January 14th, 2024

Dear Franklin Families and Guardians,

We hope your weekend is going well. 

Before our reminders and updates for this coming week, we wanted to do a quick reminder on the  Ontario School Screener (https://www.ontario.ca/self-assessment/) which is on the board website. This is the time of year, where many illnesses occur and we need to work together to ensure that all students are as well as they can be as some conditions that come up in the community or school such as Strep A,  can get much worse if not caught early and for many conditions, they spread until antibiotics are provided (e.g., Strep, Scarlet Fever, etc.). We do follow Public Health Guidelines at the school and if someone becomes ill at school (e.g., high fever, throwing up, etc.), they are sent home. We do ask that you follow the screener if your child does not feel well. We continue to encourage our students to wash their hands regularly. As always, students or staff are welcome to wear masks if they prefer. 

And now, for our reminders and updates.

Reminders:

1. January 18th is our next School Council meeting starting at 6:30 in our library. Here is the link if you cannot attend in-person. meet.google.com/fbx-ihdn-bfz

2. January 19th is a PD day for teachers. An earlier School-Day message was sent out on what was occurring that day.

3. For children born in 2019 or 2020, Kindergarten registration begins January 15th (tomorrow). Announcements regarding registration for next year will be available at https://www.wrdsb.ca/kindergarten/ starting January 15th.

4. Before & After School Program Registration for next year will also open January 15, 2024. Another School-Day message will be going out on both this and K registration.

5. Lunch and Learn sessions continue. Here are the upcoming sessions.

When Will My Child Talk? The Development of Communication in Children
When: January 17, 2024 from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m.
Where: https://app.zoom.us/wc/5441930058/join?fromPWA=1&pwd=bFBqMmY2L2VwMzlPVERwOEZGUXRhZz09
Meeting ID: 544 193 0058
Password: WRDSB

Learning Disabilities 101
When: January 24, 2024 from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m.
Where: https://app.zoom.us/wc/5441930058/join?fromPWA=1&pwd=bFBqMmY2L2VwMzlPVERwOEZGUXRhZz09
Meeting ID: 544 193 0058
Password: WRDSB

Updates:

1. Franklin P.S. has been signed up for Winter Walk Day is February 7, 2024. (The alternate date in case of weather closure is February 14)

2. All students can participate! Bussed students can walk to their bus stop. Students who are driven can walk from a few blocks away.

3. Franklin P.S. has been registered for this event. Please encourage your children to do some walking to school/bus stop that day. More information will come your way on how your child can be registered to win gift cards.

4. We received a recent update from the Terry Fox Organization. Franklin Public School has successfully raised $1,805.00 for cancer research! Well done Franklins. The total raised in 2023 from all schools in Canada: $13.7 million

5. Children were reminded about some emergency procedures this last week including Lockdown, Hold and Secure and Shelter in Place. They had a Lockdown drill as well and did an amazing job staying very quiet and following the teacher’s instructions.

6. If you have any children’s clothes such as pants, shorts –  sizes 4 to 8 – and can donate a few items,  please bring them in. Also, please remember that children can have accidents and fall into wet areas, so it never hurts for your children to have extra clothing (including socks) in their bags or cubby area.

7.“The Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) SEA Assistive Technology Team is here to help you. In early 2024, they are offering a three part learning series on digital tools that can help support your child with organization skills.” Here are the upcoming sessions.

Part One: Share
Learn about digital tools that can help your child share learning goals and homework tasks with you.

Tuesday, January 16, 2024 from 12:30 to 1 p.m. (Join the Google Meet – https://meet.google.com/sqk-ctqz-pzg)

Monday, February 5, 2024 from 12 to 12:30 p.m. (Join the Google Meet – https://meet.google.com/uit-prdv-ihf)

Part Two: Plan
Learn about digital tools that can help your child plan out tasks and manage their time.

Thursday, January 25, 2024 from 12 to 12:30 p.m. (Join the Google Meet – https://meet.google.com/ifz-grjb-rak)

Tuesday, February 13, 2024 from 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. (Join the Google Meet – https://meet.google.com/sgw-ijog-kmc)

Part Three: Organize
Learn about tools that can help your child organize their digital space.

Wednesday, January 31, 2024 from 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. (Join the Google Meet – https://meet.google.com/igm-esgu-qxj)

Friday, February 23, 2024 from 12:30 to 1 p.m. (Join the Google Meet – https://meet.google.com/hfb-ymah-rvv)

How to Attend
No registration is required. Simply join a Google Meet at the appropriate time to join the session you’d like to attend.

8. There is a Committee of the Whole Meeting on Monday January 15th at 7 pm. Here is the link if you would like to join: https://www.youtube.com/c/WRDSBVideo/live

Link of the Week:

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/explaining-the-news-to-our-kids