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,
This week we say farewell to February and welcome in March, which means it’s time for our 10th Anniversary Gala! If you haven’t purchased your tickets yet, now is the time. Why attend the gala?
- Support our school! The gala is a great way to help us raise funds and also build community.
- Meet other FSI parents and staff!
- Enjoy great food catered by FSI family-owned business 67 Biltmore, listen to music provided by another FSI family, and bid on auction items you won’t find anywhere else.
The auction is also a great way for friends and family members to get in on the fun! Anyone can bid on the items.
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.
Traffic Safety Reminder
The number of complaints and concerns about unsafe driving in our car line has escalated again! Please remember – we all want our students and staff to be safe. We understand that car lines are never fun. But we can expect adults to put the needs of the community ahead of their own short-term interests. So – find some great music, turn up the beat, and make the most of it! A few specific reminders:
- Traffic is ONE WAY during drop off and pick up. Always and without any exceptions
- Drop off and pick up students in the designated areas. Do not let students out of the car by the bus line.
- Drive slowly and with full attention.
Thank you to everyone who attended the TEDX Youth event on Tuesday night. As one of the speakers I had the behind-the-scenes view of our students’ hard work and professionalism as they produced this event. And I have ever more admiration for our students who courageously step into the TED circle as speakers. It’s hard work! Thank you to everyone who helped make this event happen. It’s such a great example of letting students lead their learning.
Did you know: many of our Learning Expeditions are gearing up right now! Every year teachers plan Learning Expeditions to introduce students to big ideas or real problems in the world. As part of their expeditions, students conduct field work, they hear from community experts, they conduct research, and as a finale they share what they’ve learned in projects presented to audiences beyond the classroom. Expeditions take time and work and engage students in the kind of deeper learning that is often missing when schools focus narrowly on preparing students for standardized tests. This week the 10th grade students began their Expedition on Immigration, exploring an exhibit by Green Card Voices Atlanta. Students also heard from panelists from Moldova, El Salvador, Ukraine and Mexico about their experiences as student newcomers to the US. Immigration is a hot topic and what better way to let students shape their opinions than through direct experience and learning? This week 9th grade will host their Celebration of Learning, marking the end of their Expedition. They have a busy week of learning ahead!
Please remember to re-enroll this week, and thank you to everyone who has already re-enrolled. Looking at our re-enrollments and new applications, we will already need to hold a lottery and will have waitlists in grades 6 – 9, with some spaces remaining in other grades. This means we really need everyone to re-enroll to save your spots!
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.
Open enrollment for students who will be new to FSI next year runs through the end of March. 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. Help us fill our seats with great students and families and continue to build our FSI community.
Calendar Events
Tues, Feb 27
- 11th Grade ACT Test – 12th Grade Student Remote Learning
- 4:15 pm: MS (JV &V) Basketball vs. Francine Delaney
Fri, Mar 1
- 9 am – 2 pm: Blood Drive @ FSI: schedule appt here – https://donate.thebloodconnection.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/224501
Sat, Mar 2
- 6:00 – 9:00 pm: 10th Anniversary Gala & Silent Auction, https://auctria.events/Franklinschoolofinnovationgala
FSI Yearlong Academic Calendar
Bolts Athletic News
MS V defeated Mountain Community School in dominating fashion on Tuesday. It was a complete team effort with almost every player getting into the scoring column. The JV and V team will wrap up their season with a double header vs Francine Delany at home on Tuesday.
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)
Blood Drive at FSI Friday, March 1, 9 am – 2 pm
The Franklin School of Innovation is partnering with The Blood Connection to sponsor a blood drive on Friday, March 1 from 9:00am – 2:00pm. Each donation raises money for the Habitat for Humanity’s Student Build and saves up to 3 lives! Student donors will earn one service hour.
Please schedule an appointment by clicking on this link:
https://donate.thebloodconnection.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/224501
Walk-ins are welcome but appointments will be honored first.
Donors need to be at least 16 years old (16 and 17 year olds need a permission slip signed by their parent/guardian), weigh at least 110 pounds, have ID, and be in good health.
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 Driver’s Education @ FSI
We are pleased to be able to host a Summer Driver’s Education class at FSI. The class will be held June 10-14. Students must be 14 ½ to attend. Registration and more information is available here: mtnpro.com/school-classes
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
Summer Planning
Summer is rapidly approaching! See what summer camps your students might be interested in:
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
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 Final Sale: $60 from Jan. 27-May 26th
And here is the link:
Club Updates
Middle School BIPOC Student Union (BSU) – First Fridays
Middle school BSU meets 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
