ENGLISH: Need translation? Just click "Translate" at the top of your screen!

ESPAÑOL: ¿Necesita traducción? Haga clic en "Translate" (traducir) en la parte superior de la pantalla.

PORTUGUÊS: Precisa de tradução? Clique em “Translate” (traduzir) no topo da tela!

We had a wonderful weekend with our Finding Nemo Jr. play! Our talented cast and crew delivered an outstanding performance, and it was truly exciting to see everything come together. Producing a show of this magnitude involves so many people, and while we can't name them all, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who was instrumental in making it happen.

Last week, students participated in a stay-in-place drill, where they remained in their classrooms and continued working as usual while following established procedures. We are pleased to report that all students and staff members participated excellently. Next week, we will practice a lockdown drill and an evacuation drill to ensure everyone is prepared for all safety scenarios.

Please note that Thursday, March 13th, will be an early release day, and school will be dismissed at 1:05 PM. The afternoon will be dedicated to caregiver conferences, which we are rescheduling as a make-up for the snow day on February 6th. If you have not yet had a conference with your child's teacher, please reach out to schedule a time.

Thank you for your continued support and involvement in our school community!

Warm regards,

Kathie and Kate

Kathie Lasky, Principal klasky@framingham.k12.ma.us

Kate O'Leary, Assistant Principal koleary52@framingham.k12.ma.us

Wow! Finding Nemo Jr. was a huge success, and we wanted to take a moment to express our heartfelt thanks to all of you for your hard work and dedication. This production would not have been possible without the incredible team of individuals who made it happen!

Producing such a show takes so many people, and while we cannot name them all, we apologize ahead of time if we miss anyone in our thank you.

First and foremost, we want to acknowledge the talented performers who gave their all to this production. Your hard work, passion, and energy were evident in every moment on stage, and you truly made the show come alive. Thank you for bringing such talent and enthusiasm to the production!

A special thank you to Bridget Donovan, our Director, for her leadership and unwavering commitment. Bridget, your creativity, patience, and encouragement were instrumental in bringing this show to life. You made every student shine with confidence and pride, and for that, we are truly grateful.

We would also like to express our deep gratitude to Renee Lamy, our Music Director. Her expertise and dedication were instrumental in bringing the music to life. Renee's hard work behind the scenes and during rehearsals was essential in shaping the sound of this production, and we are truly thankful for her invaluable contributions.

A special thank you goes to Stacey Gleason, our Producer and Costume Designer, whose creative vision and attention to detail transformed our characters into vibrant, unforgettable figures on stage. Stacey’s work was essential to the show’s success, and we couldn’t have done it without her.

We must extend our heartfelt thanks to our amazing Stage Management Crew—Cara Savi, Lindsay Stephenson, and Robin Smith. Your diligent work behind the scenes ensured everything ran like clockwork, allowing the magic of the performance to unfold seamlessly. We are deeply grateful for your dedication and tireless efforts

We also want to express our gratitude to the following parents and volunteers, who went above and beyond to support the production. Your help with set design, backstage support, and countless other contributions made a world of difference. Thank you to Jessica Downing, Sarah Jewel, Liz Sarontopolous, Daniela Themora, Shelley Irvin, Lucia Felix, Naomi Ouellette, Devry Yeager, Kate Bayer, Michelle Donati, Celine Gaujac, Taffeta White, and Cole Gargaro. Your support has been invaluable, and we are incredibly grateful for everything you’ve done.

A special thank you to Jess McGettrick for all her help with sound and props. Your work in these areas was essential to the production’s success, and we are truly grateful for your contributions.

We also want to extend our sincere thanks to all the staff and families who came out to enjoy the show. Your support and enthusiasm helped make the performances even more special. It’s the community that truly makes these productions shine, and we are grateful for everyone who showed up to cheer on our performers!

Together, each of you played an essential role in making Finding Nemo Jr. a success. It was an absolute privilege to work with such a dedicated and talented group of individuals, and we are incredibly grateful for the part each of you played in bringing this production to life!

March

Care and Share: Snacks (chips, crackers, etc)

• Thursday, 13th
  • Early Release: 1:05 Dismissal
• Wednesday, 19th
  • 5th Grade Puberty Discussion Adults Only-McCarthy School Cafe, 7:00-8:30pm
• Friday, 21sth
  • No School: PD Day

Caregiver Notice: 

Starting in March 2025, Google Workspace for Education will implement new privacy and access restrictions for some applications that impact students. This memo provides some context to these changes and how Framingham Public Schools is working to ensure minimal impact to student learning with this change.

The Framingham Public School district uses a variety of tools that help students access their learning. One of those tools is Google Suites. Google Suites includes many common productivity tools such as Google Email, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive. Google also has a few other products that they call secondary products or “Additional Google Services,” including such software as YouTube, Google Translate, and Google Photos, plus several other lesser-known products. 

In March of this year, Google will limit access to these secondary tools to children under 18 unless parents sign a permission form. Due to this recent change in Google’s access restrictions and the timeline for when it takes effect, student use of YouTube and Google Photos will no longer be accessible to students. We will share additional instructions and guides with educators to continue using YouTube videos to plan instruction and content delivery. Due to this short timeline and the disruption of service to student use of these products, we wanted to bring this to your awareness. Please remember this does not include Email, Docs, Sheets, Slides or Drive. 

Translate.google.com will be unavailable, but Google Translate in documents and slides will not be impacted for students. Google Photos will be unavailable, but students can upload their photos to Google Drive. Google Maps will also be unavailable for students, but they can use maps.bing.com. Other secondary products are not widely used at Framingham Public Schools. 

The full list is here:

Chrome Web Store

Colab

Google Arts and Culture

Google Books

Google Maps & My Maps

Google MDM

As these changes take effect, our staff will monitor any impact to student learning and make adjustments as needed.

Thank you, 

On Behalf of the Office of Teaching and Learning 

ATTENTION 5th GRADE FAMILIES!

Framingham Public Schools Proudly Offers Students the Opportunity to Earn the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy, Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction, and Language Opportunity Coalition (LOC) Biliteracy Awards. All multilingual learners in Framingham Public Schools in grades 5, 8 and 12 are encouraged to participate in these biliteracy recognition opportunities.

For additional information on the Biliteracy awards, caregivers of students in grades 5, 8, and 12 in all schools and programs are invited to attend a virtual information session taking place on February 27th at 12:00 PM and 7:00 PM.

• Video call link: https://meet.google.com/oec-wouo-oyv
• Or dial: ‪(US) +1 443-584-5065‬ PIN: ‪782 883 734‬#

During this event, community members will learn more about Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy, Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction, Language Opportunity Coalition and Framingham Public Schools biliteracy pathway awards, as well as how to register to participate in this opportunity!

Interpretation services in American Sign Language, Spanish and Portuguese will be available for the family/caregiver event.

The Dual Language Family/Caregiver Advisory Council is also collaborating with the Department of Multilingual Education to host an in person meeting on February 26th from 7-8 PM at the Farley Administration Building Auditorium at 19 Flagg Drive, Framingham, MA 01702.

The Character Trait for the month of March is Confidence!

For the month of March, we are collecting Snacks (crackers, chips, etc.)

to go to A Place To Turn food pantry in Natick. The two classrooms that collect the most food items for the pantry will earn extra recess!

Framingham Public Schools (FPS) & Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) Updates 

Updated February 4, 2025

• January 29, 2025 District Communication 

• January 22, 2025 District Communication 

Additional Resources

Caregiver Authorization Affidavit

Protecting Students and Their Information 

Addressing Hate and Bias in Schools - Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office

Combatting Hate in Our Schools - Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office

The Framingham Public School District uses images and/or videos (‘media’) of students and student work to showcase educational activities and programs (including before and after school and vacation programs), as well as to inform the community of the Framingham Public Schools experience. Photographs, videos, and/or the name of your child may be included in publications (print or digital), news releases, and on District maintained websites or social media accounts.

If you DO NOT give Framingham Public Schools permission to use your child’s name, image, or school work in any public display or presentation, please complete the digital Google Form (Photo / Video Opt-Out | Exclusión de foto/video | Formulário de Exclusão de Mídia (Foto/Vídeo) or print, sign, and return the form(s) listed below to the appropriate place based on your school(s).

Printed Forms

• Photo / Video Opt-Out (Click here to view)
• Exclusión de foto/video (Click here to view)
• Formulário de Exclusão de Mídia (Foto/Vídeo) (Click here to view)

Printed forms can be returned to the:

• School Office
• Homeroom for elementary students

Please note that FPS does not control the disclosure or use of photographs or video taken by participants at events that are open to parents, community members, and/or the news media. Additionally, this form does not apply to students participating in public events, like academic competitions, performances and athletic events. Student photos and names from these events may be published by news media.

Upon receipt of this signed opt-out form, school staff will document your child’s status (Media Opt-Out) in the X2 Student Information System for the current school year.