Scavenger Hunt - Adults only please - April 8

Happy Spring!! 

Are you looking for a fun community event that supports a good cause? Form a team and join us for the Scavenger Hunt on Saturday, April 8. 

It's sponsored by the PMC Franklin Kids Ride and all proceeds go directly to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute through its Jimmy fund. 

Adults only please. For tickets or questions, contact Lisa Marchioni at lisabxyz@verizon.net. #pmckids2017

http://www.kids.pmc.org/franklin.aspx

Tri-County RVTSD Calls On MA Lawmakers To Make Foundation Budget Top Priority

At its March 15, 2017 School Committee Meeting, Tri-County members voted to endorse S.223, An Act Modernizing the Foundation Budget for the 21st Century, as its top priority for education policy this legislative session due to its comprehensive approach to education funding.

“We need to address the inadequacies in the foundation budget around health insurance and special education costs,” says Superintendent, Stephen Dockray.

Filed by Senator Sonia Chang-Díaz, S.223 fully implements the recommendations of the appointed, bi- partisan 2015 Foundation Budget Review Commission (FBRC). The FBRC found that the current formula underestimates the resources necessary to serve ELL and low-income students and fails to account for rising health care and special education costs. In all, the FBRC found that Massachusetts is underestimating the total cost of education by $1-2 billion each year. As a result, Massachusetts ranks 48th nationally in the achievement gap between affluent and poor students.

“The 1993 Education Reform Act set a radical and sensible goal: to ensure quality education for all children, regardless of zip code,” adds Senator Chang-Díaz. “The Foundation Budget has served Massachusetts – our children, our families, and our employees – incredibly well over its first 15-20 years. But it’s no longer working for the demands of the 21st century. For several years now, our schools have been suffering from death by a thousand paper cuts, and it’s long past time we right this wrong”

S.223 follows the FBRC’s recommendations to update the formula by using actual averages from the state government’s cost-efficient health insurance network—the Group Insurance Commission—to adjust insurance estimates, increasing the assumed special education in-district enrollment and out-of-district costs to reflect reality, and adjusting the ELL and low-income components to align with 21st century best practices. The bill will also establish a Data Advisory Task Force to review school level education data to better inform future policy decisions.

The Foundation Budget was first established in 1993 by the Education Reform Act, and was designed to serve as the starting point for funding school districts across the Commonwealth, by calculating the circumstances and needs of each student. Little has been done to update the formula in the 24 years since its passage, leaving it insufficient to meet the needs of a modern public education system.

Tri-County RVTHS, located at 147 Pond Street in Franklin, is a recipient of the High Schools That Work Gold Achievement Award and serves the communities of Franklin, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Norfolk, North Attleborough, Plainville, Seekonk, Sherborn, Walpole, and Wrentham.

http://www.tri-county.us/

Upcoming Events in Franklin, MA Area: FRI 3/24/17 - THU 3/30/17

FRIDAY 3/24/17
10:30am   Knitting Circle for Adults @ Franklin Public Library
7:30pm   Electric Youth 2017 Concert @ The Black Box

SATURDAY 3/25/17
9am-12pm   Bottle and Can Drive to benefit FHS All Night Party @ FHS Parking Lot
9am-12pm   FHS Panthers Softball Clinic (grades 1-6) @ FHS
10-1pm   Franklin Historical Museum Open
2-4pm   Amazing Magical Potter’s Wheel (all ages) @ Franklin Public Library
6:30-9:30pm   Middle School Night (grades 5-8, walk ins welcome) @ YMCA
7:30pm   The Jennifer Tefft Band with a special guest Grand Evolution @ The Black Box

SUNDAY 3/26/17
7:30-10:30am   Sunday Morning Breakfast @ Franklin Rod and Gun Club
11:45am   Public Presentation on SPECTRA Pipeline Potential Impact @ FUSF
1-4pm   Franklin Historical Museum Open
3pm   Broadway in Franklin @ The Black Box

MONDAY 3/27/17
7-8:30pm   Learn To Cope Franklin Chapter Meeting @ FUSF

TUESDAY 3/28/17
6:30pm  One Book, One Community book discussion @ Franklin Public Library

WEDNESDAY 3/29/17
6pm   Family STEAM Challenge: Cup Stacking @ Franklin Public Library
7:30pm   Dean College presents: American Idiot @ Dean College

THURSDAY 3/30/17
4pm   Family Coloring Book Club @ Franklin Public Library
6:30pm   Franklin Genealogy Club Meeting: Italian Genealogy Research @ Franklin Historical Museum
7-8pm   Healing Hearts Community Support Group @ Franklin YMCA
7pm   SCREENAGERS (private showing, $10 ticket, must be pre-purchased) @ New England Chapel
7:30pm   Dean College presents: American Idiot @ Dean College
7:30pm   Stony Brook Camera Club @ Anglican Church of the Redeemer (31 Hayward St)

For the Town of Franklin Public Calendar click HERE.

For all other events and Franklin happenings click HERE.

*If you have any suggestions or events for the calendar, please email FranklinMAHappenigs@gmail.com and/or shersteve@gmail.com

FHS presents ONCE ON THIS ISLAND - April 7-8

FHS presents the musical

ONCE ON THIS ISLAND

April 7 and 8 at 7:00 PM

Tickets $10 at the door

Directed and choreographed by Marianne Lonati
Music directed by Renee Hersee

Back row: Dan McCarthy, Alexa Katsaros, Daniel Schratz, Maddie Dieterle
Front row: Caroline Fabian, Griffin Fenton

For more about ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, check out the wikipedia page
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_on_This_Island

In the News: Liquor manufacture tasting rooms; OPEB liabilities a concern

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

"Is craft beer the secret ingredient to revitalization? Some area towns would make that argument and now Franklin may want in on the action. 

The Town Council will be considering a zoning change that would allow microbreweries or wineries with tasting rooms in vacant spaces in non-residential areas of town. 

The move was discussed at an Economic Development Committee meeting this week, with Deputy Town Administrator Jamie Hellen noting that craft beer had been going through a renaissance of late. 

"We've done quite a bit of research," he said. "We did take the bulk of this (proposal) from the city of Salem, and we know there's a very successful facility up in Hudson."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170323/franklin-may-look-to-microbreweries-for-business

"Though the town received a clean bill of fiscal health this week, local officials said they were concerned about looming retirement liabilities. 

The Town Council Wednesday heard the results of an audit by Andover firm Melanson Heath. Despite an overall positive report, auditors noted that the town's Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) liability - covering non-pension retirement benefits for employees - was listed at $48 million and will be increasing to about $93 million in 2018 because of a change in reporting standards. 

Melanson's Frank Biron noted that the town had opted to contribute $600,000 this year to fund that liability. 

"That's very good; unfortunately, it's a very large liability, too," he said. "You're not alone in that - other Massachusetts municipalities are in the same boat."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170323/future-liabilities-concern-franklin-officials

FHS representatives on Hockomock League Basketball All-Stars

Hockomock Sports has posted the all-stars for girls and boys basketball as voted by the coaches.

Girls Basketball

HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE MVP = Ashley Sampson, Foxboro

HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE ALL STARS = Ali Brigham, Franklin

HONORABLE MENTIONS = Carli Koffinke, Franklin

Boys Basketball

HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE MVP = Sam Goldberg, Mansfield

HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE ALL STARS

• Paul Mahon, Franklin
• Connor Peterson, Franklin

HONORABLE MENTIONS = Josh Macchi, Franklin


https://hockomocksports.com/2017-hockomock-league-girls-basketball-all-stars/

https://hockomocksports.com/2017-hockomock-league-boys-basketball-all-stars/

FHS representatives on Hockomock Basketball All-Stars

In the News: School Committee selects Ahern

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

"The School Committee has named Sara Ahern as its preference to be the next district leader. 

Committee members, in a brief meeting Thursday night, voted unanimously in favor of Ahern, the Holliston assistant superintendent, as their "preferred candidate" to be the town's new superintendent. Franklin Assistant Superintendent Peter Light had also been a finalist for the position, but opted out of the process. 

Committee Vice-Chairwoman Anne Bergen said Ahern had visited schools earlier that day, and had met with Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting and Assistant Town Administrator Jamie Hellen as well. 

"The feedback from all constituents was very positive," she said. "They felt they could learn and grow with her as superintendent."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170323/franklin-prefers-ahern-to-lead-district