March 30, 2007

April Newsletter - 2007

Dear Franklin Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

Spring has finally arrived! It has been a tough winter. The poor weather in February made it hard to get any kind of school routine in place and in March we had a lot of sickness. It has been stressful for students and teachers alike! Hopefully, as the weather gets better, everyone will get healthy and our attitude and outlook on life will improve.

Calendar Dates

Please place the following events on your April school calendar.
April 2 Report cards sent home with students.
4 Mr. Jostpille's IEP conferences
5 Early dismissal @ 1:30 p.m.
6 and 9 NO SCHOOL - EASTER VACATION
12 2007-2008 kindergarten screening
17 Kindergarten field trip to Findlay to see "The Adventures of Stuart Little"
18 Mrs. Roebke's Speech IEP conferences
19 2007-2008 kindergarten screening
24 Mrs. Amie Buettner's IEP conferences
25 Mrs. German's IEP conferences
26 2007-2008 kindergarten screening (AM only)
5th grade to Middle School to hear Mr. Bruce Boguski
27 Interim reports sent home with students.
30 Ohio Reading Achievement Test, grades 3-5

Kindergarten Screening

We will finish screening kindergarten students for the 2007-2008 school year in April. Screening appointments are full for April 12th and 19th but we still have some openings on the morning on April 26th. A child must be 5 years old by August 1, 2007, to be eligible for kindergarten in 2007-2008. Contact the school office to set up an appointment.

IEP Conferences

If your child is on an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP), we will hold a meeting with you this spring to discuss your child's progress on his/her 2006-2007 educational goals and to set goals for the 2007-2008 school year. You will be contacted by your child's teacher to set up a date and time for this meeting. If you are not contacted, call the school office for an appointment.

Easter Vacation

We will dismiss early at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 5, to begin our Easter vacation. School will not be in session on Friday, April 6 nor Monday, April 9. School will resume for all staff and students at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 10.

Mini Relay for Life

We are preparing for our fourth annual Mini Relay For Life which will take place on Friday, May 18th (rain date is May 21st). All Delphos students in kindergarten through eighth grade will be involved. We will be walking laps, listening to speakers, participating in cancer awareness activities, sharing a picnic lunch, and enjoying some fun games too! In March your child brought home an order form for t-shirts and a request for candy or small toys to be used as game prizes. Also, if you would like to volunteer to help us on that day please let your child's teacher know. More information will be coming as we get closer to the big day. Thank you ahead of time for your help and support!

Dress Code Policy

The Delphos City Schools Dress Code states that students can wear shorts to school the last two months of the school year (April and May). The dress code guidelines for Franklin are stated on page 12 of the Franklin Elementary Handbook. This handbook was passed out to every student at the beginning of the school year. Shorts must be fingertip length. Students shall not wear tank tops, halter tops, garments with spaghetti straps, or strapless garments unless a shirt is worn underneath. Garments that are "see through", cut low, or expose one's midriff are unacceptable. Sandals and flip flops can be worn to school with socks. For health and safety precautions, no bare feet are allowed with sandals or flip flops. Students found in violation of our dress code will be required to call home and their parents will have to bring suitable attire to school for them to wear.

Ohio Achievement Testing

There are changes this year in the state mandated Ohio achievement testing that I want to share with you. First, the testing window has been moved from early March to the week of April 30th. Second, our fifth graders will be taking two new tests; one in science and one in social studies. Below is the testing schedule that we will follow this year.

Monday, April 30 - Reading, grades 3-5
Tuesday, May 1 - Math, grades 3-5
Wednesday, May 2 - Writing, grade 4
Science, grade 5
Thursday, May 3 - Social Studies, grade 5

Our teachers are working hard with your children to prepare them for these tests. We need your help too. First, make sure that your child gets plenty of sleep so that he/she comes to school well rested on test days. Second, make sure that your child has a good breakfast each morning. Studies show that students perform better on tests when they are not tired and hungry! Finally, we will be testing in the mornings from 8:30-11:00 a.m. Try not to schedule appointments during this time so that you child does not miss the testing. If your child is absent during testing they will have to make it up which will result in them missing valuable instructional time in class. These tests are important. Your child may come home and express some anxiety over taking them. This is normal. Be positive and encouraging with them. Tell them the tests are important and you expect them to do their best. Tell them to come to school each day with a positive attitude and to try their hardest on each test. Tell your child that if they give their best effort on each test then everything will be okay and you will be very proud of them. If you have any questions about the upcoming testing, contact your child's teacher.

Thought for the Month

WORDS FOR YOUR FAMILY

I'm proud of you. Give me a big hug.
Way to go! You're such a good listener.
Bingo! You did it. You figured it out.
Magnificent I love you.
I knew you could do it. You're so responsible.
What a good helper. You remembered.
You're very special to me. You're the best.
I trust you. You sure tried hard.
What a treasure. I've got to hand it to you.
Hooray for you! I couldn't be prouder of you.
Beautiful work You light up my day.
You're a real trooper. My buttons are popping off.
Well done. I'm praying for you.
That's so creative. You're wonderful.
You made my day. I'm behind you.
You're a joy.

Gary Smalley and John Trent
from "Leaving The Light On"

Tim Larimore
Principal