Franklin Elementary School

Good afternoon Franklin Elementary Family! I hope you are enjoying your summer vacation and getting plenty of rest. My name is Mrs. DuPiche (pronounced doo-peach) and I will be your new Assistant Principal at Franklin Elementary School. I am looking forward to meeting you, working with you and getting to know you this year. I will also be the Assistant Principal at Kennedy Elementary School, but will be available by phone, email or in-person if you have any questions or concerns. I would like to take this time to share some things about myself with you to help you get to know a little more about me. Please take a moment to view and read the "Meet the Assistant Principal" Letter attached. Sincerely, Mrs. T. Grier-DuPiche (908)754-4620, Ext. 4611 or 5601 tgrier@spboe.org

Thank you, Franklin School, for a great year! Check out the PTO end-of-year report.

On Wednesday, May 17th, Dr. Velmer (a teacher at Franklin School) and the students of Franklin School kicked off a fundraising program for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) as a precursor to the District Day of Service. The students learned about how cancer cells can affect parts of our blood: Red blood cells: They carry oxygen and we took deep breaths 😊 Platelets: They can heal cuts and we made stop signs with our hands 🛑🤚🏽 White blood cells: They fight germs and viruses and we made strong muscles 💪🏽 To donate online, please visit Franklin School’s Fundraising Link: https://pages.lls.org/ltn/cran/Morris22/franklinelementaryschoolsp Dr. Velmer's letter: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fy9duR3IXv3BMbnadDZpKI6DG5NCf-oJVwPJHn3gGeY/edit?usp=sharing

The elementary counseling department recently held a family meeting on transitioning to Grant School (and the Middle School). A like to the presentation is here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1KvFFtNWseQJplcl53MNSGNPi76zIXI-hqmJAPbF8wh8/edit?usp=sharing Please note that the presentation is also posted on our Franklin School website and the district's “for parent” site to refer to as needed.

Attention 4th grade families! Personalized lawn signs can be purchased to celebrate your student's "graduation" from Franklin School. "Class of 2023" signs are $20 each and will be displayed outside Franklin during the last week of school. Signs can be taken home following the clap out that will be held in the afternoon on Thursday, June 22nd. To purchase a sign, please fill out and return the form that was sent home with your student OR visit this link: https://class-of-2023-lawn-signs.cheddarup.com Signs MUST be purchased no later than Tuesday, May 16th . Due to the deadline set by the printer, late orders CANNOT be accepted. For more information, contact Susan Lester at 908-403-1539 or susanlester16@yahoo.com

Take Your Child to Work Day, Thursday, April 27: Our students have the opportunity to participate in Take Your Child to Work Day. This day is a state-approved absence; those students participating in the event that turn in the permission slip with company letterhead receive an excused absence. Please click the link to access the permission slip. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uRfRcIJLHASADdJ3z_zAqnkZYb6tuRv_MQPdl0utcgg/edit

The South Plainfield School District hosted their second annual Band Festival Day on March 29 at the South Plainfield Middle School. 316 band students participated. Every band student from the High School, the Middle School, the Grant School and all four elementary schools participated. Each school played one piece by themselves and then they played it again with the older schools joining in.

Come see the Teaching Tigers play the Harlem Wizards this Saturday, March 25, 2023, at 6:00 PM in the SPHS Gymnasium. Tickets are on sale now!! ticket link: https://pretix.eu/harlemwizards/southplainfieldnj03-25-23-06-00pm/

Franklin PreK is ready for the BIG game this weekend! By a narrow margin, our youngest fans predict the Philadelphia Eagles will be the big winner... Will we see our local team SOAR, or will the 2023 MVP lead the Chiefs to the Lombardi and ground Philly's hope yet another year?

Thank you to the Franklin PTO for the memorable Hearts Aglow Dance! The gym looked amazing- such a fun way for the students to kick off the week ahead! 💖

Franklin School's Got Talent! Our talent show finalists put on a FANTASTIC show- from vocal, instrumental, theatrical, and magic performances to hula hooping, reenactments, and paper airplane flying... Franklin was treated to a one-of-a-kind show today! Our audience showed talent in its own way- unbeatable support, praise, and encouragement for all performers! Franklin has never shined brighter! Bravo!

Franklin School kindergarteners in Mrs. Kensey's class shared a "Groundhog Day" poem with us... We are sorry to hear there are six more weeks of winter, but the students did a great job reciting and performing the poem! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jdi0l5IVjf93_58dUntVCGV9dc6fIEID/view?usp=sharing

Mrs. Bertucci's 2nd graders played board games during The Great Kindness Challenge. They were good sports during wins or losses... because "winning isn't everything"! #TheGreatKindnessChallenge #goodsportsmanship #kindnessmatters

Franklin School is excited to unveil its new book vending machine. Mrs. Broggi, one of our 4th grade teachers, applied for an NEA grant and was awarded this Reading Frenzy Machine! Each student will have the opportunity to select a book of their choice, which provides the students with a special keepsake from the school year and fosters a community of lifelong readers. Thank you to Mrs. Garrison (Director of Curriculum, grades 7-12) and Mrs. Benton (SPHS, Science Department) for supporting Mrs. Broggi during the grant writing process! Thank you to the Franklin School PTO for funding the machine's customization and purchasing the books needed to keep the machine stocked! Awesome work, Mrs. Broggi!

Franklin School's Mrs. MaryAnn Burns was recognized at the January 2023 BOE meeting for her efforts in saving one of our 4th graders from choking. We are so proud of Mrs. MaryAnn! article: https://www.tapinto.net/towns/south-plainfield/sections/education/articles/south-plainfield-employee-recognized-for-heroic-efforts?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=South+Plainfield+Employee+Recognized+for+Heroic+Efforts%C2%A0&utm_campaign= Photo: Victoria Caruso

Thank you to everyone for making Franklin’s READcycle book swap a success- especially our event volunteers, those that sent in extra book donations, and Mrs. Basedow for planning the event. We’re thrilled that every student got a “new” book today! #TheGreatKindnessChallenge2023

Ms. Dulin's preschool students' puzzles are on display in celebration of The Great Kindness Challenge!

Franklin School students partnered with The Marisa Tufaro Foundation and raised over $1200 for children in need! See the article here - https://marisatufarofoundation.org/franklin-elementary-school-helps-children-in-need-this-holiday-season/ #doinggoodfeelsgreat

On behalf of Franklin School, we wish all our community members a healthy and happy holiday season! Stay warm and safe! See you on 1/3/23 for new adventures in the new year!

Retired SPBOE social worker Karen Milano visited Franklin School's 2nd Graders this week to read her book, "Rockefeller, the Christmas Tree Owl". The story is based on events that took place during the December 2020 tree transport from Oneonta, NY to NYC and is told from the owl's point of view. The students enjoyed hearing about the writer's process and the journey a book takes from an idea to publication. Thank you so much to Mrs. Milano for visiting with us!