May 18, 2023
Families of Longfellow Elementary -
The last day of school for students is next Wednesday, May 24th. It’s hard to believe that another year has flown by. We’re all another year older. For our 4th graders, each year is 10% of their lives. For the adults, it feels like if we blink, we could miss it all. As we head into summer, I ask everyone to slow down and savor the time we have together. I’m as guilty as anyone on this. The demands of the urgent can overwhelm. Even if it’s just the hug goodbye, hold on a little longer, look them in the eye, and tell them that you love them. Every kid deserves that.
We jam lots of fun and activities into these last few weeks. They’re intended to create memories and celebrate childhood. We don’t remember the math tests from our youth, but we remember the people. We remember the field trips. We remember the friends. We remember the fun.
Next Monday the 22nd is our field day. Students will be walking (or riding the bus for some of our younger kiddos) to the high school. There they will be participating in several games and activities. Be sure your child is prepared by having them dressed in a way that is ready for activities and the weather. Sunscreen, a hat, and a waterbottle are a must!
In addition to this, all grades have something exciting and out of the ordinary planned for next week. Reach out to your child’s classroom teacher if you have any questions about specific field trips, picnics, and fun.
As we prepare for summer, we are trying hard to clean out our lost and found. Each day after school, we’ve been displaying the items for parents to look over in hopes they find that lost hat, coat, waterbottle, lunchbox, towel, shoe, swimsuit, glasses or other lost item. We’ve also been having our bus kids check the items for parents who can’t make it. On Monday, we’ll be leaving it out all day. After 4:15 on Monday, items will be available for anyone to take. Items remaining after that will be donated to charity.
Additionally, throughout the day on Monday and Tuesday, we’ll have tables of books that are free to grab. One of the best things you can have your child do throughout the summer is daily reading. Almost all kids experience a loss of academic skills over the summer. You can prevent this by having them read! Learn more about the “summer slump” here:
Finally, the culmination of the Longfellow experience is our 4th Grade Continuation. This will take place on Wednesday the 24th at 2:30. 4th grade parents are welcome to attend and will be joined by the 3rd grade class as they celebrate the accomplishments of our 4th graders and honor their transition into becoming middle schoolers. If 4th grade parents would like to check their child out immediately after the ceremony, they may do so, but we ask that they complete a form with their classroom teacher to ensure all students are accounted for and safe.
Thank you all for a wonderful year. Thank you for being the most important person in a child’s life.
Thank you all,
Cory Scheffel
LES Principal