UPCOMING EVENTS
DETAILS ON UPCOMING EVENTS
đ SOL Testing
   đ
Wednesday, May 7th đReading SOL
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Tuesday, May 13th â Math SOL
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Wednesday, May 14th đŹ Science SOL (8th Grade Only)
đ¨âđŠâđ§ How can parents/guardians help?
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Ensure your student is present and on time. Avoid scheduling appointments on these dates.
 đ´Ensure your student gets a good nightâs sleep and eats a healthy breakfast in the morning.
 đ§If your student has an audio accommodation for testing, be sure they bring headphones to school.
 đľRemind your student to have their cell phone off and away in their backpack.
 đťVerify your studentâs Chromebook is in working order.
 đ ď¸Computer issues should be reported immediately to Student IT Support.
 đFully charge their Chromebook every night.
 đPack their charger in their backpack (if your student lost their charger, please purchase a replacement via MySchoolBucks).
 đIf you have any questions regarding testing, please contact Longfellowâs school test coordinator, Mary Reid (703.533.2624 or mreid@fcps.edu)
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Schedule for the next two weeks:
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
NJHS Information
This is a reminder to all current NJHS members, that your 20 hours of community service are due by Monday, May 5th. This means that your hours are entered by you, verified by your contact, and approved by Ms. Postlethwait in the x2vol system. Any student that does not meet this deadline will be dismissed from NJHS. If you have any questions, please see Ms. Postlethwait in room 201.
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AFTER SCHOOL CORNER
Quarter four schedule can be found HERE.
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PARENT INFORMATION
8th Grade End of Year Celebration - BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW
This year's end-of-year celebration will take place a little earlier than usual. We hope your 8th grader can make it!
May 22, 2025
2:15 PM - 4:30 PM
Tickets are $35.00
To purchase tickets, click here 8th Grade Party
Volunteers Needed-Kent Gardens Spring Spectacular
The Spring Spectacular is back, and we need your help! To ensure our 5K and 1K Fun Run go smoothly, we need volunteers every step of the way.
We will need volunteers Friday, 5/2 to help hand out registration packets both before and after school.
On Saturday, 5/3, we will need a crew of course monitors, bikers at the start and end of the pack, as well as a few volunteers to be available to assist as needed and clean-up at the end of the race.
Volunteers should plan to be at Kent Gardens by 8:15am, report to their spots at 8:50am, and check out and return vests/flags at 10:30am.
Middle School and High School Volunteers are also encouraged to sign up.Â
Please help make the Spring Spectacular a wonderful success!
SUPPORT OUR TEACHERS
Teacher Appreciation Week is May 5th-9th. We can provide the teachers with a wonderful week of delicious food/snacks and gifts with your support.
Please donate here, TAW Donation
PTA Board Positions
The Longfellow PTA needs new board members for the 2025-2026 school year. Please help support the school by volunteering for one of these roles
President
Communications
Fundraising
Reach out to Beth Coyne to discuss the positions and how you can support, president.ptalms@gmail.com
Social and Emotional Learning Screener: Parent Reports
Students in grades 3-12 took the SEL Screener during the month of March, providing information on their SEL skills such as achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships, and making responsible decisions. The screener also asks students how well their school community makes them feel valued, included, and supported.
Individual student SEL Screener results are available to families in the Documents section of SIS ParentVUE. For families who do not have an active ParentVUE account, results will be sent via postal mail.
For support in understanding your individual studentâs results or for ideas on how to support them at home, please review the SEL Screener Results Family Guide or reach out to our school staff with any questions.
đ Cameras Installed on School Bus Stop Arms
Cameras have been installed on the stop arms of 50 FCPS school buses. These cameras will be used to identify drivers who pass stopped school buses while children are entering and exiting the bus (called a âstop arm violationâ).
Drivers have begun to receive warnings. After a 30-day warning period, citations will begin to be issued on Monday, May 12.
According to Virginia law, drivers must stop for stopped school buses with flashing red lights on and their stop signs extended. Motorists should stop when approaching from any direction, unless there is a barrier or median separating their lane from where the bus is stopped. They should remain stopped until everyone is clear, and the bus is moving.
We appreciate our law enforcement partners for working with FCPS to improve road safety and reduce accidents. Read more about the stop arm cameras and other ways FCPS works with our county partners to keep students safe on their way to and from school.
Responsible Tech Use: Family Action Steps
We have seen increased student technology misuse. Specifically: lack of protective cases, cracked screens, and attempts to bypass FCPS website filters and firewalls to access inappropriate websites. We continue to collaborate with IT to implement measures that keep students safe online.
Families, please help us by:
   1. Checking your child's laptop today.
     ⢠Praise good care and condition (cases on, no damage, no stickers or graffiti).
     ⢠Discuss responsible use if issues exist; please, see FCPS Student Device Responsible Use Guidelines for more information.
   2. Discussing the consequences of missing or damaged technology with your student. This includes potential loss of device and replacement costs are:
     ⢠Cases: $30
     ⢠Chargers: $20
     ⢠Cracked Screen/Trackpad: Varies by Cost of Repair
     ⢠Full Laptop replacement: $481
   3. Discussing Healthy Tech Habits:
     ⢠Next week advisory SOAR lessons will be facilitated by teachers on Acceptable Use & healthy tech habits. To support this conversation at home, review Common Sense Educationâs 5 Tips for Helping Kids Balance Their Media Lives (in English and Spanish).
   4. Signing up for Lightspeed Software:
     ⢠Sign up for usage reports to see how your student is using their FCPS laptop. Get a weekly report of websites they visited and use this to discuss healthy and school-appropriate uses of technology. Learn more: Lightspeed Parent Report Request
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Share Feedback With County Health Department on School Health Services
The Fairfax County Health Department and Fairfax County Public Schools School Health Services invite parents/caregivers of FCPS students to participate in a survey on satisfaction with school health room services. The survey takes about five minutes to complete and will be open until Monday, May 5.
School health rooms (clinics) are managed by public health nurses and school health aides. Those staff provide care for students who become sick or injured during the school day, who require medications during the school day, and/or who have a chronic health condition that requires management during the school day.
Additionally, the school health room staff:
   ⢠Provide health education, communicable disease prevention, and health screenings.
   ⢠Work with schools to help address the root causes of population health disparities so that all students have equitable access to educational and health opportunities.
   ⢠Ensure that students have care for minor injuries and illnesses, and chronic health conditions, thus helping to minimize health barriers to learning.
Survey results will provide a basis for quality improvement of school health room services as well as inform future planning for schools.
âď¸ Discover Exciting Summer Learning Activities and Ideas
Attend the FCPS Summer Extravaganza on Saturday, May 10, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., at Woodson High School and get a jump on summer learning and fun! At this free event, participants can engage in educational and enrichment activities designed to inspire curiosity and growth.
An FCPS Student Program Marketplace will feature student-made goods for sale. Proceeds will support the studentsâ programs.
Learn about summer programs and resources available from community and business partners. Enjoy face painting, touring a fire truck, student performances, and much more! For more information, visit the Summer Extravaganza webpage.
Nominations Open for the Bussey Memorial Equity Award
Nominations are now open for the 2025 Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award. The Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee (MSAOC) sponsors this award to honor the legacy of Dr. Bussey, a founding member of the MSAOC and a longtime advocate for students and families.
This award recognizes an employee, student, or community member who has demonstrated significant and impactful efforts to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of students from groups who are marginalized or underserved.
Any staff, student, or community member can nominate an individual for the award. All nomination materials must be submitted by Monday, May 19. Visit the Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award webpage to access the nomination information form.
Increasing Access to Middle School Algebra 1
FCPSâ 2023-30 Strategic Plan Goal 3: Academic Growth and Excellence places a focus on successful completion of Algebra 1 by eighth grade. To increase access to Algebra 1 for middle school students, the school division has decided to streamline the criteria for taking Algebra 1 Honors in seventh grade.
With the simplified criteria, Iowa Algebra Aptitude Test (IAAT) scores are no longer a prerequisite when selecting either Mathematics 7 Honors or Algebra 1 Honors. Although it is not a requirement for advanced math, families may still use the test scores to help decide which level of mathematics their child signs up for.
Families of students who took the IAAT this winter will receive their score report by the end of this month. Students who were scheduled for the IAAT but did not get to complete the test will have the chance to opt-in for a makeup test at the end of the year. Parents/caregivers will receive information about this makeup testing opportunity.
Additional information and copies of upcoming family communication can be found on the IAAT webpage.
FCPS News
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics and others:
   o Protect Your Child From Measles
   o Celebrating FCPS Staff and Students
   o Prepare for Summer Learning and Fun
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
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