Our middle and upper school students now have another state-of-the-art innovative space to work in as we opened the new DNA Lab in our Math and Science Building. Middle and upper school students will utilize the DNA Lab, which will be used as a space where they can hone their skills in biotechnology, including extracting DNA, genetically modified organisms, and ploymerase chain reactions, as well as participate in crime scene investigative methods like DNA fingerprinting. 

Stephanie Feyes, science department chair and biology teacher, is excited to see what impact and influence this space will have on her students. "Biotechnology is currently one of the fastest growing areas of science and industry. It is a skilled based field of science that integrates biology, chemistry, physics, and math in a hands-on, meaningful way. Students are able to do real and original research in a school setting to develop skills that could be used in the future to help make advances in medicine/healthcare, agriculture, industry, and environmental awareness." she said.

Franklin Road Academy’s highly-touted seniors Tymon Mitchell and Lance Wilhoite have officially signed their letters of intent to play football in college. Mitchell has committed to the University of Georgia, and Wilhoite will play at the University of Oregon.

The middle and upper school robotics teams had a big weekend at the Vex Robotics Tournament in White House, Tennessee. The middle school team, consisting of Ryan Holman, RJ Harding, and Langston Harold, won the Middle School Skills Championship and the Excellence Award. 

Upper school team W, which includes Campbell Jeffrey, Thomas Hohnholt, Addy Carroll, and Summer Vo, was the Upper School Tournament Champion, Upper School Skills Champion, and the Excellence Award winner. Upper School team U, consisting of Garrison Harold, Olivia Maki, Christopher May, and Georgia Austin, was also named Upper School Tournament Champion. 

These three teams join upper school team X, which is made up of Caleb Huddleston, William Roberts, and Alexandra Halas, as qualifiers for the VEX State Championship on March 2. 

For the second year in a row, FRA freshman Lily Paris has served as an emcee for Stars for Wishes, a fundraising gala for Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee. This year’s gala raised $350,000 to support Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee’s mission of providing wishes to children with critical illnesses, and serving as an emcee gives Lily, a self-proclaimed “talker,” the opportunity to share her story for a charity she loves.

Seniors Sabrina LaFaye, Jake Slipkovich, Cathleen Li, and Lee Anna Chen have been recognized for their works submitted in the 2019 Scholastic Art Competition. LaFaye was named as one of the five American Visions Nominees, which is the top honor, and won six Gold Keys, four Silver Keys, and four honorable mentions; Slipkovich won one Gold Key; and Li and Chen were honorable mentions. 

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are presented by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, and through this competition, nearly 350,000 works of visual art and writing are submitted, with 90,000 being recognized at the regional level. With their Gold and Silver Key awards, LaFaye and Slipkovich will be recognized at Cheekwood's Scholastic Awards Ceremony on February 2 and will have their pieces showcased at Cheekwood's Museum of Art during the Scholastic Art Exhibition.

The varsity girls basketball team has had an outstanding five-day stretch, which includes impressive wins over division foes Zion Christian Academy, Christ Presbyterian Academy, and Providence Christian Academy. The Panthers have used outstanding defense and a balanced offensive attack to win six straight games as they head into the final two weeks of the regular season. 

Fresh off the holiday break and a very solid showing at the prestigious Father Ryan Invitational, the FRA varsity wrestling squad returned home to the friendly confines for the FRA Panther Gymnasium this week to host a three way match versus Division II foes Ensworth and Donelson Christian Academy (DCA). The Panthers swept the meet by defeating Donelson Christian Academy 54-12 and Ensworth by a score of 51-18! 

Congratulations to Alexander Gales, Josh Holtschlag, and Samantha Shafer, who signed letters of intent to play at the collegiate level on Wednesday. Gales will pole vault at High Point University; Holtschlag has signed to play golf at Bucknell University; and Shafer will continue her volleyball career at the University of North Alabama.

Dramatic. Unbelievable. Resilient. Heroic.

When the Panther football players strapped on their gear Friday night, they knew what was ahead of them – a battle, against the tough number one seed from the east Notre Dame team (10-1), away from home, for the opportunity to advance to the TSSAA Division II-A State Semifinals for the first time since 2001.  They couldn’t have imagined, though, the way it would all play out. A slow start. An uphill climb. A comeback win. It was all of those things as the Panthers defeated the Fighting Irish 34-33 in a game that won’t soon be forgotten.