Page 3 - Priorities #26 2004-April

From the Headmaster
Autumn is the real start of the New Year to people in education—but this year, with the weather turning balmy and the camellias outside my office window in flower, I feel that
we have a new year starting around
us already. What a perfect setting we have here to celebrate the renewal and promise of the Lenten season and Easter! Lenten Season
The WPS community filled the
seats in the newly expanded and remodeled Chapel for our Ash Wednesday services. It’s a time, Father Martin told us, for Carpe Diem—seize the day! I asked students over the next 40 days to be less concerned about how they look on the outside, but really to do some housekeeping on the inside. Each student was given $1, representing the talent given to the workers in the Parable of the Talents from scripture, and asked to make it multiply, using their own efforts. This
has been a good experience for the students in past years. Students have held concerts and raffles, bake sales and movie sales, stuffed envelopes and gone babysitting, among other things. We will collect the “multiplied talents” at Chapel on April 19.
Master Plan
In my last letter I described the details of our campus master plan that is now before the Portola Valley Planning Commission. Over the past three months, we have met with commissioners twice and with a few of the town’s subcommittees. I feel that these meetings have been positive and fruitful for everyone.Wehavealready madeafewrevisions and clarifications at town officials’ request, and more reviewmeetingsarescheduled. Wehopetoreach public hearings late in the spring.
Some questions have arisen that I’d like to share with you.
Why is the Priory“Woodside”instead of
“Portola Valley”Priory?
At the time the school was founded, nearly 50 years ago, the townships had not yet formed. The entire valley was generally referred to as “Woodside,” and that’swhytheschoolbearsthatname. Bythetime Portola Valley had a separate identification, Woodside Priory School’s name was pretty well established.
Will the Priory continue to offer use of its playing field to local residents and teams?
Yes. We are recognized in the Portola Valley Town Plan as an educational facility, an emergency shelter, and a provider of local services such as these.
Will you rent the proposed Performing
Arts Center?
No—it is designed for school use, and the proposed Conditional Use Permit restricts
it to the school and to certain official town
uses. For example, a town meeting that would draw too large a crowd for Town Center facilities might be held on our premises.
How can the town assure that future Priory administrators will observe the provisions in the Conditional Use Permit?
The town already closely monitors the building process, and I have submitted a plan along the lines proposed by the town planning staff for monitoring school enrollment and use of facilities. I think all parties agree that clearly defined measures and expectations will be a good thing.
We’ve had a hard fall and winter, with three faculty members needing to leave the classroom at least temporarily because of health issues and one more because of a visa problem. Dr. Judith Browning lost her life very suddenly to cancer in December. With that background, it is wonderful to be able to announce that Alicia Parker, our Director of Residential Life, is leaving to have a baby. Dean of Students Erik Carlson is taking over her duties, and he will become the new Dean of the Boarding Program in the fall. Erik lives in one of the two dorm apartments with his wife Lucy and daughters Lisa and Pippa. He lived and worked in boarding programs before coming to the Priory, and he is excited about his new assignment. Meanwhile, Alicia plans to stay in close touch—she lives on campus with her husband, Scott.
As we look to the final quarter of the school year, we are grateful for the four new faculty members who joined us
at the semester break and for the generosity and flexibility of faculty who have helped assure that colleagues’ classes were covered without interruption. Our faculty receiving health treatment are doing very well, and we look forward to their complete return to health. Please keep them in your prayers. And may you have a blessed, healthy and happy spring.
Sincerely,
Tim Molak, Headmaster
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Students make their Lenten “talents” multiply, some interesting questions have arisen over the proposed master plan, and the dorm community will welcome a new baby and a new Dean.