Benjamin Franklin Elementary School

December 4, 2008
Calendar
Monday,
December
8

7:30
p.m.
 Board
of
Education
Meeting
at


Washington
School



Thursday,
December
11


 
 
 9:00



Grades
K‐2
 PTA
Cultural
Arts
Presentation
of:


 
 
 10:00

Grades
3‐5
 ‘BAM
High
Energy
Tap
Dance
Company”

1:00‐2:30
 Workshops
for
Fifth
Grade
Classes
with
Dance
Company



Friday,
December
12


 
 
 3:00‐4:00
 
PTA
Market
Day
Pick
Up



Tuesday,
December
16


 
 
 11:40‐12:35
 Math
Club
Meeting
in
LRC



Thursday,
December
18


 
 
 
 
 Cool
Thoughts.
.
.
.

on
line



Friday,
December
19
 
 FRANKLIN
HOLIDAY
SING
–
in
GYM

Families with Last Names that start with A - L
9:30 a.m. All Grades Singing (Morning Kindergartners)



Families with Last Names that start with M -Z
1:00 p.m. All Grades Singing (Afternoon Kindergartners)




10:40‐11:40
 PTA
Homeroom
Holiday
Parties

for



Morning

Kindergartners


 
 
 2:30
‐3:30





 PTA
All
Homerooms
Holiday
Parties



DECEMBER
22,
2008

through

JANUARY
4,
2009

WINTER
BREAK



Monday,
January
5
 
 
 

8:50
a.m.

 CLASSES
RESUME

 Cool Thoughts

From the desk of the principal:

Dress Appropriately for the Weather
I’ll state the obvious. It is cold outside. Students need to come to school prepared for the weather.
They should expect to go outside for recess if the wind-chill factor is 10 degrees or above and we
feel it is safe for students to go outside. Not only is it safe, it is great fun and the fresh air and
activity is healthy.
Please make sure that students come to school prepared with boots hats, gloves or mittens, coats
or jackets and snow pants so they can stay comfortable outside on these colder days. Please label
your child’s items so if they get misplaced they can be easily returned to the owner. We also recommend
students have a change of clothes in their lockers in case they get wet and uncomfortable.

Graffiti
Over the Thanksgiving Break our building was “tagged” with graffiti on the roof. The police have
been notified and they are monitoring the building. If you know anything about the incident or
know a time frame of when it occurred please contact the school so we can inform the police.
In the future, if you see suspicious or concerning behavior around the building or on the
playgrounds during off hours, please contact the police by calling 911 so they can come quickly and
avoid damage or a problem. Prevention is far better than having to investigate the crime after the
fact.

Holiday Sing
Please note the changes to the schedule for the Holiday Sing this year. We are having two
performances on Friday December 19th and the performances will be held in the gym. See inside
this publication for details.

Balance T.V. with Reading this Holiday Season

It seems like every night I walk into my house this week I am noticing my own kids watching a
holiday program on TV. I looked at the programming schedule and began to see a wide assortment
of programs back to back almost all day every day. Please take the time to help your children
balance the TV time with outdoor activities and reading. Curling up with a good book is just as
satisfying if not more than watching a rerun of Frosty The Snowman for the third time.

Dan Walsh, Principal

dwalsh@d64.org




IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT FRANKLIN’S HOLIDAY SING

Dear Parents,

The Holiday Sing will be happening this year at Franklin on

Friday, December 19 in the Gym. There will be two performances on this day. NOTE THAT
THIS IS A CHANGE FROM PAST YEARS. ALL of the children from each grade level (except
for Kindergarteners) will sing in BOTH performances.

Prelude players will begin playing at 9:15 am for the 9:30 performance, and at 12:45 pm
for the 1:00 performance.

The schedule for parent attendance is listed below:

9:30 AM Families with LAST names beginning with A-L

1:00 PM Families with LAST names beginning with M-Z

Please send your child to school in nice school clothes for the performances, but try to avoid
heavy sweaters. We don’t want anyone to get overheated in the crowded performance space!

As most of you already know, Mrs. Carlson will not be directing this year for the Holiday Sing,
as she received an early Christmas gift! Brendan James was born on November 12! Filling in
for her is Mrs. Melinda Hoiland. Mrs. Hoiland is an experienced music educator, and a District
64 parent. We are grateful to have her here during Mrs. Carlson’s absence, and she is doing a
wonderful job filling in for Mrs. Carlson. Mrs. Hoiland is very excited to be part of our Holiday
Sing this year, and I know you will join me in making her feel welcome when you see her at the
Holiday Sing.

Students in Grades 2-5 who are interested in performing a prelude piece at the Holiday
Sing should come to the Music Room to play for Mrs. Hoiland on Monday, December 8
or Tuesday, December 9 during lunch. We will then send letters home later that week
with these students to let you know when your child will be performing his or her
prelude piece. Any child in Kindergarten or First Grade that TAKES LESSONS on an
instrument is also welcome to be part of the prelude.

Thank you so much for all of your support with this year’s Holiday Sing! We hope you will
enjoy the performances. May you and your families enjoy a wonderful holiday season, and a
very happy 2009!

Brian Kabat
Music Teacher



District
64
Announcements



Guidelines
for
gifts
to
teachers
&
staff

Students
and
their
families
often
look
for
ways
to
remember
teachers
and
staff
members
during

this
festive
time
of
year.

Although
this
thoughtfulness
is
appreciated,
District
64
has
an
Ethics
&

Gift
Ban
policy
to
avoid
any
appearance
of
impropriety
or
favoritism.

Policy
2:105
prohibits
staff

from
receiving
gifts
if
the
cumulative
total
value
is
more
than
$100
in
any
calendar
year
from
one

source.

The
policy
can
be
viewed
on
our
Web
site
under
the
Board
of
Education
Policy
Manual.


Please
keep
in
mind
that
often
the
most
cherished
gifts
to
teachers
and
staff
are
the
simple,

heartfelt
notes
and
personal
expressions
of
appreciation
from
students
and
their
families
during

the
holidays
or
at
any
time
of
year.






Summer
School
“Worlds
of
Wonder”
2009
program
dates


The
District
64
Worlds
of
Wonder
program
will
be
conducted
again
in
2009.

Two,
13‐day
sessions

are
planned:

Tuesday,
June
16
–
Thursday,
July
2;
and
Monday,
July
6
–
Wednesday,
July
22.

The

programs
again
will
be
held
at
Franklin
School
for
students
who
have
completed
grades
K‐3
and

Emerson
Middle
School
for
students
who
have
completed
grades
4‐7.

Registration
will
open
on

Monday,
March
2;
a
course
brochure
will
be
distributed
by
mid‐February.

The
tuition
for
each
90‐
minute
class
has
been
reduced
to
$90;
bus
fees
will
remain
$75
per
session.



Stay
informed
about
school
closings
due
to
winter
weather

District
64
will
try
very
hard
to
communicate
information
about
school
closings
due
to
inclement

weather
to
your
homes
by
6:30
a.m.


Here
are
ways
to
stay
informed:

1. You
will
receive
an
Alert
Now
recorded
phone
message
at
the
home
number
you
have
listed

with
the
school
office
as
your
primary
number.

2. You
can
check
the
District
64
Web
site
for
information:

www.d64.org
or
call
the
main
District

64
phone
for
a
recorded
announcement:

847‐318‐4300.

3. You
can
link
via
the
District
64
Web
site
to
www.weatherclosings.com.

4. Announcements
also
are
broadcast
on
most
local
TV
and
news
radio
stations.


Join
the
District
64
E­News
list

District
64
has
launched
a
free
e‐news
service
to
provide
occasional
announcements
of
Board
of

Education
and
District
64
news
via
e‐mail
to
all
interested
subscribers.

Sign
up
via
the
“District
64

E‐News”
menu
on
the
District
Web
site:

www.d64.org.
























Census of Kindergarten & Transfer Students for 2009-2010

Please help us begin planning for the 2009-10 school year.

We are gathering the names of all students new to our schools who may be enrolling next year.
We would like to mail their parents a packet of registration information and forms that must
be completed and returned on the official registration days at elementary schools on
February 3 and 5, 2009. This information also is extremely helpful as we review potential class
sizes and teacher staffing for the coming year. Please complete and return this form with
information about your own children, or children of neighbors or friends who expect to enter
kindergarten, transfer from a parochial or private school, or move into District 64. A child
must be five years old on or before September 1, 2009 to be eligible for kindergarten in 2009-10.

Registration information will be sent to the parents of each child listed.

Please use the back of this form for additional names.

Child’s Name ___________________________________________ Birth Date _______________

M___F___
Parent’s Name ___________________________________________ Grade Entering ___________

Address ___________________________________________

Phone Number ____________________

Child’s Name ___________________________________________ Birth Date _______________

M___F___
Parent’s Name ___________________________________________ Grade Entering ___________

Address ___________________________________________

Phone Number ____________________

Child’s Name ___________________________________________ Birth Date _______________

M___F___

Parent’s Name ___________________________________________ Grade Entering ___________

Address ___________________________________________

Phone Number ___________________

Please return this form to your child’s teacher or local school

by Monday, December 15, so we can mail your materials promptly.
Thank you for your cooperation.
COMMUNITY CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL DISTRICT 64 Park Ridge-Niles
164 S. Prospect Avenue Park Ridge, IL60068-4079 (847) 318-4300 FAX: (847) 318-4351
HOLIDAY
FOOD
DRIVE
Franklin,
as
well
as
many
other
schools
and
organizations,
is
excited
to
participate
in
the
Park

Ridge
Human
Needs
Task
Force
Community
wide
food
drive.


There
is
a
special
collection
bin
near

the
main
door
for
everyone
to
donate
non‐perishable
items
in.

The
food
will
be
taken
to
the
Maine

Township
Food
Pantry.

The
food
we
collect
will
bring
hope
where
there
is
despair,
with
your
help

the
often
invisible
folks
in
our
midst
without
the
bare
necessities
of
life
will
indeed
know
they

matter.




IMPORTANT MESSAGE
FOR PARENTS OF STUDENTS WITH ASTHMA:
STUDENTS WITH ASTHMA WHO USE INHALERS NEED TO BE AWARE OF A PERMANENT
MEDICATION CHANGE:
INHALERS
CONTAINING
CFC’S
(CHLOROFLUORCARBONS)
WILL
NO
LONGER
BE
SOLD
OR
MANUFACTURED
AFTER
DECEMBER
31,
2008.


THE
CHANGE
INVOLVES
A
SWITCH
TO
MORE
ENVIRONMENT‐FRIENDLY,
HFA
(HYDROFLUOROALKANE)
PROPELLED
INHALERS.

THESE

NEWLY
FORMULATED
HFA
BRONCHODILATORS
(VENTOLIN,
PROVENTIL,
PROAIR)
HAVE
THE
SAME
ESSENTIAL
INGREDIENTS,
BUT
ARE

DIFFERENT
FROM
ONE
ANOTHER,
AND
ARE
DIFFERENT
FROM
THE
HFA
INHALER,
XOPENEX.

THE
HFA
INHALERS
HAVE
DIFFERENT

COMPOSITION,
TASTE,
AND
APPEARANCE,
AND
THEIR
COSTS
ARE
SIGNIFICANTLY
HIGHER.





THE
NEW
INHALERS
REQUIRE
MORE
DILIGENCE
IN
PRIMING
AND
CLEANING
THAN
THE
OLD
INHALERS
DID.

THE
SPRAY
NOZZLE
MAY

BECOME
CLOGGED
MORE
EASILY;
THEREFORE
LESS
MEDICATION
MAY
BE
DELIVERED.

THE
FORCE
OF
THE
SPRAY
IS
MILDER,
SO
USERS

MAY
BELIEVE
THEY
HAVE
NOT
RECEIVED
THE
FULL
DOSE,
AND
MAY
OVERMEDICATE
THEMSELVES.





ALL
STUDENTS
USING
THE
HFA
INHALERS
SHOULD
BE
MONITORED
CLOSELY
FOR
THEIR
RESPONSE
TO
THE
NEWLY‐FORMULATED

MEDICATION.

PLEASE
CHECK
WITH
YOUR
CHILD’S
HEALTH
CARE
PROVIDER
REGARDING
PROPER
USE
AND
CARE
OF
THE
INHALER.





FOR
SPECIFIC
INFORMATION
ON
THE
INDIVIDUAL
HFA
INHALERS,
VISIT
WWW.PROAIRHFA.COM,
WWW.PROVENTILHFA.COM,


WWW.VENTOLIN.COM,
AND
WWW.XOPENEX.COM.


Winter Weather
It is very important that the students dress appropriately for our winter weather. This
includes warm coats, hats, gloves/mittens, snow pants, and boots. We also recommend that
everyone have an extra change of clothes in their locker.
Franklin School and Lunch Program Staff

Join the PTA!

A reminder to those who have not yet joined the PTA—membership forms
are available in the office. The cost is $3.25 per member, which this year only
will be covered by the PTA. Membership is no longer automatic. You must sign
up. Please stop in the office and fill out a form to help support our school.




 December Reminder

Order forms are due tomorrow, Friday, December 5th.

Internet orders can be entered until noon on Tuesday, December 9th.
Order pick up is at the school on Friday, December 12th, 3:00-

4:00 p.m.





Franklin School and the Cultural Arts Committee welcomes

Chicago Human
Rhythm Project


Thursday, Dec 11
Franklin Auditorium



The BAM! ensemble consists of Chicago's finest tap artists. Don’t miss
this performance – EVERYONE WELCOME!

9:00 am, K-2

10:00am, 3-5

BAM! will also be holding three tap and rhythm workshops with
the 5th grade classrooms right after lunch.
Get ready to get rhythm!