Dear Franklin families,
Happy August! The energy here on campus has definitely accelerated as the calendar turned from July to August. Our new faculty members will join us next week and all faculty return on August 14. We are thrilled to have many teachers returning and we’re excited about our new faculty members! We look forward to a joyful and engaging year, leveraging the excitement of earning our EL Education full credential to move us forward!
This is a quick newsletter to make sure everyone has what they need for the start of the school year. Make sure to scroll down to the Parent Crew section of the newsletter and learn how you can get involved!
In addition to Parent Crew, we are seeking volunteers to join our Board of Directors and our School Improvement Team. Our Board is seeking candidates who can bring needed expertise to round out the Board qualifications. These areas of expertise include law/legal background, business background, education experience, or fundraising. For our School Improvement Team we are seeking parents or guardians representative of our school community, including parents of students with IEPs, 504 plans, Multilingual students. The Board meets at the school at 6 pm on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. Our School Improvement Team will meet from 5:00 – 5:45 on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. To learn more, email Michelle Vruwink, mvruwink@thefsi.us
Virtual Family Orientation – Thursday, August 13, 6:00 pm
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/99417535248?pwd=YDaRkXABTf7kxjSx24dtCpeauPRH7K.1
Meeting ID: 994 1753 5248
Passcode: Ph0beD
Meet our administrative team and learn all the things you need to know! Drop-off & pick up procedures, communication, cell-phone policy, extracurricular activities, volunteer sign up, and more! Zoom link is above and can also be found on our Community Calendar.
Meet the Teachers – Thursday, August 20, 5 – 7 pm
Come meet our wonderful FSI faculty and staff and pick up your welcome packets. We encourage middle school (grades 5 – 8) parents to come from 5 – 6 and high school parents from 6 – 7 to help with traffic and parking, but all teachers will be here from 5 – 7, so come when you can. We will end promptly at 7 pm. Parents – you can drop off medical plans, medication forms, and immunization records with our school nurse.
Monday, August 24 – First Day of School!
Did you know that student attendance during the first 4 weeks of school can predict their success? Half of all students who miss just 2 – 4 days of school during the first month go on to miss nearly a month of school. Getting here on time and ready to go is an important first step toward a great school year.
School Supplies
It’s time for back to school shopping! You will find school supply lists on our website: School Supply Lists
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. Please note that most faculty members are not yet back to work and many of our year-round employees are squeezing in last-minute vacations! Once school starts we do our best to respond to questions within 24 hours. It may take longer right now or when the email load is especially heavy. Click here to access the guide: Who do I go to when…
Required Forms
Emergency Medical Authorization
All students are required to have a Student Health Form on file. These forms are extremely important; in the case of an emergency and treatment may be delayed if we do not have this form on hand. These forms will be sent via email from Erinn Otten. Please complete the form and return it to school as soon as possible.
Medications at School
If your student will require medication of any type during the school day, please remember to complete and submit the appropriate medical forms. You will find forms for diabetes, asthma, allergies, medication, and self-medication on our website, or your doctor’s office should have school forms available. Under North Carolina regulations, students are not permitted to take any medications at school, including over-the-counter medications, unless the school has a current copy of a medication form on record. These forms require physician signature.
Immunizations
Students new to public school must provide proof of immunizations. You can read more about required immunizations here: http://www.immunize.nc.gov/schools/k-12.htm
Students entering 7th grade have new immunization requirements:
- Tdap – Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough)
- Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV)
You (or your doctor) can fax proof of immunizations to us at 828-318-8125, email to EOtten@thefsi.us, or mail or drop off to the office.
Sports Physicals, Concussion Form, and Medical Waivers
If your student will participate in our athletics program, all three forms must be completed and returned prior to participation. The physical must have a doctor’s signature. Forms are available on our website: https://www.franklinschoolofinnovation.org/parents/forms/
Upcoming Events
- Thurs, Aug 13, 6:00 pm Virtual Family Orientation (see link above)
-
- Thurs, Aug 20, 5 – 7 pm: Meet the Teachers
- Mon, August 24: First Day of School!
- Note that Wednesday, August 26 IS an early release day
- Mon, Sept 7: Labor Day Holiday – No School
- Wed, Sept 9: Fall Student Led Listening Conferences – students will not attend school this day. They will come ONLY for their conference time. Times will be scheduled with Crew leaders
Keep up with all our events! Add our Google Community Calendar to your calendar: FSI Community Calendar
Parent Crew
SCHOOL LUNCH FOR STAFF
Parent Crew is raising funds for the annual welcome back to school lunch for FSI Staff. We will be providing them with a catered lunch on the day of Meet the Teacher (August 20th). We have a 50/50 drawing to raise funds, and for a donation of $10, you have a chance to win half of what we raise. If you just prefer to donate towards this endeavor-and not take part in the 50/50 drawing- click the donate button!
Donate & 50/50: Welcome Back Staff Lunch
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
In addition, the school is looking for volunteers on Meet the Teacher night handing out packets. Please sign up if you are able. SignUp Genius
UPCOMING MEETINGS
The Parent Crew also invites you to our upcoming meetings, where we will discuss upcoming initiatives.
- Sept. 10th @ 8:30am (on campus)
- October 8th @ 8:30am (on campus)
- November 12th @6:30pm (Virtual)
Parent Coffee Social Hosted by the Parent Crew
The Parent Crew is hosting a casual meetup for FSI parents/families to hang out at the Dripolator Candler, Thursday, Sept. 3rd after drop-off starting at 8:15 am, which is right down the street from FSI (less than ten minutes).at 909 Smokey Park Hwy #8950, Candler, NC 28715
Weekly information from Parent Crew will be included in the Sunday newsletters under this section.
Reminders
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 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 from Deeana Bennett, Director of Operations. Please note that we generally start each year with a waiting list for the buses. We will do our best to accommodate all requests within our available driver and bus capacity. For more information or to register your student, please contact Deeana, dbennett@thefsi.us.
Free & Reduced Lunch
Did you know that Franklin participates in the federal school lunch program? We are so pleased to provide this service for our families. Our program is at the front of the push to incorporate healthier foods and more “from scratch” cooking. You can sign up here: Free and reduced lunch application
Before School – 7:30 Early Drop Off Program
Based on feedback, we are continuing an early drop off program. We are shifting the time to 7:30 am. Regular drop-off continues at 7:45 am. Early drop off will require registration and payment in advance. We will have more information available by our Family Orientation or by Meet the Teacher. We appreciate your patience as we work to provide this much-needed support without overwhelming our staff!
Beyond the Bell (BTB) After School Program
After School: 3:15 pm-6:00 pm: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, and 1:00-6:00 pm Wednesdays
This is a fee-based program. Financial aid is available for qualifying households based on school lunch application. Contact Ron Scott, rscott@thefsi.us, for more information. Beyond the Bell will be available the first week of school.
Please note that all afterschool clubs also run through Beyond the Bell. More information about afterschool clubs will be available soon. Most clubs start mid to late September.
With appreciation,
