This is How We Crew It FSI Fundraising Campaign
Join the 6-7 Challenge! Make a recurring monthly donation of just $6.7 and help us reach our goal!
Good morning Franklin families,
It’s spring break! I know faculty and staff members are all very ready for a well-deserved break before we return to finish the year. Please remember that the school building is closed all week and it is my hope that our hard-working team will not be reading or responding to emails. Everyone needs time to reset and restore.
So today’s newsletter is short – just a few highlights. For those of you who celebrate, I hope your Easter and Passover celebrations are filled with meaning and love.
Quarter 3 Progress Reports
A message about Quarter 3 progress reports was sent out last Thursday. Parents and students can see final Q3 grades in the Infinite Campus portal. Parents – log into your portal and select “documents” from the drop-down menu. Make sure you are in the 25-26 school year. You’ll see Q1, Q2, and Q3 reports. If you have not yet logged into your Parent Portal, you can find more information on our website: https://www.franklinschoolofinnovation.org/infinite-campus/. If you read the instructions are are still unable to log in, contact Erinn Otten (eotten@thefsi.us) when we return from spring break.
Join Us April 18!
On Saturday, April 18, Parent Crew and our Athletic Program are teaming up to offer a fun spring fair. There is something for everyone, from craft vendors, silent auction, food, music, and a pickleball tournament! More info is provided in the athletics and Parent Crew portions of the newsletter. This is a great way to get involved and support our school.
Call to Action
Keep up with the calls! We still need a budget! Governor Stein has released a Critical Needs Budget that prioritizes raises for state employees, higher raises for teachers, and continued funding for the state’s Medicaid program. All of these funding priorities are important to our school.
Phone calls are the best and easiest way to tell our elected officials what you want. Most of the time – you will just be leaving a voicemail message. If you get a live person on the phone, they don’t have time for complicated messages. Keep your call professional, kind, and brief. I’ve provided two short messages below. You can choose just the first message if you want!
- Pass Governor Stein’s Critical Needs. Our state is the ONLY state in the nation that has not passed a budget and it is hurting our children and our communities.
- My child attends a public school, like most other children in our state. Our state ranks 50th in public school funding. Our elected officials should be embarrassed to put our children dead last. Invest in their futures!
I’ve included the three most important people to call. Our local elected officials already consistently vote to support public education. You can call them to just say thank you and encourage them to keep up the good work! But these three calls are critical:
House Speaker Destin Hall
Phone: 919-733-3451
Email: Destin.Hall@ncleg.gov
Senate President: Phil Berger
Phone: (919) 733-5708
Email: Phil.Berger@ncleg.gov
Michael Lee, NC Senate Majority Leader
Phone: 919-715-2525
Email: Michael.Lee@ncleg.gov
As always, thank you for choosing Franklin and for partnering with us to prepare students for the futures they create. Our school is stronger with your participation.
Upcoming Events
April 6 – 10: Spring Break! School will be closed all week
Tues, April 14
- 5:00 -5:45 pm: School Improvement Team (at FSI)
- 6:00 pm: Board of Directors Meeting
Wed, April 16: Next Blood Drive at FSI, 9:30 am to 2:30 pm.
- Register here: https://donate.thebloodconnection.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/295089
- Parent consent form (for donors aged 16 & 17): https://epcf.thebloodconnection.org/
Sat, April 18, 10 am – 3 pm: Spring Fair & Pickleball Tournament
Keep up with all our school events!
FSI Community Calendar – add our events to your google calendar
2025-2026 Yearlong Calendar – updated
Parent Crew
Can you dedicate three hours or more on Saturday, 04/18, to help raise funds for FSI? High School students are welcome to sign up and earn Service Hours!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090848A5AA22ABFF2-62640459-spring
Next Parent Crew Meeting: Wednesday, April 15, 8:30 am. This will be a working meeting to finalize all preparation for the April 18 Spring Fair.
Spring Fair & Pickleball Tournament: April 18, 10 am – 3 pm
Are you excited for our Spring Fair? On Saturday, April 18, Parent Crew and our Athletics Department are hosting a fabulous family fun day! We’ll have a craft fair, live music, food, inflatables, the Silent Auction, drawings, and of course the Pickleball Tournament from 11 am – 1 pm.
The FSI Silent Auction and Drawings are underway! We have a range of items available in the Silent Auction–everything from overnight stays, local adventures, haircare, to jewelry. Our $5 drawings feature a 50/50 raffle, a beautifully handmade quilt titled “It Takes a Village,” and a Nintendo Switch 2. All proceeds from the silent auction and drawings will directly benefit FSI. Use the tabs at the top of the link below to find the raffles. Buy more for a better chance to win!
In addition to bidding and buying tickets, some wonderful ways to support the school are to share the link below with your friends and family, and when you see the auction/drawing on Facebook, like and comment to boost its visibility.
Take a moment to explore the auction and drawings and place your bid or purchase a ticket using the link below:
Silent Auction Link https://franklinschoolofinnovationspringfair.auctria.events
Pickleball Tournament
Adult & Student divisions, MS and HS. $25 per team.
Bolts Summer Sports Camps
We are excited to announce our summer sports camps! Featuring multi-sports training with amazing facilities and coaches. Learn and experience a variety of sports and have fun! Directed by Coach Burke and Coach Ron Scott
5th-8th grades
- June 15-19 and/or June 22-26
- 9:00am-1:00pm
- $125 per week
Email for more information:
Register Here: Bolts Summer Sports Camps
Volunteers needed to help proctor AP exams
We are in need of community members to help with proctoring AP exams. AP Exam Proctor Community Volunteer Have questions? Contact Chelsea Curtis at ccurtis@thefsi.us
Middle School Student Council Meeting Wed, April 15
All middle school students are invited to join us Wednesday, April 15 from dismissal till 1:45.
- Finalize our plans for our Fundraising Booth at the April 18 Spring Fair
- Make Slime to sell on April 18!
- Continue planning our Student Council Lock In (coming later this spring)
Reminders
Summer Driver Education Class
We are pleased to announce that we will host a summer driver education class at FSI. The class is provided by an instructor from Mountain Professionals Driving School. Our role is to provide the space and to share the information with our families.
The class is scheduled for the following days: July 9 and July 13-17, 9-3 pm The class is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The following are requirements and rules from Mountain Professionals. There are no exceptions:
- Students must attend all 5 days for the full time (9 – 3 pm)
- Students must be aged 14 1/2 (and under age 18) to attend
- There are no refunds once you have registered – no exceptions for vacations or illness or change of plans
- This is the education portion of the class. Students will schedule the driving portion with Mountain Professionals after they have passed this portion of the class
Register here: https://www.mtnpro.com/fsiform.
FSI Junior/Senior Prom 2026: May 2, 7 – 10 pm
Step into the mystery of Midnight Masquerade and celebrate a magical evening of music, dancing, and unforgettable memories. Enjoy refreshments, snacks, and fun times with friends. Prom is Saturday, May 2nd from 7-10pm at The Venue in downtown Asheville. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased in person and online starting March 27th. Use this link to purchase tickets online. After April 26 tickets are $45 and available only in person. Tickets will be available at the door on prom night for $45. To invite a non-FSI guest you need to complete this form and return to Ms Gretchen before April 27th. Questions? Contact gkehrberg@thefsi.us.
School Improvement Team Volunteers
We are re-organizing our School Improvement Team to meet a new state requirement. The School Improvement Team will meet monthly on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, from 5:00 – 5:45 pm, right before our scheduled Board of Directors meetings. We are seeking a few members to join the team and serve through the 2026-2027 school year.
Our first meeting will be Tuesday, April 14 at 5 pm. Please email mvruwink@thefsi.us directly if you are interested in serving.
Substitute Teachers Needed!
As we enter Quarter 4, we have a true need for substitute teachers. Many of our teachers are entitled to days off but are reluctant to take them if they don’t have good coverage lined up! Substitute teachers are increasingly difficult to find. Across the state, schools are filling temporary positions or vacancies with people who used to serve as substitutes. You do not need a teaching certificate. You do need a love for students and a flexible open mindset! Cover letter and resume to jobs@thefsi.us
We are posting positions 2026-2027 school year on our website. If you know an excellent teacher who would be a good fit for our school, let us know! We will reach out and invite them to apply if we have a position available.
FSI Business Directory – submit your business to be included
We are compiling a directory of our family owned businesses. If you would like to be included in the directory, submit your business information here. The directory will be available on our website and in the newsletter. Let’s keep it local!
Free Resources for Resilience Community Events
Passing this along from our friends at Resources for Resilience!
Resources For Resilience is an Asheville-based nonprofit sharing practical tools and educational trainings to help individuals and teams manage stress and prevent burnout in themselves and others. They are currently offering FREE programming for WNC residents and professionals, now through June. Many of our offerings also include CEU professional credit through Area L AHEC! Space is limited for these no-cost opportunities, so interested participants are encouraged to register early to secure their spot. Learn more here: https://conta.cc/3NBqYiU
Order Your Yearbooks & Ads
The 2025-2026 Yearbooks are on sale! Purchase via this link
Parents/Guardians of Seniors and 8th Grade Students can purchase ads to be featured in the back of the yearbook – just click this link to create your ad!
Who Do I Go To When….
Whether you are new to FSI or returning, we know you have questions and want to help you find the best answers! This handy guide can help you connect. We do our best to respond to questions within 24 hours. We do not expect school staff to respond outside of school hours. Click here to access the guide: Who do I go to when…
