Congratulations to our Franklin High School football players on an outstanding season and well-deserved Mountain 8 Conference honors!
🏆 Mountain 8 Conference Co-Player of the Year
• Garrett Young
🏆 Mountain 8 Special Teams Player of the Year
• Gabe Harrison
⭐ Mountain 8 All-Conference Selections
• Brock Bradley
• Addix Sutton
• Anthony Montanez
• Mace Waldroop
• Daiveon Hall
• Paxton Sutton
• Anderson Terrell
• Lance Parker
🏆 Mountain 8 Conference Co-Player of the Year
• Garrett Young
🏆 Mountain 8 Special Teams Player of the Year
• Gabe Harrison
⭐ Mountain 8 All-Conference Selections
• Brock Bradley
• Addix Sutton
• Anthony Montanez
• Mace Waldroop
• Daiveon Hall
• Paxton Sutton
• Anderson Terrell
• Lance Parker
After finishing the season 9–3 overall and 6–1 in conference play, with the team’s only conference loss coming in overtime to the eventual state runner-up, and advancing to the third round of the state playoffs, Coach Josh Brooks has been named the Mountain 8 Conference Co-Coach of the Year. Congratulations to Coach Brooks on a well-deserved honor and an outstanding season.
Congratulations to Mrs. Kussow and her final group of students as she prepares to head off to teach the next generation at the college level.
Her students achieved a 100% pass rate on their NC Nurse Aide Certification—an incredible accomplishment.
We will truly miss you, Mrs. Kussow, and congratulations to all of our Nursing students on this outstanding success.
There will be a 200 question exemption test for Drivers Ed given on Saturday January 24th at 9am at Franklin High School. Any student who will be the age of 14 1/2 yrs old by this date is able to take this test. To register for this test, you will need to visit the wncdrivingschool.com website. You must bring your school issued device on test day to be able to take the test. Please read all information for study materials and items needed for the test on the website. Cost is $65 cash
This December, we said goodbye to Mrs. Michele Kussow, our HOSA Advisor and Nursing Instructor. Mrs. Kussow has been nothing short of an outstanding educator, and her talents certainly did not go unnoticed. She has been afforded the opportunity to extend her teaching to the college level and will be leaving FHS to continue shaping the next generation of future nurses.
While we are very sad to see Mrs. Kussow go, we are excited to welcome Mrs. Kim Page to Franklin High School. Mrs. Page will be joining our Health Sciences and Nursing Program beginning in January.
A message from Mrs. Page:
“My name is Kimberly Page. I’m originally from Kannapolis, North Carolina. My family and I have called Franklin home since purchasing Bryant-Grant Funeral Home in May of 2015. Our family attends Prentiss Church.
I have been a nurse for 19 years, previously working in orthopedics, pediatric home health, and hospice. My most recent position was at Harris Regional in the mother/baby unit.
Together with my husband, Nick, we have four children. Our oldest two are graduates of Franklin High School. Turner works in our family business at Bryant-Grant and is married to Corrie Kinsland Page, who is also a Franklin High School graduate and a registered nurse at Harris Regional. McKenzie will be completing her student teaching at South Macon this spring. Our two youngest children, Spencer and Cooper, are current FHS students.
I am excited to officially call Franklin High School home!”
This December, we said goodbye to Mrs. Tracy Hagan, a long-time FHS art teacher and a Macon County Schools educator for 25 years. Mrs. Hagan has been a remarkable teacher, and her classroom touched the lives of countless students over the years.
While we are sad to see her leave, we are excited for what this next chapter holds for her. At the same time, we are pleased to welcome an extraordinary artist to the FHS family. Mr. Chris Bell will be joining our staff this January and will be taking over the art program.
Below is a message from FHS alumnus and our newest FHS teacher, Mr. Bell:
“Hi! My name is Chris Bell. I am a native of Macon County and a graduate of Franklin High School. After serving as an apprentice to a professional artist in Asheville, NC, I returned to Western Carolina University to earn degrees in History and Education in 2013. Since then, I have developed my career in art alongside my career in education. In recent years, I have been able to combine these two interests, and I am excited to share my experiences with the students at FHS. When I am not doing something art-related, I enjoy reading, traveling, and spending time with loved ones.”
While we are sad to see her leave, we are excited for what this next chapter holds for her. At the same time, we are pleased to welcome an extraordinary artist to the FHS family. Mr. Chris Bell will be joining our staff this January and will be taking over the art program.
Below is a message from FHS alumnus and our newest FHS teacher, Mr. Bell:
“Hi! My name is Chris Bell. I am a native of Macon County and a graduate of Franklin High School. After serving as an apprentice to a professional artist in Asheville, NC, I returned to Western Carolina University to earn degrees in History and Education in 2013. Since then, I have developed my career in art alongside my career in education. In recent years, I have been able to combine these two interests, and I am excited to share my experiences with the students at FHS. When I am not doing something art-related, I enjoy reading, traveling, and spending time with loved ones.”
This week, the FHS staff secretly worked on a contest to surprise Mr. King at the Staff Christmas Luncheon on Friday.
It turns out FHS has some incredibly talented and creative artists on staff.
After a staff vote, the winning entry was Ms. Paige Robinson’s creation. Ms. Robinson earned a $50 gift card for her work.
In related news, Mr. Gibson is currently in hiding. 😉
Thank you to our community partners who donated some fantastic door prizes for our staff.
Carroll Daniel thank you for all the gifts you contributed and Jennifer Turner thank you for your beautiful and generous donation.
Bus 110 and Bus 158 will not run tomorrow (12/18/25).
Buses 110, 158, and 163 will not run tomorrow (12/17/25).
This is a reminder that FHS students enrolled in English II, Child Development, Health Science 1, Project Management 1 or Business Essentials must take their state final exams on Wednesday Dec 17 at 8:05. Students taking both an English II exam and at least one other exam will take the English II at 8:05 and the other at 1:00. Students will not be dismissed between 8:05 and 12:30 regardless of when their test is finished. Students planning to leave after the exam period should present a parent permission note to the front desk before testing.
This is a reminder that FHS students enrolled in Biology or Food and Nutrition must take their state final exams on Tuesday Dec 16 at 8:05. Students taking both a Biology exam and a Food and Nutrition exam will take the Biology at 8:05 and the Food and Nutrition at 1:00. Students will not be dismissed between 8:05 and 12:30 regardless of when their test is finished. Students planning to leave after the exam period should present a parent permission note to the front desk before testing.
🐾 FALCON FRENZY RECAP | LADY PANTHERS 🐾
The Franklin Panthers girls wrestling team showed out Saturday at the Falcon Frenzy at West Henderson High School with an outstanding team performance 💪🔥
🏆 Bri Dezarn, just a freshman, climbed to the top of the podium in a stacked weight class
🥈 Jessenia Canjiano and Vayolet Centeno battled their way to 2nd-place finishes
🥉 April Perez fought through a tough bracket to earn a hard-fought 3rd place finish
📊 The Lady Panthers finished 2nd out of 16 teams with a young roster of 5 freshmen, 1 sophomore, and 2 seniors. This group continues to grow, compete, and prove they belong among the best.
The future of Lady Panther Wrestling is getting brighter every single week 🌟
🐾 Proud to be a Panther 🐾
#LadyPantherWrestling #FalconFrenzy #FutureIsBright #FranklinStrong 💪
🐾 FALCON FRENZY RECAP | PANTHER PRIDE 🐾
The Franklin Panthers boys wrestling team competed Saturday at the Falcon Frenzy at West Henderson High School and showed once again that the future is 🔥
🏆 Garrett Young continued his dominant run, notching another tournament championship
💪 Weston Alberry and Devlin Bailey battled hard to earn 4th-place finishes in their respective weight classes
📊 The Panthers finished 9th out of 20 teams with a young lineup of 4 freshmen, 4 sophomores, and just 2 juniors — while most teams were loaded with juniors and seniors.
This group is gaining confidence, experience, and momentum every week. The grind is paying off, and the future of Panther Wrestling is looking BRIGHT 💥
🐾 Proud to be a Panther 🐾
#PantherWrestling #BuiltNotBought #FutureIsBright #FranklinStrong 💪
This is a reminder that FHS students enrolled in Math1, Math3 and Animal Science must take their state final exams on Monday Dec 15 at 8:05. Students taking both a Math exam and an Animal Science exam will take the Math at 8:05 and the Animal Science at 1:00. Students will not be dismissed between 8:05 and 12:30 regardless of when their test is finished. Students planning to leave after the exam period should present a parent permission note to the front desk before testing.
The Student Leadership Team is proud to announce the fifth Powerful Panther of this school year, Mr. Hanna!!!! He is an amazing, kind individual and we are so thankful to have him here at Franklin High School. Mr. Hanna is very polite to those around him. Thank you Mr. Hanna for all that you do!! We are so proud of you!!🤍 We have also gotten some notes from his colleagues Sherri Houston and Olivia Stahl!
"Mr. Hanna is a great person to work with! The swim team and I greatly appreciate his support as we continue our season. We are very lucky to have him. He is also an amazing morning announcer; he encourages us all daily to be kind to others, and always leads by example in doing so. Congratulations Mr. Hanna…and everybody says “Woo!” "
-Ms. Stahl
"Enough good things cannot be said about Scott Hanna! He is the life of the party wherever he goes; from morning announcements to driving a bus for field trips to passing him in the hallway! He always has a positive word (or a joke) and he makes the best out of every situation. He is a wonderful friend to our Exceptional Children students and offers encouragement every day! I am thankful for his
friendship and truly enjoy working with him at FHS!"
-Sherri Houston
"Mr. Hanna is a great person to work with! The swim team and I greatly appreciate his support as we continue our season. We are very lucky to have him. He is also an amazing morning announcer; he encourages us all daily to be kind to others, and always leads by example in doing so. Congratulations Mr. Hanna…and everybody says “Woo!” "
-Ms. Stahl
"Enough good things cannot be said about Scott Hanna! He is the life of the party wherever he goes; from morning announcements to driving a bus for field trips to passing him in the hallway! He always has a positive word (or a joke) and he makes the best out of every situation. He is a wonderful friend to our Exceptional Children students and offers encouragement every day! I am thankful for his
friendship and truly enjoy working with him at FHS!"
-Sherri Houston
For the remainder of the Fall 2025 semester, Bus 28 will only run its morning route. It will not run in the afternoons.
Some of our student leadership team took our FHS UNIFY BUDDIES program to the Bowling Alley for Special Education day which was Tuesday, December 2nd.
We are so thankful we have a close bond with each of our favorite students !
We went today for fun Friday and had a blast and loved getting to bond with our best friends ❤️❤️
We are so thankful we have a close bond with each of our favorite students !
We went today for fun Friday and had a blast and loved getting to bond with our best friends ❤️❤️
Congratulations to Mr. Larry Pickens who was recognized at the NCCAT CTE Teacher of the Year Dinner as a statewide finalist. We are proud to support him as he represented Franklin High School and Macon County Schools.
Great job to the Franklin FFA and Macon Middle FFA Livestock Judging teams!
They were 1st and 2nd in Federation (Conference) at the regional competition!
This was the first year that the Middle School had a team! Excited to be able to train them!
They were 1st and 2nd in Federation (Conference) at the regional competition!
This was the first year that the Middle School had a team! Excited to be able to train them!
📢 NEW EXAM SCHEDULE FOR FHS!
Teacher-Made Exams:
📅 December 11 & 12 — given during the regular bell schedule
📘 December 15 — 8:05–12:30
Math 1, Math 3 & Animal Science
➡️ Students taking a Math EOC and the Animal Science exam will take the Math EOC at 8:05 and the Animal Science exam at 1:00.
🔬 December 16 — 8:05–12:30
Biology, Food & Nutrition I & II
➡️ Students taking the Biology EOC and a Food & Nutrition exam will take the Biology EOC at 8:05 and the Food & Nutrition exam at 1:00.
📖 December 17 — 8:05–12:30
English II, Business Essentials, Child Development, Project Mgmt, Health Science I
➡️ Students taking the English II EOC and another exam will take the English II EOC at 8:05 and the additional exam at 1:00.
📐 December 18 — 8:05–12:30
Math 1 & Math 3 Retests
🧪 December 19 — 8:05–11:30
Biology Retests
Make-Up Exams
Students absent for a teacher-made exam will schedule their make-up directly with their teacher.
Students absent from an EOC must contact the main office ASAP to schedule a make-up between Dec. 15–19.
Additional Information
Teachers will communicate specific testing locations to students.
Students must remain in their testing site and will not be dismissed early during the 8:05–12:30 exam window.
Students wishing to leave after the exam period must present a parent note as they exit through the main entrance.
Teacher-Made Exams:
📅 December 11 & 12 — given during the regular bell schedule
📘 December 15 — 8:05–12:30
Math 1, Math 3 & Animal Science
➡️ Students taking a Math EOC and the Animal Science exam will take the Math EOC at 8:05 and the Animal Science exam at 1:00.
🔬 December 16 — 8:05–12:30
Biology, Food & Nutrition I & II
➡️ Students taking the Biology EOC and a Food & Nutrition exam will take the Biology EOC at 8:05 and the Food & Nutrition exam at 1:00.
📖 December 17 — 8:05–12:30
English II, Business Essentials, Child Development, Project Mgmt, Health Science I
➡️ Students taking the English II EOC and another exam will take the English II EOC at 8:05 and the additional exam at 1:00.
📐 December 18 — 8:05–12:30
Math 1 & Math 3 Retests
🧪 December 19 — 8:05–11:30
Biology Retests
Make-Up Exams
Students absent for a teacher-made exam will schedule their make-up directly with their teacher.
Students absent from an EOC must contact the main office ASAP to schedule a make-up between Dec. 15–19.
Additional Information
Teachers will communicate specific testing locations to students.
Students must remain in their testing site and will not be dismissed early during the 8:05–12:30 exam window.
Students wishing to leave after the exam period must present a parent note as they exit through the main entrance.