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Dear Lancers,
I hope everyone had an enjoyable long weekend, as well as a fun and safe snow day. I reminded our students today that our blue/silver calendar does not change when we have a snow day. We maintain our published block schedule. For example, today was a “Silver Day” and our Silver Day classes met. Some periods were abbreviated to accommodate the 2 hour delay. We wanted to share this since we have not had a snow day in a while and we could have more winter weather on the horizon! All of our schedules can be found on our website.
I hope we have a great week together. As always, please feel free to reach out directly with any questions or concerns.
Jim
Jim Patrick
Principal
Longfellow Middle School
CALENDAR EVENTS
 PTA Meeting - Tonight!
PTA will be back in action tonight, January 17th at 7pm in the Lecture Hall. Please join us as we welcome Ashley Misitzis! Ashley will speak with us on gun safety in the home. Be SMART about gun safety.
AFTER SCHOOL CORNER
Volleyball will begin on Monday, January 29th.
Do you love puzzles? The Puzzle Club is accepting new members. Puzzle Club meets after school on Thursdays.
We are pleased to announce that the first Kids' Lit Quiz in the DMV area will take place at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (6560 Braddock Rd, Alexandria, VA 22312) from 3-6 pm on Thursday, January 25th, 2024.
DETAILS:
The Kids’ Lit Quiz™ is a non-profit major international celebration of books and reading. It is designed to be fun, with an element of competition, personal challenge and reward for children whose passion is reading. Just taking part in one of the regional heats provides important experiences that many children may not otherwise have. Teams of up to four students work together to answer 100 wide-ranging book-related questions arranged in ten categories.
ELIGIBILITY:
The Kids’ Lit Quiz™ is open to students interested in reading from ages 10-13. All students must be under 14 years old on July 1st 2024. All students must be from the same school. Up to four teams of four can compete from each school.
FORMAT:
The questions are written and read by quiz master Wayne Mills, a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Education, University of Auckland. Teams of up to four students will work collaboratively during the quiz to answer 100 questions in ten categories on paper, which will then be scored. The categories are diverse in order to cater for all reading tastes. Book prizes are awarded, and the winning team has the opportunity to compete at the national competition in Hartford, Connecticut on January 31. The winning team of the national competition will be invited to compete at the World Final in Canberra, Australia.
Any student that is interested, please contact Ms. G by Friday, January 19th - lkgangwanico@fcpsschools.net
Fairfax County’s Adult and Communication (ACE) are offering K12 Enrichment classes. This is the first semester they have offered classes for middle school students for quite a few years.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Family Life Education
Family Life Education (FLE) is starting soon. Below are the dates that each unit of FLE will begin as well as a link to the overview of these units and opt out forms. If you have already chosen to opt your student out, you should have received a confirmation. Please contact Amy Smith if you have not yet received confirmation of your opt out request.
Human Growth and Development: 7th & 8th grade: January 22nd – 25th
Emotional Social Health: January 30th – March 22nd (students will cycle through the unit at different times in this window)
https://www.fcps.edu/academics/middle-school-academics-7-8/family-life-education-fle
For questions or concerns, please contact your child’s Health and Physical Education teacher.
Academic Advising Timeline
Rising 9th Grade Academic Advising
Our Rising 9th grade students attended Academic Advising Overview sessions with Mclean HS Counselors last week in science classes. For the remainder of January, our 8th grade counselors, Mr. Walker & Ms. Ricker will conduct individual meetings with each rising 9th grade student about course offerings and how to maximize academic success. Students are encouraged to make course selections by March 12, 2024. Additional information can be found on the Mclean HS Academic Advising website.
Rising 8th Grade Academic Advising
On February 15th & 16th, our counselors will be visiting your student’s English class to give an overview of course offerings and electives for their 8th grade year. Starting on February 20th, our 7th grade counselors, Ms. Scharl & Ms. York will conduct individual meetings with each rising 8th grade student. Course selections are due in StudentVue March 8, 2024.
Our website is the main hub of information and all updated forms and presentations will be added by the end of the week. Please reach out to your student’s counselor if you have any questions.
Save the Date: Academy Open Houses Begin This Month!
Is your child interested in architecture and construction, information technology, or health science? FCPS high school academies will hold open houses for interested students beginning in mid-January.
A high school Academy is a center within a high school that offers advanced technical and specialized courses to prepare students for postsecondary education and/or career fields. Students enrolling in Academy elective courses will be provided with opportunities to participate in a variety of career experiences including shadowing, mentoring, or internships with local businesses. Learn more and view the calendar of Academy open houses.
Safe Students, Safe Schools
Fairfax County Public Schools believes that academic success is built on the foundation of a safe learning environment. This includes physical safety, and mental health and wellness.
FCPS has a comprehensive approach to safety that involves physical security measures, online monitoring by security staff, and crisis intervention support. The division has created the Safe Students, Safe Schools Brochure (PDF) to enhance your awareness of potential hazards and to equip you with practical tips for how you can help. Visit the FCPS website for more information.
PARENT INFORMATION
Student Intention Forms
Moving this summer? If your family plans include relocation, please notify us by completing the Intention Form and send it to Ms. Jordan Reina - jareina@fcps.edu at your earliest convenience.
Parent Workshop at McLean
Wednesday, January 17, 2024 - McLean High School - 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Studies have shown that pressure to achieve is one of the top four risk factors for teenagers in the United States. Students under this kind of pressure are one and a half to two and a half times as likely to experience depression, anxiety, and substance abuse disorders than national norms. With the achievement-oriented culture of Northern Virginia, our students can feel this pressure strongly.
How can parents build our children’s resiliency when the pressure to achieve can be overwhelming? This workshop will provide practical strategies for parents to help their child find balance between achievement and mental health. It will be presented by Kathleen Otal, McLean School Counselor and 2021 Virginia School Counselor of the Year.
Parents are encouraged to fill out this optional survey before attending the workshop:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1xXZXR0jIpHeO4tZ0z010cxaPs47bvV_ep3pJH74Nf3k/edit
Parents are encouraged to listen to this podcast in advance of the event:
https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/affluence
STEM Essay Contest 2024
The sixth annual STEM Essay Contest sponsored by the McLean Area Branch of AAUW (American Association of University Women) is now open.
Women have not always been recognized for their contributions in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The McLean Area Branch is sponsoring its sixth annual STEM Essay Contest in 2024 to challenge 7th and 8th grade students, girls and boys, to discover and publicize women who made a difference in STEM fields, but who did not receive recognition for their contributions while alive. Strong preference is given to essays about women who are not well known even today.
For this contest, the student is asked to describe one woman’s STEM contribution and its impact, as well as why the student selected the woman.
Essay Guidelines:
-Essays must be no more than 500 words and include a bibliography with 2-5 sources (not part of the 500 words).
-Please follow the MLA style for formatting entries in the bibliography; multiple online sources describe the MLA format.
-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 original work of the student. If an essay is found to have any indication of plagiarism or contains factual errors, it will not be eligible for an award.
-Students entering the contest must attend one of the following schools: Cooper, Longfellow, Poe, Luther Jackson, The Langley School, St. John Academy, The Potomac School, St. Luke Catholic School, or BASIS Independent McLean.
-See our “Tips” page at here.
An application form can be downloaded here: In fillable PDF format: 2024 STEM Essay Contest Application-PDF-Fillable
The deadline for submitting applications is Monday, February 12, 2024, at 11:00 pm EST. No late submissions will be accepted. Only one essay per student is permitted. ALL STUDENTS SHOULD EMAIL mcleanaauw@gmail.com AFTER UPLOADING AN APPLICATION IN ORDER TO GET A RETURN EMAIL VERIFYING THAT A COMPLETE APPLICATION HAS BEEN RECEIVED.
NOTE: All students should check that they have submitted a file that is filled in (NOT BLANK) and is in either a readable PDF or Word format.
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 AAUW McLean Area Branch Event on the evening of Tuesday, March 14, 2023, to receive the award and will be invited to read his or her essay at the dinner. All winners will be invited to the dinner.
Any questions about the STEM Essay Contest may be sent to Judy Page, STEM Chair, at mcleanaauw@gmail.com.
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