Missed our Sunday newsletter? Read it here!
School Starts Monday, August 22
Are you ready?
One last week of summer for students! All teachers returned on Friday and we have a full week of preparation ahead. We are all excited and optimistic for a year of growth and we are looking forward to welcoming students next Monday! We hope many of you will join us this Friday, August 19, 12:00 noon for our Groundbreaking for our gymnasium and new classroom wing! Everyone is welcome but Coach Burke gets first dibs for the shiny shovel. Our construction team is working hard behind the scenes to kick off this exciting construction project.
We’re trying to keep the newsletter short this week while providing easy access to the information you need. If you know another FSI family who is not receiving our newsletters – please pass this along to them! We are posting the newsletters on Facebook and our website as well as sending them out via email. We’ve heard that some people are finding our emails in their “spam” or “social” or other folders. Don’t let your inbox sort us out – we want everyone to feel informed, included, and prepared! Be sure to “whitelist” emails with the domain name @thefsi.us. If this is new to you – here’s some help! How to Whitelist an Email
So – here are a few FAQs. For more information and to meet a few friendly faces – join us this Tuesday, August 16, 6:30 pm for our Virtual Parent Orientation. Tuesday is geared towards high school – but we’ll cover information important for everyone.
Where are the school supply lists? The supply lists are posted on our school website, under the Academics tab. We linked them in the July newsletter. Here’s the link again: School Supply Lists.
When does school start? Our first day is Monday, August 22. Middle school starts at 8:15 am, high school starts at 8:25 am. Early drop-off is 7:15 and 7:45 am ($3 daily fee); regular drop-off begins at 7:45.
When will my student receive their schedule? Schedules will be emailed this week. Returning students may be able to access their schedules by logging into PowerSchool. We’re working hard to get these finished and we’ll show you how to read the crazy PowerSchool schedule during our Orientation.
What about buses? Bus routes are listed on our website. Bus surveys were sent in July and our transportation team is working to accommodate as many riders as possible. All routes are currently full – we have a waitlist and we will do our best to get everyone on the buses. It will take a few weeks as we work through all the different student schedules and needs.
Carpooling? Yes please! Join our Facebook carpool page to seek other carpoolers!
School lunches: We will provide cold breakfast and daily lunch for all students who qualify for free/reduced lunch, beginning August 22. Our food truck partners are not returning this year. We are working on solutions but we need a couple weeks to work out all the logistics. Friday pizza sales will start the first week, August 26.
Masks & COVID protocols? The Board of Directors voted to follow CDC guidelines for masks. Masks are optional unless Buncombe County is at high risk as measured by CDC community levels. You can track this here: CDC COVID Levels. We are currently at medium risk level. We will offer onsite weekly pool testing (beginning the 2nd or 3rd week of school) and rapid testing (beginning immediately) for students/staff who are symptomatic.
Staff Directory? Scroll all the way down for our updated 2022-2023 “Who to Call When…” guidelines! We will include these at the bottom of each weekly newsletter so that you always have our contact information at your fingertips.
Missed our prior summer newsletters? You will find them here – please take time to read through these!
With appreciation,
Michelle Vruwink, Executive Director
Tony Freeman, Middle School Principal
Peter Tromba, High School Principal
Upcoming Events
Tues, Aug 16, 6:30 pm: Virtual Parent Orientation (high school) via Zoom:
https://zoom.us/j/99676300304?pwd=L2ZHNjFqME9VUFh0Nmk1a1FjVWNsdz09
Meeting ID: 996 7630 0304
Passcode: X59rTt
Fri, Aug 19, 12:00 noon: Groundbreaking Ceremony! Park in any open space and we’ll guide you into the construction area behind the Community Room for our Groundbreaking!
Mon, Aug 22: First Day for Students
Wed, Aug 24: Wednesday Release – 12:30 high school, 1:00 middle school. This is our regular Wednesday schedule
Mon, Sept 5: Labor Day – No School
Keep up with all our events on our Community Calendar!
Help Us Feed Our Teachers!
We are looking forward to spending time with our teachers and supporting a great start to the school year! Orientation is intense and a great meal helps keep us going strong and feeling good. If you would like to help us show appreciation, you can make a contribution here: Staff Welcome Back Lunch We appreciate your support!
Substitutes Needed
We are recruiting for substitute teachers! Substitutes truly keep the school running, allowing our teachers to take days off for illness and personal needs. Prior teaching experience and certification are nice but not required. Please send resume and cover letter to jobs@thefsi.us.
Beyond the Bell Before & Afterschool Program
Beyond the Bell (BtB) provides early morning care and afterschool programming for both middle and high school students. If you think your student might be using Beyond the Bell – even just once – this school year, head on over to the BtB page on our website for all the details. To register, please complete this form and someone from the BtB team will be in touch. We look forward to welcoming your student to the BtB crew! For more info, contact Martha Rutherford at mrutherford@thefsi.us
Tours!
If you have not yet had the opportunity to visit campus, we are offering a few tours for new students/families! Tours will be offered at the following days/times:
- Tuesday, August 16, 10 am
- Thurs, Aug 18, 1 pm
Please sign up here! When you arrive on campus, park in any available spot and follow the blue painted footprints to our main office. Sarah Jean Smith will be your tour guide!
Volunteer Corner
Parent and community involvement is essential to the ongoing success of any school community. At Franklin, we know that without the support of our families, we cannot be the school we want to be! We ask our families to share their time and talents, with each family contributing four hours (two hour for one-parent households) of volunteer support per month.
Our hope is that you will find volunteering to be rewarding! Getting involved is a great way to meet other members of our school community, and to see first hand what is happening at Franklin. We have many levels of volunteering, from helping plant or weed gardens, to serving on the Board of Directors.
Please complete this survey to let us know how you would like to get involved. Thank you!
Who do I go to when….
Whether you are new or returning to Franklin, we know you will have questions, and we want to help you find the best person to answer them, quickly and efficiently. We hope this little guide will help you navigate!
I have a question about my child’s grade, an assignment, or something specific to one class: Start with your child – what do they know? Then, the classroom teacher
I’m worried about my child’s overall progress, or progress in multiple classes: Your child’s Crew advisor can help coordinate a team response or meeting
My child seems anxious, sad, or unhappy: Jennifer Negron is our middle school counselor, and Mary Kinsey Hyche is our high school counselor
I think my child is being bullied, or other behavior/discipline concerns: Tony Freeman, Middle School Principal or Peter Tromba High School Principal
My child will miss school: For short-term absences (illness, doctor’s appointments, etc), send an email to attendance@thefsi.us, or bring a written note to the front office. Notes must be received within 48 hours of student’s return to school. Longer-term or frequent absences (5 days/quarter) require documentation from a medical care provider.
I’ve contacted a teacher, but the problem isn’t resolved: Your child’s Principal
I think my child may need special education services or accommodations: Paula Dowd, Director of Exceptional Services
I think we need some support for my child’s challenging behaviors: Jessica Potter-Bowers (JP) or Kara Lacey, Behavior Specialists
I have a question about enrollment, student records, or attendance, or I need a copy of my student’s report card or transcript: Erinn Otten, Director of Student Services
My student needs a chromebook, hotspot, or help with technology: Matt Mikulski, Technology Director
My child has an IEP, and I have questions about the services provided: Your child’s Exceptional Children teacher is your first contact:
- Grade 5: Brittany Davenport
- Grade 6: Tammy Leahy
- Grade 7: Meagan Barnhard
- Grade 8: Donnie Stahlke
- MS Resource Room: Meaghann Denkenberger
- Grade 9: Lindsey Wehrli
- Grade 10: Greg Wingard
- Grade 11: Paul Szumski
- Grade 12: Gretchen Kehrberg
- HS Occupational Course of Study: Kelsey Reid
I have questions about sports: Kim Burke, Athletic Director
I want to know more about after or before-school services: Martha Rutherford, Beyond the Bell Coordinator
I want to know more about your music program: Sandi Wilson, Director of Instrumental and Vocal Ensembles
I am interested in your theatre programs! Chris Martin, MS Theatre teacher/director and Julia Wharton, HS Theatre teacher/director
I have questions about your school bus or student parking: Deeana Bennett, Director of Operations
I am interested in carpooling/ride-sharing: Check out our carpool facebook group (you need to request to join):
I want to know more about college planning, including advanced courses like AP and Dual Enrollment, financial aid, or the college application process: JaneAnne Tager, College & Career Counselor
I have high level concerns or questions about the school, such as a problem that hasn’t been resolved through my principal, an immediate school safety concern, or more general questions about the school’s philosophy, approach, or plans for the future: Michelle Vruwink, Executive Director
Our Teaching Teams for 2022-2023!
We are excited to have many returning teachers, as well as some new faces for the coming school year! While we are sharing contact information now, please understand that teachers are enjoying their summers, and will not be responding to emails until the school year begins. You will have the opportunity to meet teachers at our Back to School Nights in early September!
| Teaching Teams
5th Grade Brandie Dallara, ELA & Social Studies: bdallara@thefsi.us Jennifer Ryan, Science & Social Studies: jryan@thefsi.us Chris Pauley, Math & Social Studies: cpauley@thefsi.us 6th Grade Ashley O’Dell, ELA: aodell@thefsi.us Charlie Keller, Math: ckeller@thefsi.us Samuel “Latt” Berry Foster:, Science: sfoster@thefsi.us Evan Baptista, Social Studies: ebaptista@thefsi.us 7th Grade Jared Gallow, ELA: jgallow@thefsi.us Emily Hrinko, Math lead: ehrinko@thefsi.us Nick Liu, Science: nliu@thefsi.us Grace Nyanga, Social Studies: gnyanga@thefsi.us 8th Grade Kyle Wilson, ELA: kwilson@thefsi.us AJ Jones, Math lead: ajones@thefsi.us Rhneea Riddle, Math Specialist: rriddle@thefsi.us Keith Knox, Social Studies: kknox@thefsi.us Carlos Edwards, Science: cedwards@thefsi.us 9th Grade Lora Hawkins, English I: lhawkins@thefsi.us Jerry Lubos, World History: jlubos@thefsi.us Taylor Jenkins, Math 1 & 2: tjenkins@thefsi.us Zoe Watson, Math Specialist: zwatson@thefsi.us Jessica Bragdon, Earth Science/ AP Earth: jbragdon@thefsi.us 10th Grade Matt Reynolds, Civics: mreynolds@thefsi.us Justina Powell, English 2: jpowell@thefsi.us Marcel Duhaime, Math 2: mduhaime@thefsi.us Biology: TBD 11th Grade Bryan Head, English III/AP Lang: bhead@thefsi.us Tess Barnes Dunn, American History, AP Research: tbarnesdunn@thefsi.us Teshale Byan, Math 3 & AP Calculus: tbyan@thefsi.us Mary Smith, Chemistry, Forensics: msmith@thefsi.us 12th Grade Alex Humphrey, English IV & AP Lit:: ahumphreyr@thefsi.us Lexi Johnson, World History: ljohnson@thefsi.us Teshale Byan, AP Calculus: tbyan@thefsi.us Elizabeth Joslin, NC Wildlife (Science) & EcoWarriors: ejoslin@thefsi.us Jessica Fine: Pre Calc, Math 4: jfine@thefsi.us Elective Teachers: MS PE: Anne Gillis: agillis@thefsi.us HS PE & Athletic Director: Kimberly Burke, kburke@thefsi.us MS Art: Jennifer Lipsey Edwards: jlipsey-edwards@thefsi.us HS Art/8th grade Art: Kati Robbins, krobbins@thefsi.us MS Tech & Computer Science: Adrienne Fortune, afortune@thefsi.us MS Counselor: Jennifer-Raé Negron, jnegron@thefsi.us HS Theatre, Art of Argument: Julia Wharton, jwharton@thefsi.us MS Theatre: Chris Martin, cmartin@thefsi.us MS/HS Music and Orchestra: Sandi Wilson, swilson@thefsi.us, French 1, 4, 5, and Arabic: Myriam Weber, mweber@thefsi.us French2 & 3 and HS, PE: Chad Gerber, cgerber@thefsi.us HS Spanish: Hanna Walden, hwalden@thefsi.us MS & HS Spanish: Heather Kabat, hkabat@thefsi.us Adventure Ed: Jessica Potter-Bowers, jpotter-bowers@thefsi.us |
