Franklin Elementary Center

Check out this awesome video that Mr. Smith wanted to share with our families! It has been a great first morning here at Franklin!! https://vimeo.com/240840053

Good evening. Tomorrow brings much anticipation with the start of a new school year. I am so excited to see our students and employees back in our buildings as we work together to become the # 1 school district in the state of West Virginia. We are so fortunate to have a wonderful community of parents and guardians that understand the importance of a first-class education and are willing to go above and beyond to ensure the success of our students and schools. However, we know there is a lot of work to complete. This summer, WCS has equipped schools with essential personnel for targeted intervention, created a STEAM Academy for middle school students, and continued to upgrade our facilities to provide the most conducive environments possible in our schools. We are very excited to see the new school year begin. I encourage each of you to review our re-entry guidance document located on our webpage at https://tinyurl.com/yhq2qwgb. As you know, directives can change quickly with little notice. I will do my best to communicate changes to you as directives are received. I encourage all parents and students to follow the recommendations in the guidance document including, but not limited to - wearing a mask, staying socially distanced, and practicing good, hand-washing hygiene. As always, I ask for your patience on the first day of school. There are many moving parts that we will continually perfect throughout the year. Once again, thank you for your support and encouragement as we start another exciting school year. Thank you for all you do and have a wonderful evening.

Please review the Franklin Parent Engagement Policy and provide us with your feedback if you have any by August 25th. Thank you! https://www.flipsnack.com/AACDF5EEFB5/draft-franklin-parent-engagement-policy-2021-2022.html

Remember that today is Open House 4:45-6:45pm at Franklin and we can not wait to see you all there! Come meet your teacher and see your classroom. We also would like to get the opinions of our Franklin Families about the Family Events that we will be holding throughout this year. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey for us by clicking the link below. The survey will also be available to complete at Open House this evening at the Title I table. See you all tonight! https://forms.office.com/r/p3Zpi1BqHn

We can't wait to see your gorgeous smiles! Don't forget open house is Tuesday evening from 4:45-6:45. You will be able to visit your classroom. We will release homeroom information at that time.

Good evening. We invite you to contribute to our ARP/ESSER plan by providing input to the ideas generated in spending funds provided by the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER), targeting K-12 education. Your input will guide our plan to meet the needs of our students, staff, and community which will be presented to the West Virginia Dept. of Education on July 19. Your input is vitally important. To provide input, please click the following link or visit our website. Thank you. https://tinyurl.com/yfs5cvgh

Yearbook Update There was some technical difficulty with Lifetouch and uploading class pictures for the yearbook. Yearbooks will not be in until this summer. You will be notified when they arrive and Ms. Bates will set up a pick-up time. We apologize for the inconvenience.

With the 2020-21 school year wrapping up, I would just like to say “Thank You!” Thank you to everyone: Students, parents, teachers, staff and community members. Thank you to everyone who has helped others get through this often challenging and frustrating year, and thank you to everyone for your patience and resilience. Even as we head into summer break, Wood County Schools is hard at work finalizing preparations for our summer programs which are set to begin later this month. These eight programs are unlike anything we have offered before and are sure to be engaging and fun for students at all grade levels. More than 1,500 students are enrolled and more than 200 teachers and staff have been hired to help make these programs a success. Wood County Schools’ summer offerings have been called a model for the state, and we intend to show everyone why we deserve to be called the best school system in West Virginia. I want everyone to have a wonderful summer and a well-earned break. Most importantly, though, I want everyone ready for this fall. Throughout all of our challenges, we have learned and we have grown, and it is time for us to put that hard-earned knowledge to work for our students. We want to provide all of our kids with the best possible opportunities in first-class facilities staffed by top-level teachers and caring adults. So as we say goodbye to the 2020-21 school year, let us look forward to the wonderful things we can accomplish together in the months and years ahead. Thank you everyone, and have a great summer!

Just a reminder. You must have pre-registered for the LEGO workshop. If you do not get a note home today, you are not scheduled to attend.

Field Day Update Due to weather, field day will be inside during gym class. Unfortunately, this means that parents can not attend the event. Lego Update Lego event will continue. You will get a note today of the time for your group. Lunches will not be available since we will be inside. Your lunch money will be returned with your child today. We apologize for the change. We were looking forward to seeing our families on field day. Thanks, Ms. Cumpston

Families, This is a reminder that if you have not returned the charger/cord for your child's iPad, please do so. You should have received an invoice for $25 if they were not returned. Please pay that promptly. If you did not, check your child's backpack. If not paid, we will mail invoices next week. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Ms. Cumpston

Exciting news from Wood County Schools! Off Campus Learning Options are now available for the fall. Learn more at woodcountyschoolswv.com.

Families, This is just a reminder to turn in field day permission slips. There are 2. One allows your child to participate in the inflatable activities. No permission...no playing. The second form is if an adult plans to attend. This form must be turned in no later than June 1. No form, then no entry on field day. Thank You, Ms. Cumpston

Families, I just wanted to provide an update on mask wearing at school. At this time the WVDE has stated that the mask mandate will continue in all public schools through June 20, 2021 because the majority of students have not been fully vaccinated. Those riding school buses will also continue to wear mask. Thank you for your continued support in this matter.

Families, All iPads must be returned to school on Friday, May 14. Per Wood County Schools directive. iPads will be kept at school for the remainder of the year. You must return iPad, charge brick, and USB cable. You will be invoiced for items that are damaged or not returned. Thank you. If you have any questions, please contact the school.

As part of Teacher Appreciation Week, I want to take a moment to personally say ‘Thank You’ to all of Wood County Schools’ selfless and dedicated educators. This has been one of the most challenging school years in recent history. Our teachers have not only endured nearly impossible tasks but have risen to the challenge and have continued to place our students first. Our teachers and personnel have dedicated countless hours keeping students engaged, providing support and care to families, and giving our children a beacon of normalcy in an often turbulent and uncertain world. The work you do each day is more appreciated than you will ever know. Wood County Schools is blessed to have so many caring and dedicated teachers, and I want all of you to know: We see what you are doing and what you have done, and we are thankful you are here. Thank you for making a difference!

Parents, Please make sure that you return your child's power adapter and charge cords to school. iPads will be staying at school from this point on so that we may do end of year testing. We do not have extra adapters and cords. If you have lost the adapter and cord, please make every effort to purchase new ones and send them to school. Thank You, Ms. Cumpston

Tomorrow is the last day for field day t-shirt orders.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations for teens. Visit woodcountyschoolswv.com for more information or reach out to your child's school nurse.

Due to great popularity, registration for Summer School Learning Opportunities has been extended through this Friday, April 23rd at noon! Learn more at https://www.woodcountyschoolswv.com/o/wcs/page/get-started-here