Sunday, January 11, 2015

FPS: Special Education Update

The presentation released for discussion at the Franklin (MA) School Committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Jan 13, 2015.




The full agenda for the School Committee meeting can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/01/franklin-ma-school-committee-agenda-jan.html


screen grab of Pupil Personnel Services page
screen grab of Pupil Services page


For additional information on the Pupil Personnel Services, you can visit their webpage here
http://franklindistrict.vt-s.net/Pages/FranklinDistrict_PupilServices/index

FPS: School Calendar for 2015 - 2016 DRAFT Only

One of the documents released for the School Committee meeting on Tuesday, Jan 13, 2015 is the draft calendar for the next school year.

You can view the calendar here





community entrance to Franklin High School
community entrance to Franklin High School
The full agenda for the School Committee meeting can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/01/franklin-ma-school-committee-agenda-jan.html


FHS boys basketball tops Mansfield at TD Garden

The FHS basketball and hockey teams had games on Saturday. The girls hockey team lost while the other three teams won according to the results from Hockomock Sports

While most Franklinites were likely watching the Patriots, the FHS boys basketball team beat Mansfield on the parquet floor at the TD Garden.


Girls Basketball

Franklin, 58 @ New Bedford, 19 - Final


Boys Hockey

Foxboro, 1 @ Franklin, 10 - Final - Foxboro's Gus Herlihy scored the Warriors' lone goal.

Girls Hockey

Franklin, 0 @ Medway, 3 - Final
FHS benchreactsto the game - Hockomock Sports photo by Josh Perry
FHS benchreactsto the game - Hockomock Sports photo by Josh Perry
Additional results from Hockomock League action on Saturday can be found here
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/hockomock-schedule-scoreboard-011015


Game of the Week - Boys Basketball

Mansfield, 54 vs. Franklin, 57- Final (@ TD Garden) - Dylan Reno scored nine of his 14 points in the fourth quarter to help Franklin come back from 49-44 to go on a 13-2 run to take control in the final minutes. Tim Prunier led the Panthers with 17 points and had four assists, Shawn Hanley had 13 points, and Marcus Geise finished with 10 points and nine rebounds. Mansfield was led by Ryan Boulter with 13 points (nine in the third) and seven rebounds. Michael Boen had 12 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists, and Nicholas Baskin scored 11 points.

An extended write up of the game against Mansfield can be found here
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/late-run-helps-franklin-edge-mansfield-at-td-garden

Including Hockomock Sports photos of the game here
http://hockomocksports.smugmug.com/Franklin-Mansfield-Boys/

You can volunteer to help run Franklin


The Town of Franklin is looking for Members for the following committees: If you are interested in becoming a member, please complete the attached form and return the Town Administrator's Office.

Conservation    Conservation Commission 
Cultural Council        Cultural Council 
Disabilities Commission 
Municipal Affordable Housing Trust - Contact Maxine Kinhart 508-520-4949 
Zoning Board of Appeals - Associate Member      ZBA

screen grab of Franklin webpage with town committee openings
screen grab of Franklin webpage with town committee openings


The application form can be found here
http://www.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_News/01E3B9EF-000F8513.0/TOWN%20OF%20FRANKLIN%20VOLUNTEER%20FORM.pdf

BFCCPS Information Sessions Scheduled


The Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School (BFCCPS) has scheduled two events at the school

  • one on January 22nd from 6-8pm 
  • one on February 7th from 10am to noon 

Both events at BFCCPS will include building tours and an arts showcase


They will also offer information sessions 
  • at the Bellingham Public Library on January 27th from 6-8pm 
  • at the Milford Town Library on February 5th from 6-8pm


BFCCPS school sign
BFCCPS school sign

The BFCCPS brochure can be reviewed and downloaded from here



Hockomock Y: Winter Wonderland - Jan 16


The Hockomock Area YMCA invites area families to enjoy a free Winter Wonderland evening event on Friday, January 16th from 6:30pm-8:00pm at its Bernon Family Branch (45 Forge Hill Road, Franklin), Invensys Foxboro Branch (67 Mechanic Street, Foxboro) and North Attleboro Branch (300 Elmwood Street, North Attleboro). 
This free family community event offers lots of interactive winter games, activities and crafts for members and non-members alike. Some of the activities at our North Attleboro Branch include ‘snowman dress’ relays, S’more making, and Face Painting as well a dinner option for a nominal cost. 
Some of the Bernon Family Branch activities will include Ana’s Hot Chocolate station, winter freeze dance party, and journey through the ice tower. Some of the activities at our Invensys Foxboro Branch will include a bouncy house, winter games, music, crafts, and a dinner option for a nominal cost. 
These are just a few of the fun activities planned at our annual Winter Wonderland, an event sure to express the beauty and magic of winter.  
For more information, call 508-695-7001 (North Attleboro Branch); 508-543-2523 (Foxboro Branch); and 508-528-8707 (Franklin Branch) or visit our website at www.hockymca.org.

Winter Wonderland - Jan 16
Winter Wonderland - Jan 16

About the Hockomock Area YMCA

We believe that lasting personal and social change can only come about when we work together to invest in our kids, our health, and our neighbors. That’s why, at the Y, strengthening community is our cause. Every day, we work side by side with our neighbors in our community to make sure that everyone, regardless of age, income or background, has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. Reach Out for Youth & Families is our annual support campaign to provide a YMCA experience to more than 15,000 local children and families in need.

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Representative Roy Host’s Franklin Economic Development Meeting


On Tuesday, January 10, 2015 Massachusetts State Representative Jeffrey Roy (D - Franklin) hosted a Life Sciences Development Meeting in Franklin, MA. Local biotechnology companies, Franklin town officials and members of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center joined the discussion about the opportunities within the Life Sciences Industry, the potential for future development within the region and what Franklin has already done to successfully attract and retain life science companies. 
Cornerstones of Life Sciences Industry range from pharmaceuticals and medical devices to diagnostics and biotechnology. Thanks to its world-class academic institutions and medical centers, its talented and innovated workforce and its industry-sector leading companies, Massachusetts has firmly established itself as a global leader in the Life Sciences and has fully committed the state's economic well-being to the development and advancement of these Industries. 

"Franklin has positioned itself well to attract life science businesses to the area," said Representative Roy "In 2014 its BioReady ranking was elevated from Gold to Platinum signifying Franklin's readiness to work with biotechnology companies interested in locating in the area. On top of that, it has great schools and reasonable housing prices, making it a great place to live, work and raise a family." 
"Franklin has been the perfect community for growing my start up business to the point of having close to a hundred employees," said Dr. Gregory Chiklis, President and CEO of Franklin's ZeptoMetrix Corporation. "It has been due to the support and resources available to me in Franklin that we have been able to grow ZeptoMetrix." 
"The Life Sciences are the fastest growing industry sectors in Massachusetts," said Susan Windham-Bannister, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, the agency charged with implementing the state's ten-year, $1 billion Life Sciences Initiative. 
"All regions across the state and workers at all skill levels are benefiting as the life sciences ecosystem continues to grow and thrive. We are excited about Representative Roy's efforts to bring leaders together to discuss strategies for regional life sciences growth in and around Franklin, and we look forward to a continued partnership in those efforts." 
 "I am very excited that Rep. Roy brought together this group of educators, government officials and industry leaders to shine a light on all that Franklin has to offer to biotech and other businesses," said Attorney Michael Doherty of Doherty, Ciechanowski, Dugan & Cannon, P.C.
"I am hopeful that we will be able to encourage businesses to locate to one of our industrial parks in Franklin."  Doherty, Ciechanowski, Dugan & Cannon, P.C.  is a firm that represents local business in Franklin and surrounding communities." 
"As Chief Medical Officer of a well-established Boston biotechnology company, I believe that Franklin offers all the attributes and ingredients to create a dynamic and vibrant environment for the development of innovative treatments to address unmet medical needs of patients," said Dr. Michael Sabolinski, founder of Sabolinski, LLC.  
"Among these are access to medical centers of excellence, key opinion leaders in multiple therapeutic areas, and experts in clinical research. I look forward to the growth of biotechnology in Franklin, and am excited about the opportunities that the town presents for both start up and well established Companies." 
"It was wonderful that Representative Roy brought the players to the table to help jumpstart Franklin's efforts in economic development and the life sciences," said Jeff Nutting, Franklin Town Administrator. 
"I would like to thank Rep. Roy for putting together the life sciences meeting. He and our Town Administrator Jeff Nutting are doers and put together an excellent program," said Robert Vallee, Franklin Town Council's Chair. "I look forward to getting the entire Town Council involved in the discussion and pursuing this issue as hard as we can." 
"Franklin has done much to attract a higher level of commercial and industrial investment to our industrial areas, including creation of priority development sites and economic development areas, and streamlining of permitting processes for biotechnology uses," said Bryan Taberner, Franklin's Director of Planning and Community Development. "The Town currently contains a cluster of life sciences companies, including bio-storage, robotics, medical devices and instrumentation, and biotechnology.  I look forward to working with Representative Roy to attract additional life science companies to this great community." 
"What sets Franklin apart from many communities is the collaboration and commitment of all stakeholders," said Maureen Sabolinski, Superintendent of Schools "Our elected and town officials work in concert with business and higher education to meet the needs of our community members and always strive to improve all public services. The shared sense of community enables stakeholder to establish a shared vision and mission." 
With Massachusetts as a foundation, Franklin's attractiveness for business development has created a unique opportunity to provide positive economic growth, help advance the development of the Life Sciences and benefit the global community.