Sunday, October 23, 2011

Franklin, MA: School Committee - Agenda - Oct 25

Vision Statement
The Franklin Public Schools will foster within its students the knowledge and skills to find and achieve satisfaction in life as productive global citizens.

Mission Statement
The Franklin Public Schools, in collaboration with the community, will cultivate each student's intellectual, social, emotional and physical potential through rigorous academic inquiry and informed problem solving skills within a safe, nurturing and respectful environment.

"The listing of matters are those reasonably anticipated by the Chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law."


1. Routine Business
Citizen’s Comments
Review of Agenda
Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the October 11, 2011 School Committee Meeting.
Payment of Bills Mr. Glynn
Payroll Mrs. Douglas
FHS Student Representatives
Correspondence: Letter from FEA

2. Guests/Presentations
a. School Improvement Plans
  1. Parmenter Elementary
  2. Jefferson Elementary
  3. JF Kennedy Elementary
b. Performance Based Evaluation Pilot

3. Discussion Only Items
School Committee Calendar Change
Superintendent’s Goals

4. Action Items
a. I recommend approval of the field trip for JFKennedy 3rd and 5th graders to the Veterans Auditorium in Providence, RI on April 12, 2012 as detailed.
b. I recommend approval of the recurring field trip for the FHS Drama Club to travel to NY City to see “Rent” on November 19, 2011 as detailed.
c. I recommend acceptance of a check for $443.53 from Target for in-house enrichment for the Franklin High School.
d. I recommend acceptance of a check for $5000.00 from the Jefferson PCC for field trips.
e. I recommend acceptance of a check for $1750.00 from the Oak Street PCC for in-house enrichment at Oak Street Elementary School.
f. I recommend acceptance of the donation of $530.50 from the Oak Street PCC for a field trip.
g. I recommend approval of the FHS Field trip to France & Spain in June 2012 as detailed.
h. I recommend changing the School Committee meeting Calendar to reflect a regularly scheduled meeting on November 15th and November 29th as training / workshop with FEA as discussed.
i. I recommend approval of the Superintendent’s goals as discussed.
j. I recommend acceptance of a check for $242.28 from Wells Fargo/Douglas Lee for in-house enrichment.
k. I recommend acceptance of a check for $700.00 from the Kennedy PCC for a 3rd grade field trip.
l. I recommend acceptance of a check for $125.00 from the Kennedy PCC for Nurse fees for a 3rd grade field trip.

5. Information Matters
Superintendent’s Report
School Committee Sub-Committee Reports
School Committee Liaison Reports

6. New Business
To discuss future business that may be brought before the School Committee.

7. Executive Session
Contractual Negotiations

8. Adjourn

Candidate night, Oct 24 - 7:00 PM

Yes, there will be a candidates night Monday, Oct 24, 2011. The event will be held and broadcast from the Council Chambers on the 2nd Floor of the Municipal Bldg, 355 East central St, Franklin, MA.

Only candidates for contested elections will be featured. This means that the Town Council, School Committee, Board of Health, Town Clerk, Treasurer will be participating. Did I miss someone? Please let me know.

FranklinCandidatesNight_111024

High School project: FAQ

Published by the School Building Committee, this set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) provides a good deal of info.

FranklinSchBuildingComm FAQ 111020


The committee has scheduled an information night, Thursday Nov 17, beginning at 7:00 PM at the Mercer Auditorium, Horace Mann Middle School. A presentation and discussion on the high school building project will get into the details around these FAQs.

In the News - Taste of Region, vaccinations



Taste of the Region slated, Oct. 25




Aucoin: A warning on vaccinations





Saturday, October 22, 2011

Recycle electronics and bikes today

Where:
In the Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter School parking lot, or as many would refer to to it, the former St Mary's School parking lot. Off Pleasant St, near the corner of Man St in Franklin.

Electronics Recycling - Oct 22

Price listing

Electronics Recycling - fee schedule

Bicycles too!

Bike recycling - Oct 22

And the map!


View Larger Map

In the News - Powderly, flu clinics, fair, library, 5K run/walk



Meet the Franklin Candidate: Tina Powderly, Town Council

New state money means clinics can once again give all adults flu vaccine

Note: a search on 02038 in the  http://flu.masspro.org/clinic/ website suggested by the article returned:
No Clinics found for Franklin (02038).  Please refine your search Criteria.
But the results are based upon the database and schedule as of today. Check back in the future, there may be updates

A search on  
http://www.flu.gov/ for 02038 returns many results showing the Franklin locations for CVS, Walgreens, etc.


Franklin MOMS plan preschool fair

News from the Franklin Library

Ladybug 5K Run/Walk planned

Boston Foundation report examines new framework for collaboration on school ...

When you and I can put aside the School Committee's current tiff with the Town Council, there is good news and a real development on the interest based bargaining front. That is real news. Interest based bargaining can bring a possible solution to some of the long term and systemic budget issues Franklin faces.

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

via Franklin (MA) School Committee Blog by Jeffrey Roy on 10/21/11

At a time when fiscal crises in states and municipalities throughout the country have put collective bargaining agreements with public sector unions under the spotlight and under fire, , a new Boston Foundation report lays out an alternative framework for contract talks that could provide a "win-win-win" for labor, management and taxpayers. This report is [...]

Things you can do from here:

Sewage Backup Floods Girls Locker Room

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

via Pantherbook on 10/21/11

The girls' locker room suffered a severe septic failure Monday afternoon that resulted in raw sewage being excreted onto the ground. A total of 8 to 10 students who had left belongings on the floor or on the bottom shelf of lockers underwent terminal damage of property which had to be thrown out during the clean [...]

Things you can do from here:

Partridge St - closure notice



Hello this is Brutus Cantoreggi, Director of Public Works calling with an important message regarding a road closure and a detour.

Effective immediately, Partridge St is closed to all traffic between Harborwood and Dover Circle due to a culvert collapses.

Please try and avoid the area if at all possible. Detours are presently being set up. We hope to open Partridge St. as soon as possible.

Thank you for your understanding, further information can be found on the Town's website or by calling the Franklin Department of Public Works @ 508-520-4910




To listen to the above message, you will need audio software and speakers on your computer.
This e-mail has been sent to you by TOWN OF FRANKLIN. To maximize their communication with you, you may be receiving this e-mail in addition to a phone call with the same message. If you wish to discontinue this service, please inform TOWN OF FRANKLIN either IN PERSON, by US MAIL, or by TELEPHONE at (508) 520-4938. THIS E-MAIL ADDRESS IS NOT MONITORED. Please do not reply to this e-mail as we are not able to respond to messages sent to this address.

Thriller Dance

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

via Lifelong Learning by Pandora Carlucci on 10/21/11

Thursday, October 27, is the night of the second annual Thriller Dance Workshop. Held at Franklin High School and taught by Denise Weaver, this iconic dance is certain to be fun. Register online at www.franklin.k12.ma.us select lifelong select adult education and finally select Dance. Come and be part of the fun!!

Things you can do from here:

Friday, October 21, 2011

A "free cash" battle?

Ed Cafasso wrote a letter to the editor that was titled "Free cash is Franklin's best-kept secret" and opened with:
It's time for Franklin to become more transparent with its taxpayers about the annual financial windfall inappropriately known as "free cash." 
Free cash is the extra money left over after the city balances its budget every June 30. It's revenue that Franklin collected from taxpayers but didn't spend. The free cash amount for the fiscal year that just ended is rumored to be nearly $3 million, although whether the official figure will be disclosed and discussed before the Nov. 8 municipal election remains to be seen.

Read the full letter here: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x1876835722/Cafasso-Free-cash-is-Franklins-best-kept-secret#ixzz1bPMiRqyp

The Town Council has responded with their letter titled "'Bewildered' by free cash concern in Franklin"
We are somewhat bewildered by Ed Cafasso's recent Letter to the Editor (Oct. 14) titled "Free cash: Franklin's best-kept secret." Let's start with the title of his letter and the use of the word "secret." Franklin's free cash policy is anything but secret. Anyone can go to franklin.ma.us, enter "free cash" in the search string and be delivered a trove of information about Franklin's free cash, including the policy itself, historical amounts, etc. Further, each and every Finance Committee meeting cites the current amount of free cash as part of its publicly posted agenda.
Read the rest of the Council's letter here: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x804699069/Bewildered-by-free-cash-concern-in-Franklin#ixzz1bPNclpbo

Each of the past two years as part of the tax rate hearing, I have published my analysis of "free cash". You can view the slides and hear the audio from Dec 2010 here:
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2010/12/fm-79-slidecast-tax-hearing-info-for-fy.html

and from Dec 2009 here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2009/11/fm-50-slidecast.html


I add my two cents on this matter over here:
http://steves2cents.blogspot.com/2011/10/words-carry-price.html


In the News - Bissanti, couple reunites, workshops, cabaret




Meet the Franklin candidate: Andrew Bissanti, Town Council


Franklin couple reunites, makes good on childhood 'engagement'

SEPAC slates Halloween party, workshops

Dean to present dance cabaret

Jen Bal Fun Runs set

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

via Wicked Local Franklin News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc. on 10/20/11

Random Smile Project will host the Jen Bal 5K and Mount Street Madness 5 Miler Halloween "Fun Runs" on Sunday Oct. 30,  at 10 a.m., at ElemenTree House, 838 Upper Union St.

Things you can do from here:

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Insight on how Google brings you here


A good number of folks type "Franklin Matters" in Google (and other search engines) and end up coming here.

A screen shot of what I saw with "Franklin Matters" in Google today:



How does Google do this? Google engineer Matt Cutts explains in this brief video.




You can also use Google search to focus within Franklin Matters by using the search box on the top right corner of the this page.

I'll continue to create good content on what matters to me and you about Franklin so you can find what you need here.


PS - My thanks to Geoffrey Zub for giving Franklin Matters a Google+

PPS - Try typing in "school business administrator interview questions" and you also will likely end up on Franklin Matters. That was posted on March 12, 2008 and has been the #1 search term to bring folks here since. Folks from all around the English speaking world arrive here looking for those results. The interview questions were used by the School Committee when they did the interview process that resulted in bringing on Miriam Goodman to the Finance Director position.

In the News - Kelly, fun run, pantry donations, Metacomet, concert, Nutcracker



Meet the Franklin Candidate: Matt Kelly, Town Council

Franklin smile project hosting Fun Runs

Franklin Interfaith Council helping with pantry donations

Metacomet Land Trust slates meeting, presentation on bats

Franklin Houseconcerts show set

Box office open for Patti Eisenhauer Dance Center’s ‘Nutcracker’

Road Closure: Partridge St

An email alert arrived to confirm that the culvert on Partridge St is being repaired as planned.

Road Closure Alert ..... Partridge St, between Dover and Harborwood, will be closed to through traffic for construction from Monday October 24 through Thursday November 10.

The Town Council had voted approval of the funds to do the work at their meeting on October 5th. Notes from that part of the meeting were reported live and can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/10/live-reporting-action-items.html

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Escape the Cold! Free Community Indoor Walking Program



For the second year, Franklin High School will open its doors to adult walkers in the community who wish to escape the impending cold and slippery sidewalks. Walkers will be able to accumulate mileage despite inclement weather or dark sidewalks.

The Community Walking Partners program is offered through Lifelong Learning and begins on Monday, November 7, 2011 and ends on Wednesday, April, 11, 2012. The program is free. 
Walking will be available on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM, except when school is closed for holidays or snow events. 
For safety reasons, no bikes, skates, skateboards are allowed in the school. 
Interested walkers should enter the Franklin High School through the H-wing door and stop at the Lifelong Learning/Adult Education office, sign in, and receive a lanyard, which will identify the walker to school personnel. 
For more information, please contact the Franklin Adult Education office at 508-541-2100 x 3178 or email adulted@franklin.k12.ma.us.


Via the Life Long Learning Program. For additional offerings check out their schedule and register at the Life Long Learning website

In the News - Vallee, bottle drive, bake sale, Tri-County services



Meet the Franklin Candidate: Robert Vallee


Franklin wrestling boosters to hold bottle drive Oct. 29

St. Mary's Women's Club having harvest bake sale

Tri-County students offer services to the public

Franklin drummer to judge drum competition