Harvest Festival FUNdraiser - August 25

From Pour Richard's email newsletter:

"In the depths of winter, when I'm fantasizing about summer, those fantasies break down into 2 broad categories: the beach and late-summer vegetables. The beach because that's where I wish I was, the vegetables because I wish that's what I was eating. August is when gardens and farm stands explode with deliciousness faster than you can consume it.

If you've never had cause to appreciate your 5 senses, August at a farmer's market will change all that, with sights, sounds, and-especially-smells certain to have you drooling in anticipation. Zucchini, fresh herbs, garlic, eggplant. Beans. Radishes. And best of all: sweet corn and tomatoes.

Very little can compete with a freshly picked and cooked ear of corn on the cob. Or a tomato straight from the garden, still warm from the afternoon sun. But if you're getting bored with the minimalist vibe, grill your corn and top it with cotijo cheese and hot sauce for a take on Mexican street food.

Bake the tomatoes into a tart, or stir them into olive oil, garlic, and salt for a quick pasta sauce. Make a frittata. Bruschetta. Or toss the corn and tomatoes with olive oil, basil, and a touch of hot pepper for a salad that's basically August in a bowl.

Of course, we have some definite opinions on what you should drink with all that, starting with some ripe, rich Cali Chardonnays. The Neyers Carneros is a classic, but don't overlook Fulcrum's Durell Vineyard or Byron Kosuge's Sonoma Coast Chard. Seeing red instead?

Pick up the black cherry-laden Villain & Vixen Grenache or our new favorite Avalon Cabernet. Or split the difference and go pink: Bedrock's Ode to Lulu gives you the gutsy quality of a big red with the slithery coolness of a white, all in one bottle.

And if you really like your tomatoes and corn (and zucchini and herbs and local beer, cheese, meat, bourbon, etc), then mark your calendars for our Harvest Festival FUNdraiser for the Norfolk County Farm Bureau.

Your $10 ticket is a 100% donation to the Farm Bureau and includes samples of delicious farm to table food, farm to glass cocktails, organic wines, and local beers. Sunday, August 25 from 1-4 PM. Don't miss it!"

Where: 

Pour Richard's Wine and Spirits 

(508) 520-9163 | www.pourrichardswine.com

14 Grove Street  Franklin, MA 02038

some produce from my own garden

"serious outcomes ... can result from texting and driving"

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

"Following the second texting-and-driving crash in town in less than a month, police turned to social media to illustrate the dangers of distracted driving. On Facebook Monday, they posted a dramatic video of a vehicle slamming into a utility pole.

The video (below), of a July 23 crash on Central Street (Route 62), is from the dashboard camera of a vehicle traveling behind the car that crashed. The video shows a car swerving off the road, striking the pole and overturning. As the shattered pole toppled into the road, the vehicle with the video swerved to avoid the downed wires.

The driver who hit the pole was issued a citation for texting while driving, according to Berlin police."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190813/berlin-texting-and-driving-wreck-caught-on-video




Berlin Police on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/Berlinmapolice/

Original Berlin Police video link:
https://www.facebook.com/Berlinmapolice/videos/2335234413398484/?__xts__[0]=68.ARDaS8yKet31mSQCcqemrNZGh_820HV245sHVH0znM6qT9qC7rjVk426AKwLbMGOT5ZNPWE4tJURld19DfKnu2lHwnhTbhZGWSKSUiAYgMrQh74Wx7b1wCDWcoie69jEXuARR0i0RTlmTss27SAAcSBrLJoo7za8jxo72GVEGFBJLJk89Uo20tp0xUdAss8K1o3E2UC_wRWXeqiRQHv_GfKCDOXI3kYVCuhabL9RHv9UKKVr8LVcu9m3dD3Kj2KOg16R9efu3ZNM8RDmUlGw9s0D8c3M6XDMH9JDC-vjoSNuSg1fYnfwSGgzcJ-v5fmLEjrF4wx9hNKZiCEfxZ5qqQ9ykk-xBLR3xyw&__tn__=-R

"it’s something they should be aware of”

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

"When determining if a beach is safe for swimming, local health departments and state officials measure levels of the bacteria enterococcus, which typically makes its way into marine water through fecal matter. High levels of enterococci in ocean water are a red flag that the water may also contain other disease-inducing microbes, which is why it is referred to as an “indicator” bacteria.

This is why beaches are often closed after heavy rainstorms — rain that isn’t absorbed into the soil or diverted can pick up fecal matter from pets and wild animals and flow it into the ocean.

“Stormwater is a major culprit for beach closures related to fecal bacteria,” said Bethany Traverse, coordinator of the Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment’s beach water testing program. “In any populated area, you have roadways and other infrastructure that affect the flow of contaminated water into the surrounding water bodies. When it rains, a lot of water is diverted into storm drains and away from bathing areas. But it’s not perfect; bird and animal waste will make its way into the water and storm water helps it get there in a rapid ‘flush.’”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190813/just-how-much-waste-is-in-that-water-youre-swimming-in/1

The full Environment America report
https://environmentamerica.org/feature/ame/safe-swimming

More than half of the thousands of beach sites sampled for bacteria across the country were potentially unsafe for swimming on at least one day in 2018

Live reporting: to Executive Session not to return to open meeting

8. Payment of Bills Dr. Bergen
9. Payroll Mrs. Douglas
10. Correspondence
11. Executive Session

a. Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 30A, §21(a)(2) to conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with nonunion personnel or to conduct collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with nonunion personnel.

motion to go to executive session, second, passed via roll call 6-0

12. Adjournment


Meeting agenda
https://www.franklinps.net/district/meeting-packets/files/agenda-8-13-19

Documents released for this meeting
https://www.franklinps.net/district/meeting-packets/pages/august-13-2019-school-committee-packet

Live reporting: Information matters - Consent agenda

4. Discussion Only Items
a. Summer Professional Development and Curriculum Update
(presentation copy to be added later, assuming it is posted to SchComm website) 

summer work funded at about 40K 
** ECDC report card development, more formal and comprehensive than prior
** elementary - integration of units, assessment timelines; Science unit plans to align with recent standard, STEMScopes
math profiles of progress, K-5 website, work on word problems
music curriculum coordination

** middle schools
illustrative math adjustments and planning

** high school
FAA projects reinvention of arts integration, alignment to new standards
capstone project to span junior/senior years
math department working on grading reform, calibrating grading
humanities course, two period, double block (English-Social Studies), funding a seed project
additional AP course development

other projects with Spanish, work by nurses, and special education

focus on cultural proficiency

approx 100 teachers overall worked on the various projects

only one person does curriculum development for the district




5. Information Matters
a. School Committee Sub-Committee Reports 
Budget - met last week to review the adjustment, going to Town Council Weds

Community Relations - Sch Comm at Farmers Mkt - Aug 23, 3-6 PM

Policy - meeting next week, Aug 20

b. School Committee Liaison Reports 

Joint PCC meeting when schools open in Sep
Substance Abuse Task Force
School Wellness Advisory Council [SWAC]; 
MASC

6. New Business
a. To discuss any future agenda items
DIP coming next time
new hire and new administrators, maybe some policy as well

7. Consent Agenda
a. Minutes
I recommend approval of the minutes from the July 23, 2019 School Committee meeting as detailed.
b. End of Year Transfers
I recommend approval of the end-of-year budget transfers as detailed.
c. Surplus Technology Equipment
I recommend declaring the detailed list of technology equipment as surplus.
d. Athletics Donation
I recommend acceptance of a check for $200.00 from the Franklin Newcomers and Friends for participation fees for students who otherwise could not afford for sports, clubs, events, etc.

motion to approve, seconded, passed 6-0

Live reporting: School Committee - Aug 13, 2019

Present:Feeley, Linden, Douglas, Scofield, Bergen, Schultz
Absent:Zub



1. Routine Business a. Review of Agenda b. Citizen’s Comments

i. In the spirit of open communication, “the School Committee will hear public comment not related to an agenda item at the beginning of each regular School Committee Meeting. The Committee will listen to, but not respond to any comment made. A Committee member may add an agenda item to a future meeting as a result of a citizen comment” – from Policy BEDH

c. FHS Student Representative Comments
none - school vacation
 
d. Superintendent’s Report
Weds/Thu leadership retreats principals first then entire admin team
working on bias response
workshop last Sunday, building upon that momnetum 
review draft of district improvement plan

lots happening in the school buildings
very busy around the schools
lots of celebrations and orientations happening to help with the Sept
High School Experience last week for incoming 9th graders almost 300 of the incoming class participated


final hiring still in process, admins looking to close out positions
new teacher orientation next week
new hires and background in packet for mext meeting



2. Guests / Presentations
a. None

3. Discussion / Action Items
a. School Handbooks


one of the summer activities during this time was revision to the handbooks for each school
tonight's revision includes feedback from the school committee provided last week
5 policies added this year (field trip, homework, military and foster children, physical constraint policy)

attendance notification procedure
allowing principles to reach out to parents with children frequently absent

added helmet lawns and other items to the bike riding section

added language for vaping to tobacco use

elementary schools did not have language for food in classroom, updated this time

added line about school nurse requirements for field trips

section 2
clarified departure expectations for Davis Tahyer

added 5 minutes to the school day, on time arrivals for clarity

Oak St new mission and vision
Parmenter mission, vision revamped

*** middle school section
attendance and check for in Google classroom
student illness pattern noticed, cell contact and parent dismissal without seeing nurse
helmet language not in middle school section

Remington book doesn't have a Q&A section

*** high school section
added language for excessive absences, esp with hospital stay

new bell schedule for high school, reflecting added time, and some adjustments

bullying section less detailed than other grade levels, actually due to formatting it is the same for all

school council not mentioned in HS section

vaping understated? was added to sections, first offense is suspesion

I recommend approval of the Franklin Public Schools Student/Family Handbooks as discussed.

Motion to approve, seconded, passed 6-0

 
b. Policy – 2nd Reading / Adoption
I recommend adoption of the following policies as discussed:

i. BEC – Executive Sessions

ii. BEDG – Minutes

iii. JKAA – Physical Restraint of Students

motion to approve, seconded, passed 6-0


c. Budget Discussion and Revised Budget
I recommend that the School Committee adopt a revised FY 20 budget of $64,702,500.
approx $500K 'extra' normally allocated later in the year - requested early for this time to use before the school year starts

eliminate the high school parking fee, administrative concern cost of implementation wanted to be avoided
added back 2 kindergarten ESP (originally 6, approved 4)

motion to approve, seconded, passed 6-0

Franklin Art Association: Meeting features Silvana Della Camera - Sep 4

The Franklin Art Association will meet on Wednesday, September 4, 2019 from 6:30 to 9:00 PM at the Franklin Senior Center, 10 Daniel McCahill Street in Franklin. Refreshments and social time will begin at 6:30 PM, followed by a short business meeting and a demonstration by award-winning photographer, Silvana Della Camera, a past president and current board member of Stony Brook Camera Club in Franklin. 

Silvana will cover the elements of taking quality photos for artists' source material and tips for photographers at all levels of expertise.

FAA meetings are held the first Wednesday of every month, September through May, and are free and open to the public. 

For more information log on to www.franklinart.org

Franklin Art Association: Meeting features Silvana Della Camera - Sep 4