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DNA - District News & Announcements
September 2022
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District News and Announcements
September 2023
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OVERVIEW & DNA INTRODUCTION
This newsletter is affectionately called the DNA because it's a beautiful collection of unique stories and experiences contributing to the development and function of our school communities. (Also it's an acronym for District News and Announcements ;) )
We hope you enjoy seeing some of these behind the scenes stories and will join your fellow community members at upcoming events!
First Day Photos!
We hope the school year is off to a great start! Thanks to the many of you who submitted your first day photos. What we received can be seen in this First Day Photos Portal. You can also look at a variety of growing galleries here: FPS Photos.
Introduction to Remind!
If you're not already familiar with Remind, it's a classroom communication tool that makes it easy to stay involved with your child's learning. Remind is like WhatsApp - but also offers automated translation which allows you to send and receive messages in your preferred language, even if teachers, principals, nurses, and certain District Administrators are sending messages in English. Remind is free and allows you to get messages directly on your phone!
As part of this rollout, official accounts are created for the educators, students, and primary contacts across the District. Additional caregivers can be added to classes manually as well. Here is a video demo to see how Remind works. This video is available in Spanish and Portuguese too. If your teacher(s) are going to use Remind, you will receive communication from them directly.
We're excited to make connecting with our families more engaging!
Character Trait of the Month: Responsibility
Responsibility means being dependable, making good choices, and taking accountability for your actions. A responsible citizen looks out for the well-being of others. Being responsible means we understand that we have the influence to make the world a better place. The Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum is all connected to this theme/trait and is supported with activities during morning meeting, mindfulness, discussions, books, art, team-building, games and more!
Here are some conversation starters around Responsibility:
- What are some of the responsibilities you have at home?
- What are some of the responsibilities you had last year at school?
- What are some of the responsibilities that are specific to the grade you are in now?
- What happens if you ignore those responsibilities?
- Why is taking responsibility for your words and actions important?
Welcome to ALL New Talent!
... and THANK YOU for choosing Framingham!
It was a pleasure welcoming 463 new employees to the Framingham Public School family leading up to this school year AND supporting 180 of which are new teachers during the New Talent Orientation (NTO). We were impressed with the energy, vibe, and eagerness to work with our students, families, and community. Once again, we thank all of our staff for choosing Framingham!
Thank you to all of our current employees who helped plan and/or led sessions at this year's NTO!
Good News Network
If your child's school is not included below, that does not mean they aren't doing wonderful, exciting things! We look forward to sharing even more news and updates in the Good News Network section of future District Newsletters!
FHS Medical Society Supports the RAM
On August 12-13th, RAM (Remote Access Medical) USA turned Keefe Tech into a make-shift hospital to offer our community members free dental, vision, and medical services.
Kanwardeep Singh Randhawa and Vanessa Finder - President and Vice President of the FHS Medical Society assisted at this meaningful community event. They, along with all the volunteers, helped to register 316 patients and provide $102,697 in services at the clinic.
The FHS Medical Society meets on Tuesdays after school!
Shoutout to Nala, Mark Goldschmidt, and RFL!
Framingham High School offers a program called Resiliency For Life (RFL) that helps about 60 students in grades 9 - 12 through emotional challenges to achieve academic success. The RFL program includes a social worker, a bilingual academic monitor and an assistance dog named Nala.
Watch this NBC10 Boston feature to see the impact Nala has on the school community!
Congrats and Good Luck to TWO FHS Students!
Congratulations Devin Cox and Matthew Koltenuk - both of whom are semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Per the patch.com, "more than 16,000 semifinalists in the 69th annual National Merit Scholarship Program were named this week. These high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,140 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million that will be offered next spring, officials said."
Congratulations, Ms. Flaherty!
Ms. Lori Flaherty, who teaches at Fuller Middle School, earned her Master's Degree in Secondary Education with a concentration in History!
Meet the Pioneers of the ParentChild+ Home Based Family Child Care Program (HBCC)
JoeLiz Family Child Care Program is the first graduates from the ParentChild+ HBCC pilot program in Framingham. Elizabeth Adjapong and her husband Joe rose to the call to experiment with a new program to ensure high-quality programming in their family care setting. With the support of Jeanette Lake, early learning specialist and seasoned early childhood educator, they collaborated to showcase the program's strengths, seek new curriculum ideas, expand activities to further enrich learning, and find alternative solutions for any challenges.
To recognize the achievements of Liz and Joe, a family celebration was given to highlight the work of this home based education program. The picture below tells it all --- a very nurturing setting where our youngest learners are thriving due to the love and attention given by this exemplary couple. The parents of these children expressed gratitude for the additional resources shared through the ParentChild+ HBCC model program. You can never start too early! This program was supported by the FPS Department of the Early Childhood Alliance of Framingham and the Popplestone Foundation.
If you are caring for children in your home and are interested in this program, contact Jeanette Lake/Jane Cohen at 508-782-6932, or, by email jlake1@framingham.k12.ma.us or jcohen@framingham.k12.ma.us.
Welcome to FAESL's Newest Students!
Months after it was announced that the Framingham Adult ESL (FAESL) program was expanding to Milford, 76 students started classes. Sixty-five of those students received their spots through a lottery during a recent registration event and 11 other Milford residents that were taking classes in Framingham were transferred to the Milford program. Read about the registration event on the FPS Website - and welcome to all of the new students who started classes last week!
Need / Want a Job? NRT is Hiring!
School Bus Drivers $25-$31/Hour
- $5,000 Sign-on Bonus for fully licensed school drivers.
- Must be at least 21
- Must have your license for 3 consecutive years
- Must have the ability to pass background checks and drug test
No CDL? No problem. NRT will pay $20 per hour to get your CDL. If completed in 60 days, $500 extra
incentive.
School Van Drivers $19-$20/Hour
7D drivers are needed! No 7D Certificate? They provide PAID training.
- Must be at least 21
- Must have your license for 3 consecutive years
- Must have the ability to pass background checks and drug test
LEARN MORE BY VISITING THE NRT WEBSITE: School Bus Driver-Paid Training- Framingham
Community Corner
2023 Swiacki Children’s Literature Festival + Essay Contest
2023 SWIACKI CHILDREN’S LITERATURE FESTIVAL
Framingham State University is currently promoting the 2023 Swiacki Children’s Literature Festival, which is an annual celebration of children's books featuring renowned authors and illustrators in the field. This year's featured author includes Dashka Slater (The 57 Bus, Accountable, The Antlered Ship) and artist is Ekua Holmes (The Stuff of Stars, Black is a Rainbow Color). The event takes place on Thursday, November 2, 2023 at FSU.
You can register by October 31st and learn more on their website: www.alumni.framingham.edu/sclf2023.
MIDDLE SCHOOL ESSAY CONTEST
Eligibility: Students at Cameron, Fuller, or Walsh Middle School
Essay Question: How do you relate to one of the characters or themes in a Dashka Slater novel?
Languages: English, Portuguese, and Spanish
Guidelines:
Essay Category
- Original work of the student
- Five paragraph essay, 500- to 1,000-word count in length, typed in Times New Roman, 12 point font, with one-inch margins all around, and double-spaced
Photo Essay
- Original work of the student, may include family photos taken by others with permission
- Contains 15 to 20 pictures with comments connecting to the contest question
Video
- Original work of the student, may include family video taken by others with permission
- Video should be between five to ten minutes in length.
All entries must include: Student’s name, School, Grade level, Mailing address, Phone number, and Email address
Prizes: Two winners will be chosen per grade (6th, 7th and 8th), and one student will be named the Overall Winner. All seven winners will receive a signed copy of one of Dashka Slater’s books plus an invitation to attend the Swiacki Children’s Literature Festival at Framingham State University. Each student may bring two guests (for example, a parent/guardian and a favorite teacher). The festival includes a dinner, book signing, and presentations from both Dashka Slater and artist Ekua Holmes. If a student is chosen as a winner, they must attend the festival on Thursday evening, November 2nd, 2023.
Submission: Completed work should be presented to a librarian at Cameron, Walsh, or Fuller Middle
School; John Garrigan at the Framingham Public Library Main Branch; or to a librarian at
Framingham State University’s Henry Whittemore Library.
Questions: Samantha Westall, curriculumlibrary@framingham.edu
Deadline: All essays must be submitted by October 6th, 2023.
Framingham Parks and Recreation
Pumpkins in the Park - October 28 from 1pm - 3pm
Pre-registration is required for this beloved fall event organized by Framingham Parks and Recreation. Registration begins October 2 and will remain open through October 26th (or until full). Costumes are encouraged! Join community members for pumpkin painting, arts & crafts, and a hayride through Cushing Memorial Park! Our friends from the Framingham Police Department, Fire Department, & Library Bookmobile will also be there to spread some pumpkin cheer! This is a rain, sleet, snow, or shine event!
10/28/2023
$5 resident | $10 on-resident
Ages 3 - 12
01:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Cushing Memorial Park - Cushing Maintenance Building
City of Framingham
SAVE THE DATE: Spooktacular Event - October 24th
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Save the Date: Tuesday, October 24th from 4pm - 6:30pm
Children and their families are invited to participate in a variety of activities, arts & crafts, and to collect candy from City Departments! The event takes place at the Memorial Building.
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THANK YOU for attending the Back to School Safety Fair!
On Saturday, September 9th FPS Staff, NRT, and other Community Partners gathered at Cushing Park.
What an incredible day it was, with an estimated crowd of 750 to 850 attendees! For the second time, Mayor Sisitsky and Sheriff Koutoujian teamed up to create this amazing event that brought our community closer together.
But that's not all! The City is proud to share that we provided free lunches for all families and, thanks to the generosity of the Mayor and the Police Association, they gave away free bicycle helmets for the kids, along with backpacks that were donated by the Local 609 Laborers and more.
Ready Framingham - Emergency Preparedness
An emergency can happen anywhere, at any time, and can come in many forms. With the rise of climate hazards such as severe winter storms, flooding, and extreme heat in addition to other types of emergencies, there is no better time than now to improve your resilience to emergencies that may arise.
The City of Framingham wants you, your family, and your neighbors to be prepared in the event of an emergency. Review the emergency preparedness information and resources on this site, signup to receive alerts, and prepare an emergency plan today.
Check out these climate preparedness interactive fliers created to help you and your family prepare for emergencies:
English - Emergency Preparedness Flier
Portuguese - Emergency Preparedness Flier
Spanish - Emergency Preparedness Flier
Haitian Creole - Emergency Preparedness Flier
You can always visit the Ready Framingham Website for tips on how to make an emergency plan and kit, preparing for extreme weather, to learn about local hazard mitigation, to sign up for direct emergency alerts, and more: https://www.framinghamma.gov/ReadyFramingham
Submit Your Good News!
The Media and Communications Office hopes to increase the frequency of these good news and opportunity compilations. We are improving and refining the submission process over time and always appreciate hearing from staff, parents/guardians, and students with events, accolades, shoutouts, and more.
Submit your good news to communications@framingham.k12.ma.us for a special shoutout in future newsletters and social media posts!
The mission of the Framingham Public Schools is to educate each student to learn and live productively as a critically-thinking, responsible citizen in a multicultural, democratic society by providing academically challenging instructional programs taught by highly-qualified staff and supported by comprehensive services in partnership with our entire community. For news, updates, and announcements, follow Framingham Public Schools (@FraminghamPS) on Facebook, Twitter, and (@framinghamschools) on Instagram. You can also join the conversation using #FraminghamSchools.