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Dear Lancer Families:
I hope you and your family enjoyed your spring break and found it to be relaxing and restful. We return to start the 4th quarter tomorrow on Tuesday, April 7th and are excited to welcome our students back. We are all so proud of the achievements of our students so far this year and look forward to continuing this success as we wrap up our year. Many of our classes will begin preparing students for upcoming SOL assessments and end of year projects/assessments. Additionally, information about upcoming spring sports and after school activities/events will be posted below. We will also be advertising summer opportunities in our newsletter in upcoming weeks.
This week we will be hosting our rising 7th graders from all of our feeder elementary schools and on April 30th we are having an open house event for our rising 7th graders and families to come tour the school and learn about which math class might be the best fit for them based on what classes they have taken thus far. We will also have some food trucks that evening in partnership with our PTA. If your family has some future Lancers for next year, we look forward to seeing you then.
As always, I appreciate your partnership and encourage you to stay connected through our website and weekly newsletter. I hope you and your family have a good week and get outside to enjoy the spring weather. I appreciate your ongoing support and partnership.
Chris Butzer
Principal
Longfellow MS
UPCOMING EVENTS
April
8&9 Elementary School Visits
10 School Planning Day - Student Holiday
14 Longfellow vs. Cooper Basketball Game 6:00pm
15 Purple Up! Day
15 Battle of the Books 6:30pm
21 No School - Election Day
23-25 Spring Musical
30 Community Open House & Math Curriculum Night 5:30pm
Schedule for the next two weeks
DETAILS ON UPCOMING EVENTS
Purple Up! Day
Longfellow Middle School is gearing up to honor and celebrate its military-connected students in April, the Month of the Military Child, and on Purple Up! Day!
Longfellow will celebrate Purple Up! Day on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. Purple Up! Day is a special day for communities to come together and wear purple as a visible gesture of support for our military-connected youth and their families. The color purple symbolizes the combined colors of all branches of the military. Join the Fun and wear purple on Wednesday, April 15!
Community Open House & Math Curriculum Night
Thursday, April 30, 5:30-7:30pm
Welcome Rising 7th Grade Families
• Math Presentation + Q&A | Meet teachers
• Open building + Student ambassador tours
• Meet Principal, PTA & families
• Field time + meet classmates
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION
We Want Your Feedback! Principal Evaluation Parent/Guardian Questionnaire
On Monday, April 6, parents and guardians of Longfellow MS will receive an email with a link to the FCPS Principal Evaluation Parent/Guardian Feedback Form. This questionnaire is part of the Performance Evaluation Program and provides an opportunity to share anonymous feedback about our school’s leadership and environment.
Topics covered in the survey include:
✅ Instructional leadership
✅ School climate
✅ Management (human resources and organizational)
✅ Communication and community relations
✅ Culturally responsive and equitable leadership
✅ Professionalism
The questionnaire will be open April 6 - April 19 and will be collected online. When you receive the email from noreply@fcps.edu, please take a few minutes to complete it. Your input is valuable and helps shape the future of our school. Thank you for your time and feedback!
April Statewide Election: No School for Students
There will be no school for students on Tuesday, April 21, for the Virginia statewide election. Student activities, athletic practices, and events may proceed as scheduled.
Fairfax County Public Schools will still exceed the required number of instructional hours for students, as set by the Virginia Department of Education.
Phones Off, Learning On
FCPS’ cell phone policy helps students focus, learn, and engage. When students put their phones away, they have more face-to-face interactions with their peers and teachers and more opportunities to develop resilience and problem-solving skills. Please remind your child that:
• Cell phones and personal devices (earbuds, headsets, other items connected to the internet) must be off and away for the entire school day (bell to bell).
• Smart watches that serve a dual purpose may be worn, but the phone features (texting, Internet viewing, and calls) are to be off when phone use is prohibited.
If you need to contact your child during the school day, please call our front office at 703-533-2600. Visit our cell phone policy webpage for more information and answers to frequently asked questions.
LMS Career Day 2026
Do you have a job you love? A unique career path? We want to hear from YOU!
We are looking for enthusiastic parents, family members, and community partners to speak at LMS Career Day on the morning of Thursday, June 4, 2026 (exact time TBD). No teaching experience is required – just a passion for what you do and a willingness to engage with our curious Lancers!
Interested? Please complete this Google Form.
AFTER SCHOOL CORNER
Longfellow/Cooper Basketball Game
The Longfellow vs. Cooper basketball game will take place on Tuesday, April 14 at 6:00 PM at McLean High School. Longfellow students must enter the gym through Door 9 (rock entrance).
All students planning to attend must purchase a ticket in advance through MySchoolBucks—no tickets will be sold at the door. Tickets are $5.00. Ticket sales will close on April 13, so be sure to purchase early. Players participating in the game do not need to purchase a ticket. Every student attending must have purchased a ticket. Students may be asked to show proof of receipt.
Parents and younger siblings are welcome to attend; however, all guests must also purchase a ticket. Please note that younger siblings must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times. If you have any questions, contact Bindhu Zachariah at bezachariah@fcps.edu.
Trivia Night
Get ready for a fun and competitive evening at Trivia Night on Friday, May 1 at 6:00 PM!
Form a team and test your knowledge against our students for a chance to win prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Teams may include up to four members, and the registration fee is $20 per team.
Interested in helping make this event a success? Please contact Bindhu Zachariah to get involved.
PARENT INFORMATION
Fall Sports
If your child is planning on participating in Fall Sports at McLean this upcoming school year, please be advised that Fall Sports will start on Aug 3rd. Students will need a valid physical to be able to participate. Once a physical is completed, the physical will be valid for 14 months. Students will also be required to register, but this cannot happen until late June. More information will go out this summer about registering. The below form must be used for the physical: https://www.vhsl.org/forms/
Fall Sports
Golf
Cheerleading
Field Hockey
Football
Cross Country
Boys Volleyball
Girls Volleyball
Community Conversations: Share Your Thoughts With Dr. Reid
As a listening leader, connecting with community members across our school division is critical to FCPS Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid. Her Community Conversations are opportunities for you to share your thoughts and ask questions. Events will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on:
• Monday, April 13, at Belle View Elementary School.
• Thursday, April 16, at Ravensworth Elementary School (note date change).
• Monday, April 20, at Westgate Elementary School.
• Wednesday, April 22, at Crestwood Elementary School.
Click on a date to register to attend that event. Registration is not required, but helps with planning, especially for child care and interpretation services. Events are open to all. Visit the superintendent’s engagement page for the most up-to-date information.
2026 Special Education Family Conference
The 2026 Special Education Family Conference, Stronger Together: Connecting Families and Schools, will take place on Saturday, April 18, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Marshall High School.
Dr. Shelley Moore will deliver the keynote address on The Evolution of Inclusion. It will look at how the goals of inclusion have continued to shift and evolve, as we learn more about diversity and identity. Participants will be invited to reflect on their own contexts and consider next steps for advocacy and action.
Visit the FCPS 2026 Special Education Family Conference webpage for more information, including breakout session offerings and a list of vendors that will be on site. Confirm your attendance for this year’s conference.
County Seeking Budget Input
About 70% of the FCPS budget comes from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. They are currently reviewing the county’s 2027 Fiscal Year Advertised Budget and are considering possible adjustments before the final county budget is adopted in May.
Provide the county with feedback on how you would like your tax dollars spent by completing this survey.
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