Franklin School For The Performing Arts Hosts Open Houses

Franklin School for the Performing Arts (FSPA) will hold back-to-school Open Houses for prospective students and families on Monday, September 19 and Thursday, September 29 from 4-8 p.m. at 38 Main Street in downtown Franklin. The community is invited to tour the facilities, speak with faculty and staff, and learn more about FSPA programs in music, dance, and drama. Prospective students are also encouraged to try a complimentary class.

FSPA

Founded in 1985 by Director Raye Lynn Mercer, FSPA has been dedicated to the enjoyment of the arts for all ages and to the artistic growth and development of young people. The school provides an extraordinary faculty of artist-teachers and a nurturing environment where students grow skills for the stage and for life. FSPA offers extensive classes in all dance disciplines, acting, musical theater, voice, and instrumental instruction, whether for recreational enjoyment or serious study. FSPA is also home to the Little Music School, an innovative program that teaches children as young as 18 months to play the piano.

A year-round calendar of performing opportunities features musicals, plays, voice and instrumental recitals, opera scenes, chamber ensembles, acoustic coffee houses, musical theater showcases, summer theater productions, ballet and dance company performances, and the school’s signature Spring Concert. THE BLACK BOX, the home of the Franklin Performing Arts Company (FPAC), is located just behind the school and provides a professional venue for FSPA student productions. Many FSPA students also participate, by audition, in FPAC’s annual season of shows.

Registration is ongoing. Beginners are welcome and encouraged. For more information, including fall class schedule and catalogue, call (508) 528-8668 or visit online at www.FSPAonline.com.

"find candidates that fit the leadership role"

"The School Committee will likely engage a superintendent search firm this week as it prepares for the retirement of its current district leader, Maureen Sabolinski. 

The committee will meet Tuesday and hear from James Hardy of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC), which has offered its services. It is slated to consider awarding a contract to either MASC or one of the two other search firms (the New England School Development Council (NESDEC) and the ECRA Group it has already interviewed. 

District officials have said they are looking to move quickly to find a new superintendent to replace Sabolinski, who announced in July that she would be retiring at the end of this school year. Sabolinski has spent 32 years in education, serving the last seven years as superintendent."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160912/franklin-school-committee-set-to-select-search-firm

• Meeting notes from the 8/23/16 meeting can be found here

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/08/school-committee-begins-search-process.html

• Agenda for the Tuesday, Sep 13 meeting

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/09/franklin-ma-school-committee-sep-13-2016.html

Davis Thayer Elementary School

YMCA’s Youth Soccer and Fall T-ball Enrollment Opens

The Y is a great place to learn to love a sport and the upcoming youth sports season mean kids can have fun outdoors, while taking advantage of the best time of year to live (and be active outdoors) in New England. Try soccer or t-ball and be part of Team YMCA.

girl playing T ball

YMCA sports leagues emphasize skill development and the importance of good sportsmanship. Everyone plays and learns. A team sports shirt is provided with registration. A family event will also be included to end the season in celebration of all athletes.

The Hockomock Area YMCA is accepting registrations by calling 508-528-8708 or registering online (members) at hockymca.org/franklin. For a small fee, non-members can also participate at the program member rate (must register in person).

Soccer players will develop and improve fundamentals like dribbling, passing and kicking. Those enrolled in T-ball will develop baseball skills that include catching, throwing and hitting. All leagues are run in a positive and structured environment to ensure every child has fun and thrives.

boys on the soccer field

Season runs: Saturdays, September 17 – November 5, 2016.

Soccer – coed teams will meet at the Y as follows: Ages 3-4, 9:00-10:00 am; ages 5-6, 10:10–11:10 am; ages 7-10, 11:20 am – 12:20 pm.

T-ball – coed teams will meet at the Y as follows: Ages 3-4, 12:30-1:30 pm; ages 5-6, 1:40–2:40 pm.


Cost is $99 for members or $149 for program members. For more information, visit hockymca.org/franklin.

Bernon Family YMCA: 45 Forge Hill Road Franklin, 508-528-8708 | Sports Director: Jeff Moore 774-235-2720, jeffm@hockymca.org.

About Hockomock Area YMCA:

Where Cause Meets Community. At the Hockomock Area YMCA, strengthening community is our cause. The Hockomock Area YMCA is an organization of men, women, and children sharing a commitment to nurture the potential of kids, promote healthy living, and foster a sense of social responsibility.

Our YMCA is committed to partnering and collaborating with others to create and deliver lasting personal and social change in the 15 communities we are privileged to serve. The Hockomock Area YMCA is a not-for-profit charitable cause-driven organization with facilities in North Attleboro, Foxboro, Franklin, and Mansfield. For more information visit hockymca.org.

From FHS to Endicott, Anderson continues to help

"In May, Endicott senior defensive tackle Craig Anderson became the fifth recipient of the Jack Daly Award for Academics, Citizenship and Football. The award was presented to Anderson by the Eastern Mass. Chapter of the National Football Foundation to honor his outstanding play on the gridiron, in the classroom, and in the community. 

It was the last part that really struck home for Anderson, a Franklin High alum. 

Speaking the day before Endicott opened its 2016 season against Framingham State, he explained, “I always, when I can, try to give back to the community because there’s always people less fortunate than you. When the coaches talk about different community service opportunities, I try to get involved in as many as I can.” 

Anderson began volunteering and developed his passion for community service in the peer leadership group at Franklin High. The students raised money every holiday season to buy gifts for young people in need in the community. The peer leaders would deliver the gifts and saw the joy that it created to do something good for someone else."

Read the complete article by Hockomock Sports.Com Managing Editor Josh Perry
https://hockomocksports.com/anderson-a-leader-on-and-off-the-field-at-endicott/

Senior defensive lineman Craig Anderson was honored for his commitment to football, the classroom, and community service at Endicott. (Courtesy of Endicott College Athletics)

“We can move forward with our business – that of educating our kids.”

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

"Returning to classrooms across the state and region, students have been busy adjusting to the leadership styles of their new teachers – a process many of those same educators have also recently undergone with the leadership in their district. 

During the past decade, an average of 55 to 65 school superintendents leave their post each year in Massachusetts. Tom Scott, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, said most school chiefs leave their position to take another superintendency in the state or retire."

...

"In Franklin, Maureen Sabolinski has served as superintendent for the past eight years. Prior to that, she spent four years as the assistant superintendent and five as the director of special education and student services. 

Due to her vast experience in the district, Sabolinski, who is retiring at the end of the year, called her transition to the superintendency “seamless.” 

“The work we had been doing as a district continued and under my tenure we continued to evolve to strengthen and expand our academic programs and offer unique opportunities for students in academics, the arts, socially and in athletics,” said Sabolinski."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160911/superintendent-turnover-high-across-state

Left to Right: Asst Superintendent Peter Light, Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski, Business Director Miriam Goodman, Asst Superintendent for Teaching and LEarning Joyce Edwards

The Franklin (MA) School Committee agenda for Tuesday includes the discussion on the search process to replace Superintendent Sabolinski. The most recent meeting heard from two firms and their search proposals. The third candidate search firm is scheduled to present on Tuesday.

• More about the Superintendent search from the prior meeting

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/08/school-committee-begins-search-process.html

• Tuesday (9/13/16) meeting agenda

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/09/franklin-ma-school-committee-sep-13-2016.html

Recap of Town Council meeting Sep 7, 2016

The Town Council meeting of Wednesday, Sep 7 is recapped as follows:

Single person appointments were made to the Conservation Commission and Citizens Advisory Committee

Liquor license suspensions to be served by Acapulco's and Joe's American Bar and Grill for one day each with two days held in abeyance for three years.

Acapulco's

• Acapulco's will not serve liquor on Wednesday, Sep 14.
• Joe's will not serve on liquor Thursday, Sep 15

Joe's American Bar and Grill

Liquor license transfers for Longhorn Steakhouse and 99 Restaurant were approved

School Dude which already is used by the Town for their facility work order system is also being piloted for their preventive maintenance planning tool. The application sounds really slick and easy to use. It does depend upon and inventory of the facility infrastructure (heater, lighting fixtures, etc.). There is likely to be a proposal to expand the pilot with a full rollout as part of the capital budget planning for FY 2018.

The prior Charter commission and committee reports were reviewed with leadership of the prior efforts present to answer questions. Bottom line: some of the Town Council are upset with the lack of say they have in the direct hiring process for certain personnel within the Town. This is a slippery slope. As a legislative body, they should only hire the Town Administrator and approve of the key departmental appointments (as they do today). To do otherwise, would change their role from the legislative body to one of being active in day-to-day operations and in so doing, create additional liabilities for the individual councilors. The easier solution since addressing this via the Charter is not really practical, would be to simply address the issue via better communications. Better communications is something the Council should do all around. They have occasionally made improvements but there is a whole lot of room to work with.

The Pine St legal claim was approved for settlement. A complicated issue whereby many years ago, a property was taken for tax tile by the Town which was eventually taken to court and by this agreement finally resolved.

Ribbon cutting of the new downtown improvements will open the Holiday Stroll, Thursday, October 6. 4:00 PM on the triangle. The rather large planters on the triangle (some have referred to as burial urns) will be swapped out with units that are shorter in height.


The Actions Taken document can be viewed here:




My notes from the meeting reported live on Wednesday evening can be found here by the section of the meeting they apply to:

• Live reporting: closing
• Live reporting: School Dude and Charter discussion...
• Live reporting: License transfers
• Live reporting: License Compliance Check Violation...
• Live reporting: Legislation for Action
• Live reporting: Town Council - Sep 7, 2016

The full agenda and associated documents (i.e. the Pine St legal issue, and the Charter commission report) can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/09/franklin-ma-town-council-agenda-sep-7.html

Update: Gala 2016 - LAUGH IN THE BOX

FPAC Gala 2016  LAUGH IN THE BOX A Comedy Tonight! The Gala is two weeks away! Have you purchased your tickets yet? We are excited to announce that Broadway guest artist Darlesia Cearcy will be headlining the Gala's special, one-night-only show! Darlesia just completed the Broadway run of Shuffle Along as understudy to Audra McDonald in the role of "Lottie Gee." She made her Broadway debut in The Goodbye Girl with Martin Short and Bernadette Peters. Additional Broadway credits include "Nettie" in The Color Purple and "Sarah" in Ragtime, for which she received a Helen Hayes Award nomination.  Darlesia was part of the original Broadway production of The Book of Mormon, and you can catch her high notes on the original Broadway cast album. Recordings also feature Everlasting Pictures with B-Zet.  Darlesia's television credits include Nurse Jackie, Law and Order SVU, Mercy Me, Rescue Me, and House of Cards (Season 5, Netflix). Films include The Challenger, Rush, and Frozen. Gala 2016 - LAUGH IN THE BOX View card

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