Longfellow Middle School

Happy Friday,

A couple of things to share:

1. This week LMS’s 6th grade, 7th grade, and 8th grade band shared their musical talents during their Band Concert.
   

2. Reminder, Longfellow Middle School students will have no classes on Friday, December 22-Monday, January 1, 2023 for Winter Break.

3. Check out the winter edition of LMS Oriole Times.

The time of the year is here where the chill is in the air. A few pieces of information as it relates to the need for winter clothing.

• Students should be placing their winter items (jackets, boots, gloves, etc.) in their locker at the beginning of the day and following lunch.
• Students will need appropriate outerwear in order to go outside during lunch.
• Students will need to enter the building by the Cafeteria Doors (W12) if they want to enter prior to 7:45 AM.
• Please speak to your student about their ability to use the lock they have assigned to them. If they need assistance, please let their house teachers know in order to build some time for practice on this skill.

--

Patrick Larsen

Dean of Students

Longfellow Middle School

(414) 773-2503

All Longfellow 6th graders will visit with Author Lisa Yee and Illustrator Dan Santat on Tuesday, January 9th at Longfellow Middle School.

Dan Santat just won the 2023 National Book Award. Lisa Yee is a Newbery Honor winner, Asian American Pacific Literature Award Winner, and National Book Award Finalist.

Boswell Book Company is sponsoring the visit and students and families can pre-order a signed copy of their book The Misfits #1: A Royal Conundrum, at a 20% discount: Order Form.

Recommended Reading from Common Sense Media

How to Help Kids Balance Phones and Screens with Sleep

Tracy Eccles (she/her/hers)

Library Media Specialist

Longfellow Middle School

414-773-2446

Volleyball tryouts are January 23rd! Please have updated physical. If student has to miss more than 2 practices/1 game due to rec/club, please refrain from trying out for school volleyball.

Jesse Jeffers

Athletic Director/Physical Education Teacher

Longfellow Middle School

jefferje@wauwatosa.k12.wi.us

8th grade planning information

Upcoming Dates & Events:

• Monday, Dec 18th: East HS Freshman Course Info Night @ East, 6pm
• Monday January 8th: West HS Freshman Course Info Night@ West, 6:30pm
  
• Friday, January 12th: 9th Grade Course Registration Day (at Longfellow)

Your Involvement is Key!

The transition to high school is a collective effort, and your partnership is crucial in making it a positive and meaningful experience. Please reach out to one of the Longfellow School Counselors if you have questions along the way:

Longfellow School Counseling Team:

8th Grade Counselor: Brandi Berg

7th Grade Counselor: Michelle Marcou

6th Grade Counselor: James Bentley

Family Outreach

Reminder, as we approach this time of year, there are a variety of emotions that can emerge as a result of the upcoming Holiday Season. Please know that the Longfellow Student Services staff can provide support in a variety of ways. Please reach out if you are seeking financial assistance for gifts and food to create a magical experience for your family. We can also connect with students that may be experiencing grief, anxiety, or other complicated emotions tied to the holiday season. Feel free to reach out to Longfellow’s student services team to learn more about ways we can support your students and family during this time.

Longfellow Student Services Team:

8th Grade Counselor: Brandi Berg

7th Grade Counselor: Michelle Marcou

6th Grade Counselor: James Bentley

Mental Health Specialist: Amber Ringstad

School Psychologist: Jessica Micol

Our wonderful PTA sponsors many activities during the school year, such as staff breakfast and conference dinners, 8th grade promotion, snacks for kids and many other things! Families are welcome to join them for their meetings in the Longfellow Library Media Center.

The 2023-24 meeting dates are:

Wednesdays from 7:00-8:00 pm

January 10

March 13

May 8

This year, thanks to your contributions, the PTA has been able to award Teacher and Club Grants to the 8th grade ELA classes to make welcome bags for 6th graders, the Multicultural Fair to purchase supplies for a student mural, the Beautification committee for new lost and found bins, and the new student Yo-yo club for new yo-yos.

Our Back to School Supply drive was a success, and as the year goes on we have a need for additional notebooks, binders, and accordion folders. Please bring any supplies you'd like to donate to the office.

Save the Date - Saturday February 3rd for our parent social and fundraiser at Leff’s Lucky Town. If you, your business or employer have something you’d like to donate to the silent auction or if you'd like to help plan the event, please email us at longfellowptsa@gmail.com.

Do you have a business that would like to sponsor the PTA with a donation this year? Please email us at longfellowtosapta@gmail.com or donate online.

You can also find us on Facebook, Instagram, and at our next PTA meeting on Wednesday, January 10, 2024.

District Updates for Families + Students

December 11 - 15, 2023

NEW: Board Briefs - Board of Education Meeting Recaps

The Wauwatosa School District will be developing a post-meeting Board Brief following each regular Board of Education meeting. The Board Brief is intended to provide members of the community with a high-level understanding of the action items and discussions that took place at the meeting. Board Briefs will be published on the District website homepage approximately one business day after the meeting. The Board Brief for the December 11, 2023 Board of Education meeting can be found here.

NEW: WSD Parent University

The next WSD Parent University professional learning session, Understanding Individualized Education Plans, will take place on Tuesday, December 19th, from 6-7 p.m. at the Fisher Administration Building, Conference Room C. Please RSVP by completing this form.

UPDATE: Tosa 2075 Task Force

The Tosa 2075 Task Force met on Tuesday, December 12, 2023 at Underwood Elementary School. The meeting agenda and presentation materials are available on the Task Force web page. The meeting summary will be published shortly. As always, members of the community are strongly encouraged to stay informed about the Task Force’s activities by reviewing materials, meeting agendas and recaps on the Task Force web page.

NEW: Winter Illness and Absences

Deciding when to keep a sick child home from school can be a difficult decision. The following guidelines will help you decide whether your child is too ill to attend school. This information does not take the place of consulting a medical provider.

Send your child to school if they have a runny nose, minor sore throat or just a little cough, but no other symptoms above their baseline (allergies, asthma, etc.) without fever. Learn when to keep your child home here: WSD Illness Guidelines.

Regular daily attendance is important to a child’s development. If your child is absent often, it may be harder to keep up with the class. It is important that your child stay home when sick to help them heal quickly, and to come to school when they are healthy. Should you decide to keep your child home, please contact your school’s attendance line. To help identify illnesses in our schools, caregivers are encouraged to report their child’s specific symptoms when calling in sick to the school attendance line. If your child is seen by a physician, please request a medical excuse to provide to the school office upon your child’s return.

Remind your child to wash their hands, cover their coughs, and catch their sneezes. This will help them stay healthy and keep their friends healthy. If you are ever unsure if your student should stay home, please contact your school's health aide or nurse.

NEW: Progress Reports Available in Infinite Campus

Trimester 1 grades are now available in Infinite Campus. Please log in to review your child’s progress. If you do not already have an Infinite Campus account, please click here for instructions.

Please click here for instructions on how to view trimester grades.

ELEMENTARY FAMILIES: If you have any questions regarding any of the Trimester 1 grades, please do not hesitate to reach out to teachers directly.

MIDDLE SCHOOL FAMILIES: If you have any questions regarding any of the Trimester 1 grades specific to Allied Arts, please do not hesitate to reach out to teachers directly. Grades for Core Content areas will be available at the end of Semester 1 in January. In the interim you can monitor progress in Infinite Campus and we encourage you to do so.

Report cards will not be mailed and you will not receive additional communication of Trimester 1 grades. You must view your child’s report card in Infinite Campus.

NEW: Legislative Advocacy Committee Meeting

The Board of Education’s Legislative Advocacy Committee will meet on Wednesday, January 17, 2024 at 6 p.m. at Underwood Elementary School. The Wisconsin Public Education Network (WPEN) will be a guest at this meeting, and community members are encouraged to attend to learn more about ways to support their public schools.

NEW: Board of Education Engagement Committee Meeting

The Board of Education’s Engagement Committee will meet on Wednesday, January 31, 2024 at 6 p.m. at the Wauwatosa East library. The theme of the meeting is academic culture, and members of the community are encouraged to attend to learn about the steps District leaders are taking to enhance the academic culture in our schools.

FINAL REMINDER: Free Fruit + Veggies

Families in need can get up to $60 per month in fresh fruits and vegetables through Instacart for the months of December, January and February and receive a free Instacart membership during that time. An optional survey at the end will allow families to receive an additional $15 Amazon gift card. View this flyer for more information.

Survey for Students in 4th - 12th Grade

A pulse survey will be launched for students in grades 4-12 in January 2024. Families are able to opt their child(ren) out of this survey. Families who wish to opt their child(ren) out of the survey should contact their building principal prior to January 2, 2024.

Winter Assessment Reminders

ACCESS testing is underway for our English Multi-Language Learners (EML).

STAR testing for students in grades 1-8 and students taking Algebra I, Geometry or Algebra II with Trigonometry will begin after winter break. Please watch for more information from your child's school regarding dates. Family reports will be sent home with your child following the testing window.

Fastbridge testing will take place from January 2 - February 2 for students in grades JK-1. Reports will be sent home with students following the close of the testing window. More information will be provided by your building principal.

The State Forward Exam takes place in March and April 2024, and it is important for students to be in school during these weeks. Testing is scheduled as follows:

• March 18 - March 22

• Social Studies (Grades 4, 8, 10)

• Science (Grades 4, 8)

• April 1 - 5

• Social Studies (Grades 4, 8, 10)

• Science (Grades 4, 8)

• ELA (Grades 3-8)

• April 8 - April 12

• ELA (Grades 3-8)

• April 15 - April 19

• Math (Grades 3-8)

Results from the Forward Exam will be mailed home over summer break.

ACT and PreAct (grades 9 - 11) will be administered on March 19 at both high schools. Seniors will not have school on this day. Testing start and end times will be communicated by your building principal.

Strategic Plan Dashboard

Objective 1.2 in our Strategic Plan indicates the development of an academic results dashboard that will be accessible to the public and reviewed by the Board of Education quarterly. We are excited to share that our Strategic Plan Dashboard meets this objective, and is available for stakeholders to view here. The dashboard is also available via the District webpage by clicking Menu → Strategy + Accountability → Strategic Plan Dashboard. Please note that this dashboard will be updated no more than quarterly with available information.

6-8 English Language Arts Curriculum Review

English Language Arts (ELA) Curriculum for grades 6-8 is under review and the Division of Academic Performance intends to bring a final decision regarding instructional resources to the Wauwatosa Board of Education and community in January.

Middle School ELA educators have been working diligently to review comprehensive literacy programs to narrow the list of top selections. These final programs, with accompanying information, are posted to the curriculum review web page.

• Into Literature (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

• CommonLit 360

Also available on the curriculum review web page is a space for families to provide feedback regarding the programs.

To start the 23-24 school year, we wanted to provide our students and families to easier access to the clubs and organization that we have here at Longfellow. Please review Longfellow's Clubs and Organizations. As students create more clubs and organizations, we will update this powerpoint!

See letter here from the WSD's Division of Pupil and Family Supports.

Thank you for reviewing this information with your Longfellow student in preparation of the upcoming school year.

Wauwatosa School District Attendance Information

At home, you can help your student get to school each day by:

• Call the school office any time your child may be late or absent.

• Scheduling medical and dental appointments after school or during teacher work days when possible.

• Provide the school office with medical excuses any time your child misses school for a medical appointment.

• Send your child to school if they have just a slight stomach ache, headache or allergies, and do not have a contagious illness. Call the school or a health provider for advice if your child complains regularly.

• Familiarize yourself with the WSD district illness guidelines.

Stay connected WSD Canvas Observer Training Course This course explains Canvas vs. IC, contains directions on how to create a Canvas observer account, and provides an explanation of how to use Canvas as an observer. Once a parent is connected to their child as an observer, they will not have to connect again.

Longfellow 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony: Tuesday, June 4th, 2024 at 9:30 am

Rain Date: Wednesday, June 5th, 2024 at 9:30 am

Last Day of School for 8th graders: Monday, June 3rd, 2024.

Last Day of School for 6th & 7th graders: Thursday, June 6th, 2024

6th grade tentative dismissal time 10:25 am

7th grade tentative dismissal time 11:00 am

Email: palazzan@wauwatosa.k12.wi.us
Website: www.wauwatosa.k12.wi.us/longfellow
Location: 7600 West North Avenue, Wauwatosa, WI, USA
Phone: 414-773-2400