The Franklin Flyer

Dear Franklin Families,

I hope you are having a wonderful summer! We will kick off another great school year on Wednesday, August 14th! I am so excited to see our Falcons and hear about all of your summer adventures!

During the school year, I communicate out important information from the school and PTA each Friday. The information within this edition of the Franklin Flyer will help make the return to school a smooth one and will set you and your student(s) up for a great year!

I look forward to a wonderful year ahead!

Your partner in education,

Kristin Williams

Franklin Principal

Mark Your Calendars:

August 5: Class Placement Emailed Home

August 8: 9:00 AM Kindergarten Orientation; 10:00 AM - New Families Orientation

August 10: 10:00 AM Kindergarten Playground Meetup

August 13: 8:15 - 9:00 AM - Supply Drop Off

August 14: First Day of School! 8:50 - 2:40 *Wednesday Early Dismissal

August 15-23: FastBridge Assessments (Grades K-1)

August 19 - 30: Fall MAP Assessment Window (Grades 2-5)

August 21: Curriculum Night

September 2: Labor Day - 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

Class Placement

Class placement assignments will be sent home via email on August 5th.

Complete Registration

If you have not already done so, please complete your child’s school registration as soon as possible. Students who do not have complete registration on August 5th will not receive a class placement letter until registration is complete.

Parent Portal

Please take a moment to sign into your Parent Portal to make sure your student contact tab is up to date with the most current phone number and email address for each child. This will help ensure that we can communicate quickly and efficiently with you.

Supply Drop-off

Families can come to drop off school supplies on Tuesday, August 13th, from 8:15 - 9:00 AM. This is to allow your students to meet their teacher before the first day of school. Please note classrooms will be in various stages of preparation during this time. Following supply drop-off, teachers will continue to prepare learning spaces to welcome students on the first day of school.

Student Supplies
School supply lists are available on the Franklin website. If you are unable to participate in the Supply Drop-off, students are welcome to bring their school supplies with them on the first day of school.

Arrival/Dismissal

The school doors are open to students at 8:40 AM each day, and students should use the grade-specific entrances to enter the building at the beginning of the day and exit for dismissal. Please note that the first day of school follows a Wednesday early release schedule (school ends at 2:40 pm).

Students line up at their grade level doors. Please use the map below to identify your child(ren)'s assigned door. On the blacktop, you will find classroom lines assigned by room number. Use your child's class placement letter to confirm your student's teacher name and room number.

Transportation/Busing

In the next few weeks, parents will receive communication from the D64 Transportation Department regarding busing information. This information will include bus stop location and pick-up/drop-off times. Please reach out the District 64 Transportation Department with questions at transportation@d64.org.

Bus Registration

Free bus transportation is available for students (grades K-8) if they live 1.5 miles or more from school or who live in an area that is declared to be hazardous by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).

• For new students, please contact the District office at 847-318-4308 or via e-mail to determine your student's eligibility for services. Please include the student's name, school, and home address in your message.

• Paid bus service is offered for students, if space is available, for those who live between 0.5 miles - 1.5 miles away from school. Paid riders must use an existing bus stop; no new stops will be added. Please reach out the District 64 Transportation Department with questions at transportation@d64.org to inquire.

Curriculum Night

We are excited to welcome our Franklin parents to curriculum night at Franklin on August 21st. The presentation schedule is listed below. Should you be unable to attend, classroom teachers can send information to you after the event.

6:00 - 6:30 pm - 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade presentations

6:40 - 7:10 pm - Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade presentations

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 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.

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.

Lunch Reminders

Quest, our food service company, serves pre-order meals and beverages to our students who have placed orders. Students must use their MySchoolBucks account to purchase any food. Please see this website page for more information from Quest.

Though we have Quest food choices during lunch, most Franklin students bring lunch to school. We highly encourage waste-free lunches. To reduce waste, please consider the following as you pack your child’s lunch:

• Please pack your child’s lunch in a reusable lunch box or bag (not paper or plastic bags).

• Use reusable containers for sandwiches rather than foil, plastic wrap, etc.

• Buy snacks in quantity and transfer them to a reusable container.

• Put drinks in a child-friendly thermos rather than sending throw-away juice boxes, etc.

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