Upcoming Events in Franklin, MA Area: FRI 8/14/15 - THU 8/20/15

FRIDAY 8/14/15
12-6pm   Franklin Farmers Market at The Town Common
6-10pm   Feast of St. Rocco
6-10pm   St. Mary’s Annual Bone Marrow Drive
6:30pm   Art Night Uncorked at Franklin Art Center
8-9:50pm   Frozen Friday DJ Public Skate at Pirelli Arena

SATURDAY 8/15/15
9am-4pm   Book Sale with DPW Touch a Truck at Franklin Public Library
10am   Giant Games on The Lawn at Franklin Public Library
11am-11pm   Feast of St. Rocco
12-10pm   St. Mary’s Annual Bone Marrow Drive

SUNDAY 8/16/15
8:30am   Franklin Yoga and Wellness: SUP Yoga on Beaver Pond
9am-12pm   Bag Sale at Franklin Public Library
12-9pm   Feast of St. Rocco
12-9pm   St. Mary’s Annual Bone Marrow Drive

MONDAY 8/17/15
1pm   Drop In Craft at Franklin Public Library

TUESDAY 8/18/15
10:30am   Get Ready For Kindergarten (ages 3-5) at Franklin Public Library

WEDNESDAY 8/19/15
10:30am   Terrific Toddlers at Franklin Public Library
4pm   Animal World Experience - Wild Heroes at Franklin Public Library

THURSDAY 8/20/15
10:30am   Story and Craft (ages 3-6) at Franklin Public Library
3pm   Memory Cafe for Caregivers and their Loved Ones at Franklin Senior Center

For all the Town of Franklin Public Meetings click HERE.

For event details click HERE.

For FPL Summer Programs details click HERE.

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

Gearing up for the opening of school

The School Committee met on Tuesday, the first of their two meetings this month. Much of the meeting concerned preparations for the opening of schools later this month.

Summary:

• New administrators for high school introduced (B Redding and C Williams present. M Weber and L Markiesian will come to a future meeting)
• New Director of Student Services,  Debbie Dickson
• Handbooks for all schools reviewed and approved, they'll be posted to school website on Friday
• School calendar survey results released and discussed. Overall a 55.6% response rate (81% from parents and 23% from faculty). No significant changes to current process for now.
• Reorganization of Instructional Services position with recognition that the demands of the position have changed so the "Director of Instructional Services” position was eliminated and replaced with an “Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning” position. Joyce Edwards held the former and was appointed to the new position.
• Among the action items was the formal acceptance of the "donation of a panther statue from the Graci Family for FHS." 
• Student placement letters (i.e. teacher assignments) are scheduled to go out Aug 21; students are still enrolling and there are teachers still be hired.
• On Friday the bus routes will be posted along with a document on how bus stops are chosen. There is a formal method with detailed criteria that will be posted to the website. 

Franklin High School

The notes from the live reporting done during the School Committee meeting can be found here:

• Live reporting: Information matters through to clo...
• Live reporting: Action Items
• Live reporting: Discussion Only Items
• Franklin Public Schools: Calendar Survey Results
• Live Reporting: School Committee - Aug 11, 2015
• Franklin, MA: School Committee - Agenda - Aug 11, ...

FSPA Summer Theater presents: Disney’s High School Musical

A record-breaking, chart-topping pop culture phenomenon, High School Musical is family friendly and full of fun! Based on the wildly popular 2006 Disney Channel original movie musical written by Peter Barsocchini, the stage version features the hit songs “We’re All in This Together,” “Bop to the Top,” “Start of Something New,” and “Get’cha Head in the Game.” 

With high energy and winning style, the movie’s memorable characters come to life, as star athlete, Troy, falls for brainy beauty, Gabriella, the new girl at fictional East High. When the two audition for lead roles in their high school musical, they threaten the status quo and divide the school’s social cliques. 

Along the long the way, these jocks, brainiacs, thespians, and skater dudes teach us about first love, peer pressure, and the importance of breaking free of others’ expectations and learning to be true to yourself.

FSPA Summer Theater presents: Disney’s High School Musical

FSPA Summer Theater presents: Disney's High School Musical

Today at 7:30pm

THE BLACK BOX, 15 West Central Street, Franklin, MA 02038

Tickets are available via THE BLACK BOX online

Franklin Library: Book Sale, Touch a Truck, and Giant Games

So the month of August has rolled around, summer is almost over, and there is another Library Book Sale. This one has a "Touch a Truck" opportunity along with it and on the front lawn of the Library there are Giant Games!

Franklin Library - Book Sale

Franklin Library - Giant Games

These were shared from the Franklin Library page here
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2015/08/blog-post_13.html

and here
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2015/08/blog-post_25.html

In the News: let's laugh class, modulars removed, handbooks approved

The First Universalist Society in Franklin, 262 Chestnut St., will host a laughter yoga class from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 28. 

Laughter yoga is a body and mind practice for well-being that involves deep breathing and a few stretches, clapping, deep relaxation and playful laughter exercises that do not include jokes or comedy. 

Any age and any level of physical ability can participate, and the class will take place in the meetinghouse of the church. Attendees are asked to bring a bottle of water and to contribute a $5 donation to the church for the class. There is a $10 maximum per family. 

Led by certified laughter yoga teachers, Linda and Bill Hamaker. For more information: 508-660-2223, billandlinda@letslaughtoday.com. 

See other opportunities to laugh at letslaughtoday.com.

http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150813/NEWS/150818191/1994/NEWS

The Milford Daily News

Those passing by the Davis Thayer Elementary School recently might have noticed something different - or something missing. 

The town has recently removed two modular classroom units that had been on the school's front lawn, leaving a newly-seeded field in their place. 

Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski said the units had been there for some time - at least a decade. 

"It was a period of increased enrollment - Franklin schools pretty much doubled," she said. "There were modular classrooms at the Kennedy, Parmenter, Oak Street and Davis Thayer schools."

Continue reading the article in the Milford Daily News (subscription may be required) http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150813/NEWS/150817867/1994/NEWS

The Franklin School Committee reviewed and approved school handbooks this week as it prepares for the beginning of the upcoming school year. 

Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski said at Tuesday's committee meeting that the district had made it a policy to review the handbooks yearly. 

Assistant Superintendent Sally Winslow said, while the handbooks contain the district's overall policies and procedures, a substantial amount of work had been to ensure the documents reflect each school's culture. 

"We've been doing this for three years," she said. "It's pretty seamless, I'd say." 

One addition, Winslow said, was including information about suicide awareness in the middle school and high school handbooks.

Continue reading the article in the Milford Daily News (subscription may be required) http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150813/NEWS/150817863/1994/NEWS

Live reporting: SAFE Community meeting

My live reporting from the FHS auditorium on Wednesday evening was via Twitter which I then captured to include other tweets with the same tag. Thanks to the others using the tag (#opioidFranklin). You'll see the results below.

Summary:

1. Opioid addiction is a complicated issue
2. There are genetic components as well as environmental
3. The body loves to adapt to the world, this adaption creates addiction
4. Undoing the addiction takes time
5. The earlier treatment is applied, and the more support there is for the individual, the more likely they will recover
6. There are two support meetings weekly in Franklin,  we need more
7. There are health insurance issues to be worked, the DA has started that conversation
8. The whole body approach is necessary for success
9. This is a community issue and the community can solve this
10. There is hope, it will take work and time

Click through to Storify to see the full listing or scroll with the inner bar.

Random Smile Project: Wiffleball Tourney - Saturday, Aug 22

Random Smile Project 

Wiffleball Tourney 

Sat Aug 22 

Fletcher Field

Register your team at randomsmile.org

rec division champs

The official rules for the tournament can be found here http://www.randomsmile.org/wiffle/tournament/official-rules

or download a PDF copy here http://www.randomsmile.org/wiffle/images/pdf/wiffleball-rules-2015.pdf