Franklin Falcon Flyer
Feb. 22, 2018
PARCC schedule - help your child be ready
Dear Parents/Guardians:
The PARCC Test, an assessment for all 3 - 8 grade students in Illinois, will be administered in District 64 from March 12-23.
The best preparation for the PARCC has been the quality instruction our teachers have provided this school year. However, there are things you can also do to promote your child’s success:
Make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep and eats a healthy breakfast before each day of testing.
Provide your child with words of encouragement. While we don’t want our students to feel anxious about any assessment, we do want them to do their best.
Please send earbuds/headphones to school by Wednesday, March 7. We will be using these for the English Language Arts test and Math test. These items will be kept at school and returned at the end of testing.
The PARCC is an online assessment and students will be using their Chromebooks to complete these tests. Please make sure your child brings his or her Chromebook to school each day, fully charged.
Below is Franklin's for test administration:
Monday, March 12: Math 1, Math 2
Tuesday, March 13: Math 3, Math 4
Wednesday, March 14: no testing - make ups
Thursday, March 15: ELA 1
Friday, March 16: ELA 2
Monday, March 19: ELA 3
If you would like to learn more about the PARCC tests, English Language Arts sample tests, Math sample tests, and additional resources are available for your convenience.
Thank you for your support in helping your child be prepared for upcoming testing.
Sincerely,
Dr. Claire Kowalczyk
Class Placements for the 2018-19 School Year
In April, the staff and I will begin the process of student sectioning for the 2018-2019 school year. Students will be assigned to heterogeneous classroom groups.
Our sectioning process includes input from classroom teachers, the support services team, special area teachers, and administration.
The classroom teachers have worked with the children throughout the year and understand each child’s educational needs. They are included in the sectioning process but I will have the final word on placement so please direct all of your questions/concerns to me. Collectively as a team, we consider and balance many factors including but not limited to:
Individual’s learning style
Teacher’s teaching style
Student combinations
Special education services needs
Support service needs
Class size
Social/Emotional needs
Academic characteristics
Gender balance
Our placement process is a team effort that is completed with great care and consideration. We want all of our children to be successful, and we take this process very seriously. Factoring in the above multiple variables can often be a delicate balancing act for each classroom at each grade level. You may want to share information or specific needs that may help us in the sectioning process. This should be put in writing with reasons outlined and related to the balance factors listed above. Please submit your letter to the principal’s office by April 13, 2018.
We ask that you do not make requests for placement into a specific classroom to be with friends or request a specific teacher for your child. Such requests will not be considered, as this opportunity cannot be made available to all children. Each child has unique characteristics and needs as a learner and as a developing child. The perfect match for your older child may not be such a good fit for your next one. We trust that you will rely on our professional judgment as we group the children with the idea of creating the best learning environment for everyone.
PE Dance Unit
Information about our Unit -
Kindergarten:
Introduce: demonstrate proper dance etiquette, fundamental locomotor movement/add rhythm to fundamental locomotor movements, even and uneven rhythm, simple non-locomotor movements, creative movements, simple childrens’ dances, tempo, beat, listening to music for accents.
1st & 2nd Grade: Review KDG skills
Introduce: introduction, conclusions, line of dance, combination of locomotor movements, combination of non-locomotor movements, folk dances, formations (line, single circle, double circle), listening to music for phrases & changes.
3rd-5th Grade: Review K-2nd grade skills
Introduce: a variety of complex dances(folk, line, mixer) dance origins, international understanding, aerobic dancing, dances with equipment (tinikling bands, balls, ropes), dance positions, listening to music accents, partner dynamics.
Music Class Update
Kindergarten: We have a lot of exciting things happening this month in Kindergarten music! This month, we are building rhythm patterns with rhythm blocks and playing various rhythms and related games that consist of ta and ti-ti (quarter and eight note) patterns to reinforce what we have been learning about rhythms for the past two months. We are also learning a game called “Busy Bee” which is a game that uses finger puppets to reinforce movement in a steady beat. In addition, we are learning about cumulative songs (songs that keep adding a line each verse) through the American folk song, “Bought Me a Cat.”
1st Grade: We are having a great time learning songs and folk dances from different cultures, as well doing some complex rhythmic movements to these songs. We are also notating and building songs that use the music syllables so, la, and mi. We are learning a song that asks us to think about nice things to say about each other, such as “I like that you are a good friend,” or “You are always very kind.” First graders are tackling some pretty advanced musical concepts this month, but they are up for the challenge!
2nd Grade: We are going to be exploring harmony and improvisation in March! Our students have learned how to make harmony by accompanying themselves on instruments, ostinato, and rounds. Up until this point we have been singing two-part rounds, but to give an added challenge, we will be asking our second graders to sing in FOUR-part rounds in the song "Lift Your Voices." We will also be learning a little bit about the musical genre Blues. The students will be learning a song called "Good Mornin' Blues" where they will each have a chance to improvise their own parts on tone bells during the interlude of the song. Such a cool experience!
4th Grade: We learned about Beethoven and the Classical Period of music during February. During the month of March we will truly experience Beethoven's music as every student learns how to play "Ode to Joy" on the recorders. The students will have access to the sheet music on their google drives. We will also learn a famous Irish tune you may recognize: "O Danny Boy!"
5th Grade: Like the fourth graders, the fifth graders also learned about a famous composer, Bach. He lived during the Baroque Period of music. We spent a lot of time listening to his music and learned that he was the "Father of the Fugue." His most famous fugue, the Fugue in g-minor, was originally written for the organ, but we are challenging the fifth graders to play it on the recorder. They, too, will be able to access the sheet music on their google drive accounts.
Be sure to follow Mrs. Carlson and Mr. Kabat on Twitter! @ccarlsond64 @bkabatd64org
News from the Art Room!
Kindergarten: The kindergarten students are working very hard on their self-portrait books. It's going to take us almost 6 weeks to finish these...but they will be worth the wait!!
First Grade: In First Grade, the students are working on printmaking. We started by making our ocean using bubble wrap and next we'll be working on the fish, seaweed, etc.
Second Grade: The Second Graders just began our "Cat on a Mat" which involves painting and paper weaving!
Third Grade: Our Third Graders are working on a multi-media collage...yes, it does involve snow, but hopefully it won't have any impact on the real weather!!
Fourth Grade: Fourth Graders are working on painting a picture of their own home! They are working so incredibly hard on these and they are BEAUTIFUL!!
Fifth Grade: The Fifth Grade just finished making their clay food and will be glazing them soon. We hope you're hungry! We are also finishing up our Chihuly sculptures.
Please follow the Art room on social media!! Updated every week!!
https://www.facebook.com/Franklin-School-Art-Room-1920605824871248/
https://mobile.twitter.com/kathleendhurley
@kathleendhurley on instagram
The following students have their artwork displayed in an art show over at the ESC, which is located at 164 S. Prospect Avenue. Please call the ESC at 1.847.318.4300 to schedule a time to visit this art show. Students from grades K through 8 and from all around Park Ridge/Niles are being featured in this show. It’s a beautiful show! I hope that you can check it out!!
Henry M. ~ 4th Grade Isobel S. ~ 1st Grade
Kylie L. ~ 1st Grade Emma E. ~ 3rd Grade
Lillian G. ~ KDG. Pavel P. ~ 4th Grade
Sami K. ~ Kindergarten
Christina P. ~ 5th Grade Michael S. ~2nd Grade
Kendall B. ~ 4th Grade Victoria S. ~ 3rd Grade
Jayla B. ~ 3rd Grade Abigail H. ~ 1st Grade
Gabrianna T. ~ 3rd Grade & Jasin K. ~ 1st Grade
Congratulations!!
Healthy Living Month pledge cards go digital this April!
District 64 students in grades K-5 through the support of their school PTO/A’s will again have the opportunity to participate in Healthy Living Month in April. Each week, students will pledge their participation in activities to promote these themes: Health and Nutrition Week (April 2 - 6); Neat to Use Your Feet Week (April 9 - 13); Go Green Week (April 16 - 20); and Screen-Free Week (April 23 - 27). This year, pledge cards to track a student’s activities are being provided in digital form. Watch for more information in the April school newsletters!
5th Grade Human Growth and Development Unit
This is to inform you that fifth grade teachers have scheduled their unit on Human Growth and Development for the week of April 30th, at Franklin School. You received information on this curriculum in January, including an invitation to attend previews of the films shown in the classroom. The films, Just Around the Corner - Girls and Just Around the Corner - Boys, explore human growth and development, focusing on physical and emotional changes experienced during puberty.
During the presentation of the circulatory system, the week of May 21st, the film AIDS, Facts for Kids, is shown, focusing on the disease process as an attack on the immune system. It covers the transfer of this virus from one person to the next in the sharing of blood and body fluids.
Within the context of these two units, students are introduced to the separate concepts of conception, and to the transmission of sexually transmitted disease. In the presentation of these units, teachers will not cover the physiology of sexual intercourse. District 64 considers this the responsibility of the parent. All fifth grade films are available at the Park Ridge Public Library.
Please take the opportunity to discuss these topics with your children. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel welcome to contact me.
Sincerely,
Dr. Claire Kowalczyk
Principal, Franklin School
Girls on the Run
Franklin’s PTA sponsored Girls on the Run Spring Season is right around the corner for 3rd-5th grade girls. Practice begins Tuesday, March 6th, every Tuesday and Thursday and ends Tuesday, May 22nd with a celebration. To register click here. Any questions contact Franklin’s Site Coordinator/Coach: Ms. Megan Sutter msutter@d64.org.
Important Upcoming Dates to Remember
Feb. 23 - 3:30-7:30 p.m. Night of the Stars Tryouts
Feb. 26 - BOE meeting
Feb. 27 - 5TH GRADE PARENT/CHILD PREVIEW OF HUMAN GROWTH/DEVELOPMENT MOVIE
March 1 - 3:30-6:30 p.m.Night of the Stars rehearsal
March 2 - Records Planning Day - NO SCHOOL for students
March 9 - 6:30 Night of the Stars Performance
March 15 - 7 - 9 p.m. PTA meeting
March 12 -16 PARCC testing in grades 3 -5 all week
MARCH 20 - Teacher Institute Day - NO School for students
March 26 - April 2 SPRING BREAK.
April 3 - Classes Resume