Pantherbook Roundup: PARCC, human rights club, Trivia Bee

Pantherbook has been publishing more frequently so there are several good items to share. Pantherbook is the student effort reporting on FHS and Franklin providing a great opportunity to practice writing while using the various publishing and social medai tools available today.

1 - What do the students think about PARCC?

The newly introduced PARCC test has caused confusion and server failure for students and some staff at Franklin High School (FHS). Information from the administration can elucidate the background, purpose, and future of PARCC. 

First, PARCC is not yet a done deal. The question of whether or not it will be implemented will be voted on in early September by the Board of Education and the State. 

This new form of state testing is meant to judge a student’s college and career readiness. It tests application of skills as opposed to recitation of memorized information.

Continue reading the article here
http://pantherbook.org/student-life/2015/04/05/a-walk-in-the-parcc/

2 - FHS students getting active discussing human rights

Young activists are welcome to come discuss social issues both within the school and beyond at Franklin High School’s Human Rights Club. 

Junior Olivia Pavao started the club in early January. She attended a Summer at Brown where she met students who had human rights clubs at their own schools, and was inspired to bring one to Franklin High School. 

“We have the GSA, we have Anti-Bullying. Combining those and making them more inclusive of a lot of different people would better our school,” said Pavao.

Continue reading the article here
http://pantherbook.org/student-life/2015/04/08/discussion-and-activism-at-the-human-rights-club/

A shot from the FEF Trivia Bee (Abigail Weinberg)

3 - they reported on the recent Trivia Bee

On Wednesday, April 8, the Franklin Education Foundation held its 18th annual Trivia Bee at the Horace Mann Auditorium. Many members of the community participated, including several FHS students. The event raised thousands of dollars that go directly toward helping our town’s educational system. 

According to their Facebook page, the FEF is “an independent, non-profit, community-based organization developed to support to innovation and excellence in education… by funding grants for teachers and other staff within the Franklin public school system.” 

The Trivia Bee is an event that helps carry out this mission. Each year, students, parents, local business owners, teachers, and other school faculty members can participate in a trivia competition consisting of several rounds. This year’s trivia theme was movie trivia.

Continue reading the article here
http://pantherbook.org/top-stories/2015/04/09/franklin-community-shows-skill-in-trivia-bee/

Yard Waste Pickup re-scheduled to 4/27/15

If you subscribed to the news alerts, you should have received a voice message (or phone call) from DPW Director Robert Cantoreggi announcing that the yard waste pickup has been delayed two weeks. 

Instead of the schedule for this occurring the week of 4/13/15, it will now take place beginning the week of 4/27/15.

screen grab indicating change in the schedule for yard waste pickup

The full updated curbside schedule can be found on the Franklin DPW page here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Recycling/Curbside_Index

PC Handyman: Encryption malware —"Ransomware"— Is your data protected?

Recently, The Boston Globe and other news media reported that a file server at the Tewksbury Police Department was infected with a strain of malware, which had encrypted all of the files stored on this server. These files were arrest and incident records. When someone tried to access these records, they found that the files could not be opened because they were corrupted. Then they found a document that explained that the files had been encrypted and gave instructions on how they could pay $500 to get the encryption key to recover their files. 

PC  Handyman

After several days of trying to recover the files, with the aid of federal and state computer experts and 2 outside IT firms, they finally paid the $500, using an electronic form of payment called Bitcoin, and got the data back.   

This sort of thing has been happening for a while now to all sorts of businesses and individuals—this got media attention because public money was used to pay the ransom, so it became public information. Payment forms like Bitcoin and MoneyPak are used because the payment is not traceable to the recipient.
 Can it happen to you? Yes! 

This malware is usually installed through an email attachment, often in an email supposedly from FedEx or UPS about a package being delivered. There is also evidence that it can be installed by a hacker getting into a server through a remote connection. Sometimes the encrypted data is recoverable through Windows, and sometimes with a 3rd party application. Usually, the malware turns off features like System Restore and Volume Shadow Copy so that these recovery methods are no longer available.  I'm sure that the Tewksbury people tried everything.

Another scary thing—if the infected PC is connected to mapped network drives, such as on a file server, those files can be encrypted too. And if a backup drive is connected to the PC, doing automatic or periodic backups, the files on the backup drive will be overwritten with the encrypted versions, since the files have been changed to newer versions. Cloud-based backup services may save previous versions of backed up files—you should ask your backup service. 

The best strategy against this issue seems to be keeping a periodic manual backup to a drive that is disconnected after the backup is completed. Frequency of the backups determines how much data is at risk. I can set this up for you, including providing the drive. I can come in to your business on a regular basis and run the backups too.  Let me know if you need help. 

Is your data protected? 

The PC Handyman, 508 346-3502 info@pchman.com

Franklin SEPAC - "The Movement of Imperfection"

From the Special Education Parents Advisory Council (SEPAC): 

We are very excited to welcome Gina Gallagher and Patricia Terrasi, authors of the book, Shut Up About Your Perfect Kid, and founders of the Imperfect Movement! Full of heart and humor, these amazing sisters share their own experiences in raising imperfect children in a society that values perfection. Come and join us for a great night! 

This workshop will be held in the Horace Mann Auditorium, located at 224 Oak Street, Franklin, MA. 

As always this workshop is free and open to the public. 

Spread the word!

The Movement of Imperfection

For more about the "Shut Up Sisters" visit their webpage here  http://www.shutupabout.com/

Public Notice: Hydrant Flushing Program

The Franklin Department of Public Works, Water Division will begin its hydrant flushing program on Saturday, April 11, 2015. This program is conducted annually to improve Franklin’s water quality and fire flows. 

Some hydrants will be flushed in the evening hours, while others will be completed during the day. Hydrant flushing will continue depending on water availability and system pressures. 

Residents may experience temporary water loss or discolored water while hydrants are being flushed in their area. Even though the water may be discolored, it is still safe for human consumption. 

The streets that we will be working on each day will be listed on the DPW website (town.franklin.ma.us/DPW). 

Thank you in advance for your cooperation and we apologize for any inconvenience. If you have any questions or concerns, please call the DPW office at 508-553-5500. 

Department of Public Works 

Laurie Ruszala 

Water/Sewer Superintendent

DPW Headquarters - Fisher St

This was shared from the official Franklin page
http://franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_News/0207E4DF-000F8513


Flushing Areas Week of 4/11/15:

A Street
Acorn Place
Alisha Drive
Alpine Place
Alpine Row
Anna Road
Arlington Street
Bacon Street
Barbara Circle
Beaver Street
Beth Road
Buena Vista Drive
Burning Tree Road
Camdon Way
Cardinal Drive
Carol Drive
Celinda Drive
Central Park Terrace
Charlotte Court
Chestnut Street
Chilmark Road
Church Street
Cleveland Avenue
Concetta Way
Concord Street
Corbin Road
Corbin Street
Cottage Street
Cottage Street Extension
Country Club Drive
Coutu Street
Crescent Street
Crestwood Drive
Crocker Avenue
Cross Street
Dale Street
Dean Avenue
Delta Court
Delta Drive
Depot Street
Dutchess Road
East Park Street
East Street
Emilio Drive
Emmons Street
Everett Street
Fales Street
Farrington Street
Fisher Street
Gallison Street
Garden Street
Geb Street
Glen Meadow Road
Griffin Road
Hayden Lane
Hayward Street
Henry Lane
Highland Street
Hill Avenue
Hillside Road
Horace Mann Circle
Howard Place
Howard Street
Hutchinson Street
Indian Lane
Ivy Lane
Jack's Way
James Street
Jordan Road
Josephine Street
JR's Lane
Juniper Road
Kerrie Circle
King Phillip Road
King Street
Kingswood Lane
Lawrence Drive
Ledge Street
Lewis Street
Lexington Street
Longfellow Drive
Longobardi Drive
Loretta Road
Lost Horse Trail
Main Street
Maria Circle
Mark's Way
Martha's Way
Martin Avenue
Marvin Avenue
Mary Jane Road
Master Drive
Mathew Drive
McCarthy Street
Meadow Lark Road
Metacomet Lane
Metcalf Street
Milliken Avenue
Mill Street
North Park Street
Northern Spy Road
Oak Street
Odyssey Lane
Orchard Street
Park Road
Parmenter Way
Pearl Street
Pearly Lane
Peck Street
Penny Lane
Queen Street
Ray Hill Road
Red Gate Lane
Ruggles Street
Russell Street
Russet Hill Road
Sandy Lane
Sarah Lane
Saxon Street
School Street
Shawkemo Path
Squibnocket Road
Stewart Street
Stubbe Street
Sugarbeet Road
Summer Street
Susan's Way
Taft Drive
Tam O Shanter Road
Teris Way
Thayer Street
Tyson Road
Uncas Avenue
Union Street
Venus Circle
Wachusett Street
Wamponoag Drive
Washington Street
West Central Street
West Park Street
West Street
Willow Street
Wilson Road
Winter Street
Worsted Street
Zachary Lane

You can check the DPW page here for updates
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_PublicWorks/General_Pages/Hydrant_Flushing

Beaver St building proposed as new home for Recreation Dept

The Finance Committee heard of plans for the purchase of the building and land at 275 Beaver St to serve as the new home for the Recreation Dept. The Recreation Dept has been housed in the 150 Emmons St property which is in the process of being sold. 

Emmons St building - under agreement for sale by Franklin

The two documents handed out at the FinCom meeting are shown here. 

They are also part of the Town Council agenda package for the meeting scheduled Apr 15th.

The memo from Jeff Nutting outlining the purchase plans

A summary of the Recreation Dept including revenues and expenses from 2011 (actual) to the current 2015 year (projected)

Food Revolution Petition Update

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Hello Food Revolutionary! We have some exciting news to share with you. As a signatory of Jamie Oliver's first Food Revolution petition, we wanted to reach out and update you on this petition and Food Revolution Day 2015. AN INCREDIBLE 812,000 of you signed the 2010/11 petition to stand up for our united belief that kids need better food at school and better health prospects - THANK YOU! We're so grateful for your support, and delighted you all agree action needs to be taken. YOU HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE. With your support, this uprising led to a truly global movement, with the launch of Food Revolution Day in 2012. The same year the Ambassador Programme was also launched -  a growing group of thousands of passionate volunteers in over 100 countries. It has also grown an active, empowered and noisy community online and put pressure on leaders who can help us create positive change and begin to reverse the obesity epidemic through improved food education, food quality and security. While the Food Revolution has continued to grow, we've still got work to do. With 42 million children across the world under the age of five either overweight or obese, the next generation will live shorter lives than their parents if nothing is done to rectify these alarming statistics. That's why for this Food Revolution Day Jamie has launched a global petition calling on leaders and governments of the G20 to make practical food education compulsory at school. It's essential that we arm future generations with the life skills they urgently need in order to lead healthier, happier, more productive lives and we passionately believe that it is every child's human right. Food education will make a difference to the lives of the next generation. So please continue your support by signing this petition and sharing change.org/jamieoliver on facebook and twitter to help spread the word, we can't do it without you. SIGN JAMIE'S FOOD REVOLUTION DAY PETITION We've already gathered an amazing 600,000 signatures from over 160 countries, but to create a movement powerful enough to force all G20 governments to take action, we need to get to millions! Thank you very much for your support. @FoodRev | Facebook Food Revolution Community     Share your images and stories with us! #FoodRevolutionDay

FHS girls lacrosse tops Medfield

From Hockomock Sports we find that the FHS girls Lacrosse team won a close one against Medfield on Friday.


Franklin, 8 @ Medfield, 7 - Final 

FHS Panthers

Julia Jette and Sheelagh Walsh each scored a pair of goals to help Franklin clip Medfield. Nicole Ellin, Emily Jeffries and Julianne Pisani all played well in the midfield according to head coach Kristin Igoe and combined for seven draw controls. Sam Jones was strong on defense, Igoe said, with two ground balls and five caused turnovers. Dani Lonati finished with seven saves in net.

Results from Friday's action around the Hockomock League can be found here
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/hockomock-schedule-scoreboard-041015

Annual Franklin Post 75 and Medway Post 367 Scholarship Run - Jun 20

The Annual Franklin Post 75 and Medway Post 367 Scholarship Run will be held at Medway High School on Saturday, June 20, 2015. 

We are currently seeking sponsors and donations. Please mark your calendar and stay tuned for more details including instructions on how to register.

If you have any questions or would like to be a sponsor or make a donation, please contact Kim Leone at Franklin Post 75 or Doug Wahl at Medway Post 367.

screen grab of American Legion Post 75 webpage

To register for the 5 mile race, click on the link below.

Link to Registration page

or download the form from here

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczM2M3cnZmRUZTTkd0X012X1VOUUwwMkphdTVv/view?usp=sharing

Franklin Library: Tech Talk - Learn to Program

Every Saturday from 3:00 - 4:00 PM, there will be sessions on learning to program. Today's topic is basic programing with HTML and Java script

Tech Talk: Learn to Program

This was shared from the Library page here
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2015/04/tech-talk-learn-to-program.html

Rep Roy: What's happening in the district - March 2015 newsletter

This is our regularly monthly newsletter. If you are not yet a subscriber, you can get on our email list by clicking here. View this email in your browser Facebook Twitter Website Email Manufacturing Roundtable Our Second Annual Manufacturing Roundtable was a great success and addressed the economic renaissance of this industry in Massachusetts. It also highlighted some of the good work that is being done at Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School to bolster efforts to aid the manufacturers and students. Beyond the many manufacturers in attendance, the group included US Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy III, Secretary of Housing & Economic Development Jay Ash, members of the energy community, Rick Lord of the Associated Industries of MA, Tri-County Superintendent Steve Dockray, and Franklin's Bob Vozzella, a manufacturing instructor. Vozzella introduced the Center for Manufacturing Excellence which trains young and old to excel in the advanced manufacturing field. Manufacturing is vitally important to the Massachusetts economy. It is the sixth largest employment sector here, and is helping to lead us out of the recession. In our state, manufacturing contributes to more than 10 percent of gross state product (GSP). Over the next five years, manufacturing establishments are expected to expand their employment by an estimated 65 percent. In order to sustain this growth, however, we need to develop a strong nexus between educational and training opportunities and the specialized worker skills required by these companies to ultimately succeed. Events like this show how government, industry, and school officials can work in harmony to create great programs, introduce opportunities for our citizens, and address the skills gap. Sexting bill filed Rep. Roy has filed legislation aimed at changing the way the state prosecutes teenagers charged with "sexting." The legislation provides additional tools to police departments to deal with teen sexting. Current law provides police with a limited ability to react as officers must either charge teens with a felony or nothing. Felony charges can have life altering repercussions to those involved. This bill adds a new section that allows police to charge teens with a noncriminal offense or misdemeanor and also provides for educational opportunities and/or counseling to address the transmission of indecent visual depictions by teens. Rep. Roy worked with his colleagues and Franklin Police Officer Jason Reilly to craft the bill. He also worked with professors from Bridgewater State University and the University of Colorado to develop the bill's educational and diversion components. To view the text of the bill, click here. For the Milford Daily News report on the legislation, click here. Fare relief for commuters Public transit riders will see free access to the MBTA and the commuter rail for one day, while corporate and other passholders will see a 15 percent discount for one month, under a $5 million plan that state officials approved in March. The plan, passed unanimously by the board of directors of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the MBTA, seeks to make amends for a stretch of poor performance on the MBTA and the commuter rail as the public transit system endured a battery of winter storms. The fare-free day will be Friday, April 24, according to an MBTA spokesman. The 15 percent discount is expected to take place during the month of May. Ladybug on Chronicle WCVB's Chronicle was on hand in Franklin to capture the story and ran a segment on the ladybug. You can view it by clicking here. It's right after the bit about the State polka. "Forty years ago, that second grade class got the ultimate civics lesson and had a direct hand in legislating," said Representative Jeffrey Roy. "It was fun to honor the students and their efforts." Best Buddies dodgeball tourney set for May 3 On May 3, 2015, the Third Annual Best Buddies Dodgeball Tournament will take place at Horace Mann Middle School in Franklin, MA.  Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization focused on incorporating people with intellectual and developmental disabilities into our communities and to provide them with friendships and employment opportunities. The Franklin school system has four organized Best Buddies chapters. The money raised during this fundraiser will go back into these chapters to continue to fund these vital programs. The Dodgeball Tournament is for teams of six of all ages and will include music, prizes, a raffle, and a silent auction. At the tournament there will be double elimination dodgeball games for the different age groups, silent auction items, raffles, prizes, food, drinks, bake sale, and music. Each divisional champion will receive a prize, and the team with the best uniform will also win a prize.  Fliers and registration forms can be found on this Facebook event link which you can view by clicking here. Medway and Franklin receive road funds Rep. Roy joined his colleagues in the House of Representatives  to authorize $200 million for local road and bridge repairs, passing legislation before April 1st so that municipalities can take full advantage of the construction season. Chapter 90 funds may be used for roadway projects, such as resurfacing, drainage, sidewalks, traffic control and lighting, or road building machinery, equipment and tools. The bill includes $944,408 for Franklin, and Medway would receive $402,433. The Chapter 90 formula takes miles of road, population and employment statistics into consideration. After a particularly harsh winter, this funding package and the timing of it is welcome news to communities across Massachusetts, including Franklin and Medway. This robust local funding is critical to the safety of our residents and economic well-being of our cities and towns, and these dollars will help get our roads back in shape. The House has been a longstanding champion of Chapter 90 and other local aid programs. This legislation follows the release of $100 million in Chapter 90 funds by Governor Baker which had been previously allocated by the Legislature but not yet approved. And the amount is in addition to a separate $30 million 'Winter Recovery" fund released by the Baker administration specifically for pothole repair. Copyright © 2015 State Rep Jeff Roy, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you either contacted our office or indicated you wanted to keep updated on the 10th Norfolk District and things going on at the State House. Our mailing address is: State Rep Jeff Roy State House Room 134 Boston, MA 02133 Add us to your address book

Upcoming Events in Franklin, MA Area: FRI 4/10/15 - THU 4/16/15

FRI 4/10   1:30pm   Adult Coffee and Craft: Bath Salts at Franklin Public Library
FRI 4/10   2:10pm-7pm   Cut-A-Thon and Style-A-Thon Fundraiser at Tri-County RVTHS
FRI 4/10   7-10pm   Chad Larrivee Fundraiser at Elks Lodge in Franklin
FRI 4/10   7:30pm   Ayla Brown at The Black Box 
FRI 4/10   8-9:50pm   Frozen Friday DJ Public Skate at Pirelli Arena

SAT 4/11   8am   New England Family History Conference at 91 Jordan Road, Franklin
SAT 4/11   8am-12pm   Recycling Event - Bottles, Cans, Appliances, Electronics  at Elks Lodge
SAT 4/11   8-11am   Spring Cleaning Fundrasier - Car Wash, Book Drive, Clothing Drive and Bottle and Can Drive at Parmenter Elementary School
SAT 4/11   3:00 - 4:00pm Tech Talk - Basic HTML coding at the Franklin Library
SAT 4/11   4:30-6:30pm   Student Art Show at Franklin Art Center
SAT 4/11   8pm   Cheryl Wheeler Concert at Circle of Friends Coffeehouse

SUN 4/12   1-4pm   Antique Appraisal Day at Franklin Historical Museum
SUN 4/12   1-3pm   Zentangle at Franklin Art Center (call to reserve your spot)
SUN 4/12   2:30 - 3:30pm - Zinio Hands on Workshop - Franklin Library
SUN 4/12   3pm   FREE Opera for Kids: Alice in Wonderland at The Black Box (call to reserve a seat)
SUN 4/12   3:30pm   LiveARTS Concert: String Quartet at FUSF, 262 Chestnut Street, Franklin

MON 4/13   4-7pm   Kindergarten Registration at Horace Mann Middle School

TUE 4/14   9:30am   Giving Youth Sports Back to Our Kids - Franklin TV at 23 Hutchinson St. is looking for audience
TUE 4/14   6:30-8:30pm   Flower Design - Mixed Arrangement, Hillside Nurseries/Lifelong Learning (registration required)
TUE 4/14   7:00pm  Dean Leadership Institute - Jerry Sargent, Citizens Bank
TUE 4/14   7:30pm   Franklin and Bellingham Rail Trail Committee’s monthly meeting at the Franklin YMCA - public welcome!

WED 4/15   12-2pm   Adult Painting at Franklin Art Center
WED 4/15   4-7pm   Kindergarten Registration at Horace Mann Middle School
WED 4/15   7pm   Free Franklin SEPAC Workshop: The Movement of Imperfection with Authors of “Shut Up About Your Perfect Kid” at Horace Mann MS

THU 4/16   4pm   Lego Mania Club at Franklin Public Library (ages 3-12)
THU 4/16   6:30-8:30pm   Open Mic Night at The Cake Bar - Free admission, acoustic and a cappella performers welcome
THU 4/16   7-8:30pm   Vegetable garden Basics and more - Franklin HS (register via Lifelong Learning)
THU 4/16   7:30pm   2nd Atlantic Bridge Pipeline Meeting at FUSF, 262 Chestnut Street

For all the Town of Franklin Public Meetings click HERE.

For event details click HERE.

*If you have any suggestions or events for the calendar, please email Renata@BetterLivingRE.com

Horace Mann Day - May 3

The Franklin Historical Commission will celebrate 'Horace Mann Day' on Sunday, May 3, 2015 with a special presentation, HORACE MANN AND HIS WORLD, featuring writer and commentator Peter Golden.


Franklin's most famous son, Mann was a lawyer, politician, abolitionist,  the first Secretary of Education and is most often referred to as the 'Father of Education'.  The museum will unveil the Horace Mann exhibit, which will become
a permanent exhibit.


Invitations are going out to History and Social Study teachers in town.  The public is invited to attend the lecture and enjoy refreshments, including birthday cake in celebration of Mann's Birthday, which falls on Monday, May 4th.

Peter Golden

The Franklin Historical Museum is located at 80 West Central Street, Franklin, and is open 

• Sunday 1:00PM-4:00PM, 
• Thursday 5:00PM-8:00PM 
• Saturdays 10:00AM-1:00PM  

The museum is handicap accessible.

LiveARTS String Quartet - Sunday - Apr 12 - 3:30pm

Our season’s climax and finale is presented by our own LiveARTS String Quartet. Six seasons ago LiveARTS learned about a group of four immensely talented string players who had been playing together but had not yet given a public performance as an ensemble. 

They were enthusiastically invited to share their artistry on the LiveARTS series of Sunday concerts. So special was the mix of musical talent and insight in this premiere performance that a permanent identity was inevitable: LiveARTS immediately offered its name and a residence haven so that this group would continue. And continue it has--appearing every season since. 

The LiveARTS audience has taken this ensemble to its heart, enjoying profoundly some exquisite performances that have approached the pinnacle of chamber artistry.

LiveARTS String Quarter (LiveARTS image)

All Concerts on Sundays, 3:30 pm at the 

Meetinghouse of the First Universalist Society in 

Franklin, 262 Chestnut Street

Doors open at 3 pm. Open Seating. Handicapped accessible.

Additional inforamtion including ticket pricing can be found at http://liveartsma.org/

New Hope 5K & Family Fun Walk - June 6

Event Information:

The New Hope 5K and Family Fun Walk is a community celebration of healthy lifestyles, healthy relationships and healthy communities.

When: 

Saturday, June 6^th, 2015

Where: 

Remington/Jefferson School – 628 Washington Street Franklin, MA 02038

Time:

• 7:45 am Registration opens 
• 9:00 am 5K Race Starts 
• 9:00 am Family Health Fair 
• 9:30 am Family Fun Walk Starts 
• 10:30 am Awards

new hope 5K and family fun walk

Website:

www.new-hope.org

Registration:

http://www.active.com/franklin-ma/running/distance-running-races/new-hope-5k-and-family-fun-walk-2015