Ben Franklin Newsletter

Dear Ben Franklin Families,

I hope this message finds you well! I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in our Back to School Night this week. It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces and to welcome new families into our school community. The energy and enthusiasm from everyone truly set the tone for a successful school year ahead. In addition, our first PTO meeting had a great turn out and was a great opportunity for parents to connect, ask questions, and to get involved.

I would also like to take a moment to thank our staff members for working with your children to develop such nice hallway displays that showcase our students' creative and innovative work. The creativity and talent on display is really impressive. Please see an example of Mrs. Schmidt's hallway display in the picture to right (sponsored by the LTEF as an engaging way to grow student vocabulary).

Thank you once again for your continued support and for being an integral part of your child's education. Together, we create a nurturing and engaging environment that helps the students of Ben Franklin to thrive. I look forward to our ongoing collaboration and to witnessing the amazing growth of your children throughout the year!

We hope you can make it to the PTO's Ice Cream Social on Wednesday evening this week (details below)! Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Geoff Hewitt

Principal

Every three years, school districts undergo a NJ Quality Single Accountability Continuum (QSAC) Review by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE). In that review, the following areas are evaluated: Instructional & Program, Fiscal Management, Governance, Operations and Personnel.

Lawrence Township Public Schools (LTPS) is proud to announce that Lawrence scored a perfect 100% in three of the five categories, yielding a district-wide average score of more than 95%. This score designates Lawrence as a “High Performing” district! Click here to see a recent article announcing this great news!

We have opened the feature in Genesis that allows you (as the parent/guardian) to mark your child absent. This allows you to use the app or the website to simply go into the system and mark an absence for the day or for a day in the future that you know your child(ren) will be absent. Here are the directions for utilizing this system.

Please know that the Ben Franklin Attendance email and phone line do remain active, however, we encourage you to take advantage of this "Notify Attendance Office" feature for a more direct and immediate response. Should you need any assistance or have questions about your parent portal account (link to parent portal), do not hesitate to contact our front office staff at (609)671-5540.

Walker Pick-Up -

• Students should be picked up and go to assist with making sure all students are accounted for and to provide less confusion.
• If students want to play, please move to the playground where students can do so safely - they should not be running in the yard, bushes, or climbing trees.

Car Line Pick-Up -

• Please be sure to have your child(ren) ready to load the vehicle on the curbside (sidewalk) side of the car.
• Students are asked to be able to get into vehicles without a parent/guardian needing to get out of the car... this helps to move the car line along more quickly.
• Please do not move out of line and go around a car unless you have been directed to do so by our Class III Officer or a staff member.

Student Early Pick-Up -

• Students need to be picked up by 3:00 pm in the main office (if going home early). If a student needs to be picked up after 3:00 pm, they will be dismissed to the walker line or the car line.

**Thank you all for your support in making this busy time of day safe and as efficient as possible... we greatly appreciate it!**

This year, in an effort to "never forget" those who perished on 9/11 and the compassionate heroes who helped us restore faith in humanity, Ms. Smoots' class has committed to paying it forward by completing 3 good deeds as a class. The class voted to honor our school custodians by helping to clean the cafeteria and our own classroom. Students will also spread kindness by partnering with the kindergarteners at Ben Franklin and students have chosen to show an act of kindness to family members. Please see the pictures of the students lightening custodians, Mr. Gerald and Mr. Joe, cleaning loads. We all appreciate Mr. Gerald and Mr. Joe as well as all our custodians for keeping our building and classrooms clean. The class wants everyone to know how much they respect and acknowledge their hard work!

Handbag BINGO!

The LTEF Handbag BINGO tickets went on sale yesterday to the public! Here is a link to the webpage with more information - https://www.ltefnj.org/events-fundraisers If you plan to purchase tickets, please visit this site - https://events.humanitix.com/ltef-s-handbag-bingo-fall-2024 The event will be held on Friday, October 25th and doors will open at 6:00 pm at the West Trenton Volunteer Fire Company.

LTEF Back to School Night Video

There was a table in our exhibit area of the gym with representatives from the LTEF at our Back to School Night this past week. In case you did not get to stop by or you want to be learn more about the LTEF, please visit this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf5OleSM0dU

Lawrence Has Talent Event

Save the date! This 2nd Annual event is scheduled for April 4, 2025! Details to follow in the future from the LTEF.

Our School Nurse, Nurse Brydie Calkin, has provided the below information to keep everyone up to date:

Covid guidance is now consistent with the guidance of reparatory illness (you will see that guidance in the image below). Although not required, the CDC recommends the following:

• Keeping your immunizations up to date
  

• Follow up with your doctor, if you become ill, for treatments that may help minimize symptoms and the duration of illness

• Test yourself if you become ill so you can be proactive in preventing the spread

• If you are symptomatic or someone around you is symptomatic, consider using techniques such as masking, frequent hand washing and physical distancing

If you need to contact Nurse Calkin, she can be reached at bcalkin@ltps.org or by phone at (609)671-5543.

School Directory (https://forms.gle/R8ZWhtFfvRyKcJLi6): The PTO will be providing every family in the school with a free digital school directory! The directory is a great resource to reach out to fellow classmates or families to arrange playdates, birthday invitations, discuss classroom needs, or to contact other families with school related questions.

IMPORTANT!!! Please be sure to complete the Google Form that Mr. Hewitt sent out which allows you to share the information that you would like placed in the directory. Here is the link to the Google Form - https://forms.gle/R8ZWhtFfvRyKcJLi6 If you have any issues with the form, please contact Mr. Hewitt at ghewitt@ltps.org.

Fall Teacher Clubs! Please review the options and take note of the dates, times, and cost as they may vary. Please pay attention to this when reviewing the form and making your choices.

We must have a parent/guardian volunteer for each club. The volunteer arrives at the school by 3:10 pm on the club days and assists with assembling the students for that club and supervising them until the club teacher has completed their dismissal duties and comes to collect the students.

Please use this link to sign up to volunteer. The volunteer’s child will be guaranteed a spot in the club AND we will refund $10 of their enrollment fee upon conclusion of the club. The volunteer needs to be there each week to get the $10 refund (or get a replacement volunteer to fill in if they cannot make it one week). We are unable to have a club without a volunteer.

Signups for student enrollments will begin on Monday, September 23rd at 7:45 pm. Another email will be sent out then which will include the link to the Signup Genius. The link will also be posted to our social media pages.

Coin Wars: Monday, Sept. 16 thru Friday, Oct. 4th - The jugs/bins are filling up! Please consider sending in your loose change or even paper bills. The winning grade will receive a pajama day with extra recess and popsicles!!! Please click here to see the flyer.

BF Ice Cream Social: Wednesday, September 25th from 6-7:30pm - This event is a great time for kids to meet and spend time with their new classmates, as well as for families to visit the school and meet other BF families! Mr. Hewitt and some teachers will be in attendance to help serve the sundaes!

Fall Fest is scheduled for Sunday, October, 6th from 1-4pm at Ben Franklin School. The annual event is open to all families and offers a variety of activities for our students. There will be a Magic show in addition to craft stations, games, prizes, pumpkin painting, craft stations, mummy wrapping of Mr. Hewitt and more! Please click here to access the flyer for more details.

Save the Dates:

• PTO Meeting: Monday, October 21st at 7:00 pm on Google Meet (link to follow)... no in person meeting
  
• Trunk or Treat: Saturday, October 26th

Meet our Amazing PTO Executive Board Members:

Executive Board Members:

President: Megan Coopersmith

1st Vice President: Petra Crevier

2nd Vice President: Lindsay Walsh

Recording Secretary: Ilana Hernandez

Corresponding Secretary: Nicole Bottrel

Treasurer: Kristen Paladino

BF PTO Website: www.bfpto.org

Email: bfptorocks@gmail.com

The Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC), an advisory group of community stakeholders interested in the education and welfare of children from preschool through grade three, as outlined in N.J.A.C. 6A:13A-1.2 is being launched! This council is being convened by our school district to strengthen our commitment to early childhood education.

What is the ECAC?

The ECAC is an initiative aimed at supporting and enhancing early childhood education in our district. It will serve as a collaborative platform where educators, parents, and community members can come together to share insights and make recommendations that will shape the programs and services for our young learners. The council will focus on various areas, including curriculum development, family engagement, and community partnerships. Our goal is to ensure that all children have the best possible start in their educational journey. The ECAC will be made up of a diverse group of individuals dedicated to improving early childhood education within our community.

How You Can Help...

We are currently seeking community members who are passionate about early childhood education to join the council. If you are interested in joining, please complete the interest form by scanning the QR CODE. For more information, feel free to contact Egnita Pardo at epardo@ltps.org.

Now that we are a couple of days into the school year, you may have questions or may be looking for additional information about our school and procedures. Most answers can be found in our Ben Franklin Student and Caretaker Handbook. If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out to your child's teacher or our main office. We are happy to answer any questions you may have.

If your child's dismissal plan is different on a given day, please send in a written note with your child's name, the date, the change in dismissal plans, and your signature. A separate note must be sent each time your child's dismissal plan is different. In order to ensure the safety of your child, one note covering multiple days will not be accepted. If you need to change dismissal plans during the day, please call the main office at 609-671-5540.

Free/Reduced Lunch Applications

Please take a moment to complete the application found at our website, LINK HERE. This is a process that MUST be completed EACH school year. If the process is not completed, your child will be charged for a full price lunch in the cafeteria. Please reach out to the main office by calling (609)571-5540, by emailing ddelgado@ltps.org or ltennant@ltps.org, or by stopping by for assistance.

Menus and Payment for Meals

Students are able to have both breakfast and lunch at school (PreK-3). Here is a link to our food service provider's page on our website where menus can be found. In addition, here is a link to put money on your child's account along with contact information for any questions you may have. Please know that there is a fee for adding money on account digitally, however, you may also drop-off cash or a check to our main office to be added to your child's account.

LTPS Has a New Mobile App!

Downloading the app will allow you to access important information quickly and easily from anywhere you have your phone! Information includes News, Lunch Menus, Talking Points, Parent Portal, Referendum Updates, PaySchools Central, District Calendar, and more!

Scan the QR code or click here to connected with LTPS when you’re on the go!

In an effort to continually improve safety and security within our district of all members, the district has set up a Tip Line. Please check out this brief (1 minute) video to learn more about the purpose of the Tip Line and how to access it: Tip Line Video

Link to LTPS District Calendar (2024-2025)

September:

Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15)

22 - Fall Equinox

23 - PTO Teacher Club Sign-Up Opens, 7:45 pm (an email will come out from the PTO)

25 - Ice Cream Social (PTO sponsored), 6:00-7:30 pm in BF All Purpose Room (APR)

27 - BF Spirit Assembly (during school day) - ALL students and staff members encouraged to wear spirit wear and/or wear blue and white!

28 - Voter Registration Drive at LHS

October:

2 - Caine's Arcade Showcase for 2nd grade families, 2:00 pm in the BF APR

3 - School Closed, Rosh Hashanah

6 - Fall Fest (PTO event), 1:00-4:00 at BF

7-11 - Week of Respect

9 -

• Walk/Bike to School Event at BF, 8:10-8:45 am (arrival)
• Board of Education Meeting at LHS, 7:00 pm

14 - School Closed (for students), Staff Professional Development

15 - School Pictures (PreK-3)

21 -

• Charleston Wrap Fundraiser (PTO) (Oct. 21st-Nov. 4th)
  
• PTO Meeting, 7:00 pm

25 -

• BF Spirit Assembly (during school day) - ALL students and staff members encouraged to wear spirit wear and/or wear blue and white!
• LTEF Handbag BINGO at West Trenton Firehouse Ballroom , evening

26 - Trunk or Treat at BF, 6:30-7:45 pm

27 - Trunk or Treat at BF, 6:30-7:45 pm (Weather Date)

31 - Parade, 2:00 pm