Live reporting - Arts Academy Q&A

The video that was shown during the presentation:

Franklin, MA - Franklin Arts Academy from Steve Sherlock on Vimeo.

Q - How will you handle the grading?
A - They will met the regular course program. We are arranging to visit the Boston Arts Academy tomorrow to further explore some of the details behind that.

Q - Is it positioned for students who want arts as a career or for those students who struggle with the traditional curriculum?
A - Both.

Q - Where are others doing this?
A - There are many others, this is not a new concept. The Boston Arts Academy is the main one. There are others. Tolman High School in Pawtuclet, RI.

C - Mullen, we have talked about creating communities at FHS and it is continuing to grow so this is a great step. I am excited to see how this plays out. It is really impressive that this is teacher driven.

Caple - the team is very good, it is not just lip service, the real work is being done by the team and others whom we need from time to time.

Roy - Thank you for having the opportunity to work with you. I am delighted to be able to sit at the table and see the energy around the room where folks are trying to improve the education for our students. In the Globe, there was an article yesterday about a surgeon who is exploring using music in the operating room and it is improving his performance. Recalls Daniel Pinks book: A Whole New Mind.

Story of Rosanne Walsh suggesting to read this book 3-4 years ago when budget cuts were being talked of. Rosanne is on the committee now.

Sabolinski - Thanks to the team, this has not been without controversy and they have been very courageous doing this.

Note: email subscribers will need to click through to the website to view the video

Live reporting - Franklin Arts Academy

2. Guests/Presentations

a. Fine Arts Academy – Mike Caple, Marushka Waters

Franklin Arts Academy

View more presentations from Steve Sherlock.

_ the video will be added to this posting later_

"budget neutral repackaging of the curriculum"

Proposal to start in Fall of 2010 with the Junior Class at that time

• Creative Literacy
• Humanities
• Mathematics and Science

Example of math and science combination: to study the parabola of the basketball free throw and explain it with a video production.

Example of humanities: read "The Sun Also Rises", study the art cubism and Picasso that was being done at that time, the post WWI period.

Students would apply for this program.

coordinated with guidance counselor and special education liaison, teacher to be assigned as a mentor to the student to accompany them through the program.

Live reporting - School Committee Meeting

Attending: Douglas, Cafasso, Rohrbach, Mullen, Roy, Trahan, Glynn

1. Routine Business

Citizen’s Comments - none


Review of Agenda - add some policies for first reading to Discussion Only Items
Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the Open and Executive Sessions of the November 17, 2009 School Committee Meeting. motion to approve - passed 7-0
Payment of Bills Mr. Glynn motion to approve bills - passed 7-0
Payroll Mrs. Douglas
FHS Student Representatives

• Winter Sports season underway
• peer mediation program starting
• "Light up a Life" fund raising effort underway
• Winter Music concert Weds 12/9 at 7:00 PM

Kudos to the football team for a great season
Jeff may suggest to the Town Council to schedule election for a sports night. 7,000 attended the game for 2 hours when the election over fourteen hours drew only a little more than 3,000

Correspondence:
1. Budget to Actual
2. NEASC Letters to and from FHS

East of Shirley concert - Dec 12

For those listeners of the Franklin Matter's podcast, the last several have featured the music of the group East of Shirley. They are playing at the Harvest Cafe in Hudson, MA this Saturday evening.

The Facebook event page can be found here.

East of Shirley's website is here


Note: By way of disclosure, Michael Clark, the lead singer/song writer, have worked together at Fidelity Investments and are good friends. I feature their music simply because it is good music.

FRANKLIN HEALTH DEPARTMENT H1N1 FLU CLINIC ANNOUNCEMENT

The Franklin Health Department will be holding the first in a series of H1N1 flu clinics for Franklin residents on Thursday December 10, 2009 from 4:00 to 8:00 PM at the Franklin High School.

Due to limited supply of vaccine, the first round of vaccine administrations will be provided to the following persons on a first come first served basis, consistent with Massachusetts Department of Public Health and CDC guidelines for vaccine administration:

    * Parents and care-givers of infants less than 6 months. 
    * Children aged 6 months up to and including Kindergarten.

Please be advised, the Health Department has received nearly 70% of our vaccine allocation in the nasal spray form.  Because this is a live attenuated vaccine, this formulation is only for healthy individuals aged 2 to 49 years of age.  

All individuals to be vaccinated in the 2-49 age groups without a contra-indicated medical history will be administered the nasal spray. 

Due to limited supply of the injected form of the vaccine, it will be reserved for children less than 2 years of age and others as medically indicated.

All individuals to be vaccinated are to present a completed consent form.  No vaccine will be administered without a completed and signed consent form.  All school-aged children will receive a consent form from the School Department in the coming days.  A downloadable consent form is available on the Health Department website as well.

All residents will be asked to produce a valid driver’s license or other identification at the time of registration.  Please enter the clinic via the High School Field House entrance.

The Franklin Health Department will continue to hold additional H1N1 flu clinics in the coming weeks until all the high priority groups have been vaccinated.  Once the priority groups are vaccinated, vaccine will be available for all residents until our supply has been exhausted.

We ask all residents to please be patient and to anticipate some waiting, as we institute our large-scale public vaccination plan.

David E. McKearney, R.S.
Public Health Director
Franklin Health Department

Franklin Board of Health

Bruce Hunchard, Chair
Paul Cheli
Donald Ranieri, JR.

 

This was posted on the Franklin Town site. You can download the consent form from here.

In the News - Bellingham split tax

 Note that the split tax rate in Bellingham was changed to increase the residential rate and help businesses. Franklin doesn't need to do this, everyone already pays the same tax rate.

Selectmen voted unanimously last night to give businesses a slight break on property taxes.

The board raised the tax burden on homeowners from 89 percent to 90 percent as it tries to find a balance between the homeowners and businesses.

With the shift, taxes for homeowners will be set at $11.92 per $1,000 assessed value, up from last year's $10.44. For the "average" Bellingham homeowner, with a home valued at $275,984, this will yield a $105 yearly tax increase, selectmen said.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

In the News - update on social media suspensions

In the post over the weekend, when I advocated for establishing a social media awareness, I referenced an article from Mendon where students were being investigated for creating a Facebook page. The Facebook page sought violence against one of their middle school assistant principals.

The developing story line is update in the Milford Daily News today:

Five Mendon students suspended due to threatening Facebook page

from The Milford Daily News Homepage RSS by Krista Perry/Daily News staff