Parent Resources

Welcome to the 2023-24 school year!

Dear Families of Longfellow,

Welcome to the 2023-24 school year! We can’t wait for the students to come back! In this email you will find important information about Longfellow and the upcoming school year. I will continue to email all families weekly updates.

We look forward to welcoming your children on Wednesday, August 23 (Grades 1-5), Thursday, August 24 (Kindergarten Group A) or Friday, August 25 (Kindergarten Group B)!

Longfellow Welcome Kit

A welcome kit is a way to give families or new employees information about each school . It contains welcome messages from the Superintendent, Principal and Assistant Principal, contact information, methods of communication, helpful resources and more!

Upcoming Dates

Monday, August 21: Staff Institute Day, 8:00 AM to 1:30 PM
Tuesday, August 22:
- Staff Institute Day, 8:00 AM to 1:30 PM
- Grades K-5 Meet the Teacher, 2:30-3:30 PM
Wednesday, August 23:
- First Day of School, Grades 1-5
- Kindergarten Staff Professional Learning
Thursday, August 24: First Day of School, Kindergarten Group A Only
Friday, August 25: First Day of School, Kindergarten Group B Only
Monday, August 28: Second Day of School for ALL Kindergarten Students
Thursday, August 31:
- Picture Day
- Curriculum Night, 5:00-7:00 PM
Monday, September 4: NO SCHOOL, Labor Day
Friday, September 8: PTO Back to School Bash
Thursday, September 21: CCSD21 Board of Education Meeting
Friday, September 22: SIP Day, K-5 dismissed at 12:00
Monday, September 25: NO SCHOOL, Yom Kippur
Monday, October 9: NO SCHOOL, Indigenous Peoples Day
Monday, October 16: Staff Institute Day, 8:00 AM to 1:30 PM

2023-24 CCSD21 Calendar

School Supplies

CCSD21 has provided a common set of school supplies to all students. You do not need to purchase additional supplies.

Student Arrival

K-5 students can only be dropped off in front of the building and no earlier than 8:30 AM when supervision begins. Bus riders are dropped off in the front lane, car riders are dropped off at the median as indicated in the picture below. When dropping off your child, please help us facilitate a smooth procedure. Do not exit your vehicle in the drop off lane. Students getting out of cars should get out on the right/passenger side only. Staff are outside facilitating a safe arrival for our students. When students arrive, they will walk to the back of the building and put their backpack, etc. in their class line, and meet their friends to play. During the first days of school, classroom teachers will be outside greeting their homeroom as well. If you plan to walk your child to the playground, please park your car and walk your child to the playground. Please ensure your children do not arrive before 8:30 AM.

Students should not walk through the building as all supervision is outside. They leave their backpack, etc. in their homeroom line and have access to the playground, blacktop, and field.

Students eating breakfast enter the building through door 4 and eat in the cafeteria. School staff will open the door starting at 8:30 AM (the student should knock on the door and a staff member lets them inside the building). When done with breakfast, students can go outside.

At 8:55 AM a bell will ring to bring students back to their homeroom line. At 9:00 AM students should be in line, ready to enter the building.

If there is inclement weather during arrival, we will post a red flag in the median, indicating indoor arrival. Students will walk through the front door, go to their classroom, and sit in the hallway outside of their classroom. If your child has one of the following teachers, they will sit in the library during an arrival with inclement weather: Mullen, Schlender, Williams, and Swanson.

In the above picture:

Blue arrows represent the path cars follow to drop off students

Yellow arrows represent the path students will walk to the playground/class line

Please remember Longfellow supervisors start greeting our students at 8:30 AM and children should not arrive earlier. Learning begins promptly at 9:00 AM and students are expected to be in their seats at that time. Please help your child be on time for school.

If your child is tardy to school, a parent/guardian must walk the child into the building and sign them in, by the front office.

Student Dismissal

At dismissal (3:30 PM), students that are walking will go directly to the park as soon as they exit the building. Please meet your child at the park and not at the front of the building. Students taking a bus will meet in the gym and then walk out to their bus. Students waiting for car pick up will be outside along the north side of the building. Siblings will be grouped together. Students should not be picked up in front of the building. Please follow our carline procedure as delineated below, to keep everyone safe.

As you head towards the back of the building, cars picking up children in grades K-2 will form the three lines of cars closest to the building and pick up their children along the building. Cars picking up children in grades 3-5 will form the three lines of cars closest to the grass and will pick their children along the grass.

All students (grades K-5) leave the building through door 3, to go to the carline. Students in grades K-2 will leave the building through door 3 and line up along the building to wait for their car (picture below).

Students in grades 3-5 will exit through doors 3 and use the crosswalk to line up along the grass at the park and wait for their car.

Students with a younger sibling should meet their car on the side with the younger sibling. For example, in a family in which there is a child in grade 2 and grade 4, they would stand together against the building.

Students should only get in their car on the side where they are getting picked up. Students in grades K-2 will be against the building and will enter their car on the drivers side. Students in grades 3-5 will be against the grass at the park and will enter their car on the passenger side.

If there is any change in the way your child gets home, our front office (847-520-2755) and your child’s teacher needs to have that information before the school day begins. It is vitally important to keep all children safe and we need your help to maintain a regular pick-up schedule for your child unless there is an unforeseen circumstance that is causing a change.

Check Your Chromebooks

Before the first day of school, please charge and turn on each child’s chromebook to ensure they are functioning properly.

If you are having issues with your chromebook, please reference the device troubleshooting guides created by the CCSD21 Information Services department to see if you can quickly resolve a simple issue.
Troubleshooting Guide – English | Español | Pусский
If you are unable to resolve the issue referencing the troubleshooting documents, please email [email protected] and a member of the CCSD21 Information Services team will get back to you right away to resolve the issue. If a device swap is needed, you will pick up a replacement at Longfellow.

Reporting an Absence/Leaving Early

Parents will be expected to let us know if a student is absent. Please contact our health office at 847-520-2756 or email our part time secretary, Jennifer Anderson ([email protected]), prior to 9:00 AM on the day of the absence. If it is the day of the absence/leaving early, and after 1:00 PM, please call the health office, 847-520-2755 or email our nurse, Karen Stance ([email protected]).

Picture Day-August 31

Picture Day is Thursday, August 31. Order pictures before August 31 to receive free shipping to the school. Order online at https://inter-state.com/FlyerEntry/79604DF

Bus Transportation

CCSD21 bus transportation is provided by First Student, Inc., one of the largest transportation companies in the U.S. In most cases, students who reside 1.5 miles or more from their school, or if they must cross a hazardous area, are eligible for bus transportation. Routes, including time and stop, were shared on Friday, August 18. If you would like to find out if your child is eligible for bus transportation, please contact CCSD21’s transportation coordinator, Gail Unamboowe, at 847-520-2705 or call the Longfellow front office at 847-520-2755.

Breakfast and Lunch

Breakfast and lunch options are available daily for purchase at Longfellow.

Breakfast is offered daily at Longfellow from 8:40 to 9:00 AM. Students must eat their food in the cafeteria. When they have finished, they are dismissed to the playground.

Monthly menus will be available on our district website (CCSD21 Breakfast and Lunch Menus). For the most up-to-date food menu, visit mealviewer.com. You do not have to create a profile. Please click “Enter site – Families.” Then click on “Menus,” and “Find your school” (type in our school name, Longfellow Elementary School). When you hover over the food item, you will be able to see the calories, fat content, sugar content, and other important details of your child’s meal. For additional information about our CCSD21 meal programs, please contact Cindy Kile at 847-520-2706.

CCSD21 invites families from Longfellow, Cooper, Hawthorne, Riley and Poe to apply for free and reduced breakfasts and lunches for the 2023-2024 school year. Meals are nutritionally balanced and available every school day for qualified students as part of the National School Lunch Program, a federally assisted meal program operating in public schools. Eligibility guidelines are based on household size and income. You can view the application form here. Children in the other schools within our district will receive free meals through The Community Eligibility Program (CEP).

If your child(ren) does not want to order a hot lunch, please send your child with a packed lunch to school each day. Please clearly label the lunch bag with your child’s name. You have the option to alternate between hot lunch and lunch packed from home.

Lunch

K-5 students have lunch and recess from 12:00-1:00 PM each day. From 12:00-12:30, students in kindergarten, first grade, and third grade, eat lunch while students in grades 2, 4, and 5 participate in recess. From 12:30-1:00, students in grades 2, 4, and 5 eat lunch while students in kindergarten, first grade, and third grade participate in recess. To increase the safety and organization of our cafeteria we follow the procedures listed below.

If a student forgets their lunch, parents/guardians may bring a lunch to school or lunch can be purchased in our cafeteria. When a student receives a late lunch at school, we will put it on a cart in the office. The cart will be rolled into the cafeteria at the start of lunch. We will not call students to the office to get their lunch as this can disrupt classroom learning.
Students sit in a designated grade level area in the cafeteria.
When students need to go to the bathroom or get a drink during lunch, they put a cone in their spot at the lunch table. This helps our lunchroom supervisors stay accountable for all students in the cafeteria.
Students are asked to only eat their food. They cannot share.
At the end of the lunch period, supervisors will dismiss each table of students to throw out all trash and guide them to recess or to their classrooms. Until they are dismissed, students need to stay in their seats.

Snacks

There is no snack time during the school day for grades 1-5. Please make sure that your child eats a substantial breakfast before coming to school each day so they have strong energy for learning.

Recess

We have a variety of equipment and playground balls for students to use during recess. Students should not bring items from home.

Information from Longfellow PTO (Parent Teacher Organization)

Our PTO has always been a big contributor to Longfellow. We are fortunate to have so many involved parents creating such a wonderful community.

Is your family new to Longfellow? Please create an account in the PTO Membership Toolkit (MTK). In the toolkit, families have access to the school directory, can purchase spirit wear and other items throughout the year, and more! Click the link below to create your account. If you have any questions, email the Longfellow PTO, [email protected].

https://longfellowschool.membershiptoolkit.com/

Back to School Bash – September 8

The Longfellow PTO invites all families to this year‘s back to school bash on Friday, September 8! Come to Longfellow at 6:00 PM for Kona Ice, Wiener Take All, Elevated Entertainment, and, of course, tie-dye shirts! Order your shirt in MTK by 8/28. Questions? Contact the PTO, [email protected]

School Improvement Day – Friday, September 22

School Improvement Day is a district-wide event for collaboration and professional learning time for our staff members. Students in grades K-5 attend school from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

Student Interns

We are fortunate that our staff recognizes the importance of growing and developing future educators. Longfellow is a desirable location as a “training center” for many candidates. The following student interns will also be joining our staff and students:

Gabriella Liszka, psychologist with Lori Avdoian
Amy Loken with Liz Cowan
Gabby Stopka with Julie Long
Grace McNulty with Amy Mullen
Jessica Minch with Heather Popilek

Personal Communication Devices (Cell Phones, Apple Watches, etc.)

We ask that students keep all personal communication devices turned off and in their backpack throughout the school day. If students need to make a phone call, they can use a school phone. Personal devices can be turned on after students leave the building. If staff members see students on their personal devices during the school day, the following action will be taken:

First use during the school day: Personal communication device is put in the office until the end of the school day. Student can pick up the device after school (after 3:30 PM).
Second use during the school day: Personal communication device is put in the office until the end of the school day. Parent can pick up the phone after school (after 3:30 PM).
Third use during the school: Personal communication device is dropped off at the school office each morning before 9:00 AM and will be returned to the student each day after school (after 3:30 PM).

Reminders from Previous Family Communication

First Day of School

The first day of school is a full attendance day for students:

Wednesday, August 23: Grades 1-5
Thursday, August 24: Kindergarten Group A
Friday, August 25: Kindergarten Group B

The K-5 school day is 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM.

Meet the Teacher on Tuesday, August 22 for Grades K-5 at 2:30 PM

We are looking forward to welcoming your children into our classrooms! To help ease the transition, we are hosting a special time for students to meet their new teacher and take a “sneak peak” of their classroom on Tuesday, August 22, 2:30-3:30 PM. We hope you and your child will be able to join us. Please keep in mind that this time is not an opportunity for conferencing with your child’s teacher. It provides an opportunity for your child to feel comfortable and organized in their new classroom environment. You may enter the building through the main entrance.

We hope you will also join us outside for popsicles provided by our PTO and an opportunity to “chalk the walk.” Chalk will be available for students to write/draw “Welcome Back” messages to their friends to view on our sidewalks.

Curriculum Night – Thursday, August 31

We look forward to seeing you at our Curriculum Night on Thursday, August 31. The event is intended to be a parent only evening that provides you an opportunity to visit your child’s classroom and learn about the content students will be engaged in throughout the school year. To limit congestion in the hallways, we will utilize this schedule:

5:00-5:45 PM: Grades K, 2, 5
6:00-6:45 PM: Grades 1, 3, 4

Required Medical Exams

Specific exams are required in order for students to enroll in school. If your child is entering one of the below grade levels, please make sure updated forms are on file with our health office. You can send forms to our nurse, Karen Stance, [email protected] or drop them at the Longfellow office Monday-Friday, 8:15 AM to 3:00 PM.

Kindergarten: Physical, Dental, and Vision Exams
Second Grade: Dental Exam

Medical professionals may provide their own form indicating that an exam occurred, or forms from the state can be submitted for completion.

Follow Us on Facebook and Twitter!

Facebook Page: Longfellow Elementary School

Twitter Handle: @21longfellow, @CCSD21 (school district)

If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to reach out. I am excited to partner with you to support your child’s education!

Michelle Friedman

Longfellow Principal

[email protected]

847-520-2755