On Tuesday, September 30th, Dr. Cole retired as our dedicated principal of 15 years. In honor of this momentous occasion all the students, teachers, new principal, Mr. Gil and superintendent, Dr. Parker participated in an emotional ceremony for Dr. Cole in the Franklin gym.  Mr. Gil and Dr. Parker gave speeches thanking Dr. Cole for her outstanding leadership at Franklin school. Dr. Parker noted that Dr. Cole is responsible for transforming Franklin into one of the top schools in the district.  The students, along with music teacher, Mr. Suhr sang an original song to Dr. Cole. The teachers presented Dr. Cole with certificates and flowers of thanks. The PTO presented Dr. Cole with a very generous check to be given to her charity school, in India that she will be visiting in January. A great big thank you to all the parents that contributed to this worthwhile cause for Dr. Cole. A beautiful memory book was created by the PTO for Dr. Cole with photos throughout her years at Franklin and notes of well wishes from the students and parents. The celebration ended with a party filled with lots of delicious treats. It was a wonderful celebration as we wished […]

BROADWAY COMES TO SUMMIT FOR THE 5th ANNUAL A SPARC’ling Evening of Song Saturday October 25, 2014, 7:30-10:30pm at The Beacon Hill Club Silent Auction offerings include: A vacation in a French chateau Golf outings for 4 at Trump & Westchester Country Clubs Backstage tour of The Metropolitan Opera Costume Department Wine Tasting Dinner COURTSIDE Knicks tickets & other great seats at sporting/cultural events Pippin on Broadway tickets with a backstage meet & greet with Lucie Arnaz and so much more… We are also raffling off this gorgeous diamond necklace! Tony-nominated Broadway actor, Walter Willison, will emcee this elegant & fun evening with music provided by SHS alumni & faculty to raise money for performing arts programs in Summit’s public schools. Our talented performers… Alumni: Melanie Porras (2011), Anise Molina (2010), Lynsey Newsham (2013), Greg Archer (2014), Nicole Mion (2012), Cristina Tsanas (2013), Julian Gordon (2010) Faculty & Friends: Wayne Mallette, Ron Wells, Dan King, Francois Suhr (piano), Nancy Mion, Jim Mion (piano) Tickets are $85 pp. Buy your tickets online at eventbrite.com or mail your check/donation to Lucy Thompson, 28 Waldron Ave, Summit, NJ We look forward to seeing you there!   The Summit Performing Arts Resource Committee (SPARC) is a non-profit volunteer organization founded in 1996.  The […]

The 2015 musical theater production at Franklin School will be- DISNEY’S HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL Producer: Amanda Grainger Director: Jayne Myers For further details about the theater production please click on the following links: High School Musical Schedule High School Musical Parent Meeting information: Everything you want to know High School Musical Production Team Responsibilities High School Musical FAQ Any questions, please email Amanda Grainger (abgrainger@yahoo.com).  

A SAFETY TIP FROM THE FRANKLIN HEALTH OFFICE OCTOBER 5-11, 2014 IS NATIONAL FIRE PREVENTION WEEK WORKING SMOKE ALARMS SAVE LIVES! Please remember to test your smoke detector every month. Visit the National Fire Prevention Website at FPW.org for fire prevention tips, safety checklists, a home escape plan safety grid and other important fire safety tips.

      Many parent docents are still needed for Art in the Classroom, a PTO sponsored program, that runs October through May. Art in the classroom is a monthly program that introduces Franklin students to art history. All it takes is 45 minutes of your time to teach the class about a designated artist along with one of the artist’s famous paintings. The class will then create a project using the knowledge that they have gained from your lesson. All instructional and craft materials are provided and the time involved in preparing for the lesson is minimal. Pick a month and arrange with your child’s teacher the date and time of the lesson you will present. This is a great way for you to spend some quality time in your child’s classroom and have the opportunity to meet your child’s classmates. No experience necessary! Any questions, please contact Kim Leonard (kimkleonard@gmail.com) or Eileen Zyko (eileenazyko@gmail.com). Sign ups by grade can be found by clicking the underlined classes below:                                

The third graders are trying to get everyone to vote to save a crayon. It is just for FUN!!! Check out the survey on Ms. Stochaj’s website—-Crayon Color Survey.

We are still looking for someone to chair the Traffic Safety committee. There are lots of ideas in the works on how to improve the traffic safety at Franklin, we are actively asking people to obey the parking rules and not park on the other side of the street between 2:30 and 3:30, also do not park within 50 yards of the corners on Blackburn Place. We know it is difficult to juggle pickups and other commitments but the safety of your children is foremost in our minds. Last week there was a very close call on the cross walk when a boy on a bicycle was nearly knocked over.

This is a reminder to write your child’s name and phone number on all outerwear, backpacks, lunch boxes and loose items that may get lost. This will allow us to get the items back to their owner much easier.

Did you know you can recycle used ink cartridges outside of FLIC? There is a box just in the hallway before you enter FLIC. Send them in your child’s backpack and remind your child to put them in the box. The money we raise will be used to purchase new books for our wonderful library. Questions please email Ms. Stochaj  lstochaj@fc.summit.k12.nj.us THANKS A LOT.  We hope to fill the box by winter vacation.  Loreli Stochaj, Librarian

As the recent enterovirus D68 overwhelms hospitals in the Midwest, many parents are wondering how they can protect their children.  The enterovirus 68 is one of many non-polio viruses and can cause mild to severe respiratory illness. Confirmed cases of the virus have only been identified in the midwest not in N.J.  The symptoms can cause mild to severe respiratory illness and may include fever, runny nose, sneezing, cough, body and muscle aches as well as difficulty breathing and wheezing. Those with asthma may have a higher risk for severe illness.  It is spread by respiratory secretions such as saliva, nasal mucus or sputum.  Like most other respiratory illnesses, it spreads from person to person when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or touches contaminated surfaces. Back to school and close contact with other children causes increased risk and exposure to any type of respiratory illness.  Basic precautions to protect against any respiratory illness (including the common cold) include: Washing hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands Avoid handshakes, hugs, kisses or sharing cups with people who are sick Use good respiratory hygiene – cough/sneeze in elbow Stay home when […]

Dear Franklin Parents, Last spring, a group of parents decided to take action on removing voting in our schools.  For several years, this has been an issue of great concern to families, teachers and administrators, because on voting days, absolutely anyone can walk in the unlocked doors of the Summit Public Schools, no questions asked, no ID needed, and roam thorough unsecured hallways near where our children are learning.  In light of the recent uptrend in school shootings and violence, opening our schools to the general public is a potential tragedy waiting to happen. While there have been many discussions regarding this issue, there has been no action, and with the 2016 Presidential election on the horizon and the thousands of voters descending on our schools for that, the time to act is now.  Towns including New Providence and Berkeley Heights have moved, or are in the process of moving, voting out of the schools with the full support of their Boards and their local governments.  Unfortunately, the situation in Summit is different.  The superintendent and Board of Education have addressed this concern numerous times, but have not been successful in bringing it to a conclusion.  It is apparent that it is […]

As promised, the final draft of the new report card documents is complete and attached.  Thank you for your insight, support, and feedback throughout this revision process.  With your participation we have been able to develop a student progress reporting mechanism that better reflects the learning taking place in the classroom, student progress against grade level expectations, and a clear representation of the progression of skills Kindergarten through grade 5, aligned to the Common Core State Standards. Elementary School conferences regarding student progress will be scheduled November 3-5, 2014. The first report cards are scheduled to go home to families December 12, 2014. *Dr. Julie Glazer, Assistant Superintendent will be speaking at The Franklin General PTO Meeting on Friday, November 10th. Please click on the link here to read Dr. Julie Glazer’s Letter and Parent Packet –Parent Report Card Packet Please click on the links below to view a draft report card for each grade: Grade 1 Report Card Grade 2 Report Card Grade 3 Report Card Grade 4 Report Card Grade 5 Report Card

Starting Monday, September 15, 3rd grade students will arrive and be dismissed from the gym exit, which is next to the playscape by Franklin Field.   This change is to alleviate crowding at the library door.

The Recess Leaders program The program has 5th grade volunteers providing guidance and support to the 1st grade during recess by teaching and then participating in a variety of games and activities with them. The program will run for October and November and we need Parent Monitors to volunteer for 2-3 sessions. They will sit with the 5th graders at the start of lunch to chat through the games/activities they would like to play and then monitor the play on the field. The parents also need to attend a 30 min emergency training session on the 23rd Sept at 8.30am. Its a fun and very rewarding program, so if you would like to help out please contact Jo Weir joanna_weir1@hotmail.com (908 858 0974)

For information on contract negotiations with the Summit Education Association, please refer to: The district website, Summit Public School Website Karen Greco, Summit Public Schools, Communications Specialist 908-918-2100 ext 3400 You may also reach out to the members of the Board of Education.