Dear Franklin families,
This week marks the end of Quarter 1. It’s hard to believe we are so far into the school year! There is no school Friday to allow teachers to complete grading for this quarter. As a reminder we now use Infinite Campus for student grades. This is part of the statewide transition to a new student information system. If you have not yet successfully set up your parent portal – this is the time. You can find more information about Infinite Campus on our website: https://www.franklinschoolofinnovation.org/infinite-campus/
Our high school student athletes have the excitement of competing in state tournaments this week! All high school teams will be in action in the first round of tournament play. On Monday we host the first soccer matchup at FSI, with the Bolts facing off against the IC Imagine at home while volleyball and cross country teams travel to IC Imagine. Come on out and support our teams for this first state tournament action. Special congratulations to the HS soccer team – first ever BRAC Regular Season Champions! It’s been really fun to see students and families come out this fall to cheer on our athletes. Go Bolts!
We’re looking forward to several other fun events in the next few weeks. We’ll celebrate Spirit Week Oct 20 – 24 (themes to be announced soon) and the HS homecoming dance on Sat, Oct 25. Then on Fri, Oct 31, our 11th grade students are bringing back our traditional Halloween fest for our middle school students. This spooky fun event is a fundraiser for our Habitat for Humanity Student Build. The Student Build is part of the 11th grade Learning Expedition and students are already busy on the build site. Mark your calendars and watch for more details soon!
With all the extracurricular activities, we’re keeping our eye on our academic program. This month we will formally apply for the EL Education Credential. The first step in the credential is submitting an application showing how our students are succeeding in all three EL dimensions of student achievement – academics (Mastery of Knowledge and Skills in EL-speak), Character, and High Quality Work. We’ve been an EL Education school from our humble beginnings but applying for the credential has been a bit cursed. We first prepared to apply the year COVID hit. We took time to recover and last year we were again ready to go, only to face the disruptions of Helene. We’re hopeful that the third time is truly the charm. The EL credential is a high bar for schoolwide achievement. We’ll keep our community posted as we work toward this rigorous goal!
Thank you for choosing Franklin and working with us to support students toward the shared goal of creating a better future together. It’s hard work and your support is essential!
Upcoming Events
Monday, Oct 13
- 4:30 pm: CAASC First Round HS Soccer vs ICI @FSI
- 4:30 pm: CAAC First Round HS Volleyball vs ICI @ ICI
- 4:30 pm: CAASC HS Cross Country Meet @ ICI
Tuesday, Oct 14
- 4:15 pm: MS Flag Football @ Evergreen Charter
- 6:00 pm: Board of Directors monthly meeting at FSI
Wednesday, Oct 15
- 12:45 – 1:45 pm: MS Student Council Kick-Off Meeting – open to all MS students (pick up promptly at 1:45)
Thursday, Oct 16
- 4:15 pm: MS Flag Football @ ArtSpace Charter
- 6:00 pm: Parent Crew virtual meeting: https://zoom.us/j/96588187263?pwd=6ZKauJ0RMfvEJFeSSHFznhlsphKdKF.1
Friday, Oct 17
- 4:00 pm: MS & HS Cross Country at CAASC State Championships in Kennersville, NC
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
Reminder! There is an admission fee for all athletic events. State tournament admission fees may be higher and are set by the conference.
HS Volleyball
The Bolts competed in the Blue Ridge Athletic Conference (BRAC) volleyball tournament and defeated Bethel Christian Academy in the first round, 3-2. It was the first conference tournament win in school history and it was a thrilling match. The Bolts won the first two sets and then dropped the next two. In the fifth set, it was back and forth action with the Bolts prevailing 16-14! V. Malyk and G. Newman led the way for the Bolts. The team advanced to play ICI in the semi-finals the following night. The team battled and gave it everything they had, but fell 3-0. The team will play in the first round of the CAASC state tournament on Monday at ICI at 4:30pm.
HS Soccer
The Bolts welcomed ICI to our field for a second time with the opportunity to secure the schools first ever Regular Season Conference Championship in the Blue Ridge Athletic Conference (BRAC). The Bolts did not disappoint. The game was tight and tied 0-0 at halftime, but J. Cortez came through with a beautiful goal in the second half to secure the victory! Final score was 1-0. Congrats to the team and coaches- 2025 BRAC Regular Season Champions!The Bolts will host the first round game of the CAASC State Tournament on Monday at 4:30pm versus IC Imagine. Come out and support the team and help them get to the next round!
HS Cross Country
The cross country teams headed to AC Reynolds for the HOKA Postal 2 mile meet. The Bolts came away with some more PR’s and T. Harding finished top 30 in the boys division. The teams will compete in the Blue Ridge Athletic Conference (BRAC) championship on Monday at IC Imagine at 4:30pm. They then will travel to Kennersville, NC on Friday for the CAASC State Championship meet at 4:00pm.
MS Flag Football
Flag Football has two games this week – Tuesday at Evergreen and Thursday at Art Space. The team hopes to defend its undefeated season.
Parent Crew
Parent Crew is your organization! It’s similar to a PTO or PTA, and it’s a great way to get involved, be engaged, and meet other FSI families. Fill out this form for more information and to get involved!
“Tat the Teacher”
The Parent Crew has found a creative and fun way to raise funds, and we’re seeking your assistance! It’s called “Tat the Teacher”, and students will have the opportunity to choose and purchase small ($1), medium ($3), or large ($5) temporary tattoos for participating teachers or staff members to wear.
We will have a booth set up to sell the temporary tattoos before school and during lunch for a week before the culminating event on the final day of spirit week, 10/24, when staff will wear all the temporary tattoos purchased for them. This should be so much fun!
Please use the sign up genius below to sign up to help us sell tattoos during lunch and before school that week. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090848A5AA22ABFF2-58952819-tatthe
Join us at our upcoming meetings:
Parent Crew Meetings (open for everyone to join, we need your help!)
- Thursday, October 16th at 6pm, Virtual Meeting – Join here
- Thursday November 20th at 8:30am In-Person Meeting
Upcoming Events
Dine Out @ Panda Express Tunnel Road, Sat, Nov 1: To participate, mention the fundraiser at checkout. If ordering online, use the code 3847643 in the fundraiser box. https://community.pandaexpress.com/fundraiser/events/promotions/a1bbc191-3f03-ef67-6bfa-7e9ff5b7e5cd/en/landing
Middle School Student Council Kick Off! This Wed, 12:45 – 1:45
Middle School Student Council is returning and will hold our first meeting of the year this Wed, Oct 15, immediately after school. Michelle Vruwink and Tammey Harper are hosting the Student Council this year. We will meet in the Technology Room to create posters for Spirit Week and plan upcoming Student Council activities. Student Council is free and open to any MS student. Students must be picked up promptly at 1:45 pm. Students who are still at school by 1:55 pm will be placed in Beyond the Bell and Wednesday fees will apply.
Open Mike Night, Thursday Oct 23 @ Doc Brown’s
FSI Music Dept will be hosting an Open Mic Night Thursday 10/23 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 fall 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!
College Corner
Students have a new way to apply to many North Carolina Institutions. NC College Connect is a program that provides a simpler and faster way to get admitted to college in North Carolina. The NC College Connect program offers North Carolina public high school students with a weighted GPA of 2.8 and above who meet NC College Connect requirements direct admission to select colleges and universities participating in the NC College Connect program. (Click on the link to learn more and see a complete list of participating institutions.)
FAFSA is open. Here are the details as shared in EdWeekly by EdNC:
The 2026-27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid form is now open. The application will be open until June 30, 2027, but colleges and states often award aid on a first-come, first-served basis. Completing the form makes current and prospective college students eligible for need-based financial aid, including federal Pell Grants, work-study programs, and student loans. Anticipated in July 2026, Pell Grants can also be used to cover tuition, fees, and other expenses for short-term workforce training programs. Many states, including North Carolina, also use the FAFSA to award state grants, and colleges use the FAFSA to award their own scholarships. In North Carolina, submitting the FAFSA is a prerequisite for receiving the Next NC Scholarship, which covers full tuition and fees for all North Carolina community colleges and more than half the cost for public universities for most families making $80,000 a year or less.
Here’s EdNC’s guide to completing the FAFSA form.
Reminders
Infinite Campus Parent Portal
This year all parents must be in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. With the State’s shift to this new student information system, there is action required by parents. The Parent Portal is where you can find information on student grades. Take time today to check it out!
If you have an Infinite Campus Parent Portal
Step 1:
- Open your internet browser and go to https://11d.ncsis.gov/parent
- Or download the Campus Parent app from the App store/google play.
Step 2:
- Enter your username and password
- Forgot login or username? Please copy and paste this link https://forms.gle/Ug3ZRcmktEH9Zfwk7 into your browser and complete the form in order to receive your username and a new temporary password. This is a NEW form. If you submitted a help request and have not received a response, please use this new form. Previous forms have been discontinued and are no longer being monitored.
If you do NOT have an Infinite Campus Parent Portal
Please copy and paste this link https://forms.gle/KKtMHfwEVMsQczzU6 and complete this form, so that we can create a portal for you. If you try to use the app, the link above, or if you click “new user”, you will be required to input an activation key, which we do not use when setting up accounts.
Free Online Drug Prevention & Education Workshops
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. They will also discuss key resiliency factors that help protect youth from elementary through middle and high school. Register today to gain valuable tools for supporting your child’s well-being! Feel free to listen in with cameras on or off. Presented by Caron’s Education Alliance – this is not offered by FSI or only for FSI families. We are passing along information about a free resource.
Register HERE for the session on Wednesday, September 24th at 6pm, or
Register HERE for the session on Wednesday, October 22nd at 6pm
Student Clubs
There are several different types of Student Clubs at FSI! It may be confusing but we’ll help you sort it all out.
Some student clubs meet during the school day. We’re making a big push in high school this year with the goal that 100% of our students will participate in a student-led club of their choice! These clubs will meet during school. There is no cost. Clubs have begun forming and will continue to meet on Wednesdays.
Other clubs meet after school. Most of these clubs have a fee which helps us pay adults to coordinate the clubs and provide supplies. Students sign up for these clubs through Beyond the Bell. Some of our afterschool clubs – such as Drama Club – are provided with no fee. Clubs are provided without a fee when they are an extension of our academic program. You can find more information about clubs on our website, or contact Ron Scott, rscott@thefsi.us.
TEDx Youth – You Can Do a TED Talk!
Would you like to do a TED talk? The theme for FSI’s TEDX Youth 2026 event is Time. This word can evoke many emotions through its association with both hope for the future and grief of the past. We invite speakers to explore the idea of change across time, and the lessons that come with those experiences. Similarly, they can look at the concept of time itself and how the ways that we use it have changed in recent years. If you’re interested, please contact tedxyouthfsi@gmail.com!
FSI is proud to sponsor the only student-led TEDX event in Asheville. Come see what student leadership looks like!
Traffic Reminders
All traffic on campus is one-way. There are no exceptions. Form two lines when you enter campus and stay in two lines to the school entrance. We’ll help you merge into one line to exit. Turn right at Sardis Road for safety and to keep the line moving. More information is available in our Family Orientation presentation
Do not park near the entrance and wait for your students to walk to your car. Follow the road to the pick up location (awning).
Thanks to everyone who followed the traffic expectations this week! The line went pretty smoothly and 99% of our families followed our requests. Let’s make it 100% this week!
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. It may take longer right now or when the email load is especially heavy. Click here to access the guide: Who do I go to when…
Free & Reduced Lunch
Did you know that Franklin participates in the federal school lunch program? We are so pleased to provide this service for our families. Our kitchen staff have been trying out some new recipes and treating us all this summer – we can vouch for the delicious meals! You can sign up here: Free and reduced lunch application
Beyond the Bell (BTB) Before & After School Program
Before School: 7:15 am-7:45 am: Mon-Fri
After School: 3:15 pm-6:00 pm: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, and 1:00-6:00 pm Wednesdays
This is a fee-based program. Financial aid is available for qualifying households, upon completion of application. More information is available on our website. https://www.franklinschoolofinnovation.org/parents/beyond-the-bell-btb/ Contact Ron Scott, rscott@thefsi.us, for more information.
Please note that afterschool clubs also run through Beyond the Bell.
