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Dear Lancers:
On Friday night, I attended the chorus concert at McLean High School. It was a lovely performance highlighting singers from our feeder elementary schools, McLean High School, and Longfellow. Kudos to our Longfellow performers on a job well done!
This week we have no school on Tuesday for the Veterans’ Day holiday. I want to share a sincere thank you to all of our families and staff who have served or are currently serving in our armed forces. On Thursday evening, our school will be recognized by the Fairfax County School Board for receiving our Purple Star Designation for a third time. The Virginia Purple Star Designation is awarded to schools that have demonstrated commitment to students and families connected to our nation’s military.
As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns. I appreciate your ongoing support and partnership.
Chris Butzer
Principal
Longfellow MS
UPCOMING EVENTS
November 11: Veteran’s Day-Holiday
November 17-21: Youth Survey Administered
November 18: Fall Choral Concert
@ 7:00pm
November 20-22: Fall Play Performance-School Daze
November 26-28: Holiday-Thanksgiving Break
Schedule for the next two weeks
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Private School or Program Application Process
Longfellow Middle School requires important documents in order to effectively accommodate your requests in a timely manner. Please provide the documents below two weeks in advance of the private school application deadline.
1. Complete FCPS Request for Consent of Release of Educational Records form OR release form provided by the private establishment and email it to your child's Counselor.
2. Complete LMS Private School Application Form and email it to your child's counselor.
3. Complete LMS Student Information form and email it to any staff members that you are requesting a recommendation from (this may include your school counselor, teacher(s), administrator, etc.).
Please contact your child’s school counselor or our Student Services Assistant Isu Revelo (irevelo@fcps.edu) with questions.
Every Day Is a Stepping Stone to Success
Attendance is an important life skill that will help your child later in life. It’s a good habit to build now that will help them graduate on time and help them with time management. Parents and families can play a big role in helping kick-start good attendance habits.
Please take a look at the FCPS Calendar. Try to schedule any trips or family events on weekends and school holidays. Keep in mind that absences add up quickly. Students who are absent 10% of the school year (or just two days per month) are considered “chronically absent.”
When possible, schedule appointments for your child outside of school hours. If your child needs to miss school because of an illness or appointment, you must report the absence to our school. Visit our Attendance webpage for more information.
Volunteer Registration Update
Due to the overwhelming response from our community, FCPS is temporarily pausing fingerprint requirements for most Level 3 volunteers.
If you are scheduled for an upcoming fingerprinting appointment, please cancel your appointment unless you are a mentor, host parent, or non-parent volunteer having frequent, direct, and unsupervised contact with students, which will still require fingerprinting. FCPS will be charged if individuals miss a fingerprinting appointment without canceling in advance.
Those who have already been fingerprinted will be processed to be eligible for all Level 3 opportunities.
Field trip chaperone opportunities will now be classified as Level 2 (not requiring a background check).
To ensure continuous safety, all new volunteers are required to sign a Volunteer Certification Statement. This statement is a legal attestation confirming you have no history of violent felonies, physical/sexual crimes against children, or crimes of moral turpitude.
Want to volunteer? Visit Volunteer FCPS to find and sign up for volunteer opportunities. Contact Volunteers@fcps.edu with any questions.
AFTER SCHOOL CORNER
Our after-school program continues to be a wonderful opportunity for students to explore their interests, develop new skills, and connect with peers in a fun and supportive environment. We’re excited to offer a wide range of activities this quarter — including academic clubs, fine arts, athletics, and new additions like Chess Club and Ping Pong Club. The second quarter schedule is located on the Longfellow website.
Students who plan to stay after school must sign in at the Lecture Hall before heading to their activities. Attendance is taken daily to ensure all students are accounted for. Please continue to remind your student about the importance of signing in.
Lancer Results
Cross-Country
The girls team placed first in their race this past weekend. Myra Ovuka came in 3rd, Camille Brown-Balzan (6th), Eva Carlson (7th), Charlotte Hill (9th) Riya Alalasundaram (10th) and Anna Cecere (11th) in a field of 81. The boys cross country team placed 5th in their race. Declan Nguyen was 7th in a field of 100 racers. Congratulations to both teams for a great season!
Debate Team
Congratulations to the LMS debate team for their incredible success at Saturday’s debate, the second of the season.
Out of 84 middle school teams, Longfellow had 4 teams in the top 10. Olivia Cho and Claire Cho came in 2nd, Erya Chai and Aliya Sahu came in 3rd, Daniel Garcelan Tonisson and Henry Gordon came in 4th, and Xin Shen and Sydney Wibowo came in 7th.
Out of 168 speakers, Longfellow had 6 speakers in the top 10. Aliya Sahu came in 2nd, Olivia Cho received 3rd, Claire Cho received 5th, Xin Shen came in 6th, Khloe Lim came in 7th, and Daniel Garcelan Tonisson came in 10th
Quiz Bowl
Congratulations to our Quiz Bowl teams for their strong performance at the Burleigh Manor Tournament!
• A Team – Michael de Marcellus, Zafyr Rahman, Amelie Tang, and Andrew Tao finished 4th overall.
• B Team – Jared Buckholz, Wesley Holland, Nathan Le, Ellen Peng, and Siddarth Thammineni ended the tournament with an impressive 9–1 record.
Individually, Nathan Le finished 1st overall, and Zafyr Rahman came in 3rd.
From the Crafting Corner:
Hello—the Crafting Corner After School club is looking for some additional materials. Please send to the Longfellow Library any of the following (they do not have to be brand new): cereal boxes for cardboard, more craft paint (including black & white), small craft brushes for painting, letter stickers, different colored pony beads, buttons, and any other craft supplies or crafting kits and bins to organize it all!
-Thanks! The LMS Crafters
PARENT INFORMATION
Longfellow Love
At Longfellow Middle School we have many students who live at, or below the poverty level. Their families welcome our help with expenses such as school supplies and holiday meals. Longfellow Love is a student assistance program that supports Longfellow students in need through donations from families like you, as well as contributions from local businesses. The contributions and gift cards are then distributed directly to the families in need through the counseling system. This year, our fellow student families need our help more than ever! With the rising cost of food, we would like to provide families with gift cards to help with holiday meals. Click HERE to sign up to donate gift cards from Target or Walmart to Longfellow families who need our help during the upcoming season!
There are two ways you can purchase gift cards:
1. Go to Target or Walmart and purchase gift cards in person. Drop them off at the front office in an envelope addressed to Adriana Rota.
2. Go online to Target eGift Card, or Walmart eGift Card, choose your amount, purchase an ecard, and email it to Michele Core at michelecore@yahoo.com.
Donated gift cards can be mailed to:
Adriana Rota
Longfellow Middle School
2000 Westmoreland Street
Falls Church, VA 22043
Gift cards are needed by Wednesday, December 17th! Let's show our Lancer family some LOVE this holiday season! Thank you for your support!
Questions? Contact Longfellow Love chair, Michele Core, at michelecore@yahoo.com
November Is National Family Engagement Month
Family Engagement Month is a time to remember that parents and caregivers are children’s first and most important teachers, advocates, and nurturers.
The FCPS Family Academy supports the continued success and well-being of each and every student within the FCPS community. The Academy offers a variety of positive and engaging learning opportunities and meaningful connections to transform the FCPS experience into a welcoming environment for all families.
Safe Community Coalition-Mental Health Chats:
Exploring Boundaries in Parenting: Pros, Cons, and Consequences
November 13, 2025
Dr. Heather Tedesco and Mimi Weisberg, LCSW
Setting effective boundaries for children and teens helps create healthier family relationships. We will explore setting reasonable expectations and boundaries for different developmental stages. We encourage discussion about scenarios and techniques that you found effective, and we will provide tools and resources to help with the challenges of parenting.
Navigating the Digital World: A Parent Discussion on Teen Phones & Screen Time: December 11, 2025
Dr. Laura Gray, Becky Kohm, M.A.T., Ed.S., and Dr. Heather Tedesco
Are you constantly battling your teen over screen time? Feeling overwhelmed by the influence of smartphones and social media? You're not alone! Connect with other parents to share experiences and challenges. Join us for an open and supportive discussion session where licensed professionals will share their successful strategies for managing phone and screen time with children and teenagers. We'll explore practical tips for setting healthy boundaries, fostering responsible digital habits, and encouraging a balanced approach to technology.
McLean Community Center
1234 Ingleside Ave, McLean, VA 22101
All Events Start at 7PM
Tutoring Resources for Families
Some families may be looking for additional resources to help support their child’s academic success. The FCPS Family Resource Center (FRC) maintains a list of FCPS employees who hold a valid Virginia teaching credential and who are available to hire as tutors. This list is a resource offered by the FRC, but families are responsible for contacting and working directly with the tutors. This list is not approved by FCPS and is only meant to be a resource to families.
FCPS also partners with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with extra resources for learning. Every student can take advantage of Varsity Tutors' services, at no cost, including weekly live online classes, on-demand 24/7 chat tutoring, essay editing, and study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests.
Apply Anytime for Free and Reduced-Price Meals
Families are encouraged to apply for free and reduced-price meals at any time during the school year.
If your income changes — for example, due to a furlough, layoff, or job loss — you may become newly eligible. Once approved, your benefits stay active for the rest of the school year and for the first 30 days of the next school year.
Students who qualify for free and reduced-price meals or attend a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school receive free breakfast and lunch every school day. It’s a great way to make your food budget go further and save time from packing meals. Learn more about FCPS Food and Nutrition.
Impact of Federal Shutdown on Local Community
Fairfax County is home to around 80,000 federal employees and thousands of federal contractors. Its Federal Workforce Resource Hub is intended to help navigate current and future issues for residents, government employees, active military/veterans, contractors, nonprofits, and businesses who may be affected by actions, changes, or disruptions to federal services or employment.
Find more community resources available to families.
FCPS Outstanding Employee Awards Program Nominations
Each year, FCPS looks to honor several staff members for outstanding excellence in their roles. Nominate here!
- Outstanding Teacher (has at least 3 years of experience)
- Outstanding New Teacher (within their first three years)
- Outstanding New Principal (are within their first three years as a building Principal)
- Outstanding School Leader (has completed at least 1 year as an Assistant Principal, Director of Student Activities, or Director of Student Services)
- Outstanding Professional Employee (Counselor, Psychologist, Social Worker, College & Career Center Specialist, Systems of Support Advisor (SoSA), School Based Technology Specialist (SBTS), Technology Support Specialist (TSSpec), Instructional Coach, Assessment Coach, Special Education Department Chair, Assistant Director of Student Activities (ADSA), Athletic Trainer, Safety & Security Specialist)
- Outstanding Operational Employee (Administrative and Office Assistants, Finance Technician, Student Services Registrar, Custodial Staff, Operating Engineer, Food Service Staff, Instructional Assistant, Family Liaison, Safety & Security Assistant)
We believe that our staff is truly exceptional and that the work we do for our students deserves celebration beyond our school. Nominate through this link.
Our Longfellow winners will be submitted for consideration at the pyramid, region, and division levels.
You do not have to nominate for all categories.
You are asked to write a short paragraph explaining how your nominee meets or exceeds the criteria for the award.
Thank you for celebrating the wonderful work done at Longfellow MS by highlighting some of our amazing staff members!
The deadline to submit a nomination is today!
If you have any questions, please contact Tara Fortune at tdfortune@fcps.edu.
Longfellow PTA – Support Excellence!
🙋 Parent Volunteers Needed
We are seeking co-chairs for:
• Teacher Appreciation Week (May)
• 8th Grade Class Party (June)
To volunteer, contact Weina Dorsky, VP of Programs:
wfdorsky@gmail.com
We are also seeking a Parent Lead for the PTA Website (training & student support available!).
To volunteer, contact Andrea Ramirez, VP of Communications:
andrea.havens@gmail.com
💛 Support Excellence Campaign
We’ve raised $2,500 and counting—thank you! Your gifts support:
• Restoring the Rain Garden & Courtyard
• Recess activities (balls, games & more)
• Classroom supplies for teachers
• Coffee & snacks in teacher workrooms
Donate via Givebacks - every dollar helps.
⭐ Membership
We’re at 102 PTA Members — halfway to our goal!
If you haven’t joined yet, please do. Your membership directly supports our students and staff.
Join via Givebacks today!
🍊 McLean High School Band Fruit Sale
Support our award-winning McLean High School Bands!
Order: Navel Oranges • Mandarins • Grapefruit • Fruit Samplers
Order through November 25
Pick-up: December 12, 9:00 AM–1:00 PM, McLean High School (no shipping available)
Order Online: https://www.floridafruitstore.com/McLeanHSBand
VOLUNTEER HOUR OPPORTUNITIES
🌱 Student Volunteer Opportunity
Help Revitalize the Longfellow Rain Garden!
Saturday, November 15 • 9:00 AM–3:00 PM
• Student service hours available
• Food & drinks provided
Sign Up Here: Longfellow Rain Garden Project
🍪 Holiday Cookie Buffet & ☕ Hot Chocolate Bar
In the spirit of the season, the PTA will host a Holiday Cookie Buffet and Hot Chocolate Bar for Longfellow Faculty & Staff on Wednesday, December 17.
As you're doing your holiday baking, please consider contributing your favorite homemade treats (no store-bought, thank you!).
8th Grade students may earn 1 service hour for providing homemade cookies.
Sign Up Here: LMS Cookie Bake 12/17/25
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