Monday, September 9, 2024 Lancer Times

Monday, September 9, 2024


Dear Lancers:

Happy Monday! As we start the fourth week of school, I wanted to share what a great job our students have done this year. We can tell that students are getting more comfortable with navigating the building and adjusting well to the aspects that are unique to being in middle school. Today is also the first day of the after-school program! It was great to see so many students stay after school to take advantage of the many opportunities we offer. It is a great way for students to get involved, explore their passions, and meet new people at LMS. You can find information about our afterschool program on our website.

If your child needs additional support, please feel free to reach out to our wonderful team here at LMS. Often that can be directly to a specific. If there are more global concerns, please reach out to your child’s school counselor or assistant principal. Thank you all for a great start to the year, and we look forward to partnering with you all.

As always, please feel free to reach out if you have any concerns or questions.

Jim

Jim Patrick
Principal
Longfellow MS


UPCOMING EVENTS

upcoming events

Bell Schedule for the next two weeks:

bell schedule

DETAILS ON UPCOMING EVENTS:

PTA Meeting - Sept. 18 @ 9:30 AM

Our first PTA meeting of the year will be on Wednesday, September 18th at 9:30 AM in the Lecture Hall. In this meeting the school will share information about new FCPS grading policies in place this year, as well as how to utilize schoology and ParentVue to help your child this year.

Click here and learn more about the Longfellow PTA. Longfellow offers numerous programs and an abundance of educational resources due to our strong PTA membership.

blue star week

Blue Star Welcome Week September 21-29

Help make the move easier for military families transitioning into your local community! Join us in celebrating #BlueStarWelcomeWeekFCPS from September 21 - September 29 to create a greater sense of belonging for military and Veteran families in your neighborhood.

School Picture Day is Coming!

📅 Date: Thursday, September 26th & Friday, September 27th, 2024
📸 Pictures Available: Approximately two weeks after photo day
🛒 Pre-order Online: https://vando.imagequix.com/g1001132516#login
📧 Questions about Ordering? Email us at underclass@vosphoto.com

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) Information Session - October 21 @ 2:45

On Tuesday 10/1/24 at 2:45 pm, Longfellow will hold a Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) admissions presentation in the Lecture Hall. TJHSST is a selective secondary high school, and students must submit an application, pass the admissions exam, and receive an acceptance to attend. To learn more about the TJHSST admissions process, visit TJHSST Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Admissions | Fairfax County Public Schools (fcps.edu).

Please RSVP for the Longfellow session by completing this Google Form. Email Ms. Ricker at jmricker@fcps.edu with any questions.


IMPORTANT INFORMATION

🍎 Make Every Day Count! The Importance of Attendance

As you plan upcoming trips and other family events, please remember the importance of sending your child to school every day. Review the FCPS School Year Calendar and try to plan any time away during breaks from school.

Children who show up for school regularly develop fundamental reading and math skills while building a habit of good attendance that will carry them into college and careers. Research shows that children who were chronically absent (missing 18 days or more) in kindergarten and first grade were far less likely to read proficiently at the end of third grade.

Learn how families can help form good attendance habits.

Damaged Chromebooks:

All students have been given a brand new Chromebook for the 2024-2025 school year. Students are responsible for these devices. If a Chromebook is damaged (willfully or due to carelessness) families will be charged through MySchoolBucks. Please partner with us and remind your students of proper care of their laptop both at home and at school.

World Language Credit Exam

The 2024 World Languages Credit Exam will be administered in November 2024, at Longfellow MS. Exam date will be shared in the near future. Thirty languages will be included. Please visit the website below for a list of the languages offered.

What is the World Language Credit Exam?
The exam assesses language proficiency. Students must be able to read and comprehend exam instructions and writing prompts in the exam language. The Credit Exam requires students to write multiple well-developed essays about personal experiences using complete sentences and at least three cohesive paragraphs. Students earn credit based on the level of proficiency demonstrated by their writing. Students who take the exam may earn up to three pass-or-fail credits (levels one, two and three) in the language.

How and when can I register?
Registration will open September 4 - October 4, 2024. All students must register for the exam through their school counselor. If you are interested in registering for an exam, please complete the World Language Credit Exam Interest Form.

Late registrations will not be accepted.
Find more information at the World Languages Credit Exam website.

FCPS News

In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics and others:

     • Immunization Reminder
     • Community Conversations with Dr. Reid
     • How Is FCPS’ Redesigned Website Working for You?

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.


AFTER SCHOOL CORNER

How do I sign up?

Parents/Guardians need to fill out this google form to give your student consent to attend the after school program.

Students can attend after school clubs on any day, but must sign in for after school attendance every day that they are present.

Can students attend any after school activity?

Students can attend most activities at their leisure. There are some activities that require testing or a commitment. The following activities require testing and/or a commitment to attend on required days.

Debate
Science Olympiad
Science Bowl
Math Counts
Quiz Bowl
Model UN
Clay/Art Club - lottery due to limited seats

Schedule

Our schedule for the first quarter can be found here. Please note that we will still be adding programming. We do post new schedules every quarter.

Late buses

Late buses are offered Monday - Thursday. Buses typically leave Longfellow between 4:30p.m. - 4:45p.m.

If you have any questions about the after school program, please contact our After School Specialist - Lavina Gangwani-Colaco.