2024-25 #18 5/29/25
Franklin District Newsletter
Sunset & Reflection
Hello Families of Franklin! As I reflect on what is probably the last family newsletter message of the 2024-25 school year, I am overcome with exuberation for all that we have experienced this school year, how we have grown together, and the care and grace we have shown each other and our learners! It is with such great pride to be a part of such a supportive and strong community.
A tradition for our family is celebrating the day's end, whenever we can, by taking in the sunset. Since I was a young child, some of my fondest family memories are sitting on our porch swing or favorite beach taking in the sunset. My husband and I now carry on this tradition with our son. It is a moment in the day where we just look out into beauty and be amazed at the beautiful colors our world can create. We often reflect on moments during that day that made us smile or frustrated us and how we worked through it. It is always symbolic to the celebration of the passing of another day and the opportunities ahead. This tradition reminds me of the many traditions that hold strong in Franklin Public Schools.
Next week, our Seniors return to their elementary schools to do ‘Grad Walks.’ This not only celebrates our Seniors in their last moments before they walk out the Franklin High School doors, forever Sabers, but it also sets a vision for our youngest learners to see themselves in years to come. It is the sunset on our Seniors’ career as a learner in Franklin Public Schools, while also creating an opportunity for our youngest learners to see themselves as a future Saber.
Last week, the fifth grade learners at all five elementary schools came together for Wildcat Camp Days. The days were spent outdoors, seeking new adventures, finding new friends, and overcoming the fears that they may have about moving to middle school next school year. What a wonderful sunset to their elementary career and their fondest memories with our wonderful staff and an opportunity to seek the excitement that lies ahead at Forest Park Middle School.
FPS Receives Safety, Security & Wellness Award & Grant
Franklin Public Schools is proud to be the recipient of the Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) 2025 Safety, Security & Wellness Award!
Per the WASBO press release: The Safety, Security & Wellness Award recognizes and promotes Wisconsin school districts for their efforts in creating safe and healthy learning environments for students and staff. Franklin Public Schools, in partnership with the Franklin Health Department, Franklin Fire Department, and Volition Franklin, has been recognized with the WASBO Safety, Security & Wellness Award for their outstanding commitment to fostering a safe and healthy learning environment. Through collaborative initiatives such as emergency preparedness training, youth development programs, substance misuse prevention, and extensive community engagement, Franklin Public Schools has demonstrated leadership in advancing student and staff well-being. Their efforts have led to measurable improvements in youth health outcomes and set a model for effective school-community partnerships.
“We are very honored to receive this award that highlights the incredible partnership between all of our community partners and how through that collaboration, we positively impact schools, families, and the community,” shares Director of Buildings & Grounds Andy Daniels. “When we share what we are doing in Franklin with other schools, they are immediately impressed with the amount of collaboration we have between the Franklin Health Department, Franklin Fire Department and Volition Franklin.”
“Collaboration is essential in uniting as a community,” offers Shannon Anthoine, Assistant Chief with the Franklin Fire Department. “Being able to work together makes uniting that much more impactful. Receiving this award is inspiring not only to keep striving towards more incredible partnerships, but to welcome other schools and communities to partner together towards safety in their communities.”
WASBO will recognize the district at the Fall Conference in Elkhart Lake. Franklin Public Schools will receive a $1,500 grant, sponsored by M3 Insurance, to be used for ongoing risk management efforts within the school district. Congratulations to our Buildings & Grounds Department!
5th Grade Future Wildcat Day Camp
Thursday and Friday last week was the annual “Future Wildcat Day Camp” where 5th graders from across the district got together at Whitnall Park, including Wehr Nature Center and Ross Lodge, for two days of celebration, activities, and team building as they build towards entering middle school in the fall.
There are two purposes to these field days:
Bring together all the 5th grade students as a culminating celebratory event for their time at elementary school and
Be a positive and successful springboard for students from all five schools as they come together at Forest Park Middle School beginning with the 2025-26 school year.
During the event, students engaged in activities like tie-dying, archery, wood splitting, fire building, marshmallow roasting, rocketry, yoga, pond studies, geocaching, collaborative games and more.
We were so grateful this year to again partner with the Franklin Fire Department and Franklin Police Department to cover Fire Safety with all 5th graders. This year we also partnered with Franklin Volition to learn how to recognize a good friend and how to be a good friend. In addition, thank you to Root River Church, Urban Poiema Church in Milwaukee, The Ridge, Victory of the Lamb, and Southbrook Church for providing subs, drinks, desserts, snacks for over 70 teachers, parent volunteers and staff during the two days of activities! Partnering with organizations in the community helps us all to be a #BetterCommunity!
Click here for more photos from 5th Grade Future Wildcat Day Camp
FHS Senior Honors Night
Wednesday night was Franklin High School Senior Honors Night where senior class members are honored for various awards, scholarships and other recognitions. Thank you to the many local businesses and organizations that help to sponsor scholarships and awards for these young men and women as they wrap up their senior year and head out into the world!
If you would like to see the recording of the ceremony, when it is finished being processed, it will be posted to the Saber Center YouTube Channel here
Congratulations Steve Drobot!
Congratulations to Franklin High School's Steve Drobot on being named the 2025 High School Wisconsin Health & Physical Education Teacher of the Year! This award was centered around Steve's innovative activities with his students, the school community and being an advocate for Health & Physical Education as a whole. Steve will be presented with this award at the 2025 WHPE convention in October. (Link to official release on WHPE Facebook Page)
5th Grade Bookmarks Momento
📚 Fun 5th Grade Story! All 5th Grade Students in all of our elementary buildings were recently gifted with a special bookmark from our library staff.
🔖 The bookmark contained their name, how many books they had checked out during their time in Franklin and a picture on the bookmark of the VERY FIRST book they checked out in Franklin Public Schools.
FHS Students Win Big At Geography Bowl
Multicultural Club's Geography Bowl teams won big at the annual competition at UW-Parkside. In the freshman/sophomore division, the team of Ayaan Sajeeth, Ramih Virk, Rohan Pedoddi, and Ashish Mulagabili came in 2nd place. And in the Junior/Senior division our team came in 1st place. That team was composed of Charlie Lahmann, Fayzaan Virk, Abel Binny, Kush Patel, and Andy Zhu. Congratulations to them on their great achievements!
End of Year Chromebook Information - ALL STUDENTS!
Our Instructional Technology Department has put together information for all families regarding Chromebooks, summer planning and for those grades that need to turn devices in.
ALL DETAILS ARE IN THIS DOCUMENT
and we ask all families to please review this information.
Students in Grade 5K through 7th and 9th-11th will keep their school issued Chromebook over the summer.
If a student chromebook is not working correctly or needs to be repaired, directions are included in the document for how to file a ticket for the issue and turn the device in.
8th Grade students will turn their device, case and charging cord in on Monday, June 9th.
12th Grade students will turn their device, case and charging cord in on Tuesday, June 10th.
Also included in the document are details on websites students can utilize over the summer for continued learning. Thank you for reviewing these details and being aware of what to do with your child’s Chromebook as we head into the summer!
Coming in June: Back-To-School Online Check-In
Our Back-To-School Online Check-in (BTSOC) for the 2025-26 school year will be opening up for all families in June. We are getting some of our final pieces in place and will communicate to families through newsletters and email once the opening date is known. BTSOC asks parents and guardians to complete check-in activities such as updating your child(ren)’s emergency contacts, medical information, and transportation needs so we can verify they will be attending school with us for the fall and get everything ready for their return. Look for more information soon!
LAST CALL! Please Complete End-Of-Year Family Engagement Surveys
If you haven't completed your "Family Engagement Surveys" yet, this is the LAST and FINAL call!
Beginning Monday, May 19th, parents/guardians received text messages from our unique survey phone number 877-919-5689. The text message begins with “FP-SCHOOLS” and the unique link provided in each text message takes you to the survey for that child (see example image nearby). Please note the survey can be taken ONCE per child. If there is more than one parent/guardian in the family, the link for each child will be sent to both parents.
We use this data to help check our progress towards our Coherence Plan Goals for the 2024-25 school year.
We appreciate the time you will spend responding to the survey. We will use your responses to shape our action steps towards being a better place to learn, a better place to work and part of a better community. Thank you!
Forest Hill Ave Construction 6/11 - 6/16 (Summer Learning Impact)
If you have traveled on Forest Hill Avenue lately (the road that passes by Forest Park Middle School and the ECC District Office), you'll notice there are signs at both ends that explain there will be road construction taking place from Wednesday, June 11th through Monday, June 16th. While it is fortunate that this road construction won't impact our regular school year, it may impact the first day of K-8 Summer Learning taking place at FPMS on Monday, June 16th.
- If you are dropping off or picking up for Summer Learning Program on Monday, June 16th, please give yourself extra time (and patience!) as you drive up Forest Meadows (probably from Drexel) to access the FPMS campus area.
Youth Summer Athletic Camps - Register Now!
Please visit the summer athletic camps registration page here on the high school website to see the summer athletic camp offerings from our high school sports teams. On this page, you can click on each camp offering to see more details about dates and times. The following youth camps are currently offered: boys volleyball (6th-9th), football (5th-12th), girls basketball (4th-9th), girls volleyball (5th-9th), wrestling (4th-12th), and wrestling clinics (2nd-8th).
FPS Mental Health Services Available During Summer
Summer is just around the corner and with it comes more free time for your children. THIS RESOURCE can help your children keep up with a mental wellness routine and identify if help is needed.
THE STUDENT AND FAMILY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SFAP)
The Student and Family Assistance Program (SFAP) through Advocate Aurora Health Care will continue to operate and be available to all students and members of their households within our district AT NO COST. Counseling options for students and families are available on a variety of topics. This service offers up to (4) free one-hour sessions with a licensed counselor per issue on a variety of topics related to mental health. Please click here to read more information about these services, along with a flier with more information and an informational video.
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY ASSOCIATES (CPA) - SUMMER
Our partnership with CPA, which you can read more about here, and their School-Based Mental Health Program continues through the summer. If your child is interested or in need of mental health services over the summer months, please call Clinical Psychology Associates at (262) 251-1112. In-person or virtual options are available.
We're Moving!
With the upcoming changes to Franklin High School due to the referendum and the start of construction, as well as the ongoing work at the new Community Education and Recreation Center, the Community Education and Recreation Department will be on the move!
Currently, our office is located within Franklin High School, but starting the first week of July 2025, we will be relocating to the Education and Community Center (District Office). We will be operating out of the ECC for at least the next six months while we await the completion of the new Community Education and Recreation Center.
All of our current phone numbers will remain the same! We look forward to serving you from our new temporary location and will keep you updated on further developments!
Sneak Peek for the FEF "Tee Up For Education" Auction! (Opens Next Fri 6/6 @ 3pm)
While our golf outing is sold out, you can still be a part of the fun this June! Our auction will be open for bidding on June 6th but here's a sneak peek at the great packages we have to offer! Everything from a VIP FHS parking pass to vacations in exotic locations. More items will be added to the event as the week counts down to the auction closing on Friday, June 13th at 2pm so make sure to check back often. Thank you again to all of these wonderful sponsors for our event, shown below!
Nominate An Excellent FPS Educator!
Nominate an excellent FPS Educator for the FEF 2023 Excellent Teacher Award!
As the school year draws to an end, we wish to recognize Franklin teachers and staff for their outstanding efforts to keep our students engaged, connected and learning. Now is the time to nominate that special teacher who you believe has gone above and beyond this year! We encourage parents, students and colleagues to take a moment to recognize that special FPS staff member and everything that you need to nominate a Franklin teacher or professional staff member is included in this form.
You do not need to answer every question, but it helps to support your nominee if you can attempt to do so. One teacher from each school will be selected from the applications to receive a $500 educational grant to use for items in their classrooms or continuing education.
Winners will be announced at our Teacher Appreciation Event on Saturday, August 16th at the Franksville Craft Beer Garden (more details to come on this event! Save the date!)
Board Briefs Wed 5/21/25
District Administrator Dr. Annalee Bennin shared the following:
- Our Family Engagement Survey is out to all of our families this week via text message. Surveys are distributed one per child so we can get adequate feedback on the child’s experience and feedback about their school. We look forward to receiving information that we can use as part of our coherence planning.
Upcoming Dates
- Thurs, May 22nd @ 7pm - FHS Spring Orchestra
- Wed, May 28th @ 6pm - FHS Senior Honors Night
- Thurs, May 29th @ 7pm - FHS/FPMS Spring Jazz Concert
Elementary Grad Walks:
- Fri, June 6th @ 1:15p - Country Dale
- Fri, June 6th @ 2:45p - Southwood Glen
- Mon, June 9th @ 1:30p - Pleasant View
- Mon, June 9th @ 2p - Robinwood
- Mon, June 9th @ 2:30p - Ben Franklin
- Friday, June 13th is the annual Franklin Educational Foundation "Tee-Up for Education" Golf event and it has sold out! However, the online auctions are still a way to participate and contribute and you can check our newsletters or the Foundation’s website for the link to the virtual auctions.
- Saturday, June 21st @ 4pm - FHS Graduation at American Family Field
Board Agenda Items
Director of Human Resources Laura Lancour shared the Approval of Teacher Contracts.
Better Place to Work Committee Members Laura Lancour (Director of Human Resources), Andy Chromy (Asst. Supt. of Business & Operations), Dr. Annalee Bennin (District Administrator), Adam Jensen (Instructional Coach), Angelena Colon (SWG 5th Grade), Denise Ryan (ELL Teacher), and Erin Krase-Minchk (FPMS Cross Cat) reviewed items that have been discussed in the meetings this past school year.
The School Board voted to approve the 2025-26 Employee Handbook Updates as presented by Director of Human Resources Laura Lancour.
The Board approved the Spanish Curriculum Adoption as presented by Director of Teaching & Learning Amanda Pound at the previous Board Meeting.
Director of Buildings & Grounds Andy Daniels and Assistant Superintendent of Business & Operations Andy Chromy presented the 10-year Capital Improvement Plan. The plan was approved by the Board.
Assistant Superintendent of Business & Operations Andy Chromy presented the 2025-26 preliminary budget.
Want To Work With FPS?
We are always looking for people to join our amazing support systems for students! We are currently looking for a part-time educational assistants, coaches, food service staff, custodial staff, and more.
Click here to see all of our current SUPPORT STAFF LISTINGS on WECAN for more details and please apply through WECAN.
