Welcome to Longfellow Elementary School

March 28, 2024

Families of Longfellow Elementary-

I’d like to take a minute to welcome everyone back from spring break.  The spring snows are still with us, but it is interspersed with beautiful days and buds starting to peek out of the trees.  It doesn’t take long until we’re back in the swing of things from break.  Looking ahead, we have lots of exciting stuff on the horizon and things are definitely swinging.
Starting next week, students go into their annual swim lessons during their gym specials time.  Students need to be prepared with their swimsuit and a towel.  They’ll be transported to the pool and back on one of our district buses.  Knowing it’s hard for parents to remember exactly when their child’s PE day is, we recommend washing and drying swimsuits and putting them immediately back into their backpacks.  That way, they’ll be ready for when swim lessons roll around the next week.    
Next Wednesday, we will be having our first ever “Hop into Kindergarten” from 5:00-6:30.  We’ll be hosting our next year’s kindergarteners and their families as a way to get comfortable with our building and all the wonderful things we have going on at Longfellow.  They will also have time to complete their registration for the upcoming year.  Families will enter through the Kindergarten doors on the East end of the building as a way to help start building those routines for their upcoming school year.  If you know someone who will have a kindergartener next year, encourage them to attend.  No need to sign up, just show up at Longfellow anytime between 5:00 and 6:00.
On Monday April 8th, there will be a partial solar eclipse right here in Salida.  We want to celebrate this unique event, but as always, safety is always our number one priority.  In preparation, we have ordered a ton of ISO approved eclipse glasses.   We will be discussing with students the importance of never looking directly at the sun.  We’ll also highlight the unique celestial occurrence that makes a solar eclipse happen. You will notice “opt out” forms coming home in backpacks today.  If you are at all nervous, please don’t hesitate to sign and return them.  We’ll have options for them that don’t involve observing the eclipse. 
On top of all that, we have kayak lessons, sled dogs, and career days happening.  The running club gets rolling next Tuesday.  The choir has a Collage Concert and Art Show at the high school next Friday, and on, and on.  Be tuned in to your classroom teacher’s communications to make sure you are up to date on all the fun spring happenings. Thank you, Cory Scheffel
Upcoming Events: -Kindergarten Registration Begins April 2nd (You can start by going to the district website at salidaschools.com and following the link to registration.) -Hop into Kindergarten April 3rd 5-6:30 -Collage Concert and Art Show April 5th 5:30-7:30 @ SHS

Sidenotes:

The Longfellow Elementary School 2024 Yearbook is now ON SALE!   Price: $12   Purchase Deadline: 04/10/2024 You can order after the deadline, however the price will increase to $24 and the delivery date will change. 

To order:

1. Go to link.entourageyearbooks.com

2. Search for Longfellow Elementary School 2024 (if there is more than one listed, make sure the correct year (2024) is in the title).

3. Click Buy a Yearbook

4. Fill in any required information and click “Buy Yearbook”

5. LOGIN (if you don't have a login, register with your email).

6. Complete the checkout process.

7. Make sure you keep the confirmation email for your records.

If you have any questions, please contact Gabby at [email protected]. Thank you!

LPA is excited for another season of Run Club. This year, we will be meeting on Tuesdays after school from 4-5 p.m., and Fridays from 10-11 a.m. We will meet at the Longfellow Elementary shade structure beginning March 26th and ending May 3rd (right before the Mountain Lion 5K and Fun Run!) Please use the link below to register your student(s) and indicate whether or not you're interested in volunteering to help out. There is a small fee of $15 this year, but we do not want finances to be a barrier to participating so scholarships are available. Looking forward to running with your students soon!  Student Sign Up Parent Volunteer Sign Up

School Supplies -  Supplies lists are available below. You can also find supply lists at teacherlists.com.  On this site, the lists are pre-loaded into carts with retailers such as Walmart, Amazon, Target, and Staples.  Finally, you can find hard copies of our supplies lists at our local Walmart store. 
 
2023-2024 Supply List - PDF Version to Download and Print, Salida WalMart also has a printed copy available. 

Before and after school supervision–Please do not drop off your student before 7:50 or pick them up after 4:05. We want your child to be safe and our outside supervision does not extend beyond those times. Breakfast starts at 7:50. As you drop them off, if they are eating breakfast, watch them as they enter the building. If they aren’t eating breakfast, watch them enter the playground. If it’s after 7:50, once they enter one of those two areas, we have eyes on them.

Attendance– If your child is going to be absent, please contact our attendance secretary at 719-530-5261. Absences for reasons other than illness will be marked as unexcused. We will have our attendance dialer on to automatically notify you if your student is absent. You will get a call letting you know that you have a message from Salida Schools. We are utilizing this system to let you know as soon as possible that your child is absent. If you get a message and your child is here, don’t panic. Call the office at the number above. Often it can be a mistake on the attendance entry. These situations are our highest priority and we don’t stop working on it until we confirm the child is safe.

Communications–Throughout the year our primary form of communication will be email. If you hear of someone having difficulty, please have them contact the office so that we can make sure their contact information is up to date. For emergency situations and school closures, we will be communicating via the school messenger app. You can find information on downloading the school messenger app on the district’s homepage, salidaschools.com 

Visiting the School–Anytime you are visiting the school, whether for a meeting or to pick up a child, please enter through the first set of the front doors and speak to the secretary through the service window. They’ll have you sign yourself in or sign your student out. This allows us to keep track of everyone who is in the building.

Lunch and Breakfast–Please be sure your child is on time if they plan on eating breakfast.  Breakfast is served from 7:50-8:10. This year, meals are free for all. Even if you don’t need assistance, we ask that everyone fill out the meal assistance form (free and reduced lunch form.) This is crucial for a couple of reasons. First, it is still unclear what rate the state will be reimbursing the schools for each lunch. The meal assistance form will allow the federal government to backfill any amount not covered by the state. Second, some of our federal funding is based on the return rate of these forms. We understand that it has been difficult for some to fill out these forms through Infinite Campus. If you need help, please come by the office and we can assist you through the process.

Buses–Herding up to a hundred students to the buses can be a logistical challenge. At this point in the year, we are feeling extremely successful. If you have a change in the route plans for your child, please contact our transportation supervisor Evalyn Parks at 719-530-5231, the front office at 719-530-5261, and your child’s teacher so that we may ensure that your child arrives home safely.

Circle Drive–The circle drive is for immediate drop-off of students only. If you need time with your child, or you’d like to walk them to class, please park in the parking lot or along the street.  We also ask that bikes avoid the circle drive as it adds an extra layer of danger for drivers as they are working to keep eyes on their student and all the other students in the area.

Bikes–Bikes should be walked when on the school campus (both students and parents.) They should be locked up throughout the school day. Please do not ride bikes in the bus area while they are picking up or dropping off students or in the circle drive.

Cell Phones–Cell Phones and smart watches are increasingly becoming an issue at school.  Our policy is that phones and smart watches should be off and in their backpacks. If you need to communicate a message with your child, please do so via the front office or text them after 3:30 to minimize classroom disruptions.

Volunteering in the classroom– In early September, we will be sending out information on how to complete background checks in order to volunteer in the school.

School Services

School Nurse- Missy Tanner [email protected]
Please contact our school nurse if you have any questions about Medications/Care plans, Immunizations, Allergies, if your child is well enough to send to school or anything that may be affecting your child’s health.  

School Counselor- Kelly Hamilton [email protected]
Please contact our school counselor if you have any questions about counseling, counseling groups, our Positive Behavior System, or any issues that might be affecting your child’s emotional wellbeing.

Partner Organizations
Longfellow Parent Association–provides grants, events, and support to the students, staff, and school throughout the school year. Please become a member. Application forms can be picked up in the front office.

Boys and Girls Club- provides after-school and Friday child care as well as enrichment opportunities. For more information, contact Kiki Lathrop at [email protected].

--
Cory Scheffel
Principal
Longfellow Elementary School



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