• Read-A-Thon - Winners Announced! Thank you everyone!

• PALS - Virtual Coffee & Check In
• Middle School - Library Book Check Out 1:00-1:25

• Disney Day - House Council encourages everyone to dress as their favorite Disney Character. Dress Code if you are not participating.

• Middle School - Library Book Check Out 1:00-1:25

• Free Dress - End of Trimester 1
• Progress Reports Preschool-8th grade go home today. Please check your child's backpack. Please email the front office if you would like an additional copy mailed to you.
  

• November 23rd -25th - Conferences Half Day Schedule
• November 26th & 27th - NO SCHOOL Thanksgiving Break
• December 18th - All Auction Items Due
• December 18th - FREE DRESS
• December 21 - January 1 - NO SCHOOL Winter Break
• January 4th - Classes Resume

Conferences are coming up. In a few weeks, you will receive a link to sign up for conferences through Sign Up Genius.

Early Release Schedules for each building:

Robin Hall

11:30 AM 2 1/2 and 3's

11:35 AM Pre-K 4's

11:40 AM Kindergarten

11:45 AM 1st Grade

Markell Hall

11:30 AM 2nd Grade

11:35 AM 3rd Grade

11:40 AM 4th Grade

11:45 AM Middle Schoolers

If you have any questions, please contact Dawn or Rachel. Thanks!

Remember... A very generous donor had offered to Match Every Dollar donated to the Read-a-Thon! This means your $100 donation magically turns into $200! Your $20 donation magically turns into $40! Don't wait to take this opportunity to double your donation!

Reading Dates: November 2 - 16, 2020

Deadline to turn in donations: November 20

This Friday our Total grew to $21,000 + Matching Funds = $42,000!

Reading Goal: 500 minutes per student = 127,500 minutes

What does the Read-A-Thon Support?

• Water Bottle Filling Stations
• Plexiglass Dividers
• Disinfectant Fogging Machines and Supplies
• Extra Cleaning Products to Keep us Virus Free
• Sprayers used to disinfect the playgrounds between each class
• Thermometers
• Any additional money earned goes straight to the General Budget to cover the regular cost it takes to educate each student that tuition doesn't cover

Your donation makes an immediate difference going to work to help us maintain safety as we continue in-person learning!

Let’s work together to support our school community, and to further encourage a love of reading in our students!

Questions? Contact PALS pals@thefranklin.academy or hblack@thefranklin.academy

Here is great way to spend an afternoon during our upcoming week of teacher conferences. The school has partnered with the SPARK Museum to offer a very special private program to our Middle School students.

This event is open only to TFA Middle School students. Parents are welcome to attend if they would like but are not required to attend. Drop off and pick up of kids at SPARK is a parent responsibility as this is not an official school fieldtrip.

Details:

Date: Monday, November 23, 2020

Time: 12:15 pm - 2:30 pm

SPARK Presents: How to think like Benjamin Franklin!

Through a string of dynamic demonstrations, students will experience the fascinating history of critical thinking, how we know what we know, and how to think like our beloved Benjamin Franklin, the SPARK Museum’s favorite scientist!

Topics to include:

Socrates & the Age of Reason

Life & Death in the Age of Enlightenment

Ben Franklin & Thinking for Yourself

Nichola Tesla, Capturing our Imaginations

Demonstrations include:

Static electricity with friction and induction

Electromagnetism

AC/DC War of the Continuous Currents

Synthesized electronic sound

Electricity without wires, a la Nichola Tesla

The Franklin Academy will have the Museum completely to ourselves as they have closed to the public for the day to offer us this chance to learn more about Ben Franklin in a safe environment.

Social distancing, masks, hand sanitation stations are all part of making sure students have the safest, most memorable experience ever.

YOU MUST REGISTER YOUR CHILD TO ATTEND AS WE HAVE A STRICT 25 CHILD MAXIMUM DUE TO COVID PROTOCOLS.

Here is the form to register:

Registration: https://form.jotform.com/203137887488066

Questions? email Abby Russell at abby@sparkmuseum.org

Thanks!

Please consider sponsoring The Great Gala this year!

One of the many benefits of sponsoring is a beautiful one of a kind cake from Antler Baking Co. a special local bakery! We may not be in person, but that doesn't mean we won't make it a special occasion!

If you know a business or individual outside of our school community that might like to sponsor, please feel free to reach out to them or pass their contact information on to hblack@thefranklin.academy and I will be happy to follow up.

Visit The Antler Baking Co. Website to see all their sweet treats:

https://www.antlerbakingcompany.com/

To see additional sponsor benefits click on the document below:

Thank you to our friends at Saturna Capital for their leadership donation at the Presenting Sponsor Level for The Great Gala! Their generous sponsorship helps us cover our costs so that 100% of the proceeds from the auction go directly to the school.

Saturna Capital's generosity helps The Franklin Academy prepare students to take the skills, talents, and abilities garnered here, and make a positive contribution wherever their paths lead.

To learn more about Saturna Capital visit their website:

https://www.saturna.com/

Thank you!

Scott & Denise Whitman, owners of several Dairy Queen locations in Whatcom County have generously sponsored The Great Gala this year as one of our Gold Sponsors!

Their sons attended St. Paul's Academy (now the Franklin Academy) and are now thriving in high school and college. Denise served as Auction Co-Chair for many years and is joining our Board of Trustees this year!

Order ice cream cakes or join the Blizzard Fan Club on their website:

https://www.dairyqueen.com/us-en/locator/Detail/?localechange=1&&store-id=2245

We appreciate your continued support!

Get away to an amazing and luxurious cabin on beautiful Sinclair Island. This 4 bedroom 2.5 bath home sleeps 11. This gorgeous craftsman home faces west for outstanding sunsets, whale sightings, and amazing views from every room!

The property includes: 250 feet of beach, kayaks, beach bonfires, views of island and sunsets, hot tub, outdoor entertaining space, gourmet kitchen, patios, decks, in-floor heat, state of the art solar system and full internet/cell service.

The house has two mooring buoys (no dock). You can come via your own boat, a seaplane if you happen to have one, or Tom will take you from Bellingham on his boat!

• 3 Nights Mutually Agreeable Dates. Not available the week of July 4.
• Transport via Tom Ferrying you out to the island.

Donated by: Tom and Sara Jentz

Give someone the gift of flowers!

You will receive a seasonal bouquet for Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter! Natalie Ransom of Pozie By Natalie creates gorgeous bouquets that are sure to delight your loved one.

To see more of her beautiful creations visit her website:

https://poziebynatalie.com/

Thank you Natalie for your generous donation!

Glamping anyone?

If you love being in the woods but pitching a tent is not for you, consider an upscale unique camping experience in the custom built canvas cottages at the Lakedale Resort. Each cottage offers a king-size pillow top bed with flannel duvet covers, your own bathroom complete with shower, daybed sleeper for two, a table with four chairs. All cottages are located on lake front sites. Relax on the front porch with four chairs, a picnic table, umbrella and fire ring perfect for grilling and toasting marshmallows. The canvas cottages have electricity and running water.

• Two nights in a canvas cottage
• San Juan Island Zip Line Tour for 4
• $100 Visa for a restaurant of your choice

For more photos, visit the Lakedale Resort Website:

https://www.lakedale.com/

Donated By: Lakedale Resort at Three Lakes

Brandi & Jason Coplen

Spend a week at the home of Sam and Yanolla Boulos. This 3 bedroom, 2 bath home is located in beautiful Sun City, Arizona. It offers a private pool, making it a perfect getaway for families with children. It is also a great place to practice your golf game.

With 312 days of sun a year, Sun City offers a fabulous break from our typical Bellingham weather. It is located only 20 minuets from Phoenix and 45 minutes from Scottsdale. It is your launching pad to a world of events, destinations and experiences.

• One week stay at the Boulos home in Sun City, AZ

Donated By:

Sam and Yanolla Boulos

7th graders have been working on articles about the Lewis & Clark Expedition connecting to our Washington State History course. They did a wonderful job learning and reflecting on this historic journey. We are also playing a live version of the iconic "Oregon Trail" game in class to practice thoughtful decision making :)

Check out their reports below:

Great Work

Happy November!

I love love LOVE all the leaves that fall around the school this time of year.

As I was scrambling to find my own kids’ library books last week, I realized that strategies for keeping track of library books and what day is library class would be a great article topic! My kids are in kindergarten and 3rd grade this year, and I am making it their responsibility to remember their library books. They are old enough and capable of this responsibility (even if they don’t think so sometimes!).

A great way to keep track of library books is to keep them in a special place. I keep their public library books in a different spot than their school library books. You can use a special bag, a bin, or even a particular table (it’s a nightstand at our house!). I keep those special public library book bags in their rooms, but if you have a student who always forgets their library books, you can keep the bin by the door! Like anything in life, it will take awhile for it to become a habit, but it’s amazing to watch your kids develop self-sufficiency. As for remembering what DAY their books are due (when they have library class at school if they are K-4), there are a few things you can try. We happen to have a small chalkboard by our coat closet, and I put up a note stating what days my kids have library (and PE so they wear the right shoes!). They are starting to check the chalkboard without me reminding them and I cannot express how happy that makes me! Parenting win! I have also done a sticky note on the door, and on the rare occasion that I am really on top of things, I will even have them place their books in their backpack the night before.

You could try setting an alarm on your phone the night before to help remind them if that works for your family. Also check your daily teacher emails—some of them will remind you when you have library day! And if you can’t seem to find the darn books anywhere, I highly recommend checking the places books like to hide: Between their bed and the wall, under the bed, under the couch, in the couch cushions, or under the car seats. Helping your student develop responsibility and organizing strategies will serve them their whole life, well beyond remembering to return their library books!

Happy Reading. Mrs. Samuel

Pumpkins & Squash Art: K-1 and some made in the 2-4th grades of Dotted Pumpkins & Squash, inspired by the contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama. We learned about this colorful artists from Japan, who makes all of her art with dots!

Joke:

What kind of key can't open doors?

A Tur-key!

HAHAHA

Trees Art: 2nd-4th grades art project, that's all about Trees! We learned how to draw them, used watercolor paints, colored pencils, and markers for details like plants, leaves, and animals living in the trees.

If you shop at Amazon.com, this is a great opportunity to raise money for Franklin Academy. Sign up at Amazon Smile and 0.5% of your purchase price will go towards the FA Annual Fund. Here’s how:

1. Go to Amazon Smile
2. In the “pick your own charitable organization” box type in Franklin Preschool
3. Click on the Bellingham Franklin Academy (may still be listed under St. Paul’s Episcopal School through the summer)
4. Very Important! Please make sure whenever you shop on Amazon you go to the Amazon Smile webpage. If you shop on Amazon.com we won’t receive the donation.

A supportive community with STEM focused education in a safe, small class environment for all grades.

Website: https://thefranklin.academy/
Location: 1509 East Victor Street, Bellingham, WA, USA
Phone: (360) 733-1750
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FranklinAcademyBellingham/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel&eid=ARBJZqnuWM2fzJSJOXO6X6qVO60w_ijnQdCgtmUFYZCSwnd0NO7wI_Jgq5_odVo2A3bLV76Yg91UH5TB

Gretchen Bucsko, Head of School: gbucsko@thefranklin.academy

Katie den Hartog, Associate Head of School, kdenhartog@thefranklin.academy

Dawn Regier, Administrative Assistant, dregier@thefranklin.academy

Rachel Lee, Administrative Assistant, rlee@thefranklin.academy

Natalie Bennett, Admissions Director, nbennett@thefranklin.academy