Welcome to Fr Ryan

School Characteristics and Mission
As a Catholic diocesan high school established in 1925, Father Ryan’s mission is to be an experience of the living Gospel while challenging students to reach their spiritual, academic and personal potential. For eighty-one years, Father Ryan High School has been the preeminent source of quality Catholic education for the people of Nashville and its surrounding communities.


Administration
Jim McIntyre, President
Paul Davis, Principal
Sara M. Hayes, Academic Dean
Carolyn Evans, Dean of Students
Tim Forbes, Dean of Spirituality and Student Life
Rev. Mark Hunt, Chaplain
Sarah H. Wilkinson, Director of College Counseling
Kate Goetzinger, Director of Admissions
John Spore, Academic Counselor
Everett B. Holzapfel, Athletic Director
Maggie Stockton , Director of Counseling Services
Nancy Langdon, Registrar
Jeffrey Mesch, Director of Technology


Accreditations and Affiliations
Accredited By:  Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS ) and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). (Father Ryan was the first school in the Southeast Region to receive dual accreditation from these two organizations.)

Membership In:
The College Board
SACAC (Southern Association for College Admission Counseling)
NACAC (National Association for College Admission Counseling)
SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools)
NASSP (National Association of Secondary School Principals)
TAIS (Tennessee Association of Independent Schools)
SAIS (Southern Association of Independent Schools)
NCEA (National Catholic Education Association)
ISNA (Independent Schools of the Nashville Area)
The College Board
Cum Laude Society

National Honor Society


Community
Father Ryan High School is located in a quiet residential neighborhood in the Oak Hill area of Nashville, capital of the State of Tennessee. Father Ryan’s 907 students benefi t from the educational, cultural, athletic, corporate and governmental opportunities that are offered by this city.
Faculty
Father Ryan High School has a faculty of 76, with 58% holding master degrees or higher. There is a ratio of one faculty member to each eleven students and the average class size is 19 students.


Curriculum
Father Ryan High School is a college-preparatory secondary school with varied programs and courses designed to meet the individual needs and interests of our student population. Core courses in English, mathematics, science, social studies, and foreign languages are supplemented by a variety of electives. Father Ryan offers its students courses at four levels (College Preparatory, Advanced, Honors, and Advanced Placement) to ensure their successful transition to higher education and maintains a level of enrollment that provides optimum opportunities for academic and co-curricular success.

Student selection for Advanced, Honors and Advanced Placement courses is based upon successful completion of prerequisite courses, teacher recommendations and standardized test scores. Seventeen Advanced
Placement courses are offered.

Beginning with the school year 2006-2007, Father Ryan replaced its traditional six to seven period day with block scheduling. Block scheduling allows students to earn a maximum of eight credits per year by extending class time to include four classes each day. This extended time allows students to become involved in the learning process by promoting independent, critical thinking as opposed to the mere acquisition of knowledge.

Studio Art American Government English Physics Spanish
Studio Art 2-D Design European History French Chemistry Latin
Studio Art 3-D Design U.S. History Calculus Biology  
  Music Theory Statistics Pyschology  

The Cooperative Support Program at Father Ryan provides a limited number of students with diagnosed learning differences the extra support they will need to become independent learners and to become academically self-sufficient.


Credit Requirements for Graduation
The minimum number of credits required for graduation is 24. The credits must be earned in the following distribution: 4 credits Theology (one for each year enrolled at Father Ryan), 4 credits English, 3 credits Mathematics, 2 credits Social Studies (one must be U.S. History), 2 credits Science (recommended one Physical and one Biological), 2 credits Foreign Language (the same Foreign Language), 1 credit Physical Education, 1 credit Fine Arts , 1 credit Health , ½ credit Technology, and 4 elective credits to meet total requirements.
Grading System
A = 93-100; B = 85-92; C = 77-84; D = 70-76; F = Below 70

Grade Point Average
A semester grade point average (GPA) is computed for each student at the conclusion of each semester and is printed
on the student’s report card. A cumulative GPA is computed at the end of each semester and is posted to the student’s
transcript at the end of each school year. The GPA at Father Ryan is a weighted GPA and is calculated by multiplying
the grades using a credit factor representing the diffi culty of the course – College Preparatory 1.00, Advanced 1.02,
Honors l.04, and High Honors (AP) 1.06.


Student Life
Student activities at Father Ryan are as many and varied as our student population. Opportunities in student government, honor societies, subject area and interest clubs, student publications, theater, speech and debate, choral music and band are available on the Ryan campus. In addition, numerous community service programs contribute to the development of good moral character, responsible citizenship, and sound leadership in Father Ryan students.


Athletics
The Father Ryan athletic program includes a variety of competitive sports activities including football, basketball, soccer, baseball, track, cross country, volleyball, golf, swimming, tennis, softball, wrestling, lacrosse, ice hockey, bowling, and competitive cheerleading.

Father Ryan takes pride not only in the success ofvarious teams but also in the number of enthusiastic participants. Father Ryan teams were TSSAA 2006-2007 Division II State Champions in Volleyball and Boys' Bowling as well as 2005-2006 State Champions in Softball.


Post-Secondary Education
Ninety-four percent of Father Ryan’s Class of 2005 attend post-secondary schools: four-year colleges and universities, two-year colleges, and college preparatory schools. Graduates are attending 73 colleges in 22 states.


Statements of Belief

With the motto of "A Tradition of Faith, Knowledge, Service", Father Ryan High School believes that as a school community, we should:

  • Appreciate the worth and value of every student.
  • Enable students to live the Gospel daily in ways that develop capacity for right judgment and a responsibility for social justice.
  • Provide students with the opportunity to express their faith through worship, prayer and service, as an essential part of the Catholic school experience.
  • Meet each student's learning needs, and motivate students to the pursuit of academic excellence.
  • Provide academic, physical, and spiritual challenges for each student and fully prepare them for further educational opportunities.
  • Support and encourage each student through academic counseling.
  • Create an environment of personal development that encompasses the whole person, spiritually, intellectually, physically, and emotionally.
  • Provide opportunities in all arenas for leadership and service that will enable students and faculty to reach their fullest potential.
  • Strive to be a diverse community through a comprehensive program of extra-curricular activities in art, clubs, music, sports, and service to others.


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