Hello Falcon Families!
October was packed: the Walkathon Popsicle Party, Book Fair, Spooktacular, and school assemblies. None of it would happen without YOU, our volunteers. Thank you for bringing so much joy to the Franklin community!
UPCOMING EVENTS
🎤 Assembly, Monday, Nov 16, 8:20 am
The Cascada de Flores assembly is an interactive, bilingual celebration of Latin American, Mexican, and Caribbean heritage through music, dance, and storytelling. Students will have the opportunity to experience the rich cultural traditions of these communities through an engaging and joyful performance!
🚨 PTA Meeting: Wednesday, Nov 18, 6:30–8:00 pm in the Media Center
There will be childcare provided, and we will have Lindsey Jenkins-Stark, AUSD senior manager of research, assessment, and Data - present to the PTA about Star, and other district benchmark assessments.
🧃 Stock the Staff Room: Nov 16–20
Help our teachers get through long parent-teacher conference days. Order snacks from our Amazon Wish List and they’ll be delivered straight to school.
❄️ Snowflake Shoppe: Dec 4 (in the Media Center)
We’re excited to announce that Franklin Elementary’s annual craft fair, the Snowflake Shoppe, will be back this year on Friday, December 4th! We rely on donations from families, so get those crafting skills ready. More information will be sent out before November Break.
🎁 Minted Holiday Cards
Use code FUNDRAISEFRANKLIN at minted.com/holiday for 20% off holiday cards and gifts. Minted donates 10% of every order to our PTA, so please share the code with friends and family!
November is Indigenous Peoples’ Month
This month we honor the first peoples of this land, including the Ohlone, whose homelands include Alameda and much of the East Bay. You can celebrate by supporting Native-owned businesses like Wahpepah’s Kitchen in Oakland, Café Ohlone in Berkeley, or the monthly Indigenous Red Market.
WAYS TO GIVE
💛 Year-End Tax-Deductible Donations
Our goal is to raise $500 per student this school year, and every gift helps, whatever the size. Franklin PTA is a 501(c)(3) (EIN 94-6171957). For a receipt, email Treasurer Nick Parker at treasurer@franklinpta.org.
To make a direct gift for a specific cause, like the private donation that helped fund our science teacher, contact Principal Ms. Liu at jeliu@alamedaunified.org
THANK YOU!
Celebrating Culture Through Dance!
On October 19, students and staff were treated to an incredible performance by Calpulli Tonalehqueh Aztec Dancers! Mitlalpalli and his talented team shared the artistry, energy, and skill of traditional Aztec dance, giving our school community a memorable cultural experience.
The PTA funds most of Franklin's assemblies, making enriching experiences like this possible for our students. Thank you for your generous donations and continued support!
📚 Book Fair: Huge thanks to chairs Kalinda Lisy & Brittany Lasky, Ms. Kinsey, and every volunteer. Gross sales reached $12,171.99, which earns about $3,043 in rewards for the Media Center. Families also gave $425 to Books4Kids. Any leftover gift card balances can still be used on the Literati website.
🎃 Spooktacular:
What a spooktacular success! It was incredible seeing so many families turn out for Franklin’s premier Halloween celebration.
The evening was packed with frightful fun: legendary battles at the carnival games, sweet victories at the CakeWalk, a bustling finale to our Book Fair, and epic performances from two generations of rock bands who absolutely shredded! Not to mention that brave souls who dared to enter the Haunted Hallway were treated to a thrill of fear and delight. Finally, the crowd went wild as the night closed out with the roar of the infamous Candy Cannon!
This spine-tingling event wouldn’t have been possible without a monster effort from our amazing parent and student volunteers. Thank you for donating your time, creativity, equipment, and a bountiful feast of treats and supplies. A special, screaming shout-out goes to our Spooktacular Committee! Your endless hours of planning and prep paid off in a big way.
Have ideas to make next year’s bash even more spellbinding? We’d love your feedback! Please reach out to Annie Gregg or Greg Nielsen with any suggestions.
📸 Relive the Magic: Check out the official photos and photo booth snaps in our Google Photo Album. Got great shots of your own? Please upload and share them with the Franklin community!
Introducing: Franklin Unplugged!
As our kids grow, many of us are wrestling with the question of when and how to introduce smartphones and social media. A growing number of families across Alameda and right here at Franklin are teaming up to take a collective approach. Through the local grassroots group Alameda Unplugged, parents are pledging to delay smartphones for their kids until at least the end of 8th grade. (Basic calling/texting phones or smartwatches are still fine for those families that choose them).
Collective action matters because: the biggest hurdle to waiting is often the fear that our kids will feel left out. When families band together, that social pressure disappears, making it much easier for kids to stay engaged in the real world, protect their sleep and mental wellbeing, and enjoy a play-based childhood.
To Get Involved:
• Take the Pledge Locally: Add your name and school in this ONLINE FORM from Alameda Unplugged.
•Join the National Movement: Join fellow Franklin families who have already signed by taking the same pledge at WAIT UNTIL 8th (the pledge becomes active for each Franklin class once 10 families in the same grade sign on).
• Learn More: Visit ALAMEDA UNPLUGGED for more local resources and to join the community discussion.
More info to come at our next PTA meeting!
Help Build Franklin's Affinity Groups!
We're looking for parent and caregiver volunteers to lead or co-lead small affinity groups at Franklin. These groups will help families connect, build community, and share their voices with Franklin's DEI Committee and AUSD district affinity groups.
Groups may include Black, African American & Multiethnic, Latinx, AAPI, Middle Eastern, Jewish, LGBTQ+, Muslim, and Special Education & IEP/504 families.
Interested? Email Tyler Fuentes to learn more or get involved!
💡 Questions or ideas? Email ask@franklinpta.org or any Exec Board member. You can also find us on our website, our Facebook page, and the Franklin Falcons group (a private group; request to join).
In gratitude,
Your Franklin Elementary PTA