Share the link to our Hurricane Recovery Fund with your friends & family!
Donate to FSI Hurricane Recovery Fund
Good morning Franklin families,
Did anyone else forget that it’s time to move our clocks forward today? It’s been a crazy year and little things just slip by. No one enjoys the loss of sleep but I hope everyone enjoys the longer evenings, especially as our weather warms up. Spring is definitely creeping up on us and I’m all about it!
Over the past few years we have been working hard to expand and improve our school nutrition program. The addition of our kitchen was a huge step forward, and in January we were finally approved for the federal School Lunch Program. This program brings much-needed funding to help us keep our nutrition program running. It also adds a small layer of work for families and for the school. Families must apply for the program every year. We will help you with your applications! Click to APPLY HERE!
If you need help, call the school office (318-8140), stop by the front desk for paper applications, or email Tammey Harper, tharper@thefsi.us for help.
Did you know: Now that our school is part of the National School Lunch Program, students with approved applications for free or reduced lunch may also be eligible for summer “Sun Bucks” program, offering $120 per student for summer food purchases? You can learn more here: https://www.ncdhhs.gov/sunbucks
Breakfast and lunch menus for March are attached to today’s email – here’s a short version of lunch for this week. Vegetarian options are available for all meals.
| Mon Mar 10 | Tues Mar 11 | Wed Mar 12 | Thurs Mar 13 | Fri Mar 14 |
| BBQ Chicken Sandwich
Sweet potato fries Coleslaw Strawberry Banana cup Milk |
Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo
Whole grain roll Corn Baby Carrots Mandarin Oranges Milk |
French Toast
Sausage Patty Cucumbers & Tomatoes Fruit Salad Milk |
Cheeseburger
Salad Stawberries Milk |
Pizza
Black beans & corn Fruit Salad Milk |
We have lots of great student led events coming up! We are very excited about the upcoming high school production of the musical “The Prom”, coming up March 14 and 15 at 7 pm and March 16 at 2 pm. Performances are at the Asheville Masonic Temple Theatre and tickets are available online:https://franklinschoolofinnovation.networkforgood.com/events/83662-the-prom-school-edition
Then, on April 1st, FSI students will host the only TedX Youth event in Asheville. Mark your calendars for this great event! April 1, 6 pm at NC Stage, tickets at the door. High school students – if you need volunteer hours, please reach out to hazelwells@thefsi.us or lilakneile@thefsi.us to help out with the TedXYouth event.
Finally – this month is the most important month for Open Enrollment. We are taking applications for new students and families to join our FSI community. If you know great kids and great families – invite them to check us out! We are still growing! Help us reach our growth goals and keep FSI thriving and moving forward. Families can check out our website or email Micah Usher, musher@thefsi.us., to schedule a tour or join an Information Session.
Keep up those calls! Let our elected leaders know that North Carolina deserves great public schools and our teachers deserve living wages! Take Action! Education Call List
Thank you all for choosing Franklin and for your continued support through a challenging year. We are stronger together.
Upcoming Events
Tues, Mar 11
- 11th grade: ACT exam – 12th grade remote learning day
- 4:00 pm: HS Girls Soccer vs ICI @ BCSP
- 6:00 pm: Monthly Board of Directors meeting @ FSI
Wed, Mar 12
- 6:00 pm: Free Parent Education Workshop via Zoom: Drug, Alcohol & Vaping Prevention Tools. Register HERE
Fri, Mar 14 & Sat, Mar 15
- 7:00 pm: HS Theatre & FSI Music Department present “The Prom”, a musical. Tickets are available online: https://franklinschoolofinnovation.networkforgood.com/events/83662-the-prom-school-edition
Sun, Mar 16
- 2:00 pm: HS Theatre & FSI Music Department present “The Prom”, a musical
Mon, Mar 17: No School
Tues, Mar 18: No School – Teacher Work Day – BtB Coverage available from 8 am – 3 pm
Calendar Change: Thursday, June 5 – Weather Make Up Day
Thursday, June 5 is a weather make up day. Wed, June 4 will be a full day (no early release) and June 5 will now be our last day of school and an early release day.
Keep up with our Community Calendar: FSI Community Calendar
Need to see the year at a glance? FSI 2024-25 Academic Calendar
Athletics Update
Middle School Soccer (mixed gender)
Tryouts will take place on Monday and Tuesday (March 10 & 11} from 3:30-4:45pm on the front field. Contact Caoch Wilson with any questions. kwilson@thefsi.us
HS Ultimate Frisbee (mixed gender)
Will meet on Monday, March 10th from 4::00-5:00 pm in the gym.
Contact Coach Chad with any questions. cgerber@thefsi.us
HS Girls Soccer
Season opener on Tuesday, March 11 at 4:00pm vs IC Imagine. BCSP Field #5
Go Bolts!
Parent Crew
Parent Crew is hosting a parent/family coffee meetup at the school on April 3 at 8:30AM. This is a great time to get to know fellow Franklin Families. Please join us, everyone is welcome.
Mark your calendars for upcoming Parent Crew meetings!
- Thursday, Mar 20: 6 pm at school-more details about place closer to date
- Thursday, Apr 3: 8:30 am at school
- 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
Help (and Trucks!) Needed
The high school musical is this week and we are looking for a few people with trucks that might be available and willing to help us transport set items to our venue (Asheville Masonic Temple) and back. Below are some details on the help we need. If you are able to help us, we will happily give you some comp tickets to the show (see details in this weekend’s newsletter).
Wednesday, March 12 at 1:30 pm
- 3 trucks or vans to carry our set pieces (we have six 3 sided 6’2″ X 2′ ‘periaktoi’ and a bunch of wooden cubes of various sizes)
Sunday, March 16th at 4:45
- 3 trucks or vans to carry our set pieces, back to FSI
Thank you so much for considering! Contact Julie Wharton (jwharton@thefsi.us) to volunteer.
High School Musical: “The Prom” Mar 14, 15 & 16
FSI’s High Boltage Theatre and FSI Music Department Present the VERY Fun Musical,
The Prom, School Edition
Four eccentric Broadway stars are in desperate need of a new stage. So when they hear that trouble is brewing around a small-town prom, they know that it’s time to put a spotlight on the issue…and themselves. The town’s parents want to keep the high school dance on the straight and narrow—but when one student just wants to bring her girlfriend to prom, the entire town has a date with destiny. On a mission to transform lives, Broadway’s brassiest join forces with a courageous girl and the town’s citizens and the result is love that brings them all together. Winner of the Drama Desk Award for Best Musical, THE PROM expertly captures all the humor and heart of a classic musical comedy with a message that resonates with audiences now more than ever. (Rated PG 13 for some language and story content)
Performance dates:
March 14 and 15 at 7:00 PM
March 16 at 2:00 PM
Venue:
Asheville Masonic Temple Theatre – 80 Broadway St
Tickets:
$5 for students under 18
$10 for adults
$20 for sponsors (reserved seating)
Tickets available online: https://franklinschoolofinnovation.networkforgood.com/events/83662-the-prom-school-edition
Free Parent Education Workshops March 12, 6 pm
Prevention Resources and Education for Caregivers:
Do you feel ready to talk to your child about drugs, alcohol, and vaping? Do you know the warning signs that may indicate your child is experimenting with substances? What steps can you take now to help prevent risky behaviors in the future?
Join Caron’s Education Alliance for an informative workshop on current youth drug trends, including vaping, and learn effective communication strategies to talk with your child about substance use. We’ll also discuss key resiliency factors that help protect youth. Register today to gain valuable tools for supporting your child’s well-being! Register HERE for the upcoming VIRTUAL parent workshop taking place virtually on Wednesday, March 12th from 6pm – 7pm via ZOOM. Link to join will be emailed following registration. Presented by Caron’s Education Alliance.
Next FSI Blood Drive – April 3!
Our first Blood Drive of the year was a great success. Our next drive is coming up and donors who gave last time are eligible to give again. We’d love to see some new faces as well! This is a terrific way to provide a much needed resource for the community AND help FSI raise funds for a Habitat for Humanity student home build. Appointments are encouraged:
Appt. Link
https://donate.thebloodconnection.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/281491
FSI Student Mountain Bikers!
FSI mountain bikers now ride with Pisgah Rage and recently completed their first race of the year! Cassie Mcgahey, Connor Hallinan, Everett Toombs and Ryder McMorran all rode and raced their bikes this past weekend at NC NICA Star Road Showdown in Salisbury, NC. Saturday night was a team dinner and community building
around the camp. Cool weather delayed the start and shortened some races on Sunday morning, which allowed the racers to sleep in a bit and stay warm, and parents to have more camp coffee, and prepare for race day.
C Hallinan started on the first row of the first race (JV3) to set the pace for the team. He had a great start and pushed himself all the way to the end. R.McMorran was up next
representing the 8th grade boys. Also starting on the front row, his strength and bike handling skills kept him toward the front of the pack. C. Mcgahey lined up for JV2 and looked strong navigating the s-turns thru the woods. E.Toombs was in the last race of the day and kept his pace strong through two laps. Toombs and Hallinan were called up to the podium for their volunteer hours of work in trail maintenance. The next race weekend will be the PacMan Pursuit on March 15-16 in Garysburg NC. Great job team!
Coming Soon: Outward Bound Expeditions for HS Students
We are excited to continue a partnership with North Carolina Outward Bound, and even more excited to announce that FSI high school students (aged 14 – 18) may be eligible for scholarships to participate in life-changing Outward Bound expeditions. You can learn more about the program here: https://www.ncobs.org/expeditions/classic-high/
Stay tuned for more information on how to apply and how FSI will help students complete their applications. My daughter had the opportunity to participate in an Outward Bound expedition while she was an FSI student. She was challenged to her limits and came out of it stronger! These scholarships are available to our students because we are an EL Education school.
DV Awareness Workshop: April 24 @ FSI
We are excited to host an important workshop in collaboration with Our VOICE and Verbal Purple! Our VOICE Inc. is a non-profit crisis intervention and prevention agency that has been serving survivors of sexual violence, ages 13 through adult, in Buncombe County for over 45 years. Our VOICE also works to provide primary prevention education to stop sexual violence before it occurs.
In collaboration with Verbal Purple and Our VOICE, we will be facilitating SAFE, an Anti-Human Trafficking Prevention Education Workshop, informed by existing scientific evidence, that teaches on sex trafficking risk factors, recruitment dynamics, warning signs, healthy and abusive relationships, and strategies for seeking and providing help for youth.
The SAFE Anti-Human Trafficking Prevention Education Workshop includes sensitive content related to human trafficking and we understand this material may be distressing for some individuals. We also understand these conversations can bring up a wide variety of feelings and reactions, so reach out to Our VOICE if you need support or have concerns about the content.
Our VOICE website: Home – Our VOICE (ourvoicenc.org)
Crisis line: CRISIS LINE: (828) 255-7576
This workshop is intended for anyone in 6th grade through 12th grade and their parents. It is also available to the wider community, if you have friends that would like to join.
Join us on Thursday, April 24th at 6pm at the Franklin School of Innovation!
Please help us estimate attendance by filling out this short form
This form is optional but helps us prepare for how many people to expect!
Cooke Foundation Scholarship for 7th Grade Students Application Workshops Beginning March 5
The Cooke Young Scholars Program is a selective five-year, pre-college scholarship for promising 7th grade students with financial need. It provides comprehensive academic and college advising, as well as financial support for school, Cooke-sponsored summer programs, internships, and other learning enrichment opportunities. Students can click here to apply. Application workshops are available online beginning March 5.
Reminders
Car Line Reminders
It seems that it is time for a reminder to be good citizens in the car line. No one loves the car line – we get it. But if we all follow the rules and work together, the line moves pretty quickly and we keep students and staff safe! Here are a few reminders:
- All traffic is one way during arrival and dismissal. There are NO exceptions. It simply isn’t safe.
- Students are to be picked up by the building – not in the driveway and especially not by the road.
- Turn right at Sardis Road.
- Watch your speed
Thank you to everyone who regularly follows these expectations!
Drivers Education – Summer Opportunity
Franklin will host a summer Driver’s Ed program July 14 – 18 from 9 am – 3 pm. Please note that we do not provide Driver’s Ed directly – all Driver’s Ed in WNC is provided by Mountain Pro. We are just the hosts. Registration is available at https://www.mtnpro.com/school-classes
Please see the attendance policy below. Again – this is not Franklin’s policy and we cannot intervene or advocate for any changes to the policy. You may want to wait until closer to the date of class to register to avoid any conflicts. Registrations are not transferable or refundable.
Attendance Policy: Students must pay a $65 fee for the classroom phase of Driver Education on or before the first day of their selected class. There will be no refunds if a student does not attend, drops out or fails The State mandates students attend 30 hours in entirety to receive credit. Voluntary medical or dental appointments and school-related activities such as tryouts, sports, field trips, concerts, etc. are not excused absences. Five Day Classes (Holiday Classes, etc.) and Summer classes: There are no makeup days for these classes. Students absent from one (1) of these classes will be listed as a Fail, and if allowed, will have to register and pay to attend another class in its entirety.
Donate Used, Broken, or Unwanted Electronics!
The Franklin School of Innovation Electronics Repair Club is accepting donations of
used, broken, or unwanted electronics. Anything from small smart watches up to
larger laptops (including PC, mac/apple and android devices). No printers, desktops,
or monitors, please… we don’t have the space for them!
Please include the power supply(s), password(s) (if one or more things haven’t been reset) and what is believed to be wrong with the device via a bundled note. Label
the donation “for ERC” and bring it to the front office. If we can’t find a
second life for your donated item we will make sure personal data is
securely wiped and that it is brought to an upcoming local e-waste collection event.
We may be able to repair items! If you are interested in a quote for repair, please include that in your note along with your contact information.
College & Career Corner: Summer Opportunities for HS Students
You are invited to the College Admission Workshop: Summer Opportunities on March 18 at 7 pm. This presentation will explore the summer opportunities that are available to high school students. Students should pursue summer activities that are based on their interests and values and that reflect their interests. You will learn why it is important to do something over the summer and where those summer activities show up in your college applications. Over the summer, a high school student may want to work, take classes, do research, volunteer, learn new skills, or perfect already acquired skills or talents. Do Something!
Presenter: Veena Rao, The Summit College Counseling, LLC
Share the details and the registration link with your students and families!
Click here to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hYlDMt1XQq2-_KJmDy7gaQ
Looking for more free or low cost summer opportunities for your high school student? Check out this link! https://www.appily.com/guidance/counselors/college-greenlight/free-pre-college-summer-programs
Yearbook Sales & Senior Ads!
Our yearbook class is busy capturing fantastic memories of this year! Get yours here.
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.
