Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Longfellow Located?
Longfellow is west of Gilbert Rd. at the intersection of Hall and Broadway.

How many students attend Longfellow?
There are approximately 1000 students currently attending Longfellow in Early K - 6th Grades. In addition, Mesa Early Learning Preschool, Head Start and Family Tree have classes on our campus.

What are the school hours?
K - 6th grade students attend Monday - Friday from 8:25 am - 3:00 pm.
Early Kindergarten hours are from 8:25 am - 11:10 am.
All students are dismissed at 2:30 pm each Wednesday.

What is the schedule for this year?
School begins for students on July 26, 2006. The last day of school is May 24, 2007. For a complete listing of important dates, please click the calendar link. 2007- 2008 Calendar

How do I contact the school?
Office: 480-472-6550
Fax number: 480-472-6599
Nurse: 480-472-6597

How do I report my child's absence?
In English: 480-472-6537
In Spanish: 480-472-6538

Why are uniforms required at Longfellow?
In 1997, the parents, staff and students requested permission by the school board to make Longfellow a uniform-required school. The students wear white, blue, or red shirts with sleeves and collars. They may wear blue or black pants, shorts, skirts or jumpers. Uniforms help build a feeling of unity at Longfellow.

Why is Longfellow on a different schedule than other schools?
Longfellow is on a Modified Year Round Schedule. The idea of a year round schedule was implemented at Longfellow to help our students be more successful. Shorter breaks from school with instruction spread out over the year will help students retain information. The modified year round calendar allows for an intersession where students who need extra help attend classes designed to help them improve. Students benefit from the year round schedule in many other ways as well. Taking a break after each quarter of school gives students a chance to relax and come back to school energized and ready to learn. Students can have several more weeks for instruction, up to 7 weeks extra including Summer Intersession. Families who want to take vacations during off peak times find the October break a wonderful time to visit places of interest.

When was Longfellow built?
Longfellow was built in 1961 and was the 12th school in Mesa Public Schools.

What is SIAC?
SIAC is the School Improvement Advisory Council. It is a group of parents and staff elected to help make decisions that will improve Longfellow and our community.

What is PTO?
PTO is the Parent-Teacher Organization. Its purpose is to support Longfellow parents and staff. It holds fund-raisers to help earn money for needs not supported by government dollars.

How did Longfellow get its name?
Longfellow was named for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a famous American poet. He was born in Portland, Maine on February 27, 1807. To learn more about Longfellow, please click the following links:

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Biography of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

What programs are used to enhance curriculum at Longfellow?
Standards Plus Instructional Focus is used daily in all grade levels. Students are taught mini lessons in reading and math each day in addition to the regular curriculum. These introduce, review and reinforce basic skills. A weekly assessment is done. Reading is empasized at Longfellow by focusing on these five areas of instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and text comprehension. The Riggs Phonics and the District Start Phonics are used to build a strong phonics foundation. Harcourt Trophies Reading series and Accelerated Reading are used. Students needing extra reading instruction to help build fluency and comprehension participate in Read Naturally. Addison Wesley Math is used in Kindergarten and grades 4 - 6. Accelerated Math is used in 2nd through 6th grades. This allows students to work at their own level and advance more rapidly. Tutoring is also available before and after school.

What activities are available for students after school?
Students can participate in sports organized through Mesa Parks and Recreation. These sports are usually coached by teachers at Longfellow. Pom and Cheer is also available. Students may apply to work on the student -published newspaper, the Longfellow News. Tutoring is also available.

What can I do to help?
Volunteers are always needed and appreciated at Longfellow. Click on the link to find out ways you can help.

Volunteers