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Franklin Avenue Middle School

Schools of Distinction Profile

Franklin Avenue Middle School was recognized in 2026 as an AMLE School of Distinction. One of the goals of the program is to foster a network of schools that share promising practices positively impacting young adolescents. The below profile provides highlights of a few of Franklin Avenue Middle School’s exemplary practices aligned with the 18 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools.

Connect with Franklin Avenue Middle School Leadership Team

Demographic Information

Location: Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
School Setting: Suburban
Grade Configuration: 6-8
School Enrollment: 422

Leadership

Joe Keiser, Principal
Maura Camasta, Assistant Principal

Key Practices

  • family and community
  • organizational structure
  • PLCs
  • professional development
  • student empowerment
  • student engagement
  • student leadership
  • student motivation
  • teaching
  • teaming
  • transitions to/from middle school
  • young adolescent development

Highlights of Exemplary Practices Aligned with the 18 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools

Franklin Avenue Middle School strongly embodies the Responsive, Engaging, and Empowering attributes outlined in The Successful Middle School: This We Believe. Our programs are intentionally designed around the developmental needs of young adolescents. Every student participates in a daily 30-minute Patriot Period, a flexible intervention and enrichment block that provides targeted Tier 2 and Tier 3 academic support in English Language Arts and Mathematics while also offering exploratory micro-courses that expose students to new interests and skills. Sixth-grade students begin their middle school experience with the Frost Valley overnight trip in the fall, an introductory experience focused on relationship building, teamwork, and developing connections with peers and trusted adults. Student leadership is cultivated through our Peer Leadership Core (PLC), where students mentor peers, organize school initiatives, and lead community outreach projects that promote service, responsibility, and positive school culture.

FAMS also exemplifies the characteristics of a successful middle school through a strong Culture & Community and Leadership & Organization. Our interdisciplinary teaching teams meet regularly to analyze student data, coordinate interventions, and ensure every student is supported academically and socially. Students participate in authentic, interdisciplinary learning experiences such as Greek Day, the Amazing Race, the Geography Football League (GFL), Sciodol, BattleBox, and Trout in the Classroom, all of which connect learning across content areas while fostering collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving. Strong partnerships with families and the community are evident through events such as Living Lessons, parent involvement in cumulative Patriot Period presentations, and PLC service initiatives supporting organizations like Ronald McDonald House, Wounded Warrior Project, and Alex's Lemonade Stand. Together, these programs create a welcoming environment where every student is known, challenged, and empowered to grow academically, socially, and emotionally.