Step by Step
Slowly, step by step, our campus is beginning to teem, literally and figuratively, with activity and community.
After almost three months of being away, except for a couple of special visits, we are all eager to rejoin life here on campus with our community. That has begun. We welcomed students back this week to the whistle blows and encouraging words of Coach Kyle Feldman, Director of Strength and Conditioning, Coach DuJuan Sharp, Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning, and our coaching staff as they directed socially distant conditioning workouts for our fall athletes. Additionally, we look forward to welcoming the Class of 2020 to campus next Friday to confer diplomas on this accomplished and very patient class. We were all excited to hear the announcement this week from diocesan Superintendent of Schools Rebecca Hammel that school will reopen in August, as scheduled, dependent on the phased status of Nashville’s reopening and following the appropriate CDC and local health guidelines. Yes, it is starting to feel like school again.
However, our return will be different, because after all that we have faced as a community and as a nation, Father Ryan as well as each of us are different. Ever hopeful, we are confident that our school community will emerge from this ever-changing and challenging world renewed in our mission to be a living experience of the Gospel to each other and our world.
We are reminded in scripture that “So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). That is true for Father Ryan today. When we return in August, we will welcome the Class of 2024, implement our new House System and recommit to our pursuit towards social justice. Born of the experiences of this spring, all of us will bring a renewed focus and vigilance to our mission and our responsibility to educate and form lives of excellence in the Catholic tradition.
As always, we seek the intercession of our Blessed Mother for our school, community, and world.
Peace,
Jim McIntyre
President
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Graduation Webinar for Senior Parents on Monday
Commencement Exercises and Baccalaureate are only one week away, and we know that our seniors and their parents are eager to learn all the details so they can prepare for the big event.
To help answer their questions, Mr. Joe Crumby '95, Dean of Students, and Mrs. Elizabeth Elfers '02, Dean of Campus Ministry and Student Life, are hosting a Graduation Webinar on Monday, June 15, at 6:00pm. Senior parents can use this link to register for the event.
We look forward to an informative evening as we prepare for the excitement of the 94th Commencement and Baccalaureate Celebration.
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Follow the Graduation Online
Attendance at Father Ryan’s graduation is limited to the graduates and their two guests. However, you can enjoy the Commencement Exercises via livestream, which can be found here. The ceremony begins next Friday, June 19, at 6:30pm.
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Summertime Learning
Here are two ways that our students can continue their educational preparation over the summer months.
Summer English Reading Lists: There are summer reading assignments for all Father Ryan students, depending on your English course level. You can access the list here. Grab a warm piece of sunshine this summer and enjoy a book.
AP Summer Assignments: Many of the AP courses offered at Father Ryan have summer assignments that need to be completed. To access these assignments and the due dates associated with each one, please visit the Resource Board and look for the Summer Reading and Assignment List 2020. Each AP class with a summer assignment is listed with a link to information about the specific assignment.
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Drop-off Days Begin Monday
Starting next week Monday, June 15th and continuing through Friday, June 19th, we will open the campus to students to drop off items that need to be returned to the school. Those items include spring sports uniforms, books, calculators, or other items. In addition, we will use this time to collect any uniforms that students would like to donate to the school.
Drop-off will take place from 7:00am to 1:00pm each day next week. There will be three large containers/bins set up in the circle in front of the Main Office. The bins will be properly labeled for Electronics, Spring Sports Items, Books, Miscellaneous Items and Uniforms.
Before returning uniform items, students need to label all contents, identifying them as a sports uniform or school uniform. All items need to be placed in a bag with the student’s name on the outside of the bag before the item is placed in the appropriately marked bin. All bins will be cleaned out at the end of each day.
Students/parents are asked to follow all social distancing rules and guidelines when coming to campus.
Students and parents are reminded that CAMPUS IS STILL CLOSED. No one is allowed anywhere on campus except for the Main Office turnaround, unless a student has athletic conditioning.
If students have items to return and are unable to make it during the designated times, please contact our Main Office at 615-383-4200 between the hours of 8:00am and 1:00pm to set up an appointment with Mrs. Fogarty to return your items.
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On-Campus Athletic Workouts Continue: Monday-Thursday Only
The summertime Strength and Conditioning Program continues this week, but with one change – there are no Friday workouts as we prepare the stadium for Graduation.
Coach Kyle Feldman and Assistant Coach DuJuan Sharp, in consultation with our team coaches, have put together workouts for each sport to help our athletes continue their physical and skills development this summer.
A reminder that in hosting these workouts on the Father Ryan campus, we are following the recommended health directives from Metro Nashville Government and the CDC. We also have a number of specific requirements for Father Ryan students. Click here to view these guidelines. We will follow them for all summer workouts.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Director of Athletics Ms. Ann Mullins '03 at mullinsa@fatherryan.org.
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Tuition Insurance and Payment Plans
The combination of the area’s tornadoes and the COVID-19 has had an impact on many people’s financial health as well as their physical health. A number of families in Ryan Nation have certainly been affected, and some have reached out to see if there are tuition options they could explore.
The answer is yes. Father Ryan’s Business Office already has in place distinctive programs to meet these families' needs.
The school partners with Protect My Tuition to provide tuition insurance that helps protect the investment you are making in your child's education. For a covered cause of loss, Tuition Insurance will pay the remaining portion of tuition and fees up to the coinsurance percentage listed on the policy. Visit the Tuition and Financial Aid page of the website to learn more about this program.
In addition, if your family needs to discuss your tuition payment plan or explore financial assistance for the 2020-2021 school year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, please contact Ms. Cathy Turnmyre '84 at turnmyrec@fatherryan.org so we can help.
We are looking forward to our return to campus, whenever that happens, and are here to help all our families as we deal with the impact of this spring’s events.
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Ben Strobel '21 is Headed to Macy's!
Congratulations to junior Ben Strobel who received news this week that he had been selected to be a member of the 2020 Macy’s Great American Marching Band.
Ben was selected after Macy’s reviewed the performances of high school band musicians from around the nation. The November trip to NYC, if the current health situation allows it, will include his performance and the opportunity to enjoy some of the sights of the city.
Ben plays alto saxophone and is a section leader in the Father Ryan Marching Band. He is an accomplished member of the Winds Ensemble and Winter Winds. Ben is also an Altar Server, a Peer Mentor, and a member of Science Olympiad and the Spanish Club.
We’re proud of you, Ben, and hope that we get to watch you show your talents in NYC this Thanksgiving.
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Youth Leadership Workshop Applications
Every spring, the Diocese of Nashville Office for Youth and Young Adult Formation works closely with parish priests, youth ministers, teachers, and campus ministers to select a small number of students in their respective communities to receive an invitation to the annual Youth Leadership Workshop. Rising juniors and seniors are invited to apply.
Youth Leadership Workshop, or YLW for short, has hosted thousands of Catholic teens from all over the Diocese of Nashville for an intense, three-day leadership summit. Read more about Youth Leadership Workshop in this flyer, which includes information on how to register for your spot to attend.
We invite you to prayerfully consider attending this workshop and register as soon as possible!
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Missing the Campus? Take a Virtual Tour
Our beautiful campus is particularly striking in the spring, and now you can see it from your computer, thanks to the Admissions Team's new virtual tour.
If you haven't already taken your tour, take a look at your campus. It won’t be long before we walk on it again.
If you are interested in more
information about admissions at Father Ryan, visit the Admissions webpage.
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Stay Connected
We know that our Ryan connections keep us together in a variety of ways. Here are some examples:
Resources for Ryan Nation
Keeping Ryan Nation connected remains important as social distancing guidelines remain. That’s why we added a Resources page on the website to help with those connections. It includes information on upcoming events, ways to stay connected through social media and even custom Father Ryan backgrounds to use on your next Zoom call call. Check it out here.
Support Irish Foodies
Irish restaurateurs are enjoying a cautious reopening, yet it is still a period, and will continue to be one, of much less business.
It's important to support Irish foodies by ordering takeout, catering lunch for your office, or going out to eat if you feel conformable doing so. Here is a list of restaurants in the area to support. They are owned and/or operated by folks in the Irish community. Go Irish!
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