Longfellow Log #6

In observance of the Jewish holiday, Yom Kippor, there will be no school.

D97 Schools/Offices Closed on Monday, Sept. 25

All district schools and offices will be closed on Monday, Sept. 25. School will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 26. Have a safe and restful weekend!

Click here to view the 2023-24 calendar >>

Please give a warm welcome to our amazing Student Support Specialist Yolanda Manns. Ms Manns comes to us from Lincoln Elementary, where she most recently taught 5th grade. Ms Manns is incredibly hands on and proactive to meet the needs of all our students. You will see her outside on the playground during recess, visiting classrooms and reading aloud poems and stories, as well as creating fun/engaging activities to build school wide community. Stop by and give Ms Manns a Longfellow fist bump and a SMILE!

September 25th (Monday): Yom Kippor- NO SCHOOL

October 6th (Friday): Walk and Roll to School Day

October 9th (Monday): Indigenous Peoples’ Day-NO SCHOOL

October 13th (Friday): Longfellow Fun Run

October 26th (Thursday): Family Teacher Conference Day

October 26th/27th (Thursday/Friday): Early Dismissal at 11:00AM

October 31st (Tuesday): Halloween Parade

A huge THANK YOU to all parents and caregivers for ensuring your K-5 students got a full night's sleep the day before and ate breakfast to fuel the young brains of our Longfellow Bears! The data provided from the test will help teachers continue to target all learners. We are very proud of our Bears 🐻 !

Please join us for Parents Night Out on Thursday, October 5th at 5pm at Fitzgeralds on Roosevelt. $30 ticket (plus fees) includes all-you-can-eat Babygold BBQ (with vegetarian options), live music, and a donation to the PTO. There is a cash bar available. 21+ only. For any caregivers who want to come but do not have the extra resources for tickets the PTO has complimentary tickets available. Please just send an email to bearcare@longfellowpto.org and you will be sent your tickets. Looking forward to connecting at Fitzgerald’s on October 5!

Link to purchase tickets:

https://www.ticketweb.com/event/longfellow-pto-presents-parents-night-fitzgeralds-patio-tickets/13602148?pl=fitz

Hi Longfellow!

The 5th graders delivered 25 boxes of hygiene supplies for the migrants! Thank you to everyone for your support and donations.The 5th graders worked tirelessly to collect hygiene products for the past 2 weeks. The products will be delivered to the Venezuelan refugees living at the Austin police station. Every Friday the 5th graders visited the classrooms and even talked with classes about the collection to explain why this drive is so important.

Kindergartners, Sixth-Graders, and New Students

The State of Illinois requires all kindergarteners, sixth-graders and students new to our district submit a current State of Illinois school physical with up-to-date immunizations. Detailed information on the requirements can be found here under “Health Requirements.”

Please note that according to Section 27-8.1 of the School Code of Illinois, District 97 is obligated to exclude students from school beginning on Monday, Oct. 16 who have not provided proof of the required physical examinations and/or immunizations, until they are in compliance.

If you have been contacted by your school nurse that your child is missing any of the required forms/information, please submit those records directly to them before the Oct. 16 deadline. Thank you for your assistance with this important matter!

There are still a handful of p.m. session spots available for early childhood blended classrooms at Whittier Elementary School for the 2023-24 school year!

District 97 is seeking students who:

• Are non-IEP students who will be between the ages of 3 and 4 years by Sept. 1, 2023;

• Demonstrate age-appropriate language and social skills;

• Are Oak Park residents;

• Are not enrolled in a preschool program.

Click here to apply to the 2023-24 Early Childhood Blended Program>>

For more information about the Early Childhood Blended Program, including please visit https://www.op97.org/teach-learn/ecblended. The program flyer can be viewed here.

If you have any questions, please contact the district's early childhood coordinator, Michele Suedbeck, at 708-524-3134.

Student learning and accomplishments are reported regularly and in a variety of ways by District 97 schools. The report card, which is issued each trimester, is one of the ways we report student progress. This year’s report card dates are:

• Dec. 8, 2023 (Trimester 1)

• March 22, 2024 (Trimester 2)

• June 4, 2024 (Trimester 3/Last Day of School)

You may also receive information about your child’s progress through standardized test reports, assessments, progress reports, phone calls, personal letters, portfolios, exhibits of student work, and/or family-teacher conferences. Our fall conferences will be held Thursday, Oct. 26, and Friday, Oct. 27. Additional details will be shared by your child’s school.

CLICK HERE to view the updated 2023-24 school calendar. >>

District 97 remains committed to maintaining safe and healthy schools. We continue to work in partnership with the Oak Park Department of Public Health, following guidance set by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH).

When should a child remain home from school?

Staying home if you are ill is essential to keep infections—including the virus that causes COVID-19— out of schools and prevent spread to others. Please visit the District 97 Health Services page for more information about when to stay home. If you have specific questions, please contact your school nurse.

COVID-19 Guidelines for 2023-24

Following IDPH guidelines, individuals who test positive for COVID-19 must stay home for five days after the first day of symptoms or testing positive (Day 0). They may return to school on Day 6 if:

• They are 24 hours fever free with no fever-reducing medication AND

• No diarrhea or vomiting for 24 hours AND

• Improvement of other symptoms.

Masks are strongly recommended around others for five days (through Day 10). Per local guidance, anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 should also complete Oak Park Department of Public Health's Positive at Home COVID 19 Test form.

For more information, please visit: COVID-19 Guidelines for D97 Students and Staff

District 97 has updated the Student-Family Handbook for 2023-24. It contains important information regarding school policies, procedures, guidelines, student rights and responsibilities, and notifications required by state and federal law.

The purpose of this handbook is to outline for students, families and staff the expectations for building an educational community where everyone feels safe, included and able to learn. Having shared expectations, procedures and policies helps us respect all members of the school community in which we learn and work every day. Please take the time to read through the handbook and review it with your child.

Meal Information for the 2023-24 School Year

The breakfast and lunch menus for our elementary and middle schools are available at http://www.op97.org/business-office/food-service. During the 2023-24 school year, students may:

• Bring a nut-free lunch from home.
• Order school lunch.

Free and Reduced Lunch Application
Students may receive meals at a free or reduced cost either by being directly approved by the State of Illinois OR being approved after completing the 2023-24 Free and Reduced Lunch Application (English/Spanish). All families who are directly approved by the state will receive an approval letter by email. If you feel your student may qualify for free or reduced priced meals but are not directly approved, we encourage you to complete the application as soon as possible Please visit https://www.op97.org/business-office/food-service for more information.

Food Allergies/Nut-Safe Schools

Nuts and nut products are not allowed in any District 97 schools during the 2023-24 school year. This includes products that are labeled “processed in a facility that shares equipment with nut products.” Our schools have been nut-safe for the past two years—helping to create safer, more inclusive environments for all of our students.

Please visit https://bit.ly/3DZ7dda to access information about the district’s food allergy management program, as well as tips and options for identifying food that is safe for snacks and field trips. We appreciate your support of this important initiative!

Health Services

Please visit the Health Services web page to find important forms related to physicals, screenings and medication, as well as information about our policies for illness, allergy and asthma management, concussion protocol, medication and more. For specific questions or concerns, please contact your school nurse.

Technology Update

Please visit https://bit.ly/3P2WYe3 for information from the district’s technology department about the deployment of student devices, online filtering at home, the district’s acceptable use policy, and the procedures and protocols that are used to set up accounts for students.

School Fees

The district is currently accepting fee payments for the 2023-24 school year. Full payment is due by September 30, 2023. You can access the fee information by visiting https://www.op97.org/business-office/fees.