Handbook

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 

• School starts at 8:40
• Adult supervision and valet start time will be 8:35. 
• Students will line up on teacher designated white lines on the blacktop. As early as 8:35
• Students will be sent in when first bell rings to immediately have breakfast and begin class.
• School ends at 3:10.

Wednesdays

• School starts at 9:40.
• Students will line up on teacher designated white lines on the blacktop. As early as 9:35.
• Adult supervision and valet begins at 9:45
• School ends at 3:10.

During inclement weather, students will line up in the cafeteria in the same order they do when outside.
Families will drop students off outside and students will walk in with staff when the first bell rings.

FOR SAFETY REASONS, PLEASE PICK UP AND DROP OFF YOUR STUDENT(S) AT THE FRONT OF THE SCHOOL (14th & Lawrence St). THE BUS ZONE OFF OF 12TH STREET MUST BE CLEAR AT ALL TIMES FOR 
BUSES. No parking in the bus loop. 

Every day school ends at 3:10 PM.*

*Unless on scheduled parent/teacher conferences days (in October and in March) and on the last day of school in June. Those are early dismissal days and school ends at 12:15pm. The school will send out communication in advance regarding early dismissal days.

• Teachers will walk students out to valet or bus or afterschool care.
• If student transportation for the day changes, please contact office staff in advance (before 3pm) or students will be required to follow normal dismissal procedures.
• Students must be picked up on time. Students may not play on the school grounds after the school day without their guardians present. There will be no staff available to supervise students after 3:40 PM.
• Picking up students early or bringing them in late is discouraged; too much learning time is missed. No early pick up or change of dismissal plans can be made after 2:40 pm (30 minutes before school lets out) except in emergencies. Office staff will be helping close out the day and will not be able to make these changes while doing so but will try their best in circumstances where there needs to be a change.

• The valet line starts on 14th street in front of the school. We ask that all parents remain patient during student drop off/pick up.
• Only the student can exit the car during drop off, parents please remain in your car to keep the line moving. If you need additional time, you may use the visitor parking lot and walk your child up to the school.
• Please follow instructions by valet supervision staff, they are there to help your child get in your car safely. For everyone’s safety:
• No U-TURNS when leaving the valet area.
• No parking across the street or crossing the street in front of valet.
• Adult supervision and valet begins at 8:35 M,T,TH,F and 9:35 Wed.

Send a written explanation or call the office at 253.571.1400.

Email franklinattendance@tacoma.k12.wa.us OR Enter absences in ParentVUE

State law and district policy and regulations require daily and punctual attendance of all students. Parents and students are both responsible for assuring attendance. Parents must provide the school with a valid reason for an absence before it can be excused. The following constitute valid reasons for excused absence: personal illness; health condition or medical or dental appointment; an appearance in court when required by law; a disciplinary action (I.e., short-term suspension, long term suspension that does not result in loss of grades or credits or emergency expulsion); religious observance; a family emergency approved by the principal; school-approved activities; and a planned family activity which has been preapproved by the principal. In all cases, the school principal determines whether an absence is excused or unexcused.

New changes in the law require a meeting between the family and school personnel after 5 absences. If attendance does not improve per the plan put into place, the school district may file a petition with the juvenile court seeking the court’s jurisdiction over the student’s attendance in school. All efforts will be made to support students and families with challenges in attendance. However, Franklin staff will follow the law and file a petition when the student reaches the number of days absent within the law. Any parent found to have violated the law may be fined up to $25 per day of unexcused absence from the school, and the student will be ordered to attend school. The court may also order the parent/guardian to provide community service at the student's school in lieu of imposing a fine. A student who fails to comply with a court order to attend school may be found in contempt of court and may be placed in juvenile detention or receive alternate sentencing from the court.

In addition to disciplinary action for nonattendance, absences may adversely affect a student’s grades if the teacher (a) has shown a relationship between attendance and instructional goals and objectives of the course; (b) advised the student and parent(s)/guardian(s) in writing and by posting at the beginning of the year; and (c) obtained approval from principal for guidelines to be used in classes in which attendance may adversely affect grades or credits.( policy 3122, Reg. 3122 R, RCW 28A.225) Students who do not live in Franklins' attendance area or within the Tacoma School District, and who fail to comply with the districts attendance policy will not be allowed to attend Franklin.

To report an absence:

During school hours, please call 571-1400 to report your child’s absence. After hours, please leave a message on our voicemail.

Tardiness:

Students are expected to be on time for school. Late arrival cause interruption that are disruptive to the learning process for your child and for other children in the class. When your child arrives after 9:00, please accompany them to the office for a tardy slip. If your child has 3 or more unexcused late arrivals in a threemonth reporting period, you will be contacted to develop a plan with school personnel to ensure your child gets to school on time.

Franklin does not require uniforms, but we do have a dress code.

View Franklin's Dress Code

Please contact Transportation to request special accommodation for bussing - 253-272-7750

View Transportation Information

View Metro Parks Beyond the Bell Programs

View YMCA Before/After School Child Care Info

• 8:00 Main office is open. 
• 8:35 (9:35 on Wednesdays) Students can start arriving and line up on blacktop.
• 8:40 (9:40 on Wednesdays) School starts 8:40 (9:40 on Wednesdays) 
• Tardy Bell Rings 8:50 (9:50 Wednesdays)
• TK/Kindergarten lunch 10:55-11:20 & recess 11:20-11:45
• First grade lunch 11:20-11:45 & recess 10:55-11:20 
• Second grade lunch 11:50-12:15 & recess 12:15-12:40
• Third grade lunch 12:15-12:40 & recess 11:50-12:15
• 4/5 grade lunch 12:45-1:10 & recess 1:10-1:35
• Student day ends 3:10
• Staff workday ends 3:25
• Main office is closed at 3:40
• Students may not enter the building earlier than 8:35am (9:35 on Wednesdays) unless they are attending a specific program that has been prearranged. Grades TK-5 wait on blacktop, in classroom lines.
• The playground is closed before and after school hours. Students are not allowed to play on the equipment prior to school. The playground is available for community use after 4:00pm. Parents MUST stay with their children if arriving prior to 8:35am.

We go out rain or shine! Important to dress your student for the weather. During extreme weather conditions we do have alternate locations for rainy day recess. Our campus is now enclosed from the community during school hours. We have an enclosed blacktop during unstructured outside time.

View 2024-25 Student Calendar

Oct. 15, PreK-5 conferences, early release, Oct. 17-18, All grade conferences, early release and March 13-14, All grade conferences, early release.

Communication from the school will go out prior to conferences. Teachers will be reaching out during these windows to schedule a conference with you.

Our school will follow a process to ensure reflection of actions, repair, and follow through.

For minor incidents:

Teachers will provide strategies and interventions, warnings and check on students frequently. Students will be asked to reflect on their actions and think of ways to change their behaviors so that it does not impede on their learning. Guardians may be contacted if the minor incidents occur more than several times in a consecutive time frame. Teachers will reach out to get your support in helping your student recognize how this action is causes instructional time to be diminished to prevent it from becoming a major issue. We look to you as a partner in helping your child succeed and reach their fullest educational potential.

For any major incidents:

Major incidents will be referred to administration. You would then get a call from admin to partner with you in supporting the student through the major incident or behaviors. Major incidents, after thorough investigation and depending on context do result in consequence per Tacoma’s policy. 

View Student Conduct Policy

ACCURATE CONTACT INFORMATION AND NEEDS TO BE UPDATED REGULARLY VISITING SCHOOL

For safety reasons, all visitors, for any reason, are required to report to the office to sign-in and pick up visitor badges. Teachers can be contacted via phone or email. We will not call into the classroom and disrupt learning during the school day. If you’d like to visit or observe in a classroom, please make arrangements with the teacher and principal. Contractually, teachers have a right to 24-hour notice.

RELEASING STUDENTS FROM SCHOOL GROUNDS:

In order to ensure student safety, our school staff will require one or more of the following when requesting student dismissal from the school grounds during school hours.

• Proof of legal custody, if in doubt, by requesting a copy of any court order granting or awarding custody.  
• A notarized statement of the legal guardian attesting to their custody of the child and reason (why there is no court order that establishes custody.)
• Authorization to release by written communication or arranging to pick up the child in the attendance office.
• A copy of identification. A student will not be released from the school premises during school hours without authorization from a guardian having legal custody of the child. Exceptions will be made when protective custody is dictated by appropriate legal authorities.

Students will not be released to any person:

• Without authorization from the guardian
• Under the age of 18
• Not listed on the enrollment form, unless authorized by the parent or guardian
• Without copy of identification to prove identity.

PERMISSION SLIPS TO CHANGE ROUTINE

After school, students are expected to go directly home or to their daycare unless they are participating in afterschool activities. If there is any change to your child’s after school routine, please provide the office with a note stating that you have given permission for your child to alter their routine (going home with another child, going home with a relative...). If we do not have a signed note or phone call from the guardian by 2:40 PM, the student will be sent home by their normal daily routine.

We have a school wide incentive program and a spirit day during the school year that will allow for special times where students can wear their hats or bring a stuffed animal.

Otherwise, if students bring these items to school the item will be confiscated and stay in the office and returned to them on their way home to prevent the item from being a disruption or lost or stolen.