Innovating for Ten, Trailblazing for Tomorrow 2024 Fundraising Gala and Auction Celebration
10th Anniversary Gala & Silent Auction: Saturday, March 2, 6 – 9 pm
Buy Your TIckets Today! Tickets and more details:
https://auctria.events/Franklinschoolofinnovationgala
Good morning Franklin families,
It’s just two weeks until our 10th Anniversary Gala and Silent Auction! I hope everyone has purchased their tickets and registered to bid. We look forward to celebrating with everyone! Remember, you can still bid even if you are unable to attend. This is a great way to let grandparents and out-of-town family members join in the fun.
Head over to this site now to get tickets, register to bid, join the 50/50 raffle, and check out all the great auction items! Gala Tickets, Auction, & 50/50 Raffle. Download the Auctria app via the Play store or the Apple app store for the easiest bidding experience.
It’s here! The Annual TEDX Youth Event is happening this Tuesday, Feb 20, 6 pm at NC Stage. This is the only student-led TEDX event in the Asheville area, produced by Franklin students! From the TEDX team: “We aim to challenge society to think deeper into their lives and the lives of those in the community. With the theme of curiosity, we aim to dive deep into ideas and interests that set us apart so that we can expand our knowledge, grow together and better our communities” Tickets are $15 and include refreshments – https://www.tedxyouthfsi.com/
Congratulations to our Science Olympiad team for a great showing at the regional Science Olympiad tournament last Saturday! The team competed in six events and came home with a handful of medals. Several team members will advance to state competition. Special congratulations to the following students:
- Alaric Aaronson, Maryn Hester and Caroline Seibeck for their first place win in Codebusters. They will advance to state competition.
- Alaric Aaronson for first place in Road Scholar. He will advance to state competition.
- Caroline Seibeck, Maryn Hester, and Gavin Hester for their second place win in experimental design.
- Gavin Hester for a second place win in Optics.
- Alaric Aaronson for second place win in fossils.
Tuesday and Wednesday this week – Dine Out with Papa Johns! Order from Papa John’s on Tuesday or Wednesday, Feb 20 & 21. Use code Franklin and 15% of the sale will go to the school.
Remember to re-enroll before the end of the month! If your student is returning to FSI next year, please be sure to fill out the re-enrollment paperwork. Look for details from Erinn Otten (eotten@thefsi.us). Reach out with questions or for assistance – we’re here to help! Re-enrollment is for all current students. If you plan to enroll a sibling who does not yet attend FSI – be sure to submit an application online and check the sibling box.
Thank you for choosing FSI and building a great community together!
Calendar Events
Tues, Feb 20
- All Day – Dine Out with Papa Johns! Use Code Franklin
- 4:15 pm: MS (V) Basketball vs. Mountain Community
- 6:00 pm: TEDX Youth Presents “Curiousity” @ NC Stage! https://www.tedxyouthfsi.com/
- 6:00 pm: Parent Crew In-Person Meeting (virtual option available) https://meet.google.com/rvo-autr-nfn
Wed, Feb 21
- All Day – Dine Out with Papa Johns! Use Code Franklin
- 6:00 pm: Called Meeting of Board of Directors: Board Development Working Meeting (virtual – link on FSI Community Calendar)
Fri, Feb 23
- 3:30 – 5:30 pm: Middle School Movie Night, hosted by High School SGA. Tickets $6 cash at the door; pizza & refreshments available
FSI Yearlong Academic Calendar
Bolts Athletic News
- MS JV had a tough game vs TLC. The team played hard and definitely was not intimidated by the bigger and faster opponent. E. Floam and J. Melton led the team in scoring and K. Dula controlled the boards once again.
- Thanks to all the staff that participated in the staff vs students basketball games! It was a fun evening as always and the teachers continued their winning streak. The staff defeated the MS teams in an exciting game by 1 point thanks to a huge 3 point shot by Mr. Freeman to cut the lead to 1 and then the teachers finished it off to win by one. Awesome plays by Ms. Kelsey, Ms. Ryan, Sagan, Mr. G and Mr. Root contributed to the win.
- The HS game was controlled by the staff for most of the way with a final score of 62-53. Mr. Lubos dominated with 6 threes and Mr. Mikulski cleaned up on the glass. The students were led by T. Pruitt and J. Ankeney.
Spring Sports
Students must submit physical and all paperwork prior to practices. Students must pay the annual sports registration fee before first game.
Middle School Soccer (grades 5 – 8, mixed gender)
- Practices begin mid-March
- Coach Kyle Wilson (kwilson@thefsi.us)
High School Girls Soccer (grades 9 – 12)
- Practice starts Feb 19
- Coaches Chad Gerber (cgerber@thefsi.us) & Sagan Pizzingrilli (spizzingrilli@thefsi.us)
High School Ultimate (grades 9 – 12, mixed gender)
- Practices begin mid/end February
- Coach Chad Gerber (cgerber@thefsi.us)
Parent Crew News & Opportunities
The next meeting for the Parent Crew is Tuesday, February 20th at 6:00 PM at FSI. Join other parents and get involved with your school! If you cannot attend in person, virtual options are available at https://meet.google.com/rvo-autr-nfn
We have another Dine Out Night coming up!
Order from Papa Johns on 02/21 or 02/22 and use the code Franklin, and 15% of the sales will go towards the school.
Build Math Confidence, Resilience, and Fluency!
We are excited to offer an opportunity for middle school students to build math confidence, resilience, and fluency. Matt Mikulski, former math & technology teacher and current FSI tech director, will be leading an afterschool and online math program open to any FSI middle school student. The program will run February 26 through April 29, with weekly in-person workshops on Mondays after school. The program may be extended through the end of May based on responses and interest.
- Students will attend weekly after school sessions for 8 Mondays, led by Mr. Mikulski, to practice math problem-solving and note-taking/executive functioning skills
- Students are expected to complete at least 2, 30-minute practice sessions independently. This will be tracked and participation is required for continued participation in the program
- The program will focus on building skills in executive functioning, math fluency, and resilience in math/problem solving, boosting math confidence
- Students will receive a free subscription to ALEKS, a proven online math learning program
- Cost is $80 for the full program ($10/session), with sliding scale available based on family need
This is a great opportunity to help students build skills and confidence they need for lifelong math learning. Contact mmikulski@thefsi.us for more information and to register for the program.
Summer Planning
Summer is rapidly approaching! See what summer camps your students might be interested in:
High School Hackathon! Mar 2 and 3 – Register Today!
The North Carolina School of Science and Math (NCSSM) will be hosting an upcoming hackathon, an engaging and informative event aimed at exposing high school students around the state to generate technological solutions to current environmental problems faced worldwide. The event will take place on the weekend of March 2nd – 3rd and will be hosted online. For more information and to register, visit their website at https://smathhacks.ncssm.edu/
Free YouTube Workshop on Teens & Vaping
Kriya Lendzion, who has led many workshops for FSI families on teens and substance use and abuse, has released a new video with SmartSocial on the risks of youth vaping nicotine and THC. Watch at your own time and interest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QpCR-mtHrc
Middle School Movie Night, Friday Feb 23
Seniors are hosting a Movie Night for middle school students on Friday, Feb 23, from 4 – 5:30 pm. Students may stay after school; movies will start at 4 pm. Pizza and snacks will be available. Tickets will be sold at the door (cash only please). If you’d like to help them offset the cost of concessions – click here to purchase items!
The movie night will help raise funds for the senior class trip. If you’d like to help out a little more, you can make a donation for their trip:
Senior Trip GoFundMe: click here:
Job Opportunities
We are seeking a High School math teacher for advanced level math (PreCalculus and Math 4). This position is open immediately and/or for next school year. For more information, see our website: https://www.franklinschoolofinnovation.org/our-story/careers/
Reminders
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.
Buy Your Yearbook Today!
Our Yearbook Class is hard at work designing our school yearbook! Order yours now for the best prices:
Final Sale: $60 from Jan. 27-May 26th
And here is the link:
Club Updates
Middle School BIPOC Student Union (BSU) – First Fridays
We are excited to announce that the middle school BSU is returning beginning this Friday!
- Who: middle school BIPOC students, grades 5-8
- What: To build and celebrate community.
- Why: Our mission is to confront racism through education, celebration, and messaging to foster inclusive environments that allow all BIPOC students to participate. We charge all FSI community to become advocates of systemic change by promoting dialogue in word or deed, in and out of classrooms with their non-bipoc peers. We celebrate BIPOC culture while challenging systematic oppression. We are committed to accountability and creating a future where all individuals are valued and respected.
- When: the first Friday of each month. Next Meeting: March 1
- Where: room 172 (Mrs. Ryan’s room)
*Pizza lunch will be provided. Please reach out to JR Negron (jrjnegron@thefsi.us) or
Jenn Ryan (jryan@thefsi.us) if you are planning to attend (to make sure we have enough pizza) or with any questions.
Help Desk One-Act Comedy
Mark your calendars for the upcoming Middle School theatre performance of Help Desk, Friday, March 8 at 6 pm and Saturday, March 9 at 2 pm. The FSI Middle School Theatre Department is rehearsing the one-act comedy, HELP DESK. The rehearsal schedule can be found here. Performances will be in the FSI Community Room on Friday March 8 at 6PM and Saturday March 9 at 2PM. Please contact Ms. Lexa with any questions, elexa@thefsi.us. It’s going to be a hilarious show!
THE ADDAMS FAMILY MUSICAL
The FSI High School Theatre Department in collaboration with the FSI Music Department is in rehearsal for our first high school musical production! Auditions were in December and rehearsals underway. SAVE THE DATE! Performances will be in Kittredge Theatre at Warren Wilson College on Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20 at 7:00 PM. Cast and crew members can access the rehearsal schedule here. Questions? Contact Julie Wharton at jwharton@thefsi.us or Sandi Wilson at swilson@thefsi.us.
Middle School Student Council Updates
The student council is excited about their new blog! Publicity coordinators Matilda Carter and Alex Pilcher helped create the idea to have a space to share the updates. You can check out the blog with all of our news (https://fsimsstudentcouncil.blogspot.com/). If you prefer to see our updates in person, check out our bulletin board in the 5th/6th grade hall! We will be updating both as new information, events, and news come in!
Find our list of clubs on our website: https://www.franklinschoolofinnovation.org/student-life/clubs/
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! Click here to access the guide: Who do I go to when…
Teaching Teams
Need to contact a teacher? Find them quickly with this link to our Teaching Teams for 2023-2024
