Page 47 - Priorities #70

Summer Greetings to All,
Priory’s spectacular new track and field provided a glorious setting for this year’s commencement exercises. Underneath a glamorous twin pole tent, situated on the end zone, the Class of 2018 was beautifully launched into a world in need of their gifts. Over the last four years, while these students were growing and evolving from their Priory education, the campus also underwent a transformation the likes of which may never be seen again.
On June 15, the Building Ingenuity campaign and Phase II of our 20-year Master Plan was officially completed. The original goal was to provide our students with environmentally friendly academic spaces and the right tools to be successful as lifelong learners. The end result was so much more than expected. Thanks to the incredible generosity of the Priory community, the campus has also been enhanced with a new regulation swimming pool, a new track and field and a precious garden pavilion perched at the top of the campus.
The reverberations of this campus renaissance will be felt for years to come and was made possible by all segments of the Priory community. Through our campaign close- out program we received inspirational gifts from alumni, grandparents, alumni parents, alumni grandparents, members of the Class of 2018, guardians, friends, faculty, and staff, as well as our ever-generous parents. We consider this support a demonstration of your love of Priory, the impact it has made on your life and the lives of your children, your belief in our mission and the desire to participate in our future. We are exceedingly grateful.
Our gratitude also extends to the parent leaders who gifted the school with exceptional time and treasure for the last two years. PPA Presidents, Kari Rust and Kathy Fitzgerald, engaged the parent community in the life of the school with outstanding organization and mission-driven focus. Jennifer Youstra and Christy Occhipinti chaired the gala for the last two years, building community in support of every single student. Cynthia Mahood Levin joined their team this past year. Our community has certainly grown and prospered as a result of their gifts.
In March, 105 grandparents from as far away as Hawaii and as close as Portola Valley cascaded on to campus and into the Performing Arts Center to enjoy a Priory history lesson from Mr. Molak, insights into our instructional program from Mr. Schlaak, a stunning excerpt from “Jesus Christ Superstar,” followed by lunch with their grandchildren in celebration of our semi-annual Grandparents’ Day. To say the campus was joy-filled is an understatement.
Along with the campus, our alumni program has also been rejuvenated. Associate Director for Marketing & Alumni Engagement, Diana Chamorro, Father Martin and Todd Turner, our new Alumni Liaison, have hosted regional events in Los Angeles, Palo Alto, and San Francisco. A New York social has just been added for August and exciting events are underway for the coming year. All are welcome to join the Woodside Priory Alumni Association Facebook Group to stay connected!
Now that the dust has settled, when summer ends and students return to a construction free campus, many will never know what the campus looked like before. The hope and promise that ignites the launch of a new school year will be fueled with thanksgiving for the generosity of our community. Your love and support has allowed us to bring the founding monks’ vision into the 21st century and beyond.
“Everything which we use in this life was
here before us and will be here after we are
gone. This world and everything in it is on
loan ... we have the highest and strictest
requirement to use nothing for our sole
benefit; to manage prudently and to return
that which has been in our care in as good or
better condition than it was when given into
our custody.“
— a Stewardship excerpt from “Always We Begin Again” a modern adaptation of the Rule of St. Benedict
47
W
W
,
i
i
t
t
h
g
h
g
r
r
a
a
t
t
i
i
t
t
u
u
d
d
e
e
,
Suzanne Couch
Director of Development
DEVELOPMENT