Got Extra Candy from Halloween? Donate it to the Troops. They love it! We are collecting wrapped candy to help support our troops serving overseas. Collection boxes will be located outside the main office at Franklin from Monday, November 3rd through Friday, November 14th.       Mission Statement Operation Shoebox New Jersey, founded in February, 2005, is a volunteer, grass roots organization dedicated to collecting donated supplies and shipping care packages to U.S. troops based in Afghanistan, other Middle East countries and around the world. We are committed to sending packages overseas as long as there is a need. Several times each year, volunteers gather to sort donated supplies and pack personal care boxes that contain snack and food items, toiletries and personal care items and cards and letters written by students and volunteers.  To date, more than 81,000 packages have been shipped to troops deployed overseas. We rely on your compassion and patriotism to maintain our supply line, and applaud your continuing support and generosity; we thank those individuals, families, civic groups, small businesses and corporations that continue to ensure the success of our packing events through their volunteerism and financial support. Operation Shoebox New Jersey is registered […]

  Dear Parents, It has come to my attention that students are bringing caffeinated energy drinks and Gatorade (or other rehydration solutions) to school in their water bottles. In addition to being against our district’s nutrition policy due to their sugar content, caffeinated energy drinks are extremely dangerous.  The amount of caffeine per serving can result in heart palpations and a tachycardia (a rapid heart rate). Gatorade and other rehydration solutions are also high in sugar, sodium, and can cause vitamin toxicity in children. Rehydration solutions should only be consumed during periods of intense exercise. Energy drinks and Gatorade can increase a child’s risk for cavities.  Slipping the drinks over the course of a day, and bathing the teeth in sugar, can erode both teeth and gums. Please, only water in the water bottle. Thank you, Ann Zanelli, RNC, MSN, PNP Franklin School Nurse

Dear Parents, As you may know, we are a “Character Counts” school.  “Character Counts” is a national character education program.  Its framework is centered on basic values they titled the “Six Pillars of Character.”  The values are: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Every Monday morning two students read a message related to one of these values. Below I share the message that on Monday will be read by two 5th graders – Colin Beatty and Rob Rewey. The message reads: It’s time for Halloween and tricks and treat and things that go bump in the night.  It’s a time when some people pretend that witches and goblins come out to play.  Maybe this is a good time to look at other things that might scare you, like a fear of asking questions in class or a fear of taking tests. Listen to these thoughts about fear from Dr. Herbert Frankenstein.  I meant, Dr. Herbert Fenterheim: The question is not whether you are frightened or not, but whether you or fear is in control … The correct thing to tell yourself is “If I do get frightened, I will stay in command.” In other words, what’s important is to […]

The Common Council is tracking the growing number of signatures on the petition to remove voting from Summit Public Schools. Additionally, council members weigh letters from their constituents very heavily. If you support moving voting out of Summit Public Schools, please send a letter to the Mayor and members of Common Council. For your convenience, a form letter, requiring an update of your name, address, and the date is linked here and below. Email your letter to the addresses below. Thank you for your continued support. To use the form letter, please follow these steps: Download the letter from Dropbox at this link.  Click the link and Dropbox will display a copy of the letter.  You must click the blue “download” button on the top right-hand corner of Dropbox and select “Direct Download” in order to make edits. Open the downloaded letter in Word Click in the grey highlighted areas to add your name (both top and bottom) and  address. From Word, you can email the file directly by choosing File>>Share>>Email As Attachment, (or you can save the file to your computer and email as an attachment in the traditional way.) Select the group of email addresses listed above and […]

  The World Food Day was declared in 1979 by the United Nations in honour of the date of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN. According to the UN, this day’s celebration highlights the urgent issues of chronic hunger and promotes positive action through events. The day is also referred to as ‘End Hunger Day’, since it is seen as an opportunity for the global community to unite in an effort to help raise awareness about the global problem of hunger. Franklin School’s food drive for World Food Day will take place from Oct. 20-23. Please donate nonperishable items during this week. The collection box will be in front of the main office. Let’s make a difference!

Franklin School 5th Grade Activities Parents Meeting Thursday, October 23rd @ Drop Off in Cafeteria Come learn about all the amazing activities special to the 5th graders! We’ll talk about what your child/ren will experience, parent involvement, timing, and funding. 5th Grade Activities Include: Yearbook Fab Fifth Graders Class Picture Field Day Class Picnic DVD Moving Up Ceremony Community Service D.A.R.E Graduation Friday Night Blacktop Party Fiesta Day/Pool Party And of course, the ever famous Parent Adult Cocktail Party! Please contact us with questions or if you would like to volunteer to chair an activity. Co-Chairs:  Jenny Hodges johnjenhodges@gmail.com, and Cindy Clark theclarks502@verizon.net.

Virus and Flu 6 page pamphlet

The deadline for the Fall Box Tops collection contest is Friday, Oct. 24th, so please keep on clipping ! Remember: the class who submits the most Box Tops will win a pizza party! So before throwing any packaging away, please check for the Box Tops For Education icon. Have your child paste or tape Box Tops onto collection sheets (preferred) or put in a plastic bag and give them to his/her teacher. Make sure to label with your child’s name, teacher’s name, and class number so they get credit for the contest. And remember: check expiration dates — expired Box Tops don’t count! To see a full list of participating products, visit www.boxtops4education.com. To download collection sheets, please click here for Box Tops Collection Sheet. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me anytime. Rebecca Levington (rgardyn@hotmail.com)

    Franklin School is proud to announce the recent launch of a new SEF sponsored program that will incorporate the beautiful sounds of classical music into your child’s everyday classroom environment this school year.  “Classical Music in the Classroom/SEF Initiative for Future Audiences” aims to present classical music in a positive and accessible way to our students while: promoting creativity and cognitive function; assisting teachers with classroom management; and creating a future generation of classical audiences. Each classroom received three compact discs:  Bach for Breakfast, Debussy for Daydreaming and Mozart for Your Mind.  Teachers have been provided relevant research and educational studies and have been guided in possible uses of each CD for different learning periods of the day.  For instance, Bach has been suggested for morning routine and settling in, Mozart for times of creative collaboration and Debussy for writing workshop or times of quiet, independent work. Check your Wednesday folders for more information about how you can purchase the same music to play at home!  If you have questions about the program or would like more information, please contact: Kate Polles at kpolles@fc.summit.k12.nj.us or Susan Yarad at syarad@verizon.net

  In seeing children’s schedules, many of you have noticed that the odd timings in our periods have ended – lunch now starts at 11:30 versus 11:39.  Your may have also noticed the addition of something entitled WIN.  The WIN period is indeed a new addition. Dr. Julie Glazer, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, recently detailed how we arrived at WIN as follows: While piloting enVision and GO Math I had the opportunity along with a number of classroom teachers, Instructional Coach Michelle Hawley, and your Principals to visit other districts already implementing these math programs.  As part of our review we looked at a variety of schedules and found that in several districts they were able to capture time during the school day for a period of differentiating across the curriculum. At each grade level, classes were re-configured so each child received targeted extra attention in a subject of need.  This model held our attention, and the leadership team spent significant time to explore what might be possible in Summit.  Following our review the Elementary Principals have each been able to develop a schedule for a “What I Need” or WIN period at some or all grades in […]

The Franklin Chess Club needs your help! We are in need of a volunteer who has knowledge of the game of Chess to be our point person for the Franklin after school Chess Club. Franklin participates in Chess matches against Lincoln-Hubbard School and Glenwood School in Short Hills. Mr. Gil has secured a promise of assistance from Lincoln-Hubbard and Glenwood School. This club is designed to provide students of all skill levels from Grades 3 to 5 with the opportunity to learn and play chess and have fun. The program typically meets once per week and is offered in the Fall and Spring and culminates in a tournament between other elementary schools.  The parent coordinator leads and supervises the program. Please help Franklin keep this program active! If you would like to volunteer, please contact Katie Darcy (kpandd@hotmail.com).

Don’t forget Artwork for FLIC will be accepted until Friday, October 17th. Please click on the link Artwork for details. Any questions, please contact Ms. Stochaj (lstochaj@fc.summit.k12.nj.us).

 FLU SEASON IS HERE Looking for a great way to stay healthy this fall and winter?  Get the flu mist or a flu shot! The Center For Disease Control recommends a yearly vaccine for everyone over the age of 6 months. Influenza causes more hospitalizations among young children than any other vaccine-preventable disease. Flu season begins as early as October and runs through May so the best time to get vaccinated is now.  In addition to the flu vaccine there are several steps you can take to avoid the flu: 1.     Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze with your arm or elbow, not your hands. 2.     Wash you hands often with soap and water. 3.     Avoid touching your nose and mouth (it spreads germs). 4.     Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces or objects, especially when someone is ill. 5.     And most importantly, STAY HOME WHEN YOU ARE SICK! Visit www.cdc.gov/flu for any additional information.