Saturday, October 16, 2010

Franklin, MA: Library Book Sale

Where can you get a book for less than $2.50? or one for $1.00? or one for $.50?
The Franklin Public Library Book Sale of course. Run by the Friends of the Library, it is a major fund raiser that generally occurs twice a year (spring and fall).


There are books for all ages, from the youngest


To the most sophisticated readers in the house (yes, the presentation of the books can make for strange bedfellows!)


In addition to books, you can find multiple forms of media


including a good selection of Disney and other kids movies


Thanks to the dozens of Friends of the Library volunteers and to the all important sponsors for making this event happen. I know one kindergarten teacher found about $15 worth of books for the classroom there.


And the money goes for a good cause: to help the Franklin Public Library provide good service under the limited Town budget.

What are the hours?

  • Saturday, Oct 16th, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.  
  • Sunday, Oct. 17th, from 9AM to Noon - 'bag sale' 
Where is it held?
At the DPW Garage at the end of Hayward St.



The Book Sale is coordinated by the Friends of the Franklin Public Library.



Franklin, MA

Municipal Calendar - 4Q 2010

What does happen in the Franklin Municipal Building?
You may have visited the Town Clerk to apply for a passport. Or checked on your tax bill with the Assessors office.

What else happens within the walls?
The quarterly publication of the Municipal Calendar has arrived in time to possibly answer some of your questions. Published by the State, this Municipal Calendar effectively outlines the schedule of studies, filings, etc in order for the local community to operate in a timely and effective manner.



October 1: Collector Mail Semi-Annual Tax Bills For communities using the regular semi-annual payment system, actual tax bills or optional preliminary bills should be mailed by this date.

October 1: Taxpayer Semi-Annual Preliminary Tax Bill — Deadline for Paying Without Interest According to M.G.L. Ch. 59, Sec. 57C, this is the deadline for receipt of the preliminary tax payment without interest in communities using the annual preliminary tax billing system, unless the bills were mailed after August 1. If mailed after August 1, the payment is due November 1, or 30 days after the bills were mailed, whichever is later.

October 1: Taxpayer Deadline for Applying to Have Land Classified as Agricultural/Horticultural Land or Recreational Land, M.G.L. Ch. 61A and Ch. 61B. According to M.G.L. Ch. 61A, Sections 6 and 8, and Ch. 61B, Sections 3 and 5, this is the deadline to apply to assessors to have land valued, taxed and classified as agricultural/horticultural or recreational land in the next fiscal year, unless a revaluation program is being conducted for that fiscal year. Under M.G.L. Ch. 59, Section 38 and DOR guidelines, assessor must review all property valuations and make adjustments to ensure current fair cash valuations every year. Because a revaluation program is being conducted every year, taxpayers who do not submit their applications by October 1 have until 30 days after the actual tax bills for the fiscal year are mailed to apply.

October 15: Superintendent Submit School Foundation Enrollment Report to DESE

October 31: Accountant Submit Schedule A for Prior Fiscal Year This report is a statement of the revenues received, expenditures made and all other transactions related to the town’s finances during the previous fiscal year. The Schedule A classifies revenues and expenditures into detailed categories that will provide information essential for an analysis of revenues and expenditures generated by various departments. This data, like other financial information reported to DOR, is entered into DOR’s Municipal Data Bank; as such, the Department may provide time series, comparative and other types of analyses at the request of a city or town. This information is also sent to the US Census Bureau and eliminates a prior federal reporting requirement. Failure to file by October 31 may result in withholding major distributions of state aid until the Schedule A is accepted by BOA.

October 31: Selectmen Begin Establishing Next Fiscal Year Budget Guidelines and Request Department Budgets

October 31: Assessors Begin Work on Tax Rate Recapitulation Sheet (to set tax rate for annual preliminary tax bill communities) A community that uses the annual preliminary tax bill system (on a quarterly or semiannual basis) should begin gathering tax recap information in order to have enough time for the tax rate to be set and tax bills mailed by December 31. See August’s Complete Tax Rate Recapitulation Sheet.
November 1: Taxpayer Semi-Annual Tax Bill — Deadline for First Payment According to M.G.L. Ch. 59, Sec. 57, this is the deadline for receipt of the first half semi-annual tax bills or the optional preliminary tax bills without interest, unless bills were mailed after October 1, in which case they are due 30 days after mailing.

November 1: Taxpayer Semi-Annual Tax Bills — Application Deadline for Property Tax Abatement According to M.G.L. Ch. 59, Sec. 59, applications for abatements are due on the same date as the first actual tax installment for the year.

November 1: Taxpayer Quarterly Tax Bills — Deadline for Paying 2nd Quarterly Tax Bill Without Interest

November 1: Treasurer Deadline for Payment of First Half of County Tax

November 15: Treasurer First Quarter Reconciliation of Cash

November 15: DESE Notify Communities/Districts of Any Prior Year School Spending Deficiencies By this date, or within 30 days of a complete End of Year Report (see September 30), ESE notifies communities/districts in writing of any additional school spending requirements.

November 30: Selectmen Review Budgets Submitted by Department Heads This date will vary depending on dates of town meeting.

December 15: Taxpayer Deadline for Applying for Property Tax Exemptions for Persons If tax bills are mailed after September 15, taxpayers have 3 months from the mailing date to file applications for exemptions.

Decenber 15: Accountant/Superintendent/School Committee Submit Amendments to End of School Year Report to DESE Last filing date to impact next year’s Chapter 70 State Aid.

December 31: State Treasurer Notification of Quarterly Local Aid Payments on or Before December 31

December 31: Water/Sewer Commissioners Deadline for Betterments to be Included on Next Year’s Tax Bill (M.G.L. Ch. 80, Sec. 13; Ch. 40, Sec. 42I and Ch. 83, Sec. 27)

December 31: Selectmen Begin to Finalize Budget Recommendation for Review by Finance Committee

December 31: Assessors Mail 3-ABC Forms to All Eligible Non-Profit Organizations

December 31: Collector Deadline for Mailing Actual Tax Bills For communities using the annual preliminary billing system on a quarterly or semi-annual basis, the actual tax bills should be mailed by this date.


Franklin, MA

Taste of the Region Features 23 Food Establishments


The United Regional Chamber of Commerce's Taste of the Region is back! This fun and tasty event is scheduled for Tues., Oct. 26 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Tri-County Regional Vocational High School, 147 Pond St., Franklin. In addition to a great variety of foods, from main course samples to desserts, a silent auction and raffle will be featured. 


Admission tickets are $10 if purchased by Oct. 26 or $15 at the door. Call 508-528-2800 or 508-222-0801 to purchase tickets. 


So far, 23 restaurants and food establishments are participating and providing samples of their specialties to those attending the event, including: 3 Restaurant - Franklin, Pamfilio's – Cumberland, B & M Clambakes – Pawtucket, Cozy Catering – Providence, Pan City Grill – Plainville, Young's Caterers Inc. – Seekonk, Washburn Farms LLC – Medway, Edible Arrangements – Attleboro, Panera Bread – Franklin, Sweet Gifts – Attleboro, Tri County Culinary Club  - Franklin, Hawthorn Suites – Franklin, Glen Ellen Country Club – Millis, Highland Country Club – Attleboro, Colonel Blackinton Inn – Attleboro, Proctor Mansion Inn  - Wrentham, Willow Tree Poultry Farm Inc -  Attleboro, Harry & David – Wrentham, Forge Hill Senior Living Community – Franklin, Trinity Bar & Restaurant – Norton, Longhorn Steakhouse – Franklin, Uno Chicago Grill – Bellingham, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store – Wrentham.

The United Regional Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit, business support organization with offices in Attleboro, North Attleborough and Franklin, serving the communities of Attleboro, Bellingham, Blackstone, Foxborough, Franklin, Mansfield, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Norfolk, North Attleborough, Norton, Plainville, Rehoboth, Seekonk and Wrentham.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Looking for something to do this weekend?

Amongst the many things possible, there is (1) a performance of Little Women at Dean College and (2) wool spinning at the Franklin Historical Museum on Sunday


-------------

(1) Franklin, MA – The Dean College Theatre program will present Louisa Mae Alcott’s classic tale of growing up in 19th-century New England, Little Women: The Musical starting Thursday, October 14, with evening and matinee performances throughout the weekend. The production features 12 students from the College’s School of the Arts who are majoring in theatre, musical theatre or arts and entertainment management. The production is directed by Dean College faculty member Craig Handel; and the musical elements will be under the direction of Rob Goldman. The musical recently ran on Broadway.

"We wouldn’t be able to approach the quality of work that our students have been doing lately without Rob,” said Prof. Handel. “He’s not only a great conductor and vocal coach, but he’s a teacher who understands and communicates the difference between professional quality work and the type of work usually done by amateurs. Under Rob, our students are constantly being pushed toward the higher standard and the results have been apparent in the high quality of our shows.”

The much-beloved story of Little Women: The Musical centers around the four March sisters and focuses primarily on Jo, the second oldest of the girls. The plot traces Joe’s evolution from an uncertain but headstrong young girl into a mature and successful writer. According to Handel, the character of Jo has been an inspirational role model for young girls ever since Alcott published the novel in 1868.

“The songs in this musical version tap into the struggle and eventual triumph of Jo’s spirit in a way that truly captures the inspirational elements of her journey,” said Prof. Handel.

The play will run Thursday, October 14 at 6:30 p.m.; 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, October 15 and 16; and 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 17. All performances will take place in the Dean College Performing Arts Studio on School Street. Tickets are $15. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 508-541-1606 or visit the website at http://www.dean.edu/events/index.cfm.

-----------------

(2) SPECIAL EVENT - this Sunday, October 17th

Wool Spinners (probably 6-8 women) from Bellingham will demonstrate how wool is spun into yarn with their antique spinning wheel. They will then explain how this yarn can turn into sweaters, scarves, etc. Come and watch this historical event and learn their special techniques.

The museum will be open from 1:00 - 4:00 PM.



Franklin, MA

Young Professionals Organization Hosts North Bowl Event




United Regional Young Professionals Organization invites you to a night of fun and Cosmic Bowling at North Bowl, 71 E. Washington St., North Attleborough, on Nov. 9, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. $20 per bowler includes two hours of bowling, shoes, pizza and soda. Please bring a non-perishable food item for donation to a local food pantry. Reservations required. Contact Vicky Faunce at 508-223-5218 or vicky.faunce@bcsbmail.com.

The YPO is a branch of The United Regional Chamber of Commerce and is comprised of 20- and 30-something business professionals who have an interest in social and business networking, community involvement, and professional development. YPO participants must be at least 21 years old. For more information, visit the YPO's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/unitedregionalypo.


Dean Fall II accelerated undergraduate program offered in October


Franklin, MA  – Dean College is once again offering its innovative "Dean Fall II" program giving students who were unable to start college in September, or who were unhappy with their college choice the opportunity to take classes at an accelerated rate without falling behind a semester.

"Based on the needs of many young adults and the success of last year's program, we are again offering this program," said John Marcus, Vice President of Enrollment Services and Marketing.  "Dean Fall II is affordable and accessible and allows students to earn 9 credit hours before the start of the spring semester either as a commuter or as a resident student."

Students enroll in three courses taught in an accelerated format and classes begin October 26, 2010 and run through December 16, 2010.  The courses include core academic classes in humanities and social sciences designed to keep them on track towards a degree.

Federal Financial Assistance is available to qualified students who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA.)

For more information about the Dean Fall II program, please call 508-541-1508 or go to admissions.dean.edu/fall2 to download an application.


Thursday, October 14, 2010

Franklin, MA is looking to do business

In its continued efforts to attract and retain businesses the Town of Franklin is holding an economic development related event at 8:30 a.m. on October 27, 2010 at 431 Washington Street in Franklin. The primary purpose of the event is to inform property owners and commercial real estate companies with available property within the Town’s Economic Opportunity Areas that there are resources available to assist them. The secondary purpose is to assist with marketing of these properties and our business friendly community in general. We want the commercial/industrial site selection world to look to the Town of Franklin first when looking to site a facility.

This gathering of property owners, business owners and managers, State officials, commercial property realtors, and others in the site selection field, will discuss ways in which available incentives can be used to stimulate economic activity within the Town of Franklin’s six Economic Opportunity Areas and Town’s other industrial and commercial areas. Property owners and realtors attempting to lease or sell a commercial or industrial property within the Town of Franklin are being asked to bring marketing materials to display and distribute at the event.

As part of the event (Resources for Massachusetts Business Development) representatives from state agencies and other economic development related organizations will introduce themselves and discuss potential resources that they may have available. These organizations include Massachusetts Office of Business Development, MassDevelopment, Massachusetts Alliance for Economic Development, and Massachusetts Biotechnology Council.

With the sluggish economy the Town of Franklin needs to utilize all economic development incentives available to it in order to assist companies looking to settle or expand in the region. One of the most attractive incentives that a Massachusetts city or town can offer businesses looking to locate or expand in their community is a Tax Increment Finance (TIF) agreement. To qualify for tax increment financing a business must propose an expansion project within an Economic Opportunity Area.

As a member of the I-495/95 South Regional Economic Target Area, the Town of Franklin can designate specific parcels as economic opportunity areas. During 2009 the Town of Franklin created three large economic opportunity areas, which were approved by the State’s Economic Assistance Coordinating Council in April 2009. Earlier this year Franklin Town Council approved creation of three additional economic opportunity areas; the Town expects approval from the Economic Assistance Coordinating Council during November 2010. The six economic opportunity areas consist of 100 parcels totaling over 945 acres.

Currently there are at least 1,000,000 square feet of vacant or underutilized buildings in Franklin’s commercially and industrially zoned areas, most of which are within the Town’s six economic opportunity areas. This vacant property includes the majority of the 242,000+ square feet of floor space at 431 Washington Street, which is the former home of the Investor Services Division of Putnam Investments. The property’s management company, Marsh and McLennan Companies, has graciously agreed to host the Town’s 2010 Economic Development Summit at their 431 Washington Street facility.

The community’s industrially zoned areas are home to dozens of research and development and manufacturing companies, and Franklin has attracted innovative technology companies in a wide range of industries, including nanotechnology, robotics, logistics, data storage, medical devices, biotechnology, and specialty materials. Franklin hopes to use the economic opportunity area designation as an incentive to encourage these existing businesses to expand, as well as to attract new businesses, promote a higher level of investment in the Town’s commercial and industrial areas, increase employment options for the Town of Franklin’s residents, and increase the Town’s commercial and industrial tax base.

The potential benefits resulting from the formation of these economic opportunity areas are substantial not only for property owners and businesses within the economic opportunity areas, but also for the Town of Franklin and the region in general. A tax increment finance agreement is a 5 to 20 year property tax exemption based on the increased value of the property due to new construction or significant improvements.

The municipality supports the use of Tax Increment Financing agreements, especially for development projects that create livable wage jobs, support innovative technologies, and result in redevelopment of empty or underutilized industrially zoned properties or development of new facilities. In addition to the possibility of negotiating a tax increment finance agreement with the Town of Franklin, potential economic benefits for companies within economic opportunity areas can be significant, including an investment tax credit for qualifying tangible depreciable assets, as well as a ten-percent abandoned building tax deduction for costs associated with the renovation of a building that has been at least seventy-five percent vacant for two or more years.

Franklin is continually looking for ways to create conditions favorable for business expansion, and assist property owners fill the Town’s currently empty or underutilized industrially zoned manufacturing, warehouse and office space. The Town is hopeful expanding businesses will take advantage of these opportunities.

Please contact Planning and Community Development Director, Bryan Taberner, if you have questions or require additional information regarding the Town of Franklin’s economic opportunity area initiative, or the Economic Development Summit being held on October 27th.




Franklin MA PR 20101027 Economic Summit


Franklin, MA

Business to Business Expo Oct. 28



STILL TIME TO REGISTER FOR BUSINESS TO BUSINESS EXPO

The Business to Business Expo, a collaboration of four local chambers of commerce, will be held at the Taunton Holiday Inn, 700 Myles Standish Dr., Taunton, on Oct. 28 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The United Regional Chamber of Commerce is taking part in this event that highlights some of the most vibrant companies in the region. The Expo features businesses from throughout the region served by The United Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Taunton Area Chamber of Commerce, the Cranberry Country Chamber of Commerce and the Cape Cod Canal Region Chamber of Commerce.

The Expo will be held with a Business After Hours from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and will feature two free seminars: the ABCs of E-Tools by Trish White from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Uncovering the Hidden Profit in Productivity by Ed McDonough from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Exhibitors have two choices of display space. Companies can choose an 8' x 6' booth which includes a 6' skirted table, two chairs and a company sign or a 3' x 6' skirted table. The cost is $349 for a booth and $249 for a table top for participating Chamber members, and $599 and $499 respectively for non-members.

Admission to the event for visitors is free.

For more information, call The United Regional Chamber of Commerce at 508-222-0810 or 508-528-2800.

The United Regional Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit, business support organization serving the communities of Attleboro, Bellingham, Blackstone, Foxborough, Franklin, Mansfield, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Norfolk, North Attleborough, Norton, Plainville, Rehoboth, Seekonk, and Wrentham.


Dean College to host College Fair October 26 - more than 60 colleges participating


Dean College Hosts College Fair

Franklin, MA -- Admissions counselors from more than 60 Colleges and Universities will visit with prospective students at Dean College's annual College Fair on Tuesday, October 26, 2010 from 5-7  p.m. in the Atrium of the College's Campus Center.

"All local high school students are encouraged to attend," said Tracy Nowak, Academic Advisor and Transfer Services Coordinator at Dean.  "Admissions counselors will be on hand to answer questions about their institutions. It is a great opportunity to learn about the academic programs offered by the various colleges as well as the activities, services, financial aid, and housing options they have available.

The College Fair will be held in the Campus Center Atrium, 135 Emmons Street. For more information contact Tracy Nowak at (508) 541-1536.


Community Gardeners To Meet - Oct 25th



When: Monday, October 25, 2010 - 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.


Where: Franklin YMCA Bernon Family Branch, 45 Forge Hill Road, Franklin


Agenda items: Mission Statement, Land updates, and committee sign-ups


We are going write our Mission Statement and elect steering committee chairs.
Our steering committee will be comprised of:
1) a Chairperson
2) a Co-Chair
3) Treasurer
4) Recording Secretary
5) Garden Site Coordinators, 1 for Giving Garden, 1 for Community Garden (and hopefully 1 for a Youth Garden!)
6) Committe Chairs, tbd
We will work as a group determine what our committee structure should be, list them, and enlist chairpersons and co-chairs for them.


Some committees will go to work right away, and some will get busy in the near future.
We listed our visions for a community garden at our first meetings.  A mission statement will be very important as we begin to source funding for our garden(s) and to educate the community at large about what we are doing and why.

Hope to see you there!




Contact persons:


Lauren Marciszyn - laurenm@hockymca.org


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Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Franklin, MA: Library Book Sale

The Book Sale to raise money for the Franklin Public Library will be held at the DPW garage on Hayward St this weekend.


  • Saturday, Oct 16th, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.  
  • Sunday, Oct. 17th, from 9AM to Noon - 'bag sale' 

The Book Sale is coordinated by the Friends of the Franklin Public Library.


Did you know the library has a blog? Check it out here:  http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/



Franklin, MA


School Committee - 10/12/10

The collection of live reported posts from the School Committee meeting on Tuesday, Oct 12th can be found here:




Franklin, MA

Question 3

Question 3 is on the ballot for November's election.
We all want good schools, police and fire protection, safe roads and bridges, clean water and quality health care. Cutting the sales tax by more than half would deprive our communities of the revenue to pay for them.
Franklin already is too dependent upon state aid, to lose additional money would devastate the town. How much would we lose? The website calculates the amount each community would lose if Question 3 is approved.


http://votenoquestion3.com/towns.php?town_code=101

The fact sheet is shown below:

Question 3 Fact Sheet


When you go to the polls in November, make a choice you will be prepared to live with for more than one day.


Franklin, MA

In the News - students, flu, rides, race


Franklin students are more well-behaved




Franklin flu clinic tomorrow


Franklin, MA

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Live reporting - Closing

5. Information Matters

Superintendent’s Report
a. Enrollment Comparison
down 48 students and verifying some home eligibility requirements

b. FHS Feasibility
architects work underway
scheduled for an Oct 27th presentation at the Building Committee, approx 7:15 PM that evening, although meeting starts at 6:00/6:30? (check to confirm)
will come before the School Committee at a meeting to be scheduled

c. HMMS Principal Search
ad ran in Sunday's paper
wanted to look at the responses before setting up the process

School Committee Sub-Committee Reports
Joint Budget Subcommittee, started discussion on initial budget
Space needs subcommittee met and would like to be on the agenda for November

School Committee Liaison Reports
Joint PCC meeting initial meeting for the year, well attended
They provide over $150,000 to support school programs
(This does not include the athletic boosters, music boosters)

6. New Business
To discuss future business that may be brought before the School Committee.
FEF Casino night Friday, Nov 19th at the Elks 

7. Executive Session
Contractual Negotiations

motion to enter executive session, via roll call passed 7-0



Franklin, MA

Live reporting - Action items

4. Action Items
a. I recommend acceptance of a check for $1,500.00 from the YMCA/Stop & Shop Healthy Futures Grant for field trips, supplies and supplemental curriculum materials for the Annie Sullivan Middle School.
motion to accept, passed 7-0

b. I recommend acceptance of a check for $200.00 from the ASMS PCC for field trips.
motion to accept, passed 7-0

c. I recommend acceptance of a check for $5,000.00 from the Jefferson PCC for Field Trips for Jefferson Elementary School students.
motion to accept, passed 7-0

d. I recommend approval of the recurring field trip for Middle School Chorus students to New York City to see a Broadway show on May 7, 2011 as detailed.
motion to accept, passed 7-0


e. I recommend approval of the FHS School Improvement Plan as detailed.
motion to accept, passed 7-0






Franklin, MA

Live reporting - Discussion only items

3. Discussion Only Items
Policy – First Reading
IHBG Homeschooling


The policy itself was published previously and can be viewed here
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/10/fps-homeschooling-policy-proposed.html

based upon discussion, the revisions seem to be in the area of school sports and activities (i.e  prom, etc.)

probably 20-30 children in the district, some families have multiple students

Doug Hardesty - home schooling their 9th grader
where can I get a copy of the policy?

Roy - it is published on the web as well as on Franklin Matters

motion to move policy to second reading as amended by Jeff Roy (references to MIAA policy signed)




Franklin, MA

Live reporting - high school improvement plan

c. Franklin High School’s School Improvement Plan – Peter Light

The presentation for this section was posted to Franklin Matters earlier Tuesday. You can view it here:
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/10/franklin-high-school-improvement-plan.html


10% target, actually increased 48% on advanced placement courses taken

MCAS is all about Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) in the subgroups (special education in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math)

Principals Council (see members listed in presentation above)

teacher goals being tied into 2 of the 3 goals of the improvement plan (the first three are multi-year goals and school wide)

Mullen - have you considered not doing summer reading?
Light - how do you increase the passion for reading with students who are reluctant to read? We want students to learn, that excites them over the summer and are going that way.

Sabolinski - we need to define the purpose for summer reading? Having a hiatus year is good to provide the time to sit back and reflect on what we are doing and what we should do.



Franklin, MA

Live reporting - FHS Update

b. Franklin High School Update – Peter Light
DiLorenzo, Folan

reconfigured office personnel and responsibilities

reduced overall infractions from 4907 (07-08) to 4228 (08-09) to 3580 (09-10)
disruptive behavior dropped from 614 to 563 to 239 for same periods
cutting class only area of concern 157 to 140 to 277 showing an increase in the same periods
Possession of a controlled substance 3 to 2 to 2 (for a population of 1600 students)

out of school suspensions
07-08   187
08-09   190
09-10   114

team effort in the building, keeping students in the classrooms
The Alternative Discipline Program, an eight session program, part counseling part academics
Social suspensions - if a student is suspended for a period of time, can't participate in school activities or functions while on suspension

continuous improvement
focus on school culture - Rachel's Challenge (continuing as Friends of Rachel)
bullying and peer interaction, respectful relationships

instructional support teams - being put into place for the second half of the year

(need to add audio of the Peter Light re-telling of the Rachel Challenge presenter story)

on Athletic front, impact concussion testing is underway, started with the spring to establish a baseline in event that a student athlete did get a concussion, we would have some data to work with

looking to add five instructional support teams, to be implemented in the second half of the year
targeting 50-60 students in danger of failing a single subject for the year
an advance form of Response To Intervention (RTI) being implemented in the elementary and middle schools

Special Education Services Assessment being planned for Sp 2011

Arts Academy functioning for grade 11 with plans for that class to move up next year in grade 12 and then expand downward to grade 10 to cover three grades

Alternative Learning Program now located in H wing and by being integrated into the building provide greater access to the programs being offered in the school for the students

Robert Lima - Data Dashboard

"a vehicle to access state-wide and national test summaries for FHS"
sound of motorcycle revving up


  • convenient one stop shopping
  • click and view
  • provide lens into the data

comparison to Hockomock League as well as the DESE 'comparable' schools

wonderful comparison to the schools with the click of a link, chart and table data available

can't wait to see this in production, especially the cost per student comparisons are staggering
Franklin does get a big bang for the dollars we spend and the results the students get

benefits

  1. centralized in-house source for data
  2. data being incorporated into strategic planning
  3. online delivery of testing reports, moving further to a paperless system

access to the data will be available next Weds, Oct 20th

Cafasso - are you going to take this to the middle schools and PCC's?
Light - yes, we did this last year and plan on doing so this year. I think it was beneficial but the real ipact would be for the parents, if it helped them make a decision. At the end of the day, our students do compete with others for seats in the college class.

You won't need to have an Edline account to access the data, the data dashboard will be available on the FHS homepage and available to all

The reports are prepared secure PDF files, other interactive options can be requested, other data sets can be requested, it would take time to prepare and would be available in a later version.

Sabolinski - we are changing the culture on how we are using the data, the K-8 data will be available, both for transparency and analysis for program improvement

Roy - I do want to echo Roberta's comment on opening this to the greater community. Imagine if you only gave us a little more resources, look were we could go. We did try to go from good to great and have had to put that aside



Franklin, MA

live reporting - Senior Project

2. Guests/Presentations:
a. Franklin High School – Senior Project Presentation – Sascha Werner D’Angelo, Peter Light

a workplace/career environment during the last quarter of the high school senior year

  • long term skill building
  • research paper writing skills
  • experiential learning
  • Long lasting impact on learning

Student centered, parent involved, Senior Project Proposal Panel
Project Mentor
Site advisor

The 5 P's for the Senor Project:

  1. Proposal
  2. Paper
  3. Project
  4. Portfolio
  5. Presentation

3rd quarter course to help prepare
research methodologies, business ethics, communication skills, etc.

Courses are completed during 3rd quarter, 4th quarter is solely the project full time

a huge variety of site used for the Senior Project

71% strongly agree had a positive effect, 29% agree

60% strongly agreed that the project helped to determine the career choice

57% strongly agreed that the project helped their transition to college

54% strongly agreed that they learned communications skills

100% recommended that incoming seniors should consider taking the course

63 seniors in the program this year, up from 21 three years ago

Looking to expand the project into other areas in the future. Adding a leadership/community portion, an academic portion, an arts project - to create a capstone type program

Cafasso - I hope you will pursue the other types of projects.

 Sabolinski - there is a great deal of work on the capstone aspect of the senior year

Roy - how have the colleges received this program?
All the colleges (about 15 thus far this year) were impressed with the program at this level, it has helped the students college application status

All sites have provided positive feedback and looking for more students to continue in the future

Sabolinski - imitation is good flattery, other districts are inquiring on how we are doing this program.

Franklin, MA

Live reporting - School Committee Meeting

Present: Douglas, Rohrbach, Mullen, Roy, Trahan, Glynn
Absent: Cafasso


1. Routine Business
meeting recorded by Franklin Matters in addition to Verizon and Comcast
Citizen’s Comments
Review of Agenda
Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the September 28, 2010 School Committee Meeting. motion to approve, passed 6-0, 1 abstain

Payment of Bills Mr. Glynn motion to approve, passed 7-0
Payroll Mrs. Douglas
FHS Student Representatives
Panther Pride for all 8th graders, next Weds evening (10/20)

Correspondence: none


Franklin, MA

Franklin High School - Improvement Plan 2010-2011

The School Improvement Plan for 2010-2011 for Franklin High School is on the agenda for the School Committee meeting, Tuesday, Oct 12th. The document they will use for the presentation and discussion can be viewed here:

FHS School Improvement Plan 2010-11

Note: email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the document.

Franklin, MA


You can help the Franklin Food Pantry

The Franklin Food Pantry is looking for the following items to service their clients as they approach the holiday season.

Franklin Food Pantry Needs Fall2010

The items can be left at the Food Pantry during their open hours, or in the wooden box on the porch.

Please check the 'good though" or "use by" dates before leaving your donation. If the items are expired, the Pantry can not use them.

Note: email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the document.


Franklin, MA

Calling all media makers!

Local bloggers, photographers, writers; we are all media makers. Let's get together to share and learn from each other on what we do and how we accomplish it. The Southern New England Media Makers are gathering Sunday, October 17th at Morin's Diner in Attleboro.

You can respond via the Facebook page here:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=155543284473392

Or leave a comment or email me.



Franklin, MA

Franklin, MA: Citizens Rail Trail Committee - meeting 10/12/10

Proposed Agenda for Oct 12, 2010
Location: Franklin YMCA 45 Forge Hill Road
Start Time: 7:30PM

I. Call to Order / Introductions of New Attendees
A. Introduction of new attendees
B. Review & approve minutes of previous meeting
C. Ask for volunteer to keep minutes of meeting

II. Report from our representative from DCR
A. Gates & Grading
B. Staining of Kiosk & Roof & Acrylic Glass

III. Membership Committee Report
A. Committee to report on membership activity
B. Do we still have glitches in the Membership process?

IV. Report from Finance Committee
A. Report from Treasurer

V. Report of Fund Raising Committee
A. Report on fund raising activities
a. Report Road Race Committee

VI. Report from Grant Writing Committee
A. Sept 17th Grant Writing Workshop
B. Committee to submit Grant Application

VII. Report on addition of Network Solutions web site
A. E-mail
B. Remote monitoring

VII. Unfinished Business:
A. Business plan in the making
B. Distribute new brochures

VIII. New Business
A.

IX. Set Date & place for Next Meeting and Adjourn



Franklin, MA

Monday, October 11, 2010

"Impact, Effect, Purpose"

Via Wesley Fryer, Writing at the Peed of Creativity, comes this 9 minute video presentation from Zoe Sprankle on "Impact, Effect, Purpose."






Franklin, MA


FPS: Homeschooling Policy Proposed Revision

One policy revision on the agenda for the School Committee meeting for Tuesday, Oct 12th is the policy for homeschooling. The proposed revision can be reviewed here:


FPS Policy IHBG Homeschooling-R9!25!10-DRAFT

Note: exactly what the change is to and from would have to be compared to the existing policy. The Policy Manual can be found here:
http://home.comcast.net/~fpssc/SectionI.html

Note: email subscribers will need to click through to view the doc on Franklin Matters


Franklin, MA

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Harvest Festival 2010

As a member of the Franklin Downtown Partnership, I enjoyed having a table on Main St during the recent Harvest Festival. My table was well positioned to see the Dean College students do their dance routines.



I was able to meet a number of folks. Some of them acknowledged reading Franklin Matters. One lady made my day when she said that she reads it everyday during her work lunch time.

There were also quite a few folks to whom I handed out a Franklin Matters business card with the URL so they could find it and read it. As I have mentioned before, this site is not about me. This site is all about Franklin and what matters here. My goal is to continue to share valuable information so that my fellow citizens and voters can cast an informed ballot whenever they go to the polls.

My readership goal is to reach at least 10,000 voters (we currently have over 19,000 registered voters).
I have a long way to go so you can help:

  • If you like what you read here, please tell your friends and neighbors.
  • If you don't like what you read here, please tell me.



Franklin, MA

Economic Development Summit: Schedule

The schedule of events for the Economic Development Summit being held in Franklin, MA on Oct 27th.


Franklin Eco Dev Sum Schedule


The announcement for the Summit can be found here:
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/10/franklin-economic-development-summit.html



Franklin, MA: School Committee - Agenda - 10/12/10

1. Routine Business
Citizen’s Comments
Review of Agenda
Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the September 28, 2010 School Committee Meeting.
Payment of Bills Mr. Glynn
Payroll Mrs. Douglas
FHS Student Representatives
Correspondence: none

2. Guests/Presentations:
a. Franklin High School – Senior Project Presentation – Sascha Werner D’Angelo
b. Franklin High School Update – Peter Light
c. Franklin High School’s School Improvement Plan – Peter Light

3. Discussion Only Items
Policy – First Reading
IHBG Homeschooling

4. Action Items
a. I recommend acceptance of a check for $1,500.00 from the YMCA/Stop & Shop Healthy Futures Grant for field trips, supplies and supplemental curriculum materials for the Annie Sullivan Middle School.
b. I recommend acceptance of a check for $200.00 from the ASMS PCC for field trips.
c. I recommend acceptance of a check for $5,000.00 from the Jefferson PCC for Field Trips for Jefferson Elementary School students.
d. I recommend approval of the recurring field trip for Middle School Chorus students to New York City to see a Broadway show on May 7, 2011 as detailed.
e. I recommend approval of the FHS School Improvement Plan as detailed.

5. Information Matters

Superintendent’s Report
a. Enrollment Comparison
b. FHS Feasibility
c. HMMS Principal Search

School Committee Sub-Committee Reports
School Committee Liaison Reports

6. New Business
To discuss future business that may be brought before the School Committee.

7. Executive Session
Contractual Negotiations

8. Adjourn


Franklin, MA


"We need the community behind us"

Brad Sidwell, athletic director at Franklin High School, said his staff takes a similar approach.
"We are certainly are proactive in telling our kids what the expectations are coming into games," Sidwell said. "(Drinking) is just not tolerated by any means."
Sidwell said Franklin's field layout somewhat hampers the district's ability to crack down on bringing things in and out of the stadium.
"You're better off having more people helping out and being vigilant," Sidwell said. "We are certainly on the lookout for kids who are suspicious. You want an enthusiastic environment where people enjoy coming to the games to cheer, but even one of those situations (with drunk students) puts a black eye on the whole community, so you want to be on top of it."
Read the full article on drinking measures for high school football games here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/highlight/x1722967286/Security-varies-at-schools-for-drinking-at-football-games



Franklin, MA