October 2025

Hello Longfellow Lion Families,

I want to take this time to Thank You for sharing your Lion cubs with all of us. They are a fun, energetic, and motivated bunch. They have a goal to raise $12,000 so they can “Paint the Principal” (this year a Mystery Guest will fill in for me)! They were so excited to jump at this opportunity! Each class that brought in over $800 was allowed to also “Paint a Teacher!” Several teachers volunteered to sign up for this fun event. Due to the timing and needing to get this newsletter out, the total sales will come out on our social media sites in the near future. Please turn in all tickets and money, including unsold tickets, to your teacher. We may be small, but we are mighty!!!

Longfellow’s PTO strives to make this the one major fundraiser for the year, so we truly appreciate your efforts in helping your children to be a part of the team to reach the $12,000 goal. We can’t have these successful fundraising events without the support of our Longfellow families and the entire Mitchell community.

The students are also ‘jazzed up’ for our Decade Disco, which will be this Friday evening, October 3, from 5:30-7:00 pm. The Lions will boogie on down to some great music, enjoy a photo booth, face painting, pizza, and pop. A glow necklace will be handed out to each child that attends.

The month of October is beaming with activities – “Donuts While You Browse” at the annual Longfellow Book Fair and our fall conference night. A parent or grandparent must accompany children at this event. Please see the details of this event in this edition of the October newsletter. We look forward to seeing you all at conferences on Thursday, October 23, from 3:30 – 8:45 pm and visiting with you at the many school and PTO sponsored activities throughout the school year.
As always, please contact the school with any questions or concerns. You can reach us at 995-3092.

Yours in Education,

Mrs. Heckenlaible
Longfellow Elementary Principal

It can be cold in the morning. Please be aware that the doors do not open and supervision doesn't start until 7:30 am. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

While we'd rather not think about it, cooler weather is fast approaching. Please make sure your children are dressed appropriately. We go outside unless it is raining or the temperature or wind chill drops below zero. We do not have extra coats available at school.

We understand that families need to make doctor appointments and have family vacations. As you are scheduling those, it may help to be aware of these dates.

10/13 Mon-NO SCHOOL - Staff Development

11/7 Fri-NO SCHOOL - McGovern Debate

11/11 Tues-NO SCHOOL - Veteran's Day

11/26-28 Wed-Fri-NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Break

12/23-1/2 NO SCHOOL - Christmas Break

1/5 Mon-SCHOOL RESUMES

1/19 Mon-NO SCHOOL - Staff Development

2/13 Fri-NO SCHOOL

2/16 Mon-NO SCHOOL - President's Day

3/18-3/23 Thru-Mon-NO SCHOOL - Spring Break/Staff Development

4/3-4/6 Fri-Mon-NO SCHOOL - Easter

5/22 Fri-LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

We do the bulk of our statewide testing in April as well (3rd-5th graders). When a student

misses the scheduled testing time, we are required to reschedule for that student. Learners do

better when testing with the rest of their peers. We appreciate you doing your best to avoid

absences or leaving for appointments during those dates.

Mitchell's Fire Marshall, Tiffany Boehmer, and Fire Chief, Shannon Sandoval, will be assisting us with our fire drill and visiting our Lions. Please remember when you turn your clocks back for Daylight Saving Time on November 2nd, to change the batteries in your smoke detectors and review escape routes with your children.

A person's name is more than just a label—it's a reflection of identity, heritage, and sometimes even destiny. Names often carry deep meanings rooted in language, culture, or tradition. For example, a name might mean "light," "warrior," "hope," or "peace" in its original language, offering insight into what values or qualities were important to the family or culture at the time of naming. Others pass down names through generations as a way of honoring ancestors or preserving family history.

Many of our students were given assignments pertaining to THEIR name and what it means. We hope all of our lions carry their names with pride!

Our 5th grade band members are working so hard to learn how to properly hold their instruments, read music, and get that instrument to play an actual NOTE. Mrs. Krell is very proud to report that everyone is able to make a musical sound!

The students joined the MHS marching band at a football game. All 5th grade band students learned how to walk in with the 'big kids', sit during a game, and were able to ask questions. They enjoyed a front row seat for the marching band's competition show.! Thanks MHS band staff and students for showing us what it will be like if they stick with it.

You are encouraged to fill out a free and reduced meal application at any time throughout the school year. When in doubt, fill it out. If you completed the 2025-2026 application already this year, then you should have already been notified of your status. If you have experienced a financial change due household membership or job change, you are encouraged to apply again.

You can create an online account to monitor your child/ren’s meal account, balances, and add money to their account. Visit the district
the school website and click on

“Mealtime Online Access”

4SK wrote about a core memory. In first grade, we watch them learn proper sentence structure. By the time they get to fourth grade, they are learning how to put together a letter or story using topic and supporting sentences.

Even though our Lions weren't born yet when 9/11 occurred, the memory of that day still holds tremendous power. Our teachers work to help students understand what it was like - what the world felt like in those uncertain moments. But more importantly, they focus on the heroes who emerged: the first responders, the everyday people who stepped up, and the resilience that brought us together.

By learning their stories, our students honor their legacy.

We are very proud of our attendance rates at Longfellow Elementary and want to keep that going! We want to thank our parents for continuing to bring their child/ren to school each day and on time.

Attendance is extremely important to the success of each child's education.

Thank you for making attendance and education a priority in your child's life!!

We’re proud to announce that our school reached an impressive 98% schoolwide attendance rate for the 2024-2025 school year! This is the highest percentage we have EVER been!!

This significant milestone reflects our Longfellow families commitment to learning, consistency, and academic success.

High attendance is directly linked to better student outcomes—both academically and socially. When students show up every day, they stay engaged, keep up with lessons, and build stronger relationships with peers and teachers. Achieving 98% attendance means that our students, families, and staff understand how valuable each school day is.

We want to thank all parents and guardians for their continued support in getting students to school on time every day, and to our students for showing up ready to learn. This achievement belongs to all of us!

Let’s keep the momentum going and aim even higher—because every day counts.

Mrs. Kramer's class regularly takes time to discuss current events and explore what's happening in the Mitchell community. So, when it came time to choose a topic for a letter-writing assignment, one student suggested writing to Mr. and Mrs. Musick, who had generously donated money to the school district.

Let’s just say, these kids understood the assignment! They wrote thoughtful letters with clear topic sentences and strong supporting details, while also capturing just how meaningful the Musicks’ donation truly is. The letters were sent to Mr. and Mrs. Musick, and we hope they can feel the deep appreciation beginning with our youngest Kernels!

Longfellow clothing orders are due OCTOBER 3RD!! Ask your classroom teacher or stop at the office if you need a form!

Pick up and drop off can be a very stressful time for parents and students. Everyone is in a hurry and ready to move on to the next part of their day. However, safety is the most important factor! Please remember to go to the corner and cross the street with the crossing guards. Please do NOT encourage your child to cross in the middle of the street. We want to keep our students safe and set a good example.

PLEASE remember that students need proper shoes on gym days. Sandals, cowboy boots, snow boots, fashionable boots, flipflops, crocs, etc., are fine shoes but not appropriate for PE days.

Longfellow does not have spare shoes for students to borrow. Thank you.

Fri. 3rd - Student Council Store-OPEN

Fri. 3rd - LO clothing orders are DUE

Fri. 3rd - Decade Disco

Mon. 6th - Link & Learn Reading Literacy Event (Corn Palace Plaza)

Tues. 7th - PTO Meeting

Sat. 11th - Caring Closet

Mon. 13th - NO SCHOOL-Columbus Day/Indigenous People's Day

Tues. 14th - FREE Vaccine Clinic

Tues. 14th - School Board Meeting

Wed. 15th - Picture Retakes

Fri. 17th - Student Council Store-OPEN

Fri. 17th - Last Day of 1st Quarter

19th-25th - Book Fair Week

Thurs. 23rd - Parent/Teacher Conferences (report cards sent home)

Fri. 31st - Student Council Store-OPEN

November

Mon. 11/3 - 2nd-3rd Veteran's Day Concert

Students are learning to keep a steady beat, recognize rhythm, follow patterns, and work together as a team.

These aren’t just music skills—they’re life skills!
From rhythm in music to patterns in math, every part of their day helps build a strong foundation for lifelong learning.

The school doors open at 7:30 am. Even if it is cold or raining, we do not have staff in the building to supervise so students will wait until 7:30 am to enter the building. Likewise, our staff leaves by 3:45 and students will need to be picked up before that time. We appreciate you making arrangements to have your children dropped off and picked up within those times.

Building doors open 7:30 am

Breakfast served 7:30-8:10 am

First bell rings at 8:10 am

School begins at 8:15 am (meaning a student is tardy at 8:16 am)

School dismissed at 3:15 pm

If your child needs to leave during the school day or will come late due to an appointment, simply alert the school office at 605-995-3092. If you need to take your child out early, we appreciate you alerting the office ahead of time, if possible. Your child will remain in class until you come inside to sign them out and we will do our best to have them prepared and ready to go as quickly as possible.

Please ask your child if they have headphones for school. If you forgot to send some or they are no longer working, we have headphones in the office available for purchase for $5.00. Our lions use headphones daily.

LO was so excited to have these local Mother Daughter authors come to the school and share their books and how they became authors. Amanda Radke has written 9 books about her experiences with people in life and on her family farm.

Scarlett Davy Radke is 11 and told her mom she wanted to be an author when she was five. Her first book was published when she was nine, It is a sweet story about her special calf Lucky. She is the author and illustrator of her books. She shared how she created the cover of her book and how she has grown better with each book. She currently has two books out, and is currently working on a Christmas book and her fourth book will be coming out in February.

It was a wonderful experience for our students and was reminded to follow your dreams and anything is possible if you are willing to go for it, and practice to get better.

The DWU Science Methods class teamed up with LO for some hands-on science fun! College students spent weeks researching, planning, and designing experiments — all tailored for 5th graders. From cool phenomena to curious questions, learning was in full swing!

All medications must be administered through the office. Students may keep cough drops in their lockers or desks but allergy meds, cold & flu, antacids, inhalers, etc., as well as all prescription medications will be held in the nurse's office. Please stop in to see Mrs. Snoozy, Longfellow's nurse, or call 605-995-3092 and ask for our nurse, if you have any questions.

Mrs. Snoozy's hours at Longfellow vary but she will be available at open house and will call you back should you leave a message.

Please remember that students are NOT ALLOWED to carry any medications on them (even aspirin). It is not safe to have elementary students carrying meds as we don't want them to get into the wrong hands. We are happy to keep OTC medications in the office for your child when/if they need them.

Currently, we are screening all K-3rd graders, as well as any new students, for hearing and vision. You may receive a letter or phone call from our nurse if any results are at all concerning.

If your child had any health concerns in the past (milk allergy, asthma, etc.) our nurse may be contacting you via a letter in your child's backpack, mail or phone call to confirm. If your child HAS any health conditions we need to be aware of, please fill out the form below so we can be prepared