The Franklin Flyer
August 4, 2023
Dear Franklin Families,
Welcome to the start of the 2023-2024 school year! I am thrilled to begin this school year with all of you. I hope you had a wonderful break and are ready to embark on a year full of learning, growth, and exciting opportunities.
I want to extend a warm welcome to our new students and families who are joining our school community. We are delighted to have you join the Franklin family and look forward to getting to know each of you better. To our returning students, welcome back! I have no doubt that you will continue to shine and will have a fabulous school year! I look forward to hearing about your summer adventures.
Every Friday, I share our community update through The Franklin Flyer. You will find important dates, school information, and community news included each week.
At Franklin, we are committed to providing an environment that values each child, fosters a love of learning, and encourages and celebrates the discovery of each child's strengths.
We look forward to welcoming our Franklin Falcons to the first day of school on Wednesday, August 23, 2023. This letter includes information that will make the return to school smooth and will set you and your student(s) up for a positive start to the year.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.
Your partner in education,
Mrs. Kristin Williams
Principal
Franklin Elementary School
Mark Your Calendars:
August 14: New Family Orientation 1st-5th - 9:00 am; Kindergarten Orientation - 10:30 am
August 15: Class Placement & Bus Routes Emailed Home
August 22: Supply Drop-off - 8:15 - 9:00 am
August 23: First Day of School - 8:50 am - 2:40 pm
August 30: Curriculum Night (schedule below)
September 4: Labor Day - No School
New Family Orientation
If you are a new family to Franklin, we encourage you to join us at Franklin on August 14th to get a tour of the building and hear details about arrival, dismissal, lunch, student daily schedules, transportation, and more. Families with 1st - 5th graders are encouraged to attend at 9:00 am. Incoming Kindergarteners are encouraged to attend at 10:30 am. This event is intended for students and their families to participate together.
Class Placement
Class placement assignments will be sent home via email on August 15th. Our system can take the entire day to get all emails sent to you. If you are still waiting for a class placement email by the end of the day on August 15th, please contact the office on August 16th.
23-24 School 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 15th will not receive a class placement letter until registration is complete.
Parent Portal
Please take a moment to sign into your Parent Portal to ensure your student contact tab is up to date with the correct phone numbers and email addresses for each child. In addition, please make sure your emergency contacts are up-to-date and accurate. Each student should have at least one additional adult as an emergency contact. Only adults on your emergency contact list will be allowed to pick your child up from school in the event you are unable to do so.
Supply Drop-off
Students and their parents can visit Franklin to drop off supplies on Tuesday, August 22nd, from 8:15 - 9:00 am. It is an opportunity for students to meet their teacher before the first day of school. Classrooms will be in various stages of preparation. Following supply drop-off, teachers will prepare learning spaces to welcome students on the first day of school.
School supply lists are available on the Franklin website. If you cannot participate in the Supply Drop-off, students should bring their school supplies on the first day of school.
First Day of School
The school doors are open at 8:45 am each day, and students should use grade-specific entrances to enter the building at the beginning of the day and exit for dismissal. The first day of school follows a WEDNESDAY early release schedule. Please note school ends at 2:40 pm. A school map will be forthcoming to aid in arrival and dismissal procedures.
Curriculum Night
We are excited to welcome our Franklin parents to curriculum night at Franklin on August 30th. 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 - Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade presentations
6:40 - 7:10 pm - 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade presentations
Transportation/Busing
On August 15th, 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.
Bus Registration
Free bus transportation is available for students (grades K-8) if they live 1.5 miles or more from school or live in an area declared 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.
If space is available, there is paid bus service for students 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. The cost for paid transportation is $510.00 per student for the school year.
Franklin Website and Calendar
The website and Franklin’s school calendar are valuable resources to keep informed of important updates and events throughout the year. The District 64 Overview Calendar can be found here to view the year at a glance.
School Hours
School hours are from 8:50 am - 3:30 pm. Please note that each Wednesday, students are dismissed at 2:40 pm for staff professional development activities. The doors to the school open for students each morning at 8:45 am. There is no adult supervision prior to 8:40 am. We do not leave your child unattended before this time.
School Hours (M, T, Th, F): 8:50 am - 3:30 pm
Wednesday School Hours: 8:50 am - 2:40 pm
For those participating in half-day Kindergarten, the school hours for half-day Kindergarten students are below:
Kindergarten Hours (M, T, Th, F): 8:50 am - 11:35 am
Kindergarten Wednesday: 8:50 am - 11:05 am
Franklin Office Hours
School office hours are from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm.
Remember that our student absence line (847) 318-4390 (ext 1) is available 24 hours daily.
Drop-off of Student Items/Lunches
If your student forgets something at home, an adult may drop off items at the Franklin’s 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 during an instructional break to pick up their items.
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.
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.
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.
Finally, I want to share some additional back-to-school tips with all families. Please find helpful advice here. The National Association of School Psychologists provides these.
We cannot wait for the return of our students starting on August 23rd!
