Dear Longfellow Families,

At this time, I would like to send my best wishes to the Longfellow community for the New Year. Hopefully, our students and their families had a wonderful winter break and are ready to start off 2010 with renewed energy!

As classes resume and our many activities and events begin, I would like to share some news and information with you at this time. 

• On December 16, Longfellow parents attended an evening meeting about our middle school. We were fortunate to have a wonderful panel of parents and students who spoke about the advantages of attending grades 6-8 at Longfellow. Our panelists highlighted the special sense of community found in our K-8 school, biliteracy, and the goal of having our 8th grade students take the National Spanish Examination and the Advanced Placement Spanish Language Test in the near future. Panelists all agreed that Longfellow students who graduate from our middle school are well prepared for high school, especially because they are used to a rigorous academic program, they are bilingual and culturally proficient, and skillful in the use of technology. 
• Longfellow had a Disaster Preparedness Drill on December 17, 2009. We were commended on our preparedness, our organization, and our effort, which enabled us to receive a 90% rating for the drill. Our external evaluators made some recommendations for an even more efficient response to any disaster. We are proud of this accomplishment and committed to ongoing improvement. 
• Cyber Safety merits our attention at this time. Parents must monitor the use of their child’s cell phones, cell phone cameras and videos, text messages, emails, and their access to the internet regularly for the safety of their child. Middle school students are learning about Cyber Safety in their technology classes, but many middle and elementary school students have cell phones and little supervision of their use. It is important for parents to know that students may be exposed regularly to bullying and other forms of inappropriate behavior. Cell phones are not allowed in school and, if a student is allowed to carry a cell phone, it must be turned off during school hours and kept in a backpack out of sight. The school is not responsible if the phones are lost are stolen, as indicated in our school handbook.
• Please remember to avoid making medical and dental appointments during school hours. There is a direct correlation between attendance, instructional minutes and academic achievement, so please be sure your child does not miss instruction.

I look forward to seeing all of you at our Wednesday assemblies, in the classrooms, and at our events. On behalf of the Longfellow staff, I would like to express our deep appreciation for the ongoing support and many contributions our community members make to our school. Sincerely, Cynthia Arce, Principal