Longfellow Newsletter

First Bell-7:50 am / Tardy Bell-7:55 am

All visitors must enter through the main office

Hello Longhorn Families!

It's been another wonderful week to be a Longfellow Longhorn!

Students have worked hard on being Safe, Supportive and Responsible at school and earned comfy day on Friday! We also held our annual Rock, Paper Scissors challenge between leagues and whole building. It was so much fun to see students cheering each other on in their leagues last week and then again today.

Monday is Martin Luther King Day and there is NO SCHOOL. Our Longhorns have been busy reading and learning about Martin Luther King throughout the month and our 5th grade sang a wonderful song at our Friday assembly.

Finally, as some families are aware, sickness has started going through the school. Please encourage your student to wash their hands as much as possible or use hand sanitizer. Also if they are not feeling well please remind them to report this to their teacher in case they need to be seen by the office or nurse.

Our Longfellow school community is really one of a kind!

Stay well,

Principal Webb

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd0K88Fha0QZaWQeV5Xel4KODdPIOutq_HNhU_VI0yKZ2TcnA/viewform?usp=sharing

Art Room News

It’s time for the MidWestOne Bank Art Show! This is an optional project. All entries must be submitted to Ms. Lasansky by February 14, 2025. Each year, MidWestOne Bank selects 50 featured artists, and the chosen artwork will be professionally framed through their partnership with Blick Art Materials in Downtown Iowa City.

ALL entries will be displayed at the MidwestOne Bank Downtown location, and everyone is invited to the open house on April 3, 2025.

Important Instructions:

• Projects must be mounted on a separate sheet of construction paper at home.
• The entry form must be filled out, signed, and attached to the back of your artwork. (See the entry form for full instructions.)

I am very excited to see all the entries!

Ms. Lasansky

Hello Longfellow Families! On Thursday, January 30, from 6-7 PM, Longfellow Music and PE will host our second annual "Longhorn Community Dance Night!" for students and their families. We value using dance and music in our curriculum that reflects our students' rich cultural heritage. If you or a family member know a dance you would like to share with us, please reply to this message and let us know! You could teach it to the music teachers OR to your students' class, or you could share a video of it! We are excited to collaborate with you!

Mr. Broeker, Mr. Hemann, and Ms. Rogers

The purpose of the Celebration Rock is to promote school spirit at Longfellow Elementary School. Parents, caregivers, students & staff have the opportunity to “Rent the Rock” to recognize a student’s birthday, show school spirit, thank or recognize a teacher or staff member, mark congratulatory events, etc. It is a great way to spread positive messages and increase excitement in our community! 100% of the funds raised through the Celebration Rock will be used by the school or PTA for events and for school improvement for our amazing students!

Call the office if you are interested in renting the rock! 3196881135

Follow this Payment link https://givebutter.com/4GsRpD to complete the process by paying $10 or writing a check to Longfellow PTA and dropping off at the office

Get ready to celebrate! What you need to paint a spirit rock: - 1 can of spray paint for each side - acrylic paint for the colors you need for your design - paint brushes and stencil brushes worked well - chalk to plan out the design before painting - other helpful supplies: paint stirrer, paint can opener, scissors, baby wipes for drips, paper towels-- if you want to donate extra supplies after you are done, you can leave them at the office for others.

Questions? Call Longfellow office at 3196881135

Sign up your child to participate in an after-school world language program this spring. This is a wonderful opportunity for your child to immerse themselves in Spanish through fun, engaging and interactive activities where they can practice their language skills. Spanish classes will be offered at Longfellow on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. The Spanish classes will have a duration of eight weeks this spring starting the week of February 3. The classes are free for families with generous support from the Longfellow PTA and the University of Iowa School of Education. Register for the program here by Friday, January 17th.

Help needed: Seeking volunteers as classroom helpers to attend each weekly session for either language. No knowledge of Spanish is necessary. If you are interested in volunteering or have questions, contact Lidia Sana Pfoccori, lidia-sanapfoccori@uiowa.edu.

Longfellow carnival will be here before we know it! To make this fun event happen we need lots of help. Please reach out to the PTA if you are interested in being a part of a planning committee. We will be solidifying the date for our spring carnival at our next PTA meeting January 8th via zoom. Please email co-president Ali Nixon at annixon83@gmail.com or the PTA at IClongfellowpta@gmail.com if interested in helping with planning and/or join the PTA meeting for more information and to get involved.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090F4BA9AF29A2F85-53858342-carnival?fbclid=IwY2xjawHtCN1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHUQ5KRw0KUV9SDfRbAK-kfZ7pPQ3PrHce6w5NuTblUY8ruDhfM-YaVUgmg_aem_4ngUGx-x8IYT4oul403WSQ#/

The Iowa City Districtwide Parents Organization (DPO) is an independent organization led by an executive board and composed of voting members that represent parent organizations across the district.

You are encouraged to attend DPO meetings for the following reasons:

• Connect with parents from other schools’ parent organizations
• Find out what is happening in our district directly from the school board and administration
• Learn from experts about important matters related to children and education
• Exchange ideas and gain information on local, state, and national legislative issues

Upcoming meeting dates / topics (in-person and on Zoom) 6:30-8pm:

• Wed. February 12, 2025 - Legislative update
• Wed. March 12, 2025 - Officer Mike Smithy - Safety for Students
• Wed. April 9, 2025 - Scholarship Reception
• Wed May 14, 2025 - Wrap-up & community building

Just drop receipts in the tub in the front entrance or send them with your student to take to the office.

Jan. 20th- No school- MLK

Jan. 21st- FAST reading and math testing starts

Jan. 29th- Lunar New Year- No School day

January 30th- Dance Night 6-7:00 pm

Feb. 10th-13th I-Smile treatments for 2nd, 3rd and 5th-

Feb. 7th- 3rd grade field trip

Feb. 19th- 1st grade to Englert

Feb. 20th- Talent Show

Feb. 26th- PT conferences

March 5- PT conferences

March 7th- No School- PT Conferences

PTA Meetings:

February 5th, Zoom

March 5th, Zoom/In Person Hybrid

April 2nd, Zoom

May 7th, Zoom

June 4th, Zoom (Year End-Wrap Up, etc.)

• 
  We’d love to welcome your little one to our preschool family! Our teachers are certified in both general and special education, and we offer free half-day programming for 4-year-olds in all of our elementary schools, with full-day options also available.
  
  Preschool registration for the 2025-26 school year opens Feb. 6, 2025. Register on-site between 4 & 6 pm at City High, Liberty High, or West High School. Online registration is also available beginning at 4 pm on Feb. 6.
  
  Learn more at www.IowaCitySchools.org/Preschool

Dear Families, Students, and Staff,

We would like to remind you about the recently approved ICCSD Secondary School Personal Device Policy that will go into effect across all middle and high schools starting January 21, 2025. The new guidelines are designed to reduce distractions and ensure students stay engaged during instructional time while also helping students develop healthy digital habits.

Key Points of the Policy:
We have been working with secondary students and staff to educate them on the new policy and how it will look within their school. In the policy, instructional time is defined as the time between the tardy bell that starts each class period and the dismissal bell that ends the class period.

• During Instructional Time:
• Cell phones must not be seen, heard, or in use.
• Phones must be stored in backpacks, purses, hanging pouches, or lockers, with ringers silenced.
• Headphones and earbuds are also prohibited during instructional time and must be stored away.
• Smartwatches may be worn but cannot be used for communication during class.
• During Non-Instructional Time:
• Middle Schools: Students may use cell phones during passing periods and lunch but not during study hall.
• High Schools: Students may use cell phones during passing periods, lunch, study hall, and open hours, but they cannot use them in hallways during instructional time.

For more details, including information on implementation procedures, consequences, and exemptions, you can review the full policy here: ICCSD Personal Device Policy.

Elementary Schools: With the implementation of these new secondary guidelines, we are simultaneously reinforcing our elementary cell phone policy. That policy can be found in the Elementary Handbook. Key points include:

• Elementary students are asked to refrain from bringing personal devices to school.
• If students must bring a personal device to school, the device must be put away and/or not in use (backpack, purse, desk, locker).
• Parents are encouraged to contact the main office if they need to contact their child during the school day.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate these new guidelines, which will provide a more productive and inclusive environment for all students.

Sincerely,

Matt Degner

Parents are invited to fill out the general field trip permission form for your student here:

https://forms.gle/gaWpP2gFYYKD2npbA

Looking for information on Securly, our web filtering tool? Find all the information here www.IowaCitySchools.org/Securly.

Student Handbook :https://www.iowacityschools.org/students-families/student-handbooks/elementary-handbook

Longfellow Elementary School

Every student counts. Every moment matters.

ADDRESS: 1130 Seymour Ave., Iowa City, IA 52240

PHONE: 319-688-1135

FAX: 319-688-1136

Kelli Webb, Principal

Teresa Svec, Principal Secretary

Sasha Frauenholz, School Facilitator

Non-Discrimination Policy:

It is the policy of the Iowa City Community School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status in its educational programs, activities, or employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy, please contact the Director of Equity, 1725 N. Dodge St., Iowa City, IA 52245, (319) 688-1000.