Longfellow Elementary

Preschool had a farm-tastic day at Kroul’s Farm! Students learned all about pumpkins, met some new animal friends 🐮🐷🐔🐴, and made their way through corn and hay mazes with big smiles and giggles. It was the perfect fall adventure with friends! 🍂 #lesinspire

The second grade scientists in 2T were investigating soil this week. 👨🏽‍🔬 They discovered soil is comprised of sand, gravel, pebbles, and humus. (Ask your favorite #secondgradeexpert what humus is! 🤓) After the soil was combined, the second graders tried separating the mixture using screens. #lesinspire

📚🇺🇸 Happy America Reads Day! 🇺🇸📚 Today we celebrated the power of books and the joy of reading with our amazing community. A huge THANK YOU to everyone who came out to read, share stories, and inspire young minds. Your time and enthusiasm made a lasting impact, and we are so grateful for your support— you helped show that reading truly matters. 💙 Let’s keep the pages turning all year long! 📖✨ #lesinspire

🚒🔥 Fire Safety Week Fun! 🔥🚒 On Tuesday, the Marion Fire Department stopped by to visit our kindergarten and first-grade students as part of Fire Safety Week. Firefighters shared important tips on what to do in case of a fire, gave students an up-close look at their fire truck and equipment, and even dressed in full gear to help children understand they’re not scary—even when suited up during an emergency. A big thank you to the Marion Fire Department for taking the time to educate and inspire our young learners. Your dedication to keeping our community safe is truly appreciated! 👩‍🚒👨‍🚒👏 #lesinspire

We’re proud to share that Marion Independent School District has been named to the 2025 Top Workplaces list by the Des Moines Register for the 2nd year in a row! 🌟

This recognition is a reflection of our incredible staff and their daily commitment to supporting our students and families.

Thank you for helping us make a difference. The full list of 2025 Iowa Top Workplaces is available at https://topworkplaces.com/award/desmoinesregister/.

It was "Mini Monday" at Longfellow today! Did you know that all these staff members had "minis"at Longfellow this year? #lesinspire

Last week, first grade buddies from Miss Haag’s class joined Miss Natalie’s preschoolers to explore Bee-Bots and Blue-Bots! 🤖 The room was filled with laughter, teamwork, and students enjoying each other’s company as they learned together. #lesinspire

👫✨ Our first graders have been busy mastering their "10s Friends"! They had a blast playing Penny Plate with a partner — one student hid some pennies under a plate while the other counted how many were on top and figured out how many more were needed to make 10. Such a fun, hands-on way to build number sense and teamwork! 🧠💡💛 #lesinspire

🎉 We hope you had a “poppin’” good time at Family Curriculum Night — we know we did! It was amazing to see so many smiling faces exploring the school, tackling the scavenger hunt, and diving into all the fun learning activities. 🍎🔍 👏 A big thank you to everyone who "popped" in to be part of the evening and learn more about your child’s school day! 🎁 Estimation jar and door prize winners will be announced during Monday morning announcements! #lesinspire Special thanks to our donors: Iowa Popcorn Company Almost Famous Popcorn Cedar Rapids Kernels

📚✨ Don’t forget! Tomorrow night is Family Literacy Night’s “Pop Into Learning” at school! 🎉

Join us for an evening of fun with:
📖 Reading & math activities
🤔 An estimation jar challenge
📸 A photo booth to capture memories
🍿 A delicious popcorn bar

Bring the whole family and pop into learning with us! We can’t wait to see you there! 💙

We’re proud to join schools across Iowa in the #StopTheProp campaign, launched by the Iowa Association of School Boards.

The message is simple but important: keep exterior doors shut & secure. A closed door is a safer door for everyone on campus. 🚪

#MISDInspire #MISDOwnYourFuture

Kindergarten had a blast celebrating the end of their CKLA Knowledge unit on Nursery Rhymes and Fables with a Nursery Rhyme Olympics! 🥇🎉 They rotated through classrooms for some seriously fun activities, including Little Miss Muffet Musical Chairs, a Humpty Dumpty race to put him back together, and Jack Be Nimble-inspired jumping games and hopscotch. Such a fun way to bring their learning to life! 🐣📚💫 #lesinspire

REMINDER: There will be no school for students on Friday, October 3. This will be a staff professional learning day. ✍️🗓️

#MISDInspire #MISDOwnYourFuture

In Library class this month, 2nd grade discussed the difference between fiction and nonfiction with a fun scavenger hunt and coding activity. Fiction books tell a made-up story, while nonfiction books give information. #lesinspire

Miss Natalie’s class strengthened their fine motor skills this week by tearing paper and practicing glue dots. Students had fun while building important skills for writing, cutting, and creating. #lesinspire

This week in CAPS (Mrs. Zaruba's classroom counseling lessons) Preschool and Kindergarteners learned about the Zones of Regulation. In Kindergarten they sorted feelings into Zones and learned that ALL zones are okay! In Preschool they learned about “regulation” and identifying what they need when they have certain feelings!  #lesinspire

Preschoolers in Ms. Ann’s class work on strengthening their finger muscles by threading beads. #lesinspire

KH filled their paw pyramid this week and celebrated with Live Pet Day! Ms. Natalie brought in her pet bearded dragon, and the kids had such a fun time exploring, watching him eat, and learning all about bearded dragons. #lesinspire

At Longfellow we use PBIS to reinforce positive behaviors. Students can earn individual paw prints for being respectful, responsible, safe, and having integrity. Classes can earn red paw prints to put on a paw pyramid when the entire class shows the Marion Way. Then when the pyramid is full they earn a reward. Mrs. Beckner’s class filled their paw pyramid this week and celebrated with a fort day! #lesinspire

Centers are a very important part of our preschool day. Through play, we practice social skills, pre-academic skills, fine motor skills, and independence, which prepares students for success throughout their education. #lesinspire