SEPTEMBER 7, 2020
Welcome to a new school year! We are excited for all of our students to come back to school and are busy getting ready for their return. Below is some important information for you and your student(s) for back-to-school.
Our school office will be communicating with you regularly about events, activities and reminders! You do not need to sign up for our email list. You are automatically subscribed to receive all of our important school information.
MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Parents,
We made it through our week of Orientation Days! This was such a wonderful way to start the year for both the students and for the staff. This valuable time allowed all of the staff to focus on your student and get to know them as people and as learners. Teachers also had time to practice some of our daily procedures and routines for both in person and virtual learners.
For In Person students there was time spent helping students navigate the wearing of masks, frequent hand washing and learning to watch our distance.
Next week some important reminders and updates:
For the health and safety of students, families, and Ben Franklin Staff, please remember the following:
Please say your goodbyes at the curb, we kindly ask that parents and caregivers don’t congregate in line with students or on campus.
Parents, please stay in your car, we will assist your child in and out of the vehicle
If you would like to read all of the drop off and arrival procedures refer to this document.
As you know, everyone (adults and children) are required to wear a mask on campus and in the building except during when eating and drinking or participating in adult led outdoor socially-distanced activities.. The learning environment extends to the school bus as well, students and drivers are expected to wear face coverings. Students and staff have done a great job with masks this week. Thank you for continuing to practice mask use at home and working to find which masks fit/work best for your child (covers chin and nose and fits well). Although we do not anticipate any problems, if students do not wear a mask, we may need to reach out to you for additional support to ensure all are wearing masks. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.
Virtual Students have a Materials Pick Up date set for Tuesday, September 8 from 4:30-7:30. Please see the email from your child’s virtual teacher for the locations, maps and directions.
Please read this important letter. This letter will impact our virtual classrooms as well as our in person students.
The staff at Ben Franklin is looking forward to seeing all students together this week--whether In Person and Virtual--this will truly be an exciting week!
As always, please reach out with any questions.
Mary Shannon
Ben Franklin Interim Principal
PICTURE DAY
School pictures will be taken on Wednesday, September 16th for ALL students!
Students attending in-person classes will have their picture taken during the school day.
Students attending virtual classes will have their pictures taken at Ben Franklin School in Room C10 from 5:00-7:30PM by appointment ONLY! A Sign Up Genius has been created to secure your student's photo appointment.
VIRTUAL STUDENTS - Please click here to sign up for a slot with School & Sport Pics. The main entrance will be open. Room C10 is located all the way down the main hallway - last door on the right, please follow the signs.
Picture Order forms will no longer be sent home. ALL orders will be placed online. Please use this link for ordering: https://orders.schoolandsportpics.com/ordering - use the drop down menu to select your Ben Franklin School.
ATTENDANCE PROCESS UPDATE FOR ALL SCHOOLS
HOLD THE PHONE! Literally!
As we prepare for the start of the school year, we want to alert all parents that Franklin is implementing a new attendance procedure due to the impact of COVID-19. When your child is unable to attend school for any reason, we ask that you fill out THIS FORM located as a button on the Home Page and “Parents Information” sections of your school’s website to report/excuse ANY absence. This form will require you to enter your child’s six-digit student ID number and birthdate before you can report your child absent. The form can be submitted from your phone or other mobile device, and only takes a few minutes to complete. Responses to the items on this form will be used to enter, code, and track absences in our system. Student specific medical information collected by the form will remain confidential, and only be shared within the health and nursing services team.
MORNING DROP OFF/DISMISSAL PROCEDURES
Dear Ben Franklin Families,
The health and safety of our children is of great importance. Over the summer, significant planning went into the creation of procedures that are designed to keep children healthy and safe. Please read these procedures carefully--as many of these procedures have changed.
Please share these procedures with ALL caregivers who might share in the responsibilities of getting children to and from school. We also want to let you know that we will be monitoring these procedures and may need to make changes. Thank you for your understanding and flexibility.
MORNING DROP OFF PROCEDURES
The school day officially starts at 9:10 a.m. All students will be allowed into the school at 9:00 a.m. each morning.
Students will need to line up outside the doors listed below to enter the school.
3rd & 4th Grade will enter the building at the NORTH doors.
4K, 2nd & 5th Grade will enter the building at the FRONT doors
5K & 1st Grade will enter the building at the SOUTH doors.
Students should not arrive before 8:55 a.m. Those who arrive before 8:55 am may put themselves and others at risk if social distancing cannot be monitored by staff.
If you choose to drive and drop your student off in the morning, please do so on the NORTH side of the school.
Enter the north end of the parking lot from 82nd Street
Drive into the parking lot inside of the cones and next to the curb on the drivers side.
Children may not exit the car until an adult signals the driver. Children must exit on the driver’s side of the vehicle.
An adult will direct students to their entrance door.
This process can take a bit of time, so please plan accordingly.
Please DO NOT drop the students off
in the bus lane or
in the parking lot on the west side of the school or
on Southview Drive
If you need to walk your student to their entry door, you MUST park your car in the parking lot and walk them across the driveway in the designated crosswalk areas. For the health of all the children, we are asking that you do not wait in line with your student. The transition can be tricky for younger children, talk about what this will be like and how to say goodbye at the curb.
DISMISSAL OPTIONS
A Daily Choice for dismissal was made during the Check-in/Online Registration process. A brief explanation of each procedure along with the Dismissal Timeline is listed below.
BUS - Every Ben Franklin student residing in our enrollment area is assigned to a bus route. (students residing outside our boundaries must choose alternate dismissal procedure) Please refer to our online handbook regarding additional bus rider rules and policies (Policy #3720). One important policy - a note is required from each parent if a student will be getting off at an alternative bus stop for any reason.
KID’S CLUB – before and after school care in our Multi-purpose room. Registration information is available through the Franklin Rec Dept.
PARENT PICK UP - will be CURBSIDE ONLY-no parent pick up in the gym. After the buses have pulled away from the school, parents will be signalled to drive up in the bus lane. Have your child’s last name posted in the front dash. Students will be dismissed to the front of the building where they will be called to a numbered cone to enter their adult’s vehicle. Please line up in your cars on the east side of 83rd street south of the entrance to the school.
WALKERS/BIKE RIDERS – Any student with permission to Walk/Ride will sign out in their classroom and walk/ride home when they’re dismissed.
DAY CARE VAN – Any DayCare facilities sending their van to school will line up with the busses.
DISMISSAL TIMELINE:
3:45 p.m.
KID’S CLUB - Students attending Kids Club will be dismissed and meet in the hallway outside of the library.
3:55 p.m.
BUS/DAYCARE VAN - All bus students will be dismissed out the front doors to get on the buses. As soon as the buses are loaded, they will be released.
4:00 p.m. Approximately (once the buses have been released.)
PARENT PICK UP (Curbside ONLY) will occur in the front driveway.
NO cars will be allowed to enter the front driveway until ALL of the buses have been dismissed.
All cars MUST wait on the East side of 83rd St. South of the Ben Franklin driveway.
Procedure:
Wait to be signaled to move into the bus lane, drive up to the first empty green cone.
Please post your child’s last name on a letter size piece of paper on the drivers side dash.
Someone will call your child to the cone and then your child will enter the vehicle on the passenger side.
If children need to buckle up, please do not get out of your car, pull into a parking space after leaving the curbside lane.
Please note: there will NOT be parent pick up in the gym as in the past. All children will be dismissed from the front of the school.
Students who walk or ride bikes will be dismissed after the Curbside Pick Up. If you walk with your child, please remain on the sidewalk rather than waiting in front of the school. Younger students will be brought to you.
***PLEASE take the time to confirm with your child’s teacher your plans for your child’s dismissal procedure. The teacher will follow the information the parents have submitted through InfoSnap at Check-in/Registration unless a handwritten note or email from the parent is received. IF there’s a change for the day and we do not receive communication FROM THE PARENT, via either a handwritten note or email, the teacher will follow the confirmed information received. The ONLY time the office should receive a phone call to change the pick-up arrangements for your child should be in an emergency situation. We understand that emergencies do arise.
Additional reminders to keeping a safe environment:
Students need to use the crosswalks at all times when walking. Please wait to be signaled when crossing in front of traffic.
Please be responsible with timeliness. Not only is that an essential skill for success, but also you will limit disruption caused by being late for school.
Respect the 3 W’s….Wear a mask….Wash your hands….Watch your distance.
Just a reminder… The speed limit in a school zone in Wisconsin is 15 MPH. This is enforced by the Franklin Police Dept.
Thank you for taking the time to read all the way through this document, reach out with questions.
On behalf of the entire Ben Franklin Staff, we appreciate your help with these important procedures! Thank you for being patient at the beginning and end of the day - this ensures the safety of each of the students during those times.
Mary Shannon
Interim Principal
mary.shannon@franklin.k12.wi.us
414.525.5002
NEW KIDS CLUB DROP OFF & PICK UP PROCEDURES
Parents of those attending before or after school Kids Club - please watch this 2-minute video that walks through how to drop your child off in the morning and pick your child up after school. These new procedures will be in place this week so please review this video. Link: https://youtu.be/sX-ozlY42P8
ATTENTION 4K & KINDERGARTEN PARENTS REGARDING BUS TRANSPORTATION HOME
4K & Kindergarten students will be picked up and dropped off with other elementary students at a designated stop. A parent or designee must assume responsibility for the child at the stop when dropped off.
If parents would like to designate a person other than themselves, they can send an email to Tricia.Geiger@franklin.k12.wi.us.
In regards to same day notification (this should only be done for emergencies), please call First Student Busing at 414-422-2020 so they can pass along the information to the bus driver.
BOYS INTERESTED IN LEARNING ABOUT CUB SCOUTS
Pack 538 is hosting a Drive-by Outdoor Join Scouting Night at 6858 South Dory Drive, Franklin on the following dates:
- Thursday, September 3rd from 4:30-6 PM (drop in any time)
- Thursday, September 10th from 4:30-6 PM (drop in any time)
Parents and potential new scouts (boys who will be in grades Kindergarten (K5) through 5th Grade for School Year 2020-2021) are invited to attend, learn about Cub Scouts, and register.
Come meet current Scouts & Leaders to get your questions answered. Social distancing will be observed.
Contact Sadhana Bienzen, at 414-467-7947 or sbienzen@hotmail.com with questions. Visit www.troopwebhostcs.org/Pack538Franklin for more information.
SCHOOL INFORMATION
All past newsletters are stored on our website here
Email: Susan.Behrens@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