Dear Franklin families,
I hope everyone is hanging in there as we start our third week of the recovery process. I had the opportunity to spend some time volunteering this weekend and it was such a pleasure to see members of our FSI family. I continue to be astonished at the level of community response, from FEMA, the County, the City, the local service organizations and the individuals who are rolling up their sleeves and jumping into action to help our community get back on our feet.
This morning all public schools in Buncombe County had another briefing with Buncombe County officials and there is some good news! Water began flowing from the North Fork Reservoir over the weekend and the progress has been positive. Here’s a brief overview of the situation and the plan for reopening of schools. Please note this is a collaborative effort. We are very appreciative of the County and City support and their inclusion of Charter Schools in the overall planning process.
- Water restoration is underway, moving from east to west. If things continue to go well it is possible that water will be flowing in most locations by the end of the week. If you are just getting water back please do not drink it! I’ve included a list from Asheville City of things to do as water resumes at the bottom of this newsletter.
- The County has developed a distribution plan to bring potable water to schools. There will be a cost to schools for the water. We hope to find a funding source to offset this cost – but right now our focus is just getting the water in.
- Target date for reopening all public schools (including charters) is October 28. We will reopen on a partial day schedule at least for the first week as the water distribution logistics are rolled out.
- With the expected restoration of City water we are postponing any action on the well. We have a permit and can quickly shift in that direction if needed.
We are working on our reopening plan with the target date of October 28. Our current expectation is that all students will be able to return for the partial day. We will run buses and provide meals but we will not operate after school programs initially. The water supply is planned only to cover instructional hours. Given the relatively quick timeline for returning in person we do not anticipate pivoting to online classes at this time.
A full reopening plan takes time and we aren’t in a position yet to answer questions. We appreciate your continued patience as we continue our planned activities for this week and plan for the return of our students and staff.
Please note that the situation could change. There are still many moving parts and something may get off track. We’ll continue to keep the community updated.
Thank you to everyone who signed up to help with our Fire Watch! We got underway with the Fire Watch today and will need to continue until water is restored and we can verify that our sprinklers are operational. We have a few spots left on our Fire Watch sign up. Please fill out this Sign Up Genius if you are able to cover a shift on our Fire Watch. You will need to be able to walk (including stairs) for the duration of the shift and you will need a working cell phone. The Sign Up Genius is only for the coming week; additional shifts will be added if needed.
Finally, please take a few minutes to complete our Needs Survey.
This will help us in our planning. We look forward to seeing many of you on campus this week and we look forward to welcoming everyone back soon!
This Week’s Schedule
Monday – Friday, 1 – 3 pm
- In Person Office Hours with FSI faculty daily
- Open to public for supply distribution and WiFi. Portapotties and handwashing station on site!
Tuesday, Oct 15, 1 – 3 pm
- Middle School Social on front field
Wed, Oct 16, 1 – 3 pm
- Post Grad Support – come by for help with college applications, credit recovery, or just to check in
Thurs, Oct 16, 1 – 3 pm
- High School Social on front field
- Post Grad Support
Volunteer Opportunities
Hands on Asheville/Buncombe maintains a daily list of volunteer opportunities. Many are open to students and you can register as a team or individual. https://www.handsonasheville.org/volunteer-helene/ Below are some additional volunteer opportunities from our Service Team.
FSI Community Room: Daily 1-3pm
- Organize supplies, support shoppers
- Keep art table stocked and clean
- Pack up supplies for drivers – ask staff!
Hearts with Hands, Swannanoa: Sign Up Form
- Breakfast 5:30-9am everyday
- Warehouse Support 3-6pm Tues-Fri
Nanostead, downtown Marshall: Sign Up Form
- Kitchen Crew: making and serving meals
- Nanohub: Supplies & volunteer support
Be Well AVL: Volunteer Sign Up
- General labor / hands
- Current main need is for drivers with trucks
Western North Carolina Rescue Mission, 225 Patton Ave:
- Serve lunch: 11am-1pm
- Serve dinner: 4pm-6pm
- Volunteer Coordinator Amanda Putman (828) 707-0173
What to Do to Before Water Service Returns
- Flip off the breaker to your water heater.
- Turn off water to your water heater.
- Turn off hot water under your sinks.
- Remove aerator (it unscrews) on faucet.
- Turn off the ice maker.
- Turn off water to your whole house filter if you have one.
- Flush your water pipes periodically using the bathtub faucet when water returns.
- Turn off water to toilets when not in use. Turn on water only to flush
Be well!
Michelle Vruwink
Executive Director
