Good morning Franklin families,
Labor Day weekend has a special place in the school calendar. We’ve collectively made it through the first two weeks of school, adjusting back to early alarms, the mad rush out the door in the mornings, and the crush of the classroom and hallways full of friends and peers we haven’t seen much over the summer. It’s exciting and exhausting and for many of us – more than a little stressful. The long weekend gives us a little taste of slow summer again. I hope everyone is enjoying it! Take time to check in with your students and see how the start of the year is going. Some stress and tiredness is normal – we all feel it. But if it feels like too much, remember to reach out. We’re here to work with families and students for a successful year for all.
Labor Day is the turning point when the school year really kicks off. This week we have a big celebration on the calendar as our volleyball teams compete in our first home games ever in our new gym! Let’s pack the gym with Bolt fans! Many clubs are starting to meet as well. A list of clubs is included in this week’s newsletter. Sit down with your student and see what looks interesting, and make a note of the starting date and time. The club list will grow over the year, and we’ll include it as a separate section in the newsletter each week.
Make sure you mark your calendars with some important upcoming events. On Wednesday, Sept 20, we host Fall Student Led Conferences. The conferences provide an early opportunity for us to partner with families and learn more about our students. Conferences are in person and we dedicate the day to this activity. There are no classes that day. Students attend school only for their selected conference time. Crew leaders will be sending invitations to sign up so be on the lookout for their emails.
Student Led Conferences (SLCs) are followed by the Mud Run on Sunday, Sept 24. Let’s make this our biggest and muddiest Mud Run ever! Sign up this week – by Sept 8 – for your Mud Run t-shirt!
InnovationFest, the grand re-opening of our school, is Saturday, Oct 14. You do not want to miss this event! We’ve never hosted anything quite like this, with headliners Dr. Life, Whitney Mongé, DJ Twan, and Grupo Escolta Activado.
Take time this weekend to slow down and celebrate the end of summer. Then get ready for an exciting Fall!
Calendar Events
Mon, Sept 4: Labor Day – No School!
Wed, Sept 6: Early Release Reminder
- Middle School dismissal is 12:45 – all grades
- High School dismissal is 1:00
- Form and keep 2 lanes of traffic up to pick up location
Wed, Sept 6: First Home Games in our New Gym!
- 4:30 pm: MS Volleyball vs ICI
- 6:00 pm: HS Volleyball vs ICI
Thurs, Sept 7, 4:30 pm: MS Cross Country @ ICI
Keep up with all our events!
FSI Yearlong Academic Calendar
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Athletic Updates
- MS Flag Football begins on Tuesday, September 5th. Practice will be held on the front field at 3:45-5:00 pm
- MS and HS volleyball take the court for the very first time in our new gym on Wednesday, September 6. MS plays at 4:30pm and the high school game will follow.
- MS Cross Country at ICI on Thursday, September 7 at 4:30pm.
First Home Game in our New Gym! Oh YEAH!
Join us this Wednesday, Sept 6, at 4:30 pm for Middle School and 6:00 pm for High School for our first home game in our beautiful new gym! The gym seats 400 – let’s fill every seat! Tickets are $5.00 for Adults, $3.00 for Students, free for children under 5. Tickets are available at the door. Come to the main entrance of the school. Go Bolts!
Pizza Sales Delayed
Coach Burke and our athletics and facility staff have been busy getting the gym ready to go for our 1st home game! Pizza sales will be delayed another week. We will have the regular school lunch program in operation on Friday. Thanks for your patience as we continue to roll out all the new things this year.
Wed, Sept 20 is Student Led Conference Day
Mark your calendar! There are no regular classes on Wed, Sept 20, which also means the buses will not run and there is no Beyond the Bell program that day. Students and parents/guardians will attend their Student Led Conference (SLC) at their scheduled time. Watch for more information from your Crew leader! SLCs are an important opportunity for us to learn more about our students and support their growth.
7th Annual Filthy Franklin Mud Run! Register Today!
Last chance to purchase tickets with a free signature Filthy Franklin Mud Run shirt is this Thursday, Sept. 8th – get your Tickets and run through a nearly 2 mile obstacle course, or get a team together and compete! Crew V Crew? Class V Class? Up to you!
Want to join the fun but not up for the run? Sign up to help out!
Mud run signup genius for volunteers – FSI Athletics and Community Council: Filthy Franklin Mud Run 2023 (signupgenius.com)
Innovation Fest
We invite you to join us on Saturday, October 14, from noon to 4 pm for InnovationFest, a celebration and a call to action. Together, let’s celebrate, innovate, and weave a tapestry of inclusivity and excellence. Learn more and get your (free) tickets today!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/innovationfest-tickets-706175950277
Reminders from the School Nurse
Covid Reminders:
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Clubs are Getting Started – Get Involved!
Clubs open to all grades
Math Club – A great opportunity for students to explore the beauty and application of Math outside their classrooms. 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–not to mention, our snack pantries are always full. Students also get the opportunity to participate in local, regional, and national math competitions.
Faculty Advisor: Teshale Byan – tbyan@thefsi.us
Math Club meets: Tuesdays from 3:30 – 5:00 PM room #224. (Starts mid-October)
Outdoor Club – The outdoor club learns and practices outdoor skills for camping, hiking, fishing and exploring. We meet after school to plan trips and practice skills, and head out about one weekend a month for adventures.
Faculty Advisors: JP Bowers, Donnie Stahlke – jpbowers@thefsi.us , Dstahlke@thefsi.us
Outdoor Club meets: Tuesdays from 3:45 – 4:45 PM, Adventure Ed – room 272 Started 8/29
Science Olympiad – Do you geek out on all things science? Are you a competitive person who wants a medal hanging around your neck to prove science prowess? This is a science competition against other area schools, with a potential to move on to state and national levels!
Faculty Advisor: Jessica Bragdon, jbragdon@thefsi.us if you have any questions.
Meeting Information: Room 272 from 3:30-4:15 every other Friday. Starts Sept. 9th will meet MS at base of stairs to take them upstairs
Girls Who Code – Girls Who Code is on a mission to close the gender gap in technology and to change the image of what a programmer looks like and does. We work on personal coding projects and learn skills together.
Faculty Advisors: Jessica Fine and Brittany Davenport, jfine@thefsi.us, bdavenport@thefsi.us
Meeting Information: Every other Monday in room 163 3:15 – 4:15 pm Starts 9/11
Mountain Biking – Grades 6 -12 – Members learn mountain biking skills and gain community among others who also enjoy this sport! Contact the advisor for more information.
Advisor: Bevin McGahey, bevinmcgahey@gmail.com
Meeting Information: September 14th meet and greet at FSI, Practices start in November and compete mostly in the spring.
Chess Club – All levels and grades are welcome! Looking for a great way to strengthen your focus and elevate your creativity? Join the Chess Club! We meet once a week to learn the finer points of the game, and to practice strategy and concentration. Club members have the opportunity to participate in a variety of local tournaments. Cost for this club is $50 a semester.
Advisor: Bruce Roth, brucerothchess@gmail.com
Meeting Information: We meet Tuesdays 4:00- 5:00 pm Starts Sept 12th
Film Club – This allows students to grow confidence in their ideas while facing an audience, feeling comfortable in their own skin and to showcase art without fear of backlash or bigotry.
Student Advisor: Michaela Mamone-Peeples michaelamamone-peeples@thefsi.us
Meeting Information: Held in Ms. Julia Adam’s room every other Thursday 345 – 445 pm starting 8/31
Middle School Clubs
MS Creative Writing Club – Are you a fan of writing, reading and sharing books you love with others? Then the MS Creative Writing Club is the place for you! Students are challenged weekly with new ideas to help enhance and support their love of writing. Using prompts, journalling and group collaboration, students will have the opportunity to write for poetry and prose competitions, individual work or collaborative pieces for classes. Bring your journal and join the fun! KOTLC fans will find that there are often discussions about the awesomeness of Shannon Messenger’s book series during club time!
Faculty Advisor: Ashley O’Dell, aodell@thefsi.us
Meeting Information: Starts September 8th – Meets alternating Mondays and Fridays
MS Drama Club – Are you interested in theatre? Do you love to act? Do you want a way to get to know other students while having a lot of fun with drama? Well, Drama Club may be the club for you!
Faculty Advisor: Elizabeth Lexa, elexa@thefsi.us
Meeting Information: Starts Sept 19th – Oct. 24th Meets Tuesdays 3:30 – 4:30 pm
Middle School Gay-Straight Alliance (MS GSA) (gender and sexuality alliance) –
We welcome everyone and work to empower LGBTQ+ lives.
Faculty Advisors: Ms. Wallace and Riddle at zwallace@thefsi.us or rriddle@thefsi.us
Meeting Information: Middle School GSA begins meeting Wednesday 8/30 during lunch room 142 – Meets Wednesdays 11:15-11:55 room 142
World Dance Club – Learn a variety of dances from around the world! Hip hop, Kpop, Latin Dance, Jpop and more! Instructed by Ms Sheila Dillingham, a local dance teacher.
Cost is $10/class – paid monthly.
Faculty Advisor: Micah Usher, musher@thefsi.us
Instructor: Sheila Dillingham, lunafields@hotmail.com or 828 772 5937
Meeting Information: Wednesdays 1:15 – 3:30 pm Starts Wednesday 09/06
Robotics Team – The robotics team is for students in grades 5-8. Students will compete in a competition to showcase their robotics and problem solving skills.
Faculty Advisor: Brittany Davenport, bdavenport@thefsi.us
Meeting Information: Thursdays 3:20-4:30 in room 163 (Interest meeting Thursday, 8/31 at 3:25 – 4:15 pm)
High School Clubs
TEDxYouth @FSI – TEDxYouth is an opportunity for students to truly be leaders in their own learning. From selecting the theme to finding speakers and running the actual event, this is a youth-led event through and through.
Faculty Advisor: Lora Hawkins, lhawkins@thefsi.us
Meeting Information: Meets monthly until January, and then we meet weekly (or a bit more often) until the conference in March. Room 269. Starts end of Q1, auditions in November
High School Genders and Sexualities Alliances (HS GSA) – This student-run club, supported by faculty members, meets weekly. The club’s purpose is to provide a safe space for students to discuss LGBTQ+ issues, both personally and within the larger societal context. In addition, students will have a space to educate and advocate to their wider community.
Faculty Advisor: Mary Kinsey Hyche at mkhyche@thefsi.us
High School Drama Club (High Boltage Theatre) – In this club we work on a theatre production! You will either be either on stage or backstage, and it is such a unique opportunity to be creative, build strong friendships, and develop new skills all while having big fun. This year, we plan to perform our fall and spring plays in the theatre at Warren Wilson. We’ll get to be on a real stage and work with some college theatre tech students! In addition to the two full length productions, we are plotting a couple of other fun projects/activities. You don’t need experience to get involved!
Faculty Advisor: Julie Wharton, Jwharton@thefsi.us
HS Drama Club meets: meets two days a week during rehearsals – dates TBD by members – generally Mon, Tues, or Thurs from 3:45 – 6:45.
Habitat for Humanity Leadership – This club fundraises to support a Habitat for Humanity Student build. 5 area high schools sponsor and build a Habitat House every other year.
Faculty Advisor: Mary Smith, msmith@thefsi.us
Meeting Information: Likely Room 226, Tuesdays at lunch starting in September
Arts Quarterly – The Arts Quarterly is open to high school students wanting to make a zine style publication that is published quarterly, all grade level work is considered. The Zine will feature upcoming events throughout the quarter and exceptional student art and writing work.
Faculty Advisor: Micah Usher, musher@thefsi.us
Meeting Information: Once a week for a month before each quarter or as needed, room 144
Reminders
Register for MySchoolBucks Today!
We are pleased to offer a streamlined online system to pay for school-related items, including Beyond the Bell services, meal program, athletics fees, consumable fee, and more! If you haven’t registered with MySchoolBucks yet – please take time to do this right away. Go to myschoolbucks.com and click on “Register for a Free Account.” Need help? Go to our website under the Parents tab, Forms & Resources
If your student qualifies for Free or Reduced Lunch – please complete the registration linked on MySchoolBucks. Reach out to Tammey Harper (tharper@thefsi.us) if you need help completing the application.
2022-2023 Yearbooks
Please pick up 2022-2023 yearbooks in the office. Thank you for your patience!
2023-2024 Student/Family Handbook
Our handbook can be found on our website under Parents/Forms & Resources, or just click here to review. You can request a printed copy from the office.
Study Abroad or Host a Student!
The Rotary Youth Exchange is looking for families and students in their Study Abroad program.
Students ages 15 – 18.5 can apply for a scholarship to study abroad. Ideal applicants are strong students who have demonstrated leadership in their community. Selected applicants will spend an academic year studying abroad and living with 2 or 3 different host families. There are over 25 different countries to choose from!
Families can apply to host students who are living and studying in the US. Students will live with your family for 3 – 6 months during their year-long stay.
Interested? Learn more:
Text: 404-274-3145
Email: AvlRotaryYouthExchange@gmail.com
Who do I go to when….
Whether you are new or returning to Franklin, we know you will have questions, and we want to help you find the best person to answer them, quickly and efficiently. We hope this little guide will help you navigate! Click here to access the guide: Who do I go to when…
Teaching Teams
Need to contact a teacher? Find them quickly with this link to our Teaching Teams for 2023-2024
