April 2nd, 2023

Good morning Franklin Guardians and Families.
I hope your weekend is going well. Here are your reminders and updates.

Reminders:

1. As a school, we have just submitted numbers for next year. Next step, we get tentative class structures. Please register your K child (if you have a little one coming) if you have not already done so, as this does impact our numbers.

2. If your child is in grade 3 or 6, please visit fra.wrdsb.ca/calendar-2/ to see the dates for EQAO. At this point though, as there was a change, Grade 3 testing will be held on May 16th to May 18th. Grade 6 will be May 3oth to June 1st. Please remember, this is one assessment, a mathematics and language assessment to be exact – at one point in time – that shows how your child is doing. It covers all of primary (grade 1 to 3) math learning for grade 3 and all of junior (grade 4 to 6) math learning for grade 6. Information about school results is really for administration/senior officials to assist with meeting topics or professional development opportunities and school improvement planning.

3. There is no school this coming Friday (April 7) or next Monday (April 10) due to Good Friday and Easter Monday.

4. Please remember that the safety of all students on the school grounds is our top priority so a gentle reminder about the following:
a) No dogs should be in the yard.
b) If students ride to school on a bike or skateboard and or have shoes with wheels, as soon as they step onto the school grounds, they need to get off their bike to walk it to the bike rack, get off the skateboard and hold it, and put in the wheels of the shoes or change their shoes.
c) Please always report to the office for a pick-up during the school hours even if the students are outside.
d) Please remind your children that if someone is bothering them, they need to ask them to stop (they can get an adult to help with this if needed), then they use a Tool for Life strategy (e.g., walk away, talk it out, ignore, etc.) and if still bothered, they must to go to a staff member.

Updates:

1. At this point the second administrator is Ms. Wilkinson. She will be with us until the end of April.

2. For those who may be interested, there are some online math circle problem-solving opportunities through University of Toronto. Please note this is at your discretion and not offered via WRDSB. As always, any online activity by students should be monitored by guardians.
For schedules and descriptions: https://mathplus.math.toronto.edu/home/full_course_description
To Register: https://mathplus.math.toronto.edu/home/register

3. Families with grade 6 students that will be attending Stanley Park, May 11th is the present date for Grade 6 orientation evening at Stanley Park (more information to follow).

4. For families who want to learn more about EQAO at the elementary level. There is a free live webinar on March 28th and April 4th and it will “review highlights from the 2021–2022 assessment results. The session will also highlight how the primary-division (Grade 3) and junior-division (Grade 6) assessments have been modernized. The presentation will be approximately 45 minutes and will be followed by a live Q & A session with EQAO staff.”
Registration: www.eventbrite.ca/e/451955981507

5. After a long wait, repairmen are finally able to come to see our outdoor sign. Hopefully it will be up and running in a couple of weeks. We regret the inconvenience.

6. Pizza orders are now open for the month of May.

7. Stay tuned for information on the Kindergarten Food Drive. The present plan is to collect donations for the KW Food Bank the week of April 17-20.

8. Grade six families, stay tuned for some summer school opportunities.

9. SPCA (Stanley Park Community Association) is organizing a Ball Hockey Tournament on the courts behind the school for Sat. May 6th from 9am-4pm. See School-Day for the flyer or contact SPCA.

Quote of the Week:
Parenting is one of the toughest jobs we will ever have so “Instead of questioning the way we handle things (and feeling guilty), what if we looked at those moments as our children showing us where we need to grow—raising us up. What a gift that would be.” (Ashley Soderlund, Ph.D.)