October 13th - Q & A with LoES Admin at 6:30 pm

October 13th - LoES PTA Meeting at 7:00 pm

October 15th - HCPSS Schools closed for students

October 29th - Individual Picture Day (new date)

Click HERE to access the full HCPSS calendar for the 2021 - 2022 school year

HCPSS families interested in the Gifted and Talented (GT) Program are invited to come learn about the advanced-level offerings available and how their students can become involved. The evening will begin with an overview of GT Education Program offerings followed by a question and answer session with Central Office GT Education Program staff. Elementary and Secondary programs will be covered on separate days. Families may attend one or both nights. Registration is required for these events.

• Elementary Focus: Wednesday, October 13, 7 – 8:00 p.m., being held virtually via Microsoft Teams

• Secondary Focus: Thursday, October 14, 7-8:00 p.m., being held virtually via Microsoft Teams

For more information and to register, please visit the HCPSS GT Program Parent Academy announcement.

Hearing and Vision Screening with the Howard County Health Department will take place on Monday, October 11th. All students in kindergarten, 1st graders, and new students will be screened. If your student wears glasses, please make sure they bring their glasses to school on screening day. Please contact the Health Room with questions at 410-313-6882. Thank you!

Flu vaccinations are coming to LoES. They will be given at NO CHARGE TO YOU. Now, more than ever, it is important to protect your family through vaccinations.

If you would like your child to be vaccinated, please register BEFORE Friday, October 8:

Fill out the consent form online HERE:

Type your child’s school name in Search by Name then press the blue Search button.

Click on the Sign Up for Flu Vaccinations button for your child’s school.

OR

Fill out a paper consent form:

Read the Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) and talk to your health care provider or the school nurse about any questions you have. Visit HERE

Fill out every section of the attached Consent Form.

Use your insurance card to fill out your insurance information accurately. Your insurance company will be billed. There is no co-pay or deductible. You will NOT be charged by us or your insurance company.

Influenza, also known as the flu, is a serious illness that affects people of all ages. One of the best ways to prevent the flu is through vaccinations. We are pleased to join with the Maryland Partnership for Prevention (MPP) to offer flu vaccinations at our school.

You may give permission for your child to be vaccinated using (1) an online form HERE or (2) the hard copy form attached to this message.

We urge you to protect your family from the flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone ages 6 months and older get a flu shot. Please visit www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm for more information about the flu vaccine.

The HCPSS Black Student Achievement Program Saturday Math Academy Fall Session is approaching! This year, the BSAP Saturday Math Academy will offer a virtual enrichment program for Howard County Public School System students in all levels of math for grades 3-12. Registration will take place online on September 25 from 9:00 a.m.- until capacity is reached. Class space is limited. Families can register by accessing the HCPSS Connect Website. For more information, please visit: https://news.hcpss.org/news-posts/2021/09/bsap-saturday-math-academy-virtual-fall-2021-program/

84% of our Longfellow families have completed their Family File! Thank you!

Unfortunately, 16% of our families have not updated their Family File. The early closing last Wednesday illustrated the importance of a completed Family File! Safety is very important, and many students were unable to provide the necessary information, especially if it has been changed. Thank you for your help!

How To Video: https://video.link/w/Mv56c

HCPSS Connect: https://www.hcpss.org/connect/

Directions: https://www.hcpss.org/connect/guides/#family-file-guides

Staff is available Monday-Friday to support you in completing your Family File. You just need to reach out through email (patricia_shifflett@hcpss.org) or call @ 410-313-6879.

Please stop in your tracks, drop what you are doing, and log in to complete your child's Family File through HCPSS Connect.

Parents/guardians should keep their children home if they are experiencing symptom(s) associated with any communicable disease, including COVID-19. In addition, parents/guardians are to perform the following COVID-19 health check every day before the student leaves home.

A child should NOT come to school with any of these symptoms:

• Fever of 100.4 degrees or higher


• Sore throat


• Cough


• Difficulty breathing


• Diarrhea or vomiting


• New onset of severe headache (especially with fever), or


• New loss of taste or smell


For persons with chronic conditions such as asthma, the symptoms should represent a change from baseline. Children exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 may not attend school.

• Please visit the HCPSS website for additional information on self screening, contact tracing and quarantining procedures. Additionally, visit the HCPSS website for more information on the 2021-2022 school year and answers to frequently asked questions.