November 20, 2023
November 20, 2023
I cherish the moments when our youngest learners have the opportunity to connect with our oldest learners as the moments don’t come often. On Friday, we got a chance to do just that as we lined Drexel Avenue to see the Franklin Sabers football team off to the state championship game in Madison. Though our students had no contact with the players or the coaches on board the buses, the energy in the air was palpable. As the first squad car came over the hill and into sight, the students immediately got to their feet and started shouting and waving. I watched the excitement, wonder, and awe cross each and every student’s face as the buses passed by. Just as there were players on the bus on Friday who attended Ben Franklin Elementary years ago, I know that, one day, the same bobcats who lined the street on Friday will be sitting on the other side of the bus glass watching as future bobcats cheer them on. I very much look forward to making this a Bobcat/Saber tradition!
Mrs. Jewell
Ben Franklin Principal
NEXT NEWSLETTER: Due to the Thanksgiving break, you can expect to receive the next Ben Franklin Building Newsletter on Monday, December 4th.
FAMILY ENGAGEMENT SURVEY UPDATE - CLOSING TONIGHT!
There is still time to give your input and help us continue to make Ben Franklin a Better Place to Learn!!!
We need your help. At Ben Franklin Elementary, we have a team of teachers, coaches, and administrators dedicated to making Ben Franklin a better place to learn, better place to work, and part of a better community. This year, one focus of our school improvement team has been family engagement. Specifically, we are seeking your opinion on how we are doing with meeting student’s social and emotional needs, honoring students strengths/goals/talents, and valuing our families’ backgrounds & culture in our school community.
Please take two minutes to complete a short, six question survey to help us better understand how we are doing with family engagement. As of Monday morning (11/20), we only have 73 respondents (just over 30% of families). Our goal is to have 70% of families respond. The survey will close on November 20th. We thank you in advance for taking the time to share your thoughts with us.
Kind regards,
The Ben Franklin Family Engagement Team
REMINDERS ABOUT PARENT DROP OFF AND PARENT PICK UP
Please take a few moments to refamiliarize yourself with our drop off and pick up procedures. We are noticing that students and families are becoming comfortable with these routines but, as a result, are forgetting key pieces of these procedures that are in place to ensure safety.
DROP OFF
Students who walk or bike to school should not arrive at school before 8:55AM. There is no adult supervision outside of the building prior to this time as teachers have scheduled meetings every morning. Recently, students have been gathering outside of the north entrance prior to this time. When given down time with no adult supervision, students are engaging in potentially unsafe behaviors such as climbing trees on our property, chasing and tackling each other, running between cars, etc.
Students should not exit vehicles until the driver is signaled by a staff member when the parent drop off process starts between 8:55 and 9:00 am. Should you arrive at school with your child(ren) prior to the start of this process, you will not be allowed to drop your child(ren) and drive away. Instead, you will need to wait in the drop off line and your child(ren) will need to remain in your vehicle. Please plan accordingly.
If your student needs assistance getting out of your vehicle or you have something to drop in the main office, you will need to park in the lot in front of the building and walk with your child(ren) to the building. No students should be walking across the crosswalk unattended.
PICK UP (Midday)
Parents and family members who pick up students from 4K midday must accompany children across the crosswalk. No students should be crossing the crosswalk without an adult and no one should cross to the parking lot between buses.
PICK UP (Afternoon)
With the change to our dismissal procedures, it is expected that parents utilize the parent pick up line unless their child needs assistance getting into a vehicle (i.e., child in five point harness, injury, etc.) or there are other circumstances for parking and picking up that have been discussed with Mrs. Jewell. We moved the location of the parent pick up line to eliminate unnecessary car and foot traffic out front. This ensures that buses can load and exit campus without issue.
If the circumstances above apply to you and you park your car to pick up your child(ren), you must accompany your child(ren) across the crosswalk. No students should be crossing the crosswalk without an adult and no one should cross to the parking lot between buses.
ELEMENTARY REPORT CARDS IN POWERSCHOOL DEC 8th
1st Trimester ends November 30th and report cards will be viewable the next week -- most likely Friday, December 8th. We will share information in our Monday, December 4th building bulletin for how you can access your child's report card in PowerSchool. We look forward to making this move to report cards being all digital. Please note that you will receive communication from your school sometime after the term ends when report cards are available. This allows time for teachers to get all final term grades and comments in.
FRANKLIN FORWARD UPDATES
Franklin Forward encompasses our Long-Range Facility Planning for the future. Through Franklin Forward, we look to bring together the best we can for our students and community in terms of infrastructure, safety & security, and our educational learning environments.
To help keep families and the community informed about this work, we have created a webpage for our website where we are parking all the details, slide decks, and other updates related to our long-range facility planning. You can view the webpage here or by going to www.franklin.k12.wi.us/franklinforward
The most recent updates include a high school visioning presentation and elementary school visioning presentation that was shared with the FPS School Board at our last two board meetings. As we move into December, the FPS School Board will gather around the information they have received and work to decide next steps for future planning.
DRESS FOR THE WEATHER
Just a reminder that we seek every opportunity to get our students outside for fresh air during their school day. With the chilly temperatures forecasted this week, it is imperative that students come prepared for the weather. Our staff use their best judgment in determining whether or not a student is prepared to be outdoors, but this is not a confrontation our staff wants to be in with students who are yearning to run with their friends. Please send your child(ren) with appropriate attire. Here are some general guidelines for what we are looking for in regards to outdoor attire:
50-60 degrees: Long sleeves
40-50 degrees: Jacket
<40 degrees: Winter jacket, hat/mittens
LOST & FOUND
Click here for items currently in the lost and found.
ALL STAFF HOLIDAY LUNCHEON
Our annual All Staff Holiday Luncheon is on Friday, December 15th. We are hoping families can help us out by donating beverages and desserts! We are also looking for a few volunteers to help setup and decorate on Thursday, December 14th from 4-5PM. Please Follow the link below to sign up!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0D4CAEA62CA2F94-46121038-staff
BOOKMARK
Ben Franklin PTO’s LinkTree so all the info. you need it just a click away!
Stay informed about Activities, Events, Fundraisers, and more Ben Franklin PTO’s website!
3-WEEK SABER PRE-SCHOOL BY FHS CHILD II DEVELOPMENT IN DEC
The Franklin High School Child Development II students will be sponsoring “Saber Pre-school” for children ages 3 to 5 on various days in December.
Saber Pre-school is designed for children ages 3 to 5 who are toilet trained and ready to experience a supportive and enriching pre-school environment. The student teachers prepare daily lesson plans that not only provide opportunities for the Little Sabers to develop socially, but also to enhance their kindergarten readiness skills. The Saber Pre-school program offers a truly excellent experience for both our big and small students.
Class time will be from 9:00 to 10:15 am and tuition is $10 to cover the cost of materials and snacks for the entire 3 weeks. Saber Pre-school will include story time, large and small group activities, free time, songs and other fun activities. Pre-registration is required. If you know someone who has a child ages 3-5, please help us by sharing this message to them!
CLICK HERE for the Informational Flyer | CLICK HERE to register
SCHOOL INFORMATION
Parents, Guardians, and Staff are set to automatically receive our District and Building Newsletters. If you are a community member that would like to receive any of our newsletters, please complete our SUBSCRIBE FORM.
Email: Jennifer.Russell@franklin.k12.wi.us
Website: https://www.franklin.k12.wi.us/ben-franklin-elementary-school
Location: 7620 S 83rd St, Franklin, WI 53132, USA
Phone: 414-529-8270
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/BenFranklinElemFPS/posts