Franklin Flier
September 22, 2017
Assuring learning excellence and readiness for a changing world.
- Integrity
- Respect
- Excellence
- Adaptability
- Responsibility
- Engagement
- Collaboration
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School begins at 8:00
&
School ends at 2:40
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What can the Emperor Moth teach children about learning?
One day ​a woman​ found a cocoon of an emperor moth. She​ took it home ​to observe the moth come out of the cocoon. Soon, a small opening appeared in the cocoon. She​ sat and watched the moth for several hours as the moth struggled to force the body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. It seemed to be stuck but kept struggling and pushing. The woman​ decided to help the moth, so ​she​ took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The moth then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. She​ expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. She​ waited and waited for the little moth to become the majestic moth it was born to become and fly gloriously away in freedom.
Nothing happened! In fact, the little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly. What ​the woman did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening was the way of forcing fluid from the body of the moth into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon. Freedom and flight would only come after the struggle. By depriving the moth of a struggle,
​she deprived the moth of health and it became entirely dependent upon ​the woman
for its very survival.Got a favorite food truck vendor?
If you, or someone you know, is interested in being involved, please contact Hilarie Tolifson at htolifson@yahoo.com.
Have you checked out @FranklinSOAR on Twitter lately?
Angie & Jen get into theme day.
5th graders work on the new mural.
A thank you to our donating businesses.
Why should I talk to my student about School Board Policy 501, section III, sub A3?
School Board Policy 501 describes how schools keep a safe environment free of weapons. Outlined in the policy are the obvious things that outside of school students are not allowed to use or only with adult supervision, but it also covers items that fit into the category of toys.
There is the potential for a problem if a student places a toy gun or rubber knife in the pocket of their coat and then brings it to school. It can be a confusing situation for students as something they have permission to use outside of school is forbidden at school.
Please take a few minutes to talk with your child about the importance of never bringing any of the items outlined in the policy to school.
To read the full policy, use this link.
Have you seen the Welcome Back to School video?
Who are the Franklin teachers this year?
Kindergarten: Jen Blaschko, Ashley Fries, Brittany Wick (formerly Strauss), Michelle Dehnke, Ann Weber*
First Grade: Amy Baer*, Miranda Hoffmann, Melanie Hayes, Danielle YungerbergSecond Grade: Kristin Landgraff*, Beth Arndt, Amber Blasl, Dawn Dahline
Third Grade: Betty Alders, Tania Fugazzi, Katie Soine
Fourth Grade: Drea Brown*, Carl Fitzloff, Michaela Hansen, Megan Sandhurst
Fifth Grade: Karen Barnett*, Mallory Howk, Mandi Kopischke, Mike Nagel
K-3 Intervention: Shonita Harper*
English Learners: Vesna Bozhinoska, Jodi McBride
Special Education: Jenni Haug (formerly Johnson), Lisa Kindred, Lisa Kuiper, Marlene Stein-Greiner, Kayla Steinberg, Jen Stenzel
Phy Ed: Dianne Johns, Amanda Kroehler (formerly Murphy)
Art: Rachael Wick
Music: Jonathan Shevy
Media: Katie Botten
Counselor: Jen Berg
Continuous Improvement Coach: Tabatha Miller
* intervention teacher
How can parents help with traffic?
When dropping off your students, or picking them up at the beginning of the day, we ask that you use the idea of STOP, DROP & ROLL.
- Stop the car
- Drop your child off (or pick them up)
- Roll on to allow others to do the same for their child
The goal is to limit the amount of time that any one car is stopped in front of the school so we can maximize the opportunity for others to drop off or pick up students.
If you want your child to wait in the car with you, or you need to leave your car to be able to go into the building, please use the parking spaces along Adams street.
To reduce the number of cars in front of the building, talk with your child about picking them up along Lime street, or on Broad Street where it intersects with Lime. These are often unused areas and can be very convenient.
Have some time to volunteer?
The Committee will meet 4 times per year:
Monday, October 23, 2017 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, December 13, 2017 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Monday, February 19, 2018 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 17, 2018 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
The committee meets to advise and assist the school district system accountability and comprehensive continuous improvement process. The Committee will provide community participation in:
- reviewing the school district instructional and curriculum plan;
- by identifying annual instruction and curriculum improvement goals for recommendation to the school board;
- making recommendations regarding the evaluation process that will be used to measure school district progress toward its goals.
- review the authorizing legislation and the roles and responsibilities of the committee as determined by the school board.
- review ESSA status and improvement plans.
- become familiar with the instruction and curriculum of the cycle content area.
- review evaluation results and prepare recommendations.
- advise on implementation of the school district system accountability and comprehensive continuous improvement process.
- provide direction to and review "Annual Report on Curriculum, Instruction and Student Performance."
If you're interested, please email Travis Olson at tolson1@isd77.org.
How do I find my child's coat/hat/sweatshirt/lunchbox?
To decrease the number of items in the Lost & Found, we ask that you:
- Or your child stop by the Lost & Found every couple of weeks.
- Label your child's items that they won't wear for the entire day.
Why get a Parent Portal account?
- Give permission for their students to be in the yearbook and attend field trips *
- Receive messages from their child's teacher
- Update their contact information #
- Monitor food service balances and add money to accounts
- Check attendance
- Verify health census information
* Without a Parent Portal account, families will not be able to give their permission for their child(ren) to attend field trips and be included in the yearbook.
# Accurate contact information (phone, email, address) is important information for the safety of your child(ren). We cannot contact you if we don't have the correct information.
If you do not remember your username and/or password, please send an email to icsupport@isd77.org.
If you have not yet set-up an account, please visit Linda Gravley in the office so she can assist you. YOU WILL NEED PHOTO IDENTIFICATION when setting up your account.
Is Franklin looking for playground supervisors?
When is Walk-A-Thon and can families attend?
Yes! Parents and families are welcome to attend, walk, cheer, or volunteer. The Walk-A-Thon will take place on Thursday, September 28 from 1:15-2:15. Grades will be staggered across the school grounds and walk along the ALPS trail/sidewalks circling the school. Students can walk as much or little as they like, as there will be grade rest areas. At 2 p.m., students will begin crossing the finish line, so if you can't make it the whole time, 2 p.m. is a great time to stop by. As students finish, they will head to snack/water stations to relax, before regrouping as a whole school to silly string Mr. Olson (assuming we reach our $10,000 goal). Join us if you can, but please sign in at the school office first if you will be on the school grounds.
We still need parent volunteers to help make this event amazing, and you can sign up at http://signup.com/go/uNzpywA or contact Hilarie Tolifson at htolifson@yahoo.com.
Why is raising money through the Walk-A-Thon important?
Money raised by Franklin PTO helps to the cost associated with:
- Academics: Items such as half the cost of the P.E. roller skating unit, Reading Committee programs, Science Fair ribbons, and Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) program rewarding students for SOARing behavior are funded.
- Classroom and Playground Supplies: Each year, teachers receive $100 to spend on classroom supplies. They can also request additional items such as area rugs, headphones, or special student chairs. Money is spent each year on playground balls and other equipment for use at recess. Funds help cover cab costs if students cannot get to school, so they are not truant.
- Field Trips: The bus costs associated with field trips and often any entry or ticket fees are either covered in full or to some extent, so our students can have learning experiences off school grounds.
- Staff Appreciation: PTO uses money to celebrate the amazing teachers and staff at Franklin, whether it's treating everyone to ice cream one afternoon or recognizing all the hard work our Custodians do for the school.
- Community Building: Events such as Franklin Festival are sponsored by PTO.
If we can raise $10,000 from the Walk-A-Thon, Franklin will be financial set to cover all of the above expenses and more this year. As a PTO, we selected a Walk-A-Thon, as it not only creates a fun community event with a health focus, but allows for PTO earn the most money with the least financial impact on families (over food and product sales).
What financial commitment is expected from me?
We never want our Franklin families to feel that they must give to the school, especially if it causes financial hardships. However, if your student wants to get pledges and raise money for the school and that is possible with your family's schedule, we appreciate the support. We recognize that not every student will raise $25, but some students will set personal goals of $200. In the end every dollar helps us reach that $10,000.
Franklin also has what can be considered "Trash into Cash" programs, where we ask families to collect items that some might call trash and we submit them for money. At Franklin we collect Box Tops for Education, Milk Moola (Kwik Trip) lids/bags, and receipts from Mankato's two Hy-Vee stores. If you shop at or purchase any of these products, please consider saving them and submitting them to Franklin.
Can I give online or have friends and family at a distance give online?
Yes. Friends and family near and far can support the Walk-A-Thon online with a credit card at https://www.givemn.org/organization/271878000873-7983475
Please have friends/family write your student's name in the Tribute or Memorial Donation field to help us track for GOLDEN TICKETS and other prizes. If you know of the online gifts, be sure to note it on your student's pledge form.
We have received over $150 from online donations to date and are notified daily of all gifts received that day. Questions on anything else related to online donations, just ask Tracy Ball attracywaxball@gmail.com.
How can my student show school spirit?
Students, teachers, and staff are encouraged to wear Franklin apparel, blue or yellow on Franklin Fridays to show their school spirit. Our hope is that Fridays become a fun, spirit day and give parents one day a week, where the "what to wear" debate doesn't take place.
Want to give a shout out?
We are inviting families to email Mr. Olson when their child(ren) have a successful experience outside of school. The celebration will then be included in the morning school wide announcement. Ideas of things that families might want announced: winning a soccer tournament, moving up to a new tae kwon do belt, participating in the regional science fair, etc. If you have something that you'd like us to recognize your child(ren) for, email tolson1@isd77.k12.mn.us:
Child's Name
Child's Teacher
The Child's achievement
Dates to remember
Friday, September 28 School Walk-a-thon
Wednesday, October 4 Bike/Walk to School Day
Tuesday, October 10 Two hour late start
Thursday, October 12 PTO meeting 6:30-7:30
Friday, October 13 Franklin Festival from 5:30-7:30
Thursday & Friday, October 19 & 20 No school
Friday, October 27 MSU sponsored Falloween event from 6:30-8:00
Monday, November 6 Picture retakes
November 14, 16 & 20 Scholastic Book Fair
About Us
Safety First
Our Responsibility
Always Try Your Best
Respect Yourself and Others
Email: tolson1@isd77.org
Website: http://www.fe.isd77.org/
Location: 1000 North Broad Street, Mankato, MN, United States
Phone: (507) 345.4287
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/183476102015128/
Twitter: @FranklinSoar