In the News: blueberry picking time; former Dean AD recognized

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"From afar, the several acres of 8-foot-tall bushes look like just that - bushes. But a closer look reveals thousands of blueberries ripening in the July heat, most deep-blue and the size of a nickel. 

Blueberry season is here, and Gianetti’s U-Pick-Blueberries Farm is ripe for the picking on Fridays and Saturdays until late August. 

A trip to the produce department, said part owner Pam Gianetti, pales in comparison to visiting a plantation. For $3.95 a pound at Gianetti’s, families can spend hours combing the five-acre property for the perfect pick. 

“The taste is better,” said Gianetti. “I’ve been eating these blueberries since I was 4. We have six different varieties and I can tell which variety I like best. They all have a slightly different taste.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20180709/franklin-time-is-ripe-for-blueberries

the blueberry sign on Union St at Gianetti's

"Former Dean College director of athletics John Jackson joined two other athletic administrators being inducted into the National Alliance of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators Hall of Fame recently. 

Jackson, who was named the Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year on three separate occasions (2002, 2010 and 2014), will be inducted alongside Ron Case, the former athletic director at Rowan College-Gloucester County and Mary Ellen Leicht, the former CEO of the National Junior College Athletic Association. 

The honor for Jackson comes after he spent 37 years in various roles at Dean College — including 27 as the director of athletics. His tenure with the Bulldogs began in 1980 when he took over the men’s basketball program and guided them to 120 wins in ten seasons — the most in the history of the program."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20180709/strongformer-dean-college-director-of-athletics-recognizedstrong

Franklin Pop Warner Little Scholars announced

Good news to share via the Franklin Area Network:

"I wanted to share the recent release of the 2018 Pop Warner Little Scholars. These scholars are being recognized for academic excellence and Franklin has 38 scholars this year, more than any other district in the Hockomock league.

These students are 6-8th graders that must first qualify with a excellent GPA to submit an application where they then have to provide community service and extra circular activity information. I think it speaks so highly of the great job Franklin schools are doing to provide excellence in academics while also producing well rounded students.

These scholars will be honored at an awards banquets in March at Gillette Stadium hosted by the National Pop Warner Organization. "

You can find more about the event here: http://www.newenglandpopwarner.com/Default.aspx?tabid=2069181 

Franklin Pop Warner Little Scholars announced

You can find the full Pop Warner Little Scholar listing here
https://bsbproduction.s3.amazonaws.com/portals/21803/docs/2018%20scholars/2017%20ne%20team%20ranking%20hockomock%20pw.pdf

Or here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczUVJlWkZFZEE3MXM1eVY1MmV6bEFueHVPb2ZN/view?usp=sharing

"focuses on making sure the student’s time in athletics is also a learning experience"

In the arena of "Where are they now?" Christopher Schmidt, former vice principal at FHS is doing well as Athletic Director at Nipmuc Regional HS. 

Has it already been three years?  From the Milford Daily News and Twitter 

"Only three years into the job, Nipmuc Regional High School Athletic Director Christopher Schmidt has gained statewide recognition for his morale and achievements. 

Schmidt was awarded the Massachusetts Secondary School Athletic Directors’ Association (MSSADA) Theodore “Ted” Damko Award because of his clear dedication to student athletics, and overall attitude, according to Principal John Clements. 

The Damko Award is granted to athletic directors in Massachusetts that have been on the job for three to five years. There are awards for each individual district, and an overall state winner, which Schmidt was named. 

“When Chris joined us, one of things we recognized about him is how passionate he is about being an athletic director,” Clements said. “He just hit the ground running. He’s had so much impact not only with success on the field, but more importantly in the pride behind Nipmuc Athletics.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20180125/nipmuc-high-ad-wins-statewide-award

#NipmucPride is excited to announce that Athletic Director Christopher Schmidt has been selected for state-wide recognition as the recipient of the MA Secondary School Athletic Directors’ Association Theodore “Ted” Damko Award.” Congratulations Mr. Schmidt! pic.twitter.com/JYmptqa0IC

— Mendon-Upton RSD (@MendonUptonRSD) January 22, 2018

Nipmuc Regional HS Athletic Director Christopher Schmidt

MIAA Opioid Abuse Prevention Conference, December 13, 2017

Keynote Speaker Michael Botticelli former Director of National Drug Control Policy Mr. Botticelli served as ONDCP Director from March 2014 until the end of President Obama's term. Prior to this time, he spent 18 years with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Bureau of Substance Abuse Services. He currently serves as Director of the Grayken Center for Addiction Medicine at the Boston Medical Center. Keynote presentations by Botticelli and Massachusetts State Representative Jeffrey Roy (Democrat-10th District Norfolk) will highlight an overall program designed by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) to educate school personnel and student leaders about the dangers of opioid misuse. This second annual wellness initiative includes workshop sessions presented by prevention partners on topics including The Opioid Crisis in Massachusetts; The Nature of Addiction; Teen Brain Development/Science; Personal Recovery Stories; Signs and Symptoms of Use; Preventing Opioid Misuse in Student-Athletes; and Supporting Students Returning to School Post Rehab. Schools are encouraged to register a group of staff and student representatives to attend this event. The registration fee includes conference materials, light breakfast and luncheon. For additional information, please visit www.miaa.net or contact the MIAA Educational Athletics Staff at 508-541-7997. Cost: $55 per person Includes light breakfast, lunch and materials Conference Flyer Online Registration  An offering under the Wellness Pillar of the MIAA Educational Athletics Curriculum MIAA033 Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association  Building the Future Through Educational Athletics 33 Forge Parkway, Franklin, MA 02038 www.miaa.net

FHS alumni still busy in collegiate athletics

HockomockSports put together the Campus Report for the fall season of 2017. Several FHS alumni were mentioned for their respective athletic accomplishments:

Quintin McDermott, Alexis Stowell, Victoria Stowell, Allison Burke, Nicole Ellin, Meghan Dieterle, Maddie Bressler, Taylor Cogliano, Dani Lonati, Sammy Rondeau, and Joe Kalil.

Read the full details here
https://hockomocksports.com/the-campus-report-looking-back-at-fall-2017/

FHS alumni still busy in collegiate athletics

Franklin Public Schools; Letter to Athletes and Families on School Turf Field Status

Dear Student-Athletes and Families,

We are writing to provide an informative update on the status of the high school running track and turf fields at Pisini and Beaver Pond Fields, which have been undergoing renovations.

We share your frustration and concern about the delay of the project and the impact on our student-athletes. Although a new turf field has been installed, the field can not be used until the new track is complete. Although a significant amount of time has been spent by both school and town personnel planning appropriate timelines for renovation, there has been an unforeseen delay with the subcontractor who installs the track. The work began last week and is estimated to last approximately two weeks. They can not install in the rain, and each day of rain causes a further delay.

The project’s completion date, at the moment, is estimated to be September 20th, depending on the weather. As such, we have been working to relocate the first two home football games of the season. The September 8th game versus Stoughton is scheduled for Randolph High School. The September 15th game versus Milford is scheduled to be played at Milford High School. We are also developing contingency plans should rain delay the project further, impacting the September 22nd football game. All field hockey games originally scheduled at Beaver Pond Field have been moved to the New Turf Field, which is located near the front parking lot on the high school campus. The boys and girls varsity soccer games that were originally scheduled for Pisini Field have either been rescheduled or moved to the New Turf Field as well. Many of the sub-varsity games originally scheduled on the New Turf Field have been rescheduled or moved to the new Upper Grass Field, which is located near the new baseball and softball fields on campus.

We have been receiving daily updates from our municipal colleagues; they are applying pressure on the subcontractor through a daily fine for each day that the project is delayed and we are documenting the impact of additional transportation costs and lost athletic event revenue, which we anticipate recouping from the subcontractor. We know, however, that this does little to mitigate the impact on our athletic teams. We recognize that and express our sincere regret over the situation.

We want to compliment the student-athletes and coaches for remaining positive, flexible, understanding and resourceful throughout these first few weeks of the new fall season. We will keep you informed should any new information become available.


Sincerely,

Sara E. Ahern, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools 
Paul Peri, Principal, Franklin High School
Tom Angelo, Athletic Director, Franklin High School

Friday morning photo of the Pisini Field track 

Friday morning photo of Beaver St turf field

A PDF copy of the letter can be found and downloaded from here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczN0dXU3dqeFdUN3VQMTFBWTVvbGpoR1FJaEtn/view?usp=sharing

Franklin High School - Summer 2017 Strength and Conditioning

Building Better Athletes

Mission:

The mission of the 2017 Summer Strength and Conditioning program is to create and develop a strong work ethic among our student athletes; through proper running mechanics, lifting form and technique athletes will maximize performance on the court, field and ice. Strength and Conditioning will instill and build upon self confidence not only in body but also in mind. Dedication to this program creates a culture of what it means to be a Panther.

High School Strength and Conditioning

Athletics are becoming increasingly competitive at all levels. Athletes who are stronger, run faster, move quicker and jump higher have the competitive advantage over others. The Franklin High School Strength and Conditioning Program will optimize your athletic ability, maximize performance, and reduce the potential risk for injury. The comprehensive summer training program will build self-confidence, increase muscular strength and endurance, enhance explosive power, and improve flexibility, speed and agility.

Every student enrolled in this program is guaranteed to get stronger, faster, & quicker!  All participants will learn proper running mechanics (arm action, first step quickness, foot speed and agility) and be engaged in level appropriate strength training (powerlifting & Olympic lifting).  Every session will include a dynamic warm-up, speed, quickness and agility drills, injury prevention exercises, core training, and flexibility. 

In addition to the general speed and conditioning workouts, athletes will learn how to apply their newfound movability into their sports. A portion of each session will teach the athletes how to apply these techniques on the court, field, or ice.

Middle School Strength and Conditioning (incoming grades 7&8)

Each training session will be devoted to an age appropriate workout that mirrors the High School Strength and Conditioning Program. All participants will learn proper running mechanics (arm action, first step quickness, foot speed and agility) and be engaged in age appropriate strength training & plyometric training.  Every session will include a dynamic warm-up, speed, quickness and agility drills, injury prevention exercises, core training, and flexibility. 

Middle School Fitness and Games (incoming grades 5-7)

The middle school fitness and games program will focus on overall fitness, speed and agility training. The first half of each session will be devoted to an age appropriate workout (a combination of body weight exercises, fitness, core work, flexibility and learning proper running mechanics). The second half of each session will involve team games that require a high level of physical activity that balance fitness and fun. 

Registration and Cost

The cost of all Strength and Conditioning sessions for the summer of 2017 is:

Early registration and payment fee (Registration and payment must be received before June 19th) $150

Late registration (Registration and/or payment received on or after June 19th) $165

*T-Shirt Option - If you would like to purchase a T-Shirt for 2017 Summer Strength and Conditioning be sure to check the box on FamilyID and include your size. The cost is an additional $15

Please complete the on-line registration before making payment. You can register on-line @ familyid.com/programs/franklin-high-school-strength-and-conditioning-program-2017

Payment can be made electronically via Unibank, or checks may be made payable to Town of Franklin.

Checks can be brought to Athletics office or mailed to:

Franklin High School
℅ Athletics Department
218 Oak St.
Franklin MA, 02038

early morning sunrise at FHS 

What To Bring

All participants will be expected to wear the proper athletic clothing (shorts and tee shirt) and the appropriate athletic footwear.

Participants must also bring a water bottle for refilling during the program. Keeping well hydrated is essential for staying healthy on hot days. There will be a water cooler for refilling bottles available at all program.

No concessions will be sold during program.

The program is not responsible for the valuables (wallets, cell phones) of participants.

Schedule

All programs run Monday –Thursday from June 26th – August 17th (July 4th and 5th will be OFF)

All high school sessions are restricted to students attending Franklin Public Schools.

High School sessions are denoted with an *.

Each high school session is targeted at a specific sport.  Franklin High School students entering grades 10-12 can attend any of the first 3 workouts if there are scheduling conflicts. Incoming 9th grade boys are MUST attend the 11:00-12:30 session.

Early Bird * Football Boys entering grades 10-12	6:30AM-8:00AM	Incoming 9th Grade Boys * All Sports (except Freshman Football)	11:00AM-12:30PM
Sleep In * All other Boys Sports grades 10-12 and Freshman Football (This is a change from 2016)	8:00AM-9:30AM	Middle School Strength and Conditioning for Boys Boys entering grades 7&8	11:00AM-12:30PM
For The Girls * All girls sports and Sports Girls entering grades 9-12	9:30AM-11:00AM	Middle School Fitness and Games Overall fitness and games Boys and Girls entering grades 5-7	12:30PM-2:00PM
Middle School Strength and Conditioning for Girls Girls entering grades 7&8	9:30AM-11:00AM

Below is the link for athletes to sign up:

Click here to sign up via Family ID Link

Director of Strength and Conditioning - Matthew McLaughlin M.S. Strength and Conditioning Bridgewater St. University; CSCS, USAW

Matt has 7 years of experience as a strength and conditioning coach at Wheaton College, Bridgewater State University, United States Olympic training center, Attack Athletics, and Athletic Based Training.  Matt has worked with athletes from the elementary, middle and high school level as well as DI-III colleges, and professionals. Matt has also spent 2 years prior to coming to FHS working under former director Liane Blyn.   

Matt was a 4 year college basketball player at Bridgewater State University, where he helped lead his team to their first ever trip to the DIII NCAA tournament "Sweet 16" round.  After graduating with a Bachelor's in Exercise Science he went back to BSU for his Masters in Strength & Conditioning, and began competing in Olympic weightlifting.  He competed in the collegiate nationals 2 years in a row (2011-2012) in Shreveport Louisiana.  He currently trains with Co-Director Mike Masto in hopes to compete once again!

Matt has put together programs tailored to each specific sport and level of ability for each athlete, allowing them to maximize their time at workouts. To prepare these workouts for 7 sessions and each individual sport, Matt will spend at least an additional 14 hours a week in prep. He will be responsible for modifications in program design due to injured athletes, or any limitations that may arise.  Matt will run the teaching component of our staff orientation training to ensure all coaches are using effective methods of instruction.  

Director of Administration - Michael Masto M.S. Physical Education, Teacher Education West Virginia University; M.S. Athletic Administration, Endicott College

Mr. Masto is entering his 8th year in Franklin Public Schools and has served in numerous roles related to this program's success. The most pertinent, is his role with the summer Strength and Conditioning program. Since the start of this program in 2013, Mike has served as an Assistant Coach to Liane Blyn since the program started,  and aided Liane as the program jumped from 150 participants in 2013, to 613 in 2016!. Mike has served as a Coach of numerous Sports here at Franklin High School including: Swimming and Diving, Football, Lacrosse and Basketball.

Mike has his masters in Athletic Administration and will be primarily responsible for the organization of the program. His focus is the athlete, and whatever it takes to help that athlete succeed. Should there be any questions regarding Strength and Conditioning you can reach Mike at, mastom@franklinps.net

Real time Reporting: District Current Needs

WINN for Education - What I (we) Need Now from Franklin Matters

coordinator for social emotional learning

STEM coordinator for pre-K to 12 levels
a district of this size would have layers of curriculum people, we don't have an entire layer that others have

department heads currently teaching 2-3 classes, other districts usually teach only one so the time can be spent on curriculum development

need a technology support person full time, currently share with the Town and the needs can not be met
1 digital integration specialist at the high school, technical support for each school but that is limited

approx 1,000 special education students in the district. approx 17% of the population

professional development adds days to the school year and is rather expensive
extend school year for teachers to not affect the 180 day requirement
adds approx $200K per day

looking at about $400K to add the line item for textbooks and Chrome books to the budget; currently using capital budget process for this recurring expense

school fees are one item they would like to do away with.
(school fees are one reason why I got started doing this reporting. The fees came in and then went up and up. I went to meetings to find out why and try and make sense of it.)

advertising on the buses? we don't own the buses so it would not be possible to generate revenue that way


(left off at 8:00 for a work meeting; returned to meeting at 9 PM)

FHS graduates continue athletic endeavors in college

Hockomock Sports does a good job with the Campus Report, a summary of the Hockomock graduates continuing their athletic careers in college.

The FHS graduates mentioned in this edition include

• Sam Bohmiller
• Ryan Spillane
• Kaitlyn Spillane
• Austen Sholudko
• Lexi Martin
• Chris Rodgers

Read the full article online
https://hockomocksports.com/hockomock-campus-report-winter-2017-update/

HockomockSports.com The Campus Report

Real Time Reporting: FHS Athletics update

Tuned into the School Committee late. Time enough to catch the update on FHS athletics by new athletic Director Tom Angelo.

2. Guests/Presentations
b. FHS Athletics Update – Tom Angelo

FHS Athletics - January 2017 from Franklin Matters

6 basketball teams: varsity, junior varsity and freshman each for boys and girls.

FHS athletic director Tom Angelo providing an update on athletics to School Committee #schcom0124 pic.twitter.com/uYXnqU7kMR

— Steve Sherlock (@FranklinMatters) January 25, 2017

moving many items to online, including online ticket sales

big Twitter user (as you have seen as I have shared)

"Franklin is lucky to have 3 turf fields"

gym floor being re-done during the summer, there were issues with the original install this is being done by the builder at no cost to Franklin

Turf Fields being replaced as part of the Town facilities planning, they have been putting funds aside for several years in anticipation of the replacements.

Athletic program 1/3 covered by funds, 2/3s covered by fees. Still in budget process and no decisions made yet. #schcom0124 pic.twitter.com/Qxi7ERohul

— Steve Sherlock (@FranklinMatters) January 25, 2017

MIAA app touted tonight
Great way to get schedules for all the FHS sports teams#schcom0124 pic.twitter.com/JHbWwSilOo

— Steve Sherlock (@FranklinMatters) January 25, 2017

will have need for additional coaches to help manage the proper numbers (athletes to coach ratio)

there are non-cut sports during most seasons

https://twitter.com/FranklinPSNews/status/824045257390260227

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/01/franklin-ma-school-committee-agenda-jan_23.html

Four FHS student athletes signed letters of intent

Four FHS student athletes signed letters of intent on Monday to continue their studies and athletics in college. The signings were acknowledged via Twitter and recaptured here.

• Ryan Hodgekins - Baseball. Will attend Stonehill in the fall.
• Grace McDermott - Lacrosse. Will attend Assumption in the fall. 
• Dana Lewandowski - Lacrosse. Will attend Bentley in the fall. 
• Caroline Lounsbury - Lacrosse. Will attend Franklin Pierce in the fall

Congrats to Ryan, Dana, Caroline and Grace. Proud Panthers on signing day! #PantherPride pic.twitter.com/0bxPmYLblf

— FranklinAthletics (@FHSSports) November 14, 2016

Ryan Hodgekins - Baseball. Will attend Stonehill in the fall. pic.twitter.com/dKHbH0pwNL

— FranklinAthletics (@FHSSports) November 14, 2016

Grace McDermott - Lacrosse. Will attend Assumption in the fall. pic.twitter.com/SJ1cfFxv80

— FranklinAthletics (@FHSSports) November 14, 2016

Dana Lewandowski - Lacrosse. Will attend Bentley in the fall. pic.twitter.com/oHG00Fq9kx

— FranklinAthletics (@FHSSports) November 14, 2016

Caroline Lounsbury - Lacrosse. Will attend Franklin Pierce in the fall. pic.twitter.com/oSzvz7jlTY

— FranklinAthletics (@FHSSports) November 14, 2016

FHS Panthers

To follow all of Franklin on Twitter, I am continually updating this listing
https://twitter.com/FranklinMatters/lists/all-franklin

If you see a Twitter account that is missing from this list, please let me know

In the News: no sales tax holiday, MA Olympians to RIO

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"Shoppers in Massachusetts can forget about saving a few dollars on that new television or furniture set. 

Legislative leaders say there will be no sales tax holiday in the Bay State this summer. 

Senate President Stan Rosenberg and House Speaker Robert DeLeo blame the state's tenuous fiscal situation, which has prompted belt-tightening throughout state government."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160718/lawmakers-rule-out-summer-sales-tax-holiday

"This August, the world will gather once more to watch as some of the greatest athletes from all over the world come together to compete in the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Massachusetts boasts 11 Olympians on Team USA - including a Paralympian - plus a torch-bearer who have called this state home at one time or another. 

Meet the athletes below and check out coverage of some of the Wicked Local athletes we’ve followed through the years. Find all the athletes’ full profiles at TeamUSA.org!"

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160715/meet-11-massachusetts-athletes-who-will-compete-in-rio-2016-olympics

Team USA

Tom Angelo: new Athletic Director for Franklin High School

"Franklin High School has hired Tom Angelo as its new Athletic Director, new FHS Principal Paul Peri confirmed to HockomockSports.com. Angelo replaces Brad Sidwell, who stepped down following the conclusion of the school year after 15 years in the role. 

Angelo has coached a variety of sports at various levels, including baseball, soccer, football, softball, basketball and tennis. He has two years of experience as an AD, with previous stops at Somerset-Berkley and Plymouth North. Angelo served as Athletic Director at SB during the 2014-2015 school year and spent this past school year as AD at Plymouth North."

Continue reading the article online
http://hockomocksports.com/franklin-hires-tom-angelo-new-athletic-director/

Franklin High School on a rainy day

FHS Alumni still busy on the athletic fields

When high school athletes move on to college, it can be hard to keep track of them other than through the family connection. Hockomock Sports has their radar working big time to publish at least weekly a round up of sports action with former Hockomock League players.

FHS Panthers

Franklin alumni mentioned in this edition

• Colton Cardinal
• Brandon Eccher
• Joe Kalil
• Kristi Kirshe
• Shay Feeley
• Alicia Wilde
• Samantha Rondeau

Take a look at the recent edition of the Campus Report

http://www.hockomocksports.com/the-campus-report-franklin-alum-shine-bright/

Student head Injuries and Concussions

The presentation scheduled for discussion at the School Committee meeting on Tuesday, Feb 7, 2012


FPS_Student Head Injuries and Concussions_20120207


The draft policy and procedures document for student head injuries and concussions

FPS_Draft Concussion Policy Procedure Appendices_20120207


The full agenda for the School Committee meeting can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/02/franklin-ma-school-committee-agenda-feb.html