District News and Superintendent Updates

District News and Superintendent Updates

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FRANKLIN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 
   
 

District News and Superintendent Updates

March 2023



SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS
School and Day Care Minimum Immunization Requirements

Documentary proof shall be provided of adequate age appropriate immunization with the prescribed number of doses of vaccine indicated below for attendance at a public or private elementary, middle or secondary school, child care center, nursery school, family day care home or developmental center. 

Please follow School Requirements for Immunizations for additional information on immunizations.



March 10 

End of 3rd Nine Weeks

March 13

Teacher Workday (schools closed for students)

March 16 

Music in our Schools - 5th Grade (FCHS)

March 18 

Piedmont Regional Odyssey of the Mind Tournament (FCHS)

April 3 

School Board Meeting (instead of April 10th)

April 6 

Food for America (FCHS)

April 6-8

Musical “The 25th Annual Putnum County Spelling Bee”

(FCHS Auditorium 7:00 PM)

April 10-14

Spring Break (schools closed for students and staff)

April 29 

Junior - Senior Prom (Harvester)

May 1-5

Division Art Show (Government Center)

May 7-13

Teacher Appreciation Week

May 24 

Last Day of School - 1.5 Hour Early Dismissal

May 25-26

Teacher Workdays

May 25 

Franklin County High School Graduation


Athletic Events

Please follow www.blueridgedistrictva.org for information on FCPS athletic events.



Benjamin Franklin Middle School
Master Schedule Changes for 2023-24

We are excited to announce that our students and teachers will move to a block schedule for the upcoming 2023-24 school year. This schedule will provide more time for students in the areas of English and math, while reducing the number of transitions throughout the school day. This schedule change will serve to allow time to address students’ learning needs, provide time for deeper learning opportunities, and unify our campus as 8th grade is already on a block schedule. Students and families will learn more about the middle school schedule through our registration process for the upcoming school year. If families have questions or concerns about the schedule they can contact our grade level administrators and school counselors.

Current Schedule Information

  • 6th & 7th Grades  

    • 4 Core Classes Daily (@60 min classes)

    • WIN Block Daily (30 min for Reading/Math Intervention or Enrichment)

    • 1 Elective/Health & PE Every Other Day (60 mins AB alternating days)

 

  • 8th Grade 

    • 3 Core Classes Daily (@90 min classes)

      • English & Math - Year Long Courses

      • Science & Civics - Semester Courses

    • Re 1 Elective Daily (@90 min semester class)

2023-2024 Master Schedule Changes

  • 6th & 7th Grades  

    • 3 Core Classes Daily (@90 min classes)

      • English & Math - Year Long Courses

      • Science & Civics - Semester Courses

    • 1 Elective/Health & PE Every Other Day (90 mins AB alternating days)

  • 8th Grade - NO CHANGES

    • 3 Core Classes Daily (@90 min classes)

      • English & Math - Year Long Courses

      • Science & Civics - Semester Courses

    • 1 Elective Daily (@90 min semester class)


BENEFITS 

  • More INSTRUCTIONAL TIME for English and Math instruction, remediation, learner centered classrooms, etc. to address LEARNING LOSS & Deeper Learning

  • EQUITABLE for students in 6th & 7th Grades with elementary and 8-12th grades

    • Elementary Students get 90-120 mins daily of English Language Arts and 60-90 mins daily of Math

    • 8th-12th Grade students also get 90 min block core classes

  • UNIFY our Campus - One Schedule for All

  • LESS TRANSITION TIME for our students in grades 6th & 7th




Inclement Weather Days - How will we handle inclement weather days? When making decisions about delays and cancellations, the safety of our students and staff is always first and foremost.  Should weather or other emergencies cause schools to close, we will inform families by using dial-outs, telephone calls, text messages, and local news outlets as soon as the decision is made. We do this as soon as possible in order for families to make any necessary arrangements.  Some have asked if we will use virtual learning if school closure becomes necessary. At this time our plan is to use banked time and call it a traditional snow day. Banked time represents minutes we accumulate each day that are above and beyond the required minutes as defined by the Virginia Department of Education. That being said, if we come close to exhausting those minutes or if we anticipate students will miss school for a longer period of time, we may have to declare a virtual day. Schools will ask students to take their Chromebooks home if there is a forecast that might impact school opening the next day.


Our mental health support team members (School Counselors, School Social Workers (SAS), Family Liaisons, and School Psychologists) are available to assist you and your family with needs you may have (linking to other services, assistance with resources in the community, etc.). Please reach out to your student’s school if you have needs and/or if you have questions.

Our students may be experiencing additional stressors in their life, including social media. If your student mentions that they are struggling, or if you notice a difference in their emotions and/or behaviors, please reach out. We are here to help you!

Please click on the Vaping Parent Brochure to help you talk
to your teen about vaping and keeping your kids safe.

 

Other text/crisis lines that may be helpful to families:

Text Crisis Line: text HELLO to 741741

Youth text line: text TEEN2TEEN to 839863

Youth crisis line: call 877-968-8491


Major Projects 

The Benjamin Franklin Middle School Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning “HVAC” Project HVAC equipment at the middle school is beyond its lifespan and is another major project for Franklin County Public Schools (FCPS). The Franklin County School Board and the Franklin County Board of Supervisors, in a joint effort, are working diligently to secure funds to install new HVAC systems in the East and West buildings.  Fortunately, these funds include appropriated ESSER funds, construction grants, and county funding. The overall HVAC installation has a tentative start date of June 2023 and tentative completion date of September 2026. There are tentative plans for the installation to continue throughout each school year in order to meet the completion date. 

Career Technical Education (CTE) provides students of all ages with the academic and technical skills, knowledge, and training necessary to succeed in future careers and to become lifelong learners. CTE prepares these learners for the world of work by introducing them to workplace skills and makes academic content accessible to students by providing  hands-on experiences. Some examples of CTE classes include, but are not limited to, Electrical/HVAC/Plumbing/Welding, Horticulture, Masonry, Automotive, Building Trades, Business, Early ChildHood, Computer Science, Nursing, Medical Terminology, and Personal Finance, to name a few.  FCPS is conducting a CTE Feasibility Study to provide information that may address facility needs to meet the demands of current and future workforce needs. Many alternatives may/should be considered until the optimal solution is achieved. Community engagement has begun with the selection of a CTE steering committee and is in the planning stage. The study is another joint effort between FCPS and the Franklin County Board of Supervisors.   


K-12 Assessments

A wide range of district and state assessments are used to monitor each student’s progress toward mastery of skills in each grade level. Please review the List of District and State Assessments by Grade Level to receive more information on the assessments your child(ren) will take each school year.

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has developed a new type of test question for future Standards of Learning (SOL) Reading assessments in grades 5, 8, and high school.  Before this new type of test item is administered to students as part of the SOL Reading tests in grades 5, 8, and high school, it is being tried out with students this spring during what is called a field test. Students in grades 5, 8, and 11 who are scheduled to take the online SOL Reading test will participate in this field test for the new item type.

Students at the high school level are required to obtain a certain number of credits in order to graduate based on the degree path they have chosen. Along with these standard credits, there are also five course areas, English (reading and writing), history, math, and science, where students have to obtain a state verified credit. In the past, the only option for students to obtain these verified credits was to pass a state SOL (Standards of Learning) test or to pass a state approved substitute test. The state has recently added an additional option in the areas of English writing and history that allows students to participate in alternative assessments in which they can use to receive a locally verified credit. Current ninth grade students will now have the opportunity to earn their history and English writing state verified credits by participating in performance-based assessments as an alternative to the SOL test. 


Vision

Franklin County Public Schools will provide a thriving and dynamic educational environment that inspires each learner to be self-directed and own their future. Our graduates will be prepared to excel in a changing, complex, and interconnected global society.

Mission

To create, promote, and support a lifelong learning culture whereby students become self-reliant, productive citizens who can successfully compete in the global community.

Our Values and Beliefs

  • Every child is unique and is capable of learning.

  • Our schools must be safe, inviting, clean, and conducive to learning.

  • We value our employees as they are essential to the accomplishments and future of our children.

  • Active parent/guardian engagement in their child's education is critical and must be encouraged.

  • We use evaluation and measurement as tools for continuous improvement.

  • We must efficiently use the limited resources available and be fiscally responsible to the Franklin County Community.


Franklin County Public Schools has developed “Vision 25 – Empowering All Learners.” Please review the Vision 25 Newsletter - February 2023 for any updates. 




Interested in driving a school bus…please contact
the Transportation Department at 540-483-5541.






The Franklin County Public Library System is located in Franklin County. The Library consists of the Main Library in Rocky Mount, the Westlake Branch Library in Hardy, and the Bookmobile. Take a look at Your Library Happenings - March 2023 newsletter for events in our area.


 

Keeping Contact Information Updated

It is a concerning thought, but what if a crisis happened in your child's school and your child's contact information was not up to date (all phone numbers, email addresses, emergency contacts, home addresses, etc.)?

Throughout the school year, please expect various forms of communication from the district, school, and classroom levels. We know communication between the school and home is vital to students' success. Therefore, every student's contact information must be correct in PowerSchool and should be kept up-to-date throughout the year. Here is the link to the webpage to complete or update PowerSchool Registration contact information. Please take this opportunity to make sure you have signed-up for district and school notifications through School Messenger and Community Text Alerts




 

 

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