Monday, September 23rd, was a BIG day here at Franklin School. It's the day we found out that Franklin earned National Blue Ribbon School Designation. This is an amazing honor and a tribute to the great work staff, students, and families here are doing every day. Schools in our state are nominated for this national recognition by the MN Department of Education, and each state nominates its highest performing school. Nominations are based on two different measurements:

- Overall high achievement on state reading and math tests OR

- Closing the achievement gap between student groups

Franklin was recognized for excelling in BOTH of these areas, making us 1 of only 8 elementary schools IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, to receive recognition for success in both of these categories. That's something for which we are incredibly proud!

While there are no financial or material rewards associated with this honor, it's still something for which many schools strive, and few achieve. We will eventually receive a Blue Ribbon Banner and plaque that we will proudly display as a reminder of this achievement and an inspiration for us to continue the great work we do here every day. Below is a picture from yesterday's celebration, as well as links to local news medial reports and more information about the National Blue Ribbon School Program.

Thank you to those of you who have adjusted so quickly to the changes in our pick-up and drop-off procedures. We apologize that we did not provide any advance notice, but we were in the unfortunate position of not knowing ourselves until the day the roadblocks were put in place. Apparently there have been some staffing changes in the City Office, and the road closure plan was never communicated to the school district. As soon as we were made aware, we created our alternate plan and communicated it out to families. We have been told the closures may be in place for a couple more weeks. Until traffic patterns return to normal, please remember the following important points:

- Drop-off before school and pick-up after school should take place on Lime St., or in the alley adjacent to the playground.

- Please DO NOT drive around the roadblocks to use Adams St. or N. 2nd St. unless you are arriving late (after 8:00), or picking your child up early (before 2:00).

- Please DO NOT use Lafayette St. to drop-off or pick-up. That is for buses only.

- Please stay near your vehicle at after school pick-up and allow staff to walk students out to you. This helps teachers keep track of all their students as they walk to the pick-up area.

Thank you for your patience and flexibility!

Families of MAPS -

Thank you for your continued support and understanding as we work through the process of digitally sharing student performance data from the MCA Test(s). We are currently collaborating with our software company to get each student’s Individual Student Report loaded to Infinite Campus.

I wanted to inform you that we anticipate the student reports will be available later than usual within the state-determined communication window.

We will keep you updated as we work on this project.

Tyson J. Walker

Academic Standards & District Assessment Coordinator

The Greater Mankato Mental Health Hub has launched! This hub was developed by Greater Mankato Area United Way's Youth Mental Health/Suicide Prevention Committee and is hosted by the Center for Rural Behavioral Health at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

The hub is meant to be a tool for parents and caregivers to easily find information on crisis support, local mental health services, parent education, and more.

Check out the information in the link below.

Mankato Area Public Schools uses a variety of digital tools to support student learning. Technology vendors and software are utilized to support work as we help all students develop the skills necessary to succeed in an ever-changing world.

We have an inventory of our curriculum, testing, and assessment tools posted on our district website at bit.ly/4835DET (or directly to our Learn Platform page bit.ly/3R9xvRB). This list is maintained and communicated annually to all families at the start of the school year.

Please reach out to your building principal for additional questions regarding the use of the specific digital tools in classrooms. Please reach out to MAPS technology department regarding data, privacy, and vendor inquiries of the specific digital tools.

Sincerely,

Scot Johnson, Franklin Principal

Angie Potts, Director of Educational Technology

507-387-7698

Are you, or is someone you know, looking for a way to earn some extra money or looking for a rewarding job working with students? If so, check out the links below to explore opportunities to work as a paraprofessional, lunch/recess supervisor, or ACES staff member. We have multiple openings right here at Franklin, and we'd love to have Franklin family members as part of our school staff. If you have questions specific to any open positions, please call the Franklin office at: 507-345-4287.

Two big family events are on the horizon. Please be sure to contact the PTO or the Franklin office if you are willing to help plan or volunteer for any PTO events.

Oct. 1 - Fall Carnival: 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM (Sponsored and planned by students from the MSU Education Dept.)

Oct. 11 - PTO Walk-a-Thon Fundraiser (Watch for more details coming soon...)

• Tuesday, Oct. 1 - Fall Carnival, 4:30 - 6:30 PM (on the Franklin playground)
• Tuesday, Oct. 8 - Picture Retakes
• Wednesday, Oct. 9 - 2 hour Early Release
• Wednesday, Oct. 9 - Hearing and Vision Screening
• Friday, Oct. 11 - Walk-a-Thon
• Monday, Oct. 14 - NO SCHOOL, Holiday
• Thursday & Friday, Oct. 17 & 18 - NO SCHOOL, Education MN Convention