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FSI News for April 30: Race & Equity Listening Session May 1 & Last Week for Spring Athletics

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Good morning Franklin community,

Last week’s 8th, 10th, and senior passage presentations were so uplifting! Thank you to our entire community for supporting passages. Special thanks to the community volunteers and faculty who served as passage panelists, to the students who prepared and presented with vulnerability and authenticity, and to the Crew leaders who helped students create high quality portfolios. I loved the opportunity to see and hear our students reflect and share stories of their growth. We had to cancel or hold passages virtually for the past three years! Bringing them back in person was worth the effort. 

Good luck to our high school Advanced Placement (AP) students as they begin their AP exams! Students – you’ve got this! You’ve worked hard all year to prepare. We’re proud of you for pushing yourself to achieve at high levels and to see yourself as college students! 

Race & Equity Listening Session Monday, May 1, 6 pm

Tomorrow evening we complete our spring series on race and equity, with a Listening Session. The Listening Session will be held in person, in our new building. Please meet at the main entrance and we will direct you to the classroom or space where we will gather. The purpose of the Listening Session is for school leaders to hear from the community about your hopes, fears, and feelings about race and equity work in our school. The Listening Session will be facilitated by Danae Aicher, who led our virtual workshop on race and equity a few weeks ago. This session is open to all members of our community:

  • You are welcome whether you attended prior workshops or not
  • You are welcome whatever your race, ethnicity, color, gender, identity, ability, or any other way we categorize and identify ourselves and others
  • You are welcome if you have spent lots of time thinking about equity and inclusion or if this is something new for you
  • You are welcome if you think the school needs to do more work towards equity or if you think we do too much already

Remember that we are offering a Crew party for the middle and high school Crew who earn the most points for participation in these workshops! Each person associated with a Crew (parent, guardian, Crew leader) earns a point for their Crew for each workshop attended. We will send a survey after the workshop tomorrow to find out who has earned a party for their Crew! 

School Funding Toolkit

Please set aside a few minutes to TAKE ACTION and urge our elected officials to invest in our students and our public schools! Our School Funding Toolkit  makes it very easy. The Toolkit includes the following items:

Share the Toolkit with your friends and family! You can email it to them, put it on your social media – whatever you can do to make sure that our community lets our elected officials know that our children deserve better than 48th place in funding! 

Let’s Be Good Neighbors

I received a gentle request from a neighboring business. Please drive with caution when you drive through the parking lot at the gas station. Thank you! 

This Week’s Reason for Optimism

Students from our Introduction to Engineering Principles class attended the Asheville Maker Faire on Saturday, April 22.  Students shared their innovative solutions to problems identified by teachers and students at the Ira B Jones Elementary School.  They have a group of special needs students and FSI students developed solutions to some of the challenges they face!

Upcoming Events

Monday, May 1

  • 1:30 pm: AB Tech Representative on campus (contact Ms. Tager for info – jtager@thefsi.us)
  • 6:00 pm: We Need to Talk! Community Listening Session on Race & Equity 

Tues, May 2

  • 4:30 pm: HS Girls Soccer @ Asheville School

Thurs, May 4

  • 4:30 pm: HS Ultimate vs Asheville High @ MLK Jr Park
  • 6:00 pm: HS Girls Soccer @ Mt Pisgah 

Fri, May 5

  • 4:30 pm: HS Girls Soccer vs ICI @ Buncombe County Sports Park
  • 5:30 pm: MS SWAPS: Student Written & Produced Showcase

Keep up with all our events on our Community Calendar! 

Need to see the 2022-2023 School Calendar in one place? It’s on our website – click here

NEW! Approved 2023-2024 School Calendar

Middle School SWAPS: Student Written And Produced Showcase – Friday, May 5, 5:30 pm

How Much?– Cost- FREE! Donations accepted at the door!

When- 5 /5 /23 (Friday, May 5th) at 5:30pm. 

Where- Outside on the Quad between O’Keeffe and Einstein.

What– Invite your friends and family to come see our showcase! We are very excited to show you this amazing showcase of 3 short plays that these kids have worked so hard on! Students wrote, directed, made props, and we even assigned stage managers to help backstage. Shows include, Animal Tales written by Lilia Greene and directed by Gabby Demange and Riley Barbour, Crush Calamity written and directed by Nadia Kominski, and The Davidson Tasks, written by Kyra Newman and directed by Coco Brooks. Costume design/make-up design by Noah Flanagan and Riley Barbour. Improv performances in between shows. 

Concessions: We will have concessions ($1 dollar!)

Poetry Book Release & Open Mic, May 11 @ Asheville Music Hall

Our high school Poetry Class is releasing a book! The book was completely created by students –writing, editing, collecting poems, formatting – all of it! Join us to celebrate great works of student achievement and make new friends with other members of our school community. The event is hosted by Asheville Music Hall (thank you to this FSI parent-owned business!) and includes an Open Mic opportunity for anyone! Come share up to 5 minutes of material (writing, music, monologues, stand-up, etc). 

Here is a link to the event – https://fb.me/e/6u9meV4iw. 

And Another Open Mic! May 22 @ Doc Brown’s

Last Open Mic was a huge hit, so we are back at it for another night of incredible music and delicious food. Join us for our second Open Mic Night at Doc Brown’s BBQ Monday May 22nd 6-8pm in support of the FSI Music Dept. All are welcome, all are welcome to perform. Please reach out with any questions to Mrs. Wilson swilson@thefsi.us. Thank you Doc Brown for hosting! Fun fact from the 1st Open Mic – an FSI alum performed and now has an ongoing gig as a result. So cool! 

Drivers Education Class

It has been a challenge getting Drivers Education classes scheduled! While Drivers Education classes often take place at schools, schools do not run the classes. All classes must be provided by a State-selected organization. 

FSI students have an opportunity to take Drivers Ed in May. This class is open ONLY to students enrolled at FSI and ICI. Learn more and sign up today here: Mountain Pro Drivers Ed Classes. There are multiple classes listed on this page. Please contact Mountain Pro for any questions.

Volunteer Opportunity! 

Calling any parent volunteers to help us finish replacing our last five carts of older Chrome devices with newer, bigger and better ones. Our Tech Director has his hands full helping get our new classrooms ready for connectivity while keeping us all humming along this year and hasn’t been able to find the time to get these last few done. He will lead you every step of the way. The workspace is climate-controlled and quiet. Reach out to him at mmikulski@thefsi.us with any upcoming date and time, steal away for an hour, two or three during the school day and… be put to tremendously good use =)

Parent Crew @ FSI

We had a terrific first meeting of our Parent Crew!  As our school grows and recovers from the pandemic disruptions, we want to make it easier and more rewarding for parents and guardians to get involved. Parent Crew is our answer to a PTO or PTA. If you missed the 1st meeting and would like to get involved, contact Micah Usher (musher@thefsi.us) for more information! 

FSI Racism & Equity Spring 2023 Workshop Series

Thanks to everyone who has attended our Spring Racism & Equity Workshops! There are two remaining opportunities to learn and engage in important conversations. All events are open to all members of our community – if you haven’t been able to join us yet, it’s ok! Come to what you can. 

Mon, May 1, 6:30 pm: We Need to Talk! Community Listening Session on Racism & Inequity

Danae Aicher will join us in person to facilitate a Listening Session on racism and inequality within our community. The Listening Session will be held at FSI in our new building;specific room to be determined.

Special Incentive to Attend!

We are offering a fun incentive to encourage participation in our Racism & Inequality workshops. Students will earn one point for each family member who attends each workshop. If you have more than one student at FSI, we will count points for each student – no need to choose which student gets the point!  The middle and high school Crew with the most points will be treated to a party with fun local food treats, including chef-selected cucumber canapes by Chef Rakim Gaines (of Capella 9) and Buggy Pops ice pops by Neomi Negron. Thank you to our parent/business partners for these great donations!  

Celebrating the local BIPOC community is another great step in your personal anti-racist journey! Grindfest is a free, 3-day event (May 26 – 28)  that celebrates the success of Black entrepreneurs + business owners in Asheville.  A block-party-style event will take place at 8 Rivers Arts Place! This includes a weekend full of music, games, live performance, food, local vendors + learning, employment, and partnership opportunities. The goal of the festival is to highlight the progress made by people of color while also connecting folks in the community. A long weekend of fun and excitement. 

FSI School Store is Open! 

Get your FSI & Bolts gear and represent your school in style! 

Tees, hoodies, scarves and more – check it out! FSI School Apparel Store

FSI Food Pantry 

The FSI food pantry will provide supplemental nutrition to families experiencing short or long term financial difficulty and food insecurity. Food bags containing non-perishable items will be distributed Friday afternoons. To request supplemental food assistance, please contact your child’s school counselor. Want to help out? Bring donations of food items to the main office – there’s a bin in the entryway! 

High school: Mary Kinsey Hyche at mkhyche@thefsi.us

Middle school: Jennifer Negron at jnegron@thefsi.us

You can also complete this google form: Food Pantry Form

Responses to the form are sent to the counselors and all information will be kept confidential. 

If you would like to contribute to the food pantry, please contact Matt Speed, Nutrition Coordinator at mspeed@thefsi.us. 

COVID & Flu Updates

PCR testing is available free of charge weekly on Mondays. Testing for high school students is available from 11:30 – 1 pm in the collaboration space on the first floor of Big Ben. High school students can come on their own during lunch. Testing will then be available in Einstein, Parks, and Johnson for students in grades 5 – 8; nurses will let students know when they are available in each building. If you want your student to participate in testing – please remind them! 

If you are new to Franklin or have not yet provided consent for testing, it’s not too late: 

Middle School News Videos 

5th Grade Theatre students are writing, filming, producing, and directing the news Monday and Friday each week. Click on the folder below to see the news each week! 

Morning News Videos- 2022-2023–

Athletic News

MS soccer defeated New Classical Academy  7-1 and remains undefeated on the season!

HS soccer dropped both of their matches last week – they return to a tough 3-game week this week. Come cheer them on! 

HS Ultimate defeated Fern Leaf on Friday in a fast, high-scoring game. 

This is the final week of spring sports! Come out to a game (lots of options to choose from) and support the Bolts!!

Club News

Habitat for Humanity Student Group

The Habitat for Humanity Student meets on Tuesdays during lunch in room #226.

Middle School Creative Writing

The club meets 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month from 3:30 – 4:30 pm, and 2nd and 4th Fridays each month from 3:30 – 4:30 in Ms. O’Dell’s room.  Contact Ms. O’Dell for more information (aodell@thefsi.us) 

Math Club

Math club is open for all our students – ALL GRADES – and it is a great opportunity for students to explore the beauty and application of Math outside their classrooms. Math is a subject full of creativity and opportunity that many students enjoy. Besides the academic benefits, math club is also a great way to meet new people and develop teamwork skills. Math club meets on Tuesdays right after school from 3:30-5:00 PM in the New Building room #224. . 

Middle School Drama Club

SWAPS

(Student Written And Produced Showcase)

How Much?- Cost- FREE! Donations accepted at the door!

When- 5 /5 /23 (Friday, May 5th) at 5:30pm. 

Where- Outside on the Quad between O’Keeffe and Einstein.

What- Invite your friends and family to come see our showcase! We are very excited to show you this amazing showcase of 3 short plays that these kids have worked so hard on! Students wrote, directed, made props, and we even assigned stage managers to help backstage. Shows include, Animal Tales written by Lilia Greene and directed by Gabby Demange and Riley Barbour, Crush Calamity written and directed by Nadia Kominski, and The Davidson Tasks, written by Kyra Newman and directed by Coco Brooks. Costume design/make-up design by Noah Flanagan and Riley Barbour. Improv performances in between shows. 

Concessions: We will have concessions ($1 dollar!)

  • Chips
  • Candy 
  • Beverages

High School Drama Club

Congratulations on a fantastic production! 

Use this QR code to stay clued in on FSI HS Theatre news with our monthly

FSI High School Theatre Newsletter! 

Chess: Do you like to play Chess or do you want to learn?! Join FSI’s Chess Club and learn from our expert instructor, Mr. Bruce Roth. Chess Club meets every Tuesday from 4-5 p.m. The winter semester will begin January 10, 2023, and end April 25, 2023. Students will meet in the Community Room with Beyond the Bell from dismissal until the class begins! All grades and levels are welcome!! The fee is $50/per semester or $100/per year. All checks must be payable to Bruce Roth. For more information, contact Bruce Roth at 828 230 5139 or by email at brucerothchess@gmail.com

BIPOC Student Union (BSU):The BSU offers a safe space for students to share their experiences and to identify ways our school can address specific and systemic racism. Community mentor Bruce Waller is returning to support our BSUs, joining faculty sponsor Keith Knox. BSU is open to all students who identify as People of Color. HS BSU meets Tuesdays and Fridays from noon – 1 pm. 

Film Club! This club is returning from last year and meets alternating Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:45 – 4:45.  Email Michaela Mamone-Peeples for more information. 

Girls who Code will meet every other Monday after school from 3:15 – 4:30 in Edison 19. Email bdavenport@thefsi.us with any questions. 

MS GSA (Gender & Sexuality Alliance)

MS GSA (gender and sexuality alliance): Middle School GSA meets every Friday 3:15-4:30pm. We welcome everyone and work to empower LGBTQ+ lives. Contact afortune@thefsi.us to join.

HS GSA

HS GSA  – contact MK Hyche, mkhyche@thefsi.us, or Justina Powell, jpowell@thefsi.us 

High School Studio Art Club

Mondays, Starting September 19, 2022

3:45 – 5:00, Big Ben, first floor Art Room #133

Hosted by Ms. Jen jlipsey-edwards@thefsi.us

HS Studio Art Club is a place to gather with other creative teens who have a genuine interest in the visual arts. Folks will have a place to chill, work on art, listen to music, have tea, and to inspire and be inspired. The Studio is where friendship, collaboration, feedback, sharing, and support come together to make magic! You do not need to commit to showing up every week. However, advance registration is required to attend as you’re able to. Register here: https://forms.gle/czLbV186Ep7K31gb9

Science Olympiad Club

Do you geek out on all things science?  Are you a competitive person who needs a medal hanging around your neck to prove your science prowess? This is a science competition against other schools in our area with a potential to move on to state and national levels.  Science Olympiad will meet in Room 141 from 3:30-4:15 every Friday.  Open to MS and HS students! Contact jbragdon@thefsi.us if you have any questions.

Middle School Robotics

Middle School Robotics team meets Thursdays,  3:15pm to 4:00 pm in the Middle School Tech room (Edison 19). 

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

My child requires medication during the school day, has a special health need, or has tested positive for COVID: Contact our school nurse, Jessica Perraud

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 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: 

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! 

 

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

Zoe Wallce, Math: zwallace@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

Makesha Gordon, Science: mgordon@thefsi.us
9th Grade

Lora Hawkins, English I: lhawkins@thefsi.us

Jerry Lubos, World History: jlubos@thefsi.us

Liz Baron: Math 1 & 2: lbaron@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

Julia Adams, Biology: jadams@thefsi.us

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:  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: Mackenzie Arnold: marnold@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

 

Franklin School of Innovation
61 Innovation Drive
Asheville, NC 28806

(828) 318-8140
(828) 318-8125

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