Page 4 - Priorities #21 2003-January

Headmaster
From the State of the School
Fast Facts about the Priory
Enrollment: 320, one-third in Middle School Student:teacher ratio: 9:1
Average class size: 13. Nearly all are under our target 15-18. About eight of 170 classes are more than 20.
Average student load per teacher: 59, down from 62 two years ago.
Boarding: 32 boys, from California and worldwide Tuition and fees: $20,350
Boarding fees: $14,655
Financial aid: About 20% of the student body receives some financial aid. The total financial aid fund this year is $750,000, about the same as last year. Athletics: 14 teams in the High School, 6 teams in the Middle School.
Advanced Placement Courses: 18
Fine and Performing Arts Courses: 27 (including AP art and music)
Keeping A Benedictine Perspective
When the community gathers for Morning Prayer every Monday, speakers reflect on one of the Benedictine values, tying it to contemporary events in the world, on the campus, and in their own lives. Spirituality and hospitality were themes last fall, and integrity is the theme this month.
Our newly rewritten mission statement is clear, simple, and easy to use in practice. This year, it is making a terrific impact. It is the beginning point for community-wide strategic planning, which carries forward to department-level evaluation, and goal-setting by individual facultymembers. Parentsandstudentsall received wallet-sized copies—it’s that short!
We have a visiting scholar, Father Eric Hallas, who is studying for an advanced degree at Stanford. In the fall, he was known mainly to the campus residents, but this spring he will be speaking in several classes. We are hoping to continue to attract visiting Benedictines to alleviate the declining presence of monks in daily campus life.
Hillary Berman was one of the swimmers on the first girls water polo team, which entered league competition this year.
Rave Reviews
No Homework holidays and weekends. The faculty designated several and feedback is very positive.
AP courses are tied to a standardized national curriculum, so those students sometimes can’t enjoy this benefit.
Few schedule disappointments. Students get most of the classes they ask for. Giving seniors every class they request is a high priority. The Academic Dean reorganizes the master schedule of classes every year and changes student schedules every semester to achieve this goal.
Summer grants for faculty. These continue to be a lifeblood of new ideas and technology that flows directlyintotheclassroom. Lastsummer,abouthalfthefacultyreceivedgrants,andtheycompleted25projects. They ranged from a study of middle school issues to varied teaching techniques, from overhauling our ninth grade English curriculum to alternative ways of assessing learning in math. This opportunity makes a big difference to faculty morale!
Grandparents Day drew more than 100 of our favorite people to the campus. We took the opportunity to show off classes, musical skills, chapel meeting—and our kitchen crew’s great lunches!
Peter Trudelle represented the Priory at the State-level competition in Cross-Country and at a 10-state U.S. regional meet.
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