Fall 2009 letter will be sent out in August

Welcome Back Franklin Parents and Students:

We hope that you have all found time to enjoy family, friends and the rare Seattle sun! It is that time of year again to begin thinking about getting ready for school. Enclosed in this packet you will find several pieces of information that should assist you in getting the school year off to a positive start!

STUDENT REGISTRATION/SCHEDULES

Student Schedules for classes will be available for pick-up during the orientation days. If your scholar is missing a class, or has been placed in an incorrect class due to completed summer courses, counselors will be available at the following times: Friday, September 4th from 8:00 am - 3:00 pm at lunch, during a hole in a schedule, and after school during the first week of school. Students can make requests in writing if they are not able to see a counselor and counselors will be amending schedules through the weekend. Updated schedules will be available on the first day of classes. In some cases, counselors will be able to accommodate requests for schedule changes that are not mentioned above on space availability only. Please refer to the enclosed document entitled Whom do I call for Assistance to see which counselor your scholar should see. A REMINDER that these schedules are likely final schedules. However, since our enrollment and staffing fluctuates a bit at the start of the year, we may need to adjust some schedules to ensure that class sizes are balanced. Your scholar will be contacted by a counselor should we need to adjust her/his schedule. THERE WILL BE NO FURTHER SCHEDULE ADJUSTMENT REQUESTS HONORED AFTER THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL. We thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation. A master schedule for a school our size can be very difficult to manage and everyone will not be able to get all of their first choices.

9th Grade STUDENT ORIENTATION: Ninth grade families will receive a specific letter outlining specific details about the freshman orientation that takes place on the evening of Thursday, September 3, 2009, 5:30 pm – 8 pm. This is an opportunity for freshman to meet some of their teachers, have pictures taken for the required student I.D. cards, tour the school, check out a locker, and purchase ASB cards and the school yearbook. It is a great time to get familiar with the campus before school starts. Parents/guardians are encouraged to attend this event. There will be a parent session with the principal and other staff members.

10th-12th Grade ORIENTATION: will take place on Friday, September 4th, from 9:00am–3:00pm in the Franklin Gymnasium. At this time students will take photos for their required ID cards, make needed changes to schedules, check out lockers, and purchase ASB/yearbooks.

FIRST WEEK OF CLASSES: Students will have an alternative bell schedule the first week of school. Please refer to the bell schedule document in this packet for more details.

STUDENT SUCCESS and the Franklin Handbook for Scholars

As you know, student success in high school is so important. All students will carry the Franklin Handbook for Scholars, as it will be used in each class. This handbook contains important information about FHS expectations as well as a full school calendar where students can log all of their assignments and appointments. These handbooks will be issued to students the first week of classes. You will be asked to review the handbook and sign the Family Support Contract in an effort to make sure all of us are clear about expectations for high student performance. We ask that you assist in the education process in a few ways:

Make sure your student attends every class every day.
Check in to see that your student is keeping up on class work.
Make sure there is a quiet workspace at home where homework can be completed
Come to school and school events
Know who your student’s friends are. More often than not, friends or groups of friends tend to share similar ideas and goals about success

FRANKLIN TRANSFORMATION

Franklin is continuing to focus on improving student learning so that ALL students will be prepared to have all the options of work, college or an apprenticeship upon graduation from FHS. In order to provide more opportunity for the staff development that is necessary for our ongoing growth, Franklin, along with several other Seattle High Schools will begin an Early Dismissal schedule for students several times throughout the school year. Please refer to the enclosed document Franklin Dates to Remember and calendar for the specific days these will occur.

METRO TRANSPORTATION

Franklin uses the Metro bus system for transportation to and from school. Just as in the yellow bus process, students who live outside of 2.5 miles from Franklin will be issued a Metro pass monthly that can be used all month including on evenings and weekends. If you have questions regarding transportation please contact the main office after August 18th when our staff is back on board.

We are very enthusiastic about the start of this new year. Franklin staff, parents and students have been working very hard the past seven years on our Franklin transformation plan and our great program is getting increasingly better.

Should you have additional questions or concerns please call the main office and we will try to assist you.

Let’s all commit to making this a fantastic year at Franklin High School and in our community!

Peace,

Jennifer Wiley, Principal Franklin High School

It is the policy of Franklin High School to encourage and support family involvement in education, at home, in our schools and communities, and in school governance. We recognize the diversity of family structures, circumstances, and cultural backgrounds and respect families as important decision-makers for their children’s education. We are committed to the creation and implementation of culturally inclusive and effective school-family partnerships throughout the school, and we believe these partnerships to be critical to the success of every student.

Franklin High School Parent Involvement Policy

We welcome active parent/family involvement in classrooms, at extracurricular activities, at special events, and in decision-making. We recognize the diversity of our community and are committed to creating a culturally inclusive school-family partnership to maximize the success of every student.

A Note about School Safety:

A reminder that all visitors on campus must check in at the main office. In general, in order to keep campus as safe as possible, we do not allow school-age visitors or guests without a pre-arranged visit and even those visits are very limited. (Parents/guardians are welcome at all times but still need to check into the office.) Most of our serious safety issues at FHS are a result of non-Franklin students coming on to our campus to settle a dispute. If your student is aware of someone coming on to campus that does not belong here, please call the office and report to an administrator or direct your student to report the incident. Theft is another area that results in student conflict at school. Please discourage your student from bringing expensive items to school such as iPods, PSP players, etc. These items are in high demand. We will not be able to direct the use of school personnel to try and recover items such as these that have been stolen. Please keep them at home!!

On another safety note, we run safety drills such as earthquake, fire, and lock down drills periodically throughout the school year to ensure that our students know how to respond should an actual emergency occur.

Blank FHS LETTERHEAD