Dear Franklin Families,
I hope that all of you enjoyed the long weekend and had the opportunity to reflect with your children on the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King’s inclusive message of peace, justice, and wholeness for all guides our work at Franklin and shapes our vision for students. When your children arrive at school each day, they bring a sense of optimism and openness that reminds us of what is truly important in life. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your children’s stories and entrusting them to our care each day. We hope that the time they spend at Franklin will equip them for happy, healthy, and caring lives in the years ahead. We aim to be a learning community in which they can grow to achieve their best and be equipped to create a better world.
Progress Reports will be available in Aspen for all families on Monday, February 10th [Please note the change of date]. Students’ current performance levels in a variety of academic and social objectives are reported in reference to our grade-level benchmarks. In areas where students are meeting expectations for this time of year, they receive a “3.” “4” indicates performance significantly beyond grade-level benchmarks. “2” and “1” indicate varying degrees of required growth toward benchmarks.
I hope that all of you will be able to be a part of our January PTO Meeting on Thursday evening (1/20) at 7:30 p.m. School Psychologist Dr. Toni Kelly will join us to talk about Social-Emotional Learning Topics at Franklin, including Inclusive Schools Week, tools we are using to gather data about social-emotional needs, and our professional learning about a Culturally Responsive Approach to Trauma. We hope to see you there! The Zoom link is below.
With Best Wishes,
Mark Chitty
Kindergarten Registration: Please see the attached information below about Kindergarten Registration for the 2022-23 School Year.
Weekly COVID Case Numbers: During the week of 1/10, Franklin School recorded 14 COVID cases. Information on districtwide COVID cases and vaccination rates can be found on the Newton Health and Human Services website here: NPS COVID Case Count and Vaccination Rates.
Save the Date! Dr. David Fleishman, Superintendent of Schools, and members of the Newton School Committee will be visiting Franklin at the Parent Coffee on Friday, February 11th, 8:30-9:15 a.m., as a part of their annual tour of Newton schools. They look forward to speaking with members of the Franklin community. Interpretation for this meeting can be available. Please complete this Google form at least three days before the meeting if you require interpretation: https://forms.gle/daA8qQjm61BJDocD7.
Parent Coffee/PTO Evening Meeting Dates: This year, we have a mixture of morning Parent Coffees and evening PTO Meetings through which we hope to engage all of you in conversation about life and learning in our school community. Please join us on the following dates. We will meet on Zoom for the January and February gatherings and revisit the format for the spring times. Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Fleishman and members of the Newton School Committee will join us at the February 11th Parent Coffee.
January 20th 7:30 p.m.
Meeting ID: 874 9236 0452
Passcode: 999348
February 11th 8:30 a.m.
March 24th 7:30 p.m.
April 29th 8:30 a.m.
June 2nd 7:30 p.m.
Absences: If your child will be absent from school for any reason, please call the Student Absence Line at 617-559-9509 before 7:50 a.m. Also, please be sure that teachers have accurate information about dismissal routines for your child.
Early Release Dates: We will have dismissal at 12:10 p.m. on the following dates: February 3rd, March 24th, and May 12th.
With best wishes,
Mark Chitty