Reminder: SheGrooves to perform at Circle of Friends Coffeehouse - April 1

Fabulous six piece female band

SheGrooves band April 1 View this email in your browser SheGrooves April 1 - 8 PM FREE! Using our Voices for Positive Change: A Celebration of Empowered Female Musicians! SheGrooves is Boston's premiere female contemporary band. Groove-based, Neo-Soul and fierce, this group of Berklee College of Music women aims to represent modern female musicians.  This family-friendly public event will explore how women historically have used their voices for positive change within the world. SheGrooves repertoire currently includes original tunes as well as unique covers of Joni Mitchell, Aretha Franklin, as well as jazz greats, Nancy Wilson and Dianne Reeves. We aim to inspire and empower communities to celebrate, elevate and respect the female voice. This is a FREE show thanks to grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, but please email coftix@gmail.com to reserve seats. Thanks. The Circle of Friends Coffeehouse is a non-profit organization affiliated with Franklin's First Universalist Society. Concerts are presented in a smoke free and alcohol free environment at the Society's handicapped accessible Meetinghouse, 262 Chestnut St. in Franklin, and begin at 8:00 PM; doors open at 7:30 PM. Beverages and gourmet desserts will be available.  Please visit http://www.circlefolk.org/  for more information. Upcoming Shows Apr 29     John Gorka

Circle of Friends Coffeehouse · First Universalist Society · 262 Chestnut St · Franklin, MA 02038 · USA

FREE Beginner Yoga Class for Veterans - March 24

FREE Beginner Yoga Class for Veterans

Friday, March 24, 6:15 PM - Vets and Spouses/Partners Invited!

Christopher Boehm, Veteran, and Certified Yoga Instructor, invites Vets and their spouses/partners to join him on Friday, March 24 at 6:15 PM for a FREE BEGINNER yoga class at Franklin Family Karate.

Interested? Email Chris at: christopher.m.boehm@gmail.com

See flier for details!

Shared from ->  https://www.franklinma.gov/veterans-services/news/free-beginner-veterans-yoga-class

FREE Beginner Yoga Class for  Veterans - March 24

Circle of Friends Coffeehouse: We are back this Saturday with Pamela Means in a free concert at 8 PM

PAMELA MEANS - Power of the Protest Song

Saturday Sep 24 at 8:00 PM  

FREE with reservation

We are super excited to be presenting this free concert on Saturday.

"POWER OF PROTEST SONG: OUR SHARED HISTORY & PRESENT DAY"

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Part performance and part presentation, this family-friendly public event will explore the origin stories and lineages of protest songs, how their meanings and impacts continue to transform through time and space, and how they have inspired – and continue to inspire – movements and cultural shifts within the realms of racial and social justice.

Pamela Means is a multi-talented performer, singer, songwriter, composer and producer,. Her multiple honors include being named Falcon Ridge Folk Festival's "# 1 Most Wanted New Artist," "Wisconsin Folk Artist of the Year," "Wisconsin Female Vocalist of the Year," and her politically provocative album, Single Bullet Theory, was voted 2004's "Outmusic Outstanding New Recording." Means's latest album, Precedent, elegantly addresses a range of themes from the state of the union to the state of the heart. Curve Magazine calls her "one of the fiercest guitar players and politically-rooted singer-songwriters in the music industry today."  

She performed at the last Franklin Cultural Festival in 2021 and has appeared at the Circle of Friends Coffeehouse.  https://www.pamelameans.com/


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Proof of vaccination required. Masks strongly suggested.
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This is a FREE concert but seating is limited.

Please email coftix@gmail.com to reserve seats.

The Circle of Friends Coffeehouse is a non-profit organization affiliated with Franklin's First Universalist Society.  Please visit http://circlefolk.org/ for more information.

Pamela Means: Power of the Protest Song

Free school meals extended through the 2022-2023 school year!

@MassGov

has extended free school meals through the 22-23 school year! This means that meals will continue to be served at NO COST to ALL STUDENTS. Household applications for free/reduced meals are still important to fill out & will be available in the coming weeks.

Free school meals extended through the 2022-2023 school year!

Shared from FPS Twitter ->   https://twitter.com/FranklinPSNews/status/1554836497123065858

Need to Read? Try a Little Free Library? or Start a new one

"Welcome to the world’s largest book-sharing movement! Join us in:

• Building Community
• Sparking Creativity
• Inspiring Readers"

https://littlefreelibrary.org/

Little Free Library locations in Franklin, MA

https://littlefreelibrary.org/ourmap/

On map:

• 26 Lawrence Dr
• Franklin Federated Church, 171 Main St
• 109 Union St
• 131 Hillside Road

Not on map:

• 366 Lincoln St
• 28 East Park St
• Davis Thayer
• Hockomock YMCA (Forge Hill) (added via feedback)
• ??

If you know of one not on this listing, please let me know

Little Free Library locations in Franklin, MA (as of 3/14/20 noon)

Need to Read? Try a Little Free Library

Planet Fitness To Open Its Doors to Teens FOR FREE All Summer Long

Planet Fitness will invite high schoolers ages 15 – 18 to work out for free at any of its locations throughout the U.S., including all clubs across Massachusetts, from May 15 through September 1 as part of the nationwide Teen Summer Challenge initiative. The nationwide launch builds on a successful local program first launched last summer in Planet Fitness' home state of N.H.

In Massachusetts, 11.7% of high school students are considered obese and 14% are considered overweight; 54.3% of high school students are physically active for less than an hour a day on five or more days a week. Planet Fitness' Teen Summer Challenge offers a solution for teenagers looking for an opportunity to stay active during the summer when school sports programs, gym classes or after school activities wind down.

Please see press release below for full details on the program and let us know of any questions.

Planet Fitness, Inc., one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the U.S. and home of the Judgement Free Zone®, is inviting high school teenagers ages 15 – 18 to work out for free at any of its more than 1,700 Planet Fitness locations throughout the United States from May 15 through September 1 as part of the nationwide Teen Summer Challenge initiative. Free fitness classes specifically for teenagers will also be available Monday through Friday via certified fitness trainers. 

Additionally, all teens who sign up beginning May 15 are automatically entered into Planet Fitness' Scholarship Sweepstakes. By the end of summer, 51 lucky teens across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., will be randomly selected to receive a $500 scholarship, and one teen will receive a $5,000 grand prize. Teens will also have the chance to win exciting prizes on Planet Fitness' Twitter and Instagram channels throughout the summer, such as club swag, movie tickets and wireless headphones. 

The nationwide launch of the Teen Summer Challenge builds on a successful local program first launched last summer in New Hampshire, Planet Fitness' home state. To sign-up, visit a Planet Fitness near you beginning May 15. Teens under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at sign-up. 

A FOCUS ON TEEN HEALTH 

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services recently released new physical activity guidelines, which revealed that 80 percent of Americans do not currently meet the recommended amount of physical activity. The guidelines also challenge youth (ages 6 – 17) to pursue a minimum of 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day. 

Planet Fitness' Teen Summer Challenge offers a solution for teenagers eager for an opportunity to stay active during the summer when school sports programs, gym classes or after school activities wind down.

"Teens today are under ever-increasing pressure to succeed academically and socially, battle a growing list of responsibilities both inside and outside of the classroom and become well-rounded members of their community," said Chris Rondeau, Chief Executive Officer at Planet Fitness. "At Planet Fitness, a healthy and active lifestyle should never be a challenge – which is why we're flipping that notion on its head with the launch of the nationwide Teen Summer Challenge. 

We want to give teens across the United States the chance to stay active when school is out – a time when they may not otherwise have access to organized fitness or athletic programs, which is why we're offering a safe space to exercise for free and spend time with their friends all summer long." 

BY THE NUMBERS 

To uncover how teens ages 15 – 18 view health and fitness today, Planet Fitness commissioned a national study that sheds light on how teens and parents feel about health and wellness, and how best to motivate youth toward pursuing an active lifestyle and setting them up for success through adulthood. Key findings include: 

Wellness is On the Brain. Today's teens are more health-conscious than ever before, seeing exercise as not only a way to be in shape, but believing that – among those who work out already – it positively impacts their mental health (72 percent) and focus on schoolwork (47 percent). 

Sadly, nearly half of all teens (42 percent) lack a positive body image, noting they're self-conscious and have trouble finding the confidence to try something physically challenging. 

In addition, with two-in-five (42 percent) of today's teens also battling anxiety and body image issues, many teenagers are recognizing that exercise may be the answer. Those who work out note they feel more confident (47 percent) and happier (43 percent) in addition to feeling less stressed (37 percent) and anxious (24 percent). 

Schedule's Booked. Nearly three-in-five (57 percent) teens surveyed say that between school and extracurricular activities, they do not have enough time to make exercise a part of their daily routine – a sentiment also shared by more than one-third (36 percent) of teens' parents, who feel today's youth have fewer opportunities to exercise on a daily basis than they did a generation ago. 

Not surprisingly, over two-in-five (41 percent) report that their fitness levels decrease over the summer when school is out. 

That said, nearly all (91 percent) agree that they want to stay healthy and active over the summer. 

Having Access Doesn't Infer Action. Parents and teens (50 and 54 percent, respectively) agree teens have greater access and options to exercise than previous generations. But almost two in five (39 percent) of teens say they don't have enough guidance on how to exercise or where to event start (36 percent), which may be why 39 percent feel negatively towards fitness. 

Exercise Your Body, Not Just Your Fingers. When asked how they'd prefer to spend their free time, more than one-third (36 percent) wished to exercise or work out more (regardless of school schedules), which is greater than the number of teens who want to spend more time playing video games (27 percent), browsing social media (16 percent) or watching TV (16 percent). 

All-Star Student. Working out works to many teens' advantage, too, as fitness can be a secret recipe for straight As. In fact, among surveyed teens who see improvements based on exercise (91%), two in five (40%) have reported that exercise helps them to find more focus, with 23 percent directly attributing it to making them a better student. 

Friends who Sweat Together Stay Together. Having friends at the gym is a big motivator, with almost two-thirds (65 percent) saying they would go to the gym more often with a buddy. 

In addition to opening its doors to all teens ages 15 – 18 all summer long, Planet Fitness also offers extremely low prices and a variety of benefits, including a hassle-free environment, brand name cardio and strength equipment, fully equipped locker rooms, flat screen televisions and much more. 

For more information on the Teen Summer Challenge, including how to sign up for the free membership at any of the more than 1,700 Planet Fitness locations nationwide, visit PlanetFitness.com/TeenSummerChallenge.

Planet Fitness To Open Its Doors to Teens
FOR FREE All Summer Long

Reminder: Claflin Hill Symphony schedules open rehearsal at FHS on Tuesday, Jan 30

The Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra visits Franklin on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 for an Open Rehearsal at 7:30 PM in the Franklin High School Auditorium.

The rehearsal, which is hosted by the Franklin Public School Music Department, is open to ALL Franklin Public School Students and ALL residents of Franklin.

During this first ever visit to Franklin by the CHSO, they will be rehearsing for their “Russian Romance” concert program that will take place on Saturday evening, February 3, 2018 in the Milford Town Hall Grand Ballroom.

The orchestra is performing Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade” – a lush, colorful and epic orchestral “Tone Poem” based on the “Tales of 1001 Arabian Nights.” In the story and depicted by the music, the Princess Scheherazade begins a story-telling series to her husband, the King, in order to forestall him having her executed after their wedding night, as had been his frequent custom. The King becomes so enthralled by the on-going tales, which included Sinbad the Sailor and Ali Baba, that he keeps her alive night after night to hear the next installment! Rimsky-Korsakov’s magnificent orchestral score is a big feature for solo violin, which will be performed by the CHSO’s phenomenal Concertmaster, Angel Valchinov.

Also on the program and set to rehearse on that night in Franklin is Sergei Rachmaninoff’s gorgeous and popular "Piano Concerto No. 2". This features Beth Surapine on piano, who has performed frequently with the CHSO and throughout the Milford/Franklin region for the past two decades,

Entrance to the open rehearsal is FREE ADMISSION, and attendees will also receive a voucher for a Special Discount Ticket for the concert that week, to hear the finished product of what they experienced at the rehearsal.

“We’re very excited to visit Franklin for this open rehearsal,” said Paul Surapine, Founding Executive and Artistic Director of Claflin Hill. “Many of our musicians have had ongoing and strong ties to Franklin, including myself, and a significant number of Franklin Public School Music Faculty past and present are permanent members of the CHSO. Additionally, Franklin accounts for more members of the Claflin Hill Youth Symphonies than any other community throughout the entire region, which is a strong endorsement of the music education program in progress in Franklin for the last twenty years. We’d like to thank CHSO Violinist and Franklin Public Schools Music Director Diane Plouffe for her invitation to come to her community. We hope it will be an interesting and educational experience for the music students and entertaining for all who attend.”

For more information on all upcoming Claflin Hill concerts and events, visit www.claflinhill.com

The Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra, located in Milford, MA, is a powerful regional musical force. Through passionate performances presented by masterful musicians, the CHSO plays a leading role in the cultural enrichment and vitality of Central Massachusetts and MetroWest communities. The CHSO sponsors a remarkable outreach program that helps youth perfect their musical talents and build long-lasting appreciation for music.

Claflin Hill Symphony To Visit Franklin for Open Rehearsal - Jan 30

Another LIttle Free Library in Franklin

Representative Jeffrey Roy joined the Franklin Housing Authority to celebrate the opening of the "Little Free Library" recently.

"Joined my friends at the Franklin Housing Authority for the grand opening of Little Free Library number 41,689. It was a great effort to bring books and reading to the community, with some creative assistance from the students in the Bi-County Collaborative. 

The mission is to promote literacy and the love of reading by building free book exchanges worldwide and to build a sense of community as we share skills, creativity and wisdom across generations. 

There are nearly 40,000 Little Free Library book exchanges around the world, bringing curbside literacy home and sharing millions of books annually. The library is open to all Franklin residents, so please drop by and share some knowledge."

This at least the 3rd one in Franklin. The first one shared here is located on Lincoln St.

Little Free library - Lincoln St

The 2nd is found at the Franklin Federated Church.

Franklin Federated "little free library"

And now #3

new little free library on East Park St

To find additional Little Free Libraries visit their webpage
http://littlefreelibrary.org/

• Lincoln St post

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/07/the-free-little-library-franklin.html

• Franklin Federated Church

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/05/reporting-by-walking-around-franklin.html

Try Hockey For Free Day!

This event is designed to provide kids, between the ages of 4 to 9, a completely free experience to try youth hockey. 

A limited amount of equipment is available to borrow. Our top coaches will be on the ice to assist your child in learning the basics. 

Your son or daughter does not need any previous skating or hockey experience.

When: 02/20/2016
Start Time: 1:30 PM
End Time: 2:20 PM
Where: Pirelli Veterans Arena, Panther Way

Register here

Try Hockey For Free Day!

The 'Free Little Library' - Franklin

Franklin is already known for having the first public library in the US. We now also have a "Free Little Library." From a reader I received an email with this information to share:

I did want to share our Free Little Library, pictured below. It's an Amish-made cranberry box. We put books in it for people to take, and people come by and leave theirs. We've seen all types of books, from poetry to murder mysteries to classic lit -- and today's gem: the Supreme Court Reporter from 1939. 

There's lots about the organization here: http://littlefreelibrary.org/ and people can search for boxes all over the world using their locator.

free little library - Franklin

Supreme Court Reporter - 1939 edition

Where is the little free library in Franklin?

366 Lincoln Street

While Lincoln St is being re-done, it may not be as easy to visit until it is re-paved but it still might be worth a stop to get a book and leave a book.


Note: This email had arrived during the week before the 4th so the Supreme Court Reporter may not be there now (but it might also come back sometime too!).

STOP SOPA

To support the STOP SOPA Blackout being conducted today, this will be the only post created here:




I have included the link to wikipedia but they are one of the sites reported to be going offline so you may not view this link today.

If you like what I do here, sharing information about what matters in Franklin, MA - then please find out more about SOPA and PIPA.

What would happen if this site got shut down?

Google has a page with information and petition to sign here
https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/



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

Using Google Tools

Do you know how to use the free tools available from Google?

This guide avoids some of the obvious things, like using Google Docs for collaborative writing, and instead focuses on some of the lesser-used Google tools options like publishing an online quiz using Google Docs. In all there are 33 pages containing 21 ideas and how to instructions for creating Google Maps placemarks, directions creating and publishing a quiz with Google Docs forms, directions for embedding books into your blog, and visual aids for accessing other Google tools.

The full post and guide can be found here

My thanks to Richard Byrne for doing this.



Franklin, MA

Customer Ratings Appreciated

The Franklin Matters podcast is available via iTunes for free.

Yes, free. You can obtain the podcast for your listening pleasure via iTunes. An easy way to keep up to date on what is happening in Franklin, MA.

One thing I noticed in the iTunes page for Franklin Matters today was that there were not enough customer rating.

We have not received enough ratings to display an average for this podcast.

If you subscribe, please take a minute or two to provide a rating.

If you don't already subscribe, please consider doing so. Then after listening to a couple of episodes, if you like what you hear, please provide a rating and tell your friends and neighbors about it.

If you don't like what you hear, please tell me about it.

You can find the Franklin Matters iTunes page here. Or in the center column of the blog page, click on the iTunes icon.

Thanks!

Free technology for teachers

Yes, there are free things with value. Finding a website with free things especially for teachers struggling with limited budgets and students eager to learn is a very good thing.

One to add to the list of "the best things in life are free" category

Go visit: Free Technology for Teachers

For example, smartboards are being talked of for use in the classroom. There is a website that focuses on the tips and tricks to use them to their fullest.

Enjoy!