The Franklin Flyer
November 10, 2023
May 24, 2024
Mark Your Calendars:
May 27: Memorial Day - No School
May 30: 24-25 Incoming Kindergarten Screening
May 31: PTA - 5th Grade Celebration
June 4: Field Day
June 6: 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony & Last Day of School
June 13: Trimester 3 Report Cards Available @ 4:00 PM
July 18: PTA - Summer Pool Party
Absences
Please remember to 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
Upcoming Road Construction
The City of Park Ridge is starting its street resurfacing project in May, near Franklin Elementary School. We do not have the official start date yet, but anticipate on or after May 13th.
The resurfacing work is a city project, but we would like to inform you that Dee Road from Glenview Avenue to Farrell Avenue will be temporarily impacted. All roads will be open to traffic, and the city has said they will avoid working during peak drop-off/pick-up times. Additionally, “No Parking” signs will be posted on select days and enforced only for unattended vehicles.
Below is an image of the upcoming road work. We will share additional details as we learn more.
Rainbows Student Peer Group
A local Rainbows peer group was recently initiated to provide a safe space for students in 1st - 8th grade 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. A second session of the program will begin in September of 2024. Each session is 12 weeks long, meeting weekly in the evening for 1 hour.
Please note, we are looking for more volunteers to help facilitate these peer groups. Teachers will receive CPDU credits! Any interest or questions please contact Justine Karl, 847-340-1741 or Phyllis Lubinki, 312-659-6226
Please fill out this Google form to sign up and/or to be added to our communication list.
Lost & Found
The lost & found will be donated on June 6th. Please take a moment to look through the lost & found at arrival and dismissal as we lead up to the end of the school year.
WOW Summer School 2024
Registration for Worlds of Wonder - Summer 2024 is now open!
WOW registration will close on Monday, June 3rd, 2024.
Classes for students who have completed K-3 will be held at Washington Elementary School, while classes for students who have completed 4-7 will be held at Lincoln Middle School.
Session 1: Wednesday, June 12 - Friday, June 28 (No School Wednesday, June 19)
Session 2: Monday, July 1 - Friday, July 19 (No School Wednesday July 3, Thursday, July 4, or Friday, July 5).
2024 Proposal: The Future of our Facilities
Dear D64 Families,
I hope you all had a wonderful Spring Break. It’s hard to believe we are in the final stretch of the school year, and we’ll soon be promoting our 8th graders to their respective high schools!
For the past six months, we have been taking a hard look at our Master Facilities Plan and the needs our students and staff have now and in the future. Through many meetings with staff, community stakeholders, law enforcement, and our architects, we have identified areas where our safety, security, health, critical infrastructure, and, in some cases, classrooms are not meeting our current and future needs. Our school district has done everything possible to address these issues without our current budget, and we are at the point where we are considering doing major renovations in these areas with additional funding in the form of a referendum in the future.
The School Board will make a decision later this summer about which path we will take forward, and to be transparent about our needs, we are hosting the following community engagement events, where I will lay out the issues we face and our proposed solutions. Each one of these sessions will include time for Q&A. If you plan on attending any event, please RSVP so we can plan and have the proper setup.
We have also designed a webpage that provides information, past presentations, and other useful tools that we want to share with you. To help our community better understand the state of our facilities, we have made video tours of our buildings, the first one of which is a look at Lincoln Middle School. Those resources can be found at d64.org/2024proposal. As we continue exploring this possibility, you can always reach out to me directly with any questions at bcollins@d64.org.
Our schools are community resources that have existed for nearly 100 years (Roosevelt, Field, and Lincoln will all turn 100 soon), and we want to protect our buildings, protect our children, and preserve our future.
Sincerely,
Dr. Ben Collins
Superintendent
Park Ridge-Niles District 64
As the weather starts to change, 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.
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. 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.
Chromebooks
As a reminder, each Franklin student will be issued an iPad (grades K-1) or a Chromebook computer (grades 2-5) as part of the District’s one-to-one digital learning program. Students will receive their devices during the first week of school. Your child will also be assigned a Google account to access Google Apps for Education and other digital resources at school and to explore further concepts introduced in class at home. The devices and their applications are technology tools that provide all students access to digital content and higher levels of individualized instruction.
You can find more information about the 1:1 Initiative, Chromebooks, and the other technologies available to our students here.
Drop-off of Student Items/Lunches
If your student forgets something at home, an adult may drop off items at the Franklin front office. Our front office staff will message the classroom for your student to pick up these items during a break in student instruction. The teacher will send the student to the office when it works best in the classroom schedule.
Visiting Franklin
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.
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
PTA Updates
Appreciation Spotlight
A heartfelt thanks to the Goel family for bringing a new cultural celebration to Franklin and helping us learn about and experience Holi.
Order your 2024/2025 School Supplies
Buy your 1st Day School Supplies today and give your child the exact supplies their teacher requested, plus a lot of confidence! That’s right, confidence. Students who start the school year with everything their teachers want tend to have better grades, lower absenteeism, and higher confidence! Give your child the exact supplies they need to conquer next year with confidence. 1st Day School Supplies is the BEST way to buy back-to-school supplies!
Order Now --> http://1stdayschoolsupplies.com/kits.php?sid=32147
Celebrating our 5th Graders
The PTA is excited to present this year's 5th grade Promotion Dance "Light up the Night." It will take place Friday, May 31st from 7 - 9 PM. Please note this is a drop-off / pick-up event for students only.
If your child is planning to attend, please fill out the permission slip. This form must be filled out for all 5th graders who are attending.
Interested in helping supervise the event? We are looking for volunteers to help from 6:30 - 9:30pm. Volunteer spots will open up at franklinpta.membershiptoolkit.com on May 6th at 9 AM.
Questions about the event or volunteering? Please email camille.decicco@gmail.com
Memorial Day Parade
We are looking for any interested D64 families who want to represent their school in the Park Ridge Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 27th. Please fill out this form if you plan on attending and marching in the district parade spot.
Save the Date! Annual Franklin Summer Pool Party
We know summer gets booked up quickly, mark your calendars to connect with our Franklin friends with a private night at Centennial Pool on July 18th from 8:00 - 10:00 PM.
In The Community
