The Franklin SURGE

Dear Franklin Middle School Families,

October has been buzzing with energy at Franklin! We were treated to two amazing fall concerts led by Mr. and Mrs. Petilo—our students performed with heart, skill, and school pride. We also wrapped up an awesome Spirit Week last week; thank you to everyone who dressed up, joined the fun, and helped build community.

A quick reminder: Student–Family Conferences run October 27–31. Conferences are a key part of partnering together for your child’s success. If you still need to confirm your time, please contact our office and we will connect you with your childs teacher. Information on tutoring will be available at conferences. We also have amazing programs for Math and Reading that students can do at home to improve their reading and math scores. Ask your child about MyPath Reading and Math!

Honoring Veterans Day

As we approach Veterans Day, we would like to take time to honor and celebrate the service of our nation’s veterans. Franklin Middle School will share a Veterans Day slideshow to recognize the family members of our students who have served. We will be showcasing this at 1:30 PM on November 7th during our Veterans Day Assembly.

If your family has a relative you would like to have included in the slideshow, please email Mr. Sanders at Sanders.robert@ysd7.org with the following:

• A photo of the veteran

• Their name,

• Branch and years served

• Their relation to the Franklin student

We appreciate your help in making this a meaningful tribute for our community.

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month

November is also Native American Heritage Month, a time to recognize and honor the rich traditions, cultures, and contributions of Indigenous peoples. Throughout the month, our students will engage in classroom discussions and activities that highlight Native American history and its deep connections to our region and nation.

Our Franklin Middle School Display will be set up to honor Native American Heritage Month and will be designed by one of our very own 7th students Rosalie Q. and her grandmother.

We are proud to celebrate the heritage and voices of our Native students, families, and community members as part of our ongoing commitment to inclusion and cultural understanding.

Family Nights & Community Events

We love bringing our community together—mark your calendars!

Trunk or Treat – Wednesday, October 30
Costumes, candy, and community fun in our parking lot!

Turkey Bingo – Thursday, November 20
A classic Franklin favorite—win prizes and enjoy a cozy night with friends and family.

Winter Festival STEAM+ Night – Tuesday, December 16
Hands-on science, technology, engineering, arts, math, and more! Come explore, create, and celebrate learning.

In November, we’ll continue our focus on strong instruction, positive behaviors, and attendance. Watch for updates from your child’s teachers about classroom goals and ways to support learning at home. We’ll also share details about additional opportunities for student clubs and after-school activities.

Thank you for your continued partnership and for cheering on our students—whether in classrooms, on stage, or at our community events. Together, we’re lighting the way for every Franklin student.

With gratitude,

Mr. Espindola
Principal
Franklin Middle School

• Trunk or Treat-Thursday, October 30th @ 3:30-4:30, in the Franklin M.S. parking lot
• Conferences, Half Day Release @11:15 Monday, Oct 27-Friday, October 31, 2025
• Veterans Day Assembly- Friday, November 7th @ 1:30 PM
• Turkey Bingo-Thursday, November 20th @ 5:30-7:00PM
• Orchestra/Choir Winter Concert- Tuesday, December 9th @ 6:30 PM
• Band Winter Concert-Thursday, December 11th @ 6:30 PM
• Winter Festival-Tuesday, December 16th @ 6:00 PM

Join us for our Trunk or Treat on October 30th — it’s going to be fang-tastic fun for the whole family! Bring your Franklin students (and their little brothers and sisters!) to enjoy tons of treats, exciting games, and a fun photo booth to capture all the Halloween magic. Don’t miss out on this frightfully good time!

We look forward to seeing you there!!!

At Franklin Middle School, we’re committed to helping every student grow and succeed — and one of the best tools to make that happen is Imagine MyPath!

💡 What Is Imagine MyPath?

Imagine MyPath is an adaptive learning program that supports students in both reading and math. It’s designed to meet each student exactly where they are — filling in skill gaps, strengthening foundational learning, and helping them catch up or get ahead.

Students use MyPath Reading and MyPath Math to work through fun, engaging lessons that build confidence and mastery. Every activity adjusts automatically based on how the student performs, ensuring the right balance of challenge and support.

🚀 Why It Matters

• Personalized Learning: MyPath tailors each lesson to your child’s unique needs.

• Skill Acceleration: Helps students strengthen key reading and math skills critical for grade-level success.

• Engaging Format: The program includes interactive lessons, visuals, and feedback that keep students motivated and invested in their own growth.

• Proven Results: Schools across the nation use MyPath to help students make measurable gains in reading and math.

🧠 How Families Can Help

You play a huge role in your child’s success! Here’s how you can support them:

1. Set a Routine: Encourage your child to spend at least 20 minutes a day on MyPath Reading and 20 minutes on MyPath Math.

2. Celebrate Growth: Ask them what they learned each day — celebrate their progress and milestones!

3. Stay Connected: Check in with teachers for updates on your child’s MyPath progress and celebrate their achievements at home.

🌈 The Goal: Confidence and Success for Every Student

Imagine MyPath helps our students build the foundational skills needed for long-term academic success. Whether it’s mastering fractions or improving reading comprehension, MyPath empowers students to take ownership of their learning journey.

Together, we can help every Quaker become stronger, more confident learners — ready to take on new challenges and reach new goals!

At Franklin Middle School, we believe in recognizing and rewarding students who are doing the right things—academically, behaviorally, and in their attendance. When students consistently show Good Grades, Good Attendance, and Good Behavior, they earn the opportunity to participate in special privileges such as field trips, school celebrations, and other fun activities throughout the year.

To help maintain the integrity of these rewards, students who fail two or more classes will not be eligible to participate unless they can get passing grades. Our goal is to encourage responsibility and accountability, while still offering every student a chance to succeed.

We want families to know that we make every effort to support your child's academic success. At Franklin Middle School, here are a few examples of the support we offer:

• Highly capable classes for students ready to be challenged,

• Support classes for students who need extra help,

• Imagine MyPath Reading and Math, which students can access both at school and at home to catch up on important skills,

• And twice-monthly targeted intervention and enrichment sessions(Lightning Learning Days) to meet students where they are and help them grow.

• Lightning Learning Room for students who need to refocus and speak to someone about their behavior.

We appreciate your partnership and look forward to a successful year for every student—together, we can make it happen!

Dr. Rizo's encouraged our students to become Boundless. An excerpt from her assembly description "Life presents obstacles at every stage, but here’s a secret: these obstacles can either ignite your drive to succeed or become excuses that hold you back. Join us on a journey to discover your inner hero.

We hope you SAVE the DATE for these awesome upcoming events!!

• Turkey Bingo and Winter Fest

Winter 1 Sports starts November 3rd. If you have a child interested in playing Girls Basketball or Wrestling(Co-ed) please make sure to register them on Arbiters FamilyID.Com program.

• Click link below

• We will continue with our Pick-up and Drop-off protocol from last year for those of you returning.
• 6th-grade parents this is new learning for you. Please pay attention to the routes.
• We will block the turn on 19th from Tieton. Please follow the routes below.
• Student Drop off is at the arches on 19th.

Franklin has another drop-off and pick-up route. The routes above will stay the same. We will be opening the parking lot on 19th for drop-off & pick-up as an option for families who prefer to drop-off/pick-up in the parking lot.

We are placing cones in our parking lot to make it safer. Please do not attempt to pass a car in the drop-off/pick-up line, follow the car in front of you.

As you exit the parking lot, please turn right. Do not attempt to turn left as it will cause serious congestion in the entrance area to the parking lot. Here is the image of our additional Drop-off/pick-up route.

Dress Code and Cellphone Policies

We want to ensure all families are familiar with our school's policies, particularly regarding dress code and cellphone usage. Adherence to the dress code promotes a respectful and distraction-free learning environment. Similarly, our cellphone policy is designed to minimize distractions and maximize learning time.

Franklin Middle School Dress for Success Code

The primary responsibility for a student’s attire resides with the student and their parent(s) or guardian(s). The Yakima School District expects students to dress in a way that is appropriate for the school day or any school sponsored event. Student dress code requirements reflect fair, equitable and consistent practices for all students, while contributing to a safe and positive school climate. We believe it is one more component of preparing students for success.

Students who choose to dress inappropriately* will be asked to change. If they do not have other attire to change into, parents will be called and asked to either bring appropriate clothing or take their student home. Suspension is a viable option for students who repeatedly ignore dress code.

The following is a guideline of how to wear some articles of clothing, as well as what is viewed as unacceptable.

* Inappropriate clothing is any item deemed by administration as disruptive to the educational process, advertises illegal substances, or promotes/is identified with gangs.

Clothing must cover underwear and cover body areas from the top of one armpit to the top of the other armpit, and down to mid-thigh. Tops must have shoulder straps and be long enough to adequately cover the waistline and not expose the midriff. Jeans/Shorts with rips/tears higher than mid-thigh that expose skin are not allowed ( if shorts or opaque leggings are worn underneath and cover the skin, then the jeans will be allowed)

Wear shoes that are appropriate and safe for a learning environment-including Physical Education and lots of stairs. No slippers.

Headgear- Appropriate caps and beanies are allowed if they do not cover the ears. Hoods and sunglasses may not be worn indoors.

Clothing and accessories displaying profanity, violence, discriminatory messages, sexually suggestive phrases, phrases or symbols of alcohol, tobacco, or drugs are unacceptable.

Gang related clothing, accessories, symbolism, or jewelry is everchanging and not tolerated. This includes gang symbolism, graffiti, and Old English writing. Gang graffiti drawn or worn on the person, in notebooks, folders, papers, backpacks, or hats will lead to a gang contract and further discipline. We collaborate with the Yakima Police Dept to update changes in gang related apparel. We publish the changes in our newsletter. At this time, the following have been designated as gang related and are not allowed:

Please Stay Away from Clothing or Accessories with the following:

• Old English Writing

• Dickies Brand Pants

• Clothing that Represents Drugs & Alcohol(i.e. Cookies, etc.,)

• Clothing with weapons or violence

• The New York Yankee emblem

• Bandanas

• Belts, especially web belts, with the tails hanging down from the waist

• Rosaries/Excessive Bracelets in a Specific Color(i.e. Red, Blue)

• Too much red or too much blue(I.e., coordinating red/blue clothing with like accessories and shoe strings or the same color jumpsuit or sweat suit)

• Extremely Baggy Pants& Sweats(These items need to fit your students well)

• No Blue, or Red Pajama Pants or Plaid Pajama Pants

Franklin Middle School students will not be allowed to have their phones out in classrooms, or common areas, such as restrooms and hallways. This policy is implemented to decrease behaviors like social media bullying. To continue supporting a safe and connected school environment that promotes enhanced learning, we will be requiring students to keep their cell phones, earbuds, headphones, etc. in their backpacks and out of sight during the entire school day. This policy is in alignment with the other 3 middle schools in the Yakima School District. The District Communications Devices Policy can be found in the Student Handbook under (COM) on our website. https://www.ysd7.org/resources/student-resources

The goal of our cell phone policy is to increase student engagement in the classroom and to create a culture of respect for learning. Data shows that students are more focused and have higher test scores and grades when cell phones are kept out of the classroom. (See awayfortheday.research)