Share the link to our Hurricane Recovery Fund with your friends & family!
Donate to FSI Hurricane Recovery Fund
Good morning Franklin families,
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
John F. Kennedy
On Giving Tuesday we spent time celebrating the many ways in which our Franklin community – staff, students, parents, Board members – lived their gratitude in the days and weeks following Hurricane Helene. I knew the stories we shared. I had the privilege to watch and hear them in action. Yet as I watched them again I was struck by their power. Each story demonstrates how we can help others and strengthen ourselves even when we are hurting, when we are vulnerable, when we have experienced loss, and when we feel hopeless or helpless. Taking action on behalf of our community helps us heal. I hope you will take time to watch and listen to the stories. Share them with your family and friends. Think about the things you have done to live your gratitude. You can find our stories on YouTube or on Facebook. I hope you enjoy them!
- Giving Tuesday: Stronger Together – Stories from our Community – YouTube
- Stronger Together: Stories of… – The Franklin School of Innovation | Facebook
As of this morning, we have raised nearly $40,000 in our Stronger Together campaign, with about 100 donors. The generosity of our community in this time of challenge continues to inspire me. I am grateful for your support!
I had the opportunity to be part of last night’s Homecoming Dance and came home tired but filled with optimism. It was one of the most joyful and inclusive school dances I think I’ve ever seen. The Masai people have a beautiful greeting. Instead of asking “ how are you”, they ask “and how are the children?” The traditional answer is “all the children are well.” What astonishing optimism! I left the dance thinking “all the children are well”. And if that’s true – we must be moving in the right direction.
On a less optimistic note – please remember our traffic rules. We are seeing an increase in parent violations of our driving rules. We met with our student drivers last week to remind them of our expectations. Students who cannot follow the expectations will lose their driving privileges. We expect adults to model the behavior we want from our students. When you ignore our rules – you show students that they can ignore rules as well. Our rules are for the safety and convenience of our whole community. Please respect them and respect our staff who are outside every day helping to keep our students safe. Some examples of disrespectful behavior we have experienced recently include ignoring school staff, flipping off school staff (seriously) and yelling at school staff when staff are enforcing traffic rules. This is not acceptable behavior.
- Traffic is ONE way. Enter at the west side (next to AAA Storage) and exit the east side (next to the gym)
- Turn right onto Sardis Road from the exit
- Pick up and drop off only in the designated areas – by the school
We have another busy week ahead! I hope to see many of you on campus at one of our basketball games or at the Holiday concert. Let’s work together to ensure that all the children truly are well. Thank you for choosing Franklin and for working with us to create a great school community.
Upcoming Events
Mon, Dec 9
- 4:30 pm: MS Bball (V) @ Shining Rock
Tues, Dec 10
- 3:15 pm: MS Student Council “Tailgate” Party – see details below
- 3:30 – 4:30 pm: MS Theatre auditions – see details below
- 4:30 pm: MS Bball (V) vs ICI @ FSI
- 6:00 pm: HS Bball vs ICI @ FSI
- 6:00 pm: Board of Directors regular monthly meeting at FSi
Thurs, Dec 12
- 5:00 pm: HS Bball vs Bethel Christian @ FSI
Fri, Dec 13
- 6:00 – 6:30 pm: MS Winter Concert
- 7:00 – 7:30 pm: HS Winter Concert
Plan Ahead – Winter Break
- Wed, Dec 18: Beyond the Bell closed (holiday staff party)
- Fri, Dec 20: Early Release (like a Wednesday schedule!) – no Beyond the Bell services
- Winter Break: Dec 23 through Jan 6; students return Jan 7
Keep up with our Community Calendar: FSI Community Calendar
Need to see the year at a glance? FSI 2024-25 Academic Calendar
Athletics News
MS basketball took on the Trailblazers and what an exciting game it was! Bolts jumped out to an early lead and held on for a 1 point lead at halftime. That lead diminished in the 3rd, but the Bolts battled back in the 4th qtr as the lead went back and forth. Unfortunately, the Bolts fell by 2 points. Bolts were led in scoring by C. Wells, S. Bragdon and A. Denison.
The HS basketball team also took on the Trailblazers and rallied for a 7 point victory in their first game of the season! Bolts were led by G. Stone with 16 points.
Both teams will play again at home on Tuesday hosting a doubleheader versus IC Imagine. MS at 4:30 and HS at 6;00pm.
Parent Crew
Parent crew is organizing holiday cookies for staff to help show our appreciation on Wednesday December 18. Use the sign up link below if you are interested in participating and to see all the details.
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/5080B4FAAA629A02-53820508-holiday
Please help us celebrate and honor our wonderful teachers and school staff during this holiday season! If you are able to help, consider a donation to the Holiday Staff Giving Pool. Every contribution will be shared directly with our school staff!
Holiday Staff Giving Pool https://franklinschoolofinnovation.networkforgood.com/projects/240091-2024-staff-holiday-giving-pool
Mark your calendars for upcoming Parent Crew meetings!
- Thursday, Jan 23: 6 pm Online-check the school calendar for Google Meet details
- Wednesday, Feb 19: 8:30 am school -,more details about place closer to date
- Thursday, Mar 20: 6 pm am at school-more details about place closer to date
- Thursday, Apr 24: 8:30 am school-more details about place closer to date
- Thursday, May 29: 6 pm online- check the school calendar for Google Meet details
Middle School Student Council Tailgate Party on Tuesday
Join the MIddle School Student Council for a “tailgate” party before the double-header basketball game against ICI! Cost is $12 and includes pizza, poster-making, and admission to the basketball game. Join Nurse Courtney and the MS student council for some school spirit and pride, and come cheer on your friends in the big game! All middle school students are welcome.
Middle School Drama Club Auditions Tuesday
Auditions for the Middle School Drama Club production will be held on Tuesday December 10 from 3:30-4:30 in Ms. Lexa’s room, 178. Look for Ms. Lexa during lunch on Monday December 9th for information about the production, audition selections, and tech opportunities. Feel free to email elexa@thefsi.us with any questions.
View Student Pictures
View your students portraits online at this link – https://legacyfindmycode.com/
You will need your student ID number to view portraits, which can be found in the parent portal, or ask your student!
Buncombe County Housing Assistance Program – Act Now!
Buncombe County has a new housing assistance program that provides up to three months of rent, mortgage, or utility payment assistance. Eligibility includes financial impact from Hurricane Helene and income within 80% of Area Median Income.
Applications close Dec. 18 at 5 p.m. Apply at buncombecounty.org.
To be eligible, residents must meet the following criteria:
- Live in Buncombe County before Sept. 26
- Had finances negatively impacted by Helene
- Income must be between 80% of Area Median Income
Applications are open now and close on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 5 p.m.
Housing Assistance Application Details Page:
Application for Housing Assistance:
Buncombe County Residential Support/ Apoyo residencial del condado de Buncombe
College Corner: FAFSA Update
FSI will be holding a FAFSA (Federal Application for Student Aid) completion workshop in January. The date and time will be determined soon. Here is the latest update on the FAFSA which recently opened at the end of November.“The 2025-26 FAFSA is open. Here’s what you need to know.”
After School Clubs
We have updated our Club listing, which is also posted on our website. Many clubs are starting or resuming this week! You can check the listing and see which clubs are starting back up here: 2024 FSI Clubs. Please remember that students need to sign in to Beyond the Bell for after school clubs.
Reminders
Apply for Free/Reduced Lunch
We strongly encourage families to apply for free and reduced lunch. If your family is experiencing a loss of income due to the hurricane, you may qualify for free or reduced meals based on your current income. It is important to our school to collect this information for two reasons. First – it helps us support our families! We will use the free and reduced meal application for all school-based financial aid and scholarships, including meals as well as scholarships for field trips, Beyond the Bell services, and clubs.
Having accurate information about the number of families who qualify for free or reduced lunch also supports the school. Some sources of funding are based on this number.
You can apply for the free and reduced meal program at www.myschoolbucks.com or under the quick links through your My School Bucks app. If you have any issues, contact Tammey Harper at tharper@thefsi.us.
MANNA Packs for Kids
MANNA Packs for Kids is a take-home food program that provides a weekly bag of food to students. Bags will contain items such as proteins, fruits, vegetables, snacks and/or breakfast items.The “MANNA Packs for Kids” program’s mission is to serve those families with children who are experiencing economic difficulty and could use assistance in providing food when school meals are not an option. To join the program, please fill out the Manna Packs google form here.
