School Start Times Advisory Committee: Summary Paper

Dear Franklin Public Schools Community,

On Tuesday, March 26, 2019 the School Start Times Advisory Committee (SSTAC) presented to the School Committee making a recommendation that school start times be adjusted to be consistent with research on children and sleep. 

The School Committee is now in a position to vote on the matter, currently planned for the April 23, 2019 meeting.

The SSTAC has completed the development of its summary paper, which is shown below.

Additional information is available on the SSTAC website: https://www.franklinps.net/district/school-start-times-advisory-committee

A FAQ document will has been posted to the website shortly.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/10XbvWjFn5bRgmnxTP2hRUa5apdfIQsnQVi4VKowzL-Q/edit?usp=sharing


Summary Paper
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hyy10-Lk5QVVg430KVbJUzV-NXJk15dp/view?usp=sharing

School Start Times Advisory Committee

The audio recording of the School Start Times report to the School Committee is available
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/03/fm-161-school-start-times-report-32619.html

Autism & Creating a Fulfilling Life for the Family and Child with Special Needs - Feb 28

Autism & Creating a Fulfilling Life for the Family and Child with Special Needs

Join us as we welcome author, journalist, public speaker and special needs parent Susan Senator. Susan is the mother of three boys, the oldest of whom has severe autism. Using her experiences and speaking from the heart, Susan speaks about the impact that autism has had on her family. She has authored books including: Making Peace with Autism, Autism Adulthood, and The Autism Mom's Survival Guide. Susan speaks around the country and maintains a blog and website, www.susansenator.com.

When: Thursday, February 28 at 7:00 PM
Where: Third floor Training Room of the Franklin Municipal Building, 255 East Central Street, Franklin, MA.

This event is free and open to the public.

If you have any suggestions for workshops or social events for the kids, please send us an email at franklinsepac@gmail.com.

WWW.FRANKLINSEPAC.ORG

Franklin SEPAC: Autism & Creating a Fulfilling
Life for the Family and Child with Special Needs

School Start Times Parent/Guardian Education Night - Feb 13

Dear Families,

The School Start Times Parent/Guardian Education Night has been rescheduled for Wednesday, February 13, 2019 at 7:00 PM. 

Please see the attached flyer and RSVP for planning purposes.

Franklin Public Schools



RSVP for planning purposes
https://goo.gl/forms/d0QjjcAW3dTNmXg23

Download flyer here or below
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczWllHR2hFQUxtYVlwV1VFaE5hSFBQQnZJeUtv/view?usp=sharing


--
Sara E. Ahern, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Franklin Public Schools
355 East Central Street
Suite 3
Franklin, MA 02038
508-553-4819

School Start Times Parent/Guardian Education Night - Feb 13

"more geared toward first-time parents."

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

"Babies don’t come with a manual, but the library is hoping to offer advice for expecting mothers and fathers with its new program, “Bump and Beyond.” 

The program trains soon-to-be parents on a multitude of child-care areas. Kim Byda and Katie Brown, lactation specialists and nurses from Northeast Mom’s and Babies, sometimes come to the library’s weekly “Tummy Time” for infants. 

They provide advice and offer sources of information for new parents. They’ll also be making appearances at Bump and Beyond, said Youth Services Librarian Caleigh Keating. 

“They’re there just to answer questions and be a resource,” said Keating. “Our focus now is how we reach folks before the baby is born.” 

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190131/franklin-library-offers-program-for-expecting-parents


Bump and Beyond: A Group for Expecting Parents!
Wednesday, February 27th, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

No matter what stage you're at in your (or your partner's) pregnancy, you probably have questions. (Is this normal? What should we expect? How will we handle feeding and sleeping issues?) You're not alone! Join us at the library to share your questions, get answers, meet other expecting parents and build your parent tribe! We will be joined each month by lactation specialists, Nurse Practitioners, and parents Katie and Kim of Northeast Moms and Babies, who will be on hand to answer all your questions! This month’s theme: Creating a registry and Pregnancy myth busters!

From the Library Newsletter
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/news/franklinlibraryfebruary2019newsletter.pdf

Bump and Beyond: A Group for Expecting Parents!  Wednesday, February 27

"Teaching our Children to Be Good Digital Citizens" - Sep 5

This parent education night is free and open to the public. Please join us to for "Teaching our Children to Be Good Digital Citizens" The event has been coordinated by Mrs. McCoy in conjunction with the Norfolk District Attorney's Office. We believe that in this digital age, this topic is of value to all BFCCPS parents, no matter how old your child(ren) are. Please RSVP using the online form linked so that we can gauge attendance for the evening.

Parent Education Night: Digital Citizenship September 5 at 6 PM Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School in Franklin, Massachusetts

MASSBudget: Data on EITC by community, and effects on parents and children

Tax credit affects children's education, health outcomes

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. March 8, 2018 Data on EITC by community, and effects on parents and children The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center's new resources provide data on how many households in each Massachusetts city or town received earned income tax credit (EITC), a tax credit available to low- and moderate-income working people. The Governor's proposed budget includes an expansion of the state EITC from 23 percent of the federal credit to 30 percent, which would affect the economic security of more than 400,000 households in Massachusetts. MassBudget's brief includes an interactive map, which shows the share of all tax filers in each city and town who benefited from the state EITC. The data can also be downloaded as a table from the Kids Count Data Center. Both use the most current data available from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. More than 400,000 households claim the Massachusetts state EITC each year. In state Fiscal Year 2019 lower wage workers and their children will receive a total of $214.1 million in credits. For a detailed description of EITC and how it affects educational, health, and other family outcomes, see this updated fact sheet.   The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, 15 Court Square, Suite 700, Boston, MA 02108 Sent by nberger@massbudget.org in collaboration with Try it free today

"app also gives parents the ability to control a child’s contact list"

At the Joint PCC meeting on Monday, they was a discussion on the use of mobile devices by children and how parents could or should handle these situations. I came home to find this article in my radar. It is share worthy.

"Facebook today (12/4/17) announced a new version of its Messenger chat app designed for children ages six to 12. Called Messenger Kids, the new app does not require a Facebook account — due to federal law, users under the age of 13 cannot legally sign up for Facebook. Rather, parents are able to manage a child’s Messenger Kids app from their Facebook account, controlling which friends and family members the child is able to contact. Facebook is launching the app today in preview with a limited rollout on iOS. 

Facebook says it’s going to great lengths to make sure the app does not come off as exploitative. “There are no ads in Messenger Kids and your child's information isn't used for ads. It is free to download and there are no in-app purchases,” the company writes in a blog post. Facebook says Messenger Kids is also designed to be compliant with the Children's Online Privacy and Protection Act, or COPPA. That’s the federal law that protects underage children from exploitation online, and it’s the reason so many online services require children be 13 years of age or older in order to sign up. Facebook says the new app is only available in the US, with plans to expand its availability beyond iOS to the Amazon App Store and Google Play Store in the coming months."

You can continue reading the full article on The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/4/16725494/facebook-messenger-kids-app-launch-ios-iphone-preview

A messaging app for kids ages 6 to 12 to chat with friends and family (image from The Verge article)

 Just because they can doesn't mean they should.

Franklin SEPAC: October 2017 Newsletter

October 2017 October Workshop Learn how to build resilience in your child...... Franklin SEPAC presents renowned behaviorist, trainer and author: Jeanine Fitzgerald Helping Children Cope: Putting Humpty Dumpty Back Together Again Monday, October 16th at 7:00 PM Horace Mann Auditorium 224 Oak Street, Franklin MA This workshop will: ​explore the importance of resiliency in children provide hands on coping strategies for parents and professsionals to help build this resilience We look forward to seeing you there.  Parent Support Group When: Thursday, October 26 at 7:00 PM Where: Cole's Tavern, 553 Washington Street, Franklin We will be providing monthly opportunities for parents/caregivers to get together in a relaxed environment to share stories, make connections and learn from one another.   Mark your calendars! It's time for some fun!! The annual SEPAC Halloween Hayride!! When: Friday, October 27 at  4:00 PM Where: Tangerini's Farm, Millis Come in your costume for a great afternoon at Tangerini's. We will go on a hayride, pick and paint pumpkins and visit the animals. Bring a flashlight to enjoy the haymaze. Please let us know of any allergies or food sensitivities so that we can accomodate all needs. This event is open to all special-needs students and their families at no cost.  This event fills up quick!!  RSVP to franklinsepac@gmail.com  Hope to see you there!  The mission of the Franklin Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is to promote a network for parents of children with disabilities and provide a forum to share information and discuss matters of relative interest and concern regarding our children. This group provides regular forums for Pupil Personnel Services and parents to share information and discuss pertinent issues; develops, maintains and shares tools and a resource guide; and raises awareness of children with special needs. We host monthly workshops educating parents on special-needs topics. We also hold support groups, fun meet-ups for the kids and donate educational supplies to the Franklin Public School Special Education programs. We are a volunteer-run organization and need donations to help alleviate the costs of the above-mentioned programs. We receive our primary funding through an annual "Evening of Comedy" fundraiser that we host in April. www.franklinsepac.org We are always looking for feedback and ways that we can help meet the needs of our community here in town.  Please don't hesitate to reach out to us via email at franklinsepac@gmail.com, follow us on Facebook at @franklinsepac, and now on Twitter at @franklin_sepac. Stay updated about our workshops, support groups and events. Get social with us!

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Franklin Special Education Parent Advisory Council 355 East Central St. Franklin, Massachusetts 02038 US Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy.

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Franklin Public Schools: Parent Forums scheduled with the Superintendent

As your new Superintendent of Schools, I am seeking to gain the perspectives of various stakeholders across the Franklin Public Schools. I am thrilled to invite parents of children at the following developmental levels to attend parent forums where I will engage in listening to your thoughts on the strengths of the district and opportunities for growth. Additionally, the forums will afford me the opportunity to share more about myself and my thoughts on education. 

-- Sara E. Ahern, Ed.D.


Elementary School Parents
October 23, 2017 6:30-8:00 P.M. Horace Mann/Oak St. Cafeteria
October 24, 2017 9:30-11:00 A.M. Horace Mann Health Classroom

Middle School Parents
November 8, 2017 6:30-8:00 P.M. Horace Mann/Oak St. Cafeteria
November 9, 2017 9:30-11:00 A.M. Horace Mann Health Classroom

High School Parents
October 30, 2017 6:30-8:00 P.M. FHS Media Center
October 31, 2017 9:30-11:00 A.M. FHS Lecture Hall

Franklin High School