Franklin Senior Center: Email Blast - Oct 9, 2020

Hello Everyone!

I hope you are enjoying the weekly email blasts. I would love to hear from folks about what you like, don't like or want to see more of! What programming would you like to join and be a part of? Do you know about the upcoming events this month? Name that Tune!!! Healthy Never Tasted So Good! Live outdoor concerts! Check out our offerings and sign up to join in the fun and win prizes!!

Staying Connected

Link to the Senior Center - https://www.franklinma.gov/fsc

Link to the Senior Center Calendar - https://www.franklinma.gov/node/39/events 

Link to Franklin Matters - https://www.franklinmatters.org/

Link to the Town's webpage - https://www.franklinma.gov/

Tips

11 minute Sit and be Fit with Paul Eugene

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_UWf_mNYnk 

Chair exercises

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaYDK_LH_uk 

Chair Dance Yoga with Shelly Zac

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GS1CWDIkYU&t=17s 

Music

Top songs of 1963

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHTUKcniD2U 

Daniel Quick blows the judges away on the X- Factor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSCiXpRNTco 

This young man wrote the most beautiful song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHhXq4aX-fc 

Hallelujah - pan flute played by Wuauquikuna

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cxr8Qyd2t1E 

Superstition by Stevie Wonder - I dare you to not start dancing when this plays!  Thanks Donna for getting this stuck in my head!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CFuCYNx-1g 

Just for Fun

How is a kettle pond formed?  Ranger Allen Reinhard answers this question.  We are planning a zoom event with Allen soon!  Be on the lookout in an email blast soon!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRNsToW84nY 

 

Cute and Funny Baby Animals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0O2pjCtptE 

 

Tour Utah's "The Mighty 5 and Beyond" National Parks.  An hour and a half incredible journey through some of America's most beautiful parks. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFn-XYwVteE 

Humor

Jeanne Robertson - "A Flight Attendant deals with a bad potato"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moSKtnuRnsM 

John Branyan - The weirdest name for a city you've ever heard of! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N9UEGO5494 

Kindness Matters

Animals saving other animals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af4CfwZCAwc&t=359s 

Have you ever wondered about those random painted rocks you find scattered around town?  Or the kindness gardens filled with cheerfully painted rocks?  This is the story of how kindness rocks started and the woman behind the mission.  Watch the video link embedded on their site for a great, feel good story of kindness, compassion and hope.  Have you ever made a kindness rock?    https://www.thekindnessrocksproject.com/ 

Attached you will find:

• Fun Filled activity page https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T-_f6VEukjVngaTGqMReIo1AI7gAEnR-/view?usp=sharing

• Math count up, get your thinking cap on this is tough!  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kGr-ozKRGpAYm1Qx4HZcPjJ-2OnaC1gm/view?usp=sharing

• Paint/color by number Owl - Easy https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I7hSsyeZCxwAKwnNrcdQ08cCfyvB4fav/view?usp=sharing

• Paint/color by number Owl - hard https://drive.google.com/file/d/186Kbr2RUKqx7n2tBGtjvWQX9AXP1AqUy/view?usp=sharing

Love, virtual hugs and good health to you all!  We are still here for you!  Please feel free to email Donna and I with questions, concerns or just to check in!

Ariel & Donna

Please feel free to share this email with anyone you think might enjoy it.  If you want me to add someone to the email blast list just send me a message with their email in it. 

EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS AT THE FRANKLIN SENIOR CENTER

 October special events -call the Franklin Senior Center, visit our website or check out the October newsletter for more details about these programs! 

• Oct. 13th - Time Out Memory Cafe

• Oct. 14th - Senator Rausch coffee hour

• Oct. 15th - Senior coffee hour with local and state officials

• Oct. 19th - Medicare update with SHINE

• Oct. 19th - Grateful Days Memory Cafe

• Oct. 20th - LIVE IN PERSON concerts

• Oct. 21st - Talk Franklin Matters with Steve Sherlock

• Oct. 23rd - Name that tune game show

• Oct. 26th - Norfolk County Sheriff presents "Scams"

• Oct. 26th - Memory Cafe with Wayne Neon

• Oct. 30th - Healthy Never Tasted So Good - cooking demonstration and food pick up

October daily events - contact the senior center, visit our website or the newsletter for more details about our weekly offerings. 

MONDAYS:  

• Tele Bingo - call in game

• Book Discussion Group (Page Turners) 1st Monday of the Month

TUESDAYS: 

• Chair Exercises

• Low Vision Support Group (1st and 3rd Tuesday)

• Audio Book Club (2nd and 4th Tuesday)

• Quarantini Time - Social cocktail group

WEDNESDAYS: 

• Blood Pressure and Sugar screenings

• Zumba gold

• Wellness consults via phone

• Medical equipment distribution and donations

• Fibromyalgia support group (1st wed of the month)

• Caregivers Support Group (2nd and 4th wed)

THURSDAYS: 

• Chair exercise

• Cardio strength and balance class

• Current events discussion group

FRIDAYS: 

• TOPS (Taking off pounds sensibly)

• SUNSHINE group (supportive Day)

REMEMBER:

When searching for information about the Coronavirus, COVID-19 please use caution!  Unfortunately there are many false sites that contain viruses and malware that can threaten your computer.  Many look like real sites.  Your best bet is to go directly to the CDC, WHO or your local government page (links below).   

https://www.cdc.gov/ 

https://www.who.int/

https://www.franklinma.gov/home/urgent-alerts/coronavirus-information-portal-updates-here

--

Ariel Doggett

Virtual Program Coordinator

Respite Coordinator

"We rise by lifting others" - Robert Ingersoll

There is no act of kindness too small

Franklin Senior Center: Email Blast - Oct 9, 2020

Franklin Public Schools: Re-opening Update for Families - Oct 9, 2020

October 9, 2020

Dear Franklin Families,

Transition to Hybrid
The average daily cases of COVID-19 in Franklin have remained below 4 per 100,000 for the past three weeks and the percent positivity rate has been below 1%. Current numbers are 3.2 cases per 100,000 and a percent positivity rate of 0.96%. When taken into consideration with Norfolk County and Massachusetts data over the past several weeks, these current health metrics support us continuing forward with a transition to hybrid as follows:

10/19/2020 -- Grades 2, 3, 6

10/26/2020 -- Grades 4, 5, 7, 8 and High Needs at FHS  

11/2/2020 -- FHS

More details about the cohort assignments, schedule, and what to expect upon arrival will be shared from the schools.

Our teachers have been actively preparing to welcome students into our buildings. It will be important at this time to establish new routines, which is always important at the start of the school year, but it is even more important with the latest health and safety practices. As a result, remote instruction for those students whose cohort is not in the building will necessarily begin looking differently as we move into a hybrid environment.

At the elementary level: all students will participate in a synchronous live morning meeting and closing circle. Throughout the day, educators will engage with remote students multiple times throughout the day, and remote students will be provided with assignments and asynchronous learning opportunities as well. Compared to instruction experienced thus far, there will necessarily be less synchronous learning time as our teachers attend to in-person instruction as well as in-person health and safety practices.

We have received a few inquiries about transitioning from having chosen hybrid to Virtual Learning Academy (VLA) or from VLA to hybrid. A separate document explaining the process will be included in versions of this mailing to elementary families. Please know that there is little flexibility and shifts between the two require significant planning about staff and physical space.

At the middle and high school levels: all students will participate in a lesson launch with their teacher. Educators will employ different strategies to engage students, both in person and remote learners, which may be synchronous or asynchronous. In the early weeks, our teachers will be working hard to establish new building routines, especially the new health and safety practices and there may be additional asynchronous instruction happening for those who are remote.

At all levels and both in person and remote, we ask for your understanding and patience as we begin a very novel way of teaching and learning. Everyone is working very hard and learning new strategies. We also wish to emphasize the need for adaptability. We know that we are in a changing environment and health data could result in partial or full closures, as we have seen in other districts. Flexibility will be important and we ask families to be sure to have a back up plan.

We also know that there may be nervousness about transitioning to the hybrid model. We will emphasize our health and safety practices with students (physical distancing, hand washing, and mask-wearing).

Travel to a Non-Lower Risk State
Students who are returning to Massachusetts from a non-lower risk state will have to quarantine for 14 days or receive a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to their return to school. Students will continue to receive instruction at home.

DESE Letter to Families of Students with Disabilities
The Department of Elementary and Secondary education recently released this letter for families of students with disabilities, which we are sharing with you:
 http://www.doe.mass.edu/covid19/sped/back-to-school-letter/ 

Food Services Update 

The food pick up at the Parmenter Elementary School is being closed due to a lower level of participation. Pick up of breakfast and lunch will now all be done at the rear of Franklin High School, by the cafeteria’s entrance from 3:00 -- 4:00 PM. All meals are free until December 31, 2020

No School Reminder - No School on Monday, October 12, 2020

Have a wonderful weekend, Franklin Public Schools


Please e-mail reopening@franklinps.net with questions. https://sites.google.com/franklinps.net/returntoschoolplan/home

 

South Franklin Congregational Meeting House Existing Conditions Report and Peer Review

South Franklin Congregational Meeting House Existing Conditions Report and Peer Review

New Report: The South Franklin Congregational Meeting House Existing Conditions Report and Peer Review   https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif591/f/uploads/20-0930_sfmh_existing_conditions_report_issued_2.pdf

Previous report in 2015  https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif591/f/uploads/old_south_meeting_house_on_washington_street_1.pdf

South Franklin Congregational Meeting House Existing Conditions Report and Peer Review

Daily News Sports: "Franklin field hockey’s family matters: Hess and Carney clans well represented for Panthers"

Via Daily News Sports (@MetroWestSports) we share this article:

"It is a family affair these days within the Franklin field hockey program.

After six-plus months of quarantine with their mothers, Franklin senior Neilee Hess and senior Sara Carney along with her sister, sophomore Kaitlyn Carney, have kept the family time going, even while returning to the field.

Neilee’s mom, Michelle, is the Panthers’ head coach while the Carney sisters’ mom, Kim, is Michelle’s assistant and the JV head coach.

On Thursday, the Carney sisters had quite a day against Milford in a 13-0 rout. Kaitlyn had four goals while Sara added three assists. Hess had a shutout in goal with minimal work, and senior Amanda Lewandowski added four goals as well."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required) https://t.co/TdEe1UEPdc

 

Daily News Sports: "Franklin field hockey’s family matters: Hess and Carney clans well represented for Panthers" (Daily News and Wicked Local photo/Dan Holmes)

In the News: decline in cigarette tax stamp sales may exceed forecast

From the Milford Daily News, an article of interest for Franklin:

"Cigarette sales in Massachusetts were down by 24% in August, according to convenience store owners, and the state has seen a nearly $32 million drop in tobacco excise taxes in the three months since its first-in-the-nation ban on menthol cigarettes took effect.

The decline in cigarette tax stamp sales would put Massachusetts on pace to exceed the $93 million in foregone revenue projected by the Department of Revenue last year from the menthol and mint cigarette ban.

The New England Convenience Store and Energy Marketers Association said the ban has pushed sales to neighboring states, including New Hampshire and Rhode Island where overall cigarette sales were up 65% and 17% in August, respectively. New Hampshire saw a 91% spike in menthol cigarette sales alone in August, and Rhode Island’s coffers benefited from 40% bump in menthol sales.

The ban on menthol cigarettes in Massachusetts took effect on June 1, and while public officials were willing to give up some revenue for the public health benefits of banning all types of flavored tobacco, convenience stores say residents are simply bringing the products back from other states."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required) https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20201009/stores-say-mass-tax-drop-reflects-shift-in-cigarette-sales?rssfeed=true

 

Town of Franklin, MA: October Senior Coffee Hour - Oct 15

The October Senior Coffee with Franklin Officials is scheduled for next Thursday, October 15 at 8:30 AM. 

 

Find the meeting link - Join Zoom Meeting  https://t.co/xY0HvlN7QK...
Meeting ID: 831 5465 3026
Passcode: 703738

 

Shared from Twitter:  https://t.co/97k2I0E25e

Town of Franklin, MA: October Senior Coffee Hour - Oct 15

Commonwealth Magazine: "Pandemic hasn’t erased the opioid epidemic"

From CommonWealth Magazine we share an article of interest for Franklin:

"HE HAD JUST LOST his father to COVID-19. His dad had succumbed to this relentless disease while living in a long-term care facility. He was just beginning to cope with that loss.

Then, it got worse.

Two weeks later, he lost his son. His son died after a long-term battle with opioid addiction, stolen by an epidemic that has been raging since well before the pandemic – and still rages today.

What made these losses even more traumatic? Unable to hold a funeral or have any real way to join together with loved ones, he couldn’t say good-bye to either. The pandemic had taken that from him as well.

This is the tragic story of one family in Massachusetts. The pandemic has impacted so many more. And for those struggling with addiction, or who have a loved one who is, it’s brought a whole new set of challenges and hardship."

Continue reading the article online

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/opinion/pandemic-hasnt-erased-the-opioid-epidemic/

 

SAFE Coalition provides a good deal of assistance in this arena. "Get Help Now! For Help Call the SAFE Support Hotline: 508-488-8105"

For additional info visit https://www.safecoalitionma.org/ 

 

 

Get Help Now! For Help Call the SAFE Support Hotline: 508-488-8105