January 2014 Parent Power News

Charlotte L. Matthew, M.Ed., Principal

Dr. Ramona J. Perkins, A.P.

Principal’s Message

Happy New Year to all of our Benjamin Franklin Families! Let’s resolve to make this our most loving, productive, and hopeful year ever. We are halfway through the school year and at a critical juncture for our students. One semester gone and only a part of a semester to make sure our students are ready for the state mandated tests which judge student and school progress. Our fourth and eighth grade students have LEAP tutoring Mondays and Thursdays until the LEAP tests. Please enable your child to attend these sessions as our data shows that our students increase their score potential by their attendance.

Report Card Conferences

It is very important that you are aware of your child’s progress in school. The District date for report card conferences is Tuesday, January 7th. We will be distributing report cards between 4:00 and 6:00 PM. If your child is in danger of failing due to not meeting state attendance requirements, and/or not meeting academic requirements you will be asked to sign a Student Study Educational Plan. The teacher will recommend interventions that will be done in the classroom and also things that need to be done away from school to help your child succeed.

Popular New Year's Resolutions

Every year we start out making goals and resolutions to improve our lives and the lives of our families. There is a government website which gives information on popular New Year’s Resolutions. Check it out for hints on a lasting resolution. The following are this year’s topics on the Government Website:

http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topic s/New-Years-Resolutions.shtml

Lose Weight

Volunteer to Help Others

Quit Smoking

Get a Better Education

Get a Better Job

Save Money

Get Fit

Eat Healthy Food

Manage Stress

Manage Debt

Take a Trip

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

Drink Less Alcohol

Students of the Year!

Each year we select one fifth grade student as Student of the Year. This year we have our first eighth grade class and will have a Student of the Year from eighth grade as well. Congratulations to Faith Burke! Faith is our Eighth Grade Student of the Year! We have two students who are sharing the Student of the Year honor for fifth grade: Dominic Dejoie and Alfred Ripoll. One of these students will be selected to compete in the District competition along with Faith. Hopefully one of our students will then go on to compete at the Region and State level. To qualify for Student of the Year in fifth grade a student must have an A average in third through fifth grades. To qualify for Student of the Year in eighth grade a student must have an A average in sixth through eighth grade. Congratulations to Faith, Dominic and Alfred. You are true examples of Benjamin Franklin students.