Good morning Franklin community,
Whew! It’s August already! If you haven’t been on campus this summer you are going to be amazed by the transformation. We are still working round the clock to be ready to welcome everyone back! Getting into the building has been a bit of a daily adventure these past few weeks as our roads and sidewalks are installed! Fingers crossed for a couple sunny days so they can finish up this week.
This coming week our newly-hired teachers begin their orientation. This is a dynamic, experienced group of educators and we can’t wait to introduce them to you all!
We are also looking forward to our virtual Family Orientation sessions on Tuesday and Thursday, August 8 and 10, 6:30 pm. The content will be very similar in both sessions, so please feel free to join whichever one fits your schedule. We hope you will join us, but we will also record and share the presentation. We’ll cover the new traffic pattern, arrival and dismissal procedures, and a host of other important information. Information and links for the Zoom sessions are included below.
Now that it’s August we know people are starting to think about school. We have a few spaces available in 5th grade and 6th grades. If you have friends or family who are thinking about making a change for the school year – this is the time to get enrolled with FSI! Our wait lists in many grades have grown in the past few years so enrolling early is a smart move. We’d love to serve as many students and families as possible!
Did you know…we now have a full-time English Language and Reading Intervention teacher? This position is part of our commitment to meeting the needs of a diverse student population. We’re excited about this area of growth!
Get your calendars out and keep reading for upcoming events and important dates!
Beginning of School Events
Tues, Aug 8, 6:30 pm: Middle School Family Orientation (virtual): Join us on Zoom for important back-to-school information! We will review our school mission and values, schedules, drop-off and pick-up information (all new again this year!), behavior expectations, bus schedules, lunch options, and more. Sessions will be recorded.
Zoom link to join: Middle School Orientation Passcode: KNBa4A
Thurs, Aug 10, 6:30 pm: High School Family Orientation (virtual): Join us on Zoom – information will be the same as the middle school orientation except we will cover high-school specific schedules as well as a discussion of the importance of GPA!
Zoom link to join: High School Orientation Passcode: w6KD5x
Friday, August 11th at 7:30pm – have an Evening Out at the Theatre with FSI – see the classic adventure tale “Treasure Island” performed by the Montford Park Players! It’s a great way to get out, and enjoy a summer evening with the family. FSI will have a reserved section based on how many tickets are claimed. Join the event here, claim your tickets from the Montford Park Players website here. Use the code “Franklin” when claiming your tickets so they can track attendance and make an appropriate reserved section for our community. Please make sure you have the correct show selected – Treasure Island (Fri 08/11/23 @7:30pm) and leave a donation for your tickets if possible.
Thurs, August 17th from 3-5pm – Meet the Teachers at FSI – Get oriented with the new layout of the building, see classrooms and meet the teachers. This is a casual event as our teachers will just be getting into their new classrooms.
Tuesday, August 22: First Day of School! Note that Wednesday, August 23 is a FULL day. We will begin early release Wednesdays the following week.
Sunday, Sept. 24th 2-5pm – The 7th annual Filthy Franklin Mud Run is back! What better way to break in all of the new space than to make a new and improved super muddy obstacle course to crawl, run and jump through? Get your tickets before Sept. 8th to receive a free signature event t-shirt! Tickets can be purchased here, join the event on facebook here
Fuel our Teachers for a Great Start to the Year
The parent crew is fundraising for a beginning of the year staff appreciation lunch on August 18th. Start the school year on a great foot and provide a catered lunch for the lovely staff at Franklin! This is just a couple of weeks away and they need to get this together as quickly as possible. Donate towards lunch today – https://franklinschoolofinnovation.networkforgood.com/projects/200006-2023-24-welcome-staff-appreciation-lunch
2022-2023 Yearbooks
Many of you have reached out about yearbooks! Unfortunately we have not received them yet but we are getting close! The yearbooks are supposed to ship by August 11. We hope to have them in hand for Meet the Teacher on August 17. Students can pick up their yearbooks at Meet the Teacher. We are also asking grade level teams to provide time early in the school year for students to sign one another’s books.
Stay tuned – we’ll let people know as soon as we receive the yearbooks. The good news is that we have a new high school class taking over production of the yearbook this year. With more hands and help, they know their goal is to have the yearbooks ready before the end of the year.
Fall Sports Information – Get Your Physicals Now!
Coach Burke recently shared information about our Fall sports program. I was definitely always that parent rushing out to get physicals for my kids – save yourself the stress and schedule them now! Physical and Concussion forms are attached to this email and are required before your student participates in practices.
Middle School Cross Country (Boys and Girls)
Head Coach: Kara Lacey
klacey@thefsi.us
Information: Optional practices will begin on July 31st on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30pm.
On Tuesdays, the team will meet at the White Duck Taco parking lot on Riverside Drive to run on the Greenway.
On Thursdays, the team will meet at the Hard Times parking lot at Bent Creek.
Practice will end by 7:30pm.
Regular season official mandatory practice will begin on August 22nd after dismissal.
High School Cross Country (Boys and Girls)
Head Coach: Mackenzie Arnold
marnold@thefsi.us
Information: Optional practices will begin on August 7th (Monday through Friday) at 7:30am. Meet at the front field at FSI.
Regular season official mandatory practice will begin on August 22nd at 4:15pm. Practices will be held on campus on the first week and then other locations will be determined.
Middle School Volleyball (Girls)
Coaches: Jessica Bragdon and Tammy Leahy
jbragdon@thefsi.us
tleahy@thefsi.us
Information: An interest meeting will be held during the first week of school.
Regular season official mandatory practice will begin on August 28th.
High School Volleyball (Girls)
Coaches: Tess Barnes-Dunn, Heather Kabat, Liz Baron
tbarnesdunn@thefsi.us
hkabat@thefsi.us
lbaron@thefsi.us
Information: Regular season official mandatory practice will begin on August 22nd after school.
Middle School Flag Football (Boys and Girls)
Coaches: Tony Freeman, Kim Burke, Annie Gillis
tfreeman@thefsi.us
kburke@thefsi.us
agillis@thefsi.us
Information: An interest meeting will be held the week of August 28th. Stay tuned for the exact date and time. Official practice will begin after Labor Day. Typically practices are held on Mondays after school on the front field.
High School Soccer (Boys)
Head Coach: Teshale Byan
tbyan@thefsi.us
Information: An interest meeting will be held on August 23rd at 12:30pm in Coach Byan’s room.
Regular season official mandatory practice will begin on August 28th after school.
Study Abroad or Host a Student!
The Rotary Youth Exchange is looking for families and students in their Study Abroad program.
Students ages 15 – 18.5 can apply for a scholarship to study abroad. Ideal applicants are strong students who have demonstrated leadership in their community. Selected applicants will spend an academic year studying abroad and living with 2 or 3 different host families. There are over 25 different countries to choose from!
Families can apply to host students who are living and studying in the US. Students will live with your family for 3 – 6 months during their year-long stay.
Interested? Learn more:
Text: 404-274-3145
Email: AvlRotaryYouthExchange@gmail.com
Bus Rider & Carpool Information
It’s great to see action happening on the carpool page! No matter where you live, you’ll find FSI families nearby. You do need to join the Franklin Carpool Facebook page. Find your carpool friends here: Franklin Carpool Facebook Page
You should have received the bus sign up information already. Registration information was emailed late June. You must complete the Bus Rider Form if you want your student on the bus – even if they rode the bus last year! Please click HERE to fill out the Bus Rider Form. We will review registrations and do our best to accommodate all requests. However – space on the buses is limited. Priority will be given to students who live in lower wealth households and under-represented demographic groups. We will also consider family hardship in determining placements. Please note that last year there was a waiting list for the buses. After a couple of weeks we were able to accommodate all riders – but it takes a little while to work through the individual student schedules.
We will contact families soon to confirm placement on the bus.
School Lunch Options
We are excited to expand our school nutrition program this year! In addition to serving students who qualify for free or reduced lunch, we will offer a paid meal program. The paid meal program is modeled after our existing program, with an emphasis on student choice of meal items from an a la carte menu. We anticipate that the average price per lunch (including one main, one side, and one drink) will be $4. Breakfast and lunch will be available. (Pizza sales will continue on Fridays as a fundraiser for our athletics program.) Examples of lunch choices include:
- Sandwiches
- Mac & Cheese
- Chili
- Bean & Cheese Burritos
- Burgers (beef and vegetarian)
Families will purchase lunch items using our new online payment platform, MySchoolBucks. You will be able to use the MySchoolBucks platform to pay for meals, Beyond the Bell, athletic fees, tickets for events, and more. We’re working closely with the folks at MySchoolBucks to have this ready to roll out for the start of school.
Beyond the Bell Before and After School Program
Before and after school care and activities will be provided through our Beyond the Bell program. Ron Scott is returning as Director of Afterschool Services and James Love is returning as Afterschool Coordinator. Beyond the Bell will be offered from 7:15 – 7:45 am and after school until 6 pm daily, Monday through Friday. Families will register and pay in advance, using the MySchoolBucks online payment platform. More information will be provided early in August, when Mr. Scott and Mr. Love return for the school year.
Summer Reading Suggestions, Supply Lists, and Welcome Letters
If your children are anything like mine – you’ve probably already started your back to school shopping! There is something undeniably appealing about new pencils and fresh notebooks. You will find grade-specific Supply Lists, Summer Reading Suggestions, and Welcome Letters posted on our website under the “Students” tab. Check them out here! Supply Lists & Summer Reading
Other Community Events (not FSI-specific)
August 17, 3 – 7 pm: Come to FSI for Meet the Teacher and then head to Pack Square Park for United for Youth Block Party & Career Fair! Learn more here: United for Youth Block Party | United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County (unitedwayabc.org)
September 7 – 10: Chow Chow Food & Culture Festival in downtown Asheville – this festival celebrates the creative food and culture of Asheville and Southern Appalachia. You don’t want to miss this one! Learn more and get your tickets here: https://chowchowasheville.com/about/
Be well and enjoy August! We’ll see you soon!
