Longfellow Middle School

Greetings Longfellow Families,

This week, our school community came together for our Pride Assemblies, a special event to celebrate students’ positive behavior, strong attendance, and school spirit!

The assemblies were filled with excitement and fun! Students enjoyed a lively teacher vs. student game that had everyone cheering! We recognized students who demonstrated outstanding commitment by having zero tardies this term — their names were entered into a prize wheel drawing, and several lucky winners took home awesome prizes!

Adding to the celebration, students shared their creativity and confidence in our talent showcase (pictured above). It was a wonderful reminder of the many ways our students shine both inside and outside the classroom.

We’re so proud of all our students for showing respect, responsibility, and excellence every day. Keep up the great work! 🌟

November 12th - PTA Meeting

November 14th - 16th - Fall Show

November 19th - Choral Concert

November 21st - Deadline to select a pose for the yearbook

November 26th - 28th - Thanksgiving Break

December 1st - No School

This year you will be able to order your yearbook directly from VIP! Please follow this link to order your 25-26 Longfellow Middle School Year Book. Ordering will be available until May 1, 2026.

Families have until November 21st to select a pose for the yearbook!

🎉 Get Ready to Spell! Longfellow to Host Scripps National Spelling Bee Qualifier

Longfellow Middle School is thrilled to announce we will be holding our annual School Spelling Bee, which serves as the official qualifier for the prestigious Scripps National Spelling Bee program! This is an incredible opportunity for our students to showcase their vocabulary, spelling skills, and compete for a chance to move on to the next level of competition.

📝 Event Details:

This exciting academic competition will challenge our students with words from the official Scripps lists and beyond.

• What: Longfellow Middle School Spelling Bee (Scripps Qualifier)

• When: December 4-5-8

• Where: Qualifiers in Small Theater and Finals in Lois Weber Theater

• Who is Eligible: All students

✏️ How to Sign Up:

Students interested in competing must sign up using the Google Form sent directly to their school email address.

• Sign-Up Method: Google Form sent to every student's Longfellow Middle School email account.

• Deadline to Sign Up: Monday, November 24th

• Action Required: Students must check their school email for the form and submit it by the deadline to be considered a contestant.

🏆 The Path to Victory:

The winner of the Longfellow Middle School Spelling Bee will be declared the School Champion and will advance to the next level of competition, typically the Regional Spelling Bee!

📚 How Your Student Can Prepare:

The best way to succeed is to start studying now!

• Official Study List: Students should begin reviewing the School Spelling Bee Study List (450 words) provided by Scripps. Word Lists will be provided to all those who sign up and a practice app is also available

• Tips from Champions: Encourage your student to not only memorize the words but also learn their definitions, parts of speech, and language of origin. Asking for this information is permitted during the bee and can provide helpful clues.

• Practice: Encourage your student to practice spelling the words aloud. Remind them to speak clearly and take their time at the microphone.

❓ Questions?

Please direct all questions regarding eligibility, study materials, or the competition rules to our Spelling Bee Coordinator:

• Coordinator: Dean Larsen @ larsenpa@wauwatosa.k12.wi.us

We look forward to a challenging and memorable competition! Come out and cheer on our Longfellow spellers!

Go Spellers! Go Longfellow!

Hey Longfellow Community!

We are getting ready to start preparing for the Multicultural Fair (MCF), which will be on Wednesday, April 29th, 2026 from 6-8:00pm. Mark your calendars as this family event is one you won't want to miss!

For those who are new to our school, the MCF is an annual family event where we celebrate our Longfellow community and the wonderful cultures we have right here in Wauwatosa with food, entertainment, and activities from around the world. If this sounds like something you'd like to get more involved with, we are always looking for more help.

We are in need of 135 volunteers for the night, so if you are interested in helping, please sign-up using this link.

Still want more information? Feel free to email.

Thanks,

Emily Petrin, Erin Apollo and the MCF Team

Daily School Arrival/Dismissal Information

• Students who arrive prior to 7:50 am, must use W12 and report to the cafeteria. At 7:50 am, all students will be able to access the building through doors: E7 and S8 until 8:05 am. All students who arrive after 8:05 am will be directed to enter through S8 (the main office doors) to check in.
• For safety reasons, there is to be no loitering (to linger idly or aimlessly) of students in the school building or on school grounds after their daily programs are finished. Students must leave the school grounds no later than 3:50p.m. (2:50 on Early Release Wednesdays) unless they are attending a school-sponsored, supervised activity, or they have a scheduled appointment with a teacher.

Additional Resources

• Please see here for our "Who's Who?" at LMS. This guide provides a list of staff who can assist you with various information here at Longfellow.

The food service program provides daily offerings, which include a complete school lunch as well as a variety of a la carte food items. Students may pay for lunch using the money in their lunch account or cash. Students who are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals must have a completed application on file. Additional food service information available here.

Wauwatosa School District Attendance Information

Entering an absence in IC:

Guardians are now required to use the Infinite Campus Parent Portal to report student absences, late arrivals or early departures. For the safety and security of all students, excused absences are to be reported through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. For instructions on how to access absence reporting inside of the Infinite Campus Parent Portal, please see the Announcements section when logging into the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. If questions or concerns regarding attendance, please contact the office at 414-773-2430 or 414-774-2402.

Remember, students are allotted 10 parent excused absences per school year excluding medical appointments. If your child is absent for any period of the day due to a doctor/dentist appointment, please provide a medical excuse with dates within 72 hours of the absence.

Supporting Our Longfellow Families

In light of recent changes and challenges, the Longfellow Community is stepping up to support one another. We are offering free food boxes for families who could use a little extra help right now. Each box includes pantry staples to help with meals for the week.

Please fill out this short form if you are interested in receiving a food box. All information is confidential and used only to coordinate support.

If you are interested in donating, please consider the following items:

• Canned meats (chicken, tuna)

• Peanut Butter

• Jelly

• Canned fruits

• Canned vegetables

• Canned beans

• Pasta sauce

• Dried Pasta

• Ramen

• Rice

• Cooking Oil

• Spices

• Flour

• Sugar

All donations can be dropped off in the Main Office at Longfellow Middle School. Please contact Amber Ringstad with any questions.

• Michelle Marcou - 6th Grade Counselor

• Brandi Berg - 7th Grade Counselor

• James Bentley - 8th Grade Counselor

• Amber Ringstad - Mental Health Specialist

• Hannah Wieczorek - School Psychologist

• Zoe Rezner - Health Department Social Worker

The new Destination Imagination season is almost here, with exciting new STEAM-based challenges and many opportunities for creativity, problem solving, collaboration, personal growth, and FUN! Students work in small teams on open-ended challenges from November through at least March (longer if they advance to state and international competition), and teams set their own meeting schedules so it’s easy to flex around other activities.

Longfellow has a long and proud DI tradition and has even had teams advance to DI’s Global Finals. But more important, DI is a great way for students to make new friends and build confidence and lifelong skills.

The participation fee of $165. Full and partial scholarships are available. Financial need should not be a barrier to participation! To learn more, or to sign up your student for the 2025–26 season, visit FriendsOfTosaDI.org or email FriendsOfTosaDI@gmail.com. The requested due date for signing up is Friday, Oct. 10, although we will try to accommodate registrations after that date.

Cross Country

Please hand in CC Jerseys to Mr. Cantwell!!

7th and 8th grade Boys Basketball

• Monday- Practice after school in the big gym. 3:45-5 pm
• Tuesday- Practice after school in the big gym. 3:45-5 pm
• Wednesday- Longfellow Black team has a game at Badger MS. Start time will be at 3:45 with the 8th grade game right after. Students will be released at 2:45 pm. Longfellow Orange team will be playing at home against Badger MS. Start time will be 3:45 with the 8th grade game right after.
• Thursday- Longfellow Black team has a game at Brown Deer MS. Start time will be at 4 pm with the 8th grade game right after. Students will be released at 3 pm. Longfellow Orange team will be playing at home against Brown Deer MS. Start time will be 3:45 with the 8th grade game right after.
• Friday- No Practice

Wrestling

• Monday- Meet in the Rec room after school. Practice from 3:45-5 pm
• Tuesday- Meet in the Rec room after school. Practice from 3:45-5 pm
• Wednesday- Meet in the Rec room after school. Practice from 3:45-5 pm
• Thursday- Wrestling meet at Whitman MS. Start time is 4 pm. Students will be released at 3:10 pm
• Friday- No Practice

Cheer

• Tuesday- Practice from 3:45-5:15 in the small gym.
• Wednesday- Cheer for the boys basketball game at home. Meet in small gym after school at 3:45.
• Thursday- Cheer for the boys basketball game at home. Meet in small gym after school at 3:45.

Please make sure to complete the athletic from if you haven't already!!

David Cantwell

Athletic Director

cantweda@wauwatosa.k12.wi.us

Please review this updated information regarding middle school spectator expectations.

Please click here for the current PTA newsletter.

Giltee Spiritwear Store open through 11/16- order here. A portion of every order supports the Longfellow PTA. Shop our clearance spiritwear here.

Please join us at the upcoming PTA meeting on 11/12 at 7pm in the library or via zoom.

Dining out fundraiser at Maggio’s Wood Fired Pizza (7212 W North Ave) on Thursday November 20th. Between the hours of 11am and 8pm, if you mention the fundraiser when you order, 20% of all sales will be donated to the LMS PTA!

Our next Staff Breakfast will be Tuesday, November 25th. If you would like to donate to support this breakfast, please do so here. All donors will be acknowledged on a “Thank You” sign that will be displayed during the meal. Thank you!!

If you haven’t already, please join the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). As a reminder, you must opt in to PTA membership at Longfellow. You may have done this when you were completing your annual registration in Infinite Campus. If you have not yet completed your PTA membership, you can do so at this link.

The 2025-26 meeting dates are:

Wednesdays from 7:00-8:00 pm

November 12

January 14

March 11

May 13

Other helpful links: You can order LMS Spiritwear online, and find us on Facebook and Instagram

• District Calendar

• Longfellow Calendar

• A/B Schedule

• Longfellow Student and Family Handbook

• Speak Up Speak Out

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