Franklin Classical seniors

Franklin Classical School in downtown Franklin will be graduating these 16 seniors in May.

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The Franklin Classical School class of 2020 is celebrating its hard work and accomplishments, preparing for the annual senior educational capstone trip to London in March, oral defense of their senior theses in April, and looking toward graduation on May 16.

The school has 16 seniors this year, with a total enrollment of 204 students. Next year’s enrollment is expected to be more than 220.

According to a press release sent by the school Thursday, Franklin Classical School seniors earned ACT scores that far outranked national (21) and state (20) averages, with an average class composite of 29.2. Half of the FCS class of 2020 scored a 30 or higher, including a perfect score of 36 from senior class president Sam Goodyear-Brown, who was also a National Merit Scholar semifinalist.

While the seniors are finalizing college plans — which include Lipscomb University, Union University, and Davidson College, among others — they are also setting their sights on an a more immediate goal. On March 1, the students will depart for London for the annual senior class capstone educational trip, accompanied by author and lecturer George Grant, co-founder of Franklin Classical School. They will visit sites about which they’ve studied throughout their academic career, including King’s College Cambridge, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the British Museum in London, Lewes Castle in Lewes, the English Channel in Brighton, Ely Cathedral in Ely, and Winston Churchill’s home at Chartwell.

In anticipation of the journey, the class recently visited Franklin’s Landmark Booksellers to learn about the proper handling of antiquarian books, as well as basics on how to determine value. The class of 2020 earned over $24,000 over the past three years through student-led fundraising efforts to offset the cost of their trip.

“For 15 consecutive years, our senior classes have taken this capstone trip to London with Dr. George Grant, a journey that helps them become more personally tied to the history that they’ve studied, filling them with a deeper understanding of how history affects their lives even now,” said Melinda Mahand, Academic Dean at Franklin Classical School.

“We’re so proud of the class of 2020 and everything they’ve accomplished — not only achieving laudable ACT scores and raising a notable amount of money for this trip, but seeing them grow in their years at FCS to understand the depth of character and servant leadership that will make them citizens of the world, living out the stories God has in store for them.”

Upon their return, the class will begin preparations for oral defense of their senior theses, which will take place at Parish Presbyterian Church in Franklin on April 22 at 2 p.m. Each senior selected a topic of interest that has ties to this year’s area of study, antiquity, an era ranging from the dawn of time until the fall of Rome. 

Senior thesis topics include the importance of jurisdictionalism in maintaining freedom, social justice from a biblical perspective, creation care, the political use of propaganda, competition’s contribution toward progress, educational approaches that make significant impact in the lives of students, and the sanctity of human life.

Graduation for Franklin Classical School’s class of 2020 is slated for Saturday, May 16, at 2 p.m. at the Historic Sanctuary of First United Methodist Church in downtown Franklin. 

Franklin Classical School is a K-12 Christian classical school offering a biblically based education, as well as opportunities to participate in eight sports, drama, and fine arts. 

For more information on Franklin Classical School, visit www.FranklinClassical.com, or contact the school by phone at 615-528-3777.