The Roadrunner

Dear Ben Franklin Families,

Welcome "back-to-school!" Our favorite time of year at Ben Franklin is seeing all of our students and families return, plus meeting the new families who have enrolled. We look forward to seeing all of you at our Open House on Tuesday, August 23th from 4:00pm-6:00pm. At Open House you will have the opportunity to visit with your child's teacher, deposit money in your child's lunch account, and drop off school supplies.

The first day of school is August 24th and starts at 8:20am. We know everyone is excited for the first day of school. Please do not arrive too early as the teachers will still be busy preparing to build relationships and for instruction. As in the past, children are welcome to come for breakfast starting at 7:40am. Doors 12, 13, and 14 (where students should enter in the morning) will not be unlocked until 7:40am for those children eating breakfast. We ask that your child remain in your car until 7:40am. All children who enter the building prior to 8:00am, will be directed to go to breakfast.

For those of you who still may not have met me yet, I invite you to stop by the office to introduce yourself. If we did meet before, please do not be offended if I need help recalling your name (I met a lot of families the past two weeks :)). I am excited to get the school year started~ the staff and children at Ben Franklin are simply the best!

Sincerely,

Josh Mailhot

Principal

Being involved with our PTO is a great way to meet other families, support our students, and learn more about Ben Franklin. Please plan to join us in the library on the following dates at 5:15 pm:

Meetings will be the first Thursday of each month (with three exceptions) @ 5:15 in the library.

Jan -- none -- stay warm

Feb 2nd
March 9th (2nd thursday)

April 6th

May 18th

August 24 - Open House

August 25 - School Starts 8:25 am

September 2 - Picture Day

September 6 - No School

September 13 - Parent Title 1 Meeting @ 2:00 pm

*All families are invited. Please call the office, 701-746-2250, if you plan to attend.

September 22 - Early Release @ 1:30 pm

Classes will dismiss from the same doors they entered.

Students will exit the building on a staggered schedule to prevent overcrowding in the hallway and to maintain some distance between classrooms.

Dismissal Options:

If you choose to utilize the turn lane when picking up your child(ren), stay on the right side to pick up your child and follow the turn lane guidelines pictured below.

1. Drive all the way forward to fill any open space regardless of which door your child exits.

The turn lane is meant for "stop and go" only and not for parking. If you choose to exit your vehicle, you may park on the street and cross at the crosswalks to pick up your child. It is important (and a City Ordinance) to utilize crosswalks.

2. If you choose to park on the street and walk up to the building to meet your child, please remain on the sidewalk as our students utilize the blacktop area.

Older siblings will remain with their own class while the crowd is heavy. When the crowd dissipates, we will have siblings join together.

If you are new to Ben Franklin or unsure of the turn lane rules, please read each of the guidelines posted below. We expect all family members and others who pick up your child(ren) to know and follow the rules for student and staff safety. A staff member will kindly remind you of the guidelines when they are not followed, please be courteous as they are doing their best to keep ALL students safe.

Thanks for your cooperation!

We welcome you to visit our school! Please use Door #1 and sign in/out when entering the school. Adults are asked to wait in the entryway or office when picking up their student(s) or will be escorted by a staff member to their desired location.

As we prepare for the 22-23 school year, students at the Grand Forks Public Schools will be issued a student learning device. Kindergarten–2nd grade students will receive an iPad, while students in grades 3-12 will be issued a Chromebook.

With these digital tools comes a variety of information for our families. Please carefully review the two attachments for information on:

• the Acceptable Use Policy,
• Receiving, caring for, using, and returning the learning device,
• the Device Use Pledge,
• the Device Protection Plan (DPP)

We want to thank our Ben Franklin families for returning all devices last spring. We continue to appreciate your support as we work together to make the 22-23 school year a success!

Please use My School Bucks site to pay for your child's Device insurance (for students in grades K-5) and Chromebook case (for students in grades 3-5). If you purchase a Chromebook case by Monday, August 23rd, it will be available for pick up during Open House.

Attachments Below:

Grand Forks Public Schools offers healthy meals every school day to make sure children are well-fed and ready to learn! This year meals are NOT free and so we ask that you complete the Free and Reduced Application as there are other events that take place during the year where the cost could be reduced for families.

An application is available online at https://www.gfschools.org/Page/8333, or download the form below, fill it in, and submit it to the Ben Franklin office. After the application has been reviewed by the Child Nutrition Department, you will be notified by letter of your status. All information is confidential - names are never disclosed. A copy of the application will also be shared at Open House.

Twitter: @BFroadrunner #learningatBF

Facebook: Ben Franklinsgfps