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Donate to FSI Hurricane Recovery Fund
Good morning Franklin families,
Does everyone start Sunday morning by obsessively reviewing every weather forecast you can find? Keep seeking out different forecasts until you find the one you like? I’m wondering if this is normal….
I’m sure everyone is ready for some warmer weather and a little more normalcy in our schedules. Last week felt a little like drinking from a fire hose. I’m grateful for some warmer temperatures and a little time to get out in the woods and completely off the grid for at least a couple hours today. I hope you can find time to reset and clear your head in whatever way works for you.
There’s the possibility of a few snowflakes in the forecast late today into tomorrow morning, and then it looks quite lovely for the last week of January. It looks like a pretty “normal” week ahead! A few things to highlight in the next few weeks:
- This Wednesday, Parent Crew is providing a soup lunch for our staff. Thank you to everyone for your continued kindness this year! See more info under the Parent Crew section below
- There’s plenty of basketball to enjoy – see the calendar and come out to support the Bolts!
- Next Thursday, Feb 6 we’re hosting a Blood Drive in partnership with The Blood Connection. More info, a signup form, and permission slips are provided below.
- The Franklin Flurries middle school dance is next Saturday, Feb 8. Mark your calendars and read on for more information.
Finally, we are very sad to say farewell to our amazing Dean of Students, Sagan Pizzingrilli. She is moving back home to better support her mom through a serious illness. She’s an amazing asset for our school and we’re all going to feel the loss. Please keep her in your thoughts as she makes the tough choice to do what is right for her family. Sagan – we love you and we appreciate you! You’ve made a difference in our school and in the lives of our students and staff.
Thank you for choosing Franklin and for your support and patience through a challenging year. We are stronger together.
Upcoming Events
Tues, Jan 28:
- 4:15 pm: MS Basketball (JV) vs FernLeaf @ FSI
- 5:15 pm: MS Basketball (V) vs Evergreen @ FSI
Wed, Jan 29
- 12:45 – 2:00: MS Student Council – all welcome! Student Council has lots of great activities coming up, including another Tailgate, Spirit Week, and Franklin Flurries!
Thurs, Jan 30
- 4:15 pm: MS Basketball(JV) vs TLC @ Fairview CC
Keep up with our Community Calendar: FSI Community Calendar
Need to see the year at a glance? FSI 2024-25 Academic Calendar
Athletics News
MS Varsity dropped two close games last week.
The team led Christ School through most of the third quarter, but could not hold on and lost 33-26. The top scorers were S. Bragdon, C. Wells and C. Garcia.
In their second game of the week versus the Trailblazers, it came down to the end, but the Bolts came up short, 44-40. S. Bragdon led with 18 points and A. Denison added 15 points.
MS JV lost a heartbreaker to Evergreen 24-21. The Bolts led most of the game, but went cold near the end of the fourth quarter. The Bolts were led in scoring by H. Harding and M. Ward. Great job on the boards by A. Clay.
The HS team went 1-0 on the week by defeating the Trailblazers 42-30. A great defensive effort in the first half by holding the Trailblazers to 9 points propelled them to victory. Leading scorers were G. Stone, 19 points and D. Garcia with 8 points.
There will be a HS Boys Volleyball interest meeting on Wednesday, January 29th at 10:30am in the gym. We are looking to start with a club this Spring and possibly some scrimmages with the goal of adding this as an official sport in 2026. Please attend the meeting if you are interested in playing.
Go Bolts! #OhYeah
Parent Crew
Parent Crew is organizing a soup and stew lunch for FSI staff on Wed, Jan 29, to continue showing appreciation! We need a few things to make this happen. Check out the SignUp Genius and help out if you are able!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090848A5AA22ABFF2-54327318-soup
The Casual Parent Crew Meet-Up is rescheduled! Join us at the Dripolator 8:30 AM on Tuesday Feb. 4. This should be a great time for families to socialize with each other.
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!
- Tues, Feb 4, 8:30 am: Meet up at The Dripolator
- 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
Middle School Student Council News
MS Student Council
We will meet this Wednesday 1/29 from 12:45-2pm. We will be getting ready for Spirit Week, the Bolts Tailgate and the Franklin Flurries! The BOLTS Tailgate will be 2/6 (see information)! The tailgate is not mandatory for members, but they are encouraged to attend if able! We will not be meeting 2/12** and we will go back to our every other week starting 2/26.
Middle School Spirit Week
Kick off the Franklin Flurries with a Middle School Spirit Week! Spirit Week will be 2/3-2/7!
- Monday will be CLASS COLOR DAY! 5th graders will wear orange, 6th graders blue, 7th grade black and 8th graders will wear white! Represent your class by decking out in your class color!
- Tuesday will be Throwback Tuesday! Dress in any attire from your favorite time frame! 70s? 90s? Colonial times? You pick your throwback attire!
- Wednesday will be Celebrity Day! Singer? Actor? Sports Star? Dress up like your favorite celebrity or any famous figure!
- Thursday will be BOLTS Day! Wear ALL your Bolts gear and colors! Don’t forget to come to the Tailgate that afternoon with all of your Bolts gear to cheer on our MS Varsity Basketball Team for their final game of the season!
- Friday will be LOVE Day! Wear your pink, red, hearts or anything that inspires love for you in the spirit of Valentine’s day next week!
BOLTS Tailgate 2/6
Join the MIddle School Student Council and Nurse Courtney for another BOLTS Tailgate party before the final Varsity Basketball game of the season! Cost is $12 and includes pizza, poster-making, and admission to the basketball game. Remind your students to wear their BOLTS gear to cheer on their classmates! Tickets will be sold at lunch in order to account for how much pizza is needed. The game will most likely end sometime between 5:15-5:30pm. Pickup will be in front of the school once the game is over. All middle school students are welcome.
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
See attached flyers for more information or register HERE.
College & Career Corner: Summer Opportunities
Senior Families – Scholarship Opportunities! See if your senior is eligible for any of these North Carolina Community Foundation Scholarships.
- 2025 North Carolina Community Foundation college scholarships open for applications
- The North Carolina Community Foundation (NCCF) announced last week that nearly 140 college scholarships are now open for applications, representing nearly $1.8 million in scholarship funds.
- Most scholarships close for 2025 applications on March 3rd. Students can apply at no cost on the NCCF website using the NCCF’s Universal Scholarship Application, which matches students to applicable scholarships based on criteria like county of residence, GPA, and intended major.
All Families – Summer Planning: Summer will be here before we know it! If you haven’t completed your summer plans, here are some interesting summer opportunities to consider. Many of the schools within the UNC system also have summer camps in a variety of subject areas.
- NC State Pre-College Programs
- NC State Engineering Camps
- App State AsULead program
- UNCA Pre-College Programs
- UNCW MarineQuest Programs
- UNCSA Summer Programs
Reminders
It’s time for Flurries! Saturday, Feb 8
The Franklin Flurries middle school dance (hosted by FSI prom committee) is Saturday, February 8th from 6:30-8:30pm. Tickets are $7 in advance and $10 at the door. Students can purchase tickets during lunch Feb 3-7 (cash or check made out to FSI). Drinks, snacks, and pizza will be available for purchase at the dance (cash only).
Fill out this Sign Up Genius if you would like to volunteer or help with donations. We really appreciate it!
Questions? Contact Gretchen Kehrberg, gkehrberg@thefsi.us
Blood Drive @ FSI, Thursday Feb 6
We have an upcoming blood drive on February 6th with the The Blood Connection! Sign up soon so we can plan expected participation at https://donate.thebloodconnection.org/…/drive…/248584
If your teenager would like to donate and is at least 16 years of age, please fill out this permission form for them – https://thebloodconnection.org/…/i011-NC_16-17Year_Old…
The Blood Drives are a win-win-win. We help provide much-needed blood supplies to save lives. The school receives a grant of $500 for every 30 donors. We donate these funds to the Habitat Student Home Build. Finally, donors receive an egift card for their donation. Help us meet at least 30 donors on Feb 6! The Drive is open to the public as well as members of the FSI community.
New Club! Science Olympiad Club Returns for Grades 6 – 12
Unlock your inner scientist & join Science Olympiad! Ready to explore the mysteries of the universe, design cutting-edge experiments, and compete with the brightest minds? Science Olympiad is your gateway to hands-on challenges, teamwork, and endless discovery. Whether you’re into biology, engineering, physics, or chemistry, there’s a spot for you in this exciting adventure. Meetings are held every Wednesday at 1 PM in room 232. Open to anyone in 6th-12th grade. For more information email Amy Burke, aburke@thefsi.us.
Experiential Workshops for Teens/Tweens
We’re passing along this opportunity from Whole Family Therapy. Middle school students (grades 6 – 8) are invited to join one or all group sessions exploring being a tween/teen. Workshops will be small group format with art, movement, music, writing and expression. If the fee is a problem for your family please reach out to our middle school counselor, Jennifer Rae Negron (jrnegron@thefsi.us) or to Michelle (mvruwink@thefsi.us). We may be able to help with financial assistance. All sessions are on Sundays from 1 – 3 pm. Cost is $20 per session or $75 for all sessions.
Session 1, Feb 2: Creating Community
Session 2, Feb 9: Exploring Identity
Session 3, Feb 16: The Mindful Connection
Session 4, Feb 23: Exploring Self Care
To learn more or sign up, please visit WWW.WHOLEFAMILYTHERAPY.CENTER/WORKSHOPS
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! Yearbooks are currently $55. Get yours here before the price increases in January!
Want to purchase an ad for your FSI senior? You have until February 7th to shout out your senior. You can purchase an ad by clicking 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.
