Dear Longfellow Families,
This Thursday, November 1st construction will begin at Longfellow School. Please be sure to arrive to school 5 minutes early to allow yourself enough time to navigate the new access points to our school. If your child lines up on the back blacktop you will only be able to enter that area through the Cuyler cul-de-sac and through a small entrance on Jackson Street by the alley.
The only other changes that you'll see for the remainder of the school year are modifications to lunch recess. Because we are losing a large part of our playground during construction we are implementing changes to the 11:30-12:00 lunch recess period for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th graders. Classrooms will be scheduled on a two-week rotational basis to have recess in the gym or at Longfellow Park. Students will also have the ability to sign up for clubs during the lunch recess hour. Our goal with these two changes are to off-set the number of students on the playground during this particular lunch recess period.
Thank you,
Maggie Cahill
Prepare for Construction 
Construction at Longfellow will begin on Thursday of this week! There will be no changes to where students enter the building at arrival or exit the building at dismissal. However, there will only be two entrances to the blacktop playground area so please allow for extra time to walk around construction areas. Families will be able to access the back playground from the Cuyler cul-de-sac and from one entrance next to the alley on Jackson Street (just East of Ridgeland Ave). There will no longer be access to the back of the building through the garden area off of Highland Avenue South of the building. You can check updates about the construction project on our "
Longfellow Expansion Page" that will be used to post information about the project.
Halloween and Fall Harvest Festival at Longfellow
Our annual Halloween Parade will take place on Wednesday, October 31st at 12:45 pm. All families are invited to watch the parade as students exit the back of the school, walk East on Jackson, South on Highland, West on VanBuren, North around the Cuyler cul-de-sack, continue West on Van Buren, and then finally North on Ridgeland and back to the school. Please remember to choose costumes for your child that do not include real or look-a-like weapons or blood/gore. We ask that students not wear face masks or head coverings because we parade around the school for a significant part of the celebration. It is important that we are able to recognize student faces and keep students safe while outside of the school. Please also remember to choose costumes that do not stereotype, demean, or make fun of other people. Students who are not participating in the festivities are welcome to join our Fall Harvest Party. Please contact your child's teacher for more information about that event.
Open Gym Reminder
It's great to see so many students arriving early for Open Gym before school! We've seen attendance rise and wanted to remind parents that our capacity for Open Gym is 40 students. If students arrive and capacity has already been met they will have the choice to attend Sunrise Study Hall or line up with their class outside. Open Gym runs from 7:30-8:00 daily and is supervised by Ms. Bennett and Ms. Patterson.
Second Step This Week 
The first unit of our Second Step curriculum is coming to an end. In the next unit students will begin learning strategies to calm down and manage their emotions. Please take a moment to discuss these skills as a family by reading your child's "home link" for this week. The grade levels that have home links this week are: Grade 2: Showing Compassion, Grade 4: Introducing Emotion Management and Grade 5: Calming Down
D97 Seeking Substitute Teachers & Teaching Assistants
District 97 is currently looking for individuals to serve as substitute teachers and teaching assistants. Additional information about these positions can be found by visiting http://www.op97.org/hr/substitutes.
Veteran's Day
In honor of Veteran's Day, Longfellow would love to recognize the veterans and active service members that are important to Longfellow families. Please click on the link below to provide some information about the veterans or active service members that are important to your family. If you have more than one veteran or active service member that you would like to be honored, feel free to submit multiple forms. We will be collecting submissions until Tuesday, November 6. Veteran's Day Form
OPEF's Super STEAM Saturday
Please join the Oak Park Education Foundation for a free fun morning of crafting, collaborating, and creating. Drive a robot, write a poem, unleash your inner artist and learn more about OPEF with great activities for kids ages 5-12. Saturday, November 3 from 10-12 at Beye School. You can learn more about the event on OPEF's website or their Facebook page.
Cheers for Peers!
We would like to recognize children and adults who make a difference at Longfellow School. If you would like to nominate an individual who makes a difference at our school, please fill out this form. The individual you nominate will receive a printed form with a description of their contribution to making Longfellow a great place to be.
Background Checks
A background check is required for individuals who want to serve as a chaperone on a field trip or volunteer within the school. To obtain a one-time background check, please visit our online sign-up page. To your appointment please bring your driver’s license or State ID to your appointment. Results take about 7-10 business days (sometimes longer), so please plan accordingly. If you have any questions, please email Ellen McKay or call the district office (708-524-3000).
Turkey Trot for Grades 3-5
The annual Turkey Trot will take place on Wednesday, November 14 from 1:15pm-2:15pm. All students in grades 3, 4 and 5 run three large laps around Longfellow Park. The fastest child identifying as a boy and the fastest child identifying as a girl in grades 3 and 4 will receive a medal. The fastest two students in 5th grade will receive a medal. All students will receive a small prize when they finish. In addition we raffle off about ten turkeys. The best prize of course is increased physical fitness and improved stamina!
Upcoming Events
Wednesday, October 31st- Halloween Parade and Fall Festival at 12:45 pm
Thursday, November 1st- Picture Retakes
Tuesday, November 6th- No School (Institute Day)
Wednesday, November 14- Turkey Trot for Grades 3-5
Friday, November 16- Holiday Pop Up Shop from 5-8 pm
Tuesday, November 20th- Career Day
Wed, Nov 21st- Fri, Nov 23rd- No School (Thanksgiving Break)
