Franklin Area Climate Team - active blog

I have been working with the Franklin Area Climate Team to update their blog and enhance the communications around their efforts.

The Franklin Area Climate Team (FACT) is a locally organized group committed to fighting the climate crisis by promoting carbon-reducing practices in our homes and communities. We are an ever-expanding group of citizens from Bellingham, Foxborough, Franklin, Norfolk, Plainville, Wrentham, and other area towns.

Consider visiting the Franklin Area Climate Team site to find information on climate change, energy savings, and more about the world-wide effort to reach 350:

Become a fan and loose weight (CO2 weight)
11 Steps to save money and reduce your energy use
Cutting through the hype (video)
350 is the number!

Consider subscribing to the Franklin Area Climate Team blog to keep up with their activities. You can subscribe to receive updates via email or RSS feed.

Franklin Kindergarten Schedule

For some reason the correction in the printed version of this weeks Franklin Gazette STILL gets the information wrong. The correct information is listed below.

What is the kindergarten schedule?

• Orientation for all kindergarten students at each elementary school on Sep 1
• 1/2 the kindergarten class comes to school on Sep 2
• The other 1/2 of the kindergarten class comes to school on Sep 3
• The full kindergarten class comes to school on Sep 4

Which half goes when?
You will be notified in a letter as to your first day of kindergarten. The beginning of the alphabet will be on Tuesday and the end of the alphabet will be Wednesday. All kindergarten students first full day together will be Friday.

Why the split schedule for kindergarten?
This schedule helps to ease the new students into the kindergarten routine.

Odd Fellows - Yard Sale

The Franklin Odd Fellows will be hosting a Yard Sale at 330 West Central St. at the Odd Fellows Lodge property. Date will be August 30, 2009 and the time will be 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.


What: Yard Sale

Where: Franklin Odd Fellows

When: August 30th from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Financial Planning Committee - no show

The Town website said there was a meeting. This notice outside the Town Clerks door said there was a meeting. But while folks were continuing to arrive for a Zoning Board of Appeals meeting in the Council Chambers, Room 205 remained empty. So I left. Nothing else to report about this committee at this time.

Phase one of rail trail to open Sat.

While the Franklin Citizens Rail Trail Committee is beginning work on the section in Franklin, this appeared in the Globe West edition on Thursday:

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Phase one of rail trail to open Sat.

via Boston Globe -- Globe West by Jennifer Fenn Lefferts, Globe Correspondent on 8/26/09

After nearly 25 years of planning, funding constraints, environmental obstacles, and privacy concerns among abutters, the first phase of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail will officially open Saturday.

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Boston Globe -- Globe West using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

In the News - Vallee remembers, police dog

Vallee had special connection to Kennedy

from The Milford Daily News Homepage RSS by Angel Roy/Daily News staff

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Franklin Police dog gets final tribute

from The Milford Daily News Homepage RSS by Angel Roy/Daily News staff

The Franklin Police press release on Chase can be found here

New turn available at King/140

There is a new left turn/drive straight lane alongside a right turn only lane when you travel King Street approaching 140.

This picture shows the lane markings with no cars blocking the view (yes, a lucky bit of timing).



An even luckier bit of timing shows this picture with a red light for the King St traffic. The right lane is making a right turn as the West bound 140 traffic is turning on to King St while the East bound 140 traffic is sitting at their red light.



The pedestrian and traffic light island was shortened to widen the intersection allowing the three lanes (one going out King St to i495, and the two lanes heading from King towards Chestnut St).

This is part of the traffic preparations for the Walgreens to open on the corner later this year.

Farmers Market: Nourse Farm

One of the farms frequently found at the Farmers Market on the Town Common is Nourse Farm. This photo from June depicts Samantha Nourse explaining the process for their fruits and pies.


The strawberry picking season is over but you should find something good at the Nourse Farm table each week at the Farmers Market.

Visit the Nourse Farm web site for more information on their organic growing process. They also offer tips and tricks for growing your own garden.

Buy local!

The Farmers Market is held each Friday until October
on the Town Common from noon to 6:00 PM.

Senior Center Activities - Sep 2009

The Senior Center has a whole lot of things happening. Take a gander through the listing for September!

The first page alone covers activities from the Men's Club, to having your hearing screened, to card games, to driver training, and to credit counseling.

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

If you can't find something to do, maybe you can get something together for next time!

If your parents are living in Franklin, do they utilize the Senior Center (assuming they qualify by being over 60). If they don't use the Senior Center, I would be curious to understand why.

In the News - Choo Choo Shop, FHS Orientation,

Choo Choo Stop still chugging along

from The Milford Daily News Homepage RSS by Angel Roy/Daily News staff

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Franklin freshmen eased into high school

from The Milford Daily News Homepage RSS by Angel Roy/Daily News staff

School Committee Mtg 08/25/09

The collection of live reporting posts from the School Committee meeting on Tuesday, August 25th can be found here:

• Live reporting - closing items
• Live reporting - Superintendents report
• Live reporting - Action items
• live reporting - budget transfers, School Business...
• Live reporting - discussion only items
• Live reporting - District Improvement Plan
• Live reporting - presentations: legal update
• Live reporting - Presentations
• Live reporting - School Committee

In the News - town/gown coordination, foster children

Dean to work with Franklin schools on new degree program

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Angel Roy/Daily News staff

This was covered in the live reporting from the School Committee meeting on August 25th here

All of the topics covered at the School Committee meeting can be found here

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Spreading warmth to foster children

from The Milford Daily News Homepage RSS by Angel Roy/Daily News staff

DON’T DRINK THE WATER!

A Powerful Presentation on How to Stay Safe During Water Emergencies

Geoff Ventura, Environmentalist and Owner of Green Solutions, will be hosting two FREE presentations on the Water Emergencies, and what the public can do to protect themselves in the future.

Presentations will be held Saturday, August 29 at 10:30 a.m. and Wednesday, September 2 at 6:30 p.m. at Milford High School, Milford, MA.

The presentations will examine:

• Micro-organisms in your water (viruses, bacteria, parasites)
• Chemicals in your water (chlorine, chloramines, pesticides)
• Heavy metals in your water (lead, arsenic, mercury)
• Brita Systems, Ionization, Reserve Osmosis Systems
• Affordable water purification systems for homes and businesses

Call 617.328.6300 for reservations as space is limited.

###########################################################

Green Solutions was founded in 2008 to provide consumers with safe, eco-friendly products for every day living. Green Solutions is a “sister company” to WholeBody Solutions, a holistic wellness center founded by Dr. Ann Doggett, D.C., L.D.N in 1989.

www.wholebodysolutions.org


For more information on this topic or to schedule an interview with Geoff Ventura, please call Maggie Ryan Flaherty at 617.328.6300 or e-mail Maggie at Maggie@wholebodysolutions.org

Community Health Council 9/3/09

The next meeting of the Community Health Council will be held on September 3, 2009. They will meet from 6:30 - 8:00 PM in the Municipal Building in the 3rd floor training room.

Live reporting - closing items

School Committee Sub-Committee Reports - none
School Committee Liaison Reports - none

6. New Business
To discuss future business that may be brought before the School Committee.

An update on the facilities work done in the District during the summer. Yes, it will be ready for a future meeting.

7. Executive Session
Contractual Negotiations - motion to enter, not to return


8. Adjourn

Live reporting - Superintendents report

5. Information Matters
Superintendent’s Report

1. Dean College Partnership - covered earlier
   
2. District Improvement Plan - covered earlier
   
3. Personnel - new personnel orientations starting tomorrow
   
4. District calendar - looked at the overall district time lines, others will be filled in as the year progresses
5. Coordinated Program Review - meeting on Sep 10th to begin the orientation of the State review. More details will be available at that time, it will consume us for the next six months
   
6. Annual Town Report - completed and submitted
   

Q - Where do we stand on hiring?
A - we are awaiting our last acceptance of one teacher that we are hoping they will show up for orientation

Q - These are teachers that are new to the district
A - Yes, they are recalls, or backfills, we have had more turn over than we thought we would. I also heard of one more retirement today but have not seen the paperwork for that yet.

Live reporting - Action items

4. Action Items

1. I recommend approval of the Budget Transfers as detailed. Motion to accept - passed 6-0
   
2. I recommend acceptance of the FHS Class of 2009 Gift of four large screen televisions for disseminating school-wide announcements at the FHS. Motion to accept - passed 6-0
3. I recommend approval of the District Improvement Plan (DIP) as detailed. Motion to accept - passed 6-0

live reporting - budget transfers, School Business Administrator review

Budget transfer
One question on budget transfers, the $7K was for the purchase of software to eventually move to a paperless check process for all the school employees. The purchase has been made, training is scheduled for later in September.

School Business Administrator review
Miriam has been here for a year now and has done an excellent job. The automation in place and on the planning cycle.

161 parents have registered 171 students and have deposited 10,170 dollars for student lunches in the first 2 days of operation.

Armenio - to reiterate what Sue had said earlier. You have brought much needed credibility back to the schools.

Roy - you have been great in answer questions, if you don't know, you says so and then get the answer. I hear from others within the Town Hall of your good work. Thank you for that on behalf of the community.

Sabolinski - She was here 10 days and she presented the budget to the Town Council. She had such a command of the budget, it was amazing.

Live reporting - discussion only items

3. Discussion Only Items

Policy - First Readings – (covered in section with legal counsel earlier in the meeting)

• GBAB Acceptable Use Policy
• GBAB-E1 Acceptable Use Agreement 6-12
• GBAB-E2 Acceptable Use Agreement K-5
• JT Electronic Device Policy
• JU Electronic Communication Policy

Motion to move to second reading - Approved 6-0

Live reporting - District Improvement Plan

c. District Improvement Plan

• Maureen Sabolinski
• Sally Winslow
• Michele Kingsland-Smith

Now that the Strategic Plan was approved at the Aug 11th meeting, this is the next level of detail, the District Improvement Plan (DIP). referred lovingly too as the DIP Team.

Left to Right in the photo are Maureen Sabolinski, Michele Kingsland-Smith and Sally Winslow.



The current plan as reviewed during the meeting is attached:

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

The plan this year was developed with the Strategic Plan in mind. Next year, there will be a formal team effort reflecting input from across the district to develop the update for this plan.

The Annual Yearly Performance (AYP) is increasing.

Student learning objectives are outlined to monitor the achievement.

Reading specialists worked to identify data points for students at specific levels across the district.

Looking at a Colorado growth model that will provide some data on the cohort growth rather than just data points from the test scores.

Based upon a look at the predictive data piloted with the State, the data helped to drive some staffing decisions.