Page 3 - Priorities #40 2008-March

Sincerely,
From the Head of School
Dear Priory Community,
This spring has brought us some
sad news – Father Egon Javor,
OSB passed away on Sunday
March 2. The Priory Community
mourns the loss of this great monk,
visionary and man of faith who was
responsible for the establishment of
the monastery and school in 1956.
The Priory of today is a wonderful
testament to his dedication and commitment to the Benedictine ministry of education.
Our New Year is in full swing and one can feel the energy on campus as we start the spring semester for our students and staff. The addition of the new performing arts center, library relocation and creation of the student center have created some wonderful new spaces for all the students. The Priory’s first play in our new PAC was Midsummer’s Night Dream, which was a huge success.
In February we hosted our 2nd Athletic Hall
of Fame induction. The event was held in the PAC after our boys basketball win. We were proud to induct Father Christopher Hites, OSB, Noel Kidd, Pat Comiskey and the 2000 Girls State Volleyball Champions in to the Hall of Fame. The girls continue to be our only Nor Cal and State championship team - but we hope to add a team or team to that list in the comingyears. TheBoysBasketballandGirlsSoccer and the success they have had this year - both league champs - girls CCS runner-up - first soccer team to get to CCS finals. There two teams and their coaches are commended for their amazing accomplishments this year.
Our class of 2008 has received early acceptances to a number of very fine local and national universities over the past month and there were 17 members of the class who were honored by National Merit as commended, semi-finalist or finalists.
Our admission Open houses this year were
very well attended and our overall applications
have increased by over 40%. Mr. Zappelli and his staff, along with a number of parents, need to be complimented for the work they have done to update our presentations and to leave no stone unturned.
We continue to celebrate our 50th anniversary year. On March 29 we will host an Anniversary Fashion Show featuring over 30 students and a number of the monks. It will be out first show in almost 20 years. On April 13 -16 we will be hosting
a team of 5 Benedictine Educators from across the country who will
be on campus to assess the Benedictine culture and atmosphere at the Priory. On May 3 our 50th anniversary auction is being held at the Cabana Hotel in Palo Alto - An Evening in Monte Carlo - is a night you should not miss so when you get your invitation plan on attending a magical night that provides critical annual support for the Priory.
A big thank you Ray Rothrock, Rick Magnuson and Hank Plain for spearheading the Class of 2008 Senior Challenge. They encouraged other senior parents to give over $1M to the Performing Arts Center, and challenged the rest of the school to
match the money they raised. All donations went
to help fund the Performing Arts Center (PAC), the crowning achievement of the school’s Golden Jubilee Campaign. The Priory’s goal is to complete this project and leave the school debt free. The Campaign officially ends with our Golden Jubilee year, on June 30, 2008. We hope to raise the remaining $1.2M before that time. The Priory community owes a tremendous debt gratitude to these men, for their foresight, commitment and leadership in every aspect of this campaign. Thank you!
It continues to be a great honor to serve as Head of School at the Priory. This year marks my 19th year, first as Dean of Students and for the last ten- years as Head. I am constantly encouraged by the total commitment of our faculty and staff and the outstanding young men and women entrusted to us. The collective effort of all of us make our “Vision Beyond 50” a wonderful opportunity to remain a premier learning community for the 21st century.
On behalf of the Monastic Community we are grateful for the many blessings you share with us.
A big thank you Ray Rothrock, Rick Magnuson and Hank Plain for spearheading the Class of 2008 Senior Challenge.
3