The Franklin Flyer

Mark Your Calendars:

December 7: PTA - Toys for Tots at 9:00 a.m.

December 9: PTA - Holiday Staff Gift Contributions Close

December 9 - 13: Winter MAP Testing Grades 2-5

December 10: 4th & 5th Grade Orchestra Concert @ Emerson - 7:00 p.m.

December 13: PTA - Pizza Monday & Volunteer, Book Club Sign-up Closes

December 16 - 20 - Spirit Week (see below)

December 20: PTA - International Night Sign-Up Closes

December 23 - January 3: Winter Break - No School

January 6: PTA - First Pizza Monday of Block 2

January 10: PTA - Book Club Starts

January 14: PTA - 4th & 5th Grade Volleyball Sign-up Closes

January 30: PTA - International Night - 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

January 20: No School

February 12: Open House - 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

February 14: No School

February 17: No School

February 27: Spring Conferences - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

March 24 - 28: Spring Break - No School

April 18: No School

May 26: No School

Absences

Please call in or email absences by 8:45 AM. You can call our student absence line (847) 318-4390 (ext 1) is available 24 hours a day, or email Mrs. Linda Berleth at lberleth@d64.org.

If the absence is illness related, please also make sure to include Franklin's nurse, Mrs. Queta Karstens, at qkarstens@d64.org.

Franklin Office Hours
School office hours are from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

School Hours

School Hours (M, T, Th, F): 8:50 am - 3:30 pm

Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Grade Lunch: 11:35 - 12:30

4th and 5th Grade Lunch: 12:05 - 1:00

Wednesday School Hours: 8:50 am - 2:40 pm

Wednesday Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Grade Lunch: 11:05 - 12:00

Wednesday 4th and 5th Grade Lunch: 11:35 - 12:30

Half-Day Kindergarten Hours

Kindergarten Hours (M, T, Th, F): 8:50 am - 11:35 am

Kindergarten Wednesday: 8:50 am - 11:05 am

Holiday Spirit Week 2024

What could be more exciting than the week before Winter Break? As everyone looks forward and begins counting down the days, let’s have some fun dressing in “themed” clothing throughout the week.

Dec 16th Merry & Bright Monday: Dress in your holiday pajamas or any pajamas

Dec 17th Tinsel Tuesday: Wear holiday socks, hats or headbands

Dec 18th Winter Wonderland Wednesday: Dress in White

Dec 19th Thermal Thursday: Wear your favorite flannel or cozy sweatshirt

Dec 20th Festive Friday: Wear Holiday Sweater/Sweatshirt or Holiday Colors

Winter Recess Gear

As more consistent winter weather approaches, please ensure your child brings appropriate gear to school each day, including winter boots, a coat, gloves, a hat, and snow pants. We strive to have outdoor recess whenever possible, and students without winter boots will need to stay on the blacktop during recess. Please remember to label all of your child's winter gear with their first and last name. Thank you for helping keep our students warm and prepared for the season!

PowerSchool Parent Portal Password Update

District 64 cares about the security of your student's personal information. Effective December 13th, we will be requiring all parents to create a minimum 12-character password for their PowerSchool Parent Portal account. Strong passwords are of the utmost importance - they protect your electronic accounts and devices from unauthorized access, keeping your sensitive personal information safe. The more complex the password, the more protected your information will be from cyber threats and hackers.

Please send a change of clothes with your children for all K-5 students. It is helpful to have a change of clothes in the event of spilled water, accidents, or an unexpected incidents. Clothes should be labeled with your child's name and can be kept in your child's locker. We encourage you to make sure your child's name is on each article of clothing.

Lunch at Franklin

District 64 partners with Quest Food Management Services to provide a high-quality hot lunch program for grades full-day kindergarten through 8th grade. Students who need to go home for lunch must bring a note from a parent to the homeroom teacher each time this need arises; the parent must pick up the student at the school office. On return, the student and parent must report to the office and sign back in before returning to class.

Peanut/nut-safe lunch tables at the elementary schools are designated for allergic children and their friends who opt to abstain from those products. Arrangements at the middle schools are handled on an individual basis to accommodate student needs. Peanut butter and other peanut products may be consumed freely by non-allergic students in each lunchroom. To promote disease prevention, parents are requested to enclose a hand sanitizer wipe in their child’s lunch or backpack for use before eating.

Information on free lunch/milk waiver is available at the bottom of the Pay Student Fees page.

Parents are discouraged from routinely delivering lunch to the office from local restaurants; lunches brought to the office should be reserved for emergency situations, such as a forgotten lunch. Please refrain from sending or dropping off any soda or energy drinks for your students. Thank you for your cooperation.

When Entering The Building

When a parent or guardian arrives to Franklin with or for a student, dropping off items or for a meeting, when ringing the doorbell, please state your name and your student(s) names to support our safety procedures.

All visitors to Franklin must have a valid state ID or driver’s license. Identification is entered into the Raptor identification system. This process only takes a short time to complete. Once you have clearance, the office staff will print a visitor pass for you and attach it to a lanyard you must wear throughout the building. The office will hold your ID until you return to the office and return the lanyard. We appreciate your support as we proceed with this district-mandated safety procedure for the safety of our students.

Issues with A School Device?

If you have are having issues with your student's device at home, please complete a ticket.

https://d64.incidentiq.com/guest/NPV6SRUK/d64-family-tech-support-ticket#top

Payments to School - My School Bucks

Park Ridge-Niles CCSD 64 employs My School Bucks as its payment platform for families. Most

purchases for students, including field trips and student orders. Directors can be found here.

For the health and safety of our students and community, no pets are allowed on school property. We realize the beautiful weather increases the amount of families who are walking to and from school. However, we ask that you please leave your dog or cat at home. Properly identified service animals are always permitted.

Please take a moment to review the contacts section of your ParentPortal. Any adult who has approval for after school pick-up or emergency pick-up for illness/injury should be listed. Franklin staff will not release students to adults who are not listed on the ParentPortal.

Student-Parent Handbook

Franklin Elementary School and all District 64 schools follow policies and practices reviewed and implemented by the District 64 Board of Education. Please review the D64 Student-Parent Handbook before the start of the school year.

You can find frequent updates or snapshots from our days at Franklin on Facebook and Instagram! Follow us at

Facebook: facebook.com/FranklinD64

Instagram: franklin.d64

Yearbook

Yearbook would love Holiday Sing photos from everyone!

Please submit photos by email to notification.photos.360068028@treeringphotos.com or upload directly into the app into the Holiday Sing Folder.

Book Club 2024 Student Registration!

Book Club is coming back to Franklin School this winter!

When: Fridays during lunch (11:35 am–12:25 pm for K-3 & 12:05-1:00 pm for grades 4 & 5) between January 10- March 14, 2025 (no class on 2/14).

We will again be using books that are selected for each grade level. The books will be relevant to the students and offer excellent group discussion opportunities. We emphasize that it should be the student's choice to participate in book club: we want to ensure that students who participate in the book club are committed to reading the book and positively contributing to the discussions and activities.

Groups are limited to facilitate the best discussion environment. We can have as many groups per grade level as we have parent leaders! A $30 fee per student that will cover the costs of the books, materials, and activities. Payments can be made in the Membership Toolkit. Please visit the PTA Membership Toolkit to sign up. Student registration is now open through December 13th.

Have questions or want to know more before you volunteer? Contact: Susie Dordek (sdordek@icloud.com), Jezebel Esparza (jezadanny@gmail.com), Irene Prittis (iprittis@gmail.com)

FINAL CALL: Toys for Tots

Calling all Franklin Falcons, we need your help! Franklin, as well as other D64 schools, is excited to participate this holiday season in the Toys for Tots Collection Drive! This is the Drive’s 77th year, let’s make it the best one yet! Toys for Tots is a top-rated charity which provides toys, books and other gifts to less fortunate children.

The Amazon wish list has closed. If you purchase a gift elsewhere, please drop it off at Franklin’s collection bin which is located inside of the circle drive’s vestibule door 3 by end of school day on Friday, December 6th. All gifts should be new and unwrapped.

Event Date:

• Saturday, December 7th is the Toys for Tots Drive, please save the date, 10 am. All of the toys collected will be brought over to one of the D64 schools. Decorate your car and join us for the parade which will start at a school and end at Park Ridge City Hall. There, a semi-truck will be waiting for us to fill with all the toys collected for the Drive!

Thank you in advance for helping put a smile on a child’s face this holiday season! Any and every item will make a difference!

Special thanks to Katie Giannini (kt2587@gmail.com) and Katie Rice (kedorsch@gmail.com) for stepping forward in co-chairing this wonderful event. Please reach out to them with any questions.

EXTENDED: Holiday Gifts for Teachers and Staff thru Monday, 12/9 Every year, PTA organizes a collection for teachers and staff holiday gifts. (Please go to Franklinpta.com to sign up for your contribution). Head Room Parents are in charge of making the class holiday gift purchases for homeroom teachers. The contribution form will close on Monday, December 9th and checks will be delivered to room parents by 12/11 to their child’s homeroom teacher.

This year, in addition to being able to contribute to an individual teacher/staff member’s holiday gift, you also have the option to give to a “department” (ex: the PE department, the Custodial Staff, the Front Office Staff, etc), and your monetary gift to the department will be equally distributed among the members of that department.

We are currently in need of some additional parents to volunteer to make the purchases for our wonderful Specials Teachers and Staff Members. If you would like to take this opportunity, please sign up on the Franklin PTA website. **Please note that checks will be provided prior to you purchasing the gift.

If you have any questions about Holiday Gifts for Teachers & Staff, please contact Colleen Russell (colleen.r.russell@gmail.com)

If you would like to contribute to more than 1 individual teacher/staff member and/or 1 department (per student) , you will need to submit the form multiple times. If you have any questions about this, please contact PTA Corresponding Secretary, Ashley Thielsen (ashley.thielsen@gmail.com).

4th and 5th Grade Volleyball Sign-Up!

Franklin PTA volleyball is coming back! The goal of this popular league is to introduce the sport of volleyball in a fun way. This is a co-ed program open to students in 4th and 5th grades. Registration will be open from 12/2/24 until 1/14/25.

• Sign up on PTA Membership Toolkit.

• Volleyball season will run for 8 weeks: February 10 - April 10.

• 12 players max per co-ed team; 2 or 3 teams for each grade

• 4th grade practices and games will be on Mondays and Wednesdays between 6:30 and 8:30pm.

• 5th grade practices and games will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 6:30 and 8:30pm.

• Franklin will compete against Carpenter, Field, Roosevelt, and Washington teams.

• $30 fee includes T-shirt, pizza party, and league supplies.

Our PTA is also offering financial scholarships. Please contact Principal Williams ASAP if interested. Openings are limited based on sign-up.

If you have any questions or want to help coach 4th or 5th grade, please contact the Franklin PTA Volleyball Coordinator, Rob Barrett, at vette02@aol.com.

International Night is Thursday, January 30th - Sign Up Now Open

Ciao! Mahalo! Γεια σας! Hola! Bonjour! Hello! Здраво! Witam!

Save the Date for one of Franklin's most beloved events, International Night, on Thursday, January 30th - if you have not been you are in for a treat! Our families join together to celebrate all cultures through food, dress, music, performances, and activities. This is 100% sponsored by the PTA so we need help from each of you.

Sign ups are open on Membership Toolkit for the following opportunities:

• Hosting a country table (sign-ups for the same country will be grouped together)

• Performances (dances, songs, demonstrations, etc.)

• General event support

Everyone is invited to participate including family members and former and future students.

Pizza Mondays Block 2 - January 6-May 19

Ordering for block 2 will be opening up on December 2nd-December 13th in Membership Toolkit. We cannot accept orders after 12/13. Thank you for understanding!

If you ordered pizza for block 1, you need to order again for block 2. If you do not purchase pizza by 12/13 there will be no other opportunity to sign up for pizza day for the remainder of the year. You must be a PTA member to order pizza through the PTA sponsored pizza days. You can join the PTA, and order pizza at franklinpta.com

A few important things to note:

• Hot lunches ordered through my meal order are not available on Monday’s.

• If you do not participate in the Monday Pizza lunch program, then you will need to pack a lunch.

• 2 kinds of pizza are offered- cheese and gluten free cheese. 1, 2, or 3 slices can be ordered.

• Drinks only for Monday’s can be ordered through my meal order.

• All sides must be packed from home.

• Pizza day is every Monday of in school attendance.

Pricing for Block 2: (17 Mondays) regular and gluten free

1 slice $63

2 slice $100

3 slice $136

Pizza Monday Parent Volunteers

Volunteer slots for Pizza Mondays will open up on Monday, December 2nd and remain open until all slots are available. When signing up, please remember the following:

• Must sign up for no more than one child lunch time

• If you are unable to make a time slot that you are signed up for, please contact Lorena Hamzic at jazzn1@live.com.

• Lunch time slots:

• Kinder/2nd: 12:05 pm (arrive 11:50 am)

• 1st/3rd: 11:35 am (arrive 11:15 am)

• 4th/5th: 12:05 pm (arrive 11:50 am)

Staff Lunches

The PTA offers teachers and staff members an option to purchase lunch on Mondays from Spuntinos via franklinpta.membershiptoolkit.com. Families are always welcome to show their appreciation for a staff member by purchasing a Monday lunch on their behalf. If this is something your family is interested in doing, please consider the following before purchasing.

1. Please email your staff member prior to ordering to confirm what they would like to order. The options include 10 inch Pizza with 1 Topping Choice, Hamburger/Cheeseburger and Fries, Italian Beef and Fries, Grilled Chicken Salad, Caesar Salad, Grilled or Fried Chicken Sandwich and Fries, BLT Sandwich and Fries, and Penne Pasta with Vodka or Marinara Sauce and Side Salad. Options to customize are available on the form.

2. The form is only available for the upcoming Monday lunch. Ordering for the following Monday will close the Friday before 9:30 am.

3. Please confirm with the staff member what day you purchased their lunch.

Questions about teacher and staff lunches can be directed to rebeccavanpoucke@gmail.com.

Spirit Wear Holiday Sale

25% off all merchandise

Free shipping on orders over $75

Guaranteed delivery by Dec. 23rd

Shop now!! https://1stplace.sale/30637

Support the Park Ridge Community Fund!

The Pickwick Theater is hosting It's a Wonderful Life on December 8th at 1:00 p.m. Donations for the Park Ridge Community Fund will be accepted at the door. The Park Ridge Community Fund supports families within District 64 who need additional assistance.

Or consider donating to the Park Ridge Community Fund here. Any donations help!

Rainbows for All Children provides peer groups for kids in 1st - 8th grade. These groups provide a safe space for them to share their experiences associated with loss of a loved one and/or a changing family dynamic due to divorce, deployment, etc. Trained facilitators help encourage communication while identifying, navigating and discussing feelings amongst the group. Our next session begins on Tuesday, January 14th, 2025. This free program meets every Tuesday, from 5:30 - 6:30 pm, at the Park Ridge Community Church.

Please use this Google Form link to register your child/children and/or to be added to our communications list. Any general questions or interest in volunteering to become a facilitator, please contact rainbows64@att.net . For more general info please visit https://rainbows.org/

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1YWOBWEERhlRwR0oLRee2bU1j89cOg4Qp7jEB0yCnS-E/edit