Sunday, March 30, 2014
Multicultural Night Photos
Thank you to all who made Multicultural Night a great success! I'd like to give a special thanks to Gail Guerrero for organizing the event, to Sharon Foster for teaching our students the dances and to Deanna Mustachio for teaching our students the songs. Here are some wonderful pictures (courtesy of Manu Madhav, Nethan's dad) of many of the amazing country booths:
Monday, March 10, 2014
Read Across America Day
We had many special visitors last week for Read Across America Day in honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday.
Mayor Setti Warren
Angela Pitter-Wright, School Committee
Mayor Setti Warren
Brian Turner, Day Middle School Principal
Lieutenant Bruce Apotheker, Newton PD
Jen Price, Newton North Principal
David Kelly, Author
"You're never too old, too wacky, or too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child."
Ask your child who read to his or her class.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Franklin's Amazing Art Program
March is Youth Arts Month. This is an opportunity to emphasize the value of art and art
education for all children and to encourage public support for quality school art programs. Speaking of quality art programs, we are fortunate to have an exceptional art program at Franklin. Some of you may know that Diane Jaquith, our art teacher, is an expert in the field of art education. She is the co-founder of Teaching for Artistic Behavior and the co-author of The Learner-Directed Classroom: Developing Creative Thinking Skills Through Art (2012) and Engaging Learners Through Artmaking (2009). In fact, Ms. Jaquith has been invited to present at the National Learning and the Brain Conference in New York City this May (http://www.learningandthebrain.com/Event-271/The-Science-of-Smarter-Minds/Program). We are incredibly fortunate that our students get to learn with Ms. Jaquith every week. Franklin students engage in art making through a choice-based learning model offering multiple studio centers. After whole-group instruction, students continue working on an existing artwork or make a new choice. Emphasis is placed on artistic process and developing studio habits (from Studio Thinking: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts Education). These habits are being piloted across the district and help to frame learning through the arts. This year’s studio habits include Envisioning, Engaging and Persisting, Developing Craft and Reflecting. Students use these habits to guide their self-directed work during art class each week. To see more great artwork emerging from Franklin's Creativity Studio, visit our Artsonia gallery:
education for all children and to encourage public support for quality school art programs. Speaking of quality art programs, we are fortunate to have an exceptional art program at Franklin. Some of you may know that Diane Jaquith, our art teacher, is an expert in the field of art education. She is the co-founder of Teaching for Artistic Behavior and the co-author of The Learner-Directed Classroom: Developing Creative Thinking Skills Through Art (2012) and Engaging Learners Through Artmaking (2009). In fact, Ms. Jaquith has been invited to present at the National Learning and the Brain Conference in New York City this May (http://www.learningandthebrain.com/Event-271/The-Science-of-Smarter-Minds/Program). We are incredibly fortunate that our students get to learn with Ms. Jaquith every week. Franklin students engage in art making through a choice-based learning model offering multiple studio centers. After whole-group instruction, students continue working on an existing artwork or make a new choice. Emphasis is placed on artistic process and developing studio habits (from Studio Thinking: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts Education). These habits are being piloted across the district and help to frame learning through the arts. This year’s studio habits include Envisioning, Engaging and Persisting, Developing Craft and Reflecting. Students use these habits to guide their self-directed work during art class each week. To see more great artwork emerging from Franklin's Creativity Studio, visit our Artsonia gallery:
Monday, January 20, 2014
January All School Meeting
Approximately 400 students and 75 faculty members gather in the cafeteria for our All School Meetings. It's a wonderful time for the whole school to come together as a community and celebrate our learning together. The 5th graders facilitate the All School Meetings. We begin the meeting with a greeting where everyone greets someone nearby. We often get updates on Green Team initiatives or faculty announcements. Then we have many groups share their learning. For example, at our January meeting, the Kindergartners shared a snow song.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Gymnastics
During Physical Education, Health and Wellness class, all K-5 students have been participating in the gymnastics unit. The gymnastics unit will run until December 12th.
Participation in gymnastics has many benefits. Please check out this link:
http://bestgymnastics.net/the-benefits-of-gymnastics-for-kids/#.UoZm_Dv6otU
During this unit, students are learning about balance, strength, flexibility and control. They have learned the basic body positions used in artistic gymnastics and are discovering how they can incorporate those positions in their patterns, routines and gymnastic “sentences.”
Students are learning to balance, roll, jump, leap, change levels, turn, hang, pull, push, and transfer body weight and so much more.
We are fortunate to have a wide variety of gymnastics equipment and are one of the few elementary schools that actually do gymnastics.
Students have access to:
•2 sets of uneven bars
•parallel bars
•2 horizontal bars
•rings
•5 balance beams (2 high and 3 low)
•2 incline mats
•floor mats
Participation in gymnastics has many benefits. Please check out this link:
http://bestgymnastics.net/the-benefits-of-gymnastics-for-kids/#.UoZm_Dv6otU
During this unit, students are learning about balance, strength, flexibility and control. They have learned the basic body positions used in artistic gymnastics and are discovering how they can incorporate those positions in their patterns, routines and gymnastic “sentences.”
Students are learning to balance, roll, jump, leap, change levels, turn, hang, pull, push, and transfer body weight and so much more.
Students have access to:
•2 sets of uneven bars
•parallel bars
•2 horizontal bars
•rings
•5 balance beams (2 high and 3 low)
•2 incline mats
•floor mats
Monday, November 11, 2013
Franklin School Council
At our PTO meeting in October, we elected the Franklin School Council members. School Council is comprised of an equal number of faculty members and parents. The following people are on the Franklin School Council:
Lindsay Scott, teacher
Amy Kelly, principal
Council members have the opportunity to serve in an advisory capacity to the principal. The School Council has the following charge:
Kallan Durken, parent
Joshua Gundersheimer, parent
Steven Kazmirski, parent
Alison Lobron, parent
Marysol Masse-Makimura, parent
Patti Bohling, school nurse
Stephanie Lefever, teacher
Deanna Mustachio, teacher
Amy Kelly, principal
Council members have the opportunity to serve in an advisory capacity to the principal. The School Council has the following charge:
- Adopting educational goals for the school that are consistent with local educational policies and statewide student performance standards
- Identifying the educational needs of students attending the school
- Reviewing the annual school building budget
- Formulating a school improvement plan
This year, the School Council will focus on the issue of parent involvement. Our first meeting will take place on November 20th from 3:30-5:00pm. This is an open meeting and anyone is welcome to attend. We will meet in the conference room.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Franklin School Parents Show Their Support During School Appreciation Day
On Saturday, several parents and high school students came to show their support for our school during School Appreciation Day. You can imagine the delight when the staff arrived at school this morning to find it all fixed up. Thank you all for sprucing up Franklin for our students, staff and families!
Parents and high school students painted the interior of the courtyard.
Parents hung cork boards, whiteboards, etc.
Parents made repairs and improvements
Parents installed pencil sharpeners, files, mailboxes, etc.
Mauricio Zuniga brought his painting crew to paint the conference room and the teachers' room. The rooms were transformed! Several parents worked on additional painting projects as well.
Two parents redecorated the conference room and teachers' room.
Bob Zuckernick, Paul Rensing, Liz Marshall, Jon Mendicina and Joe Abruzese were the members of the committee that made this all happen. Bill Pepicelli, our new custodian, helped out with some projects as well.
Some other projects included: shampooing rugs, trimming trees, building bookcases, raising the flags in the front hallway, leveling books, and much more. Thanks to all who participated in School Appreciation Day! We genuinely appreciate your support. You make our school a better place for all.
Some other projects included: shampooing rugs, trimming trees, building bookcases, raising the flags in the front hallway, leveling books, and much more. Thanks to all who participated in School Appreciation Day! We genuinely appreciate your support. You make our school a better place for all.
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