This is How We Crew It FSI Fundraising Campaign
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Good morning Franklin families,
March can’t decide if it’s a lion or a lamb! After this lovely interlude of warm weather, a bit of winter is headed our way, just in time for our long-anticipated visit from the EL Education team. Let’s hope it’s just a quick interruption of cold followed by a return to spring-like sunshine! The EL Education team visits us on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. It’s a normal week of school for students, they will just see 8 visitors in their classrooms and hallways. The EL team brings decades of education experience and we are excited to hear their feedback as part of our continued commitment to growth, excellence, and joy in learning.
We’re also preparing for our spring Student Led Conferences (SLCs) and Passage Presentations. Next Wednesday, March 25, students in grades 5,6, 7, 9, and 11 will lead their SLCs while our seniors will share their “Last Word” presentations. Please remember there are no classes on March 25. Students in grades 8 and 10 will have remote lessons while all other students will attend school for their scheduled SLC or presentation.
| Volunteer Opportunity:
We are seeking panelists for our Senior Last Word presentations. It’s a great window into the world of young people! If you have an hour (or 3) to share, please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0944AAAF2BA0FFCF8-62306840-senior#/ |
On the following Wednesday, April 1, students in grades 8 and 10 will complete their Passage Presentations. Students in all other grades will have remote instruction on April 1 and 8th and 10th grade students will attend only for their scheduled presentation. Crew leaders are responsible for scheduling SLCs and Passages, so please reach out to them directly if you have questions about the presentations.
We recognize that SLCs and Passages disrupt our instructional weeks. So why do we do them? First, they are building blocks of the EL Education model, which places students in the center of their own education. More importantly, they create the opportunity for students to practice important skills of goal-setting, self-reflection, recognition of their areas of strength and areas for growth, and finally, critical communication skills as they tell us how we can support their continued growth. All students are required to complete their SLC or Passage as part of their education.
With the weather-related changes to our calendar, SLCs and Passages are falling right at the end of Quarter 3. Many grade levels are also deep into their Learning Expeditions, with big projects and big ideas! It’s a busy time and stress levels may be rising. Here are a few ways families can support students when the pressure increases:
- Make check-ins a regular part of your conversations. Instead of focusing on student grades, ask them what they are learning or what class is most interesting to them. Build a habit of talking about school so that conversations aren’t only about grades.
- With that said – make sure you know if your student is earning the grades you and they want and expect. If you have any questions about your student’s grade now is a good time to reach out to a teacher or Crew leader.
- Set a routine at home that includes dedicated time for school work.
- Prioritize healthy meals, time outdoors, and good sleep schedules. Model these yourself – if you enjoy a daily walk, invite your student to join in.
- Minimize time online. Studies show that children ages 8 – 18 spend close to 8 hours a day watching or using screens, with much of this time spent on social media and without adult supervision or intervention. Reclaim some of that time!
Raising children is hard work. Hang in there, reach out if you need help, and take care of yourself. Our school is full of pretty terrific young people – you’re doing a great job!
Mark Your Calendars
On Saturday, April 18, Parent Crew and our Athletic Program are teaming up to offer a fun spring fair! There is something for everyone, from craft vendors, silent auction, food, music, and a pickleball tournament! We’re currently seeking craft vendors, musicians, and pickleball enthusiasts, along with volunteers to support our hard-working Parent Crew to plan and facilitate the day. We are also seeking donations for our Silent Auction! Do you own a business? Maybe you have a vacation home you would be willing to share? All donations will help support our school. More info is provided in the athletics and Parent Crew portions of the newsletter.
Call to Action
I’m updating today’s call to action. Thanks to everyone who has made calls! The House and Senate will be back in session in April with the chance to take action. It’s pretty late in the year, but we need a budget!
Last week Governor Stein released a Critical Needs Budget. North Carolina has gone 2.5 years without adopting a full budget, leaving us with significant budget challenges. Governor Stein’s budget prioritizes raises for state employees, higher raises for teachers, and continued funding for the state’s Medicaid program. All of these funding priorities are important to our school.
Phone calls are the best and easiest way to tell our elected officials what you want. Most of the time – you will just be leaving a voicemail message. If you get a live person on the phone, they don’t have time for complicated messages. Keep your call professional, kind, and brief. I’ve provided two short messages below. You can choose just the first message if you want!
- Pass Governor Stein’s Critical Needs. Our state is the ONLY state in the nation that has not passed a budget and it is hurting our children and our communities.
- My child attends a public school, like most other children in our state. Our state ranks 50th in public school funding. Our elected officials should be embarrassed to put our children dead last. Invest in their futures!
I’ve included the three most important people to call. Our local elected officials already consistently vote to support public education. You can call them to just say thank you and encourage them to keep up the good work! But these three calls are critical:
House Speaker Destin Hall
Phone: 919-733-3451
Email: Destin.Hall@ncleg.gov
Senate President: Phil Berger
Phone: (919) 733-5708
Email: Phil.Berger@ncleg.gov
Michael Lee, NC Senate Majority Leader
Phone: 919-715-2525
Email: Michael.Lee@ncleg.gov
As always, thank you for choosing Franklin and for partnering with us to prepare students for the futures they create. Our school is stronger with your participation.
Upcoming Events
Monday, March 16
- 4:30 – 6:00 pm: HS Girls Soccer vs IC Imagine
Tuesday, March 17
- 3:45 – 5:00 pm: MS Soccer Tryouts
Thursday, March 19
- 3:45 – 5:00 pm: MS Soccer Tryouts
Mark Your Calendars
Wednesday, March 25
- Student Led Conferences – no classes. Students will attend only for their scheduled SLC. Students in grades 8 and 10 will have remote learning days.
Friday, March 27
- Teacher Work Day for the end of Quarter 3(rescheduled). No school. We will offer a Beyond the Bell camp day to help out for this day. Register here
Wednesday, April 1
- 8th and 10th Grade Passages – Remote Learning Day for all other grades. Students in grades 8 and 10 will attend school only for their scheduled appointment.
Keep up with all our school events!
FSI Community Calendar – add our events to your google calendar
2025-2026 Yearlong Calendar – year at a glance
Bolts Athletics
Middle School Soccer Information:
Try-outs will be held Tuesday, March 17 (note this date change from last newsletter) and Thursday, March 19 from 3:45-5:00pm.
Boys and girls, grades 5 – 8. All required paperwork must be submitted prior to try-outs.
Contact Coach Kyle Wilson with any questions. kwilson@thefsi.us
Pickleball Tournament – Sat, April 18, 11 am – 1 pm
Adult & Student divisions, MS and HS. $25 per team. Get ready!
Registration:
https://franklinschoolofinnovation.networkforgood.com/events/98831-fsi-pickleball-tournament
Sponsorship Banners to Support Bolts Athletics
Do you have a business or know of a business that would be interested in purchasing a sponsorship package that supports the Athletics Program? It is great advertisement for a business as the business name and logo will be displayed on banners in the gym and/or field depending on what package is purchased.
Sponsorship Levels:
Thunder ($500)
1 Banner displayed in either the gym or field area (your choice)
Lightning ($800)
2 Banners. One banner displayed in the gym and one in the field area.
Bolt ($1,000)
Includes everything in the Lightning package plus logo displayed on printed materials (game programs and possibly team gear (practice and travel gear).
Banners are 72×24 inches and will be displayed for one full year with an opportunity to renew. Please contact Coach Burke (Athletic Director) for more information or questions. kburke@thefsi.us
Parent Crew
We are in immediate need of items for our silent auction and raffle. If you can contribute, please drop off your donations at the front desk by March 20. Label your donation as “Micah Usher/Silent Auction” and include your name and email address so we can send you a donation form. All proceeds from this event will support school funds!
Can you dedicate three hours or more on Saturday, 04/18, to help raise funds for FSI? High School students are welcome to sign up and earn Service Hours! These funds support all the things we love about Franklin, including our amazing staff, fantastic arts programs, sports, county-wide transportation, and the lunch program.
If you can help the Parent Crew raise these essential funds during the 04/18 Spring Fair, please sign up here.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090848A5AA22ABFF2-62640459-spring
Next Parent Crew Meeting: Wednesday, April 15, 8:30 am. This will be a working meeting to finalize all preparation for the April 18 Spring Fair.
Spring Craft Fair: Call for Vendors!
The Parent Crew is organizing a spring craft fair and celebration to complement the upcoming pickleball tournament on April 18th, in collaboration with the FSI Athletics department. We would like to offer the opportunity to our enterprising kids and FSI family businesses to join this event and really make it a fun celebration of our community. This opportunity is being released first to our families before we open it to the wider community. There will be live music, food, inflatables and more, but this isn’t the official announcement! If you or your student are interested in a booth space to sell your crafts, artwork, wares or other self-made products please fill out this form – Spring 2026 Craft Fair & Festival FSI Community Vendor Interest Form
Spring Fair – Call for Musicians!
Calling all musicians! We are also seeking performers for the Spring Fair. Open to students, family members and community members: https://forms.gle/yDwjsRvZeJwRBH7j8
Breakfast & Lunch Menus
You can find our menus online: https://www.franklinschoolofinnovation.org/parents/nutrition/
School Improvement Team Volunteers
We are re-organizing our School Improvement Team to meet a new state requirement. The School Improvement Team will meet monthly on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, from 5:00 – 5:45 pm, right before our scheduled Board of Directors meetings. We are seeking a few members to join the team and serve through the 2026-2027 school year.
Our first meeting will be Tuesday, April 14 at 5 pm. Please email mvruwink@thefsi.us directly if you are interested in serving.
Career Opportunities
We have a few immediate opportunities for this school year and we are beginning to recruit for some opportunities for next school year.
Immediate Openings
- Full Time Facility & Bus Driver: Includes all benefits, drivers must have or be eligible to receive a CDL. Email dbennett@thefsi.us
- Substitute Teachers: flexible schedule – work when you can! Cover letter and resume to jobs@thefsi.us
All positions for the 2026-2027 school year will be posted on our website. If you know an excellent teacher who would be a good fit for our school, let us know! We can reach out and invite them to apply if we have a position available.
Reminders
FSI Business Directory – submit your business to be included
We are compiling a directory of our family owned businesses. If you would like to be included in the directory, submit your business information here. The directory will be available on our website and in the newsletter. Let’s keep it local!
Free Resources for Resilience Community Events
Passing this along from our friends at Resources for Resilience!
Resources For Resilience is an Asheville-based nonprofit sharing practical tools and educational trainings to help individuals and teams manage stress and prevent burnout in themselves and others. They are currently offering FREE programming for WNC residents and professionals, now through June. Many of our offerings also include CEU professional credit through Area L AHEC! Space is limited for these no-cost opportunities, so interested participants are encouraged to register early to secure their spot. Learn more here: https://conta.cc/3NBqYiU
Order Your Yearbooks & Ads
The 2025-2026 Yearbooks are on sale! They are currently $55 until November 15th. They will go up to $55 after Nov. 15th. Purchase via this link
Parents/Guardians of Seniors and 8th Grade Students can purchase ads to be featured in the back of the yearbook – just click this link to create your ad!
Who Do I Go To When….
Whether you are new to FSI or returning, we know you have questions and want to help you find the best answers! This handy guide can help you connect. We do our best to respond to questions within 24 hours. We do not expect school staff to respond outside of school hours. Click here to access the guide: Who do I go to when…
