The Bridge Newsletter

October 27, 2022

Annual Fund

The annual fund has started, and we have exciting news. An anonymous donor has generously given a $40,000 matching donation! That means ALL donations will be DOUBLED through December 31st! Donate today and support our incredible neurodiverse population!

Double your gift today!

Autumn Parent Social

Our Franklin Center parent and caregiver socials are designed to connect our community in a fun, welcoming, and supportive atmosphere. A time to relax, laugh, and renew the spirit with other adults who often share similar life experiences.

Join us for our autumn social TODAY, October 27, from 4:30-6:00 pm at The Vine Room, 756 Mainstreet in Hopkins.

We will gather for refreshments and conversation. As they say at The Vine Room - happy people, good vibes, and great wine! Each guest will purchase their own refreshments.

RSVP to maureen.maher@franklinmn.org or (952) 737-6435.

Save the Date

Danny Della Lana and Steve Hall will host a Holiday Party on Friday, December 9th for all Franklin Center parents, caregivers, and staff. Watch your email and The Bridge for more details in the coming weeks!

Franklin Academy's Family Corner

Owl-O-Ween

Students and staff may choose to participate in Owl-o-ween by dressing up as a character from a favorite book!

Here are the guidelines for appropriate costumes:

Come dressed as a book character
Costumes or hats cannot cover face or eyes -- everyday face coverings will still be expected.
Costumes may not include weapons
Costumes should be fun or clever rather than intentionally scary

Teachers may ask a student to remove part or all of a costume if it does not meet these guidelines.

Classroom Highlight: Highschool Chemistry

By Liz Hall

In Chemistry, students have been learning about the six necessary elements for life on Earth. We have learned about many important characteristics of water and why it is crucial for life. We have learned about the Periodic Table, how to model elements as both a Bohr model and a Lewis Dot model, and how elements join together to form ionic and covalent compounds. We are currently learning how to draw models for ionic and covalent compounds. We will be wrapping up our first unit in the next two weeks.

Capstone Parent Information Night

You are invited to join us for Capstone Parent Information Night on Tuesday, November 15th from 7:00-8:00 pm!

This event features a parent roundtable discussion, hosted by the Franklin Capstone Program. Parents of some of our current participants will be joining to discuss and share their experiences and information on the following topics:

Benefits: What is available and how to access
Transitioning into Adulthood
Post-secondary Options
Employment
Anything else you want to ask!

If you are interested in attending, please RSVP by filling out the form here.

Franklin Academy PTO

All parents and caregivers are invited to the first-ever Franklin Academy PTO Meeting! Please join us on October 27 from 3-4 at school to discuss the upcoming book fair and plan ahead for future events. Owl's Nest is complimentary during the meeting, but you must register in advance. Hope to see you there!

Audra and Kerry

PTO Co-Chairs

School Pictures Delivery

Students' portraits will be delivered to Franklin Center on or before November 15th.

Franklin Enrichment

Owls' Nest

Owls' Nest is provided before and after school during the following hours:

7:00 am-8:00 am, 3:10 pm-5:00 pm.

Clubs

Session One clubs will end the week of October 31, 2022. Registration for Session Two clubs continues via the BlackBaud system. This is the same system as your tuition.

Please refer to the attached flyers for clubs offered. If you are unable to view a club, please reach out to Amber Trapp, Enrichment Program Manager, at amber.trapp@franklinmn.org or (952) 737-6925.

New clubs have been added for MS & HS. Please see the updated flyers below for more details.

Middle and High School Second Session Clubs

Lower School Second Session Clubs

Letters From Leaders

Amber Trapp, Camp Franklin and Franklin Enrichment Program Manager

The month of October has been filled with many Activity Days that have provided students with fun, engaging experiences outside of the classroom.

On Friday, October 14, 2022, High Tech High Touch Science engaged our students in a variety of experiments which tested their investigative senses. Students were encouraged to be scientists for the day. Students observed the texture, sounds and more of a variety of mediums and how each medium interacts with one another. By the end of the day, students were encouraged to work together to form a hypothesis and find ways to solve problems, scientific or otherwise.

The next Activity Day occurred during conferences on Wednesday, October 19, 2022. The Raptor Center visited with our students and shared four raptors. Each student was hoping that Frankie the Owl would make an appearance. The Raptor Center shared with students how to be stewards of kindness in regards to wild birds and when and how to take care of a wild bird. Fun fact: If you see raptors or evidence of raptors' habitats around your land, that is an indication that it is a highly functioning and prosperous habitat. A good sign!

The fun continued on Thursday, October 20, 2022 when The Works explored lights and kaleidoscopes. A glow in the dark dance party was enjoyed by all.

The week was capped with Snapology, on Friday, October 21, 2022, where students were able to discover their engineering talents to build tall buildings to functioning windmills. Activity Days are a great way to keep your student engaged in fun, engaging experiences outside of the school day. Register for any upcoming Activity Days via the BlackBaud system. Pictures below highlight the fun that was had by all whom participated.

Audra Williams and Kerry Brown

PTO Co-Chairs

k.amsbry.brown@gmail.com

williams.audra@gmail.com

Kim Snow

Interim Executive Director

kim.snow@franklinmn.org

Kim Strandemo

Academy Principal

kim.strandemo@franklinmn.org