Live reporting: School Committee - August 8, 2017

Present:  Scofield, Douglas, Bergen, O'Malley, Schultz, Jewell

Absent:  Bilello

1. Routine Business
Citizen’s Comments
none

Review of Agenda
no changes

Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the July 18, 2017 School Committee Meeting.
recommend to approve, seconded, passed 6-0

Payment of Bills - Dr. O’Malley
Payroll - Mrs. Douglas
Correspondence: none

O'Malley makes statement on the presence of "signs" that may or may not have resulted from an incident at a school. The School Committee did not act to place the signs. They do want to create and conduct an inclusive environment.


2. Guests/Presentations

a. Middle/High Schools Improvement Plan Update 16-17

Annie Sullivan update by Peter Light, Beth Witcoff could not attend tonight

• 6th teachers incorporated the responsive classroom into their curriculum
• recommitted to process of incorporating core values into the program with whole school efforts; revised mission statement; will next work on vision and core value updates
• 7th grade teachers working this summer on a program for their students this year
• SEL and mindfulness approaches had effects on the teachers as well as the students
• approx. 300 Tweets from the school Twitter account between Oct and end of school year

Middle and High School - End of Year - School Improvement Plan Updates from Franklin Matters

Rebecca Motte, principal of Horace Mann Middle School

• 6th grade teacher training
• school wide mental health awareness day held
• established school based committees on 
• explore science program
• teacher cluster based website for parents to get info

Brian Wildeman, principal of Remington

• brought back advisory program
• School Wellness Advisory Council (SWAC), piloted the full day mental health awareness in May; one parent taught Zumba for 6 hours as the day incorporated all aspects
• science standards, implemented units across all three grades
• all 3 middle school will participate in the Anti-Defamation lead course this year

Q - what are the measures to show success of the approach?
When you go and observe the classrooms, you can see the common language and approach in the rooms as the students participate

Paul Peri, principal of Franklin High School

• 10 year process came to an end with the NEASC visit
• week of mental health awareness held with multiple
• completed all observations of new staff, being in the classrooms and seeing what is going on 
• biweekly newsletter to parents successful
• the response of the Central Office and the community to the school family when loss was realized
• recognized as an AP Honor Roll school, while FHS received it, it really reflects on the school district as a whole
• regular meetings with the School Council were beneficial for the new administration
• Club fair showcased the 70+ opportunities, student generated and run
• did make Boston Magazines Top 50 listing
• learned quite a bit on underage drinking/substance abuse and look forward to continue to work the issue, did not have any issues during Senior Week
• focus on building relationships between students and adults (whether faculty or otherwise)
• the 1% tardies while a small group drives the numbers and more work to address this needs to be done
• looking at the grading practices to provide professional development and research to enable a good discussion among the staff

Comment - thanks for addressing the grading consistency as that was something we had heard from the community as a need of focus

Tri-County High School Student Featured on This Old House TV

Sometimes dreams do come true. Tri-County RVTHS Senior, Michael “Mike” Barrett of Walpole, MA, has been selected to appear on This Old House (TOH) TV, a real life dream come true for the senior. Mike will be working alongside the pros on the show’s project house this summer in Newton, MA. After launching a nationwide search for apprentices and local trainees, Mike was chosen to work with the TOH TV crew on the project house, where construction is already under way.

In a nationwide effort to increase the pipeline of skilled workers in America, the need to inspire young people to go into the building trades is a must. TOH has partnered with the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity that rewards people with a passion to get trained for skilled jobs that actually exist. TOH is so deeply committed to this program that they’re joining all of their media resources to elevate the building trades as a rewarding career path and to help raise money for the mikeroweWORKS Foundation’s Work Ethic, which supports training for the trades.

Tri-County RVTHS Senior, Michael “Mike” Barrett of Walpole, MA

Mike is part of the carpentry program at Tri-County RVTHS which trains students in the tools and techniques needed for house construction and remodeling. “We learn basic framing, cabinetry, how to use power tools, but we also have to pick up every day and keep our work area clean. That has helped me on the job site,” says Mike, whose interest in the building trades was formed early on as he says he has been watching This Old House since he was 5. He also knows about the work through a cousin who is a high-end carpenter. Mike hopes to refine his skills in finish carpentry, framing, flooring, and roofing on the job site. “I like that you are doing something different every day, and often working outside,” he says. Framing interests him because progress is rapid and visible. “But demolition is fun, too, because you can go pretty fast and work out lots of energy.”

The Co-op Program at Tri-County allows qualified seniors and exemplary juniors the opportunity to learn and earn while being employed by a trade specific business. Students receive their traditional academic course load, then spend their practical (shop) week experiencing the real time world of business and industry.

Michael first began working for Charlie Silva from Silva Brothers Construction this past year as a junior. He applied for a co-op position with the firm, and received the offer to come to work for them. Michael then emailed his boss about TOH and the GenerationNext opportunity he found on the Internet. Mr. Silva emailed back asking him to report to the Newton house for his co-op job. Once there, Michael met the hosts of the TOH Show and was told he was going to be a part of the team.

“Being enamored with This Old House as a little boy, Mike went ahead and solicited Silva Bros. on his own,” said Mary Ellen MacLeod, Director of Cooperative Education. “We had no idea that he initiated contact with Charlie Silva, got the interview and landed the job! All of us at Tri-County are exceedingly proud of Mike, his initiative and passion for the trade. We greatly look forward to following his endeavors on the show this season.”

Tri-County RVTHS, located at 147 Pond Street in Franklin, is a recipient of the High Schools That Work Gold Achievement Award and serves the communities of Franklin, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Norfolk, North Attleborough, Plainville, Seekonk, Sherborn, Walpole, and Wrentham.

"Participating students also gained an advantage"

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

"While students get a break from school over the summer, that doesn’t mean they should take a break from learning, many educators and advocates say. 

When kids experience the so-called “summer slide,” they lose some of the knowledge and skills they acquired during the school year. The result is that some – particularly those who may have already been struggling academically – can fall behind when they return to school in the fall. 

“For the first months when they come back to school, it’s like the teachers are retraining the kids,” said Jennifer Francioso, president of the Massachusetts Parent Teacher Association."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170618/combating-summer-learning-loss


This summer, the library is rolling out a whole bunch of fun new items to encourage literacy and creative play! Be sure to stop in and explore the fun new items we'll be unveiling each week! Check out the Summer Program flyer:
http://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/news/summer_2017_trifold_update.pdf

Lifelong Learning offers rising 9th graders the "High School Experience"
http://franklinlifelonglearning.com/high_school_experience/index.php

The summer enrichment programs will be held in three locations: Franklin High School, Horace Mann Middle School, and Oak Street Elementary School. There will be a nurse at the Oak Street/Horace Mann complex and a nurse at Franklin High School.
http://www.franklinlifelonglearning.com/summer_program/index.php

http://www.franklinlifelonglearning.com/summer_program/index.php

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

Attention: Franklin Area Sophomores in high school

It’s that time of year again and The Rotary Club of Franklin is interested in community leadership, not only for today but for tomorrow as well.

For this reason, Rotary District 7910 will conduct the annual Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) Conference at Fitchburg State University on June 23-25, 2017. The program will be staffed by carefully selected counselors and Rotary leaders.

The Rotary Club of Franklin

Our objective is to offer outstanding high school sophomores an opportunity to live, work and interact together in an atmosphere of friendly competition. Also, we provide them with a program designed to challenge them to utilize and improve their skills and accept the responsibilities of leadership. Much of the students’ time will be structured with programs including interactive Leadership Labs, exciting guest speakers, and challenging mental and physical activities that will provide them with a chance to excel amongst and with their peers. The greatest benefit may come from sharing this experience with the more than 150 other outstanding young men and women selected from schools and organizations through Rotary District 7910 in Central Massachusetts.

Our Rotary Club is asking your help to spread the word to the young men and women who will benefit most from this experience. They will be selected by the Franklin Rotary first for leadership potential, second for good citizenship, third for their desire to attend the Conference and fourth for scholarship. These characteristics are listed in that order so that latent leaders are not overlooked because of grades. They are extremely important to keep in mind to ensure the success of the student’s experience and the entire program.

The only requirement is that in order to be nominated, the individual must be a student who is currently a Sophomore in high school and in the Franklin area. We send children to RYLA from Bellingham High, Franklin High, King Philip High, Medway High and Tri-County High. 

Applications should be made e-mailed to Julie Rougeau at jrougeau@comcast.net no later than March 3, 2017. 

Our club’s RYLA Selection Committee will then conduct interviews and select the students we will sponsor for RYLA.  

For more information about RYLA or Rotary, visit us online at http://www.ryla7910.org/

The student application 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0wjbnXDBhczai1HLWotVWZTdV9oQXY0UW1qaVZDNm95LXJN

A flyer that describes RYLA

High School and Middle School Mountain Bike Racing Team - Information Night - Jan 19

Do you love riding your bike? Having fun and riding bikes is what we are all about!

Join us for an introduction to the New England High School Cycling Association (NEHSCA) and hear details about our racing season coming in the spring of 2017.

This will be the 2nd season for our regional team from Franklin, Medway, Millis,
Norfolk Bellingham and Wrentham to compete against other New England teams.

Boys and girls in grades 5-12 are eligible, no experience necessary. Our coaches will teach you all the skills you need.

What: Info Night with the Charles River Rats
When: Thursday, January 19th, 2017

Where: Franklin Recreation Department
275 Beaver Street Franklin, MA 02038

Time: 6:00PM – 7:30 PM

Contact: Rob Rood
Phone: 774-302-9883
Email: overthesummitcoaching@gmail.com
Web: www.nehsca.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/nehsca

image from http://www.nehsca.com/

Real time reporting: School Committee - Sep 27, 2016

Present: O'Malley, Schultz, Douglas, Jewell, Scofield, Bilello, Bergen
Absent: none


1. Routine Business
Citizen’s Comments
none

Review of Agenda

Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the September 13, 2016 School Committee Meeting.
motion to approve, seconded, passed 7-0

Payment of Bills Dr. O’Malley
Payroll Mrs. Douglas

FHS Student Representatives
1. Nicolas Gnaman 2. Alexander Chitarra
student reps both participating in sports and had away games so they couldn't get to the meeting tonight

Correspondence: none

2. Guests/Presentations
a. Summer Program Update – Dr. Pandora Carlucci

Lifelong Learning Institute - Summer 2016 from Franklin Matters

High School Experience - Summer 2016 from Franklin Matters

part 2 of the lifelong learning presentation to the School Committee on Tuesday

Pandora - They start now to prepare for next August. We get support from everyone from Central Office to the High School. It makes such a difference.

O'Malley-  I have said it before and I'll say it every time I can, this is a very impactful program for the high school.

Lifelong learning - part 2

approx 360 students enrolled in the programs after school
celebrated National Playdoh day, next month National Dictionary Day

Lifelong Music Academy

all the music programs consolidated in one program

• strings, 130 enrolled, 62 are brand new players
• band school, 67 students, 52 new
• honors chorus, 25 students
• private music lessons run out of the high school, 44 students enrolled

workshop offering on surviving adolescents
bus trips to shows at PPAC in Providence
expand and emphasize community and family


Note - work intervened and I was unable to continue reporting on the meeting. When the video is available for replay, I hope to catch up to it.

Rotary Youth Leadership recognition for high school sophomores

One of the greatest activities of Rotary District 7910 is Rotary Youth Leadership which is a weekend at a local college campus for High School sophomore students that have demonstrated leadership potential and wish specialized experiences in team building to achieve assigned functions (one of the perennial favorite projects is building a functional bridge out of nothing but newspaper pages) as a team of individuals who have never worked together--or even met before. 

This year Franklin Rotary was proud of the six students (double our usual attendees). The students were then invited to a Rotary meeting on a Thursday evening at 6 o'clock at 3's Restaurant for dinner and to speak about their experiences. The optimism in their presentations confirmed that we had sent excellent candidates!

Shown in the photo are Jonathan Creonte, Alexa Katsaros, Laetitia Pierre-Louis, Rotarian president Ted Katsaros. Unable to be present in the photo were Meredith Gendreau, Nick Assad, and Brendan Ryan.

For more about the Franklin Rotary, visit them on the web  http://portal.clubrunner.ca/3689

High School Fair at BFCCPS - Sep 13

Meet with representatives and students from a variety of private and independent high schools in the Metrowest area, Boston, Worcester, and northern Rhode Island. This year representatives and students from the Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School and Norfolk Aggie will be in attendance. 

This free event is open to BFCCPS 8th graders as well as members of the surrounding communities. Please note that the student’s parent or guardian must be in attendance in order to gain admission to the event. Please contact Mrs. McCoy with any questions.

Date:  September 13

Time: 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

High School Fair at BFCCPS - Sep 13

http://bfccps.org/event/2016-hsfair/

• Bishop Feehan
• Boston Trinity Academy
• BU Academy
• Catholic Memorial School
• Commonwealth School
• Dana Hall
• Fontbonne Academy
• Milton Academy
• Montrose School
• Moses Brown School
• Mount Saint Charles
• Noble and Greenough
• Norfolk Aggie
• Providence Country Day School
• Rivers
• Saint John’s High School
• Saint Sebastian’s School
• St. Mark’s School
• Stoneleigh-Burnam School
• Tabor Academy
• The Lincoln School
• The Wheeler School
• Tri-County
• Ursuline Academy
• Walnut Hill School
• Xaverian Brother’s High School
• Portsmouth Abbey

Attention Students: Open Call for Verizon Innovative Learning App Challenge Submissions Now Open to Franklin Residents

Verizon Issues Call to Massachusetts Students for the Best Problem-Solving App Ideas

Fifth Annual Verizon Innovative Learning App Challenge Opens for New Submissions;
Deadline is November 18

Fifth Annual Verizon Innovative Learning App Challenge

WHAT: The Verizon Innovative Learning app challenge – the no-coding-skills-needed contest that gives middle and high school students a chance to bring their problem-solving app ideas to life – is now accepting new app ideas for the 2016-2017 competition.

Winning student teams will be chosen from each state, earning a $5,000 grant for their school or organization and free tablets for each team member. Then the Best In State teams will compete for the ultimate prizes: an additional $15,000 for their organizations, and chance to turn their app ideas into real, working smartphone apps that will be made available for download.

Now in its fifth year, thousands of students across the U.S. have participated in the app challenge - gathering teams, dreaming up ideas, and creating concepts for mobile apps that could solve problems in their schools and communities.

Past winners have been featured at the White House Science Fair and even gone on to sell their completed apps for cash.

Students can submit ideas from Aug. 1 - Nov. 18, 2016, and the winners will be named in January and February 2017.

For more information on how to register for the Verizon Innovative Learning app challenge, or to download the completed apps, visit www.verizon.com/appchallenge. Follow us on Twitter (@VerizonGiving) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/verizonfoundation).

WHY: The app challenge, part of Verizon Innovative Learning, was developed to give all students, regardless of their technology experience or access to technology, a chance to make a difference, and to help spark their interest in STEM subjects and careers.

Over the past 10 years, for example, STEM jobs have grown three times faster than other jobs. STEM jobs are expected to grow by 1 million by 2022 to a total of more than 9 million jobs.

The app challenge provides hands-on, experiential learning that can equip students with the in-demand skills of the future and empower them to envision brighter futures for themselves as business owners, app inventors, coders, technology professionals and more.

The 2016-17 Verizon Innovative Learning app challenge is open for new submission August 1 – November 18, 2016.

New Mountain Bike League Forming in Massachusetts

Good Afternoon, 

My name is Rob Rood. I am writing to you because there is a new racing league forming in MA/RI/NH. 

I am the head coach of the team that will cover Bellingham/Franklin. The goal of the league is simple, to grow interest in mountain biking in New England among kids, grades 5-12. The racing is just to add an element of fun into the whole endeavor! 

We are having an info night about the team and the league at the Bellingham Town Library on March 1st @ 5:30pm. Attached is the flyer. (see below)

Would it be possible for you to post the flyer on your site? 

Some more info on the league can be found here http://www.nehsca.com (New England High School Cycling Association) 

We'll be showing a movie called SingleTrack High to the kids and parents https://vimeo.com/95958080

screen grab of  NEHSCA webpage

Rotary offers fantastic Youth Leadership Conference opportunity for High School Sophomores

The Rotary Club of Franklin is actively searching for qualified candidates to attend this year’s Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) Conference! To be held from June 24 - June 26, 2016 at Fitchburg State University in Fitchburg, MA, the 24th Annual RYLA Conference will offer outstanding high school sophomores an opportunity to live, work and interact together in an atmosphere of friendly competition. 

It will be a program designed to challenge the participants to utilize and improve their skills and accept the responsibilities of leadership. Best of all, there is no charge to the students for the program! The Rotary Club of Franklin will sponsor 5 participants at this year’s conference. 

• The applications are due March 1, 2016. 

Julie Rougeau, local Committee Chairperson, said that participants would be selected from young women and men who have exhibited leadership abilities and who will be entering their Junior year of high school in the fall. The Rotary Club of Franklin has contacted local high school guidance counselors (Bellingham, Franklin, King Phillip, Medway and Tri-County Vocational), youth organizations and other sources for nominations of conference participants. 

Aimed at developing the leadership potential of young men and women, the conference will feature many thoughtprovoking events including interactive Leadership Labs, exciting guest speakers, and challenging mental and physical activities that will provide the participants with a chance to excel amongst and with their peers. Topics will include decision-making, critical thinking, communicating effectively, ethics, and public service. 

Anyone interested in obtaining further information should visit http://www.ryla7910.org/ or contact: Julie Rougeau at jrougeau@comcast.net or 508-541-4424 or any other member of the Franklin Rotary Club.

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards

Franklin resident expects fast races in State Meet

Anthony Delasanta lives in Franklin:

"They have the fastest feet in the Commonwealth and two of the most powerful bursts of energy coming out of the starting blocks in the state. Record-holders in their own rights, they have set the pace for indoor track this winter at both, Norton High School and Bishop Feehan High School. 

Norton High's record-setting senior sprinter Abu Ceesay is ranked No. 1 in the state in the 55 meter dash (6.47 seconds) and No. 2 in the state in the 300 meter dash (34.84). Meanwhile, Bishop Feehan High's record-setting senior sprinter Anthony Delasanta is ranked No. 2 in the state in the 55 dash (6.56 seconds) and No. 1 in the state in the 300 meter dash (34.83). 

On Saturday at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, the Lancer and the Shamrock will take the starting line to run against each other in both events at the MIAA State Championship Meet."

....

 Norton High’s Abu Ceesay, left, and Bishop Feehan High’s Anthony Delasanta, right, will face off at the MIAA State Championship Meet. (Photo by Tom Maguire/ The Sun Chronicle)

"This is not only pretty cool, but something special," said Kirkland, presiding over a Delasanta workout on Tuesday. Delasanta, a resident of Franklin, has been nurtured in the sprints by current Shamrock assistant Jason Brown, while also having come under the guidance of track gurus Bob L'Homme, Latif Thomas and Paul Powell. 

"Abu is such a humble kid too," Taylor said of the special needs student with Ceesay being hearing impaired and requiring the aid of a translator (Sharon Hollis) for both his academic and athletic pursuits. "Abu is always the first one to say that, 'Even though track is an individual sport, I want to do this for the team.' " 

Because Ceesay is deaf, he has special needs for track meets too. Taylor received approval from the MIAA and MSTCA for a strobe light which the Lancer runner can see at the start of a dash since he is unable to hear a starter's gun."

Continue reading the full article online in The Sun Chronicle
http://www.thesunchronicle.com/sports/local_sports/h-s-track-norton-s-ceesay-feehan-s-delasanta-to/article_79316902-4bd8-5f0d-8625-06687dfae4ef.html

"how to handle a growing number of “sexting” cases"

At the State House Tuesday, Roy and Reilly, joined by a Bridgewater State University psychology professor, testified before the Judiciary Committee in favor of the bill. According to Roy, the legislation would not hinder legitimate child pornography investigations, but rather establish an important, potentially life-altering distinction between child porn and sexting among teens. 

“This bill would set up a new section of the statute to give police officers and prosecutors more tools to curb this behavior,” Roy said. 

Filed earlier this year, H.1567, An Act Relative to Transmitting Indecent Visual Depictions by Teens, has found supporters beyond the Legislature, including in law enforcement and academics. One letter of support came all the way from a professor at the University of Colorado. 

The bill, Roy said, protects minors who participate in sexting as long as they do so consensually. Instead of a felony, 15- to 19-year-olds convicted of sexting would have to enter a mandatory diversion program; other penalties range from a civil fine to community service.

Read the full article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150714/NEWS/150718263/1994/NEWS

Attn FHS Students: Grants for High School Seniors

Franklin Rotary Grant Application

Dear High School Senior,

As your high school experience is coming to a close, it is time to contemplate, plan and make decisions that will affect your future. Part of that process is determining how to pay for a college education. The cost of furthering your education is high but the failure to obtain additional knowledge will cost you even more. Our members understand this and recognize the significant expense and sacrifice that often accompanies its pursuit. With this in mind the Rotary Club of Franklin, as it has for many years, continues to offer graduating high school seniors from Bellingham, Franklin, Tri–County, and King Phillip High Schools an opportunity to receive scholarships to offset the expense of higher education.

The Rotary Club is an international service organization that is dedicated to world peace through service to others and an increased awareness of people's needs through education. Based on this premise, each application for the Franklin Rotary Club Grant is evaluated on the basis of community involvement, financial need, and academic achievement.

To apply for a Grant please complete the attached pdf application.

Please return it as soon as possible and before the June 30, 2015 deadline to:

jrougeau@comcast.net or mail to

Julie Rougeau

Rotary Grant Chair
5 East Street
Franklin MA 02038


On behalf of the Rotary Club of Franklin we wish you good luck and best wishes.

Sincerely,

Julie Rougeau
Chair -- Rotary Club of Franklin Grant Committee

Franklin High School

The Law Office of Julie A. Rougeau
5 East Street
Franklin, MA  02038

office phone:  508-541-4424
fax:  508-541-4421
e-mail:  jrougeau@comcast.net

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