Franklin e-Newsletter
Friday, March 1, 2019
Follow us on Twitter: @FranklinBolts / Hashtag: #FMSBoltPride
New Fax Number: (319) 558-2640
Spring Break: March 18-22
Winter Weather Adjustments
- Fridays will now be a 2:50 dismissal through Friday, May 17
- We WILL have school on Friday, April 19 (This was originally marked as a no-school day)
- The last day of school is currently scheduled for Wednesday, June 5
8th Graders: K-Navigator
Contacting Attendance Office
Future Cities: National Competition in Washington, D.C.
Saturday, February 16th- On Our Way! The team left the Cedar Rapids Airport at 8:30 AM and traveled through Detroit, Michigan and then onto to Washington, D.C. The team arrived at their hotel in the afternoon and then attended the Welcome Party in the ballroom at the hotel. The team played many team oriented games while enjoying an amazing pizza supper! Our favorite game was the one where we had to put as many balloons as we could in a pair of panty hose! I have included a few photos of that one!
Sunday, February 17th- Interview Day. The team was interviewed by twenty sets of judges for numerous “Special Awards.” It was an intense interview process with no breaks between the judges. Awards were things such as: Best Model for the Aging, Best Moving Parts, Agricultural Awards, Pollution Control Awards, etc. Each judge had different questions that all needed to be answered in an articulate manner. We met the challenge and time after time offered well organized answers that were all put together on-the-spot. The girls gained great confidence in “impromptu” speaking and by the end were welcoming the challenging questions the judges had to offer.
Monday, February 18th-Showing Our Stuff! Today was the day for our team to show our “stuff!” We presented our model and presentation to two sets of judges. The judges really liked our model and asked lots of great questions. We finished feeling very proud of all of our hard work! The afternoon was a lengthy bus tour of many of the main points of interest in Washington, D.C. We toured the Lincoln Memorial, the White House, and the Vietnam Memorial. The tour guide on our bus was very good and provide a lot of information and detail about he sites. We were able to get off the bus and walk up to and around the sites! We had had the opportunity to see some protesters outside the White House exercising their freedom of speech!
Tuesday, February 19th- Our final day in D.C. We started the day with the Parade of States and proudly carried the Iowa flag and our own sigh across the front of the stage! The emcees then announced all the special awards. We were so happy and honored to be awarded the “Best Community Transportation Award.” We got to go to the front of the stage and be recognized with certificates and a gift card! We were so proud of our award! Later that day, we did some more touring. Some of us went to the Museum of Natural History, some went to the Air and Space Museum and some of went to the Ford Theater where President Lincoln was shot. Finally, that night the Future City folks hosted an amazing good-bye party! There was face painting, tattooing, lots of great food to eat—including ice cream sundaes, caricature drawing, and lots of great music and dancing! Mr. Salamon even had his face painted like a rock star! The teachers, parents, mentors and students all took part in joining in the dancing! It was an outstanding memory for all of us!
Wednesday, February 20th- Heading home. We had some difficulty getting home. It was a snowy day in Washington, D.C. and was the government shut down. They are not as “tough” in D.C as we are in Iowa. There was only a few inches of snow! Our 11:00 flight did not leave the airport until close to 2:00 pm because the plane needed to be deiced a couple of times. I believe I finished a book and the team watched an entire movie. We then missed our 4:00 PM connection in Atlanta, GA and did not end up leaving Atlanta until close to midnight. We exercised our patience when the 9:40 PM flight became the 10:40 PM flight and the 10:40 PM flight became the 11:40 PM flight, and finally the 11:40 PM flight became the 11:40 PM flight. The team, being the outstanding team that they are, did not complain once! They were positive and kind in some stressful circumstances! I was so proud of the team! Finally, about 1:30 AM we were back in Cedar Rapids safe and sound. Our adventures were over, but the memories will live on forever!
Mathcounts
MathCounts is a nationwide competition that students in grades 6-8 compete against others and alongside their peers solving problems that are at a high level of math. Franklin begins “training” for the competition with 7th and 8th graders. 6th graders at Franklin compete in Math Olympiads. Franklin then selects a team of four students to attend a local level at College Community competing against other local schools from the area. This year the following students were selected to represent Franklin: Ishan Chawla, Aidan McGrane, Nick Burkamper, and Leighton Charters. Aidan will represent Franklin since he qualified as an individual competitor on March 29 at State Mathcounts competition in Ankeny. These four students did a great job representing themselves and Franklin Middle School as they placed in fourth and were awarded the most improved team this year.
Tuesday Tutoring
Day of We
Chrissie Hoyer
Dr. Carlos Grant
Steve Staker
Scott Wilson
Nate Keating
Kevin "BF" Burt
Lovar Davis Kidd
Raafa & Rahma Elsheikh
Liz Bennett
Nicolas AbouAsally
Katie Hallman
John DeLany & Patrick Loeffler
Akwi Nji
Alisabeth Von Presley
Carrie & Andy Schumacher
Noreen Bush
Dr. Mohit Chawla
Jaymie McGrath
Brain & Courtlin
Elizier Sotillo
Rod Dooley
Billie Mims
Zach Bohannon
Ashley Vanorny
Nancy Humbles
Diamond Roundtree
Melissa Reed
Phil Reed
Ashley Hinson
Attention 8th Grade Girls: HS Golf Season
Washington
As you know, the IGHSAU and our district allow 8th graders to practice on high school girls golf teams. We would welcome any of your 8th grade girls who are headed to Wash next fall and are interested in golf to practice with us. They cannot play in any meets, but they can practice with us. We have had three girls over the past two years do that and they are way ahead of the other 9th graders the next year because of it. We are not asking individuals to choose this instead of a middle school spring sport, although they are free to make that choice if golf is their top passion. They must find their own way to practice. We will meet at Washington or an indoor facility somewhere until we can get outside and then we practice at Gardner Golf Course (Squaw Creek Park) once the course opens.
Interested girls/families can contact: Dennis Goettel/319-329-9231/goettel@mchsi.com
Kennedy
8th grade girls are now allowed to practice with the high school team so they can learn a little more about the game and how practices work - no meets, practice only. When they sign up on the link below, I will contact the family to share more information. This is a new opportunity for the girls and I'm hoping it will encourage more participation since we don't have a MS program. It is not intended to pull kids away from your activities - only expose them to what golf is and how it works.
Announcement for 8th Grade Girls:
Any girls interested in practicing with the Kennedy High School girls golf team this spring, please fill out the following survey at: tinyurl.com/JFKGirlsGolf2019 More information will be emailed regarding practice after filling out the survey. Questions can also be emailed to Coach Buerman at jbuerman@cr.k12.ia.us
Continuing Information
Supplies Refresher
With us being past the midpoint of the school year, it's a great time to check with your students and their supplies. See the notes below:
- Make sure your student has several pencils in their trapper and locker-a large amount of students coming to class without pencils.
- Needing donation of Kleenex for classrooms, please bring to the main office anytime
Cell Phone Policy Review
- 1st Time: Student turns over phone. It's checked in and documented in the main office and they can pick it up after school.
- 2nd Time: Student turns over phone. It's checked in and documented in the main office. A parent will need to pick up the phone and student will serve a 30-minute detention.
- 3rd Time: Student turns over phone. It's checked in and documented in the main office. A parent will need to pick up the phone and student will serve a 2-hour detention on Friday.
We encourage parents to contact our main office at 558-2452 if you need to get an immediate message to your student. We can get these messages to students throughout the day.
Waiting Before & After School
Franklin Office Hours
Getting Messages to Your Child
Upcoming Events
- Bands at Kennedy Band Carnival
Saturday, March 2
- Illumination at Xavier Show Choir Extravaganza
Tuesday, March 5
- Wrestling vs. McKinley and North Central
Wednesday, March 6
- 7th Grade Band at NEIBA Large Group Contests @ Lisbon
Thursday, March 7
- Wrestling @ Prairie Point
Tuesday, March 12
- Wrestling @ Taft
Franklin Middle School
Email: lptacek@cr.k12.ia.us
Website: franklin.cr.k12.ia.us
Location: 300 20th Street Northeast, Cedar Rapids, IA, United States
Phone: (319) 558-2452
Facebook: facebook.com/franklinms
Twitter: @FranklinBolts