Longfellow Log

• Friday, October 9th - Remote Learning Planning Day (No school for students)

• Monday, October 12th - Indigenous People's Day (No School)
  
• Tuesday, October 13th - School Board Meeting - 7:00 p.m.
  
• Thursday 10/22 and Friday 10/23 - Student 1/2 Days (School ends at 11:00) **Information about parent teacher conferences is coming soon
  
• Friday, October 30th - Halloween festivities TBD
  

Many thanks to our amazing custodial staff:

John Davis, Swan Billups, Eddie Martinez, Matt Wilberg, and Samonica Murry

for all that you do for us and our school! We appreciate you!

Attendance is taken during remote learning as well. If your child is not going to be in attendance, please be sure to call the Attendance # 708-665-3068 OR email: longfellowattendance@op97.org

The Longfellow PTO's Fall Book Fair starts tomorrow, October 3 and runs through October 15. This fundraiser supports the PTO's literacy-oriented programs like B.E.A.R, as well as the purchase of books for the library and students' birthdays. The PTO is partnering with Anderson's Bookshop for a virtual fair. To shop, head to abcfairs.com. Remember to enter Longfellow/Oak Park and your child's grade/teacher at checkout so your order is counted toward our school! You can have your books shipped to your home for a small cost. If you select "School Pick-Up" at checkout, shipping is free and the book fair committee will arrange for low/no-contact delivery to your home in late October.

Important links:
Shop ==> abcfairs.com
Longfellow teacher wish lists ==> https://www.abcfairs.com/longfellow-elementary-oak-park
Recommendations for genres and grade levels ==> https://sites.google.com/view/longfellowbookfair/

Contact bookfair@longfellowpto.org with any questions. Happy reading!

The Longfellow staff has enjoyed recording videos for the pledge and announcement and we wanted to invite families to join the fun! If you are interested, please sign up for a date and record a short video clip (1 minute) saying the pledge, birthdays, and announcements. Once you have signed up, Ms. Taylor will email you a copy of the announcement template and birthdays. Videos must be submitted by 3 PM on the day prior. Be sure to change the sharing settings so that all can view then share with Ms. Taylor (dtaylor@op97.org) Sign up below:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0d44afa82ea5f49-longfellow

In a continued effort to be culturally responsive and strengthen home/school connections, our PBIS team is looking to add one or two parents to our team. We seek not only to include families as team members but also to actively elicit ownership and voice. We seek to partner specifically with families and cultures that are underserved and/or underrepresented in our school community.

Please click HERE for the parent interest letter.

Please click HERE for the role description.

Please click HERE for the application form.

Thank you for your interest! All applications should be turned in by Friday, October 9th, 2020.

The PBIS Tier 1 Team created Longfellow's Remote Learning Expectations prior to school beginning. Under the Be Respectful category, the students are able to use acceptable virtual backgrounds. We have created four options for virtual backgrounds that students may use. This is optional but we wanted to give a few choices; they may not use any others. Please be sure to review these with your child if they plan to use them. Students can choose one background each day and keep it for the entire day.

We are continuing to provide social-emotional wellness check-ins this fall. The District 97 school psychologists and school nurses collaborated to offer access to virtual mental health wellness checks at each school. Parents may sign up children for 25-minute Telehealth sessions where they can access an open ear for their sources of stress and learn self-care and coping strategies. Students may attend up to three sessions per trimester and may then be referred for other school-based supports if needed. If your child is experiencing an immediate mental health crisis, please do not use this service and instead call the Thrive 24hr Crisis Hotline at 708-383-7500. You may also refer to this local resource guide provided by the Community Mental Health Board of the Oak Park Township.

How can my child access this service?

• The virtual sessions will occur during school hours.

• Use this Longfellow Wellness Sign-Up Link to book open slots. The appointment page will open within your own calendar. (If you do not have a Gmail account, you may contact aguerrier@op97.org & rneubert@op97.org). Prior to the appointment, you will receive a link for the video call or other access information.

• During these unusual times, we need to partner with you to ensure your child arrives at the correct video link during their scheduled time and returns to their classroom Zoom after the appointment. Please remember to coordinate with your daycare providers if applicable.

• We will inform your child’s teacher, so your child will be excused from class.

• Please book appointments by the night before the appointment (at the latest) and not on the day of the appointment.

Although District 97 is starting the 2020-2021 school year with remote learning, the State of Illinois is still requiring the following:

• All students entering preschool (PKP), kindergarten, 6th grade, and any students new to District 97 to turn in a current school physical before October 15, 2020 (Certificate of Child Health Examination and Immunization record) with up-to-date immunizations (requirements for the State of Illinois can be found here).
• All kindergarten students and any students entering an Illinois school for the first time, are required to submit a professional eye examination or waiver (forms: Eye Examination Form or Waiver) before October 15, 2020.
• Dental examinations or waivers for kindergarten and 2nd grade students must be submitted before May 15, 2021 (forms: Dental Examination Form or Waiver).

If you have not already provided this information when you registered your child or if you are contacted by our School Nurse, please email your childs' records directly to our School Nurse Anne Guerrier (Nurse G) at aguerrier@op97.org.

District 97 students, families and community members are invited to participate in a three-session discussion on the book Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. Attendees will join together for a presentation followed by discussions in separate breakout rooms.

In conjunction with Brooks and Julian middle schools' fall curriculum read, the sessions will follow along with the chapters being read by students and staff. Breakout sessions will be led by students from Dominican University, who will follow a peace circle format and draw on the Stamped Educator's Guide.

Events will be held:

• Tuesday, Oct. 20 - 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (click here to register)
• Tuesday, Nov. 17 - 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (click here to register)
• Tuesday, Dec. 1 - 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (click here to register)

These sessions are made possible with the support of: District 97 staff; Oak Park and River Forest School District 200; the Oak Park Public Library; the E-Team of Oak Park; and Dominican University’s Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) group.

Next Meal D97 Meal Distribution: Tuesday, Oct. 6

Meals will be provided free of cost this fall to any District 97 student in need. Each bag of food will contain five breakfasts and five lunches.

Meal distributions will be held every Tuesday, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Longfellow Elementary School (for Julian and feeder schools), 715 S. Highland Ave., and Brooks Middle School (for Brooks and feeder schools), 325 S. Kenilworth Ave.

D97 Breakfast/Lunch Menus - October 2020

ajefferson@op97.org.

708-524-3060

@AmyJefferson97

csullivan@op97.org

708-524-7825

@MrsSullivand97

Website: www.op97.org
Location: 715 S Highland Oak Park, Il 60304
Phone: 708-524-3060