Longfellow Elementary School

Salida Schools - The Education Community

May 9, 2024

Families of Longfellow Elementary- Springtime in the mountains is upon us. 70 degrees and sunny for a bit, followed up by rain, and rounding out with a shift to snow. With many classes planning field trips, it is important to make sure your child is dressed for whatever Colorado weather might throw at us. Have your child ready with everything from sunscreen to rain gear.  We’ll try and continue on with our trips as planned, but also know that there may be times when we have to cancel.  In addition to being prepared for the weather, help us by chatting with them about the possibility that the weather may not cooperate and encourage them to be flexible. This week we were able to celebrate outside a bit with Bike-to-School Day and LPA sponsored the Mountain Lion Fun Run. On a typical day, we were having approximately 30 bikes in our bike rack. On Bike-to-School Day and the days since, we’ve had over a hundred bikes in our racks. Thanks to all who made this day a success. Remember to talk to your child about bike safety as they venture into the world of two wheel independence.  The weather was a little feisty this past Saturday, but the Mountain Lion Fun Run was a success! We had approximately 100 registrants for the race and many fans and supporters in attendance as well. Thanks to all the parent volunteers who put the event on and a huge thank you to the Longfellow Parent Association for all their hard work on this event and throughout the year. Next Monday, we have our Field Day at the Salida High School stadium. It’s an exciting event for kids and adults alike. The younger grades will ride the bus over and the older grades will be walking. Thanks to Coach Gardunio and all the staff for making this event happen. Next Tuesday, we’ll have our third and final school-wide ROAR celebration for all the positive behaviors we’ve seen in and around the halls of Longfellow Elementary. The grade level with the most tickets was able to choose the activity. The first graders were the winners and they chose “Outside Water Fun.”  We’re keeping our fingers crossed that the weather will cooperate. The activities planned are all designed to have students be able to complete them with minimal wetness.  We’re excited to celebrate the incredible behaviors our student exhibit day after day. Thank you all and I wanted to say an extra thanks for your flexibility as we work to give our students a memorable end of the year. I truly appreciate the Longfellow community and all you do for our kids!
Cory Scheffel, Longfellow Elementary Principal
Upcoming Events:
Field Day 5/13
School Food Drive 5/13-5/16
1st grade to Salida Regional Library 5/14
ROAR school-wide celebration 5/14
4th Grade Sand Dunes Field Trip 5/15
3rd Grade Rafting Field Trip 5/16
2nd grade Habitat Field Trip 5/16
4th Grade Ruby Mountain Field Trip 5/20 & 5/21
3rd Grade Walking Field Trip to the Pool 5/21
2nd grade to Salida Regional Library 5/21
1st grade to Bowling Alley 5/22
4th grade to Pool 5/22 (10:00-1:00)
4th grade Continuation Ceremony 5/22  (1:30-2:30)
Last Day of School 5/22
With all of this going on, I probably missed something.  Please check with classroom teachers for specifics and clarification.

Before and after school supervision–Please do not drop off your student before 7:50 or pick them up after 4:05. We want your child to be safe and our outside supervision does not extend beyond those times. Breakfast starts at 7:50. As you drop them off, if they are eating breakfast, watch them as they enter the building. If they aren’t eating breakfast, watch them enter the playground. If it’s after 7:50, once they enter one of those two areas, we have eyes on them.

Attendance– If your child is going to be absent, please contact our attendance secretary at 719-530-5261. Absences for reasons other than illness will be marked as unexcused. We will have our attendance dialer on to automatically notify you if your student is absent. You will get a call letting you know that you have a message from Salida Schools. We are utilizing this system to let you know as soon as possible that your child is absent. If you get a message and your child is here, don’t panic. Call the office at the number above. Often it can be a mistake on the attendance entry. These situations are our highest priority and we don’t stop working on it until we confirm the child is safe.

Communications–Throughout the year our primary form of communication will be email. If you hear of someone having difficulty, please have them contact the office so that we can make sure their contact information is up to date. For emergency situations and school closures, we will be communicating via the school messenger app. You can find information on downloading the school messenger app on the district’s homepage, salidaschools.com 

Visiting the School–Anytime you are visiting the school, whether for a meeting or to pick up a child, please enter through the first set of the front doors and speak to the secretary through the service window. They’ll have you sign yourself in or sign your student out. This allows us to keep track of everyone who is in the building.

Lunch and Breakfast–Please be sure your child is on time if they plan on eating breakfast.  Breakfast is served from 7:50-8:10. This year, meals are free for all. Even if you don’t need assistance, we ask that everyone fill out the meal assistance form (free and reduced lunch form.) This is crucial for a couple of reasons. First, it is still unclear what rate the state will be reimbursing the schools for each lunch. The meal assistance form will allow the federal government to backfill any amount not covered by the state. Second, some of our federal funding is based on the return rate of these forms. We understand that it has been difficult for some to fill out these forms through Infinite Campus. If you need help, please come by the office and we can assist you through the process.

Buses–Herding up to a hundred students to the buses can be a logistical challenge. At this point in the year, we are feeling extremely successful. If you have a change in the route plans for your child, please contact our transportation supervisor Evalyn Parks at 719-530-5231, the front office at 719-530-5261, and your child’s teacher so that we may ensure that your child arrives home safely.

Circle Drive–The circle drive is for immediate drop-off of students only. If you need time with your child, or you’d like to walk them to class, please park in the parking lot or along the street.  We also ask that bikes avoid the circle drive as it adds an extra layer of danger for drivers as they are working to keep eyes on their student and all the other students in the area.

Bikes–Bikes should be walked when on the school campus (both students and parents.) They should be locked up throughout the school day. Please do not ride bikes in the bus area while they are picking up or dropping off students or in the circle drive.

Cell Phones–Cell Phones and smart watches are increasingly becoming an issue at school.  Our policy is that phones and smart watches should be off and in their backpacks. If you need to communicate a message with your child, please do so via the front office or text them after 3:30 to minimize classroom disruptions.

Volunteering in the classroom– In early September, we will be sending out information on how to complete background checks in order to volunteer in the school.

School Services

School Nurse- Missy Tanner [email protected]
Please contact our school nurse if you have any questions about Medications/Care plans, Immunizations, Allergies, if your child is well enough to send to school or anything that may be affecting your child’s health.  

School Counselor- Kelly Hamilton [email protected]
Please contact our school counselor if you have any questions about counseling, counseling groups, our Positive Behavior System, or any issues that might be affecting your child’s emotional wellbeing.

Partner Organizations
Longfellow Parent Association–provides grants, events, and support to the students, staff, and school throughout the school year. Please become a member. Application forms can be picked up in the front office.

Boys and Girls Club- provides after-school and Friday child care as well as enrichment opportunities. For more information, contact Kiki Lathrop at [email protected].

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Cory Scheffel
Principal
Longfellow Elementary School