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Good morning Franklin community,
I hope everyone is enjoying the Memorial Day Holiday. Tomorrow is an important day to remember all who gave the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our freedom and liberty. Thank you to our veterans and their families! School is closed in honor of the holiday. We will welcome students back to school on Tuesday.
This past Friday was the last school day for our seniors and it was a bittersweet day! Some of these students have been with us since 5th grade and it has been our special privilege to grow up with them. They have endured many challenges including COVID disruptions and the historical Hurricane Helene. Congratulations to them all – we will celebrate their graduation on Friday, June 6. Watch our social media for spotlights on what many of them are doing next!
End of year testing begins this week. A few important notes as we head into this rather stressful week:
- As with all tests, state exams are just one measure of what a student knows and can do. Encourage your child to do their best, but don’t overemphasize the tests. Standardized tests can’t measure creativity, persistence, kindness, or many of the things that make our students unique and beautiful.
- Maintain healthy routines this week! To the best of your ability, plan healthy dinners, allow time for fun, and help your child get a good night’s sleep.
- This is a great week to limit social media and internet access! Make a commitment as a family for “no media” time. Take a walk, play a game, read or enjoy a craft together. It sounds corny but it works!
- Exams will begin first thing in the morning. Please be on time! If students arrive at school after testing has begun they will be sent home. We cannot interrupt testing after it has started.
- End of Course exams for high school represent 20% of a student’s grade. Students who don’t take the test will automatically receive a 0 which can put their grades at risk. Taking the exam is better than skipping it!
Students must take the test on their scheduled day. Make up tests will be provided on June 3 and 4 if students are sick or have an unavoidable conflict.
Please take note of the schedule changes:
- Wednesday is a full day – students will be released at 3:15/3:35. We switch to the full Wednesdays to accommodate our testing schedule
- Next Wednesday is also a full day
- Next Thursday, June 5, is the last day of school. Students will be dismissed at 1 pm. There is no Beyond the Bell coverage on Thursday June 5.
Education Action! Make Calls this Week!
This week is a really important time to contact our North Carolina elected leaders. Both the Senate and the House have released their budgets, and they are incredibly different in their vision for public education! The Senate budget is devastating for public schools. In the Senate budget, teacher and school staff salaries do not come close to keeping up with inflation. If this budget is passed, North Carolina will fall even further in teacher salaries – and we’re already 43rd in the nation for teacher salaries and 48th for overall school funding. The House budget provides significant teacher salary increases and restores Masters pay for teachers. The current low teacher salaries combined with ever-increasing pressures on schools has led to higher teacher and school leader turnover in our state. If you want happy and competent teachers for your child – call our elected officials and demand better funding for public schools! Thank the House Committee members for their leadership on public education, and tell the Senate members to support the House budget. It only takes a couple minutes to call. Be polite and to the point!
House Education Committee & Education Appropriations Committees
Chairs
- Brian Biggs 919-733-5865
- Tricia Cotham 919-733-5886
- David Willis 919-733-2406
Leader of the House
- Destin Hall 919-733-3451
Senate Education Committee Leadership
Chairs
- Kevin Corbin (919) 733-5875
- Michael Lee (919) 715-2525
- Brad Overcash (919) 733-5734
President Pro Tempore
- Phil Berger (919) 733-5708
Finally, please remind your students – TikTok school vandalism challenges are NOT COOL! We have seen evidence of students trying to blow up our chromebooks. If a student is caught vandalizing school property, there will be swift and significant consequences. There are 8 days left – let’s fill them with learning and positive celebrations!
Thank you for choosing Franklin and for all your continued support through this challenging school year.
Upcoming Events
Mon, May 26: Memorial Day Holiday – No School
Wed, May 28:
- Math End of Grade Exam for grades 5 – 8, Math 1 End of Course Exam
- 9th grade students in Math 2 or 3 will have a remote day on Wednesday. They may attend school for Crew and afternoon electives if they wish.
Thurs, May 29
- Math 3 End of Course Exam
- 11th grade students not taking Math 3 will have a remote day Thursday. They may attend school for Crew and afternoon electives if they wish.
- 5 – 7 pm: Open Mic at Doc Brown’s BBQ! Join us for a fun evening out!
Fri, May 30
- Reading End of Grade Exam for grades 5 – 8, English 2 End of Course Exam
- 10th grade students not taking English 2 will have a remote day. They may attend school for Crew and afternoon electives if they wish.
Keep up with our Community Calendar: FSI Community Calendar
Need to see the year at a glance? FSI 2024-25 Academic Calendar
Bolts Athletics
Congratulations to the HS student- athlete Most Valuable Bolts (MVB’s) that were awarded at an assembly this past week. MVB’s exemplify success on and off the court/field and display good character, sportsmanship and work ethic while being dedicated and committed to their sport and academics. Congratulations to this year’s winners:
- Cross Country- Aidan McGahey
- Boys Soccer- Gates Stone
- Volleyball- Amelia Kabat
- Boys Basketball- Cooper Bragdon
- Girls Soccer- Mackenzie Owen
- Ultimate- Celie Butler
HS Boys Soccer Interest Meeting
If you are interested in playing HS Boys soccer in the fall, please plan on attending this meeting. Rising 9th graders are encouraged to attend. The meeting will be held on
Thursday, May 29 at 3:20pm in the gym. Please see Coach Burke or Coach Demko if you are unable to attend, but are interested in playing in the fall.
Parent Crew
Our Thursday, 05/29 meeting will be a meetup at the Salt Face Mule. This will be a great time to celebrate the end of the school year. They also have a mini-golf course if you are interested in bringing your children to play a game ($10 to play).
We will be electing next year’s officers during this meeting. If you are interested in being a part of the Parent Crew next year, and/or are interested in a leadership role, use this form to indicate your interest level.https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeYWeG8u4qGYMysdIetxDpr-syFZDjBHcnzYC6KT_1WzjGiiw/viewform?usp=header
We will have the annual Summer Meet and Greet at Buncombe County Sports Park on July 20th from 1 to 5 p.m. 1pm-2pm-5th and 6th Grade, 2pm-3pm-7th and 8th grade, and 3pm-5pm—all other grades. Kona Ice will be there for everyone to enjoy and help us raise Parent Crew funds. We cannot wait to see you there!
Return School-Owned Chromebooks & Hotspots
All school-owned technology should be turned to the front office by Friday, May 31.. Please return devices and their charge cords fully charged and in a bag together with the name of student. Mrs. Crockett and Ms. Robitaille are available from 8 to 4 weekdays. If your student needs the device to complete school work, please return the device no later than June 4. If you have special circumstances and need the device longer, please email fsitechrecoup_spring2025@thefsi.us to request an extension.
Open Mic Is Back! Thursday, May 29, 5 – 7 pm
FSI Music Dept will be hosting a makeup from the rain on 4/30. Open Mic Night will be Thursday 5/29 at Doc Brown’s BBQ 5-7pm! Anyone is welcome to perform at this event, it is not limited to only music students. Come sing, perform, read a short, a poem, or dance. Express yourself at this fun community event on a beautiful spring evening!
As well as hosting us at the restaurant for this event, Doc Brown’s is generously donating 10% of the restaurant’s sales earned during those hours to the music department, so come out and show your support!!
Since this space is outdoors and uncovered, we will take weather into account but hopefully that won’t be an issue for us. If you have any questions, contact Mrs. Wilson at swilson@thefsi.us. We hope to see you there!
Join our Board of Directors
As we begin looking ahead to the next school year, we are seeking new members for our Board of Directors. This is an important role to support the school and guide its future growth and development. If you know anyone (recently retired grandparents perhaps? Empty nesters looking for a new passion project? A colleague at work looking for a way to have a bigger impact on the community?) or if you are interested – please reach out to me or to Board Chair Al Glicksberg (aglicksberg@thefsi.us). We are recruiting now for members to begin in August or September.
Summer Learning Recovery Program & Credit Recovery
Register today for our Summer Learning Recovery Program! Our students have faced many disruptions to their learning, from COVID in their early elementary years to the month-long closure following Helene. As one fun component of our program, we plan to partner with Zaniac to provide weekly themed STEM enrichments, exploring chemistry, our ecosystems, robotics, and more! If your student is in grade 4 – 8 and is not yet at grade level in reading or math, please invest the time in this summer program. If you have already registered – you are good to go!
This free program will run from 8:30 am – 1:30 pm during the following weeks:
- June 17 – 20 (Tues – Fri only this week)
- June 23 – 27
- July 7 – 11
- July 14 – 18
We will also offer Summer Credit Recovery for high school students who need to earn credits toward graduation. Credit recovery will be offered during the same weeks and times as the summer learning program. Students who fail a course required for high school graduation are strongly urged to complete credit recovery in the summer.
Reminders
End of Year Exam Schedule
- May 28: Middle School Math EOGs and Math 1 EOC
- May 29: Math 3 EOC
- May 30: Middle School Reading EOG and English 2 EOC
- June 2: 5th and 8th Grade Science EOG and Biology EOC
- June 3 and 4: Make Up Test Dates
- June 5: Last Day for Students – early release
Reminder – No Early Dismissal after 2:45 pm
We will no longer call students out of class after 2:45 pm, or after noon on Wednesdays. We’ve announced this previously but we’ve seen a steady increase in this practice. It’s disruptive to the rest of the students in the classrooms and the flow of traffic on campus.
Please try to schedule appointments after school, allowing enough time for dismissal and travel. If you must pick up early – arrive before the final class of the day. If you arrive after 2:45 pm or after 12:00 noon on Wednesdays, you will need to wait for the regular dismissal time.
Join us for 3 weeks of fun at our FSI Summer Quest Camp
Camp this year is only available to rising 5th graders through rising 8th graders. We are planning three great weeks of arts, crafts, games, science, learning, swimming and adventuring! Each week of Summer Quest Camp is a mix of outdoor activities, arts, swimming, cooking, social skill building, field trips and sports!
Choose which week, or all the weeks:
- Week 1: June 23rd – 27th
- Week 2: July 7th-11th
- Week 3: July 14th-18th
Register for summer camp here – https://franklinschoolofinnovation.networkforgood.com/events/84532-fsi-summer-camp
Who to contact and how: Mr. Ron Scott, 828 335 1053, rscott@thefsi.us
Public School Advocacy – Keep Calling!
It is budget season in North Carolina. We must let our elected leaders know that public school funding matters! Over 80% of all students in North Carolina and 85% of students with learning differences attend public schools. This isn’t a partisan issue – public schools have an impact on everyone. What does North Carolina’s terrible public school funding (seriously – 48 out of 50 is embarrassing!) mean for parents and students? Here are just a few ways that inadequate funding impacts parents and students:
- Higher teacher turnover as teachers leave the profession or the state for financial stability
- Less experienced teachers in classrooms
- Fewer school staff overall, so no one has time to do their job well
- Teachers and other school staff with second and third jobs, leaving them with less time and energy for their chosen profession
What can you do? Contact our elected officials! Call, email, write letters, drive to Raleigh if you are able! And get everyone you know to do the same. Let’s make our voices heard! Here’s the link again to the Education Call List.
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!
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.
