The Franklin Academy
Weekly Update Newsletter September 19th - 23rd
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK - CAMP SATURNA
The 6th - 8th graders spent Wednesday at Camp Satura. Camp Saturna is a 133-acre environmental education camp and retreat center located in the beautiful foothills of the North Cascades, on the shores of Silver Lake.
Students spent the day enhancing their leadership/team-building skills as they worked together in their Houses* to solve challenging course obstacles, climb the rock wall, and shoot at the archery range. The relationship building continued as they acted out three skits- Job Interview, News Flash and Weather Report.
Here are some advisor reflections:
"It was a wonderful day of getting to know each other and bonding with our House members.
The challenge activity was all about problem solving, teamwork and leadership.
The first activity was balancing and "fitting" on wooden blocks which got smaller each time. The team members had to help and support each other through the process.
The second activity was getting through the tire ring without talking and without touching it! Such a hard task, but they did it!
We all participated in skits (highlighting our House), archery and rock climbing. It was a fantastic day!"
Mrs. Misday - Hess Advisory 5th/6th
"Students did such a great job working together and showcasing all of their amazing leadership skills yesterday. I was very proud of them."
Mrs. Jeffery - Hess Advisory 7th/8th
*Options for a House are the following: Hess (Lions, yellow), Ferlin (Sharks, purple), Kaiser (Eagles, green), and Ershig (Cougars, red). All our houses honor a family important to our school.
Monday, September 19th
- Cross Country Practice 3:15 - 4:45 pm
Tuesday, September 20th
- PALS Meet and Greet - Markell Hall - after drop-off
- Cross Country Practice 3:15 - 4:45 pm
Wednesday, September 21st
- Cross Country Practice 3:15 - 4:45 pm
- Curriculum Night - 5:30 -7:00 pm
Thursday, September 22nd
- "Get To Know You Golf Day" - Bellingham Golf and Country Club - 2:30 pm - dinner
- Cross Country Meet, Cornwall Park, Arrive: 3:30 Start: 4:15
- Chess Club Starts - after school until 4:30 pm
Friday, September 23rd
- FREE DRESS - ATHLETIC CLOTHES
- Jog-a-thon
- Cross Country Practice 3:15 - 4:45 pm
NEW ADDITIONS TO THE CALENDAR:
- Pizza Lunches are coming!!! - Volunteers needed! Goal is to start pizza service on September 27th, Tuesdays and Thursdays ONLY.
- Cross Country Meet Schedule - See details below
- Annual Fund Committee Meeting - September 27th, after drop-off at Markell Hall, volunteers needed - info and sign up below
- Marketing Committee Meeting - September 28th, after drop-off at Markell Hall, volunteers needed - info and sign up below
- Auction & Gala Volunteer Meeting - September 29th, after drop-off at Markell Hall, volunteers needed - info and sign up below
UPCOMING EVENT AND SCHEDULE DETAILS:
Parents Actively Lending Support (PALS) Meet and Greet
Join PALS for coffee and tea and learn about how you can get involved here at school and start earning your volunteer hours.
Meet PALS Presidents Sara Jentz and Nneka Brown. Meet our Development and Marketing Director, Katie Dement. Together they will share with you the opportunities to get involved with our community and events happening this year.
We look forward to seeing you and working with you to make this year fun-filled and successful!
This year's continual focus back on the school community is only possible with the steadfast initiative and sacrifice of our PALS Co-Presidents.
Curriculum Night - Sept 21st, 5:30 - 7:00 pm
Join Franklin Academy Staff and learn about your students curriculum, classroom and exciting events we have planned throughout the year.
5:30-6:00 pm - ALL K-8 parents come to Markell Hall Gym:
- We will gather in the bleachers and chairs where Head of School, Gretchen Bucsko, will welcome you.
- Associate Head of School, Melanie Hurley, will talk about some initiatives for the coming year.
- You will have an opportunity to meet our teachers and staff.
6:00- 7:00 pm you will have the opportunity go to visit your child's classroom(s):
- Your child's teacher will have samples of curriculum set out and mini presentations about highlights for the year.
If you have more than one child attending our school you can move to their classrooms as it works for you. We look forward to seeing you there and sharing with you what the year has instore for your child(ren.)
PARKING:
Please park in our parking lots at Markell Hall and Robin Hall (the playground will be open for additional parking.)
THIS EVENING IS FOR PARENTS ONLY - there will not be childcare.
The Franklin Academy Chess Club
Year Round: September 22nd - May 20th
When: Thursdays afterschool until 4:30 pm
Who: 2nd-8th Grade- Beginner, intermediate or advanced
Where: Markell Hall Cafeteria and other classrooms
- Coach Morgan and Arlo will be back to lead our team this year!
- Chess Tournaments: Fall and Spring TBD
*No meetings*
November 24th, Christmas break, March 9th, or April 6th
Please click on the icon below, download and complete the form, and return it along with the fee to Dawn at the Markell Office.
"Get To Know You Golf Day" - ONLY A FEW SPACES LEFT!
Join TFA dads Tom Jentz and Blaise Bucsko for a fun day on the links!
September 22nd starting at 2:30 PM through dinner you will get a chance to play at Bellingham Golf and Country Club with other parents of Franklin Academy students! Club members and non members are welcome! After you finish your round of golf head to the clubhouse for a bite to eat.
GOLF IS FREE!
The only cost is for dinner.
CROSS COUNTRY MEET SCHEDULE
VOLLEYBALL CLINICS
Sept 26 to Oct 21
Hi, I’m coach Céline and we had so much fun last year during the volleyball season that we decided
to expand on it and offer these clinics outside of the regular league play. We are even offering a
clinic for boys who enjoy playing the sport in PE or at recess but want more of it.
With these clinics, you will:
- Learn and develop new skills
- Get prepared physically for other sports (aka the Basketball seasons)
- Try out volleyball or Practice before the season starts in January
- Practice volleyball before signing up for a local club. Club Tryouts are at the end of October for both MS Girls AND Boys.
- And have fun with your classmates!
This is our first experiment with a Clinic of this nature. We are looking for a minimum of 8 students to go forward with each level!4-class weekly 5 th -8 th Volleyball Clinics
16 students maximum (each level)
$50/clinic or $15/drop-in
Space is limited so sign up early and drop-ins may not be an option.
- 5/6/7 th grade Girls Beginner: Mondays 3:15 to 4:45pm – Sept 26 to Oct 17. This clinic is designed for players with no or little experience or want to start again with the basics.
- 6/7/8 th Grade Girls Intermediate: Wednesdays 3:15 to 4:45pm – Sept 28- Oct 19. This clinic is designed for 6-7-8 th grade girls with experience playing in a league, club, or summer camps and have a good basic knowledge and skills to build upon.
- MS Boys All levels: Thursday 3:15-4:45pm – Sept 29- Oct 20. This clinic is designed for MS boys who are interested in developing their volleyball skills, get a workout and play with their friends. (FYI: a local volleyball club offers a program for MS/HS Boys)
**Please send an email to Mrs. Fox if you are interested in joining us for this any of
these Clinics:
Stephanie Fox: sfox@thefranklin.academy
SCHOOL INFORMATION
THE ANNUAL FUND HAS BEGUN!
Why is an Annual Fund important?
An annual fund helps nonprofits cover their everyday expenses. Since other fundraising efforts (like grants) are usually intended for specific purposes, an annual fund allows nonprofits to have unrestricted funds that go toward general operations.*
Please consider making an Annual Fund donation to ensure Franklin Academy's high-quality STEM education can continue to flourish.
OUR GOAL FOR THE 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR IS $250,000. If every family donated a $1000 we would reach our goal with ease. You can set up monthly payments of any amount or make a one time donation. Click the link below to make your contribution today!
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
Click on the icons below to sign up-
OTHER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
Please contact pals@thefranklin.academy if you're interested in any of these volunteer opportunities.
- Deliver and serve pizza for lunch service (currently need Tues/Thurs)
- Chapel Guild - organizes chapel guild projects, training provided
- Paint Hopscotch at Robin Hall - on the weekend before the temps drop!
- Outdoor Grounds - pruning, trash pick up, painting games for kids, adding mulch, etc
- Fall Festival - October 28th
- Field Day and School Picnic (coordinate with Mrs. Fox and PALS)
- Family Fun Night - needs multiple coordinators
CHAPEL SERVICE GUILD:
What is Chapel Service Guild or CSG?
CSG is a group of parent volunteers who encourage the spiritual life of the students through community service projects and support of chapel services.
What does CSG do?
CSG helps students live out the "I Will Care" core commitment through different "Love Thy Neighbor" projects assigned to each grade. If a student attends TFA from Kindergarten through 8th grade, they will have completed 9 different service projects, some of which include delivering apple baskets to Franklin neighbors, making sack lunches for the Salvation Army food bank, Christmas caroling at the Woodway Inn retirement home, putting together hygiene kits for the residents of the Lighthouse Mission or delivering May Day bouquets to the school neighborhood.
Another component of CSG is the Loaves & Fishes ministry which provides meals to Franklin families during times of illness, hospitalization, new babies, etc. Over the last few years our volunteers have made over 45 meals for school families!
How Can I Help?
- Volunteering with us means helping out with planning and carrying out our service projects as well as some other fun activities at holiday seasons like the St. Nicholas Day chapel and folding palm crosses at Easter time. We have monthly meetings which are not mandatory but are open to any parent who wishes to attend. Check out the upcoming newsletters for information on our first meeting of the year.
- Sign up to provide meals for our Loaves & Fishes ministry (see below).
- Parents are always welcome at the class service projects. We will let you know in advance when your student's project will take place.
Attending CSG meetings, helping with service projects or making a meal for Loaves & Fishes all count toward your 30 service hours!
For more information, please contact CSG chair Christy Fankhauser at christyfank@gmail.com. If you are interested in volunteering with Loaves & Fishes, please contact Erin Meese at Erin.Meese@bellinghamschools.org.
HAVE YOU COMPLETED YOUR ONLINE REGISTRATION YET?
Please follow these easy steps to Register.
- Go to the Parent Portal page: https://thefranklin.academy/parent-portal/volunteer-portal/
- Click Register
- Complete the Parent Portal Registration Form
After submitting it may take up to 48 hours for your account to be activated. Once activated, you’ll receive an email with a link to complete your registration.
Find the email with the Subject: The Franklin Academy Parent Portal Registration Confirmation, and click the link to set your password.
Enter your password in the form and click Save Password.
Click Login to go to the login form.
Enter the email you used to sign up with and the password you just set, then click Log In. You will then be redirected to the Parent Portal.
If you don’t receive an email within the 48 hr timeframe, please search your email inbox for:
The Franklin Academy Parent Portal Registration Confirmation
Please also search your Spam or Junk email folder.
If you still can’t find the email, please email frontdesk@thefranklin.academy.
VIP PARKING SPOTS STILL AVAILABLE
THIS WEEK AT THE FRANKLIN ACADEMY
ATHLETICS -
CROSS COUNTRY
The Franklin Force headed out to Bellwood Acers for the 1st cross country meet of the season.
Congratulations, Force, on a job well done. We wish you the best of luck this coming season!
"The team had a successful start with all meeting our hopes and expectations."
Coach Whitlock
MUSIC WITH MRS. SNYDER -
Music is off to a great start this school year! Here's a glimpse into some of the exciting things our students are exploring while in music class. Third graders are gung-ho for just about anything and have been learning a fun partner dance called, "Alabama Gal." 4th graders are refreshing their composition skills, creating rhythms with partners and demonstrating the compositions for their peers. All of our elementary students are learning how to be composers and it's wonderful to see what they create!
Musically,
Mrs. Snyder
THE READING CORNER WITH MRS. SAMUEL -
I hope you are all settling into the school year. In Library we have been working on empathy,
but the students don’t even know it! As I share picture books with them (grades K-3), I am
stopping to point out character expressions and ask what they think the character is thinking or
feeling. We have talked about sad eyebrows and angry eyebrows, eye rolling, and other
expressions that help us read people’s faces. After so many years of masking, I thought the
students could use some help in deciphering facial expressions and feelings. Studies show that
reading fiction is a great way to help people of all ages develop empathy!
And it is almost time for the Scholastic Book Fair again! Like last year, it will be in the Markell
Hall Chapel (Thank you, Chaplain Aaron!). This year it will be before and after school the week
of October 3-7. A volunteer sign up from PALS should be appearing soon! We need help setting
up, running the registers (pretty easy, I promise!), and then packing everything up at the end of
the week. And of course, we will need SHOPPERS! This is one of the two fundraisers we do for
the library! It will also be a chance to get classroom books for your teachers, and plenty of
books for home!
Happy Reading (and shopping),
Mrs. Samuel
GET TO KNOW OUR STAFF -
Casey Brocato - Director, Finance & Operations
My name is Casey Brocato and I have been the Director of Finance at the Franklin Academy since January 2020!
I graduated from WWU in 2014 with a BA in Accounting and subsequently began working in operations and financial management across multiple different industries in the 8 years that have followed.
My prior experience is drawn on varying levels of responsibility within higher education administration, food and beverage management, and most recently healthcare finance.
Before Bellingham I lived in my hometown of Graham, WA where I was raised with 3 brothers, one of them my twin. My parents definitely had their hands full with 4 competitive boys.
Childhood was playing outside in nearby forests, engaging in every team sport available, music, reading, video games, and building anything I could with wood and scraps lying about.
I am very hobby and fitness focused outside of work. I've played drums since about 12 years old and in several bands ranging in genre from folk and bluegrass, hip hop, to punk and metalcore.
I'm a frequent concert-goer, amateur woodworker, and mountain biker, also devoting time to camping, hiking, and backpacking.
During summer for the past 16 years I have volunteered 1-2 weeks each year with Washington State Youth Conservation Camps on Orcas Island, educating 12-16 year old young men and women about the importance of natural resource conservation and responsible use of the great outdoors.
I enjoy traveling, reading and actively practicing Stoicism, and challenging myself to accomplish new feats, most recently climbing Mt. Baker for the first time with only 48 hour's notice.
It's a joy to be working at The Franklin Academy where I've met so many wonderful families, students, and colleagues that share the same passions I do.
All the best,
Casey
The Franklin Academy
Website: www.thefranklin.academy
Location: 1509 East Victor Street, Bellingham, WA, USA
Phone: (360) 733-1750
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheFranklinAcademy
The Franklin Academy Points of Contact
Melanie Hurley, Associate Head of School: mhurley@thefranklin.academy
Dawn Regier, Administrative Assistant, dregier@thefranklin.academy
Rachel Lee, Administrative Assistant, rlee@thefranklin.academy
Natalie Bennett, Admissions Director, nbennett@thefranklin.academy
Katie C. Dement, Development and Marketing Director, kcole@thefranklin.academy
PALS (Parents Actively Lending Support) pals@thefranklin.academy