Longfellow Log #2

Hello Longfellow Families! What an amazing first week of school! The students were so happy to be back at Longfellow on Wednesday, August 23rd. Not only did the temperatures soar, but so did the excitement of our students and parents to be back at school. Our school was featured on CBSNews. Check out the Longfellow families marching their way to school on the first day! https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/oak-park-back-to-school-new-orleans/

THANK YOU Parents for attending all the events this week to make the opening week a success! The auditorium was filled with new families at the New Parent Orientation Night. Smiling Kindergarten students walked proudly into newly decorated classrooms with their school supplies. What a great milestone Kindergartners!! Our Preschool families had a chance to see their classrooms and meet their teachers at the PreK Orientation. A big shout out to the Longfellow PTO for creating an amazing Back to School Picnic with a lively DJ and food trucks What a great way to bring in the new school year!!!

There was definitely excitement and resilience exhibited by our Longfellow students as they faced extreme heat during the first two days of school. Our very own Superintendent, Dr. Ushma Shah, said that the students "came to class with a learning mindset. They were flexible when they needed to be. The students showed those around them how to be joyful even in challenging situations". Go Longfellow Bears!!!

Please refrain from bringing furry friends on the Longfellow playground, especially during drop-off and pick up. Some of our kiddos have allergies.

Coffee with the Principal: Friday, Sept. 1st 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Share Your Back-to-School Photos!

District 97 families—we want to see your #D97Joy on the first day of school! Share your first day photos by tweeting us (@OakPark97, using the hashtags #D97Joy and #MyD97) or emailing them to d97feedback@op97.org.

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!

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.

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.