The attached forms can be downloaded and used to select pathways for physical education.  All forms should be completed and brought with students on the first day of classes.  Forms will be collected by A period teachers on the first day and late forms should be brought to guidance asap.  You may view the forms here or click the link below if you are having trouble downloading the forms.  These forms will also be mailed home with schedules during the week of August 24.

Downloadable Pathways to Physical Education Pathway Selection Form

Please excuse the date on this letter, but as I prepare to leave for vacation, I wanted to post a copy of thie letter which will be sent next week to the FHS Community.  The letter is designed to highlight and explain changes that will or have occured at FHS as we prepare for the coming year.  Guidance Counselors will be in the Office on August 18th and 19th to answer questions or resolve scheduling conflicts.

Click below for a version of the letter that can be downloaded and printed.

FHS Update

The link below will take you to the video archive of a recent presentation I gave to the school committee regarding program changes at Franklin High School.  In the video, I discuss:

1. Amendments to HS Program of Studies

   1. Credit Requirements
      1. i.      Increases in Instructional Time
   2. GPA Calculation
   3. Physical Education Requirement & Implementation

2. Technology Center

   1. Focus of Center
   2. Reorganization
   3. Hours of Operation

3. Guidance Restructuring

   1. Physical Move
   2. Curriculum Changes

4. Administrative Structure

   1. More Academic Focus
   2. AP for Academics
   3. 2 APs for Student Services
      1. i.      Adjustment Counselors

5. Technology

   1. Laptop/ Wireless Access
   2. Edline, Other Rediker technoligies
   3. Smartboards

6. School Climate

   1. TVs for announcements – senior class gift
   2. Restroom access
   3. Lunch times lengthened

7. Communication

   1. Online Newsletter
   2. Twitter Experiment
   3. Panther Pride
      1. i.      More academic focus
      2. ii.      Improvements in scheduling
   4. 8^th Grade Parent Open House
      1. i.      This past year revised (Saturday format w/ teachers)
   5. Parent Conferences Study

Watch the 7/21 FHS Update to the Franklin School Committee now!

It is my hope that this video will provide interested families and community members additional information about the changes that have taken place at the school.

I am sure many students, parents, and faculty have been anxious about how the budget has impacted the high school. Questions about class size, program offerings and the daily schedule have certainly been the focal point of many questions. At this time, the budget and staffing levels for the high school have been finalized as well as program offerings and the schedule for the coming year. Beginning next week (July 20th), I will begin to post information about what the high school will look like and some important information about changes to the school. Please check back next week for more information.

Are you tired of scrambling for lunch money in the morning, then wondering if your child lost the money between the house and the cafeteria? Set up a pre-paid lunch account! All Franklin cafeterias are now using our new computerized cash register system. With this system, pre-paid lunch accounts are simple and accurate! Simply send in a check payable to “Franklin School Lunch Program” for whatever amount you choose and put your child’s name in the memo line. When your child goes through the lunch line, their purchase will be deducted from their balance. We can send home reminder notices when their balance gets low, and at your request we can provide a record of what your child has purchased with their account.

Balances will carry over from one year to the next, and if your child moves to another school in the Franklin district, his/her balance will follow.

You can even write one check for multiple students in the same school! Just write the students’ full names and grade in the memo line, along with how much you’d like allocated to each child.

In this video from TED.com, Mae Jamison, astronaut, doctor, art collector and dancer, talks about teaching the arts and sciences.

In a telephone conversation today, I spoke with a representative of the NEASC Commission on Public Secondary Schools (CPSS) regarding the implications of budget reductions and possible program changes on the high school’s accreditation.  I specifically discussed the implications of reducing programs such as physical education, among others.  In short, she indicated that the Commission is always concerned when a school is no longer able to offer programs that support its mission due to budget constraints.  She iterated that the Commission would likely meet to discuss possible action and noted that the school was already on a warning status for Community Resources.

It is notable however, that she indicated that some of the changes discussed could lead to being placed on warning for additional stardards of accreditation, but that escalation from warning to probation status is a process that takes place over time.  The process NEASC follows in escalating a school’s action status is to expand warning to multiple standards of accreditation prior to escalating a school into probation status.  After a school has been placed on probation, if no positive actions are taken to address recommendations form the commission, then schools may face losing accreditation status.  From this conversation, I am confident that the schools’ accreditation will continue into the future, but issues related to program reduction will need to be address in the coming years.

Below is a letter from the Commission dated 2/9/2009 regarding the school’s continued accreditation.

This document was sent via email to all parents of students in grades 8-11 on May 13, 2009.  The letter explains what budget reductions have been recommended and the reasonsfor making these recommendations.  I will keep you abreast of any changes as they occur.

In this video, Sir Ken Robinson addresses the question “Do Schools Kill Creativity?”  This video was used as a topic of professional discussion with the Franklin High School Principal’s Council, which included the heads of each department, and was also shared with the faculty at large.

More information about Sir Ken Robinson can be found here.