Welcome Incoming 6th Graders and New Families!
We are so glad you and your family are joining the Longfellow Community! You probably have many questions about your new school, and we'll be happy to answer all of them! Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.
- How do I sign up for zero period music or 7th period jazz?
Simply come to the class the first day of school to register. Zero period students should come to the breezeway inside the Derby Street gate at 8:00 on Aug. 30.
- Does Longfellow have lockers?
No. Students must have their backpacks with them all day. Some students choose to get rolling backpacks.
- Does Longfellow have PE uniforms?
No. Students are required to change their clothes for PE class, but they can wear any clothes that are approriate for doing sports - shorts, sweats, T-shirts, and proper shoes.
You may bring a combination lock to secure your belongings during PE class. PE lockers are not for all-day use, just for your PE period.
- What school supplies do I need?
The teachers require every student to have a three-ring heavy-duty binder which includes
six tab dividers and a zippered pencil case to fit in the binder.
In addition, there are other basic supplies which students should bring to school everyday: 2 pens and 2 pencils, a highlighter, an eraser, a two pocket folder for homework, a 12-inch ruler, and lined notebook paper (3-hole).
- What is the LMS daily schedule?
Click here for the bell schedule.
- Are there any accommodations for 6th graders?
Yes! Most sixth grade classes are held in a building separate from the upper grade
- How will I know the expectations at Longfellow? Is there a guidebook?
Yes! The Student Handbook is printed in the planner you'll receive. If you'd like to review it now, click here for the full text
- How can parents keep up with what's going on at Longfellow?
We recommend parents sign up for the LMS eTree to receive email messages about campus life, announcements, and special events. Parents can click here to sign up for the eTree.
Longfellow Middle School
With the district-wide adoption of the Common Core Standards, Longfellow Middle School continues our tradition of academic achievement to equip our students with the reading, writing, and critical thinking skills that are vital to success in their future academic and professional endeavors.
The school district has prepared helpful resources to help our families understand the nationally adopted Common Core State Standards (CCSS) at www.berkeleyschools.net/common-core. The school district also published a September 2013 BUSD flyer for our families that summarizes the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and Math: Flyer for BUSD Families on Common Core.
The following information is an excerpt from that flyer:
Key Features: English Language Arts
The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts include standards for use in English Language Arts courses, as well as literacy standards in History-Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects.
Reading: Text complexity and growth of comprehension
The reading standards place equal emphasis on the sophistication of what students read and the skill with which they read it.
Writing: Text types, responding to reading, and research
The writing standards acknowledge the fact that while some writing steps (e.g. plan, revise, edit, publish) apply to many types of writing, other skills relate to specific types of writing: arguments, informative/explanatory texts, and narratives.
Speaking and listening: Flexible communication and collaboration
The speaking and listening standards require students to develop a range of broadly useful oral communication and interpersonal skills, in addition to skills needed for formal presentations.
Language: Conventions (grammar), effective use, and vocabulary
The language standards include the essential “rules” of standard written and spoken English, and also look at language as a matter of craft and making stylistic choices.
Key Features: Mathematics
The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics include two types of standards: one for mathematical practice (how students apply and
extend math principles) and one for mathematical content (what students know about math).
Standards for Mathematical Practice (K-12)
1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
4. Model with mathematics.
5. Use appropriate tools strategically.
6. Attend to precision.
7. Look for and make use of structure.
8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
For more information about the content standards for the California Common Core, refer to the following documents from California's Department of Education:
CCSS for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects