Give to our Annual Fund Today!
Good morning Franklin families,
Tomorrow we celebrate the life and excellence of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School is closed tomorrow in recognition of the holiday. With thanks to the AVL newsletter, here’s a list of local events and volunteer opportunities to commemorate his life and work:
- Candlelight Service | Sunday, Jan. 14 | 5:30 p.m. | Trinity Episcopal Church, 60 Church St., Asheville | The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Association will honor community leaders and organizations paving the way for social justice.
- Peace March and Rally | Monday, Jan. 15 | 11:30 a.m. | Various locations | The Association is hosting a service at St. James AME Church at 11:30 a.m. — at 12:30 p.m., attendees will march from the church to Pack Square Park.
- MLK Jr. Day of Service | Monday, Jan. 15 | 11 a.m. | Peace Gardens, 47 Bryant St., Asheville | Work on various community projects in and around the Burton Street Neighborhood at this event hosted by Hood Huggers International + other local organizations— register to volunteer.
- 14th Annual Kenilworth Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. | Monday, Jan. 15 | 6:30 p.m. | Kenilworth Presbyterian Church, 123 Kenilworth Rd., Asheville | The topic of the event is “A Capital for Black Capitalism: Soul City, N.C. and its Unique Connection to Asheville,” with Floyd B. McKissick, Jr. Esq. delivering the keynote speech.
We’re very excited for our BIPOC Student Union members who traveled to Atlanta this weekend with members of other local BSUs. We can’t wait to hear their stories and see pictures of their experiences! Thank you to Bruce Waller and Black Wall Street for organizing and hosting the trip.
We’ll be watching the weather closely again this week! The State allows schools to use up to 5 remote learning days for weather and other related reasons. We have used 4 so far. Please remember that our calendar also includes several weather make up days on the following dates:
- February 12
- March 18
- June 6 and 7
If we do not need to make up any days for weather, we will not have school on these dates. Keep the days available if needed!
There is a LOT of news in this week’s newsletter! There’s news from our Parent Crew, volunteer opportunities, FAFSA updates (it’s a mess! But there is help…), upcoming Middle School dance – too much to list here. Grab another cup of coffee and settle in!
Innovating for Ten, Trailblazing for Tomorrow 2024 Fundraising Gala and Auction Celebration
JOIN THE FRANKLIN SCHOOL OF INNOVATION
FOR A FESTIVE NIGHT TO CELEBRATE TEN YEARS OF INNOVATION & TRAILBLAZING FOR THE FUTURE!
Saturday, March 2
6 – 9 pm
Buy Your TIckets Today! Tickets and more details:
https://auctria.events/Franklinschoolofinnovationgala
This fundraising event will feature delicious hors d’oeuvres from 67 Biltmore,
light entertainment and fabulous drinks from The Mule. This event is open to all local and afar, please mark your calendars for the ONLINE AUCTION & 50/50 RAFFLE!
Bidding opens February 19th and runs until March 2nd.
Thank you for choosing Franklin and creating a great school together.
Calendar Events
Mon, Jan 15: Dr Martin Luther King Jr Holiday – No School
Tues, Jan 16:
- 4:30 pm: MS (V) Basketball @ Shining Rock
- 6:00 pm: Parent Crew In-Person Meeting @ FSI
Keep up with all our events!
FSI Yearlong Academic Calendar
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram:
Bolts Athletic News
It was a busy week for Bolts Basketball.
The HS team played one of its better games of the season with a solid defensive effort vs Mount Pisgah. The Bolts just couldn’t get enough stops and lost by 9.
Tyler Pruitt had 9 points and Gabe Kirsch and Jasper Ankeney led in rebounding.
The MS JV returned to action vs Rainbow and what a game that was! The Bolts jumped out to a 8 point lead, but Rainbow battled back to tie it in the 2nd half. It was close for the last 3 minutes and the Bolts pulled out a one point victory, 27-26. Well done!
Our HS underclassmen had an opportunity to take on the AHS Freshman team on Saturday. The Bolts came up short but it was a fun atmosphere and the Bolts were led by Donovan Bennett with 18 points.
Parent Crew News & Opportunities
Join us this Tuesday at 6 pm for our Parent Crew Meeting! Join us at FSI in person or join virtually (information on Community Calendar)!
January 23rd– We are going to sell hot chocolate during lunch, we are looking for donations and volunteers to come help out. We will be selling cups of hot chocolate for $2. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0D4BA5A922A7FF2-47131662-hotchocolate
Last call for auction donations!
If you own, work for, or are connected to a local business, we’d love to spotlight any donations you are able to provide to our fundraising auction happening alongside the gala event. Items for services or goods of all types and sizes are warmly welcomed and all proceeds from the auction support FSI! Please see the attached donation form if you are able to participate. Any donations must be received by 1/31, and pick up is available. Please contact galacrew@thefsi.us to participate or for questions.
And speaking of gala and auction- get your tickets today! Enjoy a fun night out, celebrate 10 years, and support the school! Sat, March 2: Tickets and more details:
https://auctria.events/Franklinschoolofinnovationgala
Open Enrollment for 2024-25 (including siblings) Is Jan 1 – March 31!
If you plan to enroll a sibling for the coming school year – submit an application online and be sure to let us know it is a sibling enrollment. Current students who will return next year do not need to do anything right now. We will invite everyone to re-enroll later (in February). Applications are online (English/Spanish) or we can help people complete applications in person in the office. If you know a student or family who would benefit from Franklin’s approach to education, please spread the word and encourage them to apply!
Re-enrollment will begin in February – watch for more information.
Volunteer Opportunities: Senior Passage Panelists Needed
Thursday, March 28th between 6-8 PM, all seniors will gather at school to present their final Senior Passage Presentations to panels of community members, fellow students, staff members, and families. It is a lovely, celebratory evening of accomplishments.
We need panelists! Panelists will listen to presentations, ask questions, and assess the work our seniors have completed, with the help of a rubric. Each panelist will hear a few (3-5) presentations. If you are interested in being a panelist for this event, please complete this Google Form.
Calling all skiers and snowboarders!
FSI parents and students are organizing a group to purchase discounted passes and meet once a week at Cataloochee. This is not a formal school-sponsored club – just a group of people from FSI who meet up for outdoor fun, adventure, and community. Participants provide their own transportation and supervision. Fill out this Interest Form or email aydenstewart@thefsi.us today!
Lost & Found: Donated January 30
Lost and found will be donated on January 30. Please encourage your children to start looking through it on Tuesday when we come back. Thank you and have a great three day weekend!
AP Research Studies Project: High School Student Research
Did you know that Franklin offers the AP Capstone Project and Diploma! The Capstone Project includes 2 college-level courses in which students learn how to conduct high-level independent research about topics of interest. One of our AP Research students will be gathering information for their AP Research project. This includes the impact of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee on students. For more information see this document. If you do not wish your student to participate please contact our AP Research advisor, tbarnesdunn@thefsi.us before January 22, 2024.
Franklin Flurries Middle School Dance, Sat, Feb 17
The annual Franklin Flurries middle school dance will be on Saturday, February 17 from 6:30-8:30pm. Cost for tickets is $7 in advance (sold before school the week prior) and $10 at the door. Snacks and drinks will be available for purchase. Questions? Contact Gretchen Kehrberg, gkehrberg@thefsi.us.
Student Volunteer Opportunity: TedX Youth
Did you know that our students host Asheville’s only TedXYouth event? TedxYouth is an opportunity for students to truly be leaders in their own learning. We are looking for high school students who are interested in helping with the production at our conference. There are many different positions available for students, including: editing, social media & advertisement, volunteer coordinator and executive directors. In these positions you will receive volunteer hours and a leadership position you can highlight on college applications. The guiding theme for this year’s conference is: “Curiosity: Broadening Our Horizons.” If interested please email mahaylajones@thefsi.us, sarahwilliams@thefsi.us, or lhawkins@thefsi.us.
College Corner: FAFSA Updates
For our seniors and their families: As you may already be aware, the FAFSA, the form used to apply for financial aid for college (including community colleges) has not yet opened for all students. The FAFSA process opened with a “soft launch” at the end of December and the platform seems to be full of glitches. Hence, we are rescheduling our FAFSA completion workshop from January 17th until February 1st. Hopefully, the FAFSA will be accessible by then. Please mark your calendar for 2/1/2024 @ 6:000 if you would like some assistance with the process.
You can read more about the FAFSA launch here.
UNCA also hosts FAFSA Day on Saturday, January 27, 2024 from 9 a.m.-noon in Whitesides Hall. FAFSA Day is a free event where local college campuses provide one-on-one or small group support for completing the 2024-25 FAFSA. Any student, parent, or guardian who wants FAFSA assistance is welcome to attend, including faculty, staff, and current students. Visit the FAFSA Day webpage for more information and to register. Please register by Wednesday, January 24.
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:
Current sale: $50 until Nov. 10
Next Sale: $55 from Nov. 11- Jan. 26th
Final Sale: $60 from Jan. 27-May 26th
And here is the link:
Club Updates
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 Franklin Flurries Dance is 2/17/2024 6:30pm-8:30pm. Tickets will be sold before school the week prior for $7 and $10 at the door. Drinks and snacks will be sold for $1.
The MS student council has a new blog! Updates and information can be found there for events, fundraisers, and meetings. https://fsimsstudentcouncil.blogspot.com
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
