Schools are ready to open on schedule in Franklin

The following is the recap of the School Committee meeting held on Tuesday, Aug 22, 2017. 

• Superintendent Ahern has a mentor provided by the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents as part of their Superintendent Induction program
• New teachers and administrators were introduced
• Professional development during the summer was reviewed and the plan for Sep 1 was provided (see links below)
• A proposal for a Unified Basketball team was approved and later accepted along with the Action Items
• Superintendent Ahern provided her entry plan as discussed during the Induction Program section opening the meeting
• The District Improvement Plan previewed in the prior SC meeting was updated during the administrator offsite planning session and the revision was approved. The individual schools will now take this plan and work on their own goals to meet the objectives
• Parent and student handbooks for each of the schools were approved and are now available from the School District webpage (see link below)
• Schools are ready to open on schedule

Summer 2017 Professional Development
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczWXFQODhDYkRJbGZDNXBVcGNPbWdJdDNNbWFj/view?usp=sharing

Professional Development - Sep 1
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczc3FTdWJrbWVyc1dYOWREWUxCamNHWGZwRGJF/view?usp=sharing

Unified Basketball Proposal
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0wjbnXDBhczSFhyM2VWaEpHcVV5ZExwcFZWeldlcTFYRFZj

Superintendent Entry Plan
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczZmF5TTlBN2xwU3N6a0piT1dsdlkzZm9VUHlj/view?usp=sharing

Revised - District Improvement Plan

Revised - Franklin Public Schools: District Improvement Plan 2017-18 from Franklin Matters

Proposed agenda format
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczaDA4bWZhLUdkTGpvYUlLUHVTVWpJWG9vYWU4/view?usp=sharing

Current agenda format
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczalp4M2FCS0h2UGNVMXNDX2JkVUctVDdpNUVV/view?usp=sharing

School handbooks
http://franklindistrict.vt-s.net/pages/FranklinDistrict_webdocs/handbooks/index


Additional information can be found in my noted captured live during the meeting

• Live reporting: Information matters to closing, Ex...
• Live reporting: Action items
• Live reporting: Discussion Only Items
• Live reporting: School Committee - Aug 22, 2017

fresh pavement marking at the ECDC

section of curbing at Parmenter replaced and painted

The facilities department has been busy this summer. What changes have you seen in your neighborhood school? 

Franklin Public Library getting ready to move back to Main St

The Franklin Public Library is getting ready to move back from its temporary location at 25 Kenwood Circle to its renovated home at 118 Main St. 

The temporary location will close on Sep 16 and the renovated building will re-open about 4 weeks later.

Franklin Public Library getting ready to move back to Main St

some of the bricks have been  installed. Have you purchased yours yet?

Information on the memorial bricks can be found here
http://www.franklinma.gov/franklin-public-library/pages/friends-franklin-library

#shopFranklin Movie Night on the Town Common

T\he weather was perfect for families to come out to enjoy the free movie on the Town Common Saturday night. Many of Franklin's small businesses sponsored the showing of "Finding Dory".

Make a donation to the SAFE Coalition and enter to win the #shopFranklin Movie Night Raffle Prize worth over $500 from local businesses including: 

$50 to Elizabeth's Bagels$50 American Express card from Fenton Financial GroupEyebrow threading from Rainbow Eyebrow ThreadingNail services from Bellezza Day SpaA beautiful wall mirror from Franklin Glass Company Inc. (value $150)And more gifts from:The Dance StudioFranklin School for the Performing ArtsFocus Designs & PhotosMy Little Sunshine Children's Consignment BoutiqueBrian Richard's SalonBig Biscuit BakeryAnd even more!

Message Sarah Mabardy with a screen shot of your confirmation and you will get 1 entry for every dollar donated at http://safecoalitionma.com/donate/

the crowd settled in for the show

Jim Derick and Dr Jordan Warnick of the SAFE Coalition recording for Franklin TV

“A lot of these issues have to do with congestion”

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

"MetroWest in recent years has become an economic hub home to numerous global corporations and businesses. 

The large corporations bring increased tax revenue for local communities and much-needed jobs, but also more commuters and traffic congestion to the area’s main thoroughfare – Interstate 495. 

“The congestion has increased dramatically the past 15 years,” said Stephanie Hirshon, executive director of the MetroWest/495 Transportation Management Association. 

With more congestion comes more car crashes, said Hirson and Milford Fire Chief William Touhey."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170826/officials-hope-to-reduce-crashes-on-i-495

Family Movie Night - Saturday, Aug 26, 7:00 PM

Be our guest as the #shopFranklin Business Community invites you to our FREE Family Movie Night on The Franklin Town Common.

Grab some free popcorn and water, buy some pizza, do some shopping and connect with our favorite business owners as you settle in for our showing of "Finding Dory"

Thank you to our#shopFranklin sponsors for making this event possible:

Fenton Financial Group 
Franklin Agway
Franklin Central Pizza
Enchanted Memories Travel
My Little Midge
Franklin Soccer School, Inc.
Tinetrix, Inc.
Franklin School for the Performing Arts
Peace bee and rainbow song henna
Emma's Quilt Cupboard & Sewing Center
SELF Aesthetics and Therapeutic Specialists Medical Spa
Grove Street Auto Repair
Franklin Matters
Hillside Nurseries & Florist
Kennedy Restorations
Happy Tails Doggy Daycare, Inc.
Franklin TV

Additional thanks to
NHS Print for the printed signs
Focus Designs & Photos for the graphic
Franklin Recreation Department for porta potties!

Family Movie Night - Saturday, Aug 26, 7:00 PM

In the News: Franklin native commands ship; Waiver sought for MCAS alternative

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

"The salty sea air, the never-ending expanse of blue, and the unmistakable beep on the sonar displaying a minefield off in the distance. 

Though not a typical day at work for Franklin native and commanding officer of the U.S.S. Champion, Joshua Kristenson, it’s something he’s been trained for and it’s the main focus of his job in San Diego, California. 

The 26-year-old vessel is 244-feet long and is an Avenger class mine-countermeasure ship. Her primary purpose is to detect and detonate sea mines. 

USS CHAMPION - ship's crest

“Mine warfare is somewhat slow and unglamorous. It’s not shooting missiles out of space, and I’ve been on ships that can do that,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s slow and methodical, and extraordinarily vital when it comes to keeping sea-lines of communication open and protecting America and our interests.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170825/franklin-man-commands-military-vessel

Additional info on Lt Commander Kristenson and the U.S.S. Champion
http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor/MCMDominant/Pages/bio1.aspx#.WaFesCiGPIU

"New federal limits on the number of students allowed to take an alternative to the state’s MCAS exam could have significant impacts for some special education students in Massachusetts. 

The federal Every Student Succeeds Act, the successor to No Child Left Behind, includes a requirement that no more than 1 percent of public school students in any state take the alternative assessment instead of the state’s standardized exam. Proponents of the cap say the vast majority of special education students are able to take the standard exam with accommodations, and that taking the alternative assessment in early grades could put students on a track that could delay or hinder the eventual attainment of a high school diploma. 

In Massachusetts, more than 1.6 percent of students currently take the alternative assessment, or MCAS-Alt, primarily due to severe cognitive disabilities. 

“Obviously, if a student is required to take MCAS, even with accommodations, if it’s not developmentally appropriate for the student, it’s going to have an impact on them,” said Jim Major, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of Approved Private Schools, an organization of schools that educates severely disabled students whose educational needs cannot be met by their public schools."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170825/massachusetts-seeks-waiver-from-mcas-alt-limit

"civics education is a rather limited offering for students"

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

"According to Michael Walsh, a history, government and politics teacher at Franklin High School, students often struggle with answering sample questions from the U.S. citizenship test. 

A general understanding of the material only goes so far. 

“They may know there are three branches (of government) but do they know they’re supposed to be equal branches?” Walsh asked in a recent interview."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170824/students-push-for-education-about-government

The full text of the US Constitution can be found online
https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/constitution

The charter is the document that determines how Franklin governs itself
http://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/revised_2013.pdf

Franklin Municipal Building