Hello, Falcon Families!
Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month AND Jewish American Heritage month!
Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month honors the history and heritage of Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Americans. This year's national theme, A Legacy of Leadership and Resilience, recognizes the historical contributions and enduring strength of the AAPI community.
Jewish American History Month, commemorates the profound impact of Jewish heritage and culture on the United States. It recognizes the contributions of Jewish Americans to various fields, including art, science, politics, business, and social justice. From early settlers to contemporary leaders, Jewish Americans have played a vital role in shaping the nation’s identity and values. Through celebration and reflection, this month serves as a reminder of the diversity and inclusivity that enriches the American tapestry.
Buckle up, there's a lot going on this month at Franklin! In this newsletter we’ll cover: Yearbook Orders, End of the Year PTA Survey, AEF Summer Camps, a Used Book Sale, our newly elected PTA Board for next year, plus...
May 3: The Science Festival 🧪
May 5-9: Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week 👩🏻🏫
May 12: Talent Show 🎶🎹
May 15: Bike & Roll to School 🚴🏻
May 20: Final PTA Meeting of the year! And Open House!
June 2–5: Class Picnics / Field Days
✅ End of the Year PTA Survey ✏️📚
We're always looking for ways to continue to meet the needs of our community! Let us know what worked this year, and what could be improved upon for next year! Please fill out our PTA's End of the Year Survey here
✅ Reimbursement Requests💰
Have you been hanging on to receipts from that event you helped plan? The last day to turn in a reimbursement request for the PTA is June 4th! You can get a reimbursement request here. (Please download before filling it out.) Questions? Email our Treasurer, Ben Montgomery, at bmontgom2007@gmail.com
✅ Yearbooks! 📗
It's almost time to order your yearbook! Keep an eye out for a Konstella email coming soon. We have set aside yearbooks for families who may be unable to purchase one due to financial hardship. Please email Jen Denton jenniferdenton5@gmail.com or Lindsay Revelli lindsay.revelli@gmail.com with any questions.
✅ Check the Lost & Found 👕🧢
Oh my! the Lost & Found is overflowing again! Please take some time to see if any of items belong to your student, or someone you know! All items left at the end of the school year will be donated. 
✅ Sign up for Alameda Education Summer Camps! 🎨🎸
This year summer camps will be held at Earhart Elementary School (400 Packet Landing Rd, Alameda, CA 94502) and will run from June 16 (no camps June 19 and July 4) through July 11, 2025.
Click here for information and to register for AEF Summer Camps! With over 70 different camps to choose from including Pickleball, Spanish, Chinese, Rock Band, LEGO, Robotics, Writing, Drawing, Sports and much more!…which ones will you choose?
Franklin Science Festival. Saturday, May 3, 2–4pm 🧪
Bust out your lab coats— the annual Franklin Science Festival is THIS Saturday, May 3rd from 2–4pm.
🚨We need your help to make this a success. Please signup to lend a hand! The science demonstrations are designed to be family-led and we are seeking families in each grade to conduct the experiments / demonstrations during the event.
- All materials and instructions will be provided beforehand
- No STEM degree or lab experience required. Members of the planning committee with help you before and during the event
We look forward to seeing you all there!
The science festival is made possible by a grant from National PTA and Bayer Fund, and your generous donations to the Franklin PTA. Please contact Ann Miyashiro with any questions ann_m@franklinpta.org
Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week. May 5 - 9th 💚💛
We appreciate our teachers every day, but during Teacher Appreciation Week we really show them how special they are! This year we will celebrate our teachers and staff the week of May 5-9. 🚨We need your help to make this a success. 👉 Please signup here to help decorate a staff door, or to drop off a special treat for our staff.
Your room parent will be in contact about classroom specific celebrations throughout the week, and how to participate. But don’t be afraid to add a little extra if you can! A smile and thank you can go a long way, especially as we near the end of another school year. For more info contact your Room Parent or reach to Hospitality Chairs Naomi Weisenberg and James Kim or Room Parent Lead, Grace Lee through Konstella.
Talent Show. May 12, 8:20 am 🎶🎹
The Talent Show will be on the morning of Monday, May 12th. Stay on campus after drop-off to enjoy comedy drawing, dance performances, guitar shredding, and sweet piano playing.
Bike & Roll to School. May 15 🚴♀️🛹
This annual event is a great opportunity for families and students to try bicycling or rolling to school for the first time or to renew a commitment to healthy and safe travel to school. This event is not just for bikes! All active modes — including scooters, skateboards, roller skates, and walking — are encouraged.
📣 Final PTA Meeting, May 20, 5:30 – 6:00 pm in the Multipurpose Room. Open House, 6:00 – 7:00 pm
Join us for our final PTA meeting of the year right before Open House! This will be a short and sweet final PTA meeting to review and approve a preliminary budget for the 2025/26 school year. A draft budget will be released with the meeting invite. Comments, questions, suggestions before and during the meeting are always welcome.
End of the Year Field Day and Picnics at Franklin Park — Last Week of School 🍕
Let's celebrate the completion of another year! Classroom volunteers will be needed for each grade to help supervise kids and organize games, crafts, and snacks. Pizza lunch will be provided by the PTA for students. Details and volunteer signups for the class picnics will be sent out soon from your Room Parent. Here are the dates for each grade:
6/2, Monday: 1st grade
6/3, Tuesday: 4th grade
6/4, Wednesday: 2nd and 3rd grades
6/5, Thursday: Kindergarten 
Used Book Sale! May 14 – 17. Alameda Main Library
Stock up on books for your summer reading! All purchases support the Friends of the Alameda Free Library.
Wednesday, May 14, 3-7pm ($5 bags for teachers)
Thursday - Saturday, May 15-17, 10am-4pm
Location: Stafford Room, Main Library - 1550 Oak St.
Are you interested in improving school meals in Alameda? Alameda parent, Courtney Sloan, is spearheading a group of parents to make an impact on school meals at AUSD sites. Please see the flier below, and reach out to Courtney with any questions or interest you may have at cssloan510@gmail.com
At our April PTA meeting we elected the incoming officers for the 2025–2026 Franklin PTA Board. Thank you to those that stepped up to volunteer next year!
Your Franklin PTA Board for 2025–2026
President — Ann Miyashiro
Vice President — Hazel Archer
Membership Chair — Chelsea Guillen
Fundraising Chair — Brittany Lasky
Hospitality Chair — Jennifer Denton
Communications Chair — Amanda Breeding
Legislative Advocacy Chair — Qomil Davis
Recording Secretary — Anthony Williams
Treasurer — Ben Montgomery
Financial Secretary — Nick Parker
Financial Reviewer — Aly Karnath
Historian — Naomi Weisenberg
Parlimentarian — Grace Lee
DEI Chair — Tyler Fuentes
Art Docent Chair — Karen Reuel
🏳️🌈 We also wanted to thank Melissa Saunders from AUSD who joined us at our April meeting to talk about how to support our LGBTQ students. You can find links to AUSD's Let's talk about it modules here. You can also Join the LGBTQ roundtable here
And thank you to Alameda Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft for speaking at our Monday morning assembly about her Lebanese and Syrian heritage to help celebrate Arab American Heritage Month! 
Last but not least, thank you to Steve Perez and all the parent bands for putting on another fantastic Falcon-palooza! 
Whether you’re a seasoned Franklin parent or are new to our community (welcome!) we want to hear from you. Please feel free to reach out to any PTA Exec Board member, or email ask@franklinpta.org.
Still Hankering for More PTA Content? We Got You Covered!
- The Franklin Elementary PTA's website
- Franklin Elementary School PTA Facebook Page
- Franklin Falcons of Alameda Facebook Page (this is private group managed by the school office staff- you must request to join)
In gratitude and appreciation,
Your Franklin Elementary PTA
2024–2025 Franklin PTA Executive Board:
Karen Reuel — President president@franklinpta.org
Ann Miyashiro — Vice President ann_m@franklinpta.or
Brittany Lasky — Fundraising Chair fundraising@franklinpta.org
Naomi Weisenberg — Hospitality Chair
Steve Perez — Communications Chair communications@franklinpta.org
Michael Cianfrani — Recording Secretary
Ben Montgomery — Treasurer
Nick Parker — Financial Secretary
Aly Karnath — Financial Reviewer
Jen Gross — Historian
Grace Lee — Parliamentarian
Tyler Fuentes & Evaly Long — DEI Chair
Laura Kingston — Art Docent Chair artdocent@franklinpta.or