This is How We Crew It FSI Fundraising Campaign
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Good morning Franklin families,
Isn’t it supposed to be March that comes in like a lion and out like a lamb? I guess February is coming in like a polar bear – it’s cold out there! And the forecasters are letting us know we aren’t done with the winter weather yet. You can stop with the snow dances now, I think we’re good.
Tomorrow will be a remote learning day. This is our 4th remote day and the disruption to learning is a thing. A couple things to keep in mind as we navigate the rest of this winter season:
- We intentionally build in extra instructional time in our calendar each year. This year we have about 3 full days of extra instructional time built in, above the days marked as possible weather makeup days. So while the disruption is real, we have lots of instructional time left in the school year.
- We have 2 days in February, 1 day in March, and 2 days in June set as aside as “weather make up days”. Keep those days flexible – they may still be days off from school or we may need to use them. Remember, we will use them in the following order: Friday, Feb 13, Monday, Feb 16, Thursday, March 12 (teacher work day would shift to March 13). We would use the days in June (June 8 and 9) as a last resort.
Teachers will post assignments for the remote day tomorrow and will hold virtual office hours. These office hours are not well attended so they are a great chance for students to get some extra help! Watch for information from your teachers.
In addition to getting outside and playing in the snow, here are some ideas and resources you can use to supplement student learning:
- IXL: We use IXL as a learning tool for some of our students already. If your student does not have a school account, you can set up a free account. IXL is great for practicing skills in math, reading, writing, and vocabulary.
- PBS Learning Media: This is a terrific resource with ready-to-go lessons across all grade levels and subjects. It’s free and it’s aligned to North Carolina standards. Search by subject and grade level.
- Books! How about family reading hour? Make some hot chocolate, find all your cozy blankets, and snuggle up on the couch together for some quality reading time. Read books together, read aloud, or choose your own adventure.
- Snow bubbles anyone? I’m doing this one today and I don’t even have kids at home anymore. How beautiful are these? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-3Iy76DsDE
- Physical activity: Staying active and offline is important! Make some snow people and snow angels, go sledding, shovel out the driveway, have an old-fashioned snowball fight. Bundle up today but don’t be afraid of the cold. Humans have figured out how to live in regions where the average winter temperature is -58 degrees! Of course we don’t have all the gear for that here, but layer up and venture out.
Weather permitting, we’ll host our 3rd Blood Drive this Thursday, Feb 5, 9:30 – 2:30 pm. We need 30 donors in order to receive a $500 grant for the school! The grant supports our Student Habitat Build. Students age 16 and up can donate; parent consent is required for students under age 18. Help us reach our goal and fill a serious community need!
- Schedule your appointment: https://donate.thebloodconnection.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/295088
- Parent Consent Forms: https://epcf.thebloodconnection.org/
- Health Questionnaire: https://thebloodconnection.org/complete-your-health-history-questionnaire-online/
Thursday is a busy day! In addition to the Blood Drive, we’ve got a MS Student Council “Tailgate” for the double-header basketball games against Evergreen, followed by a special Information Session for our rising 9th grade students and families. I’ll be sure to fuel up and wear my sneaks on Thursday.
Hang in there. We know these weather disruptions are challenging. We do our best to prioritize safety while minimizing disruptions for student learning. Spring is around the corner even if we can’t quite see it yet!
Thanks for choosing Franklin and for partnering with us every day.
Upcoming Events
Stay tuned for possible changes as we navigate this week’s weather
Monday, Feb 2: Remote Learning Day – School Building is Closed
Tuesday, Feb 3
- 4:15 pm: MS Basketball (JV) vs. New Classical @ FSI
- 6:00 pm: TedX Youth FSI presents “Time” at NC Stage. This is the only TedX Youth event in Asheville! Tickets available here: tedxyouthfsi.com
Wednesday, Feb 4
- 5:30 pm: Asheville Area Charter School Community Forum, 285 Livingston Street
Thursday, Feb 5:
- 9:30 am – 2:30 pm: Blood Drive @ FSI – sign up today!
- 3:15 – 4:15: MS Student Council Tailgate Party! Meet in the Tech Room to make posters and get ready for the Basketball Double-Header!
- 4:15 pm: MS Basketball (JV) vs Evergreen @ FSI
- 5:15 pm: MS Basketball (V) vs Evergreen @ FSI
- 6:30 pm: High School Info Session for Rising 9th Grade Families
Saturday, Feb 7
- 6:00 – 7:30 pm: Franklin Flurries Middle School Dance
Keep up with all our school events!
FSI Community Calendar – add our events to your google calendar
2025-2026 Yearlong Calendar – year at a glance
Bolts Athletics
MS varsity basketball went 1-0 on the week defeating PEAK Academy! The Bolts were led by B. Goldman, S. Worth and B. Snipes.
HS basketball also went 1-0 on the week defeating the Trailblazers 53-50! The Bolts led for the entire game and held on to secure the victory at home. The Bolts were led by C Bragdon on his senior night with 14 points. J. Raines also chipped in with 14 points and led the team in steals.
The BRAC Conference basketball tournament has been rescheduled to the week of February 16th.
HS Girls Soccer Try-Out Information
Tuesday, February 17 4:00-5:30pm
Wednesday, February 18 1:00-2:30pm
Thursday, February 19 4:00-5:30pm
*All required paperwork must be submitted to try out.
Please contact Coach Ryan with any questions – jryan@thefsi.us
A new Team Store is now open featuring Franklin School of Innovation and Bolts gear! Place your order and it ships directly to you! Thanks for supporting Bolts Athletics!
Team store: https://bsnteamsports.com/shop/JrpXhakCmL. Access code: JrpXhakCmL
Sponsorship Banners to Support Bolts Athletics
Do you have a business or know of a business that would be interested in purchasing a sponsorship package that supports the Athletics Program? It is great advertisement for a business as the business name and logo will be displayed on banners in the gym and/or field depending on what package is purchased.
Sponsorship Levels:
Thunder ($500)
1 Banner displayed in either the gym or field area (your choice)
Lightning ($800)
2 Banners. One banner displayed in the gym and one in the field area.
Bolt ($1,000)
Includes everything in the Lightning package plus logo displayed on printed materials (game programs and possibly team gear (practice and travel gear).
Banners are 72×24 inches and will be displayed for one full year with an opportunity to renew. Please contact Coach Burke (Athletic Director) for more information or questions. kburke@thefsi.us
Parent Crew
Staff Soup, Chili and Stew Lunch
The Parent Crew is organizing a staff soup, chili, and stew lunch for February 18-Wednesday. This is part of a Staff Wellness Day – including onsite chair massages, the Parent Crew Lunch, and a free afternoon for staff to use as they need! We would love your help in showing the FSI staff just how much we appreciate them. Sign up and read all the details about when/where in the link below.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090848A5AA22ABFF2-61658457-soup
The Middle School play, The Post Office, is taking place at the Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center at 285 Livingston Street Asheville, NC 28801, on Friday, February 20, and Saturday, February 21. Parent Crew is seeking assistance to help bring this performance to life!
How You Can Help
- Transportation Needed: On Wednesday, February 18, we particularly need individuals with large vehicles to transport items between the school and the Southside Grant Center, and back to the school on Saturday, February 21.
- Support During Rehearsals and Shows: Additional help is needed during rehearsals and performances, including signing in and out of student performers, directing the audience to their seats, and handling ticket sales.
Any assistance you can offer to support our fantastic Theater program would be greatly appreciated! Please use the link to sign up:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090848A5AA22ABFF2-61973221-msplay
Breakfast & Lunch Menus
Stay tuned – we apologize! With all the weather disruptions we’re shuffling the menus daily.
You can find our menus online: https://www.franklinschoolofinnovation.org/parents/nutrition/
TedX Youth Presents “Time” This Tuesday at NC Stage!
Franklin School of Innovation is having its 5th TEDx event at NC Stage on February 3rd. The theme for this year is Time, and the speeches will range all the way from time management, to why society values time in the first place, to how media shapes our perception of time. You can find more information at tedxyouthfsi.com, we hope to see you there!
Get Ready to Dance – it’s Flurries Time!
We are still in need of volunteers and donations for the annual Franklin Flurries dance! Click here for the Sign Up Genius. Flurries is hosted by the FSI Prom Committee and is our major fundraiser for Prom 2026. We very much appreciate your support! The Franklin Flurries middle school dance is Saturday, February 7th from 6:00-7:30pm. Tickets are $7 in advance and $10 at the door. Students can purchase tickets during lunches February 2nd – 6th (cash or check made out to FSI). Drinks, snacks, and pizza will be available for purchase at the dance (cash only). Questions? Contact Gretchen Kehrberg, gkehrberg@thefsi.us.
FSI Blood Drive Thursday, Feb 5 – Sign Up Today!
Our next Blood Drive is coming up this Thursday, Feb 5, from 9:30 am – 2:30 pm. We fell a little short of our goal last time so we really want to reach 30 donors this time! It’s a win-win-win. If we get 30 donors, the school receives a grant of $500. We pass this donation along to Habitat for Humanity as part of the Student Home Build. Our students need to raise a little over $7,000 for every build – so these grants matter!
Individual donors also receive $30 TBC Rewards.
Students age 16 and up can donate. Students ages 16 and 17 must have parent consent.
- Schedule your appointment!: https://donate.thebloodconnection.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/295088
- Parent Consent Forms: https://epcf.thebloodconnection.org/
- Health Questionnaire: https://thebloodconnection.org/complete-your-health-history-questionnaire-online/
Reminder: NACAC Virtual College Fair – TODAY – 1 pm
A virtual college fair presented by NACAC is happening today!. This is an opportunity to learn more about college without having to travel. The fair is a great opportunity to learn more about 4-year institutions, their majors, and their campus environments – plus it’s free! Register Here
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!
Student Club News
Middle School Student Council
Next Full Student Council Meeting is this Thursday from dismissal until the basketball games. We’ll make posters and get ready to cheer our MS basketball teams to victory! Please be ready to pick up no later than 6 pm following the 2nd basketball game.
General Club Information
You can find more information about clubs on our website, or contact Ron Scott, rscott@thefsi.us. We’ve got some new and returning clubs coming up!
Reminders
Open Enrollment – Help Us Serve Our Community!
How to help us keep growing our community!
- SHARE our social media posts. It’s great to like them – but sharing them really expands our reach! If you add a simple personal message (check out what my kid’s school is doing!) – it’s even more powerful
- Talk with friends, coworkers, colleagues about the positive experiences your student is having at FSI
- Invite people to attend our Info Sessions and Tours – information is available on our website
We have room to grow especially in 5th grade and our upper grades (11 – 12).
Open Enrollment Reminders
If you are new to FSI, or maybe just need a reminder, please review how this works. It can be confusing.
- All current FSI students have a guaranteed spot for next year. Do not re-apply through Open Enrollment and the lottery. You will complete a separate re-enrollment process – coming in February.
- All new students – including siblings – must apply through Open Enrollment. Open Enrollment runs from January 1 – March 31, 2025. Applications are online. Just go to our website and click the link. If you plan to enroll a sibling for next year make sure to check the box. Siblings get priority for enrollment.
- Help us grow! If you have friends or family members with students in grades 5 – 12, make sure they know about Open Enrollment. We would love to fill every slot with great students and families! The link to apply is right at the top of our website: https://www.franklinschoolofinnovation.org/
Prom Dress Exchange March 6 – 8
Do you have a prom dress, suit or tux to pass along? Looking for something new for our prom? Maybe you have some sewing skills to help create a magical night for a local teen? Prom Dress Exchange 3/6-8 at Groce UMC.
This is a free 3 day event for anyone who needs free formal/semi formal wear, woman’s business wear/suits,
- Men’s suits, tuxedos – for prom, weddings, spring dances, etc.
- Free shoes, accessories, jewelry – sizes 00-4XL.
- Thousands of choices – all free!
Donations, Volunteers and Sewists needed.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0844ACAB2DA0F85-61406288-theprom#/
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
NCSSM Summer Accelerator Camp – Apply Now!
Applications for North Carolina School of Science and Math Summer Accelerator are officially open.!! Camps are offered at both the Morganton and Durham campuses as well as online courses in June and July. Financial assistance is available if students register prior to the end of February.
NCSSM offers a residential program and an online program for rising 7th – 12th graders. The list of courses and registration link can be found at https://www.ncssm.edu/summer/summer-accelerator.
Girls Who Code Free Summer Learning Program
We’re passing along this opportunity from the nonprofit group Girls Who Code:
Pathways is a free, virtual program that empowers high school girls and non-binary students of all experience levels — including rising 9th graders, graduating seniors, and returning participants — to explore AI, Game Design, Cybersecurity, and more, while learning how to build tech for good. The program is entirely flexible in how participants choose to learn and requires no prior coding experience. Students complete courses at their own pace over seven weeks, from June 29 to August 14.
Beyond coding, students gain real-world insights through Partner Events with leading tech organizations, connect with peers through Girls Who Code’s private Discord community, and join optional Student Hours for live support. Participants earn a certificate for each completed course and join Girls Who Code’s lifelong alumni network, gaining access to mentorship, internships, and career opportunities in tech.
Students can apply by February 25th for priority consideration. The application closes on April 10th.
Music T-Shirts & Hoodies Now Available!
Our Modern Orchestra and Choir shirts are now available for purchase using the links below. This year we have three options of shirts, T-shirts, long sleeve shirts, and hoodies. There is also an option to get something printed on the back like a nickname, last name, etc. You can place orders up until 1/31/26. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
- Modern Orchestra- https://www.imagemarket.com/b34hdf8a
- Choir- https://www.imagemarket.com/bb8f7hc5
High School Europe Adventure
Calling all travelers! The high school Europe trip is currently being organized – Contact Deeana at dbennett@thefsi.us if you are a rising 9th or above (parent) and interested in your student joining the trip to Switzerland, Italy, France and Spain!
- 13 days traveling in Europe
- Travel from the Alps to the Mediterranean Coast!
- Zurich, Switzerland and from there travel to Lake Lucerne, Lake Cuomo, Cinque Terre, Monaco, Avignon, Provence, Barcelona, and finally Madrid.
Order Your Yearbooks & Ads
The 2025-2026 Yearbooks are on sale! They are currently $55 until November 15th. They will go up to $55 after Nov. 15th. 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!
Food Banks & Supports
With the federal government shutdown, many families are facing an immediate need for nutrition support. The Asheville area is rising to the challenge! Whether you are in need of help or looking for a way to lend a hand, here are a few resources (thanks to Citizen Times for much of this list):
- MANNA Food Bank
- Bounty & Soul. Multiple markets, offering free produce and other whole foods, operate throughout the weekend in Asheville, Black Mountain, Fairview and Swannanoa. View the locations and schedule at bountyandsoul.org/community/market-schedule/.
- YMCA of Western North Carolina. The free mobile food markets travel across the region, including to parks, libraries, health system offices and neighborhood hubs across Asheville, Candler, Clyde, Hendersonville, Leicester, Marshall, Marion, Mills River and Old Fort. View the schedule and locations at ymcawnc.org/programs/community/food-programs. The YMCA is offering financial assistance for memberships and programs for those affected by the shutdown. Call (828) 251-5910 or email ybc@ymcawnc.org for details.
- Southside Community Farm. The Southside Free Grocery Program serves the Southside neighborhood by providing an outdoor pantry and refrigerator stocked with produce grown at the urban farm. Locations include the Edington Center, Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, and the South French Free Fridge and pantry.
- Food Connection. Fresh free meals are distributed from Food Connection “Beyond the Bus Line” distribution sites, including in Candler, Fairview, Leicester, Swannanoa and Weaverville. For the schedule and locations, visit food-connection.org.
- Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM). The Crisis Ministries offers food, clothing, utility and rental assistance. For more, visit abccm.org.
- BeLoved Asheville. The community outreach organization is distributing EAT cards, which are gift cards to local stores, to families at schools and senior residents. For more, visit facebook.com/BeLovedAsheville or belovedasheville.com.
- Community Food Pantry. Open 2-5:30 p.m. Thursday at 3685 Chimney Rock Road in Hendersonville, communityfoodpantrync.com.
- The Storehouse. Open 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday-Friday at 1049 Spartanburg Highway in Hendersonville. storehouseonline.org.
- Calvary Food Pantry. Open 8-11 a.m. Saturday at 2840 Hendersonville Road in Fletcher. calvaryfletcher.org.
- Eblen Charities Meal Giveaway, Nov 21, 9 am – 4 pm, Ingles, 780 Hendersonville Road, first come, first serve
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…
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. You can sign up here: Free and reduced lunch application. Families can sign up at any time during the school year.
Beyond the Bell (BTB) Before & After School Program
Before School: 7:15 am-7:45 am: Mon-Fri
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, upon completion of application. More information is available on our website. https://www.franklinschoolofinnovation.org/parents/beyond-the-bell-btb/ Contact Ron Scott, rscott@thefsi.us, for more information.
Please note that afterschool clubs also run through Beyond the Bell.
