Franklin Family Newsletter - August/September, 2020

It is August, which means it is time to begin thinking about the school year. The August/September edition
of Franklin’s Newsletter is filled with important information about things to do in preparation for the start of
school, as well as significant dates and events during the first month of school.

The School District of Janesville will use the online registration process again this school year. Many of
the forms required for registration will be available online on our district website: http://www.janesville.k12.wi.us . Online registration is open and available to parents. If you do not have the ability to register online, you can access computer resources at the public library or contact our
Student Services office at 608-743-6026 for alternative methods of registration.

Lifetouch will be here on September 1, 2020 during Ready, Set, Goal Conferences to take your student's photograph. Click here for the link to view the Lifetouch Flyer and pre-order if you wish.

School Fees: School fees are $37.00 for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year. It is preferred that you pay your school fees via debit/credit card through Infinite Campus. If you have any questions regarding
logging into Infinite Campus, please call 608-743-6000. If you are not able to pay online, payments may be made via cash/check in the main office. Yearbooks are for sale through Jostens.com if paying via
debit/credit card. Payments for yearbooks may also be made at Franklin Middle School if necessary.

Transportation: School bus routes have been traditionally published in the Janesville Gazette prior to the start of school. You may wish to study them carefully to notice any changes. Questions concerning riding
the yellow school bus can be forwarded to Mr. Dave Farwell, District Transportation Coordinator at 608-743-5000.

Welcome to the 2020-2021 School Year

From Dr. Urness
Even with all that is going on in the world right now, we are excited about the start of the 2020-2021 school year. Welcome to Franklin Middle School, students and parents.
Ready, Set, Goal Conferences: Franklin will kick off the first day of school, September 1, 2020, with teacher-parent-student conferences known as Ready, Set, Goal Conferences. The purpose of Ready,
Set, Goal Conferences is to review previous work contained in a student’s portfolio, set goals for the upcoming school year, and answer any questions about Franklin’s policies, procedures, and expectations.
At the Ready, Set, Goal Conference, students and parents will meet with a Franklin staff member (almost always the student’s advisor) to cover informational material. We feel that Ready, Set, Goal Conferences go a long way toward making the start of the school year a positive and successful experience for everyone. Parents and students will schedule a time for their Ready, Set, Goal Conference via SignUpGenius. If you have questions about the process, please contact the school. Important Note: The only required attendance time on September 1, 2020 for your student is during their 20 to 30 minute
Ready, Set, Goal Conference.

Please feel free to contact the office at 608-743-6000, if you have any questions now and throughout the school year. Franklin is a great place because of the students, parents, and staff members. We strive to
provide an excellent adolescent educational experience for students so that they are prepared for high school and beyond. Enjoy the rest of your summer break and be ready to get to work right away on the
first day of school. Here is to a healthy, happy, and safe school year at Franklin Middle School.

Welcome back from your Student Services Center!

Your Student Services staff welcomes you to Franklin Middle School. We are working hard to finalize student schedules and promote a positive transition back to school, with special emphasis on students’
social and emotional needs.
We encourage you to contact us if you have any information we need to know to help your child’s year be successful. If you need to see us, schedule an appointment so that we can reserve time for you. Please
feel free to call the Student Services Center at 608-743-6026 for an appointment or for any other questions.

Student Services Staff:

Theresa Amundson	Secretary	608-743-6026	tamundson@janesville.k12.wi.us
Julie Konstanz	School Counselor (Gr 6 & 8B)	608-743-6027	jkonstanz@janesville.k12.wi.us
Katie Clarquist	School Counselor (Gr 7 & 8A)	608-743-6028	kclarquist@janesville.k12.wi.us
Brandee Wilker	School Psychologist	608-743-6121	bwilker@janesville.k12.wi.us
Audrey Rudersdorf	School Social Worker	608-743-6026	audrey.rudersdorf@janesville.k12.wi.us

Ready, Set, Goal Conferences

For the past several years, Franklin Middle School has kicked off the new school year with Ready, Set, Goal Conferences. These conferences give parents, students, and teachers an opportunity to discuss work done in a student’s portfolio and goals for the upcoming school year.
Like previous years, this day is not a usual day of school for students. This year, you will have a choice of how you would like to meet for RSG Conferences. When you sign up, you will have the option of meeting
in person at Franklin, meet via Google Meet or a phone conference. RSG Conferences will be held on Tuesday, September 1st from 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
If you have any questions, please contact Franklin Middle School at 608-743-6000 

Breakfast at Franklin Middle School

Franklin offers a breakfast program to students. Breakfast is free to ALL students. Students may enter the
cafeteria at 7:45 a.m. to receive breakfast. Breakfast items will then be taken to their advisories and
consumed there.

STOP, DROP, AND GO!

We have painted areas in our front circle to assist with dropping your student(s) off in the morning. Please
pull forward to the lowest numbered slot so that cars can enter from N. Crosby Avenue.

National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs

Dear Parent or Guardian: We are pleased to inform you that Franklin Middle School will be implementing the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) while participating in the National School Lunch and School
Breakfast Programs for the 2020-2021 School Year.

What does this mean for you and your children attending Franklin Middle School? All Franklin students are eligible for a free breakfast and a free lunch daily. This does not include extra milk, cold lunch milk, or ala carte purchases.

The district will still be requesting applications from households with a student participating in the CEP; however, receipt of free breakfast and lunch meals does not depend on returning it. Completing the
application is still necessary for other programs and may be used to determine if your household is eligible for these additional benefits.
If we can be of any further assistance, please contact us at 608-743-5132.
Sincerely,
Jim Degan,

SNS School Nutrition Manager

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in
or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity
conducted or funded by USDA. 

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA
office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or
letter to USDA by:
(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400
Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410
(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov. This institution is an equal opportunity
provider

Child Find Notice

“The school district must locate, identify and evaluate all resident children with disabilities, including children with disabilities attending private schools, regardless of the severity of their disabilities.” The
school district has a special education program to locate and screen all children with suspected disabilities who are residents of the district and who have not graduated from high school. Upon request the school district will screen any resident child who has not graduated high school to determine whether a special education referral is appropriate.

A request may be made by contacting Kimberli Peerenboom,
Director of Pupil Services for the School District of Janesville at 743-5061, or by writing her at 527 S. Franklin St., Janesville WI 53548.

Annually the district conducts developmental screening of preschool children. Each child’s motor, communication and social skills are observed at various play areas. Each child is weighed and measured,
and the child’s hearing and vision is checked. The information is used to provide the parent with a profile of their child’s current development and to provide suggestions for follow up activities. Parents learn about
community services available to them and speak with representatives of agencies serving families.

The information from screening is also used to determine whether a child should be evaluated for a suspected disability. When school staff reasonably believe a child is a child with a disability, they refer the child for evaluation by a school district Individualized Education Program (IEP) team. Developmental screening will be a part of the kindergarten screening this Spring. Watch for dates at your local school.

A physician, nurse, psychologist, social worker or administrator of a social agency who reasonably believes a child brought to him or her for services is a child with a disability has a legal duty to report the
child to the school district in which the child resides. Before referring the child, the person making the referral must inform the child’s parents that the referral will be made. The referral must be in writing and include the reason why the person believes the child is a child with a disability. Others who reasonably believe a child is a child with a disability may also refer the child to the school district in which the child resides. A referral of a child residing in the School District of Janesville may be sent to Kimberli Peerenboom at the school district address above.”

School District of Janesville
CONFIDENTIALITY OF PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION OBTAINED THROUGH CHILD
FIND ACTIVITIES

The School District of Janesville is required to locate, identify, and evaluate all children, with disabilities, including children with disabilities attending private schools in the school district, and homeless children.
The process of locating, identifying, and evaluating children with disabilities is known as child find. This agency conducts the following child find activities each year in the form of Early Childhood and Speech
and Language Developmental Screenings. This notice informs parents of the records the school district will develop and maintain as part of its child find activities. This notice also informs parents of their rights
regarding any records developed.

The school district gathers personally identifiable information on any child who participates in child find activities. Parents, teachers, and other professionals provide information to the school related to the
child’s academic performance, behavior, and health. This information is used to determine whether the child needs special education services. Personally identifiable information directly related to a child and
maintained by the school is a pupil record. Pupil records include records maintained in any way including, but not limited to, computer storage media, video and audiotape, film, microfilm, and microfiche. Records
maintained for personal use by a teacher and not available to others and records available only to persons involved in the psychological treatment of a child are not pupil records.

The school district maintains several classes of pupil records.
● "Progress records" include grades, courses the child has taken, the child's attendance record, immunization records, required lead screening records, and records of school extra-curricular activities.
Progress records must be maintained for at least five years after the child ceases to be enrolled.
● "Behavioral records" include such records as psychological tests, personality evaluations, records of conversations, written statements relating specifically to the pupil's behavior, tests relating specifically to
achievement or measurement of ability, physical health records other than immunization and lead screening records, law enforcement officers' records, and other pupil records that are not "progress
records." Law enforcement officers' records are maintained separately from other pupil records.

Behavioral records may be maintained for no longer than one year after the child graduates or otherwise ceases to be enrolled, unless the parent specifies in writing that the records may be maintained for a
longer period of time. The school district informs parents when pupil records are no longer needed to provide special education. At the request of the child's parents, the school district destroys the information that is no longer needed.

● "Directory data" includes the student's name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, photographs, degrees and awards received, and the name of the school most recently previously attended by the student.

● "Pupil physical health records" include basic health information about a pupil, including the pupil's immunization records, an emergency medical card, a log of first aid and medicine administered to the
pupil, an athletic permit card, a record concerning the pupil's ability to participate in an education program, any required lead screening records, the results of any routine screening test, such as for
hearing, vision or scoliosis, and any follow-up to the test, and any other basic health information, as determined by the state superintendent. Any pupil record relating to a pupil's physical health that is not a
pupil physical health record is treated as a patient health care record under sections 146.81 to 146.84,Wisconsin Statutes.

Any pupil record concerning HIV testing is treated as provided under section 252.15, Wisconsin Statutes.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and section 118.125, Wisconsin Statutes, afford parents and students over 18 years of age
("eligible students") the following rights with respect to education records:
● The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of receipt of the request. Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal [or appropriate school official] a written
request that identifies the records(s) they wish to inspect. The principal will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. The school district will comply with the request without unnecessary delay and before any meeting about an individualized education program, or any due process hearing, and in no case more than 45 days after the request has been made. If any record includes information on more than one child, the parents of those children have the right to inspect and review only the information about their child or to be informed of that specific information. Upon request, the school district will give a parent or eligible student a copy of the progress records and a copy of the behavioral records. Upon request, the school district will give the parent or eligible student a list of the types and locations of education records collected, maintained, or used by the district for special education. The school district will respond to reasonable requests for explanations and interpretations of the records. A representative of the parent may inspect and review the records.
● The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the parent or eligible student believes is inaccurate or misleading. Parents or eligible students may ask [Name of] School
District to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the school principal, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or
misleading. If the district decides not to amend the record, the district will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and the right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.
● The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information in the student's education records, except to the extent that federal and state law authorize disclosure without consent. The
exceptions are stated in 34 CFR 99.31, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act regulations; Sec. 9528, PL107-110, No Child Left Behind Act of 2001; and section 118.125(2)(a) to (m) and sub. (2m),
Wisconsin Statutes. One exception that permits disclosure without consent is disclosures to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the district as an
administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the school board; a person or company with whom the
district has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist); or a parent or student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance
committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her
professional responsibility. Upon request, the district discloses education records without consent to officials of another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll. Also the district discloses
"directory data" without consent, unless the parent notifies the district that it may not be released without prior parental consent.
● The right to file a complaint with the U. S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the District to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.,
Washington, DC 20202-4605.

FRANKLIN MIDDLE SCHOOL CALENDAR INFORMATION

 

Franklin Phone Numbers

Main Office	608-743-6000
Attendance Office	608-743-6030
Asst. Prin. Office	608-743-6007
Student Services	608-743-6026
Athletic Office	608-743-6021

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