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Franklin Public Schools
District Newsletter
April 2022
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UPDATE
The previous newsletter sent on Monday, April 25th, 2022 stated that Friday, May 6th, 2022 was no school. There WILL be school on Friday, May 6th, 2022. All Franklin Public Schools will operate on a HALF DAY schedule to accommodate for staff professional development, with the exception of the Early Childhood Development Center which will have no school on half days. We apologize for any confusion and thank you for your understanding.
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A Day of Giving at Horace Mann |
The HMMS Kindness Club teamed up with the ADL Peer Leaders, Spectrum Club and the Art Club to sponsor “A Day of Giving for the Ukrainian Refugees”. In the days leading up to the Day of Giving, the ADL peer leaders shared stories about some of the Ukrainian refugees on the morning news. The focus of these stories were around the humanitarian needs of this group of people. In addition, the Art Club provided a large banner in the entryway reminding students of the upcoming “Day of Giving” and the Spectrum Club made bookmarks for students who donate.
The Kindness Club was able to raise over $1,000 to donate to the Massachusetts non-profit Sunflower of Peace, which provides medical supplies as well as humanitarian aid for Ukrainian refugees.
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Three FPS schools have been accepted into the Massachusetts OpenSciEd Cohort Program. In partnership with Boston College, we will work towards a OpenSciEd Equitable Instruction (OEI) Initiative. This program focuses on curating the highest standard of middle school science curriculum. Through this partnership, the district will receive grant funding, on-site support for professional development and curriculum enactment during our three year implementation plan.
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The FHS Theatre Company was named a top 2 winner at the Massachusetts Educational Theatre Guild's Regional Drama Fest! Their performance of Cave Dream ranks as top 14 in the state from a pool of 90 participating school performances. Bravo! |
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D,E,I Director Hiring Process - Next Steps |
Franklin Public Schools has been actively conducting a search for our Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. A committee consisting of teachers, parents, district administrators and School Committee was established to conduct initial interviews. After much thoughtful discussion, the committee came to consensus that there was one candidate who rose to the top as an exceptional leader and who they recommended to move forward in the process. The group announced earlier this month that Heidi Harris is the finalist for the position. We encourage parents and guardians to come meet Ms. Harris on Tuesday, May 3rd from 6:30pm - 7:30pm in the 2nd floor Council Chambers of the Municipal Building (355 East Central Street, Franklin, MA). Ms. Harris will be available to discuss her background and answer questions.
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Our Technology Department is nearing completion of much-needed upgrades to the entire FPS network. In the past year, over 700 upgrades have been made to our 10 year old hardware! These new devices are the foundation of the network operating system and should provide fast, reliable, ubiquitous network and Internet access for years to come! |
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Teacher Appreciation Week is May 2nd - May 6th. We are excited to celebrate out teachers across the district. We recognize that our PCC groups commit an incredible amount of time and effort into support our district - specifically our students and staff. Thank you for the planning you put into helping us thank our FPS teachers! |
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Franklin All Night Party Returns! |
ANP needs your help! After a two-year hiatus, All Night Party is back and we are looking forward to celebrating the Class of 2022!
ANP is a pay-it-forward Franklin tradition, providing a fun, safe, and memorable way for the graduating class to celebrate their accomplishments together one last time. It is held on the night of graduation, Friday June 3rd, and runs from 11pm - 5am the next morning.
We are seeking volunteers, specifically the evening of graduation. You may sign up to volunteer via the Volunteer Form
FYI the Registration (10:30pm - 12:30am) time slot is full. If you are a non-senior parent who signed up to volunteer for this time slot, we kindly ask you to choose another option! ANP needs volunteers specifically for the following time slots:
- 12:30 am - 2:30 am (games, running casino tables, entertainment, snacks, general supervision)
- 2:30 am - 5:00 am (DJ/club portion, general supervision, and student dismissal)
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From the School Committee |
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During the April 12th School Committee meeting the 22-23 School Calendar was revised to include professional development days. You may view the calendar here.
Save the date! Our next Saturday Social will be on June 4th from 1pm-3pm at Birchwood Bakery swing on by for a chat!
Please join us for our next School Committee meeting on Tuesday, April 26th at 7pm.
Budget Season
The budget is an iterative process. The School Committee voted on a final budget on April 12. Finance committee will meet May 12th and Town Council budget meetings will be on May 25th and May 26th.
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Happy Spring to our FPS Families, Faculty Staff and Franklin Community! |
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