BEN Bolt News
February 2022
Principal's Corner
Dear Ben Franklin Bolt Community:
It is hard to believe marking period two has come to an end and half of this very unique and challenging school year has been completed. While this has once again been a very challenging school year, it is our hope that all of you are feeling positive about the development of your student’s academic and social emotional growth. As we move forward into the third marking period, it will continue to be our goal to develop our students to be lifelong learners who have competence and strength of character, while realizing their aspirations as they thoughtfully contribute to a diverse and ever changing world !
During the month of February we have exciting programs and events that will allow students to continue growing academically and socially. We will focus on celebrating Black History Month as we continue to promote culture into our very diverse community. We will be hosting the Commission for the Blind to assess our students' eyesight. The Sheriff's office will be in to conduct Fingerprinting on February18 for our Kindergarten and new students. Our Student Council will be raising awareness and funds to fight Cancer through the Go Red for Heart Program as we ask all to wear Red on Friday February 11. We look forward to celebrating the 100th day of school on February 14 and we look forward to honoring our School Counselor, Ms. Kole as it is School Counselor appreciation week February 7-11. Congratulations Ms. Kole and thanks for all your support and help you provide to our students and their families.
School is closed for Lunar New Year February 1,and for President’s day February 21. Second Marking.Report cards will be posted to the Parent Portal on February 15. An author will be visiting virtually(Kevin Kurtz) on Feb 8/10 for our grade 3/4/5 students and we look forward to showing off our Ben Franklin Bolt Talent with our Virtual Drama Club Auditions on February 24..
As we start the third marking period, please know we will continue to keep you updated on any changes through open lines of communication. Please continue to check the School and District websites and your personal email for updated information. We encourage you to contact us with any suggestions or ideas as we would love to hear your input with the hopes you will get involved and become active participants to create the partnership that is needed to further OUR success for our students and the community.
Wishing our entire Ben Franklin Bolt Community the best! Please be well,Healthy and Safe. Continue to find and make the time to smile, laugh and breath. Remember to Be a Bolt and Let your Lightning Shine!!
Mr. Preville
Principal
Assistant Principal's Corner
Dear BEN Bolt Community,
We can hardly believe that the school year is halfway over! The 100th day of school is upon us in the next few weeks. We have had many incredible opportunities, events and activities thus far, and there is much more to come.
We will be launching our school store this month, infomercial is below. We are also participating in a school-wide publishing project, funded through our Title 1 funds. Students will work on publishing a piece with their classmates, and each student's published piece will be included in the homeroom's book. Each student will receive a copy of their homeroom's book as well as we will have a copy in the school library. We are so excited that each and every one of our students, Kindergarten-Fifth grade, will have the opportunity to become a published author.
Please don't forget to check out our events reminder at the end of the newsletter as well as the February Action for Happiness calendar, which encourages us to be kind to everyone around us.
Thank you and please continue to reach out with any questions, comments, concerns, or ideas,
Dr. Nieves
Bolts School Store Is Opening Soon!
If you haven't already done so, click on the video below to learn how the new School Store will look and Function.
Start earning those Bolt Bucks so you can spend them on the cool new items that you value the most.
School Counselor Newsletter, February 2022
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the act of being fully present in the moment. It is a practice, the practice of tuning into the here and now. When we focus on centering our thoughts to the present moment, there are many benefits. It helps us to be kind and gentle with self. It greatly impacts our ability to be aware of what we need. When we feel more calm, focused and connected, it helps to be more aware of self and others around us.
Nurse's Corner
Vaccination Records
If your child has received any Covid vaccinations please submit a copy of the card to the Nurses Office so it can be recorded. Having the vaccine series will help reduce the chance is severe illness and the days needed to quarantine if exposed. Thank you for your help in fighting the Covid -19 virus.
Regards, Karen Julian
P.T.A. Information & Updates
Congratulations to our Winners of the "Who is Benny" Contest
The First Winners are: From K-2: Legacy Worgs and From 3-5: Jaylani Perez.
The class in each grade that had the highest percentage participation in the contest were:
Kindergarten: Mrs. Devestern
First : Ms. Miller
Second : Mrs. Aravena
Third : Mrs. Nuzzo
Fourth : Mrs. Meisner
Fifth : Mrs. Plodzien
The Winners of the January 31st "Who is Benny" contest are:
Saad Khan Ovindi Walgampola Aiden Yap Humera Shaikh
Zoya Khaji Shaik
Anjanette Torres
The Classroom's that had the Best overall Participation are:
Ms. Cherukara Mrs. Tornambe
Mrs. Hyjack
Mrs. Aravena
Ms. Crowley
Mrs. Parker
Mr. Pedersen
Mrs. ScottoDiCarlo
During the month of February, we celebrate Black History Month and Lunar New Year.
Black History Month
Ms. Kole's Library
Ms. Kole has created an incredible library containing so many tiltes of Black History Books for you to have a chance to take a look at.
Click here, to see her "books".
Lunar New Year By: Hannah Eliot
After the winter solstice each year, it’s time for a celebration with many names: Chinese New Year, Spring Festival, and Lunar New Year! With beautiful artwork by Chinese illustrator Alina Chau, this festive board book teaches readers that Lunar New Year invites us to spend time with family and friends, to light lanterns, and set off fireworks, dance with dragons, and to live the new year in harmony and happiness.
Fun Family Activity
The P.E. & Music Teachers Showcase the Wheel of Education! All they need is U!
Congratulations December Student's of the Month!
Spotlight of the Month : Fifth Grade
"Your Legacy is every life you've touched." ~ Maya Angelou
Students study and examine words that they aspire to exhibit in daily life as well as Life Goals that they will create a plans in order to achieve one day!
Club Spotlights for the Month!
The Garden Club!
Students will be introduced to the art and science of gardening.
Students will learn about the plant cycle, pollination, nutrition through hands-on experiences.
This club will foster student leadership skills, life skills, and a sense of responsibility to maintain and grow a school community garden using our 4 raised garden beds (located in the courtyard) as well as our 3 tower gardens.
This club will promote a buddy system with our self-contained classes to create relationships and assume the responsibilities of maintaining the indoor and outdoor gardens together.
Students will utilize their reading, writing, math, science, and social studies skills to take our school garden to the next level.
Students will assume responsibility for garden planning, care, and maintenance by watering, weeding, planting, and checking ph levels of water for our tower gardens.
We will establish school community connections by offering our produce to our lunch program.
This club will expose the students to a variety of locally grown produce and provide tastings during our seasonal harvest times.
Students will gain an understanding of what foods grow in each season as well as understand the nutritional and environmental value of consuming foods within their season.
We will utilize content to create meaningful activities from the following resource: The School Garden Curriculum: An Integrated K-8 Guide for Discovering Science, Ecology, and Whole-Systems Thinking” By Kaci Rae Christopher
To date, the students of the Garden Club have cleaned up the Courtyard area and prepped it for Spring Planting Season as well as have utilized their three Tower Gardens to begin producing produce through the winter months.
Team Franklin
- Changing the lunch trays from styrofoam to a more eco friendly recyclable fiber tray
- Getting Smoothies and Parfaits added to the Lunch Menu
- Developing new smoothie recipes and serving them to the staff as a healthy breakfast
- Cleaning up the Courtyard to create an outdoor classroom
- Starting a School Garden
- Revamping all Recess areas as well as the Playground
- Hosting countless Community Nights such as Family Fitness Nights, and Community Wellness Nights
- Accumulating close to $30,000.00 in grant money to continue making school improvements
In return for the students dedication and hard work, they receive opportunities to meet and workout with NFL players. Visit MetLife Stadium as well as local dairy farms that support our community in addition to the pride felt from making positive changes for themselves and their peers of the Ben Franklin Community.
The Buddy Program!
As a Unified Champion District and Play Unified School we make a commitment to: create and provide meaningful opportunities for special education and general education students to interact with one another and build positive relationships and experiences with one another.. One of our goals is to be impactful and create positive change in our school climate by promoting the message of inclusion and equity. We recognize, encourage, and support all social inclusion. Our Buddy program meets once a month. So far, this year we have raised money through Special Olympics Turkey Splash (Polar Plunge), we have practiced Unified Sports activities such as a Thanksgiving themed relay race, and got into the holiday spirit with our winter carnival games, which promoted collaboration and teamwork. Coming up, we plan on practicing movement with yoga and freeze dance., and more teamwork/collaboration with a scavenger hunt. Overall, we hope our students build connections, experience success and have fun together.
February Books of the Month
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race By: Margot Shetterly
Margot Lee Shetterly and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award winner Laura Freeman bring the incredibly inspiring true story of four black women who helped NASA launch men into space to picture book readers!
Fun Family Activity
Presidents' Day By: Anne Rockwell
Fun Family Activity
The Night Before Groundhog Day By: Natasha Wing’s
Fun Family Activity
Virtual Author Visit with Kevin Kurtz!
This will be taking place on February 8th and 10th of 2022!
Bolts Talent Show
The Month in Review!
Bolts Spirit Week
I Will Change The World By...
Word Collectors!
Mrs. Nuzzo's class read the book "The Word Collector" by Peter H. Reynolds. We collected words in our reading and words we saw around us. We created collages to show our new words.
Parent University Virtual Math Night!
Virtual Authors Visit with Chrysa Smith
The Upside-Down Gardener Overview
Determined city girl Dory Oslo, unwillingly agrees when her mom tells her she should plant a garden. How could something grow in their city plot with only a piece of sun shining above the buildings? Her determination to wake up those plants is strong and what follows is nothing short of a miracle. Only something highly unusual is happening, or is it? This story uses gardening as a tie-in to discussions about not giving up, trying something new, being a strong-minded girl and of course, the beauty of nature itself.
Upcoming Dates:
February 2: Groundhog Day
February 2,3,4 : Commission for the Blind
February 4: School Spirit Day
February 7: First "Who is Benny: video will be released
February 8 & 10: Virtual Author Visit with Kevin Kurtz
February 11: Votes for "WHO IS BENNY" are due
February 17: Staff Wellness Day, "Lunch and Learn Event", Grab and Go Lunch and Massages.
February 22: Second "Who is Benny" video will be released
February 25: Votes for "Who is Benny" are due
Club Meetings:
February 3: Team Franklin 8:00 am, Peer Leadership Mtg. (lunch)
February 9: Safety Patrol Meeting; Garden Club; and STEM
February 11: Kindness Club
February 14: Team Franklin Special Meeting 8:00am
February 16: Board Game Club
February 17: Virtual Drama Club
February 23: Garden Club
February 25: Kindness Club