Ben Franklin Newsletter

Dear Ben Franklin Families,

This past week was full of fun with a focus on reading as we celebrated National Read Across America week! Be sure to check out the pictures within this newsletter showing how much students truly enjoyed their time with books and with others. I would like to thank Mrs. Amy Reif and Mrs. Wendy Offery for organizing the week-long events and to all the adults in our school who participated and enhanced our students' love of reading!

Mrs. LaFlamme did a wonderful job showcasing our 2nd graders musical talents in "Hats", their annual concert that was performed on Wednesday this past week as well. The students certainly did not disappoint as they performed their speaking lines, their singing, and their choreography! It was a wonderful performance for all to enjoy!!

In this upcoming week, Lawrence Township will have the opportunity to cast their individual votes regarding the referendum. Be sure to check out the section below with links to information regarding what is being voted upon to be able to cast an informed vote on Tuesday, March 11th.

Lastly, just a quick reminder that there was a change to the March lunch menu. This coming Monday, March 10th, grilled cheese and tomato soup will be served for lunch.

Have a wonderful weekend and be sure to "spring" your clocks ahead an hour on Sunday!

Sincerely,

Geoff Hewitt
Principal

This Tuesday, you have an opportunity to make a lasting difference by voting on a referendum that directly impacts our children, teachers, and township.

Polls will be open Tuesday, March 11 from 6 am - 8 pm in your usual voting locations.

Learn more about the referendum here.

This flyer went home in student backpacks recently inviting all students, family members, and staff members to join our BF Team this year! St. Baldrick's Foundation works to fight kids' cancer and everyone within the BF community is welcome to help in the battle by being a participant who shaves their head, by advertising, and by donating to the foundation through our BF Team. All of the details are on the flyer. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Mr. Rude (our BF Team organizer) or Mr. Hewitt. Although the shaving event will take place in mid-March, please be sure to join the team now if you would like to be involved!

Interested in making a donation to one of our BF Team Members? Visit this page - https://www.stbaldricks.org/teams/teambenfranklin2025

All students have the opportunity to participate in fundraising through purchasing tickets to be entered in a staff member's bucket with the chance to have their ticket drawn and the opportunity to throw a pie in the face of that staff member. Yes, you heard that right, throw a pie in the staff member's face during an all school assembly on Friday, March 14th! Click here or on the image to see the details of this event!

This year's Face Painting and Super Fun Color Run will take place on Saturday, March 15th at Ben Franklin. There is a $10 fee to register for the run and $1 for face painting. All proceeds go to St. Baldrick's fight against childhood cancer!! If you are interested in participating, please click on this link to the registration form. You can also click on the image to also access the registration form.

Throughout this past week students participated in a variety of themed spirit days as well as many different activities that celebrated reading! Guest readers visited classrooms surprising students with a good book for all to enjoy. Some guest readers included Board of Education members Michelle King, Olga Martinez, Diana Pasculli, and Arundel Clarke, Central Office Staff members Robyn Klim, Jeanne Muzi, and Vanessa Bekarciak, LTPS Supervisors Egnita Pardo, Maureen Hayes, and Damian Bariexca, as well as BF Staff members including Geoff Hewitt, Amy Reif, Colleen Schantzer, Alyssa Brownrigg, Jen Skorupa, Julie Schmidt and many others throughout the week!

Students kicked off the week participating in a schoolwide Reading "Train" on Monday when the whole school cozied up with a good book and lined the hallways of Ben Franklin! Later in the week, classes buddied up to read with one another. 3rd graders paired with 1st grade and 2nd grade paired with Kindergarten as well as PreK! The students visibly were engaged in both events... check out the pictures below!

Also, students and adults have been tracking the books they have read and will continue to do so throughout this month. Each book read is written on a link of our Reading Chain as we attempt to line the hallways visibly demonstrating how reading bonds us! We can't wait to see how far our chain (which is already circling the foyer) will go!!

BF Reading "Train"

Buddy Reading & Our Chain of Books!

PTO's Book Exchange - all students took home up to 6 "new to them" books on Friday! Along with their pick of one of 445 beautifully handmade bookmarks that were created by our 2nd and 3rd grade artists in art class with Ms. Skorupa! Thank you to 2nd grader, Jordan P., for counting all 445 bookmarks!!

Our 2nd grade students performed for the entire school Wednesday morning and again Wednesday afternoon for their families and loved ones. Each performance was so well done and it was clear that the students had worked very hard! Mrs. Colleen LaFlamme, BF Music Teacher, had planned the concert and worked with the students allowing them to truly shine and showcase their talents... thank you, Mrs. LaFlamme! Below are some more pictures to enjoy from their performances...

The PTO Directory has been updated this past month. If you would like to obtain the link to the updated directory, please reach out to bfptorocks@gmail.com and they will be happy to share the link with you. We have opted not to post the link here as this newsletter is often posted publicly on our website and we do not want to share out our families' confidential information.

If you would like your information added or updated, please reach out to the school's Main Office ((609)671-5540) or to Mr. Hewitt (ghewitt@ltps.org).

Holidays in Harmony - Check out the link to learn more about how you and your family can create and share out family traditions in the form of a poster. All posters will be on display during the Multicultural Night. Please be sure to submit posters to the Main Office by Monday, March 10th.

Multicultural Night - On Wednesday, March 12th, the second annual Multicultural Night will be held from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The event will take place in the BF multi-purpose room (the "airport") and gymnasium (the "Global Marketplace"). All BF families and staff are welcome to attend! We are excited for the BF community to come together to celebrate all the wonderful cultures and traditions within our school. Children will be given passports and boarding passes as they travel to the various activity tables! To join in on the fun, RSVP at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4BABAF2AA4F5C52-54337023-multicultural?useFullSite=true#/

• If you would like to join the event, please sign up in at least one of 3 ways (this counts as admission for your family to the event):
1. Showcase an activity or interactive display! We would love to see what reflects your culture, heritage, nationality, the area you are from in the US, and/or how you celebrate holidays! After visiting your table, children will be given a sticker stamp to go in their passports! Stamps will be provided by the PTO.
2. Bring a potluck item to share! Families/staff can contribute their favorite family dishes (even if it’s chocolate chip cookies), special or secret family recipes, dishes from around the world, where you are from in America, and/or dishes that are from their culture/heritage. Food can be either homemade or store-bought. Please note that the portion size is up to you. We will also need people to sign up for some staple items such as drinks and fruit trays. Items should be delivered by 6/6:15pm.
3. Volunteer to help! You can do so during the event by checking in guests and/or helping to clean-up at the end of the event
• If you have any questions, please send an email to Petra and Ilana at BFPTOrocks@gmail.com. RSVP for a slot by March 8, 2025: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4BABAF2AA4F5C52-54337023-multicultural?useFullSite=true#
• **Inclement weather reschedule date: March 13, 2025.
• We will also have raffles, cultural performances and international music this year!

Spring Teacher Clubs (click here for the offerings) -

• It’s time to enroll students in teacher clubs! Registration opened on February 27th this past week. Click here to sign up for a Spring Teacher Club. The offerings are attached. Review the club descriptions as dates, club exclusions and costs vary by club. If your child is ineligible to sign up for a club (grade level exclusion etc.), we will have to remove your child from the club and refund your payment, less fees. Enrollments are first-come, first-served. Additional information on payment is in the description in the Signup Genius. Please note that no refunds will be given after the enrollment period ends.
• A club volunteer is required for every club. Click here to sign up as a club volunteer. As the club volunteer, your child will be GUARANTEED a spot in that club AND you will be refunded $10 at the end of the club after successfully completing your club volunteer duties. The club volunteer takes attendance and supervises the club students in the gym after the school dismissal until the club teacher finishes their dismissal duties and arrives at the gym to collect the children at 3:45pm. If a club does not get a volunteer, we will have to cancel that club.
• All the teacher clubs take place at Ben Franklin school. At the end of each session, the club students must be picked up at the school on time. Transportation home is not provided. If a child attends the YMCA after school program at the school, they can be dismissed to aftercare at the conclusion of the club.
• The enrollment period ends on Sunday, March 16th. If you have any questions, please reply to this email.

PTO Meeting: Monday, March 24, 2025 at 7:00 pm on Google Meet (Link - https://meet.google.com/emf-gjsn-vkn)

1st Grade Sponsored Teacher Appreciation Luncheon - Our next teacher & staff appreciation luncheon of the year is on Wednesday, March 26th and sponsored by 1st grade families. This luncheon will have a brunch theme with entrees and sides such as chicken and waffles, bagels, sandwiches, salads, etc.

• Please see the link to sign up to bring in a food item or supplies:[goog_85664487] https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0548A5AA22ABFD0-55382294-1stgrade#/
• Monetary donations are also greatly appreciated and will be used to purchase hot food trays and any remaining items on the SignUp Genius.

BF PTO Website: www.bfpto.org

Email: bfptorocks@gmail.com

As spring approaches and our 3rd graders are preparing for 4th grade, we know that there may be many questions and a little bit of nervousness about the move to a new building, LIS. Our goal as a district is to make this transition as smooth as possible for students and families. In an effort to do this, LIS has scheduled a variety of transition events that will be taking place this year. Please visit this link to see dates and information about each event scheduled - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1g1jANjEOTJlpV9WiLMBuedAzd7oWRfhn/view?usp=sharing

A Ben Franklin alumni, Kate Moog, is fundraising to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. One fundraiser even she is hosting is the BF After Hours Parent Night Out event on Tuesday, March 11th from 6:00-8:30 pm at Ben Franklin in the All Purpose Room/Cafeteria. See the flyer for details by clicking here or clicking on the image to the side of this announcement. Please know that this is NOT a BF or PTO event. If you are interested in registering for the event, please do so by clicking here.

Registration Link - https://forms.gle/7AahdmnNtnRkXGpA8

You may have noticed that BF has begun to store non-perishable foods in the front foyer of the school. We have partnered with Mercer Street Friends to assist in supporting our community. If you would benefit from receiving support from our school in the form of care packages of food, please feel free to reach out to Mrs. Umbach (mumbach@ltps.org), Mr. Hewitt (ghewitt@ltps.org), Mrs. Delgado (ddelgado@ltps.org), or Mrs. Tennant (ltennant@ltps.org). You can also call the main office at (609)671-5540.

The 3rd grade yearbook committee is working hard to complete the yearbook for this year's 3rd grade class. They are asking all 3rd grade families to complete this survey. They have 33 responses so far and would really like information from all 3rd grade families! Please take a moment to complete the survey for each of your 3rd grade students as soon as possible.

Link to survey - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1zwGvkqwzA6-3lzEBb4pO3d-pRR-CkW-U5o_BHjsuzPA/edit

In addition, here is an email address that can be used for all communication regarding the yearbook - benfranklinyearbook2025@gmail.com This is the email address that all communication to families will come from and that can be used to send photos (class photos, students photos at school events, etc.) to Felissa Szold and Amanda Taglairino.

The LTEF is excited to announce that we are adding an Art Contest to the 2nd annual Lawrence Has Talent show on April 4, 2025 at Lawrence High School.

The LTEF is so excited to announce the addition of the Lawrence Has Talent Art Contest. Not everyone has talent that is able to be shown on a stage and we aim to honor and celebrate all types of talent. We will be holding an art contest in conjunction with the talent show and we are pleased to invite artists of all types to enter. Visit here for more info and to enter: https://givebutter.com/LHTartcontest

Questions? Info@ltefnj.org.

Sign up here: https://givebutter.com/LHTartcontest

All entries are due by March 20th.

Attention families of three and four-year-old children that live in Lawrence - LTPS's preschool application is now available on our website and will remain open until April 11, 2025. See this flyer for more details. Please note that this is a lottery system and not "first come first served." Tell your friends!

Link to LTPS District Calendar (2024-2025)

February 28th - March 29th - Ramadan... click here for information about Ramadan!

March:

9 - Daylight Savings Begins - Set clocks forward 1 hour!

10 -

• 1st Grade Campfire Lessons
• Holidays in Harmony (PTO) posters DUE

11 -

• Referendum Vote
• After Hours Parent Night Out, 6:00-8:30 pm (fundraiser for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society)

12 - PTO Multicultural Night, 6:00-8:00 pm at BF

13 -

• Purim
• PTO Multicultural Night (weather date)

14 -

• Holi
• St. Baldrick's Fundraising & Shaving Event & St. Baldrick's Pi Day Event, (Schoolwide Assembly at BF)

15 -

• BF's Super Fun Color Run (Registration & Face Painting), 10:15-11:00 am at BF
• BF's Super Fun Color Run, 11:00 am at BF
• St. Baldrick's Fundraising & Shaving Event at Amalfi's, 11:00-1:00

17 - St. Patrick's Day

18 - K to see LMS Musical, Moana, Jr. (during school day)

19 - BOE Mtg., 7:00 pm at LHS

20 - 1st Day of Spring

21 - World Down Syndrome Day - Wear mismatched socks!

24 - PTO Mtg., 7:00 pm on Google Meet (link to follow)

25 - PreK-3 Class Photos with Photo Haven

26 -

• Schoolwide Assembly - The Illusion Maker’s Brand New “POP QUIZ” Environmental Quiz Show
• Staff Luncheon hosted by 1st grade families (PTO sponsored)

31 - No School for Students, Staff Development

April:

2 - Screenagers Showing at LIS (3-6 Families), 6:30 pm

4 -

• Mad Science Assemblies (PreK-3) sponsored by PTO (during school day)
• LTEF's Lawrence Has Talent, 6:00 pm at LHS

8 - LIS Jazz Band to visit BF (during school day)

9 -

• Early Dismissal Day (students dismissed at 1:20), Afternoon Conferences
• BOE Mtg., 7:00 pm at LHS

10 - Early Dismissal Day (students dismissed at 1:20), Evening Conferences

11 - Early Dismissal Day (students dismissed at 1:20), Afternoon Conferences

14-18 & 21 - No School, Spring Break

24 - K Field Trip to Howell Living History Farm

25 - BF Spirit Assembly - ALL students and staff members encouraged to wear spirit wear and/or wear blue and white!

28 -PTO Mtg., 7:00 pm on Google Meet (link to follow)

28-May 2 - PTO Teacher Appreciation Week