Wednesday Parent Newsletter The Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School 201 Main Street, Franklin, MA 02038 Wednesday, September 25, 2013 Absences: Please call the school office to report any student absence. Leave your child’s name, grade, and date. 508-541-3434 Thank You! Inclement Weather: Please see handbook page 46. We follow Franklin Closings. Reminders: Forms! If you have not yet sent in your forms to school, please do. We need your information to update our database. All visitors to the school are required to sign in at the Front Office and wear a Visitor’s badge. Thank you for your help with this! Parking is not allowed in marked reserved spots near the schools main entrance. These spots are reserved for the CCD program staff. From the Board of Trustees (BOT): The Board of Trustees is currently seeking new members to serve on the Facilities, Finance, Governance, Human Resources and Mission committees. These committees are responsible for any real estate matters that affect the school, the overall school financial performance and management of school investments, for reviewing and developing the school’s policies, rules, and procedures and supporting the mission of BFCCPS. Expertise in the related areas is desirable but all are welcome to join the committees. Committee meetings are generally held once a month with additional meetings occurring on an as needed basis. If you are interested in participating in one or more committee please contact the individuals below to learn more. Facilities Committee Chair, Don Tappin ([email protected]) Finance Committee Chair, Jerry Cimmino ([email protected]) Governance Committee Co-Chairs, Katie Lepsevich ([email protected]) and Joe Mullen ([email protected]) Human Resources Committee Chair, John Williams ([email protected]) Mission Committee Chair, Lax Iyer ([email protected]) PCO Announcements: Fall Fundraiser is in full swing. Don't forget to order your goodies from the packets the kids brought home on the 20th. We are partnering with a new company this year, Genevieve's and are very excited about their products. Order forms are DUE on OCT 4. If you have any questions, please contact Sue Anne Bell or Bridget Drewry. Please join us for the PCO’s first Arts Enrichment Assembly: storyteller Nora Dooley. Norah Dooley is a critically acclaimed storyteller and children’s author whose books teach about the commonalities that bring us together. In this multicultural storytelling program, folk tales and fables include stories centered around social justice, immigration, tolerance, and diversity. ALL are encouraged and welcome to attend. The PCO Arts & Enrichment Committee is pleased to present the 2013-2014 Calendar (attached). These programs are funded with your continued, generous support of the BFCCPS Parent Community Organization. The first PCO General Meeting will be on Wed., 10/2, 7:30-9pm in the school library. All parents are welcome. Come find out what the PCO is up to this year and give us your input. Our Head of School, Heather Zolnowski will be providing an administrative update as well as answering questions about the PARC exam, the new math pilot programs and other updates to the curriculum. Come join us and enter to win our door prize! We hope to see you there. Looking for immediate help finding leaders for Photo Day, Destination Imagination and the Spring Basket Raffle. If you, or anyone you know, would be interested in chairing or co-chairing either of these activities, please email [email protected]. We will be happy to put you in touch with past leaders of these programs if you need to know more information before making a decision. There are many other volunteer opportunities for the coming school year sign up to help out here: http://tinyurl.com/PCOVolunteer Earn "free money" for our school. Order your children's Halloween costumes from http://www.wholesalecostumeclub.com/fundraiser/ (see attached flyer), enter promo code FUN1078 at check out and BFCCPS earns 15% of your total sale. Great selection and competitive wholesale prices! Register your Stop and Shop Rewards Card and earn cash for BFCCPS! Go to www.stopandshop.com/aplus See attachment for details. It's EASY and our school earns money every time you shop; be sure to pass the link to friends and family so they can register their cards. Thank you for your continued support of the BFCCPS PCO. Parent Advisory Committee (PAC): Popcorn Wednesdays will begin on October 7. If you have ordered popcorn, but have not yet paid, please send cash or a check made payable to BFCCPS to the Student Services Office. The cost is $14 per child for the entire year. If you have not yet ordered popcorn, but would like to, please email us at [email protected]. From the Fine Arts Gr 4 Parents and Students – Time to join the Band. Instrument Demo Assembly Wed, Oct 2 @920-1020am. Information to follow, after assembly. Please contact Mr. Benjamin @ [email protected]. After School Activity: Drama Kids: Please email Susie Christiano @ [email protected] See Attached. Capstone: Elizabeth Szliniczky – Looking for nonperishable food donations. Bin located in mondular marked “Food Donations.” Time frame 9/19-10/31. Michael Welch - Vince Wilfork Jersey Raffle to Benefit Franklin Charger Scholarship Fund-begins 9/18. See Attached. Danny Angermeier - Chess Club- See attached Marlee Paterson - BFCCPS Floor Hockey Intra-Mural League: See Attached Brendan Keaney - Soccer Family Fun Night.- Friday September 27- 6-8PM Grades 5–8 families. Come help raise money for kids who cannot afford to play recreation soccer. There will be prizes, pizza and water available for purchase. Cost is five dollars to enter. RSVP to [email protected] From Operations: Asbestos Management Plan: The school facility was constructed in during an era that used materials that contain asbestos. These materials are still in place in some areas of the building. BFCCPS maintains an Asbestos Management Plan and undergoes regular inspections to ensure the safety of the facility. The Asbestos Management Plan is available for parent review at request in the main office of the school. (Please see attached) Bullying Prevention and Intervention: In 2010 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts passed An Act Relative to Bullying in Schools. This law defined bullying and cyber bullying and mandated schools takes steps to prevent and address incidences of bullying. The state also required all schools to document their preventative measures and response to bullying. The BFCCPS Bullying and Prevention Plan is available in its entirety under the Character Education, Bullying Prevention tab on our website. In addition to this you will also find a document titled “Is It Bullying?”, and a form to report any incidence of bullying to the school. INTERNATIONAL WALK TO SCHOOL DAY Wed, 10/9. Join us in walking around the Franklin Town Common (across the street from the school) at 8:30am! Please click on link below to bring you to the Web Calendar for all the upcoming events. http://bfccps.org/calendar/ Weekly Events: M&W – 730-815am Symphonic Band – Gr 6-8 T&Th – 730-815am Chorus – Gr 6-8 M 4-5pm 9/16 - 11/18 - Floor Hockey; Gr 5-8 9/19-10/31 - Food Drive W 9/25 Gr 6 FT; Nature’s Classroom Th 9/26 Gr 6 FT; Nature’s Classroom 7-9pm Curriculum Night Gr K-4 F 9/27 Gr 6 FT; Nature’s Classroom 920-1000 am AE Assmbly Gr 4-8 1020-1120 AE Assmbly Gr K-3 6-8pm Soccer Fun Night- Gr 5-8 M 9/30 830-130pm Gr 7 FT; Franklin YMCA T 10/1 9-10am BOT & HOS Mtg; HOS Office W 10/2 920-1020am Assembly Gr 4 Instrument Demo 950-1pm FT Kindergarten – Wards Berry Farm. 730-9pm PCO Gen Mtg; Lib Thu 10/3 7-830pm Annual High School Fair; Auditorium F 10/4 8-9am Fin Com Mtg; Lib 920-1020 St Cncl Spch; Gr 4-8 W 10/9 NOON DISMISSAL 830-850 International Walk Day Thu 10/10 SCHOOL PHOTOS 630-730 Gr 7 Quebec Mtg; Aud 630-730 Gr 8 Washington DC Mtg; Room 13 7pm BOT Mtg; Lib. For more information on any of the above listings visit our website at www.bfccps.org or call the school office at 508-541-3434. If you need any part of this document translated please contact the school office.