"Updated Close Contact Requirements and Quarantine Calculation sheets can be found on our Reopening Website under the Health Office tab. These reflect the new 3 foot guidance in classrooms and on buses."https://t.co/XlqjKppZjN or https://sites.google.com/franklinps.net/returntoschoolplan/health-office-information
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| Franklin Public Schools, MA: Updated Close Contact Requirements and Quarantine Calculation |
Library News
The Franklin Public Library is looking for your feedback about the services we have provided during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is your opportunity to let us know what you have enjoyed or not enjoyed, and what you would like to stay once life goes back to a "new normal". This survey will be accepting responses until the end of May.
Franklin Public Library Customer Survey
Hours
The Franklin Public Library is now open for 30 minute browsing visits! Hours are:
Curbside services will continue with pick up hours as follows:
All returns still must be placed in the outside book drop prior to entering the building. Items will continue to be quarantined for three days before they are checked in.
No donations are being accepted at this time. Please do not place them in the return bins, outside or inside the Library.
To see what is and is not available, click here!
Health & Safety Practices
All patrons entering the library will be required to do the following:
Library Programming
All programming will continue to be either virtual or take-and-make kits.
If you have any questions, please contact the Franklin Public Library at 508-520-4941 or at frkill@minlib.net .
Programs for Children and Teens
Weekly Virtual Events for Kids!
Move Along! Recorded videos drop each Monday on Facebook!
Virtual Dungeons & Dragons! Mondays @3:30PM
Email mgousie@minlib.net for more details!
Deb's Sing & Swing Virtual Storytime Special! Emails with YouTube video link sent each Wednesday!
Email Miss Bree at bcomeau@minlib.net to register!
Zoom Toe Tapping Tuesdays! (Super Silly Dance Class for Ages 2+!) Tuesdays @4:00PM
Email Miss Bree at bcomeau@minlib.net to register!
Bookworm Bounce! Recorded videos drop each Thursday on Facebook!
Take and Make: Wildflower Seed Bombs!
Starting Saturday, May 1st, stop by the library between 10:00am-4:30pm and call the children's room (508-520-4941 ext. 2) to pick up your very own seed bomb Kit! Kits include supplies and instructions for making your very own wildflower seed bomb! SUPPLIES ARE LIMITED! Seed Bomb Kits will be distributed on a first come first serve basis!
Curious George Scavenger Hunt! Monday, May 3rd - Saturday, May 29th
Can you locate the mischievous winner of our 2021 March Madness Character Challenge hiding in the Children's and Teen Rooms? Drop in to the library at any point during the month of May and follow the clues to win a special prize! TO PLAY VIRTUALLY: Each Monday in the month of May a new clue will be posted to our Facebook & Instagram pages. Comment on the post and tell us where in the Children's and Teen Rooms the clue is leading you to! At the end of the month email Bree at bcomeau@minlib.net to receive your prize!
Tech Tigers Zoom Website Challenge! Saturday, May 8th @ 1:00PM
Kids in grades 4 & up! Join the Tech Tigers First Lego League team for a fun intro to making your own Website! Learn the basics and participate in fun challenges! To register and receive the zoom link, email Mitzi at mgousie@minlib.net!
Storyteller's Guild! Saturday, May 8th @ 4:00PM
A club for writers, makers, and gamers! Each month we meet to grow as story tellers through prompts, discussion and Table top Adventures! To register and receive the zoom link, email Mitzi at mgousie@minlib.net!
Girls Who Code!
Grades 3-5 - Friday, May 14th & 28th @ 3:00PM
A Coding club for grades 3-5. We are bringing back G.W.C. at the Franklin Public Library! Learn to Code, Join a community, and Share your passions. All kids interested are welcome! Email mgousie@minlib.net for more details!
Grades 6-12 - Friday, May 14th & 28th @ 3:00PM
A Coding club for grades 6-12. We are bringing back G.W.C. at the Franklin Public Library! Learn to Code, Join a community, and Share your passions. All teens interested are welcome! Email mgousie@minlib.net for more details!
Zoom Cooking Class for families with Miss Sandhya! Saturday May 15th, 1:00PM
Join Miss Sandhya of Sandhya's Kitchen for a special zoom cooking class for kids and their grown-ups! We'll be making pasta primavera with pesto! To register for the class and receive the zoom link, email Bree at bcomeau@minlib.net!
Make with Miss Mitzi Craft Class: Calligraphy! Saturday, May 22nd @ 1:00PM
Join Miss Mitzi for a special zoom crafting class! She will be teaching us how to write in calligraphy! To register for the class and receive the zoom link, email Mitzi at mgousie@minlib.net!
Teen Take and Make: Infinity Photo Cubes!
Teens! Starting Saturday, May 1st, stop by the library between 10:00am-4:30pm and call the teen desk (508-520 4941 ext. 2) to pick up your very own infinity photo cube kit with (almost) everything you need to make a super cool photo puzzle/Rubik's cube/fidget toy! Email Bree at bcomeau@minlib.net for details!
Adults
Keeping the Memories, Not the Stuff with Professional Organizer Janine Cavanaugh, Tuesday, May 4, 7:00 p.m.
It's easy to get attached to our possessions. We tend to form sentimental bonds to the things we purchase for ourselves, the gifts we receive, and the items we inherit from others. As the stuff we own multiplies, we may start to feel overwhelmed by the quantity and clutter. This workshop presents ideas on how to let go of all that is no longer relevant or important. Come learn how to keep the memories but get rid of the stuff.
To register, please visit https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtfuGtrjotG9wOhW-2RmjF1Ta0Yw-... .
Growing a Summer Salad with Blackstone Valley Veggie Gardens, Wednesday, May 5, 7:00 p.m.
Is there anything more refreshing in the summer than a homegrown salad? We'll give you the basics on lettuce, tomato, and cucumber growing.
To register, please visit https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcvfu6tpzsiHdZ2t27OrqM9cnnzShs... .
The Rise of Dolley Madison, Tuesday, May 11, 7:00 p.m.
Why First Lady Dolley Madison spells her name with an "e" is up to speculation. However, Mrs. Madison's legacy goes far beyond the unconventional spelling of her name. Join us for a virtual performance to learn about the twists and turns of Mrs. Madison's storied life as well as her largely unknown contributions to the evolution of our country.
You will learn about this "fashionista' First Lady's life as a Quaker child, the tragedies and serendipities she faced in Philadelphia, her unlikely marriage to James Madison, determining role in her husband's presidential-election victory 1809, transformation of the barren White House into a national treasure, strategies that united a fractured, contentious Congress and personal regrets as a mother.
Janet Parnes, founder of Historical Portrayals by Lady J, Millis will portray Mrs. Madison.
To register, please visit https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIvcemhrzkjG9BPCjuFRpMMAy0GlhE... .
Kitchen Table Art Workshops: Small Books, Sunday, May 23, 4:00 p.m.
We will explore different techniques for cutting and folding small books. The techniques covered can be further developed to create personal handmade notebooks and keepsakes. Presented on Zoom by Jacqueline Volpe, The Creativity Curator at jbvdesignstudio. Sign up by May 7, 2021.
Kits will be provided for the first 12 Franklin residents. Pick up is at the Library during the week before the workshop. Any additional supplies generally will be common household items or art supplies that can be found at home, local stores, or online. The workshop is for adult and young adult artists, non-artists, and emerging creatives from all fields. No prior art experience is necessary; experienced artists may self-select how they would like to proceed after my initial demonstration.
To register, please contact Assistant Library Director Kim Shipala at 508-520-4941, or email kshipala@minlib.net . For a list of additional supplies and instructions for the workshop visit Jacqueline at www.thecreativitycurator.com.
Take and Make Craft: Cross Stitch
In a collaboration with the Franklin Mill Store, the Franklin Public Library is now offering Take-And-Make craft kits for adults! In May, explore the art of cross stitch! Kits are available to the first 50 Franklin residents to register, and will be placed in Curbside Pickup starting May 1st. To register, please contact Assistant Library Director Kim Shipala at 508-520-4941, or email kshipala@minlib.net .
Franklin Public Library Book Club, Tuesday, May 25, 7:00 p.m.
The book for discussion is The Round House, by Louise Erdrich.
When his mother, a tribal enrollment specialist living on a reservation in North Dakota, slips into an abyss of depression after being brutally attacked, 14-year-old Joe Coutz sets out with his three friends to find the person that destroyed his family.
To reserve a copy of the book or for more information, please contact Assistant Library Director Kim Shipala at kshipala@minlib.net . To register, please visit https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcsf-yrrDIuGNZUG2MU5BiraLtGa3d... .
"With Massachusetts continuing to keep COVID in check and lead the nation in vaccinations, our Administration announced plans to continue with our phased process to safely reopen our economy.Press Release: https://www.mass.gov/news/baker-polito-administration-announces-plans-for-continued-reopening
Effective April 30, the outdoor mask order will be relaxed."
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| MA News: "Effective April 30, the outdoor mask order will be relaxed" |
"Boston food entrepreneurs will get a boost beginning on Friday, April 30, when a retail residential kitchens ordinance goes into effect. This allows home cooks to prepare shelf-stable foods in their homes for resale at farmers’ markets, online, and through the mail. They can make up to $25,000 per year.Boston City Councilor at Large Julia Mejia introduced the ordinance after a conversation with Andree Entezari, who had relocated to Boston from Los Angeles, where he ran a fruit leather business from home. He wanted to do the same here.“This is a way to test products that aren’t cost-prohibitive,” he said. “Working out of your home reduces start-up costs and engages you in your local community. It allows you to meet others in a special way, through food.”
"#HousingChoice: what are the details of the law, what state guidance has been shared, what decisions still need to be made - join us, @MAPCMetroBoston, and @mhphousing on May 6th for answers to these questions and more!"Register here -> https://t.co/Iwjpmsn4MN
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| Housing Choice in Your Community - Webinar - May 6 |
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| FM #524 - Talk Franklin - 04/23/21 (audio) |
Lifelong Music Academy
July 19 – 30, 2021
8:30 am – 12:30 pm
$350 per program
Franklin High School
40 hours of musical instruction over two weeks! Ensemble rehearsals, recreational time, spirit days, and more. Students will end the two weeks with a performance*.
SUMMER SYMPHONIC BAND – Entering 7th–9th grades with 1 or more years of playing experience
SUMMER SYMPHONIC STRINGS – Entering 7th–9th grades with 1 or more years of playing experience
SUMMER GLEE – Entering 7th–9th grades, no experience necessary
*Performance will be recorded and sent to families via email.
https://reg.learningstream.com/view/view_month.aspx?as=79&wp=419&aid=FPSLLI
Plus, we have a 6-week summer session of PRIVATE MUSIC LESSONS for students entering 3rd–12th grades, and adults. July 6 – August 11, Tuesdays or Wednesdays, depending on the instrument. Choose 4, 5 or 6 weeks that fit your schedule. $35 for 30-minute lessons, $65 for 60-minute lessons. Click the link above to register.
QUESTIONS? Email MusicAcademy@franklinps.net.
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| Lifelong Music Academy |
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| FHS Cheerleaders -> 2021 Hockomock Champions |
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE by our CHEER TEAM in the (Virtual) Hockomock Championship Meet! pic.twitter.com/jobvMJKRs5
— FranklinAthletics (@FHSSports) April 24, 2021
A fun Facebook page was created last month by a few Senior parents, called FHS Adopt A Senior. Hope you’ve joined the page & have started helping these Seniors celebrate their upcoming graduation. This is a great Senior class!!
2021 Lawn Signs:
Also, on that Facebook page is information if you want to order lawn signs that you may be seeing popping up all over Franklin. Just wanted to share, in case you are looking for the info. Updates are regularly posted on the FHS Adopt A Senior Facebook page, for orders & pickup details.
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| FHS "Adopt A Senior for 2021" active now |
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| Community Relations Subcommittee Meeting - Apr 28 |
"Today (Monday, Apr 26, 2021) we filed road safety legislation that includes several provisions we previously filed in 2019 and several new proposals like increasing penalties for individuals who cause personal injury while driving on a non-administratively suspended license."
"Although not well known today, tenor James Melton was a phenomenally popular star of opera, stage, records, radio and screen from the 1920s to the 1950s. He was also an obsessive collector of antique cars and, thanks to a Massachusetts man (also a tenor in amateur circles), became a collector of early antique bicycles as well. Meet the men, learn about their collections and spend a short sojourn in a simpler time."
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| 2 Tenors and a Passion For Wheels - Apr 26 - 1 PM |
"These “breakthrough” infections occurred among people of all ages. Just over 40 percent were in people 60 or older, and 65 percent occurred in women. Twenty-nine percent of infected people reported no symptoms, but 7 percent were hospitalized and just over 1 percent, 74 people, died, according to the CDC.Public health officials have said breakthrough infections were expected, since manufacturers have warned loudly and often that the vaccines are not 100 percent protective. The Pfizer and Moderna versions have consistently been shown to be above 90 percent effective, most recently for at least six months. Studies have also shown they are nearly 100 percent effective at ensuring that the small fraction of vaccinated patients who do contract the virus will not get severe cases or require hospitalization."
Greater Attleboro Area Council for Children Hosts Virtual Flower Arranging Class – A Wonderful Present for Mother's Day
Looking for an amazing idea for a Mother's Day gift? Something that your mother has never received before? The Greater Attleboro Area Council for Children is hosting an hour-long virtual Flower Arranging Class on Zoom Thursday, May 13 at 6:00 PM.
The class will be led by Debbie Bottomley, who has won multiple awards for her flower arranging skills. Participants will learn simple tips and ideas to make flowers last longer and look beautiful in any kind of container. 
Virtual Flower Arranging Class
Included in the ticket price are all of the flowers needed to follow along with Debbie to make the arrangement. Participants will need a container of about 4 inches in diameter, such as a teacup, coffee mug, or mason jar to hold the arrangement.
Tickets must be purchased by May 9. A maximum of 50 tickets are available and the participants must live within the Greater Attleboro Area to pick up the flowers or have them delivered.
Amy's Flower Studio on Rt 1 in North Attleboro is partnering with the Council for Children to create each bunch of flowers to be picked up on site the day before the event.
A gift certificate will be sent out via email with the confirmation. A Zoom link will be sent to each ticketholder before the event.
Please visit the Council for Children page on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/events/184901089990406) or www.councilforchildren.org to purchase a ticket as well as for registration instructions and delivery information.
Contact info@councilforchildren.org with questions.
"Community-centered senior living works for seniors and communities"
"The coronavirus pandemic shined a spotlight on nursing homes in Massachusetts, with more than 5,500 residents dying of COVID-19 (down from 6,722 after the state revised how it reports deaths in long-term facilities). The deaths underscored the risks for residents who live in a communal setting, especially for those who share a room. A design developed decades ago for hospital-like efficiency, the shared room can contribute to substandard care and a dehumanizing, undignified end of life. It must disappear.This will require investment in new models that support seniors’ right to thrive in life-enhancing environments that are far superior to conventional institutional living. This funding initiative must motivate the developers and owners of nursing homes to create private living spaces for residents. It must also motivate them to include an invitation to “community-centered living” in their nursing home redesign of common space."
"The concept that Boston could possibly become the Silicon Valley of aging is a fascinating idea. There are, however, questions to be addressed and misconceptions that need to be put aside before we can claim the title. For example, where and how will the older generation live as we age? Who will provide support when needed? Is there the political will to help us answer these questions?As of July 2019, people age 65 and over represented nearly 12 percent of Boston’s population — and that number is growing steadily. According to a 2018 AARP survey, 76 percent of Americans age 50 and up stated that they wished to remain in their own homes, or at least their own communities, as they aged. Yet the same survey revealed that only 59 percent felt that they would be able to age in place. Respondents cited obstacles including uncertainty about how to access support and services, and how to maintain a sense of community, with increasing age."
