Longfellow Log

Week Ending 5/28

Important Dates/Reminders and Notes

Monday, May 31st - NO School (Memorial Day)
Thursday, June 10th - Last Day of School

We ask that you please help your child head to school with everything they need for the day including: school materials, water bottle, iPad, etc.; we want to reduce items that are being brought to school during the day; it is especially hard to manage this year
No Dogs are allowed on school property
If students ride a bike or scooter to school, please remind them to walk it once they hit the campus
Playground is closed before school and immediately after due to the volume of students

End of Year Class Picnics

While this year's celebrations look different, we are so happy we can have our classrooms have a picnic (extended recess) at the end of the year. Between Friday, June 4th and Thursday, June 10th (last day of school) each class will have an opportunity for a class picnic. Remote students may join their class but this year no parents are able to come so they will need to be dropped off and picked up. Our 5th graders will be celebrating at Barrie Park and our K - 4th graders will have their picnics at Longfellow Park. Your child's homeroom teacher will share the exact day and time.

PTO Fundraiser - Last one of the Year!

Longfellow family, the Longfellow PTO is kicking off its final fundraiser of the year! As we all know this has been a difficult year but our Longfellow community has remained united and strong and we are looking forward to moving forward as an even stronger school community. The name of this campaign is the "Longfellow Strong Campaign" and the goal is to raise just enough funds to cover the remaining expenses from this year so next year's PTO starts with a clean slate and can serve you accordingly.

The Longfellow Strong Campaign is simple. We just need 170 of our Longfellow families to join together and help us form one strong chain. We do this by each participant choosing one number in the chain, from 1 to 170 and making a donation to the Longfellow PTO in that amount. For example, if I wanted to be link number 67 in the chain I would click on the link below and make a $67 dollar donation to the PTO. Once we have the chain completed by a sponsor for each link in the 1 to 170 link chain, the PTO budget will be back to being balanced and next year's PTO can begin planning the many fun and exciting adventures that await our return to normalcy. As many of you know, the primary expenditures of the PTO

this year included supporting those Longfellow families most affected by the pandemic and supporting our Longfellow teachers with special lunches and signs of appreciation.

Please consider supporting the Longfellow Strong Campaign by purchasing a link in the chain by sending that number in a dollar amount to the PTO using this link:https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=42PU9CFY9P438&fbclid=IwAR3zU4IbuECRq5r6jVEGaTVqAqrRmGurtcIb9LPLeLaswoSOELK-tGlw57E

At the end of the campaign, we will pick one lucky number to win a Samsung Galaxy Tablet!

District News Below

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Kindergarten Ahead: Q&A Sessions for Incoming D97 Families

Incoming kindergarten families are invited to attend an upcoming Q&A session with District 97 kindergarten teachers and administrators called "Kindergarten Ahead!" During the session, we will review key learning outcomes and ways you can help prepare your child for kindergarten. We'll also take your questions about starting kindergarten in District 97.

We will host two "Kindergarten Ahead!" sessions, both of which are optional and will be held via Zoom:

Thursday, June 3, from 3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Tuesday, June 8, from 3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

If you are interested in attending, please register here.

Face Masks Still Mandatory In All D97 Schools

On May 13, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced that face coverings are no longer required for individuals who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. While this news represents an important milestone in the pandemic, the mask mandate for Illinois schools has not ended at this point.

District 97 follows the guidance of the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Illinois State Board of Education and the Oak Park Department of Public Health. We do not have information at this point about the impact this latest development will have on schools. Until we receive further guidance, face coverings will continue to be required in all of our schools regardless of vaccination status.

Registration Information for 2021-22 School Year in D97

Online registration is currently open for the 2021-22 school year in District 97. Please visit https://www.op97.org/hr/student-registration for complete details.

Returning Student Registration Extended through June 30
Returning student registration will be entirely online and is extended through June 30 for returning students who are currently in kindergarten through seventh grade. The parent/guardian listed as PG1 in PowerSchool will receive an email from infosnap@is.op97.org with their student’s snapcode and instructions to register. Returning Student Registration Information >

Note: In order to register, Oak Park renters must have a lease that covers August 31, 2021, or the student’s first day of school.

VIDEO: "The ABCs of Registration are 'D-E-F'"
CLICK HERE for a brief video that outlines the District 97 registration process!

As you begin the process, remember that the "ABCs" of registration are "D-E-F."

D - Documents: All required documents must be scanned and ready to upload before starting registration.
E - Early: Registration is a longer process and we ask that families register early!
F - Finish: Registration is finished once you receive a confirmation email from the district.

New Students and Kindergarteners
Families who wish to enroll new students or kindergarteners must first gather all required documents and make an appointment to have them reviewed. At your appointment, the registrar will explain the online process, verify your documentation and child's grade level, and enter the student into the online registration system. After your appointment you will receive an email for each student with a unique link to submit that student’s registration information. Information for Incoming Kindergarteners >

Appointments can be scheduled using this link:
https://registration.powerschool.com/family/gosnap.aspx?event=3548&culture=en

SAVE THE DATE: D97 Virtual Summer Step Up Program

District 97 is holding a Virtual Step Up Summer Program for students in Grades 1-8 (students who are in kindergarten through seventh grade during the 2020-21 school year). The program will run July 26 through Aug. 5, 2021 (8:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. OR 12 pm. - 2:30 p.m.).

Summer Step Up is designed to support any District 97 student that could benefit from revisiting grade level standards from the previous year. Additional information and sign up forms will be shared by schools in May 2021.

District 97 to Continue Providing Free Meals to All Students

Next Meal D97 Meal Distribution: Tuesday, June 1st
May Breakfast/Lunch Menus
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 - May 2021