The Franklin Academy
The Franklin Academy Weekly Update Newsletter March 1-5
Monday, March 1st
- Preschool - 4th Grade Reading Week Begins!
Tuesday, March 2nd
- Preschool - 4th Grade - Wacky Hair Day
- Middle School - Library Book Check Out 1:00-1:25
Wednesday, March 3rd
- Preschool - 4th Grade - Silly Sock Day
- Middle School - Library Book Check Out 1:00-1:25
Thursday, March 4th
- Preschool - 4th Grade - Pajama Day
- Middle School - Library Book Check Out 1:00-1:25
Friday, March 5th
- Preschool - 4th Grade - Dress as Your Favorite Book Character Day
- Trimester 2 Ends
Upcoming Dates
- March 5th - Trimester 2 Ends
- March 10- 11 - Conferences - HALF DAYS
- March 12th - NO CLASSES - Faculty In-Service
- March 17th - St. Patrick's Day - Dress in GREEN
- April 5 - 9 - Spring Break
Sign Up for your Student Lead Conferences Today!
Dear Franklin Academy Parents,
One of our Core Commitments at the Franklin Academy is REFLECT. Research shows that students who are involved in conversations about their strengths, areas of improvement, and goals do better in school.
Please sign up below for a conference with your child and his/her teacher to review your students progress.
Conferences will take place after a half-day of school on Wednesday, March 10th and Thursday, March 11th.
Please click on your child's teacher's name to sign up for a conference.
Robin Hall Staff
Markell Hall Staff
If you would like to meet with a specialist teacher, please send them an email to set up an appointment.
PE Mrs. Fox sfox@thefranklin.academy
Music/Library Mrs. Snyder jsnyder@thefranklin.academy
Spanish Sr. Smith lsmith@thefranklin.academy
Spanish Sr. Laconetti diaconetti@thefranklin.academy
Art Mrs. Simpson rsimpson@thefranklin.academy
Thank you,
Gretchen Bucsko, M.Ed.
Head of School
Enrollment for the 2021-2022 School Year is OPEN!
As enrollment is growing, it's important to secure a spot at our school for the 2021-2022 school year - enrollment opened up to those outside our current school community on the 16th of February.
If you know someone interested in learning more about our program or touring, please encourage them to reach out to:
Admissions Director, Natalie Bennett:
nbennett@thefranklin.academy
360.733.1750 ext. 1509
What Our Parents Say...
Joel & Jennifer Zales | Preschool & Kindergarten Parents
After we toured The Franklin Academy and observed the Kindergarten class, we were drawn to the small class sizes and personalized attention each student receives and we were so excited that Spanish was offered at such a young age. We love how community-oriented and inclusive the school feels. In just over a year all of the teachers knew our daughter's name. It's also so important to us that the teachers provide an open line of communication and are very responsive to any concerns we may have.
Note: Preschool students don't wear a uniform (as pictured below), but these pictures are too precious not to share.
UPDATED 2021-2022 Calendar - See Below:
Thank You to Danielle Jorgensen and Marie Brewin for Coordinating this Event!
The Reading Corner with Mrs. Samuel and Mrs. Snyder
Happy almost-Spring! With Spring in the air, that also means it is time for student led conferences at Franklin. This is with your student’s classroom teacher, but you are always welcome to reach out to any of the specialist teachers for an additional conference—that includes your student’s librarian! ;)
In grades 2-4, students have been working on how to use a dictionary! So many of them have LOVED looking up words and pictures in the dictionary. If you have one at home, I would encourage you to spend some time looking up words with them so they get more practice using guide words and finding definitions in the dictionary. You can also show them how to use a dictionary app if you have one.
In Robin Hall, it is time for a fun parent project! Calling all gardeners! Are your thumbs greener than Mrs. Snyder's? Do you have an outdoor bench you're not using? The courtyard area behind the Robin Hall library is in need of some TLC! We would love for it to be transformed into an outdoor reading space to be used during library time in good weather. If this sounds like a project you would be interested in helping out with, please contact Mrs. Snyder at jsnyder@thefranklin.academy.
Next week is Reading Week! We have several activities planned to celebrate reading, with a particular focus on author Robert Munsch, who has a written so many hilarious books. The schedule includes:
Tuesday: Wacky Hair day
Wednesday: Silly Socks day
Thursday: Pajama day
Friday: Dress like your favorite book character day
I have been plotting my book character costumes for weeks already!
Happy Reading,
Mrs. Samuel and Mrs. Snyder
Mrs. Samuel's Joke of The Week!
What did the left eye say to the right eye?
Between us, something smells!
I caught Mrs. Misday's Class Practicing their Spelling!
Epic Middle School Dodgeball Battle !
How do Polar Animals Stay Warm? Marie Brewin's 1st Graders learned first hand!
Mrs. Brewin shared: "In science we learned more about polar animal adaptations. We did the "blubber glove" experiment with Crisco and ice water to simulate how animals use blubber to keep warm."
Thank you for sharing Marie!
The Search Begins...Scavenger Hunt for Rubber Ducks...Middle School Spirit Week!
Spanish Specialist, Dominick Iaconetti, is coordinating a House Competition next week!
Dominick shared this:
"Next week, during Study Hall, the Houses will take turns participating in a Scavenger Hunt for Rubber Ducks on different days of the week.
Kaiser: Monday
Hess: Tuesday
Ferlin: Thursday
Ershig: Friday
Ten minutes into Study Hall on your House's assigned day, I ask that you excuse your students to meet me down in front of the school. The students will have 15 minutes to find as many ducks as possible. If they find all 20, then their time will be recorded. We will use this to calculate the number of spirit points each house earns at the end of the week."
Good luck middle schoolers! Look for photos of the hunt next week...
3rd Graders are Working on the Building Blocks of Writing with their Word Study Spelling Menu!
Donald shared this:
"Students have been practicing a new word study routine in class. Each first day of the week, students receive a new list of words that will be their focus for that week. Throughout the week, students will practice their words using a spelling menu. On the last day of that week, students will do a "Buddy Check" with a peer. This means they will quiz each other on their words.
The words for the week will vary and will look different for each student. A specific rule or pattern will be introduced through a word sort. From this word sort, students will choose a specific number of words. They will also take a certain number of words from their "Words to Learn List" from their Word Study Notebook.
My hope for this kind of word work is for students to learn how words are made and a lot of words have specific rules and/or patterns and/or letter sounds. Memorization might be a strategy for high frequency words. The goal for this word work is for students to apply what they learn in class to their everyday writing, not just for the weekly Buddy Check.
You can help by working with your third-grader throughout the week practicing the words. They can look for words in their reading that follow the rule or pattern introduced.
Routines are learned through practice and reminders."
Thank you Donald! Great work 3rd Graders!
Mrs. Lyzwinski's 2nd Grade Class Worked with Base Ten Blocks!
Xander explained how he built the equation 24+52=76. He showed me how many tens rods he needed and how many ones and how it all added up to make 76! Woo Hoo! Nice Work!
Middle School Students Researched and Created the Following Google Slides!
2nd, 3rd and 4th Grade Students Artwork!
"Art Mash-Up of artists: Charley Harper Raccoons & Foxes, and Van Gogh’s Starry Night!
Students used many different kinds of art materials in this mixed-media art project. We learned how to draw animals like Charley Harper. We painted the sky like Van Gogh’s Starry Night.
The supplies we used were soft pastels, tempera paints, oil pastels onto both mixed-media paper & recycled brown paper bags."
Amazon Smile
If you shop at Amazon.com, this is a great opportunity to raise money for Franklin Academy. Sign up at Amazon Smile and 0.5% of your purchase price will go towards the FA Annual Fund. Here’s how:
- Go to Amazon Smile
- In the “pick your own charitable organization” box type in Franklin Preschool
- Click on the Bellingham Franklin Academy (may still be listed under St. Paul’s Episcopal School through the summer)
- Very Important! Please make sure whenever you shop on Amazon you go to the Amazon Smile webpage. If you shop on Amazon.com we won’t receive the donation.
The Franklin Academy
Website: https://thefranklin.academy/
Location: 1509 East Victor Street, Bellingham, WA, USA
Phone: (360) 733-1750
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FranklinAcademyBellingham/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel&eid=ARBJZqnuWM2fzJSJOXO6X6qVO60w_ijnQdCgtmUFYZCSwnd0NO7wI_Jgq5_odVo2A3bLV76Yg91UH5TB
The Franklin Academy Points of Contact
Katie den Hartog, Associate Head of School, kdenhartog@thefranklin.academy
Dawn Regier, Administrative Assistant, dregier@thefranklin.academy
Rachel Lee, Administrative Assistant, rlee@thefranklin.academy
Natalie Bennett, Admissions Director, nbennett@thefranklin.academy