Franklin DPW: Memorandum of Agreement 2015-2018

Side Letter - Attachment B

Landscaping and Grounds Maintenance at the Franklin High and Horace Mann Middle Schools

Not withstanding the settlement of the parties' 2015 to 2018 collective bargaining agreement, the parties shall have continuing discussions about the impacts of the Franklin High School outside grounds, court yard and new athletic playing fields.

The expected impacts and costs to maintain these new areas with current staffing levels of DPW personal are unknown. ·

Specifically, the costs associated with the man power, equipment and materials needed to maintain the school grounds can only be estimated. It is anticipated with the burden of maintaining these new areas at the High School, man power and resources will be drained from other areas of the DPW. The current overall "high maintenance level" at the Town and School departments will suffer not only at the High School, but at other Town and School facilities.

From July 1, 2015 through November 2018 the Town will have the right to outsource the following work to determine the cost of labor and resources at the High School and Horace Mann Middle School:

• Mowing and trimming of all "passive grass areas" i.e.: lawns around school buildings, lawns around parking areas, islands in parking areas, MS4·green spaces, and any area that is not used for athletics.
• Providing and installing Mulch to all planting beds.
• The picking up of litter in all passive grass areas mulched planting beds.
• Spring and Fall clean-ups, which may include mowing, weeding, leaf pick-ups for all "passive grass areas" outlined above and planting beds.

Due to the skill set of present DPW personnel and equipment already owned by DPW, DPW will continue to maintain all "active grass areas" i.e. sports fields at the High School and Horace Mann Middle School, which will include mowing and trimming of grass areas, litter pick up, and emptying of all trash containers. It also may include limited fertilization and line painting as determined by Director.

The Town has the right to outsource such work, subject to three conditions:

1. No member of the bargaining unit will be laid off solely as a result of such outsourcing.
2. The Town will bargain with the union about any demonstrable impacts on conditions of employment.
3. The Town will provide a copy of the bid documents for the out sourcing of said work, all costs associated with said work for future discussions.

This was part of the set of documents released for the Town Council agenda 2/24/16 (page 43 of 45)

http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_CouncilAgendas/2016%20Complete/02242016.pdf

Or a copy of the single page here:

one of the new ball fields at Franklin High School

LEAPING into Kindergarten - Feb 29

LEAPING into Kindergarten: An informational program for Franklin Public School families with children eligible to attend kindergarten in the fall of 2016 (5 years old by August 31st):

Date: Monday, February 29th Time: 6:30-7:30pm; Q andA session from 7:30-8:00pm
Location: Horace Mann Auditorium (224 Oak Street)

Members of the Franklin school community, including kindergarten teachers, principals, a school nurse, and the Director of Student Services, will provide helpful information to families on:

• Kindergarten Registration: the timeline and the process
• Health Information: immunizations, allergies, medical accommodations
• Safety: efforts the Franklin public schools is taking to ensure safety in our schools
• Teaching and Learning: the kindergarten day and our approach to learning
• Kindergarten Screening: what it is and what it is not
• Kindergarten Orientation: helping you and your child feel welcome
• Transportation: the big yellow school bus

entrance to Horace Mann Middle School Auditorium

For more information, please contact Kelty Kelley, ECDC Principal



Kelty Kelley, Principal

F. X. O'Regan Early Childhood Development Center
224 Oak Street
Franklin, MA 02038
Phone: 508-541-8166
Fax: 508-541-8254
kelleyk@franklin.k12.ma.us

In the News: Motte named principal, Senior Center renovations funded

The Franklin School District on Thursday named Rebecca Motte as the next principal of Horace Mann Middle School. 

Motte is currently the assistant principal at Annie Sullivan Middle School.In an announcement to the school's students, parents and faculty, Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski shared positive feedback from the stakeholder groups that interviewed Motte for the position. Members of the groups said she was, among other things, well-organized, friendly, thoughtful and hard-working. 

Motte will replace the school's current principal, Shawn Fortin, who has accepted a position in the western part of the state and will be moving there with his family.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150924/NEWS/150927281/1994/NEWS

Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting said the project is estimated at $1.5 million in total, and noted the town had previously set aside approximately $1 million toward the renovation effort. The work, he said, would focus on the building's second floor. 

"The senior center was built about seven years ago, and the second floor remained unfinished," he said, noting that the town had anticipated completing the floor as the demand for programs increased. 

Nutting said the renovation would also encompass the addition of an elevator and electronically operated doors in the building's bathrooms.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150924/NEWS/150927279/1994/NEWS

"a final interview of the candidate"

As reported during the School Committee meeting on Tuesday, the School District is apparently close to selected their new principal for Horace Mann.

The school district is in the midst of finding a new principal for Horace Mann Middle School, and will soon begin the same process for Oak Street Elementary School. 

Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski told the School Committee at its meeting this week that one candidate had gone through a round of interviews for the Horace Mann principal position. 

"(The candidate) met with parents and students," she said. "The candidate and myself walked through classrooms at the school."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150924/NEWS/150927991/1994/NEWS

Live reporting: Horace Mann Middle School

Horace Mann Middle School
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczelJlX2I2Z0NNbUU/view?usp=sharing

Shawn Fortin, Katelyn Demers

making community engagement a priority
involving students in the decision making process with the families

Jewell - question on meeting standards

rigor is not just giving more homework
achievement is important, even when standards are being met


Jewell - how are you going to educate the parents on how they can help

it can't be just putting out information, needs to be two-way
taking the core values, turning them into expectations
taking the opportunity to teach without being explicit

In the News: man to be charged, Horace Mann statue funded

The local man whose alleged threats to set fire to or blow up his house that led to a neighborhood evacuation Tuesday will be facing charges for the incident, police said. 

The 43-year-old man, whom police declined to identify Wednesday afternoon because he was still receiving health services, will likely be facing charges of disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, making a false bomb threat and possessing an infernal machine, said Deputy Chief Thomas Lynch. 

The incident took place at around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to a police release, after the department received a report that the School Street resident had been threatening to harm himself and others.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150909/NEWS/150906534/1994/NEWS

The Town Council has voted to allocate $46,000 to a project to build a statue of Horace Mann, securing the final piece of funding needed to honor the man known as the father of public education. 

The council at its meeting Wednesday night opted to transfer $28,000 from the Adelbert Thayer Trust and $18,000 from the Austin Fletcher Trust to the effort, which would place the statue at 150 Emmons St. 

Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting noted that State Rep. Jeffrey Roy, D-Franklin, had secured $50,000 in state funding for the $96,000 project. He said the $46,000 transferred Wednesday would come from trust funds established to assist the town. 

"It wouldn't be taxpayers' money, and it would come from interest earned on the trust funds," he said.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150909/NEWS/150906487/1994/NEWS

Live reporting: Team Horace Mann Middle School

c. Horace Mann Update – Shawn Fortin, Kaitlyn Demers

HMMS STEM Presentation 6/09/15 from Franklin Matters

(note the slide set needs to be updated as it doesn't include all the photos from the trips)

STEM is not putting students in front of computers

we do love technology, but we do not loose the 'forest for the trees'

challenged the Science Dept to create three small field trips

actually did 5 with a couple of more coming before the year end

several small field trip - single class

secret is to get students excited about science

nurture STEM, provide opportunities that could not be achieved in the classroom

Museum of Science brought a program on heat to the classroom

MIT, actually at Mass General Hospital - beefed up the background on genetics before the trip, looking for signs of life

Mystic Aquarium - biology focused

Harvard Museum of Natural History

Signal Rock Farm - sheep farm, further into genetics

trips were made based upon the interests of the children

kids made the choice

used a simplified application process

the students took turns explaining what they learned from each of the trips

one of the activities was to dissect a squid at Mystic

O'Malley - 

outstanding student presenters, not easy to sit and present to the School Committee

a science trip is important, we live in a culturally diverse area and it is easy to do and well worth it, connecting the schools and community. I also believe in bringing the experts into the school house

Jewell - 

applaud the kids for the presentation, it was great

my father had raised sheep and breed one of his own

DNA is on file for each soldier to help with their identification

it is exciting for you to see that

• heard about Dr Carr via the network and worked to make the connection
• Mystic Aquarium is a convenient and good location with manageable traffic
• Museum of Science, if they could do what they do at the museum, here, it would be worthwhile; did provide some pre-planning to ensure a good fit and interaction
• a lot of it was trial, if it works, we'll do it again

ECDC and HMMS Presentation Documents for School Committee meeting June 9

Both the ECDC and HMMS have presentations scheduled for the School Committee meeting Tuesday evening at 7:00 PM.

The documents scheduled for the meeting can be viewed here:


ECDC

ECDC Strengthening Community Improving Quality 2015 from Franklin Matters

ECDC entrance

HMMS

HMMS STEM Presentation 6/09/15 from Franklin Matters

The full agenda for the meeting can be found here:
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/06/franklin-ma-school-committee-agenda.html

FHS 2015 - All Night Party - Video Walk

I shared photos Saturday of the All Night Party and on Facebook here. 

Harry Potter's room recreated for the All Night Party

I can share a video of the walk through the hallways to capture the look and feel of the transformation. Roberta Trahan, Vice Chair of the School Committee, says it well:

I was absolutely amazed at what was accomplished at HMMS, the quality of the decorations, the unique way they incorporated the outdoor area, the spaciousness of the site. When I think back to the early discussions when the ANP team was told that the new FHS would not be used for at least this year I honestly wasn’t sure how ANP 2015 would play out. 

I have to give kudos to the ANP decorators/organizers and all who worked to make this one of the best I have seen; for their ability to see this new space, work with it and embrace the change that was brought to them. 

Also, to the staff at OAK/Mann complex, especially Sean Fortin and Corrine Minkle as I am told they were welcoming, cooperative and bent over backwards to help. 26 years and going strong!

Enjoy the video walk through!



Note: yes, I do slip at the end of the video and call this the Horace Man High School, it is the Horace Mann Middle School set up for the Franklin High School All Night Party. I also call Hagrid 'Hagar', I have no idea where that came from. I know he is Hagrid.

“The Father of American Education"

The Town Council has named seven residents to serve on a committee to oversee the building of a sculpture and small park on the corner of Emmons Street. 

Town Clerk Debbie Pellegri, Charles Oteri, state Rep. Jeffrey Roy, Historical Commission member Mary Olsson, Lisa Piana, council member Robert Dellorco and council member Tom Mercer will together draft the plans for a sculpture depicting Horace Mann, an education reformer born on a small farm in Franklin in 1796. 

The statue and humble park surrounding it were decided on during the negotiations last year to sell the town-owned property at 150 Emmons St. When Franklin developer Roger Calarese purchased the property in January, he agreed to grant the town a roughly 1,000 square-foot easement at the front of the parcel.

Continue reading the article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150525/NEWS/150527764/1994/NEWS

The space for the proposed statue would be at the corner of Emmons and West Central St.

proposed location of Horace Mann statue

Franklin has a completed P&S agreement with a closing date in November to sell the property to developer Roger Calarese. Approx 1,000 sq. ft. will be reserved in an easement as greenspace for the statue.

The complete set of notes from the Town Council meeting on Wednesday May 20th can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/05/new-videos-touting-franklin-previewed.html

Fundraiser for the Horace Mann Middle School today from 3:00 - 9:00 PM

Pizza or ice cream?

If either is desired tonight, then you can help a good cause!

Spruce Pond Creamery/Franklin Flatbreads are doing a fundraiser for the Horace Mann Middle School today from 3:00 - 9:00 PM.

Print out the flyer (JPG) shown here and show when you pay for your purchase today.

"several alternative designs and some cost information"

State Rep. Jeffrey Roy hopes to secure $50,000 for the town to use toward building a sculpture and small gathering place dedicated to Horace Mann, the state’s first secretary of education and an influential reformer who laid the groundwork for the country’s public schools system. 

Roy, D-Franklin, pushed through an amendment to the state’s $38 billion budget - passed by the House last month - providing the funding for a “Horace Mann Park” on the corner of Emmons Street. Now the Senate must debate and pass the budget. 

Born on a small farm in Franklin in 1796, Horace Mann is often referred to as “The Father of American Education." In 1837, Mann was elected secretary of the state’s Board of Education, according to the Massachusetts Historical Society; he would later help establish the first normal public schools in the United States, in Bridgewater and Lexington.

Continue reading the article online here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150511/NEWS/150519681/1994/NEWS

Horace Mann Day - May 3

The Franklin Historical Commission will celebrate 'Horace Mann Day' on Sunday, May 3, 2015 with a special presentation, HORACE MANN AND HIS WORLD, featuring writer and commentator Peter Golden.


Franklin's most famous son, Mann was a lawyer, politician, abolitionist,  the first Secretary of Education and is most often referred to as the 'Father of Education'.  The museum will unveil the Horace Mann exhibit, which will become
a permanent exhibit.


Invitations are going out to History and Social Study teachers in town.  The public is invited to attend the lecture and enjoy refreshments, including birthday cake in celebration of Mann's Birthday, which falls on Monday, May 4th.

Peter Golden

The Franklin Historical Museum is located at 80 West Central Street, Franklin, and is open 

• Sunday 1:00PM-4:00PM, 
• Thursday 5:00PM-8:00PM 
• Saturdays 10:00AM-1:00PM  

The museum is handicap accessible.

Horace Mann Day - May 3

The Franklin Historical Commission will celebrate 'Horace Mann Day' on Sunday, May 3, 2015 with a special presentation, HORACE MANN AND HIS WORLD, featuring writer and commentator Peter Golden.


Franklin's most famous son, Mann was a lawyer, politician, abolitionist,  the first Secretary of Education and is most often referred to as the 'Father of Education'.  The museum will unveil the Horace Mann exhibit, which will become
a permanent exhibit.


Invitations are going out to History and Social Study teachers in town.  The public is invited to attend the lecture and enjoy refreshments, including birthday cake in celebration of Mann's Birthday, which falls on Monday, May 4th.

Peter Golden

The Franklin Historical Museum is located at 80 West Central Street, Franklin, and is open 

• Sunday 1:00PM-4:00PM, 
• Thursday 5:00PM-8:00PM 
• Saturdays 10:00AM-1:00PM  

The museum is handicap accessible.

BFCCPS presents Camp Rock: The Musical

The Fine and Performing Arts Department at the Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School is pleased to announce upcoming performances of Camp Rock: The Musical to be held at the Horace Mann Middle School located at 224 Oak Street in Franklin, Massachusetts.

Camp Rock: The Musical

Two performances will be held on Saturday February 7th, a matinee beginning 2pm and an evening show commencing at 7pm. The public is invited and welcomed to attend the show. Tickets are priced at $15 for adults and $12 for children age five and up. Tickets will be sold at the door, or advance tickets are available for purchase at www.bfccps.org. 

This high-energy show is based on the hit Disney Channel movies, and attendees will enjoy two bands battling it out live on stage! The cast is comprised of 35 students in Grades Six through Grade Eight under the direction of Mr. Bernard Benjamin. Musical Direction has been provided by Ms. Ruth Monty, the pit will be directed by Mr. Christopher Heater, artistic direction and set design has been supervised by Mrs. Andrea Wolfe, and choreography by Mrs. Katelyn Dwyer. This year, the Assistant Director is BFCCPS alumna Aleena Butt who also coordinated this year’s costume design. The cast is also supported by a dedicated 20 member backstage crew. 

BFCCPS Camp Rock cast collage

The Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School has received the 2014 SupportMusic Merit Award from the NAMM Foundation for in recognition of its outstanding commitment to music education. This is the fourth time that the Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School has received this prestigious recognition. 

The Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School has been in operation since 1995 and will celebrate its twentieth anniversary this spring. The school provides a well-rounded, rigorous academic program designed to educate the whole child. BFCCPS’s educational philosophy, which is centered around strong core academic subjects, as well as yearlong courses in art, music, languages, technology, and physical education, integrated character education and community service, and strong parent partnerships, has lead to local, state and national recognition. Applications are now available online for enrollment for the 2015-2016 school year. 

If you'd like learn more about the educational mission of the Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School please contact the school’s Marketing Coordinator, Joanne Basile, at jbasile@bfccps.org or 508-541-3434 x140.

About the Benjamin Franklin Charter School 

The Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School’s mission is to assist parents in their role as primary educators of their children by providing students with a classical academic education coupled with sound character development and community service. Our mission is supported by four distinct, yet interconnected pillars that provide for a collaborative, rigorous education for all students. These pillars guide, direct and define the school in all it does.

In the News: HMMS goes to Future City

Middle-schoolers from Framingham, Natick and Franklin are among the New England regional finalists in the 22nd annual Future City Competition. 

Teams from The Learning Center for the Deaf-Walden School in Framingham, Natick Public School and the Horace Mann Middle School in Franklin are headed to the regional competition, scheduled for Jan. 24 at Northeastern University in Boston. 

The Future City Competition challenges kids to develop solutions to problems currently facing society. This year's challenge, titled Feeding Future Cities, had students exploring urban agriculture, from aeroponic systems for rooftop farms to recycled gray water to the farm-to-table movement. Led by an educator and adult volunteer, students designed a futuristic urban farm capable of growing enough of one vegetable crop and one protein crop to feed the citizens of their communities.

Continue reading the article at the Milford Daily News: http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20141231/NEWS/141239363/1994/NEWS#sthash.qUPID4qq.dpuf

screen grab of Future City webpage

For more about the Future City Competition, you can follow this link http://futurecity.org/

All Night Party to be held at Horace Mann Middle School

Pantherbook has an update on the All Night Party Location:

The Class of 2015 will not only be the first graduating class at the new FHS, but they will also be the first class to have their All Night Party at Horace Mann Middle School. 

According to FHS Principal, Mr. Light, the decision of making Horace Mann the home of the All Night Party was due to the fact that the middle school will meet all the needs of the event. 

At a meeting with the All Night Party committee, Light discussed everything that made the All Night Party so memorable for the students. The excitement of graduation, the theme, and the decorations were all brought up. Light said that if the All Night Party were held in FHS, the decorations would be so different that it could change everything that made the All Night Party what is has become. Light states that at Horace Mann they “could keep that character of the All Night Party.” 

Continue reading the article at: http://pantherbook.org/top-stories/2014/11/16/will-this-years-all-night-party-be-one-to-remember/#sthash.OTwpkfFK.dpuf

Horace Mann Middle School - Oak St Elementary School

Kudos to Pantherbook for not only using one of my photos in their article but also making the proper reference to it. The photos posted here for Franklin Matters are all licensed by the Creative Commons as free to use for non-commercial purposes with proper attribution. For more about Creative Commons visit their webpage here http://creativecommons.org/

"the last generation of children who will ever hear first-hand accounts of World War II"

A day before the country recognized Veterans Day, Horace Mann Middle School students kicked off a school-wide reading project on Monday by honoring 14 former military members. 

At an assembly where the school’s band played patriotic songs, student council members introduced 14 veterans, reading a brief biography of each one. 

Among the honorees was Joseph McManus, who served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years before working as a shipping clerk for nearly as long. And Barbara Gannon, born in Clinton, spent two years as a nurse in the Air Force only to later become one at Franklin High School.

Continue reading the article in the Milford Daily News here (subscription maybe required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20141111/NEWS/141119500/1994/NEWS


I read the book earlier this year and do recommend it. A powerful story.

For more about the book "Unbroken" you can visit the authors site
http://laurahillenbrandbooks.com/

"Unbroken" is a movie scheduled for released this December
http://www.unbrokenfilm.com/

Franklin's Wake Up Call (video)

The Channel 5 "Wake Up Call" was provided by Franklin's own Horace Mann and Oak St schools today (actually recorded a couple of weeks ago).

Post by Franklin Matters.

Wake Up Call

You can also view this directly on WCVB.com
http://www.wcvb.com/news/wake-up-call-from-franklin/28984652



Note for email readers: to view the video, you'll need to click through to the Franklin Matters website

Fire Alarm - Horace Mann, Oak St, ECDC schools

A message from OAK STREET ELEMENTARYGood afternoon Oak St, ECDC, and Horace Mann families,

As you may know, a malfunction in one of our smoke detectors triggered an emergency evacuation. Even though this was not technically a drill, our students and faculty were not in any real danger at any time. The evacuation went smoothly and the fire and police departments responded quickly and efficiently.

Unfortunately, the same malfunction that triggered the alarm prevented us from immediately resetting the system. As a result, the alarm persisted for more than three hours.

After waiting outside for thirty minutes, we were cleared by the fire, police, and facilities departments to reenter the building despite not being able to reset the alarm. The flashing lights associated with the fire alarm continued through most of the afternoon. Accommodations were made for individual students as needed.

Best regards,

Corine Minkle, Kelty Kelly, Shawn Fortin
Oak St, ECDC, Horace Mann

This e-mail has been sent to you by OAK STREET ELEMENTARY. To maximize their communication with you, you may be receiving this e-mail in addition to a phone call with the same message. If you no longer wish to receive email notifications from OAK STREET ELEMENTARY, please click here to unsubscribe.

Horace Mann - Oak St (ECDC is located behind this building)