Living Lessons

On May 15, 2024, Franklin Avenue Middle School will be hosting a program, ‘Living Lessons’.  The Living Lessons program has been offered at FAMS in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018, 2022 and we are thrilled to continue spreading the spirit of Living Lessons 2024 through generous community funding from the Franklin Lakes Education Foundation, FAMS PTA, Franklin Lakes REACH, Franklin Lakes Recreation, Franklin Lakes Parks and Recreation Foundation, and the Franklin Lakes Board of Education.

In a middle school setting, it is important to address the social and emotional pressures of being an adolescent. Building a strong sense of community within a school setting and recognizing differences that exist strengthens the bonds that are so important to this age group.  Middle school students are subject to bullying and teasing and the strong social pressures that exist in a building.  Addressing the district and community’s goal of character education, the “Living Lessons” program will help students to realize the importance of reaching out to others, embracing their differences, respecting diversity, and learning how to deal with and overcome challenges by exploring stereotypes, prejudices, bias, discrimination, and noting how people have risen above these hardships to succeed in life.

The program brings over 45 keynote speakers into our school for the day to share their inspirational stories and messages. Living Lessons will not only be an innovative and inspirational day for every child at Franklin Avenue Middle School but will actually culminate an entire year-long program that has focused on achieving individual goals and success while touching on such poignant topics as self-control, respect, resilience, courage, anti-bullying and tolerance.  Our entire student population of about 380 will be broken into small groups escorted by parents from the community to listen and learn from these speakers and to hear their powerful accounts of overcoming challenges, prejudice, and discrimination.  Each segment lasts approximately 40 minutes where students and guests are given the opportunity to ask questions.  While our FAMS Community will hear personal journeys involving tragedy and unbelievable obstacles, the universal theme of the day is one of triumph and hope.  To this end, the day is designed so that the children will not only listen and learn from our guests, but truly be engaged in a community-wide positive experience that relates back to their own lives.  

This year's Living Lessons program will center around the central theme of ‘Make a Difference’, but also incorporates our school-wide spirit of positive messages of understanding and living life to your full potential, yet supporting one another and embracing our diverse population.  FAMS is a culmination of years spent in the Franklin Lakes community, and we look forward to celebrating our togetherness through generosity, kindness, and compassion.

Generous Supporters