to in-person instruction and activities, including athletics, when your child has met the following criteria:

• Student has completed at least five days of isolation; AND 
• Student is fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication; AND
• Student’s symptoms have improved or resolved
• Student wears a well-fitting mask for 5 additional days (day six through day 10) after the end of the 5-day isolation period, in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance

If students are unable to wear a mask when around others, they are to continue to isolate for a full 10 days at home.

Children who are in isolation will continue to have access to our StreamIn/CheckIn during this time. 

The new procedure aligns with the timeline recommended by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD). It also follows improving vaccination rates in the Fairfax Health District, as well as a continued community level of low in Fairfax County.

We continue to balance the need for students to have a high-quality in-person learning experience with student and staff safety. By adhering to our layered prevention strategies and increasing vaccination rates, we are all doing our part to keep schools safe.

Click to edit this placeholder text.

OPPORTUNITIES

Opportunities to Engage with Dr. Reid

Our incoming superintendent, Dr. Michelle Reid, is visiting FCPS next week to learn more about our schools and community. During her visit, there will be a special, in-person event for staff, families, and students on Tuesday, May 3, starting at 7 p.m. More details, including how to register and submit questions, will be shared with you directly via email in the coming days. 

On Tuesday, May 17, Dr. Reid will join staff, families, and students for a multilingual virtual town hall, starting at 7 p.m. We will share details about this event in newsletters and directly via email.

Freshman 101 

Who: Rising 9th grade students coming to McLean High School during the 2022-2023 academic year

Dates: Monday, July 18, 2022 - Tuesday, July 19, 2022

Time: 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.

Location: McLean High School

McLean High School teachers and administrators will offer a variety of in-person activities for students to choose from as they prepare to begin high school at McLean. Students will get to know staff members, connect with other students, and attend sessions designed to prepare them for success as they transition to high school.  

Please note: Only students enrolled as 9th graders at McLean High School for the 2022-2023 school year are eligible for the MHS Freshmen 101 Program. Please complete this electronic form to reserve a spot. Prior to the program, please send a completed Emergency Care Form and email it to mcleanhighschool@fcps.edu by July 11 to complete your registration; Emergency Care Forms are located on the MHS website.  If you have any questions, please email Assistant Principal Jeff Barham at jbarham@fcps.edu.  

IMAGINE Summer Program

Longfellow Middle School is excited to offer our IMAGINE summer learning program! This free and fun summer experience provides opportunities for students to refine and develop foundational math and literacy skills through developing the FCPS Portrait of a Graduate attributes as an effective communicator, collaborator, critical and creative thinker, goal-directed, resilient and global & ethical citizen.  The target audience is students currently enrolled in English 7, English 8, Math 7 and/or Pre-Algebra.

Space for the IMAGINE program will be limited. Families interested in having their student have access to the IMAGINE program can complete the interest form here.  All interested students will be placed on a waitlist. Eligible students will receive a confirmation email by the end of May to initiate the registration process. For questions, please contact our Site Director, Jim Bermudez at jjbermudez@fcps.edu.

• Audience: Longfellow 7th & 8th grade students (rising 8th & 9th grade students) in need of additional time and support to master math and literacy skills
• Location: Longfellow Middle School
• Student Dates: July 11-29
• Hours: 7:30am-11:30am
• Breakfast and Lunch Provided
• Bus transportation provided

Jump Start - Longfellow Middle School Transition Program

SAVE THE DATES: August 2 & 3 and August 4 & 5

The Jump Start program is a nonacademic program that focuses on helping rising 7th graders get to know Longfellow Middle School and the expectations of middle school. Jump Start helps to ensure a smoother transition to middle school by introducing students to staff, peers, school layout, and basic policies before the school year begins. Students will participate in sessions covering topics such as study skills, test taking strategies, time management techniques, schedule reading, learning how to use combination locks and many more. Scavenger hunts, locker relay races, and daily physical education activities will also take place during the sessions.

More information will be available on April 1 and registrations will begin being collected on May 1. 

If you have any questions, please contact Riley Barrows: rtbarrows1@fcps.edu

Join the PTA & Support our School!

Join the PTA  -  When you join the Longfellow PTA you will join a proud community of dedicated parents. Membership is $25 for one adult family member and $35 for two adult family members. All members receive access to our online directory through Memberhub.