We are in the midst of the holy month of Ramadan and and we wanted to share the ways in which we endeavor to support our students during this time. At Francis Parker, we hope to foster an inclusive environment where every student feels respected and supported in the practice of their faith. Ramadan, a sacred month for Muslims worldwide, is a time of reflection, prayer, fasting, and community bonding. It's a period in which our Muslim students may observe fasting from dawn till dusk, engage in additional prayers, and participate in charitable activities. Recognizing the significance of Ramadan, Francis Parker is committed to ensuring that our Muslim students have the necessary support and accommodations to fully participate in their religious observances while maintaining their academic responsibilities. Here's how we're supporting our students during this sacred time: Spaces for Prayer On the Goshen Campus, students, with faculty and staff support, have created a space for prayer. The School has communicated with all our Muslim students, letting them know where they can go for prayers if they desire to do so, and teachers have been notified about when and where prayers will be held. At the High School, our Sacred Space is a room dedicated to matters of religious and spiritual reflection, which is open to Francis Parker community believers and nonbelievers alike. The Sacred Space has times posted year round for Muslim prayers, including, of course, during Ramadan. Observant students are welcome to excuse themselves from class as they prefer in order to pray in the Sacred Space. The [...]

Please join us in recognizing an amazing group of students from the Frances Club who recently visited the state Capitol in support of a bill (HB 148) providing menstrual products to all Kentucky public schools, as well as eliminating taxes on period products. Students met with Speaker of the House David Osborne’s Chief of Staff and Representative Lisa Willner, the sponsor of the bill, to lobby for its passing. In both meetings, students were asked to articulate why eliminating period poverty was such an important issue. Both meetings quizzed students on their knowledge of the bill. In each instance, students spoke confidently and knowledgeably. All the adults who came in contact with the Frances Club remarked on how well-spoken and well-informed our students were. Period Y’all, the organization Francis Club partnered with in our fight against period poverty, was so blown away by the impact our students made in these meetings that they’ve asked us to come back and lobby next year. Furthermore, one of the leaders of Period Y’all shared with us that the success of our Taylor Swift birthday party/menstrual product fundraiser held in December inspired them to create a statewide “period party” initiative and they are hoping to someday make the initiative national. How amazing is that? Our students are making a statewide and possibly nationwide impact! Our students were also featured in this article on Spectrum News 1. Check it out!

Congratulations to our 2024 Merit Scholarship Competition finalists! Approximately 40 students participated in our Middle and High School Merit Scholarship Competition this year, making the selection process challenging and exciting! The academic accomplishments, extracurricular involvement, demonstrated leadership, and teacher recommendations we reviewed for each participant were quite impressive, and there were many deserving candidates. In the rising 6th grade competition, students participated from schools all over Louisville, resulting in five finalists, three of whom were from Francis Parker. Buster Morse (Francis Parker) and Gibran Neimat (Francis Parker) were named finalists. Our 2024 Middle School Merit Scholars are:  Stella Russell (Francis Parker) Etta Walsh (Virginia Chance) Betty Clark (Bloom Elementary) In the rising 9th grade competition, students participated from schools all over Louisville, resulting in six finalists, five of whom were from Francis Parker. Carter Heck (Francis Parker) and Liam Knaebel (Francis Parker) were named finalists.  One student earned an Honorable Mention Scholarship: Amar Tucakovic (Friends School).   Our 2024 High School Merit Scholars are: Carnighan Math-Science Merit Scholar – Jack Norris (Francis Parker) Cipinko Humanities Merit Scholar – Vivian Schnuerle (Francis Parker) Francis Parker Merit Scholar – Jack Slattery (Francis Parker)

Francis Parker School of Louisville has been recognized for the 2023 AP School Honor Roll for developing an AP program that creates a college-going culture and gives students opportunities to earn college credit and to maximize their college outcomes. The AP School Honor Roll recognizes schools that have done outstanding work to welcome more students into AP courses and support them on the path to college success. Francis Parker was also honored with the 2023 AP Access Award for demonstrating a commitment to equitable access to advanced coursework for all students.

LOUISVILLE (KY) - Francis Parker School of Louisville recently named Mike Kelley its new Athletic Director. Kelley, who is originally from Newark, New York, takes over the Athletic Department and is eager to elevate Wyvern athletics to a new level. Kelley has led the development of athletic culture and successful basketball programs at all levels, from teaching beginning athletes in middle school to coaching competitive college teams. His involvement in athletics began early in life. As a basketball player in high school, his talent earned him a place in the Newark High School Basketball Hall of Fame. In college, he was a team captain and four-year varsity letter winner at St. Lawrence University, where he earned his BA in sociology. As a coach, Kelley brings an outstanding history of excellence to Francis Parker. After studying Athletic Administration at the University of Richmond, Kelley became the assistant athletic director at Sullivan County Community College. He then became Sullivan’s men’s basketball coach, compiling a .755 winning percentage over three seasons. In his first season as a coach, he led the team to a National Championship in the 1995-96 NJCAA Division III. Kelley was named the Mid-Hudson Conference Coach of the Year for the 1995-1996 season and the National Junior College Coach of the Year in 1996. Kelley then continued coaching throughout his career at a variety of public and private schools. In the last decade, he has built competitive and winning programs at a top-ranked academic high school (Academic Magnet High School in North Charleston, South Carolina, where his boys’ varsity [...]

Congratulations to our 2023 Merit Scholarship Competition finalists! A total of 40 students participated in our High School and Middle School Merit Scholarship Competitions this year, making the selection process challenging and exciting! The academic accomplishments, extracurricular involvement, demonstrated leadership, and teacher recommendations we reviewed for each participant were quite impressive, and there were many deserving candidates. In the rising 9th grade competition, students participated from schools all over Louisville, resulting in six finalists, three of whom were from Francis Parker, and three of whom were from other schools.  Two students were named Finalists in the competition: Abby Walker (Francis Parker) and Connor Sage (Friends School). One student earned an Honorable Mention Scholarship: Max Wright (Francis Parker).   Our 2023 High School Merit Scholars are: Carnighan Math & Science Merit Scholar - Connor Lin (Francis Parker) Cipinko Humanities Merit Scholar - Maren Loewy (Noe Middle School) Francis Parker Merit Scholar - Evan Williams (Friends School) In the rising 6th grade competition, we named three Middle School Merit Scholars:  Zach Endashaw (Francis Parker) Iris Beale (Francis Parker) Henry Norris (Francis Parker)

Today is the start of the 2022-23 Annual Fund Parent Campaign! Over the next few weeks we have asked families to share what Francis Parker has meant to them and why they support the Annual Fund. To start, we have this year’s Annual Fund Chairs and current parents, Stewart Lussky and Bob Jones. If you have already given this year, thank you! If not, consider showing your support by giving today! “We sit in awe of our son every day, marveling at how he has navigated his growing up years with wise guidance and support from the faculty. Francis Parker has been transformative for him, providing space for him to explore his wide and varied interests and to grow into a young man ready to take charge of his own future. This school will always hold a special place in our hearts and we happily support it, helping to ensure that it is here for future students. We are honored to chair this campaign and ask that you join us in supporting Francis Parker.” GIVE TODAY!