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Franklin Band Competes in Grand National Championships

The Franklin Band is celebrating a successful performance at this year’s Bands of America (BOA) Grand National Championships in November. In a field of ninety-eight high schools from across the country, the Franklin Band’s halftime show Lucy earned a fourth-place finish in the Class AAA division and a 20th rank overall. The performance pays tribute to I Love Lucy and comedian Lucille Ball. The BOA groups bands into four classes based on the number of students in tenth through twelfth grade at each school. At each competition, class awards are based on scores received during the preliminary round. Bands advance to semi-finals and then finals based on overall score regardless of class.

WCS High School Media Students Nominated for National Awards

Media students from two Williamson County high schools are in the running for two National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) 2021 National Student Production Awards. Nominees were selected from high school student entries across the country in twenty-five categories. More than 2,000 pieces were submitted from the regional chapters and were judged by industry professionals and media academics. Each of the students who earned a national nomination won a regional award in the spring. Brentwood High’s Eliza Linney, Noah True and Stuart Beaton are nominated in the Public Service Announcement (PSA) category for their video, One Second. Ravenwood High student Brooks Taylor’s work on the Raptor Sports Report earned him a nomination in the Sports Story or Segment category. The recipients of the award will be announced in a webstream hosted by NATAS in late November. The date of the ceremony will be announced at the beginning of the month.

Liberty Elementary Named 2021 National Blue Ribbon School

Liberty Elementary School is among 325 schools across the nation, and one of only six in Tennessee, to be named a U.S. Department of Education 2021 National Blue Ribbon School. There are two ways in which a school can be awarded Blue Ribbon status -  by overall academic performance or by progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. Liberty’s designation is based on its overall academic performance. The work to become a National Blue Ribbon School is intense.  For the past thirty-nine years, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has recognized schools from across the country on an annual basis. Schools are eligible for nomination after five years. The 2021 National Blue Ribbon Schools Awards Ceremony is scheduled for early November in National Harbor, Maryland. A total of 302 public and twenty-three non-public schools will be honored and receive plaques and flags.