Dear Franklin families,
“One year ago” is the phrase of the week. How many newsletters or articles did you read this week bringing us back to this time last year and the devastation of Helene? As we reflect it’s important to hold space for two conflicting feelings: mourning for all that was lost and celebration of the power of regrowth. We can be proud of our resilience, collaboration, and shared purpose as we came together to rebuild in the face of unthinkable loss.
We have a lot of healing ahead. This past week I was aware of a general heaviness and increased anxiety as everyone grappled with the memories of last year and the threat of storms potentially heading our way again. Let’s work hard to give each other grace, allowing our shared trauma to bring us together rather than driving us apart.
And let’s take time to celebrate what we have accomplished! Within our school community, we have a lot to celebrate. Despite a challenging school year last year, Franklin recently won the Best of Asheville gold medal for best high school and silver medal for best middle school. We were named by US News and World Report as the #2 high school in the Asheville metro area – ahead of all other non-selective public high schools in the region. We built a new turf field, a long-awaited improvement to our campus that has already contributed to an even stronger school culture. And we’re already sharing that resource with the community, with hundreds of young soccer players starting their playing careers on our field on Saturday mornings.
We’re proud of these accomplishments. We’re grateful for the community that helped us get here. And we have a deep commitment to continuing to improve, collaborating with our broader community to be a school where everyone feels valued and visible. We’re committed to Crew in all that we do.
On Friday, we experienced a very rare event at school. Many of you have seen video or heard about a fight that took place during high school dismissal. We work very hard to resolve conflicts in our school, with dedicated staff members whose jobs are to get to know students and support them when they are struggling. Sometimes things happen that cannot be predicted or prevented. We have procedures in place when that happens. I am grateful to the school staff who moved quickly to contain the conflict and kept everyone safe. I’m grateful that student bystanders did not add fuel to the conflict as so often happens in school fights. I’m sorry that our students live in a world where their biggest mistakes are often made public. There’s room to work together on that part, helping students understand the power of social media for good and for harm.
As we move forward let’s keep our focus on what connects us, not what divides us. We’re stronger together. It was true last fall and it remains true today. We are Crew.
Upcoming Events
Monday, September 29
- 5:00 pm: HS Soccer vs Trailblazers @ FSI
Tuesday, September 30
- 4:00 pm: HS Soccer @ Asheville School
- 4:00 pm: MS Cross Country @ Madison High School
- 4:15 pm: MS Flag Football @ Fern Leaf
- 4:30 pm: HS Volleyball @ IC Imagine
Wednesday, October 1
- 4:30 pm: HS Cross Country @ Pisgah High School
Thursday, October 2
- 4:15 pm: MS Flag Football vs Rainbow @ FSI
- 5:00 pm: HS Volleyball @ Shining Rock @ FSI
Friday, October 3
- 4:30 pm: MS Volleyball vs IC Imagine @ FSI
Monday, October 6 – No School – Teacher Work Day
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! The admission fee for home athletic events is $5 for adults and $3 for students. When there are two home events, one admission covers both events. It costs a lot to build and maintain our facilities and operate our athletics program – admission fees make a tiny dent in covering these expenses. Remember that any staff member working at our athletic events is volunteering their time. They’ve already completed a full and busy work day. Treat them kindly.
Cross Country
The boys and girls HS team had a great showing at the meet at Cano Rockmont hosted by Owen HS. M. Donovan came in 21st on the girls side and T. Harding had another top 10 finish coming in 6th on the boys side.
Volleyball
The HS team went 1-2 on the week, defeating Fern Leaf 3-0 and falling to Mount Pisgah and Bethel Christian Academy in some exciting and challenging matches.
Soccer
The HS soccer team defeated Asheville School 5-0 with goals scored by D. Bennett (2), K. Torres (1), G. Stone (1) and an unassisted goal. The team also defeated Mount Pisgah on Tuesday evening 4-1. Goals scored by J. Cortez (1), A. Gardella (1) and D. Bennett (2). The team played to a tough 1-1 draw vs Trailblazers. The Bolts goal was scored by D. Bennett and some great saves in goal by A. Bennett.
MS Volleyball
The MS team lost a close match to Shining Rock, 0-2. This team is fun to watch, keeps improving and brings lots of energy to the court!
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!
Thank you to everyone who ate out at Mod Pizza on Thursday! We appreciate you, and we have another Dine Out Event planned for Saturday, November 1st, at the Panda Express located on Tunnel Road. They will generously donate 20% of their sales to the Parent Crew, supporting Staff Appreciation and Community Events. 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
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
On Monday, October 6, Parent Crew will host an “Apple Nacho Bar” for staff during the scheduled teacher workday. We’d like to invite you to review the list and sign up to help if you can, as a way to thank FSI staff.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090848A5AA22ABFF2-58791769-apple
Upcoming Events
Fall Community Meetup at the Corn Maze – Saturday, October 11th @ 1pm
Eliada hosts an awesome Fall Festival every year, and they were kind enough to extend our community a discount on tickets for $3 off of each ticket. Use the code “FSI” when purchasing the tickets! https://eliadacornmaze.mazeplay.com/
The Parent Crew will be facilitating this and will meet there at 1pm – so meet up at that time if you’d like to socialize but the tickets are good all day.
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
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
High School Grading Policy Update
As we continue the transition into Infinite Campus (IC), we are making changes to grading categories to ensure Canvas grades sync accurately with IC. Our goal is for parents to have one primary location to review grades while becoming increasingly familiar with IC as it becomes the central hub for school-based information.
Beginning in the 2025–2026 school year, all Franklin School of Innovation (FSI) High School teachers will use three grading categories and weights. This universal system is designed to be clear, consistent, and systematic across all grade levels.
Exceptions: Advanced Placement (AP) courses, AB Tech (dual enrollment) courses, virtual/alternative format courses, or classes otherwise designated by administration and teacher due to special circumstances.
Grading Categories and Weights
- Major Assignments – 55%
- Minor Assignments – 40%
- Scholarly Habits – 5%
Teachers retain the flexibility to design lessons within the curriculum and to determine whether assignments fall under Major or Minor categories. Examples may vary depending on teacher, subject, and grading approach.
New Category: Scholarly Habits
This category reflects the FSI vision and our established Habits of Scholarship (HoS). Grade-level teams have developed processes, based on FSI’s HoS Continuum (used nationally as a model in EL Education), to assess students accurately using grade-level rubrics. Note: Scholarly Habits grades will not be embedded in Major/Minor categories but will remain a stand-alone 5% of the final quarterly grade.
Update to the 50% Grading Policy
During COVID, FSI adopted a 50% minimum grading policy to support students. Moving forward, we believe it is time to transition away from this practice.
Beginning Quarter 1, 2025–2026:
- Students who earn below 50% in Quarter 1 will receive a recorded grade of 50% on the report card.
- For Quarters 2, 3, and 4, the actual grade earned will be recorded and averaged into semester and year-end grades.
This change ensures accountability while still offering students support as they transition into the school year. In North Carolina, a final grade of 60% is required to pass a course and earn credit.
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.
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.
Get Involved! Parent Crew, School Improvement, or Board Memberships
Charter schools offer great opportunities for parent/guardian involvement and engagement. In addition to participating in our Parent Crew, you can join our School Improvement Team or our Board of Directors. If serving on the Board feels like too much to take on – you can join a Board committee and learn more about what it takes to be an active Board member! We’re currently recruiting Board members. While we are always looking for people with some specific skills (lawyers, financial advisors, community leaders), we also need parents who bring different perspectives and are willing to engage and contribute! For more information, reach out to Board Chair Al Glicksberg, aglicksberg@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.
