NOVEMBER 25, 2020
FPS Family Newsletter | 20-21 Issue 20
A Very Different Thanksgiving
If you are like me, your Thanksgiving, and perhaps Christmas plans, have been significantly modified. Instead of gathering as a family, we are planning a virtual dinner and Christmas will likely happen in segments over a couple of weeks. My family, and particularly my adult children, have expressed dismay, but as adults, we understand. For many of you, your children will have a more difficult time understanding. While it is not easy, we can view this time as an opportunity to build resilience. Children who are resilient, whether that comes naturally or is something they have learned, are more able to deal with ups and downs, including change, stress, mistakes, and failure. When children lack resilience, they tend to shy away from trying new things. Fear of failure can hold them back, which may mean they miss out on new experiences.
Resilience doesn’t just have a positive effect on children’s mental health, confidence, and self-esteem; it also helps them become better learners who are more likely to succeed academically.
It is important to note that resilience is not the same as being unfeeling. Children will naturally be discouraged or upset at times, even over small things, and it’s unrealistic to expect them to bounce back from major crises. But resilient children are better at persevering through the natural challenges of life and tend to be more positive, adaptable, and willing to try new things.
As we all persevere through COVID-19 and maneuver through our holiday traditions, perhaps we can think about how these experiences will help our students and your children in the future with the challenges that they face.
I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving.
Dr. Judy Mueller
District Administrator
COVID-19 UPDATES
The high school 14-day positivity rate for staff and students is trending downward this week and we have communicated with FHS families this morning (here) that our reopening date for that building will be next Tuesday, December 1st.
As we head into Thanksgiving break, please be vigilant in continuing to do what you can to help slow the spread of COVID-19 including limiting social gatherings, practicing social distancing, wearing masks, and hand washing. You and your family have a direct impact on allowing our schools to remain in-person.
Below is a screenshot of today's dashboard update. You can click or tap on the screenshot to see a larger version on your device. PLEASE NOTE that we will still be updating the dashboard on Friday and you will be able to view it on our Reopening Doors page here sometime around or before noon.
UPCOMING DISTRICT DATES
As a reminder, the District Calendar and all building calendars can be found here.
All of our calendars are able to be subscribed to! Follow the steps at the top of the District Calendar for how to subscribe.
2021-22 District Calendar Released
- We will share plans for how the first few days of school will look closer to the start of school. Based on feedback from families and staff this year, we hope to encompass a similar type of staggered start.
- There will be no half days next year.
- Thanksgiving break will consist of no school days on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of that week. The following Monday is also a no school day as it is a staff professional development day.
- Spring Break was coordinated to align with other local school districts
- We will again include a "conditional" no school day on the Friday before Memorial Day in the event we need to use that as a school day due to inclement weather.
- The last day of school will be a full school day on Friday, June 10th.
FEF 2020 Hibernation Celebration Starts December 1st!
Looking for something fun to do this season? Need a great personal gift for a special someone that you cannot find on Amazon? Preview all these great gifts and experiences on our virtual auction site, "2020 Hibernation Celebration." Proceeds go toward supporting our student emergency fund, mask drive, student scholarships, teacher awards, and educational grants. Auction goes LIVE on Tuesday, December 1st and closes at noon on December 6th. Support many local businesses and experiences hosted by our schools and community members. Please check it out! Here's the link to the site: https://www.32auctions.com/FEF2020
The following are short stories from around Franklin Public Schools where students and staff are making a difference.
FPMS Best Buddies Program
PV Food Donations
If you are moved to donate to Faith Presbyterian Church Food Pantry, you can read more about how to do that here.
A Thankful Family Shows Appreciation
During this week of giving thanks, we wanted to highlight a very kind gesture by one of our parents towards some of the staff in the district. Tracy Klement, mom of a sophomore at Franklin High School, decided to show some SWEET appreciation for the FHS and FPMS where her child attends and recently attended. She connected with Katy Klinnert (mom of a junior at the high school) who runs a baking business (Katy’s Cooking Tonight) and purchased cookies from her for the staff.
“I appreciate all staff...not just the teachers. Of course, the teachers are very important, but so are the other staff members, and the teachers will be the first to admit that they couldn't do their job without the others. So, I appreciate everyone in the school setting! I also love to support local business!” Tracy shared.
Katy delivered the individually wrapped cookies that Tracy ordered on Tuesday, right before our Thanksgiving break. Thank you to The Klement Family for this kind donation and to the baking skills of Katy Klinnert for recognizing our staff with these sweet treats!
FPMS Staff Giving Back
Every year around the holidays, the staff at Forest Park looks for a way to give back to those in need. This year, in light of COVID-19, many staff were asking about holiday donations and what that would look like. The staff planning group at Forest Park came up with the following ways
For those that are interested in donating online, the local Hunger Task Force food bank that serves the greater Milwaukee area was suggested. They have the option to make a monetary donation online that provides food for turkey dinners or for individual families. We share this with you in this article in case you are moved to help donate as well!
For the staff that wants to purchase a physical gift, FPMS Staff partnered with Hope House to identify families who are looking for gift donations. A holiday giving display (shown in the accompanying picture) was provided in the first-floor staff workroom. Staff can pick a tag that lists a name, age, and gift idea for a person at Hope House. Staff is picking the tags to donate a gift before December 14th.
Thank you to Forest Park staff for sharing how they are helping others during the holidays.
CDC Guidelines for Thanksgiving Festivities
Franklin Public Schools
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Email: communications@franklin.k12.wi.us
Website: http://www.franklin.k12.wi.us
Location: 8255 West Forest Hill Avenue, Franklin, WI, USA
Phone: 414-529-8220
Facebook: facebook.com/franklinpublicschools
Twitter: @fpsdistrictwi