1. The Classroom Teacher: Classroom teachers are the first line of communication. If parents have concerns regarding their child’s academic performance, behavior, or social interaction with the teacher or students, they first need to have a conversation with the teacher. Parents may call and leave a message for the teacher to return a call, send a written request to set up a conference, or email a teacher with a conference request. Email lists are available on the schools’ website or upon request at the front office.

2. The Guidance Counselor: Following conversations with the classroom teacher in matters of student behavior and/or academics, parents may request a conference with the guidance counselor to further discuss an issue. Parents may call and leave a message or email the guidance counselor to discuss an issue or schedule a conference.

3. The Assistant Principal: Following conversations with the classroom teacher and/or the guidance counselor in matters of student behavior and academics, parents may request a conference with the Assistant Principal to further discuss an issue. The Assistant Principal will usually meet with the teacher, and any other necessary personnel who may be directly involved with the child’s situation prior to making conference arrangements with the parent. With regard to all other school-related issues, parents must first contact the Assistant Principal. It may be that the Assistant Principal will refer the individual to the Principal, teacher, guidance counselor, or other appropriate contact for additional information.

4. The Principal: Following conversations with the classroom teacher and/or guidance counselor, and Assistant Principal in matters of student behavior and academics, parents may request a conference with the Principal to further discuss an issue. The Principal will usually meet with the teacher, and any other necessary personnel who may be directly involved with the child’s situation prior to making conference arrangements with the parent. With regard to all other school-related issues, parents must first contact the Assistant Principal. It may be that the Assistant Principal will refer the individual to the Principal, teacher, guidance counselor, or other appropriate contact for additional information.

Please adhere to the established chain of command prior to requesting a conference with the Principal.

ABSENCES:

1. Your child must be in school every day as mandated by state law. Attendance will be taken at 7:35 AM for elementary for all students and for every class period in Middle School.

2. Parents are required to call the office (561-767-4700) or email attendance-bb@franklin-academy.org by 9:00 AM to notify the school if the student is going to be absent. Parents have two days to excuse the absence. Failure to do so will result in the absence being marked unexcused.

3. The attendance clerk will contact the parent regarding excessive absences (5 or more unexcused absences in a calendar month or 15 or more unexcused absences during a 90 day period) via phone conference, email, teacher/parent conference or letter. Excessive early dismissals will also result in parental contact.

4. If unexcused absences continue, a formal referral for attendance will be made to administration with supporting documentation of parent contact and non-medical absences attached to the referral. A parent meeting will be required with Administration.

5. If unexcused absences continue to exceed specified days, then the case will be referred to the school’s assigned guidance counselor.

6. If absences continue after referral and visit by the guidance counselor, the case will be referred to the State Attorney’s Office per School Board Policy.

Anytime a student returns to school after an absence, a note should be provided. Students must be in school unless the absence has been permitted or excused for one of the following reasons (please note that vacations are considered unexcused absences):

∙ Illness of student

∙ Illness of immediate family member

∙ Death in the family

∙ Religious holidays of the student’s own faith

∙ Required court appearance or subpoena by a law enforcement agency

∙ Special Event (public functions, competitions, exceptional cases of family need)

∙ Scheduled medical or dental appointments

∙ Students who have, or are suspected of having a communicable disease.

Students who have 15 or more unexcused absences within a 90 calendar day period risk the possibility of retention.

TARDY POLICY:

Tardiness is disruptive to the learning environment and can have a negative impact on student achievement. Tardiness is defined as a student not being in the classroom when the class is scheduled to begin.

∙ Parents must follow the same process to excuse a tardy as they do to excuse an absence. ∙ Excessive tardiness will be addressed on a case-by-case basis to determine if there is a pattern of non attendance. A pattern of non-attendance may be established by an accumulation of tardiness, absences (excused or unexcused), and early sign-outs for all or any part of the day.

∙ Tardiness to any class without documentation may be considered unexcused.

∙ Habitual tardiness is defined as being tardy 5 times within a marking period.

∙ Principals have the discretion to excuse tardiness for extenuating circumstances.

∙ Unless excused under the provisions of this policy, accumulated tardiness will be recorded as unexcused absences. (F.S. 1003.02 (1)(b)

EARLY DISMISSAL/EARLY SIGN-OUT:

Excused early dismissals are given for doctor’s appointments and extreme emergencies. If you need to take your child out of school before the end of the school day, come to the front desk, sign him/her out, and a school employee will call for your child, as long as it is before 1:40 PM. Any student leaving school prior to dismissal will have an early dismissal logged to his/her record. Early dismissal from a field trip site is not permitted. No child will be dismissed from the classroom after 1:40 PM as it disrupts our school-wide dismissal process. Parents must wait until the dismissal time and follow regular dismissal process. Excessive early sign-outs will be addressed on a case-by-case basis to determine if there is a pattern of non-attendance. Non-attendance for instructional activities is established by tardiness, early sign-outs, or absences for any or all part of the day. Unless excused under the provisions of this policy, accumulated early sign-outs will be recorded as unexcused absences. (F.S. 1003.02 (1)(b)

EXCUSED TARDY:

All tardy students must be escorted into the building by a parent/guardian. A student will be considered excused only if a parent/guardian personally escorts their child to the front desk and has a viable reason for the tardy (Refer to the Palm Beach County Code of Student Conduct). The reasons for an excused tardy are as follows: doctor’s appointments accompanied by a note from the doctor/orthodontist or extreme emergencies approved by administration. Excused tardiness will not count toward the student’s tardy record.

UNEXCUSED TARDY:

A student will be considered unexcused due to last minute vacations, alarm clock failures, “parent’s fault”, car trouble, or inclement weather conditions. Unexcused tardies will count toward the student’s record. Students must be in school and ON TIME by state law. Parents are required to park and enter the building to sign in students that are tardy. The procedures for abiding by state law are as follows:

1. At five (5) tardies, the attendance clerk will verify any medical excuses submitted and recorded.

2. At five (5) tardies, the parent will be contacted regarding excessive tardies or early dismissals via phone conference, email, teacher/parent conference or letter.

Families who DID NOT complete the 8 hours for last school year, you must complete 4 hours by the end of December, or you will be excluded from the Intent to Return process and your students seats will be vacated in advance of the spring lottery.

How do I shop with AmazonSmile?

To use AmazonSmile, simply go to smile.amazon.com on your web browser or activate AmazonSmile in the Amazon Shopping app on your iOS or Android phone within the Settings or Programs & Features menu. On your web browser, you can add a bookmark to smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping with AmazonSmile.

https://smile.amazon.com/charity/smile/program-details?ref_=smi_ge2_uaas_lpd_upd

Link to select Franklin Academy Foundation as the shoppers organization

https://smile.amazon.com/ch/27-2123983

Students in Palm Beach County may apply to different high schools through the Choice program. The booklet for the 2023-2024 school year is now available here.

Applications Opened on November 1st, 2023

If you missed the Jean's Pass order, you can still purchase a jeans pass individually. For December the Jeans day's are 12/2 and 12/16.

This is a school fundraiser and the money raised will all go towards the students and special events. You may bring a check or money order on the jeans day. The form is no longer available.

What's in a yearbook? Laugh Inducing Memories, Autographs from Friends, Your Classmates, Moments that Matter, and Much More! Preorder a yearbook for your student today at Jostensyearbook.com. Payment Plans are available.

Yearbook recognition ads are a great way for parents, families and friends to commemorate student achievements and important milestones.

For More Information, please see the Flyer above.

Full Page: $170

1/2 Page: $115

1/4 Page: $80

1/8 Page: $50

12/01 - PB&J-athon

12/02 - Jeans Day with purchase

12/06 - Early Release 11:15 for Elementary and 12:15 for Middle school

12/08-12/16 - Holiday Shop

12/09 - Stop & Shop

12/10 - Breakfast with Santa & Toy Drive

12/13 - Winter Arts Showcase 4th-8th Grade

12/15 - Culture Fair 5:30 PM

12/15 - Fall Pictures

12/16 - Jeans Day with purchase

12/20 Winter Arts Showcase Kindergarten through 3rd grade

12/21 - Ugly Sweater Dress Down Day for students with an ugly sweater $5 purchase pass

12/22 - 1/3 - No school for students

And the winner are...

Kindergarten- Kuipper Wick (Field)

PYP 1- Braden Bramah (Campbell)

PYP 2- Evalina Herisse (Brown)

PYP 3- Kris Malchan (Hilleman)

PYP 4- Kelsey Bienvenu (Greger)

PYP 5- Victoria Leavitt (Hopke)

6th grade- Kyrie-Love Martin

7th grade- Vibha Ravindra

8th grade- Chloe Cruz

Congratulations to the award recipients!

The Learner Profile strives to build global citizens and lifelong learners, challenging us all to be the best that we can be in the home and school. As parents, using this language and terminology in the home can be a powerful way of reinforcing these ten personal attributes.

December IB Learner Profile Attribute: Communicator

Students who are COMMUNICATORS are able to think and communicate in more than one language. They can express their ideas by speaking, drawing and writing. They can also communicate using mathematical language and symbols.

How can parents help to develop students who are Communicators at home?

• Encourage your child to stay in touch with relatives and friends who live in other countries by writing letters, using the phone, sending email or Skyping.
• When working on math homework, encourage your child to explain his/her answer to you orally or by drawing a picture.
• Ask your child thought provoking questions and encourage them to discuss them with you.
• Work with your child to improve his/her listening skills. Being a good listener is an important part of communicating with others.
• 
  

IB in Action: Fear Factor Challenge

Mr. Nelson's PYP 5 students participated in a Fear Factor Academic Challenge. The classroom was set up to resemble various Fear Factor challenges.

The questions related to math and science units of study. One station required students to be thinkers by searching for specific cards, going back to their teams and working quickly to solve the review questions. Teams who solved the question accurately and, in the time allotted, earned points for their team, and the highest overall scoring team was crowned the Fear Factor Champion.

Standard #24

Leaders use data and input from a variety of sources to make decisions for learners’ and staff members’ growth and well-being.

Standard #25

Leaders promote action research by professional staff members to

improve their practice and advance learning.

Standard #26

Leaders regularly evaluate instructional programs and organizational conditions to improve instruction and advance learning.

Standard #27

Learners’ diverse academic and non-academic needs are identified and

effectively addressed through appropriate interventions.

Standard #28

With support, learners pursue individual goals including the acquisition of academic and non- academic skills important for their educational futures and careers.

Standard #29

Understanding learners’ needs and interests drives the design, delivery,

application, and evaluation of professional learning.

Standard #30

Learners’ progress is measured through a balanced system that includes assessment both for learning and of learning.

Have you had a great experience with a staff member, teacher, or support personnel? If so, I would love to hear about it. I see great things happening all day, but I would like to share the appreciation with my staff. Please take a moment to fill out this form and tell me why you appreciate someone on our campus: https://forms.gle/jQqCTPBxuHDgrxyX9