Page 7 - Priorities #12 2000-April

AT A GLANCE
During the Christmas season, students challenged themselves to collect even more food and funds to help the poor than last year (an award-winning year). This time, they wanted to do it with no rewards or public recognition. Also, they wanted to use their own resources and ingenuity before asking parents to help. They more than succeeded
For the second year, parents revived an old tradition and sold hand-made Christmas ornaments — little monks that looked very Benedictine clustered in a basket or perched on a tree. Funds were given to charity.
Students are now mounting three drama productions per year — fall, winter and spring. During winter break, Visual Arts Department Chair Cayewah Easley and her sisters hand-built professional-quality, reusable sets — an important start for a department with no permanent facilities.
Model United Nations has tripled in size in the past three years and this year sent teams representing the Philippines and Republic of the Congo to both Berkeley and Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.) for conferences.
Everyone gets a Middle School view of campus life via its newspaper, The Scoop.
College planning now begins with an information night especially for families of ninth and tenth graders. Course choices during these first years affect options later in high school. All high school classes meet with Academic Dean Holly Thompson to discuss course choices.
Father Pius celebrated his 65th birthday among students, parents, faculty and friends - then took a well- earned rest in the rocking chair, specially carved with the Priory seal, presented by the community earlier in the day at a Chapel ceremony.
The sign says it all. While students started fall semester finals, parents were congratulated for the best possible conclusion to the Middle School Fund drive. MS Chair Carol Duncan dressed up her sign with a bouquet of balloons. The Priory’s top priorities for these funds are small class size and competitive teacher compensation.
The exploits of twelve children being reared by their industrial- efficiency-expert parents in the early 1920s is the theme for Cheaper by the Dozen, WPS’s winter play. Here, big sister Anne (Kathleen Ruiz, right) explains to her younger sibs how she plans to get Dad to let her wear silk stockings and go out with (oh, no!) boys. Julie Davidson (left), Chrissy Spanoghe and Andrew Smith share space on the family sofa, lent for two weeks by a Los Altos family.
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Father Maurus feels that he can toss his cane following successful hip joint surgery this winter.
Freshman Michael Yost was one of a host of students who turned out in force and turned up the volume for the “Super Seven” championship girls volleyball team. They won the PSAL and Division V CCS Championships and the first round of the NorCal tournament.