Franklin Road Academy
Franklin Road Academy provides a challenging educational experience in an inclusive Christian community with an unwavering commitment to develop leaders of integrity and purpose. We will:
Inspire
in our students a lifelong love of learning through a dynamic academic program which will prepare them for success in life;
Encourage students to discover their passions through opportunities in academics, the arts, athletics, and servant leadership;
leaders of integrity, guided by Christian principles, compelled to lead lives Nurture
of compassionate global citizenship.
Your child is our mission.
People of Integrity Students with Purpose Servant Leaders Critical Thinkers Innovative Experiences Nurturing Faculty Joyful Scholars Curious Learners Collaborative Classrooms Christian Community Supportive Family
“Enrolling our son at FRA was our best decision ever. The challenging academics, intentional class sizes, and personal attention from teachers have helped him thrive in the classroom.” –Laura Campbell, FRA Parent
Lower School
Your child will learn in an imaginative, inventive, and experiential environment and recognize the joy of being an active, engaged learner. In our lower school, we teach to the whole child, with our youngest students participating in ungraded enrichments in many innovative settings. Your child may play an instrument or explore theater in a performing arts lesson one day and participate in science engineering experiments in our STEM lab the next. We use hands-on experiences, including iPads, laptop computers, and interactive white boards, to educate students on the power of technology while preparing them to successfully transition into middle school.
Students learn the importance of problem solving, collaboration, and critical thinking. Instead of working at individual desks, our students sit at tables to encourage dynamic conversations and opportunities for collaborating to find solutions. Your child will develop a sense of purpose and concern for others during daily devotionals and implement critical study habits in classes like our World Language Exploratory Program.
For I know the plans I have for you,� declares the Lord,
“FRA lets students enjoy childhood, supporting and encouraging their natural development, while preparing them to take on the responsibilities of young adulthood.” –Susan Akers, Middle School Counselor
Middle School
Students know their ideas matter, and they are constantly reminded and encouraged to make a difference in the lives of others. Our middle school serves as a crucial experience in your child’s educational and personal development. Middle school is a time of growing, both socially and academically, and our teachers prepare students for upper school while providing meaningful support as they transition into the teenage years. We believe influence begins with relationships. Our advisory program creates intentional time to foster studentadvisor relationships. Students are carefully identified for emerging talents, and faculty members offer encouragement to foster growth and instill confidence and courage.
Throughout the middle school experience, our students learn to self-advocate and take ownership of their learning. Our vigorous and relevant curriculum empowers them to be effective communicators, collaborators, and problem solvers. Our middle school students are also involved in a variety of co-curricular activities. Participation in clubs, athletics, and arts is encouraged, and many of our students are involved in all three. We encourage our students to pursue their passions and engage in the life of the school beyond the classroom.
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
“FRA has been a second home to me. It is my family; it is where I have grown up, where I’ve learned the most; it’s where I’ve changed the most. I thank God every day for this school, and I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else.” –Haylee Ferguson, FRA Class of 2016
Upper School
Our intentional school size allows students to fully engage in the classroom while playing at least one sport or perfecting an art form. Students enter our upper school from a variety of backgrounds. What unites everyone is the welcoming FRA culture, centered on relationships where students are known, supported, and inspired while growing as learners.
in an ever-changing world. Our students go to college confident in their abilities to tackle the most challenging problems, communicate effectively using a variety of media, and ask challenging questions of their own.
Our talented faculty members are master teachers, able to connect their subject matter to the lives of our students while ensuring their classes teach students to think critically
FRA graduates are well-rounded, confident individuals, prepared to go out into the world and fulfill their own unique purpose.
plans to give you hope and a future.� Jeremiah 29:11
Our Inclusive Christian Community
Our students develop an overriding sense of purpose and compassion for those in need in their own communities and around the globe. At FRA, spiritual development is an essential part of a complete educational experience. We recognize the importance of nurturing leaders who are guided by Christian principles and compelled to lead lives of compassionate global citizenship. To deliver our inclusive Christian mission, we surround our students with faculty members who build strong relationships with their students and answer Jesus’ call to love God and to serve others. We believe students should grow in mind, body, and spirit. Our lower and middle school students are encouraged to grow spiritually and to see the needs of others through daily devotionals as they share their stories, give thanks
for their blessings, and speak from the heart about what is on their minds. Middle and upper school students take elective courses on topics such as the Old and New Testament, the Life of Christ, Faith and Film, and World Religions. At the heart of our Christian mission is the Center for Philanthropic Studies, where students are encouraged to put faith into action. Service learning is woven into the daily academic curriculum, athletic teams, and advisory program, and students also have the opportunity to participate outside of school in Service Saturdays and mission trips.
“At FRA, we hope to guide each student toward a fulfilling life, and we believe exploring your faith and service to others is essential to our mission.” –Brandon Albright, Director of Spiritual Life
Competitive Athletics and Wellness
We value a well-rounded student experience, and we strive to give our students the opportunity to try a variety of sports and compete at a high level. At FRA, we believe athletics is an integral part of the overall learning experience and an extension of the classroom. For that reason, the majority of our students participate in at least one sport each year. Students in kindergarten through grade eight participate in physical education classes, where they learn the fundamentals of team play and instill habits of good health and nutrition. Beginning in middle school, students have the chance to compete in conference play. Through athletics, we encourage studentss to take risks and discover passions.
Upper school teams compete in every sport sanctioned by the Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association. Our strong athletic tradition includes a long history of state and region championships with our student-athletes garnering individual recognition at the region, state, and national levels. Each year, many graduates go on to compete at the collegiate level. Our student-athletes train and compete to win, and they do so with a healthy sense of perspective. Most of our coaches are classroom teachers, and they understand our mission with a shared vision of developing student-athletes and the importance of teamwork, sportsmanship, and fair play.
One Student...
...Endless Possibilities
The Arts at FRA
A student may develop into a flutist and play a role in the fall drama or excel at sculpture and sing tenor in the chorus. The arts are a priority at FRA. Our arts offerings complement our intellectual, athletic, and spiritual pursuits, lending a creative outlet to let students’ minds solve problems in unexpected new ways.
Middle schoolers might try multimedia compositions, sculpture, concert band, choral music, and oil and acrylic painting, and by the time they reach high school, the full array of our arts resources are at their fingertips.
Our students experiment with many artistic media, and those abilities become more sophisticated as they hone their craft.
Some students discover they’re a natural at the pottery wheel or on stage, and you may often see the captain of the football team play a major role in a drama or musical.
The FRA Community
“Franklin Road Academy is an uplifting place where everyone can express their opinions and faith, all while being pushed to excel academically, athletically, and spiritually.” –Chad Stearns, FRA Alumnus In many ways FRA is a family. It is home to teachers and administrators who act in your child’s best interest and students who stick together. You may be surprised by how quickly you feel like part of the FRA family. We hear it time and time again from students, teachers, and even alumni... Franklin Road Academy is my second home.
Our community is made up of families from all over the world, with our student body representing more than 12 countries. We are proud to offer various programs to assist international students in their transition, and our international students are integrated into our community life, participating in athletics, arts, and service learning.
“These are people I don’t just want my child to go to school with; these are families I want to do life with.” –Heather Maki, FRA Parent
“During my time at FRA, many teachers fostered my nascent love of language. I grew to appreciate the mechanics of English grammar and the freedom that comes with being able to express thoughts clearly in writing. This certainly has served me well in my career as a journalist.” –Christopher Hamby, 2014 Pulitzer Prize Winner, FRA Class of 2004
Life Beyond FRA
At FRA, students learn how to treat others and how to make a difference in the community, and they carry those values with them through life. Every year, 100 percent of our graduates are accepted to colleges and universities across the country. Our college counselors begin working with students and their parents as early as freshman year. By junior and senior year, we are working with each student individually to create lists, edit essays, improve test scores, and prepare for interviews. Our goal is to ensure all of our students find the best match for themselves academically, athletically, and socially. We
consider every year a formative one in the lives of our students, and we encourage them to reach outside of their comfort zones and consider a variety of academicallychallenging universities. In fact, when our alumni come back to visit us from college, they remark on how well they were prepared for collegelevel work, as well as the social and relational aspects of life.
College Matriculations; 2005-2015 The University of Alabama Albion College Appalachian State University Arizona State University The University of Arizona Arkansas State University Asbury University Auburn University Austin Peay State University Barrett, The Honors College Baylor University Belmont University Berklee College of Music Birmingham-Southern College Boston College Boston University Brandeis University Brigham Young University University of British Columbia California Institute of the Arts University of California, Irvine University of California, Santa Barbara Campbellsville University Carleton College The Catholic University of America Centre College Charleston Southern University College of Charleston Christian Brothers University Clemson University Colby College University of Colorado at Boulder Colorado State University Cornish College of the Arts The Culinary Institute of America University of Dayton University of Denver DePaul University Dominican College Drury University East Tennessee State University Eckerd College Elon University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Emory & Henry College Emory University University of Evansville Fashion Institute of Technology Flagler College Florida Atlantic University Florida State University University of Florida Franciscan University of Steubenville Full Sail University
Furman University The George Washington University Georgetown University Georgia Institute of Technology The University of Georgia The University of Georgia Hanover College Harding University High Point University University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Indiana University at Bloomington Johns Hopkins University University of Kansas University of Kentucky Lee University Lehigh University Lipscomb University Long Island University, Post Louisiana State University University of Louisville Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Maryland Loyola University New Orleans Macalester College University of Maryland, College Park Massachusetts Institute of Technology The University of Memphis Mercer University Miami University, Oxford University of Miami Michigan State University University of Michigan Middle Tennessee State University Mississippi State University University of Mississippi University of Missouri Columbia University of Missouri, Kansas City Mitchell Community College Montana State University, Bozeman The University of Montana, Missoula Morehead State University Murray State University University of Nebraska at Lincoln New York University The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina School of the Arts North Carolina State University Northeastern University Northland College Northwestern University University of Notre Dame O’More College of Design Oklahoma City University University of Oklahoma
Olivet Nazarene University Pennsylvania State University, Berks College Pennsylvania State University, University Park Pepperdine University Point Park University Princeton University Rhodes College University of Richmond Rollins College Rutgers University-New Brunswick Saint Louis University Samford University University of San Diego Santa Monica College Santa Monica College Sarah Lawrence College Savannah College of Art and Design School of the Art Institute of Chicago Sewanee: The University of the South University of South Carolina, Aiken University of Southern California Southern Methodist University Stanford University Syracuse University Tennessee Technological University University of Tennessee, Chattanooga University of Tennessee, Knoxville University of Tennessee, Martin Texas Christian University The University of Texas, Austin Thammasat University The Ohio State University Transylvania University Trevecca Nazarene University Trinity University Tusculum College Union University United States Air Force Academy United States Military Academy United States Naval Academy Universidad Iberoamericana Vanderbilt University Virginia Tech University of Virginia Wake Forest University Washington University in St. Louis Webster University Wellesley College The University of West Georgia West Virginia University Western Kentucky University Westminster College Wofford College Xavier University Yale University
Admissions
Every day your children are discovering new things to learn and love. At FRA, we show them how to turn choices into a life of fulfillment and success. We teach students to explore all of life’s possibilities, and equip them to excel. While many students begin attending FRA as early as pre-kindergarten, we welcome students at any grade level. Need-based aid is also provided to families demonstrating financial need. Our admission process requires a campus tour, a completed enrollment application, academic transcripts, recommendations from teachers, standardized test scores, and a personal interview. To begin the process, please contact our admission office.
“Pre-kindergarten through grade 12 is all on one campus, so younger students get to know the older students as role models and mentors. Students witness school traditions before it’s their turn to experience them. It’s empowering.” –Jay Salato, FRA Teacher & Alumnus
4700 Franklin Road Nashville, TN 37220 | 615.832.8845 | FranklinRoadAcademy.com