Happy Spring to you all! I look forward to celebrating all of our staff next week! May 5-9 is Teacher Appreciation Week across the nation and what better time to show our teachers how much we truly cherish everything they have done and continue to do to prepare our Lions for their future! I am so proud of our staff and all they have accomplished to make this year the best it could be!

Our third through fifth grade Lions took the South Dakota Smarter Balanced Assessment during the month of April. They persisted and persevered and we are so proud of them for their dedication to hard work and giving it their best effort. Way to represent Longfellow!!!

May is a month of year-end activities, including field trips and field day. You will receive information on these events, from your child’s teacher. Just a reminder, that these fun activities are privileges. If a learner is not able to follow expectations appropriately at school, they may not be allowed to attend these activities within and outside of our community. If your child has not earned these privileges, his/her classroom teacher will be informing you. Congratulations to all of our Lions who are continuing to make “Paws-it-ively” good choices on a daily basis.

Thank you to all the families that participated and had fun with the Longfellow Family Fitness challenges this year. It was great to see families connect and see them enjoying activities to promote positive health and family time.

Thank you for a wonderful year! We appreciate all the support our families provided so that we could have the best year possible. Have a sensational and safe summer and I look forward to seeing you and working with you all in the 2025-2026 school year!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Heckenlaible

Teacher Appreciation Week is May 5-9: Please let your children’s teachers know just how much you appreciate them. I couldn’t be more proud of the dedication that each of our educators give to their Longfellow Lions and the education, love, and support that they provide each and every day! A BIG SHOUTOUT to all the staff at LO Elementary! I am so THANKFUL for you!!!

-Mrs. Heckenlaible

Reading isn’t just for school; it’s for adventure, imagination, and family fun all summer long! Whether you’re diving into a good book outside, setting up a reading challenge, or visiting the library for fresh stories, there are endless ways to keep the pages turning.

Why Read This Summer?

✅ Prevents the "summer slide" and keeps kids learning.

✅ Builds vocabulary and reading fluency.

✅ Sparks imagination and creativity.

✅ Provides quiet time for relaxation and focus.

✅ Makes reading a habit for lifelong learning!

✅ Offers screen-free moments that let kids unplug and unwind.

Each grade level/den has the opportunity to attend a field trip. Please note that field trips must be earned by the following rules, showing and being respectful to others, being a positive leader, and upholding their grades (to name a few). Teachers will review their lists and determine all who have earned the privilege. Field trips are a blast and no one wants to miss them!

If you have a child who is turning five on or before Sept 1st, 2025 and you have not yet registered them for kindergarten for the 2025-26 school year, please do so now. Call 605-995-3092 or click this link.

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.

The parent portal is a great way to see your child's grades and attendance.

• "I know I asked the doctor's office to send a note for that appointment, but did they remember to do so?"
• "I sent the doctor note with my child. Did she remember to deliver it to the office?"

The best way to check on that is to log on to your parent portal. You may not see daily grades but you will be able to see their quarter grades and, of course, attendance. The parent portal will become extremely important as your child moves on to Middle School and High School as you can check on missing assignments and current grades. Also, the parent portal is where you update your info at the end of each year, which registers your child for the upcoming school year. PLEASE, familiarize yourself with the portal. If you do not remember your log on info, please ask the office.

PE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE MONTH

• Yoga

• Pacer Running Test

• Bikes

• Egg Hunting and Jelly Bean Challenges

• Tag games to practice our locomotor skills

• Soccer

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.

Think back....way back. When you were in school, what was your best day ever? What did you LOVE to do? Maybe it was winning the Spelling Bee or conquering a math quiz. No, maybe it was kicking it over the fence in kickball or finding the book you had been waiting for in the library. For his young Lion, riding Strider bikes was THE BEST DAY EVER!!!

Kingston Davis, a fifth grader, set the new school record for the Pacer Running Test this month! It was absolutely amazing to see and the class erupted with cheers as he finished with 103 laps!!! Kingston had the previous record from last year at 96 and he was able to surpass that this year! CONGRATULATIONS, Kingston!!! We are so proud of you and hope to see you running on the MHS track team someday!

We will be honoring our fifth-grade learners at the annual Fifth Grade Recognition Reception. We will celebrate them on Tuesday, May 22, at 6:30 pm, at the Performing Arts Center (PAC), located just north of Seventh Ave. and Burr St. Concert area doors will open at 6:10 pm. We hope all of our fifth-grade families can attend! We wish them all well as they go to sixth grade at MMS!!!

Thurs. May 1 - Principal Appreciation Day

Sat. May 3 - Caring Closet Open

May 5-9 - Teacher Appreciation Week

Tues. May 6 - 5th Grade Band Concert

Wed. May 7 - Bike to School Day

Fri. May 9 - Student Council Store OPEN

Mon. May 12 - School Board Meeting

Tues. May 13 - 5th Grade Show choir

Fri. May 16 - Den A Field Trip

Mon. May 19 - Kindergarten to Fire station

Mon. May 19 - Den B Field Trip

Tues. May 20 - Kindergarten Field Trip

Tues. May 20 - Den C Field Trip

Wed. May 21 - 1st Grade Field Trip

Wed. May 21 - Kindergarten Picnic

Thurs. May 22 - 5th Grade Recognition

Fri. May 23 - Last Day - Kickball Tournament/Field Day

Tues. May 27 - School Board Meeting

Please have all medications (prescription or over-the-counter), as well as Epi-pens picked up by Friday, May 30th at 2:30pm. ALL MEDICATIONS MUST BE PICKED UP & SIGNED FOR BY A PARENT. Those medications will be properly disposed of following that date.