Each year, Franklin Road Academy presents the Frankie Awards to recognize students for exceptional work throughout the year in fine and performing arts. It is our pleasure to announce the award winners for the 2019-20 school year.

Click here to see the full list of winners

The Cum Laude Society requires all candidate schools to undergo a rigorous review process, including submission of academic records, college data, test scores, and a campus visit by Cum Laude regents, who are leaders of some of the finest schools in the country. Once awarded a chapter, a school is only permitted to induct the top percentage of students by welcoming them into a society that only exists at schools that confirm superior scholastic achievement. 

FRA Junior, Spencer Guy, was selected as a member of the Tennessee All-State Band, which was to begin this week, and end with concerts on Saturday at Opryland. After months of preparation and auditions on trumpet, the Tennessee All-State experience was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Spencer deserves a big congratulations still. We are proud of his accomplishments!

This weekend, we had five teams compete in the VEX Robotics State Competition. After two days of intense competition, the FRA RoboPanthers are sending a record-breaking four teams to the World Competition in April.

Our robotics teams came back to school today with seven awards from the White House tournament this weekend. They competed alongside 40 teams total.

Tournament Champions: Team X (Caleb Huddleston, William Roberts, Stephen Hohnholt, Reilly Robinson) & Team U (Campbell Jeffrey, Garrison Harold, Olivia Maki)

Franklin Road Academy has named Jay Salato as its new head of upper school. Salato will transition from his current role of upper school dean of student life beginning July 1, 2020. He will replace Prentice Stabler, who will remain at FRA, serving as associate head of school.

I experienced my first trip to the principal’s office in the fall of my kindergarten year. The trip was a result of a dispute between me, my arch-nemesis Forrest, and my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Snowden. Surrounded by a gaggle of five-year-olds, I was proud to announce the news that Mrs. Snowden had shared with me earlier that day: I was the best reader in the kindergarten class. “No,” Forrest interjected, “She told me that I was the best reader.” I was appalled and disgusted at this discrepancy. Someone was lying. I was certain that the angelic Mrs. Snowden could not be at fault, and I knew that I wasn’t lying, so the incontestable truth was that Forrest was usurping my position and undermining my crowning and well-deserved accolade. My path forward was clear: gather support, publicly shame Forrest, and throw a calculator at his face. What I had envisioned as a proud and glorious defeat of evil by good and falsehood by truth turned out to be the first black mark on my record.