Franklin Middle School

Dear Franklin Middle School Families,

I am excited and honored to introduce myself as the new Principal of Franklin Middle School. My name is Andrew Espindola, and I am thrilled to continue working with this vibrant and dynamic community in the principal capacity. I have spent the last three years as an assistant principal here at FMS, and it has been such an amaizing experience. I look forward to working alongside you and your children as we embark on a new academic year filled with growth, learning, and achievement.

The purpose of this summer edition is to share some exciting news that has happened during the summer and to also share some of the school policies and important dates that you will need to be aware of as you consider your student's back to school needs.

I am pleased to introduce our dedicated assistant principals who will be supporting our students and staff this school year: Ms. Cherie Carroll and Mr. Michael Guaglianone. Both bring a wealth of experience and a shared commitment to fostering a positive and inclusive school environment. We are committed to providing our students with an exceptional education. We encourage our students to explore their interests and talents through a wide range of extracurricular activities and clubs.

I hope that you continue to have a fabulous summer. We will see you all in August!!

Sincerely,

Mr. Espindola

Principal

Franklin Middle School

Our Technology Student Association (TSA) team recently competed at Nationals, and I am proud to announce that they performed exceptionally well! Their dedication and hard work have brought great pride to our school. Congratulations to all the students and coaches involved.

Four students from Franklin Middle School—Lewis Nelson, Tegan Fairbairn, Caitlin Cervantes, and Peter Nelson—attended the Nationals TSA Conference in Orlando, FL, from June 26th to 30th. The conference saw an estimated 9,000 attendees, including students and advisors from 40 states and four countries. Participants from Germany, Turkey, South Korea, and American Samoa joined the competition.

The hard work and dedication of our Franklin students earned their team 7th place in the nation for the Leadership Strategies event. Tegan and Lewis brought home the trophy for 1st place in the nation for Structural Engineering with a perfect score! Congratulations to the Franklin TSA members and their advisors!

We are currently running a summer school program for incoming FMS 7th graders.The summer school program is aimed at providing additional academic support and enrichment opportunities. This initiative is designed to help students stay on track and prepare for the upcoming school year. If your child is participating, we hope they are finding it both enjoyable and beneficial.

We are excited to announce our partnership with the University of Washington GEAR UP program, which aims to increase the number of students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. This program offers invaluable resources and support to our students, and we encourage all eligible families to take full advantage of its offerings.

• August 13th
• Time: 8:00 AM-11:00 AM
• Location: Franklin Middle School Gymnasium
• 7:30AM :Student Arrival
• Students will pick-up their name badges at the Franklin Middle School Entrance
• 8:00 AM: Start Time
• This event is for students and parents(8:00 AM Session Only)

Note:

• Students will tour the building and engage in activities that will prepare them on how to navigate middle school.

Please join us for our Open House on August 20th. Students and families will be able to tour the building, meet staff and pick-up their class schedule. We look forward to seeing you at this event.

• The first day of school is August 22. School starts at 8:00 AM. The building doors will open at 7:10 AM.
• More information will come in our August Newsletter.

• Recommended School Supplies
• College Rule paper
• Pencils
• Pens
• Colored Pencils
• Erasers
• Scissors
• Glue
• Rulers
• Folders
• Pencil Sharpeners
• Spiral Notebooks

Fall Sports

• SCHEDULE YOUR PHYSICAL TODAY!!- It is important to have your physical complete before the season starts. Many providers will back up and it will be hard for your student to get their physical if you wait until the day of practice.
• Registration for fall sports opens on August 7th at 2:30 PM. Registration is online at FamilyID.com.
• The first fall sports practice will be an informational meeting for students, along with making sure that students have physicals and registration.
• Practice and games will be five days a week. Practices are from 2:45-5:00 PM. Athletes need to be picked up right after practice as they are not allowed to hang around campus after school.
• STUDY TABLES: Students will have study tables on early release Mondays. If they do not stay, they do not practice. Students cannot leave campus on Monday if they are an athlete.

Fall Sports Offerings

• Football
• Boys Soccer
• Volleyball
• Fastpitch
• Cross-country

Dress Code and Cellphone Policies

As we prepare for the new school year, we want to ensure all families are familiar with our school's policies, particularly regarding dress code and cellphone usage. Adherence to the dress code promotes a respectful and distraction-free learning environment. Similarly, our cellphone policy is designed to minimize distractions and maximize learning time.

Franklin Middle School Dress for Success Code

The primary responsibility for a student’s attire resides with the student and their parent(s) or guardian(s). The Yakima School District expects students to dress in a way that is appropriate for the school day or any school sponsored event. Student dress code requirements reflect fair, equitable and consistent practices for all students, while contributing to a safe and positive school climate. We believe it is one more component of preparing students for success.

Students who choose to dress inappropriately* will be asked to change. If they do not have other attire to change into, parents will be called and asked to either bring appropriate clothing or take their student home. Suspension is a viable option for students who repeatedly ignore dress code.

The following is a guideline of how to wear some articles of clothing, as well as what is viewed as unacceptable.

* Inappropriate clothing is any item deemed by administration as disruptive to the educational process, advertises illegal substances, or promotes/is identified with gangs.

Clothing must cover underwear and cover body areas from the top of one armpit to the top of the other armpit, and down to mid-thigh. Tops must have shoulder straps and be long enough to adequately cover the waistline and not expose the midriff. Jeans with rips/tears higher than mid-thigh that expose skin are not allowed ( if shorts or opaque leggings are worn underneath and cover the skin, then the jeans will be allowed)

Wear shoes that are appropriate and safe for a learning environment-including Physical Education and lots of stairs. No slippers.

Headgear- Appropriate caps and beanies are allowed if they do not cover the ears. Hoods and sunglasses may not be worn indoors.

Clothing and accessories displaying profanity, violence, discriminatory messages, sexually suggestive phrases, phrases or symbols of alcohol, tobacco, or drugs are unacceptable.

Gang related clothing, accessories, symbolism, or jewelry is everchanging and not tolerated. This includes gang symbolism, graffiti, and Old English writing. Gang graffiti drawn or worn on the person, in notebooks, folders, papers, backpacks, or hats will lead to a gang contract and further discipline. We collaborate with the Yakima Police Dept to update changes in gang related apparel. We publish the changes in our newsletter. At this time, the following have been designated as gang related and are not allowed:

Please Stay Away from Clothing or Accessories with the following:

• Old English Writing
• Dickies Brand Pants
• Clothing that Represents Drugs & Alcohol(i.e. Cookies, etc.,)
• The New York Yankee emblem
• Bandanas
• Belts, especially web belts, with the tails hanging down from the waist
• Rosaries/Excessive Bracelets in a Specific Color(i.e. Red, Blue)
• Too much red or too much blue(I.e., coordinating red/blue clothing with like accessories and shoe strings or the same color jump suit or sweat suit)
• Extremely Baggy Pants& Sweats(These items need to fit your students well)
• No Plaid Pajama Pants

During the 2024-2025 school year, Franklin Middle School students will not be allowed to have their phones out in classrooms, or common areas, such as restrooms and hallways. This policy will be implemented to decrease behaviors like social media bullying. To continue supporting a safe and connected school environment that promotes enhanced learning, we will be requiring students to keep their cell phones, earbuds, headphones, etc. in their backpacks and out of sight during the entire school day for the 2024-2025 school year. This policy is in alignment with the other 3 middle schools in the Yakima School District. The District Communications Devices Policy can be found in the Student Handbook under (COM) on our website. https://www.ysd7.org/resources/student-resources

The goal of our cell phone policy is to increase student engagement in the classroom and to create a culture of respect for learning. Data shows that students are more focused and have higher test scores and grades when cell phones are kept out of the classroom. (See awayfortheday.research)

• We will continue with our Pick-up and Drop-off protocol from last year for those of you returning.
• 6th-grade parents this is new learning for you. Please pay attention to the routes.
• We will block the turn on 19th from Tieton. Please follow the routes below.
• Please do not come into the parking lot on 19th to drop off students.
• Student Drop off is at the arches on 19th.