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SEPTEMBER 2025

Happy Back to School!

We are excited to kick off Junior Irish News for the 2025-2026 school year!

Our all-ages Junior Irish program is a way for you and your family to discover what our community is all about through events, fun, and our monthly e-newsletter.

On Sunday, August 3, we held our New Family Welcome, which included the House Reveal, where students discovered their House placement and celebrated the Class of 2029 in spirited Irish style.

Our House System makes a big school feel smaller and creates a “familywithin-a-family” for every student, teacher, and staff member. Each House has seven smaller, all-grade Mentor Groups for peer-to-peer mentoring, leadership opportunities, and spiritual development.

Check out our new House System Video:

Did You Know?

That we graduated 209 students from the Class of 2025, who are now attending 66 different colleges across 26 states, Washington, D.C., and Canada?

That the Class of 2025 received $38 million-plus in college scholarship offers?

That the Class of 2025 average ACT score was 31 for the students with top 10% GPAs?

That Father Ryan’s reenrollment rate is 98% for the 2025-2026 year?

That Father Ryan offers Dual Enrollment courses, and 46 students earned 247 college

Meet the Class of 2029

We are proud to welcome our newest talented students:

210 new students and transfers

From 57 schools

From 43 zip codes

25 Hayes Scholars for the Class of 2029

Enjoy photos from our New Family Welcome, New Student Orientation, and First Day of School featuring fun Father Ryan traditions of Senior Crowns and Childhood Backpacks.

New Family Welcome

New Student Orientation

First Day of School

Celebrating 100 Years of Father Ryan

This year continues our two-year 100th anniversary celebration. We opened our doors in September 1925 on West End as Nashville Catholic High School for Boys. Our campus has changed over the decades, but our enduring Tradition of Faith, Knowledge, Service continues.

Here is a recap of our 100th year of school during the 2024-2025 school year.

credits last school year during the first year of this program?

Join Us for Fall Events!

You belong at Father Ryan! Join us for a fall event.

Junior Irish Night Friday, Sept. 19, 2025 Carnival begins at 5:00pm

Join us on Father Ryan’s Academic Lawn before our Homecoming Game vs. Memphis University School

All events (carnival and football game) are FREE for all registered children. All students in 8th grade and under are welcome. Registration is required to secure a swag bag. Parent(s) will need to purchase a game ticket.

Perform with Irish Pride Dance Night Friday, October 3, 2025 4:30pm-Halftime

All 5th-7th graders are invited to join our Father Ryan dancers for a halftime performance. All dancers will arrive at 4:30pm in the Center for the Arts, where they will learn a routine, receive a t-shirt, and enjoy pizza with the Father Ryan dancers. Registration closes Friday, September 26.

Join us this fall for one of our 100 Masses on campus or around Nashville honoring Father Ryan. Congratulations to Father Christian Hamrick ’17 on his recent ordination into the priesthood, pictured here with Paul Davis ’81, Father Ryan President, and Bishop J. Mark Spalding.

Photo: Nashville Catholic

President Paul Davis ’81 on Belonging at Father Ryan

Our monthly Irish Insights blog dives into an aspect of our school, program, and mission written by various voices in our community. For September, President Paul Davis ’81 shares his insights on Father Ryan’s approach to making sure every student feels known, loved, and inspired.

Preview Day Sunday, October 26, 2025 1:00–4:00pm Father Ryan Center for the Arts

Check-in begins 12:30pm

Discover what makes Father Ryan Nashville’s trusted coeducational, college preparatory high school, centered in Catholic values and a century of excellence in Catholic education.

Fall Sports

Cheer on the Irish this fall for a football game and our other fall sports. It is Coach Zach Mettenberger's inaugural season as Father Ryan's 14th Head Football Coach. Go Irish!

Irish Fall Sports Schedule

for Life November 8 Fall Play: Our Purple Masque Players present Trial of the Wicked Witch

Meet Finn

As part of our new YouTube video series, we follow students as they share their Father Ryan experience. Meet Finn, the Class of 2025 valedictorian and National Merit Finalist who moved to Nashville from Los Angeles when he was a sophomore. Now, he is a University of Notre Dame freshman.

In upcoming Junior Irish News issues, we will introduce you to more students.

Finn was able to personalize his learning at Father Ryan. Learn more about our distinctive approach to customizing each student’s academic path.

Explore Personalized Learning at Father Ryan

$1.5 Million Gift to Update Campus Safety & Security

Creating a positive and supportive learning environment for our students begins with a safe and secure campus for our students, faculty, staff, and community members. Recently, we received a generous $1.5 million gift from an anonymous donor to make the following substantial security enhancements to our campus.

Perimeter and Physical Security

Installed secure iron gate fencing with key card access

Installed bulletproof window protection on windows and doors

Technology and Surveillance

November 12-14

Christmas at Father Ryan December 9-10

Breakfast with Santa December 13

Junior Irish School Spirit Night

January 23

Irish Easter Egg Hunt

March 28

Spring Musical: Into the Woods April 9-11

Spring Preview April 14

View All Junior Irish Events

Expanded our camera system to more than 130 security cameras across campus.

Equipped 75% of campus cameras with ZeroEyes AI gun-detection technology, providing rapid threat identification. Upgraded security lighting across campus.

Communication and Emergency Preparedness

Hosted intensive campus safety training on active shooter response and emergency first aid, led by 25-plus officers from Metro Nashville's Special Weapons and Tactics (S.W.A.T.) Team, the Rapid School Safety Team (R.S.S.T.), our two full-time campus security officers, and on-call event security officers.

Read more about our commitment to safety and security in an Irish Insights blog post by Dean of Students Stuart Magness '95, former Metro Police officer and current Father Ryan parent.

Do you have blog topic suggestions for Father Ryan to explore in Irish Insights for 2025-2026? Please reach out to Cara Hunter, Director of Communications, at hunterc@fatherryan.org.