Ben Franklin Elementary
Welcome to the 2021-22 School Year!
A message from Principal Urbani
:) Here's a photo of me with my family! My mom and dad are both retired principals.
My son, Dominic, is Junior at Allegheny College, and my daughter, Mia, is a Freshman
at John Carroll University.
Dear Ben Franklin Families,
We are beyond excited to welcome you back to the 2021-22 school year! I would like to extend a special welcome to all of the new families joining the Indiana Area School District this year and welcome back all of our returning families as well! I am honored to be your principal. Our goal at Ben Franklin Elementary is to work together to provide our students with a rich learning environment. My vision, as the principal, is to ALWAYS put children first! My belief is that all students can learn. As educators, we need to discover how each child learns in order to differentiate our instruction to support diverse learning styles. In a collaborative effort, we want children to thrive in all ways possible. We are dedicated to providing your child(ren) a memorable, interactive, engaging learning experience whether it is in person or at a distance through IDEAL+!
As you read over this message, you'll notice there are live links (underlined blue print) - clicking on them will take you right to the site or document! Please take a moment to RSVP for our Back-to-School Night event if you are able and complete the Transportation Survey. Thanks for your attention to these matters!
I can't wait to see our students back at BEN FRANKLIN - THE BEST SCHOOL EVER!!
Kelly Urbani
#proudBFprincipal
Homeroom Teachers & Transportation
Be sure to check your mailboxes next week! We will be sending home letters that will include your child’s homeroom teacher, bus number, and bus stop. Please call our Main Office at 724.465.5637 if you have not received any information by Wednesday, August 25th.
Student Placement
A great deal of time, effort and thought has gone into the process of student placement for the 2021-22 school year. Careful consideration was given to input from teachers and support staff. Classrooms have been balanced academically and socially. Our class lists are structured to provide equitable class sizes at each grade level. Moving students is difficult without causing imbalances and inequities.
Thank you so much for being positive with your child and helping him or her understand that it is impossible to place all students with a preferred best friend or teacher. ALL of our staff works hard to make school a positive experience for ALL students. Ben Franklin Elementary is eagerly looking forward to enriching your child’s life. Thank you for understanding that it can take a few weeks for a child to acclimate to a new grade, peer group and teacher. Please reach out to our School Counselor, Mrs. Brilhart, if you have any concerns about your child transitioning to his/her new classroom.
SAVE the DATE ~ Back-to-School Night
Wednesday, Sep 1, 2021, 06:00 PM
95 Ben Franklin Road South, Indiana, PA, USA
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
IASD Health & Safety Plan
Updates
You can review our Health & Safety Plan by visiting our website or by clicking here.
The safety and security of our elementary community is our priority! Parents/guardians are encouraged to do a health screen of their children prior to arriving at school. A student will be kept home from school for at least 24 hours, fever free (without using fever reducing medication) if the child shows any signs of COVID-19 symptoms or other illness. The parent/guardian is asked to telephone the school nurse (Mrs. Stossel ext.34108 or Miss Lexi ext. 4141) to discuss relevant health concerns and procedures.
As per the Health and Safety Plan, the wearing of facial coverings is optional; however, students and drivers are required to wear masks on all IASD student transportation. This requirement is based on a Federal order issued in January 2021. The CDC requires face coverings, regardless of vaccination status, when on public transportation. This includes school buses operated by public and private school systems. The driver does not need to wear a face-covering if they are the only person on the bus. This is not the decision of the District, and we must comply with the mandate we were issued.
School Lunches
All students enrolled in the Indiana Area School District will receive their meals free of charge for the upcoming school year. Chartwells and the Indiana Area School District are dedicated to providing quality nutritious meals that students will enjoy and choose to eat. If a student has a food allergy, parents should contact the school nurse, who will notify the cafeteria manager.
Although meals are at no charge for all enrolled students, it is strongly encouraged that you fill out the Free & Reduced Student Meal Application that was sent to your home. You might qualify for any additional benefits offered by the school district and the state. If you decide to apply later in the school year or have a change in household size or income, you can obtain a new application from your child’s school office. School breakfast and lunch menus are sent home with elementary school students monthly. Menus for elementary and secondary students are available online at iasd.nutrislice.com
Kindergarten - 1st Week of School
Kindergarten "Soft Start"
You will be receiving information from our Kindergarten teachers soon about the
1st week of school, and you'll learn if your child will be in Group A or Group B.
August 30 – Students & Parents attend
Topics will include: daily schedule, curriculum, specials & day rotation, monthly newsletter, attendance policy (excuses, vacation approvals, etc.), snack day, lunch program, report cards, emergency contacts, bussing, kindergarten expectations.
August 31 & September 1 – Group A attends**
Group A attends school for a full day and follows the normal schedule
Group B does not attend these days.
September 2 & 3– Group B attends**
Group B attends school for a full day and follows the normal schedule
Group A does not attend these days.
**Dividing the class in half will allow teachers the opportunity to acclimate the new kindergarten students to the routines and expectations of kindergarten in a more calm and controlled environment.
September 7 – All Students attend
All students will attend and follow a regular schedule.
Kindergarten Screening
If you missed our Kindergarten Screening during Registration in the Spring, it's OK! We will be working with our newest learners to assess beginning year concepts in the first few weeks of school.
Arrival & dismissal
‘Kid Car’ Drop Off Beginning at 8:30 am
Cars should enter the semi circle area in front Ben Franklin.
A staff member will open the car door so your child may get out.
For the safety of our staff and students, we do ask that all adults remain in their vehicles.
Students Arriving by Bus
Teachers and staff assigned to bus duty will greet the buses in the large parking lot. Students will be asked to dismiss from the bus one seat at a time. They will enter the school through the cafeteria doors.
School Arrival After 9:00 am or Dismissal Before 3:30 pm
Our school day hours begin at 8:30 am and end at 3:30 pm. Any student who comes to school after 9:00 or who leaves before 3:00 will need to be signed in or out at the vestibule outside the Main Office. Adults signing students in or out are encouraged to wear a mask inside the building. Any student who arrives after 9:00 am or who is dismissed from class prior to 3:30 pm will require a written reason. Please be advised that students should not arrive earlier than 8:30 am.
Kid Car Pick Up Beginning at 3:30 pm
Enter the semi circle in front of the school and pull all the way around.
Display your Kid Car Pick Up Card on your dashboard.
A staff member will walk your child(ren) to the vehicle - please stay in your car.
If you sent a note to school because you are a “Today Only” pick up, your child(ren)’s name will be on a list. Your child(ren) will be brought out to your car. You may be asked to show your driver’s license/ID.
Changes in Transportation
We cannot stress enough the importance of providing a note if your child is being picked up early or occasionally. Send an email to your child’s homeroom teacher and our Administrative Assistant, Mrs. Bruner, at kbruner@iasd.cc
Please include the following information in your message:
Your child’s (first and last) name
The date your child is being picked up
Name of person picking up your child
It is best to send the note or email the morning of the pick up and not days in advance. Calling the school may be convenient for you, but emails/notes are best practice. Please avoid calls to the office unless absolutely necessary.
We will not make any changes in transportation after 3:00 pm.
THANK YOU for your understanding as we strive to keep our children SAFE!
After School Hours: The School Office closes at 4:15 pm. If you have any questions concerning your child’s bus, please contact the Bus Company at 724.349.3944.
Please Complete This Transportation Survey by 8/24!
District calendar
Meet our Amazing staff
Student success is attributed to the partnership and the relationships we build within our community and this is MOST important now more than ever. It truly does take a village... and at Ben Franklin, we value teamwork and collaboration! Education is a joint venture, and our team of BF Heroes greatly appreciates the support you provide for your children at home and at school to help them meet their learning goals. We have amazing teachers and team members preparing classrooms and learning spaces as we speak!
Please meet our team members that will work with your children this year:
Our PreK & Kindergarten Team:
Mrs. Olear (PreK) - Room 29
Mrs. Leonardo - Room 9
Mrs. Redinger - Room 10
Ms. Cook - Room 16
Miss Giraulo - Room 17
Ms. Lorelli - Room 18
Our 1st Grade Team:
Mrs. Gatskie - Room 1
Mr. Moran - Room 3
Mrs. Marshall - Room 4
Mrs. Coleman - Room - 5
Dr. Sherman - Room 6
Our 2nd Grade Team:
Miss Nicewonger - Room 11
Miss Gailey - Room 15
Miss Witt - Room 19
Mrs. Lamont - Room 20
Mrs. Clark - Room 25
Our 3rd Grade Team:
Mrs. Shaffer - Room 30
Ms. Kaszubowski - Room 31
Mr. Kocinski - Room 32
Mrs. Petroff - Room 33
Mrs. Lansberry - Room 34
Mrs. Redinger - Room 35
Our Special Area Teachers Include:
Mrs. Zacherl - Art
Mrs.Devlin- Library
Mrs. Rebyanski- Physical Education
Mrs. Velesig- Music
This year, we will have a 4 Day Cycle Schedule for Specials
Our Special Education and Support Staff Include:
Ms. Gutierrez- Learning Support
Mr. Manning - Learning Support
Ms. Elizabeth Woods- Gifted Support
Mrs. Maloskey - Speech and Language Pathologist
Mrs. Murphy - ESOL Teacher
Mrs. Birch - Reading Specialist
Mrs. Boston - Reading Specialist
Mrs. Vallies - Reading Specialist
Mrs. Wright - School Psychologist
Our School Nurses:
Mrs. Stossel - Certified School Nurse
Miss Lexi - LPN
Our School Counselor:
Mrs. Brilhart
Our Paraprofessionals & Teacher’s Aid Include:
Mrs. Howerton (Teacher’s Aid)
Mrs. Drew
Mrs. Schrecengost
Mrs. Smerdel
Mrs. Hart
Our Custodial Crew:
Mr. Smith
Mr. Harper
Mr. Hipple
Ms. Kovach
Our Food Service Team Include:
Mrs. Kenley - Manager
Mrs. Fleming
Mrs. Harper
Our Administrative Assistant answering all of our calls and helping you daily is:
Mrs. Bruner
Our School Principal:
Mrs. Urbani
About Us
Email: webmaster@iasd.cc
Website: www.iasd.cc
Location: 95 Ben Franklin Road South, Indiana, PA, USA
Phone: 724.456.5637
Facebook: Facebook.com/indianaareaschooldistrict
Twitter: @IndianaAreaSD