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Good morning Franklin families,
I hope everyone found time to be outside yesterday for a little dose of spring in a rather dreary winter! I’m writing today with resources and a request for help. Our school culture is grounded in the concept of mutual respect and inclusion for all. Behaviors that target others based on a real or perceived difference have no place in our school community. Our student handbook is very clear about this: “Harassing behavior is subject to immediate disciplinary consequences up to and including expulsion. It may also be grounds for legal action and fines through the civil justice system.”
As a school we have limited authority over what happens on social media outside of school time. Schools can address social media activity when it creates a substantial disruption to the school environment, including instances where posts involve threats, harassment, bullying, illegal activities, or significantly interfere with the education of other students. When these behaviors take place in school, we consistently follow our policy of discipline and education. Students who engage in racial, sexual, or biased harassment will be suspended and will participate in educational activities upon their return.
Over the past few weeks school leaders have spent considerable time researching and responding to hate speech distributed through online social media platforms including Discord and Instagram. We have also responded to a small but notable number of incidents in school where students have mimicked biased hand gestures, used biased language, or engaged in other behaviors that result in increased anxiety, stress, or fear for other students and staff.
We don’t teach or model this kind of behavior in school and we know you are not teaching it at home. However, these behaviors are rampant across social media platforms where students frequently spend unsupervised time. While the behaviors we are seeing are not unique to our school, we won’t give in to the idea that this is normal or acceptable behavior.
I am asking for your help to keep this behavior from becoming common in our school. While we are committed to educating and responding, it takes the dedicated effort of our entire community to maintain a school culture where every student and staff member can feel safe and valuable.
I urge you to spend time with your student this week and on an ongoing basis. I’ve included a few suggestions and resources below to help.
- Talk with your student about racist and biased language. Ask questions about the kind of words they hear online, in school, or in conversations with their friends. Be open and curious – what do they know about the history and meaning of specific words? Do they know how to report or interrupt bias when it happens? Are there ways adults can help? Enter into the conversation without judgement, but don’t be afraid to share your family values or correct misunderstandings when students think biased language is ok. Students can report incidents that happen in school through our online “Racism & Bias Reporting” form: https://forms.gle/JiYTDP4Vc2ZwwuzJ8 or through the 24/7 anonymous tip-line (website, app or by phone)
- Start or continue conversations about social media use. Again – be curious! Some ideas for conversations starters:
- What social media platforms do you use?
- What activities do you like to do online?
- Who are you talking to online?
- When are you online the most?
- Have you ever been in a situation online where you felt uncomfortable or a little scared? What made you feel that way? What are steps you can take to stay safe online?
As a parent, I know that these conversations are hard. I definitely made mistakes and missed opportunities. Social media is an ever-present and ever-changing reality in our lives. We have to educate ourselves to keep our kids safe.
Here are a few resources to help as you begin or continue these conversations at home:
- Child Rescue Coalition “Safeguarding Children Online”: https://childrescuecoalition.org/educations/safeguarding-children-online-the-importance-of-monitoring-internet-and-social-media-usage/ – common sense tips to protect children at different ages
- American Psychological Association “Keeping Teens Safe on Social Media”: https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/social-media-parent-tips
- DHS “Know2Protect”: These tips are specific to online sexual exploitation but apply to overall online safety: https://www.dhs.gov/know2protect/take-action?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAwaG9BhAREiwAdhv6Y7OObsfwOT7CbwAuA9iRLo0vtlwtffNmeOMwG0xhOnFi1i5slHAYAxoCWssQAvD_BwE
Congratulations to our student Scholastic Art winners! Five FSI students earned 10 awards in this prestigious competition. See more info and a link to winning artwork below.
Thank you to all the donors for our Blood Drive! We had at least 30 donors, providing a life-saving resource and helping us raise funds for Habitat for Humanity.
Thank you all for choosing Franklin and for your support and patience through a challenging year. We are stronger together.
Upcoming Events
Tues, Feb 11
- 4:15 pm: MS (JV) Basketball vs Francine Delaney @ FSI
- 6:00 pm: FSI Board of Directors Regular Meeting @ FSI
Thurs, Feb 13
- 4:15 pm: MS All-Star Basketball Game @ FSI
- 6:00 pm: HS Basketball End of Season Tournament @ ICI
- 6:30 pm: Virtual Info Session for Prospective Families
Sat, Feb 15
- 10:00 am: Information Session for Prospective Families @ FSI
- 2:00 pm: HS Basketball End of Season Tournament@ ICI
Upcoming Dates: Feb 20 & 21 – No School! These dates are held for teacher work days and weather makeup. We will use Thursday, June 5 as a weather makeup day. Wed, June 4 will be a full day and June 5 will be an early-release and the last day of school.
Keep up with our Community Calendar: FSI Community Calendar
Need to see the year at a glance? FSI 2024-25 Academic Calendar
Athletics Update
The MS JV team defeated Mountain Community School 47-19. This was the most complete game the team has put together so far. Great teamwork and some awesome passes were displayed.
The MS Varsity team had a tough game vs Asheville Catholic. The team battled and fought hard, but the Panthers were just too much. The Bolts were led by C. Garcia, C, Wells and S. Clay.
The HS team earned a road victory at Shining Rock, 57-42. The leading scorers were G. Stone and T. Pruitt. The defense was anchored by S. Wilson and O. Kaniewski-Clawson. That moves the Bolts to 7-2 on the season!
Happy Super Bowl Sunday…Fly Eagles Fly!!! (anyone who knows Coach Burke knows she’s an Eagles fan!)
Parent Crew
Chipotle Dine Out Event: Monday, March 3 from 4 – 8 pm – pick up dinner or afterschool snacks from Chipotle Brevard Road! Make sure you mention the FSI fundraiser and we will receive 25% of sales. Parent Crew uses funds raised to support Staff Appreciation and Events.
Mark your calendars for upcoming Parent Crew meetings!
- Wednesday, Feb 19: 8:30 am school -,more details about place closer to date
- Monday, Mar 3: 4 – 8 pm: Chipotle Brevard Road Dine Out – mention FSI fundraiser!
- Thursday, Mar 20: 6 pm 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
Apply for Free/Reduced Lunch
It was a long journey but we’ve made it! Our school nutrition program has been approved for funding through the National School Lunch Program. While this is an important step to help us continue providing nutritious meals for our students – we need your help!
Families must complete the application for free/reduced lunch every year. We cannot provide fee or reduced price meals to students who have not yet been approved. We are reaching out to families we believe are eligible – but if you don’t let us know we can’t help you. 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.
MS Drama Club Performance – Feb 28 & March 1
Have you ever felt overwhelmed or unprepared? Or taken an exam you were doomed to fail? Come to the FSI middle school drama club’s presentation of This is a Test and laugh as we explore the nightmare experience of taking a test! The play will be performed in the FSI Community Room and tickets will be on sale soon. Performances are Friday, Feb 28, 6 pm and Saturday, March 1, 2 pm.
Questions? Contact Ms. Lexa, elexa@thefsi.us.
Congratulations Scholastic Art Awardees!
We are pleased to announce FSI has 5 student winners with 10 winning artworks in this year’s WNC Regional Scholastic Art Competition! This is an extraordinary honor for these students!
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the nation’s longest running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. It is extremely competitive with hundreds of artworks submitted annually across the Western Carolina region from public, private, and homeschooled students. Please congratulate FSI’s winners!
All winning artworks will be on a digital rotation display as a part of the Asheville Strong exhibit from February 14 – May 5. You can see the artwork on Franklin’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FranklinSchoolofInnovation
Gold Key Winners:
- Zachary Rose 11th grade A Crazy Load of Laundry
- Charlee Martin* 9th grade Bell Pepper and a Bagel (*American Visions Nominee)
Silver Key Winners:
- Milo McBrayer 12th Grade Rinse and Repeat
- Nikko Williams 12th Grade Alcoholism
- Charlee Martin 9th Grade Little Blue Guy
Honorable Mentions:
- Milo McBrayer (2) 12th Grade Autistic Joy & Reach Out*
- Sophia Oliver 12th Grade Hallway
- Nikko Williams 12th Grade Dissociation
- Zachary Rose 11th Grade The Light House
*Reach Out was completed while attending Enka High School
Petals for Prom – Annual Valentine’s Day Rose Sale
The annual Valentine’s Day Rose Sale is here! Spread love by purchasing a rose for students, teachers, or staff. Roses (and accompanying note) are $5 each and will be delivered during 1st period on February 14th. Purchases can be made until February 12th using this google form. After completing the form you will receive an invoice via email. The invoice must be paid by February 12th for the recipient to receive their rose. Students will be able to purchase roses during lunch February 10-12. Your support for FSI prom goes beyond this year – it lays the groundwork for future proms, creating a legacy of memorable moments.
Questions? Contact Gretchen Kehrberg, gkehrberg@thefsi.us.
College & Career Corner: College Visits & ACT Prep
Juniors – now is the time to start planning college visits! Some of you may have already been on several campuses. You can find information on campus visits to UNC system school by clicking on the links below. If you are missing school to visit a college, please use the link to complete the College Visits form to have your absence excused.
- UNC-Asheville
- App State
- Western Carolina University
- UNC-Wilmington
- ECU(East Carolina University)
- UNC-Chapel Hill
- NC State
- UNC-Charlotte
- North Carolina A&T
- College Visits form
Students can take action now to increase their ACT scores! All students in 11th grade will take the ACT this spring. You can help your student improve their scores to reach their post-high school goals! Many resources are available online:
https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/free-act-prep-resources/
Reminders
Free Nicotine & Marijuana Reduction & Cessation Workshops
Carson Education Alliance is providing free virtual workshops for parents and teens. This is a great low-stakes way to learn more!
- For teens – Vaping Intervention: various upcoming dates (next date is either 1/30 or 2/8), teens review the impact of vaping on the developing teen brain, learn about addiction, recognize their ability to make healthy choices, and identify ways to make a change to their vaping or smoking habits. Teens can sign up themselves or be registered by an adult or other parent/caregiver.
- For adults – Prevention Resources: various upcoming dates (next date is 3/12), parents and caring adults learn about current teen drug trends, impact of today’s more potent drugs on teen brain development and risk for addiction, prevention strategies to reduce risk for addiction, and review local resources
Register HERE.
Open Enrollment for Next School Year
It’s time for Open Enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year! 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. You will complete a separate re-enrollment process. Do not re-apply through Open Enrollment and the lottery.
- 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/
Yearbook Sales & Senior Ads!
Our yearbook class is busy capturing fantastic memories of this year! Get yours here.
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.
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.
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 in session: 2024 FSI Clubs. Please remember that students need to sign in to Beyond the Bell for after school clubs.
