3. Discussion Only Items
• Policy – First Reading: JICFB - Bullying
Sally Winslow providing an update on the various efforts
Wired Teens and Teenangels active, Rachel's Challenge
K-5 includes a bullying component
easy to use online form developed for online reporting to be implemented on school websites
30% of the plans submitted to the Commonwealth were rejected, Franklin's was not, in fact some districts have requested to review copies of it
policy covers all aspects
motion to move policy to second reading, passed 7-0
Franklin, MA
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Live reporting - FHS Summer Reading
2. Guests/Presentations
c. FHS Summer Reading – Peter Light, Chris Schmidt
multiple attempts to get reading for the summer with some good involvement
after multiple tries, they put together a committee with students and other faculty representatives
the hours of work put in included surveying other schools, the middles schools, etc.
the program should be fair and inclusive and successful so we are not having a conversation again on this next year
life long readers include the joy of reading
students need choice, the wrong thing is to say this is the book you are going to read
create a program that will be sustainable over time
encourage students to read widely
Corey would tell it like it was, if it wasn't going to work, he would let us know
create a student friendly listing of books, an online annotated bibliography include links to Amazon, etc.
we may not be able to offer everything that is in the library
category listing includes "banned books" designed to catch the eye and interest
listing of books and students for their respective assignments provided to the teachers who will be prepared to do their assessment review
summer reading would be included on the Q1 report card
designated period - peer review discussion and self assessment will account for 50% , teacher/coordinator assessment would account for the remaining 50%.
Different assessment possibilities, i.e. paper, audio, visual, or artistic product
each would include a summary of the book, etc.
working to finish the rubric in March, collect book recommendations and get rolling for this summer
Franklin, MA
c. FHS Summer Reading – Peter Light, Chris Schmidt
multiple attempts to get reading for the summer with some good involvement
after multiple tries, they put together a committee with students and other faculty representatives
the hours of work put in included surveying other schools, the middles schools, etc.
the program should be fair and inclusive and successful so we are not having a conversation again on this next year
life long readers include the joy of reading
students need choice, the wrong thing is to say this is the book you are going to read
create a program that will be sustainable over time
encourage students to read widely
Corey would tell it like it was, if it wasn't going to work, he would let us know
create a student friendly listing of books, an online annotated bibliography include links to Amazon, etc.
we may not be able to offer everything that is in the library
category listing includes "banned books" designed to catch the eye and interest
listing of books and students for their respective assignments provided to the teachers who will be prepared to do their assessment review
summer reading would be included on the Q1 report card
designated period - peer review discussion and self assessment will account for 50% , teacher/coordinator assessment would account for the remaining 50%.
Different assessment possibilities, i.e. paper, audio, visual, or artistic product
each would include a summary of the book, etc.
working to finish the rubric in March, collect book recommendations and get rolling for this summer
Franklin, MA
Live reporting - FHS Program of Study
2. Guests/Presentations
b. FHS Program of Study – Peter Light
increasing graduation requirements
not that they weren't taking the 4th year of math, but that some of them may not be able to pass
we want to raise academic expectation but we also want to be able to enable them to succeed
some of them are bread winners in their families
we are being creative to get students through the program
proposing to reduce 4yr science and 4yr math to three years of each
recommendation is not out of line with other good schools, without the staffing levels to provide the appropriate instruction to our student, this is the best option
The curriculum development for AP Science is not up to where it should be. Found this by researching into why the AP Science course scores were not achieving comparable levels with the other AP courses. We can contract for a year, do the research and training, curriculum enhancement then restore the AP Science in another year.
Should look at the International Baccalaureate program to replace or augment the AP program. We have started exploring it, it would be about a $50,000 expense as the exams have to go to Switzerland for processing.
Sabolinski - the first sign of trouble comes from our lower learners, the budgetary challenges are here. We can offer better educational services by making these changes by backing off these requirements. We can offer other choices to students with the current resources.
Franklin, MA
b. FHS Program of Study – Peter Light
increasing graduation requirements
not that they weren't taking the 4th year of math, but that some of them may not be able to pass
we want to raise academic expectation but we also want to be able to enable them to succeed
some of them are bread winners in their families
we are being creative to get students through the program
proposing to reduce 4yr science and 4yr math to three years of each
recommendation is not out of line with other good schools, without the staffing levels to provide the appropriate instruction to our student, this is the best option
The curriculum development for AP Science is not up to where it should be. Found this by researching into why the AP Science course scores were not achieving comparable levels with the other AP courses. We can contract for a year, do the research and training, curriculum enhancement then restore the AP Science in another year.
Should look at the International Baccalaureate program to replace or augment the AP program. We have started exploring it, it would be about a $50,000 expense as the exams have to go to Switzerland for processing.
Sabolinski - the first sign of trouble comes from our lower learners, the budgetary challenges are here. We can offer better educational services by making these changes by backing off these requirements. We can offer other choices to students with the current resources.
Franklin, MA
Live reporting - FHS Visioning Team
2. Guests/Presentations
a. FHS Visioning Committee – Peter Light, Team
As part of the FHS renovation project, there was an effort to develop a vision for the high school.
A community effort to develop what the building, education and the community will look like in 50 years.
(a copy of the presentation will be added later)
35 teachers, administrators, students and parents.
Not just about the facility, what about the school functioning within
list of team members part of the presentation
Parts of the report will address
Key words
included a school transformation map
where are we today, where will we be after the renovations and other educational efforts are completed
a foundational experience is the basis for further growth
supportive education, themes, and ultimately a capstone experience
skills development and a demonstration of those skills
portfolio assessment desired as a long term goal
the model was something that the community and the high school actually agreed upon
learning and organizational structures
next evaluation is 4.5 years away for NEASC, time coincidental to do the visioning and start planning for the evaluation
developing additional academies to go along with the Franklin Arts Academy
specific proposals to be brought forward when ready for implementation
original visioning team was seven years ago, started with the Freshman Collaborative
the vision of the new school is a chart to really see, it is highly efficient and utilizes the existing facility to minimize the renovation expense and maximize the educational benefits
Whatever we do put in will meet the needs of the community and the students for the next 50 years.
Mrs Belastock - Most amazing thing was to all come out with the same vision despite coming at it from many avenues, across 8 different tables. Lots of learning around the table and around the room. Hearing from the students and parents was very eye-opening.
Mr Schmidt - This was pure education, something they don't get to do much of, everything tends to be curriculum focused, where are you, how are you going to get there, but this allowed us to step back and really get into this. To create something to get to the future, it might take us time to get there but it is what we believe in.
Jared - I was thinking we were creating a building and we ended up designing a building around the educational requirements and goals.
Light - We need to get the students involved more. Every time we have done so it has been wonderful.
Mrs Sabolinski - Everybody on the committee came together as equals, every one was open, comfortable with sharing, their thoughts, being profound and insightful. Came together as a high performing team.
Cafasso - a lot of the focus in the past couple of years has been on the building itself, the walls and structure. It is good to hear this being discussed on what will be happing inside the building.
Rohrbach - It was a personally rewarding experience, to get to know people in a different way. The students were so articulate. It was a rewarding process. It also struck me that we are really on our way with what has been happening. Not an ah-ha moment but revealing.
Trahan - this is so much more than just the building
Sabolinski - when we get the report, we will try and summarize it.
Glynn - you had a great sound bite there, "building around the education"
Jared- there is no space for collaboration in the building today, we either take over a lab, or some go to the library.
Light - the FHS classroom is 770 sq ft where the state minimum is 800+ the size does challenge us in getting enough students into the room and then to have some work space within the room
Lima - we have issues where trying to run a lab, we would blow circuits, the needs of the infrastructure need to be upgraded to be competitive, form follows function, and Jared stated that quite eloquently
Roy - when is the report due?
Sabolinski - no date yet, we are still providing some data for it
Cafasso - March 30 is an important night, the committee is invited, the entire design team and the project manager have been involved from the beginning, what you'll see on the 30th will be drawn from this
Roy - in the discussion was there consideration of staffing for this?
Light - actually in the visioning there wasn't a consideration for students and staffing. What you're looking for came after that effort, the MSBA provides a standard based formula
For our population, we would end up with a building of 268,000 sq ft. Our facility is about 380,000 sq ft. The excess comes mostly in the field house, corridors are double wide compared to standards, the bathroom (54 in the building) probably 30 more than a school being built today. Should plan on 23 students per classroom.
Sabolinski - there is no mention of staffing levels or teaching levels in the March 30th presentation.
Light - we do that on an annual basis by comparison to other high schools of comparable size as part of our budget process.
Roy - I ma looking at it and nothing I would like to see more than this come to fruition. I am worried about staffing this. I am hoping that the community will be able to support this.
Franklin, MA
a. FHS Visioning Committee – Peter Light, Team
As part of the FHS renovation project, there was an effort to develop a vision for the high school.
A community effort to develop what the building, education and the community will look like in 50 years.
(a copy of the presentation will be added later)
35 teachers, administrators, students and parents.
Not just about the facility, what about the school functioning within
list of team members part of the presentation
Parts of the report will address
- guiding principles
- key words
- school transformation and development map
- 21st century learning
- why come to school?
- student success (how do you define it?)
- project based learning
- school organizational structure
- strategic plan
Key words
- collaborative
- flexible
- technology
- project based learning
- innovative
- convenient
- aesthetically pleasing
- labs for active learning
- open functionality
included a school transformation map
where are we today, where will we be after the renovations and other educational efforts are completed
a foundational experience is the basis for further growth
supportive education, themes, and ultimately a capstone experience
skills development and a demonstration of those skills
portfolio assessment desired as a long term goal
the model was something that the community and the high school actually agreed upon
learning and organizational structures
next evaluation is 4.5 years away for NEASC, time coincidental to do the visioning and start planning for the evaluation
developing additional academies to go along with the Franklin Arts Academy
specific proposals to be brought forward when ready for implementation
original visioning team was seven years ago, started with the Freshman Collaborative
the vision of the new school is a chart to really see, it is highly efficient and utilizes the existing facility to minimize the renovation expense and maximize the educational benefits
Whatever we do put in will meet the needs of the community and the students for the next 50 years.
Mrs Belastock - Most amazing thing was to all come out with the same vision despite coming at it from many avenues, across 8 different tables. Lots of learning around the table and around the room. Hearing from the students and parents was very eye-opening.
Mr Schmidt - This was pure education, something they don't get to do much of, everything tends to be curriculum focused, where are you, how are you going to get there, but this allowed us to step back and really get into this. To create something to get to the future, it might take us time to get there but it is what we believe in.
Jared - I was thinking we were creating a building and we ended up designing a building around the educational requirements and goals.
Light - We need to get the students involved more. Every time we have done so it has been wonderful.
Mrs Sabolinski - Everybody on the committee came together as equals, every one was open, comfortable with sharing, their thoughts, being profound and insightful. Came together as a high performing team.
Cafasso - a lot of the focus in the past couple of years has been on the building itself, the walls and structure. It is good to hear this being discussed on what will be happing inside the building.
Rohrbach - It was a personally rewarding experience, to get to know people in a different way. The students were so articulate. It was a rewarding process. It also struck me that we are really on our way with what has been happening. Not an ah-ha moment but revealing.
Trahan - this is so much more than just the building
Sabolinski - when we get the report, we will try and summarize it.
Glynn - you had a great sound bite there, "building around the education"
Jared- there is no space for collaboration in the building today, we either take over a lab, or some go to the library.
Light - the FHS classroom is 770 sq ft where the state minimum is 800+ the size does challenge us in getting enough students into the room and then to have some work space within the room
Lima - we have issues where trying to run a lab, we would blow circuits, the needs of the infrastructure need to be upgraded to be competitive, form follows function, and Jared stated that quite eloquently
Roy - when is the report due?
Sabolinski - no date yet, we are still providing some data for it
Cafasso - March 30 is an important night, the committee is invited, the entire design team and the project manager have been involved from the beginning, what you'll see on the 30th will be drawn from this
Roy - in the discussion was there consideration of staffing for this?
Light - actually in the visioning there wasn't a consideration for students and staffing. What you're looking for came after that effort, the MSBA provides a standard based formula
For our population, we would end up with a building of 268,000 sq ft. Our facility is about 380,000 sq ft. The excess comes mostly in the field house, corridors are double wide compared to standards, the bathroom (54 in the building) probably 30 more than a school being built today. Should plan on 23 students per classroom.
Sabolinski - there is no mention of staffing levels or teaching levels in the March 30th presentation.
Light - we do that on an annual basis by comparison to other high schools of comparable size as part of our budget process.
Roy - I ma looking at it and nothing I would like to see more than this come to fruition. I am worried about staffing this. I am hoping that the community will be able to support this.
Franklin, MA
Live reporting - School Committee
Present: Douglas, Cafasso, Rohrbach, Mullen, Roy, Trahan, Glynn
Absent: none
1. Routine Business
• Citizen’s Comments - none
• Review of Agenda - none
• Minutes: I recommend approval of the Open and Executive Session minutes from the February 15, 2011 School Committee Meeting, motion to approve, passed 7-0
and the Budget Workshop minutes from January 29, 2011. motion to approve, passed 7-0
• Payment of Bills - Mr. Glynn motion to approve, passed 7-0
• Payroll - Mrs. Douglas
• FHS Student Representatives
• Correspondence
1. Budget to Actual
Franklin, MA
Absent: none
1. Routine Business
• Citizen’s Comments - none
• Review of Agenda - none
• Minutes: I recommend approval of the Open and Executive Session minutes from the February 15, 2011 School Committee Meeting, motion to approve, passed 7-0
and the Budget Workshop minutes from January 29, 2011. motion to approve, passed 7-0
• Payment of Bills - Mr. Glynn motion to approve, passed 7-0
• Payroll - Mrs. Douglas
• FHS Student Representatives
• Correspondence
1. Budget to Actual
Franklin, MA
Proposed Taco Bell / Wendy’s needs more solid traffic plan
5 days after being approved by the Conservation Commission, James Daddario and his consultants hoped to move the project along further at the Town Planning Board meeting last night. The Taco Bell/ Wendy's is slated to occupy the old Knights of Columbus site at 505 West Central Street. While the Board was in favor of having the site redeveloped, the proposal has raised a lot of concern regarding traffic turning left into as well as turning out of the site onto 140, especially since that strip of West Central is notorious as a high traffic accident area.
The town and the developers both did a traffic measurement of the site, but the reports are conflicting, causing a temporary stall in the project. Questions over the different methods used to measure the gaps in traffic on 140 (which would determine how easily a turn into the site could be made), as well as the time of year traffic was measured and a lack of future traffic projections were not agreed upon.
The Planning Board suggested that Mr. Daddario’s traffic consultants meet with the town’s traffic consultant along with MA Highway to jointly devise a more solid plan on how to alleviate traffic concerns at the entrance to the site-whether it be restructuring the lanes or having some sort of traffic light. If they can ensure that public safety won’t be an issue, the project is likely to move forward.
Contributor - Diane Field
Franklin, MAThe town and the developers both did a traffic measurement of the site, but the reports are conflicting, causing a temporary stall in the project. Questions over the different methods used to measure the gaps in traffic on 140 (which would determine how easily a turn into the site could be made), as well as the time of year traffic was measured and a lack of future traffic projections were not agreed upon.
The Planning Board suggested that Mr. Daddario’s traffic consultants meet with the town’s traffic consultant along with MA Highway to jointly devise a more solid plan on how to alleviate traffic concerns at the entrance to the site-whether it be restructuring the lanes or having some sort of traffic light. If they can ensure that public safety won’t be an issue, the project is likely to move forward.
Contributor - Diane Field
Welcome Diane Field!
Let's welcome Diane Field as a contributor to Franklin Matters! Diane will be doing reporting on the Planning Board, Conservation Commission, and Zoning Board of Appeals to provide some coverage for us in the planning and development area. She'll attend some meetings in person and report on others from the video broadcast.
Who is Diane?
Look for Diane's first post reporting on the Taco Bell/Wendy's proposal for 505 W Central St.
If you have an interest in writing about something that matters in Franklin, please let me know. There is plenty happening here in Franklin. If you have something of interest to share, please let me know.
Franklin, MA
Who is Diane?
Diane first fell in love with the town after taking a job with Putnam Investments 13 years ago. After several years of city living, she began looking for a town in which to start a family with her new husband. She was drawn back to Franklin, which was close enough to family in Rhode Island while being commutable to Boston for work. A resident since 2005, she loves the family friendly atmosphere and rich history of the town, and is interested in being more active in the community. Of special interest is land conservation and keeping the town beautiful. Diane has since left her corporate marketing background behind and is a stay at home Mom to her 3-year old son, Elijah. Other interests include gardening, food and wine, and animal welfare - most notably retired racing greyhound rescue and adoption
Look for Diane's first post reporting on the Taco Bell/Wendy's proposal for 505 W Central St.
If you have an interest in writing about something that matters in Franklin, please let me know. There is plenty happening here in Franklin. If you have something of interest to share, please let me know.
Franklin, MA
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