School Newsletter Template - PDF

							                                                                     Longfellow School Newsletter
                                                                                                 September 17, 2010
Dear Families,

Welcome to the 2010 – 2011 school year! Each year I am            As you know the months of September and October are filled
amazed by how quickly the enormous transition that takes          with many standardized and classroom based assessments
place as students and staff return from summer vacation and       that enable us to benchmark district performance and define
enter a new and exciting school year. School has been in          instructional starting points. The data also provides us with
session for a little more than a week, and our routines and       an opportunity to create classroom and grade level profiles
systems have been established throughout our school. We are       that will guide our instructional practices as we continue to
pleased to see our students returning with a contagious energy    navigate and guide students through this school year. This
and enthusiasm for learning that we hope to nurture and grow      transition from summer to school can be very exhausting for
through the many exciting learning experiences we have            students as the demands for attention and production are
planned for this year.                                            high. Thank you for all that you are doing to ensure that
                                                                  children are getting to bed early as sleep is so important in
I would like to acknowledge the many upgrades and                 ensuring that students are successful.
improvements that have been made to Longfellow School
during the summer as a result of the new partnership that has I hope that you will join us on Thursday for our annual Open
been formed between the city of Portland and the Portland House this Thursday at 6:30 p.m. This event provides an
School Department. I am especially grateful to Bob Leeman opportunity for you to hear all about the many school wide
and Kathy Alves who direct city maintenance who partnered activities we have planned for the year, meet our staff and
with us this summer to ensure that building needs were visit your child’s teacher. Our Parent Teacher Organization
addressed in a manner that brought us to an operational level will also be presenting information about all of the many
that is beyond what we could                                                            activities they have planned for us
have imagined.                                     Dates to Remember                    this year.

O u r o f f i c e s h a v e b e e n September 23rd 6:30pm Longfellow Parent Open House       Have a wonderful week-end.
r e c o n f i g u r e d t o p r o m o t e October 2nd 8pm Parents Night @ Venue
efficiency and safety as we October 6th               2:05 pm Wednesday release
have a new greeting station October 23rd              5:30-7pm Spaghetti Supper              Dawn Carrigan
just inside the office as you                                                                Principal
enter our building. We have a
new phone system that will
allow us to call in and out of classrooms replacing the old          Superintendent’s Notebook: Portland Makes Progress on
intercom system that was not working for several months last                        Keeping Students in Schools
year. A school department grant and city resources have                   By Portland Superintendent James C. Morse, Sr.
provided us with a state of the art wireless technology system
that is currently being installed so that we will be able to use When I became Portland’s superintendent a year ago, I
our new wireless computers in classrooms.                          focused the system’s attention on the number of students
                                                                   dropping out. I believed that we could do a much better job
We were also able to reline the parking lot and add additional of keeping children in school. By earning a diploma, students
handicapped parking spaces across the side of the building. have a passport that enables them to pursue college, careers
These spaces should never be used during drop off and pick and/or the military.
up. We are very concerned about the foot traffic in the
parking lot during this busy time. Backing out of these spaces Students quit school for complicated reasons - but one factor
takes cars directly into the flow of walking students.        We is suspension. A child who is sent home repeatedly gets the
hope that you will understand and honor this expectation not message, “You’re not welcome here.” That may lead him or
to use these spaces so that we will be able to leave the her to simply quit.
parking lot open to traffic.
                                                                   I am happy to report that the number of incidents resulting in
With nearly four hundred students, we have added a suspension of secondary students in the district declined by
kindergarten classroom and a ! multiage classroom. I am so nearly 25 percent during the past two years. The number of
excited to see our kindergarten classroom numbers reduced to secondary students who were suspended one or more times
about sixteen students. This will optimize learning fell from 478 in 2007-2008 to 385 last year, or a decline of
opportunities for our youngest students. Our School Board has 19.4 percent.
introduced Spanish instruction to students in grade three this
year with the hope of growing this program at the elementary Staff members throughout the district are working to
level adding one grade each year as resources permit.              proactively address students’ behavioral and emotional
problems before they escalate. The reduction in suspensions        Garden
shows that those efforts are paying off.                           Thanks to the incredible weather and lots of volunteer help, it
                                                                   was a bountiful summer in the Learning Garden. The kinderbed
The number of students who quit school has declined even                                         School Newsletter
                                                                   is looking better than ever. At Tuesday's Harvest Celebration
more dramatically. In 2008, 114 students quit our high schools.    students dug over 140 POUNDS OF POTATOES from the plants
Last year, that number declined to 63 students. That is a drop     they put in last spring! Together, Mrs. Holmes' and Ms. Sirois'
of 45 percent.                                                     classes raised over 220 POUNDS OF CARROTS! For the first time
                                                                   ever, this produce will be served in Longfellow hot lunches
Every child is important. Efforts by Portland’s staff are making   during Maine Harvest Lunch next week. Please consider
a difference in keeping students in school until they graduate.    participating in this unique event, which supports local
                                                                   agriculture, by encouraging your children to order hot lunch.
                                                                   Excess produce (and there should be plenty) will be donated to
News from the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)                    the Wayside Soup Kitchen. For pictures of the garden over the
Greetings from the PTO!" We are so glad to be back and are         summer visit our blog at
very excited about all our plans for this year." Please know       longfellowlearninggarden.blogspot.com.
that everyone is welcome to attend the monthly PTO meetings
that occur the first Tuesday of every month at 7:00 at           Thanks to everyone who had a hand in the garden this summer:
Longfellow." The PTO is for everyone and everyone’s ideas and    Mark Jordan, who keeps our pond running; the Spach family,
questions are welcome!"                                          the Ayer family, Kathy Baltes, Brenda Brush and Jennifer
                                                                 Glidden, who hosted weeding parties; Healthy Portland, which
Close Buy-An exciting new venture                                provided the funds for our much needed irrigation system;
One of the most exciting items on our agenda is a very new Whole Foods, which supplied us with seeds; and the many
plan for our fall fundraising." Are you sick of receiving others who donated their time and ideas. FMI or to get on the
catalogues with STUFF in them and nothing interesting to buy?" g a r d e n e - m a i l l o o p , c o n t a c t J e n n y S i l e r a t
                                                               "
Do you find that you are feeling obligated to buy stuff you jennycjsiler@aol.com.
don’t want from lands you don’t know?" The PTO has a solution !
for you! The Longfellow PTO is honored to be one of the first Be in the Loop
schools to be part of a new program entitled Close Buy which Sign up for the Longfellow Parents Email Loop." The email loop
was founded by a local mom who was determined to make is a Yahoo-Group account which provides an opportunity for
fundraising an environmental and community friendly program parents and caretakers of Longfellow School children to discuss
where all products that are sold are made locally." The Close issues, offer help, and organize activities. It is just one of
Buy catalogue is filled with beautiful and delicious items that many ways parents can keep in touch with each other and hear
are made and sold locally." Next week your child will be about upcoming events. We welcome the participation of all
bringing home the catalogue for you and your family members parents and school faculty and staff, and encourage any
and friends to peruse." When your child brings the catalogue discussion that motivates constructive and enthusiastic
home be sure to sign the sheet saying that you received the involvement in the school community. Please spread the word!"
catalogue. We are very excited about this program and hope it If you would like to be invited to join the email list-serve" e-
is a pertinent and helpful tool for holiday shopping, as well!   mail Nancy at nancy@nancykeast.com and request to be
"                                                                added.
Parent Night-A night just for parents-October 2nd 8:00 pm        "
The PTO is excited to announce our first annual Parent Night "
on October 2nd that will be held at the Venue at 865 Forest Room Parents Needed
Avenue." This is going to be a fun night where parents can The PTO is looking for volunteers to be room parents - 1 for
socialize and listen to some great live music!" Come at 8:00 each classroom. Room parents are a liaison between the
pm. Along with the Venue’s $5.00 cover there will be a teacher and parents of the classmates. They coordinate
“suggested additional $5.00 cover” to benefit Longfellow." So individual needs their teacher has. (IE: obtaining volunteers for
arrange your babysitters now and plan to come and have a fieldtrips, getting snacks for MEA tests, sending notices to
spectacular time!                                                parents or requests to parents regarding special events,
"                                                                gathering names for a class list, facilitating a class project for
Spaghetti Supper-October 23rd! 5:30 pm-7:30                      the auction, etc.) Some teachers utilize room parents more
Plan to come and attend our annual Spaghetti Supper night on than others, but it typically does not require a lot of time.
October 23rd at Deering High School." It’s a fun night and a If you would like to be the room parent for your child's class,
great way to connect with other families at Longfellow.          please email Nancy" @ nancy@nancykeast.com" and advise
"                                                                which class your child is in. Classrooms still needing room
Cultural Enrichment                                              parents include:" Mrs. Ardito, Ms.Markgren, Mr. Connolly, Ms.
The Cultural Enrichment Committee welcomes new Sirios, Mrs. Zidle, Mr. Carlson and Mr. Johnson. I hope to hear
volunteers!"       We work to provide                            from you!
Longfellow students with opportunities to                        "
experience the artistic and multi-cultural                       CLYNK
richness of the greater Portland                                 Remember:" pick up your CLYNK bags at the volunteer table
community."      We organize and provide
artist residencies at the school, field trips                    inside the school to help benefit the PTO.
to performances, such as the Nutcracker                          "
(Kindergarteners)" and The Christmas Carol (5th graders) "and Thank you for being part of the PTO.
museums, and workshops, demonstrations, and hands-on "
learning experiences in the classroom." If this sounds like Sincerely,
something you'd like to be a part of, contact Amy Sarah Grant
(astickn1@maine.rr.com) or Ginny (ginnybeisel@gmail.com).        "
"                                                                "
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