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From the Headmaster
Woodside Priory’s 40th anniversary promises to be an exciting, rewarding and wonderful year. We look back with appreciation, and we look forward with confidence. This issue, our Annual Report Issue, focuses on Woodside Priory now. Our next issue will carry a special report on Woodside Priory history.
We begin this year as a new
school, at least in the legal sense.
The Board of Trustees and St.
Anselm Abbey this summer completed a year-long reorganization of governing structure. The school is now incorporated. The board of trustees, formerly an advisory board, now is a board of “limited jurisdiction” with more responsibility in planning and policies, and overseeing administration and financial affairs. A new body, a board of directors, has responsibility for overall fiduciary matters and philosophy. Members of these boards include parents, Benedictines, alumni, and local business, civic and professional representatives.
The goal of this change in governance is to provide for Woodside Priory’s future growth and Benedictine character as the monks grow older. Benedictine philosophy is the very heart of the school and I can think of no more important issue than to secure it for our next 40 years — and beyond!
TheBenedictineconceptof lifebuilton“Oraet Labora” — work and prayer — with respect for individuality, community and scholarship will be the guidelinesbywhichwewillmeasureourselves at our 80th anniversary in (mark your calendars) 2037.
Many articles in this issue show links between our Benedictine tradition and the school today. Tom Webb offers a thoughtful discussion of social conscience as he sees it and as it relates to social studies curriculum. Marianne Stoner and Deborah
Whalen describe the success of the Hewlett technology grants, which encourage teachers to build their own individual strengths and share them with students and colleagues. Our students’ remarks at graduation (pages 7 and 8) eloquently reflect Woodside Priory’s values. I hope you will enjoy the issue.
In a few weeks we will be welcoming back our returning, and a few new, students and faculty. English teacher Susan Berry spent
several weeks in Japan studying teaching methods on a Fulbright scholarship. Student Derek Thomas is returning for his senior year after spending 1996-97 sailing around the world. Senior Anne Mecham is beginning her two-year International Baccalaureate program in Wales. We are welcoming a new Dean of Students, Russell Shaw, from the Thornton Friends School in Silver Springs, Maryland. (As most of you are aware, I held that post for the past eight years. I was appointed Headmaster following Dr. Frank Cody’s departure last spring.) We also welcome Sister Helen Smith, who will take the newly created post of Campus Minister and will be a residence director in the senior dorm.
Nothing could be a more appropriate beginning to our anniversary year than Father William’s homily to the Class of 1997: Always, we begin again. If we know where we’re going — which we do — we can’t get lost.
I hope you can join us in celebrating our fortieth year at the Family Picnic on Sept. 21 and at any of the other events on our anniversary calendar.
Tim Molak Headmaster
“Benedictine values will be our guideline at our 80th anniversary in 2037.”
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