The Franklin SURGE

Franklin Middle School Families,

As we head into the heart of December, I want to share my appreciation for the incredible investment our students and families continue to make in education. It has been a great month at Franklin, and the energy across our school has been inspiring to see.

A highlight from this past week was our two outstanding music concerts on Tuesday and Thursday. Our students performed with confidence and pride, and it was clear how much time and effort went into their preparation. A special thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Petilo for the excellent work they do in developing our musicians and creating meaningful performance opportunities for students. Thank you as well to the families who showed up to support—your presence matters, and it strengthens our school community.

I also want to share an exciting announcement: our Winter Festival is coming up on Tuesday, December 16 at 6:00 PM. This will be a fun, family-friendly evening featuring STEAM activities for students. STEAM+ stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math and other content areas—it represents hands-on learning that builds creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, and real-world thinking. In addition to STEAM stations, we will have pictures with Santa, cookie decorating, and hot chocolate for families to enjoy together. This is a night of crafts, fun and community! Students if you saved your BOLTS, this would be a night to spend them on our BOLT SALE!!!We hope you’ll join us for a memorable night at Franklin.

As a quick academic reminder, midterms wrapped up last week, and I encourage families to continue checking Skyward to stay updated on grades and assignments. Please note that the end of the quarter and semester is January 22. This is a great time for students to check in with their teachers, ask questions, and ensure they are on track, especially if they are currently deficient in Math or Reading.

If your child needs additional support, we strongly encourage consistent use of MyPath Reading and MyPath Math at home. Even a small amount of daily practice can make a significant difference in building skills and confidence over time. The science says students will make significant growth in Reading and Math if they engage 60-90 minutes a week on each program.

Thank you again for your continued partnership and support of Franklin Middle School. We are proud of our students and grateful for the community we share. Wishing you a restful, joyful holiday season and a wonderful winter break.

With gratitude,

Mr. Espindola
Principal
Franklin Middle School

Here is the invitation with all of the booth activities for your preview. WE WILL SEE YOU ALL THERE!!!!

• Winter Festival-Tuesday, December 16th @ 6:00 PM
• Winter Break- Monday, December 22-Jan 2, 2026-No school

Seventh grade science students have been learning about Earth's history. Analyses of rock formations and the fossils they contain are used to establish relative ages of major events in Earth’s history. We learned about the different types of fossils and how they are formed. Before Thanksgiving, students made a salt dough and created either a cast or trace fossil.

We had two great Winter Concerts. Here are some pictures from both nights!

Also known as Baccalaureate, this degree normally requires at least four years of full-time college work, usually offered at four-year colleges and universities.

Pacific Lutheran University

About

Originally founded in 1890 by a group of Scandinavian Lutherans, Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) has been transformed into a Liberal Arts University offering undergraduate and graduate degrees while maintaining their affiliation with the Lutheran church.

Located in Tacoma, Washington Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) is categorized as a small private university. With only 2,700 students, PLU offers a 13:1 student to faculty ratio allowing students to form close-knit relationships with classmates and instructors. Which in hand improves academic performances because professors have the opportunity to provide personalized feedback and support.

PLU is home to 4 colleges including:

• College of Health Professions

• College of Liberal Studies

• College of Natural Sciences

• College of Professional Studies

Within these colleges you will see an array of programs offering degrees that range from bachelor's to doctorate degrees. Pacific Lutheran University is most acclaimed for its Nursing, Education, and its Holocaust Studies program.

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!

Winter 2 Sports starts January 27th. If you have a child interested in playing Boys Basketball or Girls Bowling please make sure to register them on Arbiters FamilyID.Com program on January 3rd.

• 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)