When will I know the name of my child’s teacher?

Postcards or letters will be sent to families the week of August 17th notifying them of their placement and the name of their teacher for the school year. Details about the "Sneak Peek" date and time will be available then, too.

What time does school start at Longfellow?

School begins at 8:30 AM. A "come in" bell rings at 8:25 AM for 5th graders so they can access their lockers and get to their Band or Orchestra class by 8:30 AM. All other classes begin lining up at 8:27 AM.

How can I set up my child's lunch account?

Lunch accounts are set up on line through the District home page.  Money can be added to their account either online or by sending cash or a check to the school for deposit into the child's account. Details can be found at the following link:
http://www.bsd7.org/cms/one.aspx?pageId=676691

What time do students go to Lunch? 

Children go to lunch based on their grade level:

• K & 1st start lunch at 11:25 AM,
• 2nd & 3rd go to lunch at 11:50 AM,
• 4th & 5th go to lunch at 12:15 PM.

What time does school get out?

Kindergarten dismisses at 3:25 PM, Monday - Thursday and 2:10 on Friday. 1st -3rd grades dismiss at 3:30 PM, Monday - Thursday and 2:10 on Friday. 4th and 5th grades dismiss at 3:30 PM, Monday thru Friday.

How many students and how many families go to Longfellow?

Longfellow’s student population is approximately 300 students in grades K-5. 

Do you have a before or after school program for children?

Yes! In fact, Longfellow has both!  We offer  an after school program that runs from after school until 5:45 PM. Lynne Merrick directs the after school program. You may contact them through the school.  Students must be signed up before they can attend. More information is available at the CARES link on this website.

What happens when it is too cold to go outside at recess?

Students stay in the building for a variety of reasons. The two most common are  precipitation and temperature.  If it is raining, students will usually have “inside recess” in their classroom and under their teacher’s supervision.  If it is snowing, recess is almost always held outside.  Occasionally, if the snow is very wet and is melting as it hits the ground, students will be kept inside.

Generally, when the temperature drops below 10 degrees (F), students will be kept inside.

Do the teachers at each grade level work as a team or independently?

Teachers are a collaborative bunch! They frequently work together on a wide variety of issues related to student success. Teachers, at each grade level, work together to plan instruction, field trips and other opportunities for students.

What is the school doing about bullying?

Bullying behaviors disrupt the educational, social and developmental goals we all have for our children. Longfellow will be utilizing the OLWEUS approach to eliminating bullying behaviors within the Longfellow School community. This approach is a community wide effort that will involve the training of staff, parents and students. Please contact your child’s teacher or the office for more information.

Does the district provide any money for art, or are all art materials and experiences paid for by ArtWorks?

The district does not provide funding for art education on an annual basis. All art opportunities at Longfellow are provided with funding from donations or purchases during the spring ArtWorks Festival.

What is ArtWorks and why are the LPA and ArtWorks separate?

ArtWorks is a school-based, fundraising endeavor that supports all art education within the school.  When funding for art education was cut several years ago, Longfellow staff chose to continue to support art opportunities for students by establishing an art auction known as ArtWorks.  Funds raised during the auction each May are used to fund art opportunities during the following school year.  ArtWorks today depends on substantial parent volunteerism and leadership to help make it the huge success it is each year.

The Longfellow Parent Association (LPA) is a parent-based, tax-exempt, organization that supports the mission of the school in a number of ways including: coordinating parent volunteers for a variety of school-based endeavors, raising funds that support resource and supply purchases not covered by district funds, and assisting families within the Longfellow Community.  The LPA holds an annual fundraiser each fall.  This year the fall fund raiser will be a "Run for Longfellow" effort. Students will be encouraged to get pledges from family and friends for running a mile.

What is "Walk A Block"?

"Walk a Block" is an effort by the Longfellow school and community to encourage parents to drop their students off at least a block from school and let them walk the last block. Participating in this effort reduces the congestion in front of the school and helps to make the area safer for our children. "Walk a Block" is part of our Safe Routes to School Plan and all families are encouraged to help with this effort. There is a map inside of your Parent Handbook that identifies drop off areas around the school.