Page 3 - Priorities #44 2009-July

From the Head of School
Dear Priory Community,
Here it is the middle
of June, both our Middle School and High School graduations are behind us, and we begin the tasks of closing out this year and preparing for the new year this coming August – Always We Begin Again!
On the cover of this
Priorities is a picture of Dr.
John Hennessy, President of Stanford, who was our honored commencement speaker. On pages 10-14, you can read his comments and advice to the Class of 2009.
In my welcome remarks, I talked about what I believe is the overuse of the word “amazing” in our media and culture today. It seems that almost everything is considered amazing. The NBA playoff tag line even uses it saying “Where Amazing Happens.” I did have one piece of information that I included in my remarks and it was amazing.
I held up a newspaper article dated October 16, 1974 and the headline in bold
said – Priory Beats Stanford. The score for this soccer match was 3-2 in favor of the Priory.
So in a game where the mascots at that time would not be politically correct today, the Huns beat the Indians in an epic soccer contest of huge historical significance. It was an amazing feat for this small Catholic boys’ high school to vanquish the mighty Stanford team ... and maybe in this case the word “amazing”
may not do that victory justice.
The Priory seems to always do more than people expect. From our founding
in 1956 to the current day, we have faced a number of challenges that threatened our future. Those challenges became opportunities for us to explore ways to grow and stay ahead of the curve.
We reached out to our parent and alum communities for greater support and they responded. We evaluated
our Mission and purpose and made it more relevant to the world we serve today. We sought a greater balance in our daily schedule for the good of our students, and the results were even happier and more productive young people. We are committed to being the best Benedictine school we can be and have hosted seminars, symposiums and travelled the world attending the larger OSB conferences.
I can say that the Priory is – Where Amazing Happens – and has been for over 50 years. This American Miracle has never been stronger or in a more advantageous position to educate the leaders of tomorrow and create a community that has a strong sense of purpose and direction.
Enjoy the summer days ahead with your family, and if time permits, please stop by the campus to see and feel this special place.
I can say that the Priory is – Where Amazing Happens – and has been for over 50 years. This American Miracle has never been stronger or in a more advantageous position
to educate the leaders of tomorrow and create a community that has a strong sense of purpose and direction.
Sincerely,
Tim Molak Head of School
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