October 22, 2012

THE ALMANACK Franklin Elementary School PTA Newsletter

www.franklin.smmusd.org 2400 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica CA 90403 � 310.828.2814 Fax 310. 449.1252

October 22, 2012

2

From Principal Tara Brown: Franklin’s State Test Scores Continue to Rise!

Kudos to Franklin School!!!! For the sixth year in a row, Franklin School's API (Academic Performance Index) has grown! This year, we saw a climb of 8 points to put us at 965 API. Since 2006, Franklin has seen growth of 41 points! For a complete list of API scores in our school district, go to franklinschoolpta.org/api2012 Once a school hits the 900 mark, it is very difficult to continue to grow at such a rapid pace, but once again, Franklin defies the odds. Employing teaching methods which teach children not only needed information, but also how to think through and analyze new information that they may encounter have always been goals at Franklin. Both our teachers and parents should be proud of all the support they provide to Franklin's students. Our Franklin students should be very proud of their hard work, willingness to learn, and critical thinking they employ not only the days of State Testing, but everyday. As Principal Mr. Lowe would say from the Dr. Seuss book "Hooray for Diffendoofer Day", "We keep going, up, up, up!" We are so thankful for the support of our staff, students, and community – we are a TEAM. Franklin truly is a DISTINGUISHED School, and will continue to be thanks to our amazing team effort. It takes a village! Warm Regards, Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Sinfield

API Met Growth Target

2012 Growth 2011 Base

2011-12 Growth Target

2011-12 Growth

School- wide

All Student Groups

Both Schoolwide and Student

Groups

SANTA MONICA-MALIBU UNIFIED 860 855 D 5 Elementary Schools Edison Elementary 887 881 A 6 Yes Yes Yes Franklin Elementary 965 957 A 8 Yes Yes Yes Grant Elementary 894 899 A -5 Yes No No John Muir Elementary 823 812 A 11 Yes No No Juan Cabrillo Elementary 880 884 A -4 Yes Yes Yes McKinley Elementary 862 893 A -31 Yes Yes Yes Point Dume Elementary 939 926 A 13 Yes Yes Yes Roosevelt Elementary 947 944 A 3 Yes Yes Yes Santa Monica Alternative (K-8) Webster Elementary 950 949 A 1 Yes Yes Yes Will Rogers Elementary 830 828 A 2 Yes No No Middle Schools John Adams Middle 813 813 A 0 Yes No No Lincoln Middle 901 902 A -1 Yes No No High Schools Malibu High 871 861 A 10 Yes No No Santa Monica High 823 804 A 19 Yes No No ASAM Schools Olympic High (Continuation) 474* 551* 12 -77 No Yes No  

October 22, 2012

3

November Election Information

There are three education related measures on the November Ballot this year: Prop 38, Prop 30 and Measure ES. Both 38 and 30 are statewide measures that fund schools' operating budget (teachers, materials, etc.) Prop 38 is an income tax increase on a sliding scale of 0.4% - 2.2%, and Prop 30 is a sales tax increase and an income tax increase on individuals making $250,000+ a year. For a detailed comparison, see the special insert. Measure ES is a local Santa Monica - Malibu bond measure that raises taxes on property ($30 per $100,000 assessed value) to fund capital improvements (buildings, technology, etc.) in the SMMUSD. At Oct. 4th PTA Meeting, Franklin PTA has voted to endorse Prop 38 and Measure ES. Watch the videos of the meeting at franklinschoolpta.org. To learn more about both measures and calculate the financial impact of each on your family: www.prop38forlocalschools.org and www.bettersaferschools.com Your vote counts! What you write on the ballot will have the potential to significantly impact Franklin. Please be informed and go VOTE on November 6th. For latest updates on the November Election, please check our PTA website and subscribe to weekly Franklin PTA E-blasts at franklinschoolpta.org.

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October 22, 2012

4

Please Mark Your Calendars: Parent Education Group Speakers

October 26th @ 8:45am - Susan Stone Join us for a talk about "They just won't listen”. Back by popular demand, Susan Stone will help give us tips to finally get our children to do what we want. Susan is a Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice in the Los Angeles area, helping children, parents, families and schools for the past 32 years. She is also the author of the hugely popular book, THE INDULGENCE TRAP, When too much is not Enough! To learn more about Susan Stone, please visit her blog: http://practicalparenting.org/. It is full of practical advice.

November 30th @ 8:45 am - Dr. Eberlin

Join us for a thoughtful presentation on "Family Rituals - Strengthening your foundation to manage stress," presented by Dr. Rebecca Eberlin, psychologist and family coach from UCLA Commons in Santa Monica. Dr. Eberlin will discuss how family rituals create anchors in your home, lower stress levels, strengthen communication and improve well being. She will give some practical tips and answer your questions. With an extensive background in family and child development, Dr. Eberlin is highly regarded for the positive impact she has been making on families throughout Los Angeles' Westside community. To learn more about UCLA Commons, please visit: http://www.uclacommons.com/

All events are at Franklin in Room 3 or 4.

SAVE THE DATE: November 20th for the

Annual Franklin Turkey Drive!

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20th from 8:00 to 8:45am PLEASE DONATE!!!!! Frozen, whole, uncooked turkeys! The Westside Food Bank will be coming to Franklin to collect turkeys for families and individuals who will not have a Thanksgiving dinner without our help. Help us make this year’s turkey donation the largest yet! On November 20th, turkey barrels will be located at the Front Office, and volunteers will also be collecting turkeys on Idaho during Valet drop-off. Thank you for donating! Need more info? Contact Leanna Einbinder at 310.450.4190 or leanna.einbinder@fox.com

October 22, 2012

5

Science Club Happenings! California Science Center’s The Desert Dome, Oct. 22 varied times – TODAY! On October 22, 4:30 to 7:30 pm (TODAY!), we will enter the Desert Dome! We will immerse ourselves into the sights, sounds and smells of the Mojave Desert as we step inside a mobile inflatable dome and learn about ecology, adaptation and desert habitats. Kids will help Uuhuuly, a Kangaroo Rat (see right!), find her home and along the way learn about the desert. There will be three 45-minute interactive “shows” that will be scheduled as follows: 4:30 to 5:15; 5:30 to 6:15 and 6:30 to 7:15 pm. At this time, the event is FULLY BOOKED! However, we will arrange a “waiting list line” so that, once the event begins and those with reserved spots have been checked in, we can let kids in from the line to take the spots of no-shows. Needless to say, being on time will be important! Franklin Star Party - Jupiter, November 27, 6:30 pm We will join Franklin dad, Brian Tung, on Tuesday, November 27, 6:30 pm in the Cafetorium for our 2nd Annual Franklin Star Party! Brian will talk about the Moon, Jupiter, other cool things in the night sky, and what we can see through a telescope. Weather permitting, we will move outside for an observation session, with telescopes provided by volunteers from the Los Angeles Astronomical Society. Don’t forget to dress warmly as it will be chilly! Santa Monica Recycling Center, December 7 or 12 (pick the time that works best for you!) What do cans, glass, plastic, mixed paper, scrap metal, electronics, and appliances have in common? Well, they can all be recycled at the Santa Monica Recycling Center, which will be our first off-site Science Club event on Friday, December 7 (3:30 – 4:30 pm) and Wednesday, December 12 (two tours, 2:30 – 3:30 pm and 3:45 – 4:45 pm). Forty students and parents can be accommodated on each tour and carpooling is suggested! Reserve your spot right away at www.mysignup.com/recycling. The Santa Monica Recycling Center is located at 2411 Delaware Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90404. All students in grades K-5 are encouraged to join the Science Club, which meets monthly, 6:30-7:30 pm on a weeknight, or for a weekend daytime off-site outing. The Science Club's "main event" is the Science Fair and we hope all Franklin students will participate, regardless of whether they have attended prior events. Students participating in six (6) or more Science Club events, including entering a project into the Science Fair, will receive a Science Trophy at the last Science Club meeting in June 2013. Attendance at Science Club meetings/off-site outings rely on parent participation so drop-offs are not allowed; however, we encourage parents who are present and would like to socialize to step outside, keeping at least one eye on their kids – in case they need a reminder to sit down and listen to the presenter. We co-chairs will also position ourselves strategically to help keep the noise at a manageable level. We appreciate your efforts to help us keep our Science Club events on the sane side! ~ Science Club co-chairs, Julia Miele, Erin Rotgin & Johanna Tobel

October 22, 2012

6

SM5000 Big Success for Franklin PE and SMMEF

The SM5000 Run/Walk on October 7 down by the Santa Monica Pier was not only very fun, it was also a great victory for Franklin! Various Franklin parents placed 1st, 6th, 8th, 9th and 10th in their divisions, with over 70 Franklin family members participating. The broader Franklin community rallied too, raising close to $2,500 for Franklin P.E. on our SM5000 donation website -- 150% above our target! The Santa Monica Malibu Education Foundation (SMMEF) exceeded its overarching goal as well, helping the 53 Physical Education and Sports Team programs in our District to raise over $84,000 collectively. This almost doubled last year's donations. We look forward to even more Franklin involvement next year! If you'd like to help with the SM5000 in 2013, or have feedback on this year's race, please let us know. ALSO, if you're curious about other Ed Foundation (SMMEF) fundraising efforts as SMMEF gears up, during this school year and next, for the switch to centralized fundraising (for staff ... Franklin PTA will still fundraise for our stuff), please contact Katy Henrikson and/or Amy Iorio at franklinsmmefliaison@gmail.com. We are interested in hearing all ideas, input and feedback about this process, including concerns, which we can then pass along to SMMEF and/or District leadership. Working together, with both support and constructive feedback, we can help move towards a successful transition!

VOTERS! If you are planning to vote YES on Prop 38 or ES, and would like to display a lawn sign, bumper sticker, banner, etc., please contact Suzanne Goldman, Franklin Legislative Rep, at the1suz@aol.com.

What is Red Ribbon Week?

Red Ribbon Week – October 22nd to 31st – is the nation’s oldest and largest drug prevention program, reaching millions of Americans during the last week of October every year. By wearing red ribbons and participating in community anti-drug events, young people pledge to live a drug-free life.

At Franklin, we tie red ribbons on the trees in front of the school to mark the week, and Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Sinfield hand out red pencils.

THANK YOU from the Hospitality Committee

We’re off to a terrific start to our school year! We appreciate that so many of our local vendors and merchants support Franklin School. This month we’d like to give a big THANK YOU to our local ALBERTSON’S and STARBUCKS (both Berkeley & Wilshire) for their generous donation to our monthly PTA meetings. Thank you so very much! ~ Krista Strauss and Carol Doiron

Fall Picnic THANKS! A Big "Thank You!" to Sue Benun and Stacey Siegel co-chairing another fabulous Fall Picnic this year! And Stacey and Sue would like to extend a huge thank you to all the people who made the Fall Picnic a big success! A heartfelt thanks to Liz Patterson, Leo Bloom, Ruby Bloom, Bryce Benun & Phoebe Benun.

October 22, 2012

7

Franklin's Online Auction Team Invites You to Join Us!

If you want to have fun and meet new Franklin parents, all while raising money for our great school, please come to our Online Auction kickoff meeting on Friday, November 9th at 8:45am (after drop-off) in Room 3. This year's Online Auction will run from February 11-21, 2013... and we are hitting the ground running! We are looking for energetic volunteers to help solicit donations for the top selling categories -- Restaurants, Beauty, Children's services/lessons, Entertainment, Travel & Getaways. All you need is a passion for Franklin School! Some of our most successful solicitations last year were done from home over the phone or email! There are also opportunities to help with data entry and other operations. To learn more about how you can get involved, please come to our meeting on November 9th! If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Bevan or Rona Rodrig at FranklinAuction2013@gmail.com

The Franklin Almanack is published every three weeks during the school year, and is archived online in PDF format at www.franklinschoolpta.org/almanack

For information about advertising and sponsorship, please visit the PTA website or send an inquiry e-mail to: FranklinAlmanackSponsors@gmail.com

October 22, 2012

8

SOLAR PANEL INSTALLATION UPDATE The District office has just informed me that the solar panel installation that was originally scheduled to begin this month has been cancelled. The original installation company is no longer assigned to the project. A new company will need to be contracted with and the project will then need to be re-scheduled for a later date. Sincerely, Mrs. Brown

Franklin PTA appreciates the official sponsor(s) of this Almanack issue. However, the California State and National PTAs do not necessarily

endorse them.

Reflections 2012 – “The Magic of the Moment”

The theme this year is "The Magic of the Moment." Students may enter in the categories of Visual Arts, Music, Dance, Film, Photography, and Literature. Students may enter in more than one category. Only one student per entry.

Please make sure to look on the Franklin website: franklin.smmusd.org or franklinschoolpta.org/tag/reflections/ to download and print the entry form and view the guidelines. Please read the guidelines for the category in which you enter and make sure to adhere to them. Important Dates: - Entry due date 10/26 by 3:00pm (NO late entries will be accepted) - Reflections Reception 11/7 6:00pm in the Cafetorium (NOTE: date change from 11/6) We look forward to seeing our Franklin student's creativity shine!

Reflections co-chairs Arleen Ferrara arleen@ferraras.net Amy Badt abadt@franklinschool.net Liz Comay liz_comay@yahoo.com

October 22, 2012

9

Home Security Tips from the Santa Monica Police Department

Residential burglaries are on the rise. Home break-ins are a crime of opportunity. Over half of all reported break-ins indicate the favorite method of operation (MO) utilized by residential burglars is to enter a residence through an open or unlocked door or window. If force is required, most thieves will look for a secluded point of entry, usually around the side or back part of a residence.

What can you do to prevent a break-in to your home?

Review the following tips outlined below; implement them into your daily routine, and the chances of you and/or your family becoming a victim of a residential burglary may be significantly reduced.

1. Always lock all doors and windows when leaving your residence, even if it is just for a few minutes. Replace old “latch” locks with a deadbolt type lock.

2. Draw all window and door curtains, blinds, and shutters when your home is unoccupied.

3. Utilize adjustable indoor timers for interior lights, radio, and televisions to give an impression that someone might be home.

4. If you have an alarm system – activate it.

5. Make sure you have sufficient exterior lighting. Do not leave exterior/porch lights on during the day. Replace old lighting fixtures with “sensor” flood light attachments.

6. Eliminate hiding spaces – trim all shrubbery away from doors and windows.

7. Use heavy-duty padlocks and hasp attachments on all side and back gates, as well as on any unsecured garage doors.

8. Check and see if your home address is visible from the street. If the numbers are not easily seen – upgrade to a better vantage point, and don’t forget illumination for nighttime use – especially in back alley applications.

9. Always inform your immediate neighbors when you will be gone – especially when going on a long trip or vacation. Have someone pick up your mail, newspapers, and/or any other correspondence that might otherwise gather in the mailbox or on the front porch.

10. Leave a contact phone/cell number with a trusted neighbor so that he/she can contact you in case of an emergency.

11. Schedule a Free Security Survey. A SMPD Crime Prevention Coordinator (CPC) will come to your residence and conduct a “walk-through” to assess your home’s security needs.

For more information about home security, and/or to schedule a FREE Security Survey, please contact the SMPD Crime Prevention Unit at 310-458-8474.

Visit our webpage at: www.santamonicapd.org

October 22, 2012

10

Y o u r C a r n i v a l Q u e s t i o n s A n s w e r e d W h y t i c k e t s i n s t e a d o f w r i s t b a n d s o r p u n c h c a r d s ? We know it’s archaic, but it works! So until someone can create an App that will track our rides, vendors, and games, we have to stick with tickets. A few days after carnival, we hire a professional ticket weighing company to come out and weigh our tickets. By weighing each booth’s tickets, we know which activities were popular and which were not. We can then make adjustments accordingly for the following year. So, in essence, a higher ticket count � kids loved it � money for the school! This is also why it is so important

Why tickets instead of wristbands or punch cards?

We know it’s archaic, but it works! So until someone can create an App that will track our rides, vendors, and games, we have to stick with tickets. A few days after carnival, we hire a professional ticket weighing company to come out and weigh our tickets. By weighing each booth’s tickets, we know which activities were popular and which were not. We can then make adjustments accordingly for the following year. So, in essence, a higher ticket count = kids loved it = money for the school! This is also why it is so important that our tickets don’t get wet. Wet tickets make it impossible to get an accurate weight count and may cause us to pay food vendors a larger percentage than what we actually owe them.

Why isn’t the play structure open?

This continues to be a topic of discussion each year! We would love to keep the play structure open and we recognize the appeal of having something to entertain the kids without costing anything. Unfortunately, the main issues have always been safety and supervision. It is often the little ones that are most attracted to the play structure, yet the structure is for kids 5 years old and up. Parents understandably are very distracted on carnival day and we cannot assume or hope they will supervise their child, and they may in fact be unaware their child decided to climb on the structure. That said, given the popularity of the play structure and the need to offset out the costs of the day, we put together a plan to organize and manage it. Unfortunately, at this point no one seems to want to take on the job. It would require at least 4 strong authority figures at any one time to supervise the kids for the full 6 hours during carnival. If anyone would like to help organize and manage this, we would love to discuss it further. The carnival is an all-volunteer effort of our Franklin community and we always welcome more help.

Why does everything cost so much and why isn’t there anything free at the carnival?

Every year we go through ticket prices for each attraction and make adjustments to keep things priced as fair as possible. As a result, this fall we have lowered prices in a few categories and we have added some free attractions and activities. The carnival, however, is also the single largest family fundraiser for Franklin School. In planning the carnival, we do our best to balance the fiscal needs of our children’s education and the wallets of our Franklin families and their guests!

Why do I need to check in at the Volunteer booth if I already know where to go?

Some booths are busier than others and some require more or less volunteers than originally planned. Our volunteer coordinators are there to monitor the booths’ needs. If one booth needs more help and another is overstaffed, we will move people to where they are needed. We are all here to work toward the common goal of making this event successful and fun!

More questions? Contact your Carnival Chairs: Melanie Landsberg: barmel@verizon.net & Karen Kushi: kbkushi@gmail.com