Share the link to our Hurricane Recovery Fund with your friends & family!
Donate to FSI Hurricane Recovery Fund
Good morning Franklin families,
We have some exciting news to share this week! During the November Board meeting our Board of Directors unanimously voted to approve moving ahead with our long-anticipated turf field project. We have selected AstroTurf as a design-build contractor and work will be getting underway as soon as possible. This represents years of saving and comes at a time when many fields in our region were destroyed or heavily damaged in the hurricane. The field will include a 6 foot wide running/walking track and will be a great addition to our facility, serving not just our athletics program but all students as a safe place for outdoor recreation. Initial work involves design and permitting. We anticipate the field will be completed by early summer.
This was our community’s top choice in our facility survey last spring. Thank you to our Board of Directors for keeping a focus on the continued development of our facility as a center for our school and for the broader community.
I am also excited to share that we have confirmed a wonderful location for our high school musical. We weren’t 100% sure the musical would happen following the disruptions of the hurricane, but students reminded us – the show must go on! The musical will take place at The Masonic Temple March 14 – 16. It’s a beautiful theatre space that will allow for a high quality performance. Mark your calendars today!
A few quick reminders to help us, especially during morning and afternoon traffic!
- All traffic on our campus during drop off and dismissal is one way. Cars enter next to AAA Storage and must continue around to the exit and turn right onto Sardis Road
- If you need to pick up for early dismissal – arrive by 2:45 pm. We will not call students for early dismissal if we have cars waiting in our car line. We have noticed a significant increase in the number of parents picking up just a few minutes before all students are dismissed. This takes time away from our staff and clogs up our car line. We will not call students for early dismissal after 2:45.
- We do not accept DoorDash, UberEats, or other food delivery. If your student forgets their lunch – we have school meals available.
Finally, a huge thank you to our Parent Crew for their ongoing support of our staff. This week we are launching the Holiday Staff Giving Pool. If you are new to Franklin this year, the Staff Giving Pool is a tradition from our earliest years. Instead of individual holiday gifts we ask families to contribute to the shared Giving Pool. All funds raised go directly to our staff in the form of cash and small holiday gifts. We know this is a hard year for many of our families. Give if you are able. Handwritten or emailed notes of appreciation and support are also treasured!
Holiday Staff Giving Pool https://franklinschoolofinnovation.networkforgood.com/projects/240091-2024-staff-holiday-giving-pool
We are stronger together. Thank you for choosing Franklin and for working with us to create a great school community.
Upcoming Events
Wed, Nov 20
- 12:45 – 2:00: MS Student Council Meeting
- 4:30 pm: MS Basketball vs Christ school @ FSI
Thus, Nov 21
- 8:30 am: Parent Crew In Person Meeting
Fri, Nov 22: Pie Day for FSI Staff!
See information under Parent Crew below.
Wed, Nov 27 – Fri, Nov 29: Fall Break – No School!
Please note the school building will be closed during fall break so all our staff can enjoy the holiday!
Keep up with our Community Calendar: FSI Community Calendar
Need to see the year at a glance? FSI 2024-25 Academic Calendar
Athletics News
Middle School Varsity Basketball tips off the season on Wednesday vs Christ School at home. Game time is 4:30pm.
- $3 for Students
- $5 for Adults
- Under 5- Free
Come cheer on the Bolts!
Homecoming 2024 – Rescheduled
Homecoming Spirit Week will be held December 2-6
The High School Homecoming Dance will be held on Saturday, December 7th from 7:00-9:00pm. Tickets for the dance will go on sale on November 25th. Ticket Prices: $15 in advance, $20 at the door
We are in need of some items (snacks, drinks and decorations) to make the Homecoming Dance fun and magical. Please click on the link to see what items are needed. We appreciate your help!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080F45A4A82BA5FE3-51704912-fsihomecoming
Parent Crew
The Parent Crew is planning to have pie for FSI staff on 11/22. To make it happen we need pies, volunteers, and a few other things! Please use the sign up genius below to see full details and sign up. Feel free to drop off pies during our 11/21 8:30 AM Parent Crew Meeting.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090848A5AA22ABFF2-53091002-pieday
We have our next Parent Crew meeting scheduled for 11/21 at 8:30 AM, and we would love your input. Michelle Vruwink, School Director will be at the start of the meeting to discuss funding, and school budget. Hoping to see both new and old faces there!
High School Musical “The Prom” Rehearsals Underway!
This year, FSI’s High School Theatre and Music Departments are once again collaborating to produce a musical, The Prom! We have a cast and crew of about 35 students who will be working in rehearsal and on set/props/costumes over the next several months to bring this fun show to the theatre at the Asheville Masonic Temple. Save these dates: performance will be at 7:00 pm March 14 &15 and at 2 pm on March 16. For those involved, here is a link to the rehearsal schedule. Rehearsal snack donations are SO appreciated!
Sound of Music FSI Community Get-Together Dec 5
FSI students, families and staff are invited to attend Asheville Community Theatre’s performance of “The Sound of Music” on Thursday December 5 at 7:30. The cast and crew features several members of the Franklin community, Matt and Everett Leggat, Vivian, Nadia and Janice Kominski. Micah Usher is the presenting artist in the lobby gallery. “Pay what you can” tickets can be purchased at ACT.
This is a fun opportunity to support our community, enjoy live theatre, and hang out with other FSI families!
After School Clubs
This Week- MS Student Council. Starting Soon: Middle School Drama Club
Middle School Student Council:
Our next meeting will be 11/20 from 12:45-2:00pm. All students who are not picked up at 2:00 will need to sign in to BTB. Snacks will be provided. See you there!!
The Middle School Student Council will be running a food drive again this holiday season. The food drive will run from 11/18-11/25 and benefit the MANNA Foodbank. Nonperishable food items will be brought to CREW. The CREW with the most food items will win a pizza party from the student council.
MS Drama Club
The first meeting of the Middle School Drama Club will be held on Tuesday December 3rd from 3:30-4:30 in Ms. Lexa’s room, 178. At the meeting, we will read the play being produced and information about the rehearsal schedule will be provided. Auditions for the play will be the following week, Tuesday December 10 from 3:30-4:30. All middle school students are welcome to attend! Email elexa@thefsi.us with any questions.
FSI Math Club
FSI math club got underway last week and continues this Tuesday. It will be hosted in room #224 from 3:30-5:00 pm every Tuesday. Math club is open to anyone in grade 5 through 12. Over the years, it has been a great adventure and experience for many of our students to explore the beauty and application of math outside their classrooms. Students will also get a unique opportunity to compete at regional and national level. Math club is a fun and competitive activity that any student can participate in. It is a great way for students to develop intuitive thinking skills, and learn new types of math. Students will not only learn new materials, but will apply their previous knowledge from school to fun and challenging problems. Furthermore, they will learn to view math not as a set of rules or guidelines, but as an art. Math is a subject full of creativity and opportunity that many students enjoy. Besides the academic benefits, math club is also a great way to meet new people and develop teamwork skills. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Teshale Byan, tbyan@thefsi.us.
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 starting back up here: 2024 FSI Clubs. Please remember that students need to sign in to Beyond the Bell for after school clubs.
Reminders
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.
Having accurate information about the number of families who qualify for free or reduced lunch also supports the school. Some sources of funding are based on this number.
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.
