Important Dates


Sept. 11	Seventh Grade Back To School Night 7 pm in Cafeteria
Sept. 18	Eighth Grade Back To School Night 7 pm in Cafeteria
Sept. 22	PTA Meeting 7:30 PM in the Library
Oct. 13	Columbus Holiday
Oct. 27	PTA Meeting 7:30 PM in the Library
Oct. 31	1st Grading Period Ends
Nov. 3 & 4	Student Holidays
Nov. 24	PTA Meeting 7:30 PM in the Library
Nov. 26	Student's Released 2 hours early
Nov. 27 & 28	Thanksgiving Holidays

NEW! SLEEP: Start Later for Excellence in Education Proposal

Goal: To change Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) middle and high school start times to later in the morning. Research shows that later start times correspond with teen sleep needs and improve health, quality of life, and school performance.

The effort to change Fairfax County Public School start times by parents concerned about the health impact of too-early high school start times on adolescent students has been going on for at least 10 years. SLEEP was
started in January 2004 by Sandy Evans and Phyllis Payne. Momentum is growing and we are on the cusp of making changes, but we need parent support to finally accomplish the goal of so many parents for so long. To learn more about the history of this issue in Fairfax and what you can do to help, go to the SLEEP web site

Staying In Touch with Longfellow:

Since there is no “backpack folder system” at Longfellow, the only way to stay in-the-know is electronically. These are the two ways to get information from the PTA and the School via e-mail:

1. For PTA Information about Student and Parent Events and Volunteer Opportunities: Join the Longfellow PTA Yahoo Group. Simply enter YOUR EXISTING E-MAIL ADDRESS (no need to create a new Yahoo address!) and click on the Yahoo icon below. This is the ONLY manner that the PTA communicates with the parent community. There is no paper newsletter. The Yahoo group messaging system supplements our web site and allows for time sensitive communication.

Again note: You do not need to create a new Yahoo e-mail address to be part of the Longfellow group. When asked, put in your own current e-mail address.

2. We strongly encourage Longfellow parents to sign up for e-mail distributions from the school and Fairfax County Public Schools via the Longfellow KEEP IN TOUCH (KIT) e-mail system. This helpful link provides weather delay, emergency and school notices. In addition, our principal, Carole Kihm, sends periodic Longfellow news via KIT.

LMS Student Directory

Register for Student Directory online this year! Instructions are contained in the Longfellow PTA packet you received in the mail in late August. See page 4 of the yellow handout, titled "PTA Longfellow Student Directory Instructions". In addition, the instructions are included in the Student Directory section of Blackboard. If any questions or problems, please contact Edie Ashton or Sarah Swett .

FAIRGRADE UPDATES

FAIRGRADE has launched its newly designed website and hopes you will visit the new site to learn more about FAIRGRADE's efforts to have the FCPS grading policies revised. FAIRGRADE WEBSITE

To contact FAIRGRADE, click here. NOTE: At its May 19th meeting, the Longfellow PTA voted to endorse and support the mission of FAIRGRADE.

Free webpage monitoring and notification software available

Our previous link that provided notification of changes to this page is no longer operating. A free service is available from Internet Owl . This site requires a little set-up after you download it---but it is easy. After you download it, it will appear on your list of programs. Open it up. Click on "file"--"watch a new web page". For name enter "Longfellow PTA" and the HTTP address: http://www.longfellowpta.org. You should also set preference notification such as pop-up or email.

Email webmaster for additions or changes to this website.

Updated September 5, 2008

Longfellow Middle School PTA

Important Dates