PRINCIPAL MESSAGE
Dear Lancer Families,
What a wonderful start to the school year! It was exciting to welcome our students back today and see our hallways and classrooms filled with energy, enthusiasm, and plenty of smiles. Thanks to the preparation of our staff, the support of our families, and the positive spirit of our students, our first day was a smooth and successful one. We are proud of the way our students navigated new schedules, connected with teachers and classmates, and began settling into their routines. We look forward to building on this strong start in the days and weeks ahead.
Please continue to remind your students to prepare for walking through the OpenGate system each morning by removing binders, umbrellas, metal water bottles, and eye glass cases from backpacks before walking through. We will continue to decrease the amount of time it takes for students to go through the system and get to class throughout the next week as they get used to this procedure.
We hope you will join us for Back to School Night on Tuesday, September 1, from 6:00–8:00 p.m. This evening is an important opportunity to meet your child’s teachers, learn more about their classes and expectations, and get a glimpse into their daily experience at school. Strong partnerships between home and school are essential to student success, and we are grateful for your continued support as we begin this year together. We look forward to seeing you next Tuesday evening!
Thank you for your ongoing support and for trusting us with your children each day. We are grateful to have you as part of our school community and look forward to a positive, engaging, and successful year ahead. Please reach out to us if you have any questions.
Chris Butzer
Principal, Longfellow MS
UPCOMING EVENTS
August
31 Student Laptop Distribution
September
1 Student Laptop Distribution
1 Back to School Night 6-8:00pm
4 Labor Day Break-Holiday
7 Labor Day Break-Holiday
14 After School Starts
25-26 Fall Pictures through PE Class
DETAILS ON UPCOMING EVENTS
Back to School Information
Our Back to School Night is Tuesday, September 1st from 6-8 pm. This event is an opportunity for parents/guardians to walk through their child’s class schedule and meet their teachers. You can view their class schedule online through ParentVUE. We recommend taking a screenshot of their schedule before arriving in case ParentVUE is slow or not opening at school that night. If you need help with ParentVUE, please come to room 127 during Back to School Night and meet with Ms. Pelletier.
Parents/guardians walk through their child’s class schedule for an Anchor Day (1,2,3,5,6,7,8). If you arrive after 6:00pm, please report to the class period that is in session when you arrive. The schedule and more information will be sent out to families later this week. Parking is limited so consider carpooling or walking if possible. Please DO NOT park in a private neighborhood, as you may be towed.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Superintendent’s Family Vision Group Representative Needed
The Superintendent's Family Vision Group serves as an important forum for elevating family voice, strengthening partnerships, and fostering meaningful engagement between families and FCPS leadership. Because representatives are expected to attend meetings consistently and substitutions are not permitted, having at least two designated representatives helps ensure continuity and sustained engagement throughout the year. Longfellow is looking for 1-2 more representatives. If you are interested in being a representative for Longfellow Middle School, please email Tara Fortune by 8/28.
Help Your Child Navigate the Lunch Line
Check out some tips to help your child get through the lunch line quickly and have more time to eat:
• Teach your child their student ID number to receive meals at school.
• Sign up for and add money to MySchoolBucks to purchase meals at school.
• Apply for free and reduced-price meals. Students who were approved for free and reduced-price meals last year are eligible for the first 30 days of school this year (or until a new application is processed). Families should submit a new application as soon as possible, so eligible students continue to receive meals at no cost.
If your child has any food allergies, learn how to submit accommodations for dietary restrictions and allergens.
Access menus for breakfast, lunch, and other school meals, as well as allergen and nutrition information.
You Can Manage Student Web Access at Home
At Longfellow, we acknowledge that parents are our students' first and most important teachers. Parents now have greater control over their child’s FCPS-issued device outside of school hours through Lightspeed Parent Portal.
In addition to monitoring weekly internet activity, parents can now also customize web access at home on FCPS devices through Lightspeed using Schedules and Web Rules.
With Schedules, you can set tailored times to automatically pause or restrict internet access. This makes it easier to enforce rules around homework time, family dinners, weekends, or bedtime.
In Web Rules, you can create Custom Block Lists to block specific, individual websites they do not want your child accessing at home. This allows parents greater control over what is happening online, under their own roof.
These new custom controls take effect at home, outside of school hours, and when the device is off the FCPS network. They will not override standard district filtering policies during the instructional day.
Customize Your Lightspeed Settings
All parents should be receiving weekly Lightspeed Online Student Activity Report emails. To set up these new features, click the “Log in or Register” button at the bottom of your weekly Lightspeed Online Student Activity Report email.
Visit the FCPS Lightspeed Parent Portal Guide for more information. If you have additional questions, submit a Parent Technology Support Ticket.
Parents are encouraged to discuss internet boundaries with their children so that they can understand the reasoning behind any limits and the differences between access at home and at school. Get tips on talking to your children about technology safety.
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