Sunday, February 22, 2015

FPS: District Improvement Plan - Midyear Update

A midyear update on the District Improvement Plan is scheduled for the School Committee meeting on Tuesday, Feb 24, 2015. The update summary can be found here.




The links for the individual school improvement plan updates can be below.

Annie Sullivan Middle School
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczVWZHdE9zLUxVd0E/view?usp=sharing

Davis Thayer Elementary School
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczb3dOenl6cWFXZm8/view?usp=sharing

ECDC
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczZDJzR1BSYXZud00/view?usp=sharing

Franklin High School 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczcU9RN0dBX0JvSjQ/view?usp=sharing

Horace Mann MIddle School
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczcUl2MzRwRnQtOGs/view?usp=sharing

Jefferson Elementary School
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczZHlUUnA0T0R2c1E/view?usp=sharing

Keller Elementary School
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczR2hYTnVOQnU1TjA/view?usp=sharing

Kennedy Elementary School
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczbVlPaUtULTFYVGs/view?usp=sharing

Oak Street Elementary School
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczNm1yX01OUHl6Skk/view?usp=sharing

Parmenter Elementary School
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczUkliVkNMRzQwNFk/view?usp=sharing

Remington Middle School
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczNXRzQVJiY2RzSVU/view?usp=sharing

The full School Committee agenda for Tuesday, Feb 24 can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/02/franklin-ma-school-committee-agenda-feb_22.html


Parmenter School in the snow
Parmenter School in the snow

Choggy’s Chuggers - Chad Larivee Fund Raiser - Friday, April 10

Please join us for a fun evening at the Franklin Elks to honor and support Chad Larivee!

Many of you know Chad and his story. If you don't, I encourage you to read it here: http://www.gofundme.com/k3fp0w

The adult-only evening will include a silent auction, 50/50 raffle, raffle drawing, DJ entertainment, light appetizers, and cash bar.

Tickets can be pre-purchased for $26/person and will guarantee you entry into the event. If you would like to reserve tickets, please mail a check made payable to Choggy’s Chuggers by April 6 to:

Ted Rossi430 Franklin Village DriveSuite 160Franklin, MA 02038

If you plan to pay at the door ($26/person - cash or check please), admission will be on a first come basis and limited to the first 200 people.

Looking forward to a fantastic evening!

screen grab of email invitation to Choggy's Chuggers
screen grab of email invitation to Choggy's Chuggers

Location


Choggy’s Chuggers for Chad Larivee
7:00 PM on Friday, April 10, 2015
Elks Lodge
1077 Pond Street
Franklin, MA 02038 (map)
(508) 533-2136


Voices of Franklin: Bill Callahan - Proposed Memorial Policy


Proposed Memorial at the Franklin High School

It is always a tragedy when someone loses someone close them, especially if that someone is a child. Our hearts are with the family. This letter is not directly about that loss, of which I'm sure everyone has the deepest sympathy. This letter is about why we have a policy against personal memorials on school grounds and how we decide and change school policies. 
The current policy in Franklin does not allow a memorial to an individual on school grounds. This policy was not created in a vacuum. It was decided upon after consulting a person with expertise in grief counseling, and then was voted on by the school committee and put into place based on the professional opinion that this is what would be best for the students of the school. That's fitting, since that is the primary responsibility of both the school and the school committee. 
Now the committee is considering changing this rule. Why is that? Is it because new knowledge is available that says that individual memorials are good for the students, or at least not detrimental? Is it because the expert may have been wrong, and that memorials have no effect either way. If so, it might be good to check the latest research, or to look at the policies of other schools similar to Franklin High School, and see which policies worked out the best. 
In fact, neither of these reasons is why the policy change is under consideration. The proposed policy change precipitated directly from the offer to donate a high profile memorial to a single student on public property because the family of that student has the means and desire to do so. 
One commenter implied that kids are different, that some deserve nice privately funded memorials and some don't, and those that disagree with his view are naive. I respectfully disagree. Franklin is the birthplace of Horace Mann, the father of public education. His argument for it was that in a democracy, everyone has the right to vote, so it behooves us to make sure that everyone who is voting has the education needed to make wise decisions about candidates and policies, and that the way to ensure that is to have public schools, free to all children, regardless of means. Schools, in Mann's view, are central to a working democracy, where everyone needs to be educated. Public education, should be the great equalizer, where a child can reach his or her potential no matter how rich or powerful that child's parents are. 
I know that not all schools provide the same education, that people pick school districts based on the quality of the schools, and that the quality of the schools depends on the tax base, and thus the general wealth of the families in the district. But that doesn't mean that we should throw away rules based on science, psychology and fairness because someone of money or power feels that they are entitled to change the rules that they don't like. 
I reiterate that I don't wish any ill on the family who has lost a child. In fact, I think the idea of a personal memorial is a good one. It just should not be placed at the school. Alternatively, perhaps the memorial could be placed at the school, but dedicated to all students have lost their lives, rather than just a single individual. The memorial proposed is of a panther, the school's mascot, which represents all the students. My hope is that we can reach an agreement on this that will satisfy the family and keep to our ideal of the inherent worth and dignity of every student who has passed away, whether their parents can afford a memorial or not.

Bill Callahan

​Franklin Resident​

billca42@gmail.com

the proposed Kristin Graci Class of 2007 Memorial
the proposed Kristin Graci Class of 2007 Memorial





Note: If you would like to add your viewpoint to "Voices of Franklin" the guidelines can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/03/introducing-voices-of-franklin.html

FHS Basketball Playoff Schedule tips off this week

From Hockomock Sports we find and share that both the FHS boys and girls basketball teams are scheduled for their first round game playoff games this week. 


D1 Central - Boys
FHS Panthers
FHS Panthers

#2 Franklin (17-3) will host #7 Wachusett on Thursday, 2/26 at 7:00.




D1 Central - Girls
#2 Franklin (17-5) will host the winner of Westford/Algonquin on Friday, 2/27 at 7:00.


The Hockomock League boys schedule for this week
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/hockomock-boys-basketball-playoff-seeds-matchups

The Hockomock League girls schedule for this week
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/hockomock-girls-basketball-playoff-seeds-matchups


Frozen-themed fundraiser - Hockomock YMCA - 1:00 to 4:00 PM

From Jaime Helmuth Eidwick
Don't forget to join me Sunday from 1-4 pm at the Hockomock Area YMCA Franklin branch for a Frozen-themed fundraiser ($5 per person). 
There will be a snowman relay, crafts (e.g., snowflakes, coffee cup Olaf, fingerprint snowmen), games (e.g., Olaf ring toss, snowman bowling, pin the nose on Olaf), and pictures with Olaf!! 
For an additional cost there will be a bake sale, craft sale, and silent auction. 
All proceeds go to Dana Farber Cancer Institute in support of my 2015 Boston Marathon Run.

Frozen themed fund raiser at YMCA
Frozen themed fund raiser at YMCA


FHS Winter Sports: Wrestling and Indoor Track State meet results

From Hockomock Sports we find and share the results of FHS sports action in competition on Saturday.


    FHS Panthers
    FHS Panthers
  • The MIAA All State Indoor Track Championship where Brittany Robinson clocked a 3:03 in the 1000M for 14th place. The 4x400 relay took 17th and the 4x800 finished 21st.


Complete Hockomock League results can be found here
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/2015-miaa-all-state-indoor-track-hockomock-results



  • The MIAA Wrestling State Championship where Dan Pisani lead Franklin with a second place in the 126 weight class. Mick Narducci (7th), Mike Coppola (4th), and Bilal Khan (8th) also placed in their respective weight classes.


Complete Hockomock League results can be found here
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/wrestling-state-championships-hockomock-results



MBTA: Update - Commuter Rail service for Sunday, Feb 22, and week of Feb 23 - 27




All Commuter Rail lines will operate on a Saturday schedule on Saturday, February 21 and on a Sunday schedule on Sunday, February 22



Franklin Line:  The following trains will NOT operate 2/23/2015 through 2/27/2015. 702,703,790,706,710,733,732,793,734,709,716,715,737,736,719

Provided is a service reduction and recovery plan/schedule for significant weather events 2015.  
Visit www.mbta.com/winter for more information.

Last updated: Feb 22 2015 07:42 AM



Sent by the MBTA. 



A commuter train leaving Franklin Dean Station
A commuter train leaving Franklin Dean Station