Dear Franklin families,

This Wednesday is spring Student Led Conference day. Students in grades 5, 6, 7, 9, and 11 will present portfolios demonstrating their growth this year. Student Led Conferences are an important way that EL Education schools and Franklin put students at the center of their own learning. Presenting a portfolio is a skill-building process students will use throughout their lives, but the real magic happens in the preparation. Learning how to set goals, reflect on your strengths and areas for growth, and take accountability both for accomplishments and "not yets" are skills we all need to practice regularly!  SLCs are given a lot of time - from students, teachers, and parents - because we believe in their power. We appreciate parent and guardian participation. Please be sure you have signed up for your student's SLC. Check your grade level newsletter or reach out to your student's Crew leader if you have any questions. Note that students with SLCs will NOT attend school in person Wednesday. Attendance is based on participation in their SLC. 

Students in grades 8, 10 and 12 will be at school on Wednesday. They will present their Passage Portfolios or Senior Projects on Wednesday, April 27. These larger events mark important transitions in their academic and social lives - the move into high school, the transition to upper high school, and the passage to graduation. For these passages we invite community members to serve as panelists. If you are interested in helping with Passages, mark your calendar and watch for a SignUp Genius. I have my full day marked out and I'm excited to hear and see evidence of amazing student growth! 

Dress Code Check In
With the arrival of warmer spring weather, it's time for an annual reminder of our school dress code. A few years ago we gave our school dress code a major overhaul and came up with a dress code that is simple to explain, can be applied equally to all students, and that reflects our school model and mission. Students have freedom to choose clothing that expresses their individuality within some very basic guidelines. You can read our school dress code here. Crew leaders will review the dress code with students this week after SLCs to be sure students are familiar with expectations. We need help from parents and guardians. Please be sure that your student meets dress code each morning. 

Open Enrollment Ends March 31

• Re-enrollment (returning students) should be done! Jodi and Erinn have been reaching out by email and phone to be sure everyone has the opportunity to return. Thank you for getting this done! 
• Sibling enrollment: If you are planning to enroll a sibling - be sure you apply in SchoolMint prior to March 31st.
• Help us recruit! We want to grow our 5th grade to 4 classes. This will let us bring in another 5th grade teacher to support this great team. If you know a student who would thrive at FSI - spread the word! You are our best ambassadors

• Learn more about our summer programming here
• REGISTER today

Spring Spirit Week - April 4 - 8
Hold the dates! Watch for information on our Spring Spirit Week theme days and get ready to rock some FSI school pride! 

Covid Updates
We had no positive cases in our pooled testing this week, and no new COVID cases reported during the week of March 18 - March 25.  If your student has been exposed to COVID, has symptoms, or has tested positive for COVID, please contact our school nurse at klay@thefsi.us. We are continuing to offer rapid tests for students who have been exposed or have experienced symptoms. Reach out to Kim to schedule a rapid test. 

Weather Make Up Days
The following days are regular school days for students and staff:

• Monday, April 18
• Wednesday, June 1

COVID Vaccines
Looking for the vaccine for your child? Here is a link to current locations for the pediatric vaccines:https://www.buncombecounty.org/countycenter/news-detail.aspx?id=19642

COVID Screening Program - you can still sign up!
With the holidays and a new variant - the COVID Screening Program is more important than ever! Want to sign up for our weekly COVID screening? It's a great way to help us keep school open safely:

• Parental consent for students under age 18: Click here: https://testcenter.concentricbyginkgo.com/minor-consent
• Student consent - age 18 and up: Click here: https://testcenter.concentricbyginkgo.com/invite-by-code
• Our school access code is FRANKLINSI. You will need this to complete the consent form
• You only need to provide consent once