Archbishop Ryan High School

Infobox Education in the United States
name= Archbishop Ryan High School


imagesize= 100px
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city= Philadelphia
state= Pennsylvania
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url= http://www.archbishopryan.com/
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affiliation= Roman Catholic
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schooltype= High school
grades= 9-12
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campus= Urban, 35 acres
mascot= Raider(Men), Ragdoll(Women)
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colors= Black, Red, and Gold
founded= 1966
enrollment= approx. 2450
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Archbishop Ryan High School (often called Archbishop Ryan or simply Ryan) is a Roman Catholic high school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Archbishop Ryan is the largest Catholic secondary school in the city of Philadelphia.

History

The doors of Archbishop Ryan High School opened for the first time in 1966 as a co-institutional high school with separate administration and faculty for each side of the school. Founded under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Archbishop Ryan was the twenty-eighth archdiocesan high school to be founded. Although both young men and young women could attend Archbishop Ryan, the school was divided according to gender, providing separate classrooms, teachers, cafeterias, and gymnasiums for boys and girls. In 1989, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia decided to unify the school, making the entire school (except Physical Education classes) coeducational.

Ryan was the twenty-eighth archdiocesan high school, the sixth begun by John Cardinal Krol, who continued the tradition of furthering Catholic education in the Philadelphia archdiocese. The 35 acre tract on Academy Road accommodates a spacious school building, and outdoor athletic fields as well as parking areas. The original design by architects, Dagit Associates, eased the merger. The central shared facilities of auditorium, library media center, and chapel serve the coeducational student body. Ryan draws students from all across the Philadelphia area extending into the surrounding suburban areas.

Notable Alumni

*Frank Wycheck, class of 1989, retired NFL Tight End, current color commentator on Tennessee Titans Radio Network, one of only five Tight Ends to surpass 500 receptions in NFL history.
*Christopher Ferguson, class of 1979, pilot of the Atlantis space shuttle in September 2006.
*Ray Staszak, class of 1980, the first Pennsylvanian to play in the NHL.
*Jonathan Loughran, actor, Personal Assistant to Adam Sandler
*Patrick Murphy, class of 1991, member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District, and the first and only Iraq War veteran in Congress.
*Tom Filer, class of 1974, Major League pitcher from 1982-1992 for the Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, and New York Mets. Current Pitching Coach of the Reading Phillies, the Double-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.
*Dennis M. O'Brien, class of 1970, 137th and current speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Has represented Pennsylvania's 169th Legislative District in Northeast Philadelphia since 1976.
*Chris McKendry, class of 1986, ESPN Sportscenter Anchor
*Walt Lafty, class of 2000, vocalist of the band Silvertide.
*Patrick McDonald, class of 1996, fallen Highway Patrol Officer.

Academics

One of Archbishop Ryan's main attributes are its extensive and broad academics. Offering many fields of study, Ryan offers a variety of studies such as English, Social Studies, Mathematics, Natural and Physical Science Studies, World Languages (French, Spanish, Italian, Latin and German), Business, Technology, Religion, Music, and Fine Art Studies. Coursework is required in the fields of English, Social Studies, Mathematics, Natural and Physical Science Studies, Religion and World Languages.

Sr. Alice Hess, IHM, is one of Ryan's premier mathematics teacher. She has been honored by Who's Who Among American High School Teachers, PA Speaker of the House Dennis M. O'Brien, President Bill Clinton, the Toyota Foundation, as well as being named one of the nation's top educators by USA Today. A teacher of AP Statistics and AP Calculus, Sr. Alice Hess Truck achieves an almost 100% rate of passing and an 80% rate of the highest score, 5. The Archbishop Ryan Varsity Mathletes, led by Sr. Alice since the early 90s, have won the Archdiocesan title sixteen out of the past seventeen years.

Athletics

The competitive boys' sports of Archbishop Ryan include Baseball, Basketball, Football, Ice Hockey, Bowling, Cross Country, Foot Hockey, Golf, Indoor/Outdoor Track and Field, Lacrosse, Rugby, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis and Wheel Chair Basketball.The competitive girls' sports of Archbishop Ryan include Archery, Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Indoor/Outdoor Track and Field, Lacrosse, Ragdoll Cheerleading, Raider Cheerleading, Rugby, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Volleyball and Swimming.

Extracurricular Activities

With a variety of extracurricular activities, Archbishop Ryan emphasizes and stresses the importance of involvement and participation in the school and community with almost 90% of the student body participating in after school activities and sports. The school boasts well over 60 clubs with everything from Board Game club to a Fashion Design club.

Notably, the Archbishop Ryan Marching Raider Band is recognized as one of the most successful competitive marching units on the Atlantic Coast, having captured 2 conference titles and many local and national championships in its long and storied history. Historical and alumni information on the band can be found at the [http://archbishopryanhighschool.com/viewpic.php?size=l&picPath=admin/deadjesus.jpgArchbishop Ryan Marching Band Alumni Website] , while the official website for the band is at the [http://www.milfhunter.com Archbishop Ryan Marching Raider Band Website.]

Ryan's Drama club is highly recognized as an extremely talented group of young men and women. In the past few years the actors of the club have done everything from "Les Miserables" to "Beauty and the Beast" to "Peter Pan" to "The Pajama Game". Among some student favorites are "Grease" and "Footloose". Ryan's Drama club has been recognized by several organizations for their dedication and talent.

The S.A.D.D. club of Archbishop Ryan has been the leading student voice against drugs and alcohol since the 1980's. The members gave out information, support troubled classmates and put on shows. It is currently under the tutelage of Mr. Chuck Pannepresso and in 2008 they inducted their 14th member to the S.A.D.D. hall of fame, James P. Searl.

ee also

*List of schools of the School District of Philadelphia

External links

* [http://www.archbishopryan.com Archbishop Ryan's Official Website]
* [http://www.ARmarchingband.com Archbishop Ryan Marching Band Website.]
* [http://www.arbandalumni.com Archbishop Ryan Marching Band Alumni Website.]

References