Priorities #70: Summer 2018

It seems like just yesterday that I stood before the entire student body at the very first chapel and announced that they had 175 days of school ahead of them. Those 175 days have come and gone and the Class of 2018 is on their way to start the newest chapter of their lives, hopefully filled with meaning and balance. The end of the school year also brings the 60th anniversary to a partial close–we will have one more anniversary-ending Mass on Founders Day this November–as a final event of thanksgiving.

We enjoyed a special 60th anniversary year filled with events such as our Guest Speaker Forum, Founders Day Mass, a ceremony to honor our newest St. Benedict Medal recipients, and a magnificent performance by Taylor Eigsti ’02 and his jazz trio. We also opened some long-awaited facilities–the Joe Montero ‘76 Aquatic Center, the Franklin Garden Pavilion and the LaureL STREAM Center–all of which will benefit the learning and teaching environment for students and faculty. We hope you enjoyed celebrating and reading about these significant milestones as much as we did.

This school year also brought significant monastic news with the agreed commitment from Saint Anselm to assign a new Monk to the Priory. It has been 22 years since the arrival of a new Monk, so this is indeed a special event in our history. We are grateful to Abbot Mark, our Directors, and all the Monks of Saint Anselm Abbey for their commitment to our ministry of Benedictine education. We are blessed to learn that the new Monk will be Father Matthew Leavy, O.S.B. As many may know, Father Matthew has a long history and love for Priory and we are thrilled that he will soon call Priory his home. He is fluent in Hungarian and will also assist Father Maurus with some of the Masses and activities of the Hungarian Catholic Mission. The Mission goes back to the founding of the Priory in 1956 and was another ministry of our Hungarian Monks. Over the decades they have served thousands of Hungarians and their children who come here for Mass on Sunday, followed by lunch and fellowship in the dining hall. Each year two Hungarian students from the Benedictine schools in Pannonhalma spend a year at the Priory and continue the strong bond and relationship between our schools and Monastic communities.

Several members of the Priory community were recognized for their years of service to the school at our end of the year Faculty/Staff Recognition Luncheon hosted by our parents. This year we honored John Sugden, Gabe Tang, and José Arnaldo Mejia-Torres for 15 years; Mark Stogner, Todd Turner, and Joe Montero ‘76 (posthumously) for 20 years; Doug Sargent for 25 years; Paul Trudelle for 35 years; and 55 years for Father Maurus Nemeth, O.S.B. We are thankful for their lasting commitment to aid Priory in becoming the renowned establishment it is today. We also remembered our missing colleagues, Julianna Szekely and Joe Montero, and as we went to press we learned that our beloved Father Pius passed away. You will read more about him later in this issue. We ask God to hold them in the palm of his hand and may they rest in peace.

I end my letter by sharing this thought from Abbot Mark: When we wonder at the miracle of this school and its development, we are reminded of Saint Benedict’s admonition to always trust in the Lord for “what is not possible by nature, let us ask the Lord to supply by the help of his grace.” It is that divine assistance on which we continue to rely to accomplish the good work entrusted to all those who make the Priory such a special place.

We appreciate all that you have done for Woodside Priory School and the Monastic community over the years. We flourish and blossom because of your faith and support of our school, our ministry, and our mission.

With Peace, Tim Molak Head of School

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Dear Priory Community,

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Woodside Priory School Celebrating 60 Years of Benedictine Education

4

End of Year at a Glance

34-37

Girls Basketball

10-11

MS Athletics

38-39

Panther Pause

12-13

US Athletics

40-41

PAC Milestone

14-17

Performing Arts

44-43

Club 60 Gala

18-19

Service Trips

44-45

Sustainability

20-25

US Graduation

48-51

Volunteerism

26-27

2017-18 Awards

52-57

Alumni Reunion

28-31

MS Graduation

58-63

Class News & Notes

32-33

In Memoriam

64-65

Monastery News

6-9

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

END OF YEAR AT A GLANCE

1. Students gathered in Schilling Square for ASB speeches.

1 2. Mr. Marsheck joined students for a friendly game of bubble soccer.

3. Students joined Mr. Neale and his band, “The Basementals” for a concert in the Blackbox.

4. Kayla Matsuoka ‘24 was joined by her grandparents on Grandparents’ Day. 5. It was a tearful goodbye to Tina Paulson after she announced her departure.

6. The team uniforms at the dodgeball tournament got “saucy” this year!

7. Aryssa Garcia ‘24 was all smiles at the MS dodgeball tournament.

8. Isaac Roybal ‘18 has amazing cat-like skills to avoid the dodgeball.

9. Lala Niu ‘20 with the catch for the automatic out!

10. MS students rush the court after an amazing play by

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Clara Feng ‘23 for the dodgeball win!

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END OF YEAR AT A GLANCE

1. The stands were “PACKed” to cheer on the boys basketball team at a CCS playoff game.

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2. Father Maurus, Father Martin, and Father John enjoyed themselves at the annual Faculty/Staff luncheon.

3. The C-SPAN bus traveled to Priory to award (l-r) Noah Willis ‘18, Elizabeth Duncan ‘18, and Lauren Kastanis ‘18 for their documentary they submitted in the StudentCam competition.

4. Sophomore students cared for their flour baby projects in Health class.

5. One of the many kids that were born on campus, this one at just ten minutes old.

6. The hillside was meticulously landscaped by goats.

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5 4 7. Retired soccer player, Danielle Slaton showed her Olympic medal at the Athletic Celebration Night.

8. Sergio Calderon ‘18 and his band “In Real Life” visited and performed at Priory.

9. Students raised their tools in unity with math teacher, Sally Aalfs, during the 8th grade service day.

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10. 8th grade students overlook Windy Hill during their retreat.

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END OF YEAR AT A GLANCE

1. (l-r) Jaeden Barker ‘19, AnaMalia Veamatahau ‘19, Lala Niu ‘20, and Gabby Ruiz ‘19 were in the aloha spirit.

2. Emma Lewer ‘18, Charis Chiu ‘18, and Elizabeth Duncan ‘18 mimicked their favorite memes on Meme Day. 3. The yearbook dedication was emotional as it was dedicated to recently passed Joe Montero.

4. Tessa Geoly ‘19 and Jaeden Barker ‘19 exchanged yearbooks shortly after the distribution.

5. Alondra Manriquez ‘18 took part in the National School Walkout Day. 1

6. Students gathered in silence but with strong messages at the school walkout.

7. Senior students got airborne at the beach during the senior retreat.

8. Model United Nations celebrated another successful year of competitions.

9. Members of the junior class gathered before the Junior/Senior Prom.

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END OF YEAR AT A GLANCE

1. Barn2Robotics Team #751 made some adjustments on their spirited robot, “Gremlin.”

2. The California School for the Blind and the Priory track team joined forces once again for a special track meet.

3. (l-r) Xenia Gonikberg ‘19, Amelia Hoffmann ‘19, Sonia Walker ‘19, and Joe Petersdorf ‘19 proudly stood with the post they installed during service week.

4. Sophomore students prepped food at the Padua Dining Room during service week.

5. The MS Tinker class built decorative trash and recycling bins for campus.

6. Students enjoyed a lion dance performance for the Lunar New Year.

7. Kitchen staff Maria Garcia, Nate Spears, and Ruben Zambrano kept the

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portable pizza oven at the right temperature.

8. Andrew Stanger ‘24 gave chase to JR Brandin ‘18 during a Panther Pal activity.

9. Residential faculty member and surfboard trick

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master, Myles Somerville had some fun with dorm students during a surf outing.

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MS ATHLETICS

MS BASEBALL 10

MS JV GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

MS TENNIS

MS ATHLETICS

MS WATER POLO

MS VB GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

MS VA GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

MS TRACK & FIELD

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US ATHLETICS

WINTER 2018 GIRLS SOCCER

Qualified for CCS Playoffs, finished in third place.

WBAL Foothill Division All League Forward of the Year: Anysa Gray ‘20 1st Team: Amaya Gray ‘20, Kaela Marsheck ‘21 2nd Team: Maya Blevins ‘20, Hannah Feldmeier ‘19 HM: Lena Bhagat ‘18, Grazzia Bhatia ‘21

BOYS SOCCER

WBAL All League Goalkeeper of the Year: Joseph Calderon ‘18 1st Team: Caleb Pollack ‘19 2nd Team: Mark Erasmus ‘18 HM: Brandon Meza ‘21

GIRLS BASKETBALL

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CCS and NorCal Champions, State Runner-Up WBAL Foothill Division All League 1st Team: Ila Lane ‘19 2nd Team: Tatiana Reese ‘18

BOYS BASKETBALL

CCS Champions WBAL All League 1st Team: Ayo Aderoboye ‘18 2nd Team: Emmanuel Ajanaku-Makun ‘18 HM: Lucas Harris ‘18

GIRLS LACROSSE

WBAL Skyline Division All League Midfielder of the Year: Anna Barton ‘19 1st Team: Maya Blevins ‘20 2nd Team: Vivian Chuang ‘19 HM: Kayla Martinez ‘20, Kara Reiss ‘19

BOYS TENNIS

US ATHLETICS

SPRING 2018

WBAL League The young team continued to grow both in skill and numbers.

SWIM

WBAL All League 2nd Team: Brad Schoenthaler ‘20 HM: Anna Dyckerhoff ‘21

BASEBALL

Competing independently, the baseball team was able to match strengths with many schools.

TRACK & FIELD

Keyshawn Ashford ‘18 finished second in the 100 meter at CCS Finals to qualify for State.

WBAL All League 1st Team: Keyshawn Ashford ‘18, Amaya Gray ‘20, Anysa Gray ‘20 2nd Team: Ayo Aderoboye ‘18, Priory 4x100 Relay HM: Eszter Horvath ‘21, Miranda Prince-Figuero ‘18

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PERFORMING ARTS 14

Jesus Christ Superstar US Musical

Something remarkable happened in 1970 when the 23-year-old Andrew Lloyd Webber and 26-year-old Tim Rice welded rock music, multiple song stylings and a dynamic character driven plot to this very traditional tale and created “Jesus Christ Superstar.�

Dust was blown off by electric guitars, lines from Scripture were given new life and urgency, and something distant became not just present, but shatteringly loving, achingly human. What I love about this piece is its humanity.

John Sugden, Director (Excerpt from play program)

MS Show

Robin Hood has always been one of my favorite legends, and I thought that I knew the story pretty well. But then I read “The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood” and learned that there was much more to the story. For example: The Merry Men are fanatics about Ho Ho snack-cakes; Robin was aided by a Town’s Guy, who was meta-theatrically assisted, in turn, by The Stage Manager (who is somewhere out there in the dark); and Robin nearly loses to the Sheriff...

PERFORMING ARTS

Robin Hood

Stefan Fisher- Guest Director (Excerpts from play program)

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PERFORMING ARTS

Winter Concert

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Spring Concert

“Musical Risotto”

“California”

PERFORMING ARTS

Pops Concert

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SERVICE TRIPS

Going Places Morocco

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Vietnam

A group of six students and two chaperones traveled to Morocco, pushing their limits while surfing, zip-lining, canyoneering, and navigating the souqs. The first day there, they found themselves winding in and out of the incredibly busy but beautiful souq markets in the city of Marrakech, staring at snake charmers and mounds of the most colorful spices you’ve ever seen. From there the group drove 6 hours up the Atlas Mountains on winding and narrow switchbacks to the village of Zaouit Ahansal. Here they completed 2 days of service; building a community center, gardening, and hanging out with the local school children. The people were as memorable as the jagged mountain landscape, as they completely took the students in as their own for three nights. They shared their traditional food, dance, and overall refreshing ideas on life with the group in every way they could. The rest of the trip was filled with zip-lining the stunning canyons outside of Marrakech and surfing the camel filled beaches of Essaouira.

During service week a group of seniors, Ms. Myers, and Mr. Morris traveled to Northern Vietnam. The group stayed in the rural Mai Chau Valley, where they worked to help a local family install plumbing in their home. Under the supervision of a local construction crew, worked to build a toilet from the ground up–digging the foundation, and hauling and laying bricks. The Mai Chau project directly benefits the lives of lowincome families in rural Vietnam. Based just 150 km west of the capital, Hanoi, the Mai Chau Valley is host to a number of hill tribe communities, making it a melting pot of cultures and traditions. It is however, also host to large numbers of ethnic minority and lowincome families in need of support. By developing sanitation facilities in the villages, this project directly benefits the health of those residing there.

The group also visited a local school, traveled to the bustling city of Hanoi, as well as to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ha Long Bay.

Costa Rica

A large group of juniors and seniors embarked on an amazing trip to Argentina over spring break. From cities to jungles and mountains, the students experienced a themed global learning curriculum focused on social justice. They started by learning about Argentina’s health system and disabilities only to help bring one of the most famous musicians out to “Casa San Roque” a privately funded health facility for people with disabilities. One of the disabled community members, Pancho, is a musician as well and the Priory was involved in creating a concert that ended up raising enough money to send Pancho to meet the Pope in the Vatican City! The trip ended with a connection between our students and those of the poorest villas as they danced, sang, played sports and learned how to play instruments together, ultimately understanding that individuality and unique identity transcend cultural, socio-economic and language barriers. The group also experienced tango, a specialized social justice city tour and the beauty of the Andes Mountains and Iguazu Falls.

It was truly a Global learning experience!

SERVICE TRIPS

Argentina

During service week a small group of seniors and two teachers teamed with Dream Volunteers, a Redwood City non-profit, to do community service in the small town of Providencia, Costa Rica. During their time in Costa Rica they participated in homestays–living, sleeping, eating, and speaking Spanish with local families in Providencia. While in Providencia, they met 16 young dreamers from the local community that are supported by Dream Volunteers. They shared culture, customs, and camaraderie during free time activities, and also worked alongside each other in service. The main service project was to help a local organization, Green Communities, whose goal is to bring sustainable development to the Los Santos region of Costa Rica by converting conventional coffee farms into organic ecological coffee farms. Students learned much about coffee farming and sustainability in Costa Rica, and worked to create organic compost daily to offer it to an organic farming collective. The students formed meaningful relationships with their host families, and collectively all the host families participated in many activities with them such as cooking, dancing, soccer games, picnics and more!

Kenya Priory science faculty lead a 15-day Summer Service Learning and Science Study Abroad Program to Kenya. Over the nine-day stay at the Daraja Academy of Kenya, one of the first all-girls, private schools established for girls of promise without financial means to attend secondary school. In addition to learning with and from Daraja students in student-centered activities and school classes, Priory students volunteered to serve on campus. Service learning experiences included teaching/tutoring Daraja peers, and completing work on campus for function and beautification, such as slashing vegetation, raking, painting buildings, cleaning, and a desk renovation project. In addition to service learning and intercultural exchange at Daraja Academy, Priory students spent time on safari exploring wildlife and discussing management at conservancies near the school.

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US GRADUATION 20

GOOD VI8ES HIGH FIVES & GOOD8YES

CLASS OF 2018

US GRADUATION

U

Under the large white tent perched impeccably in the center of the Father Christopher field, parents, family, and friends anxiously awaited the arrival of the Class of 2018. “I hear them now,” announced Director of Strategic Initiatives Al Zappelli, as the crowd silenced to hear the faint sound of bagpipes. The Class of 2018 could be seen marching down the hillside all dressed in traditional black robes and adorned with beautiful orchid leis. The 68 graduates marched through the tent with their cleverly decorated caps. “UC me rollin’” read one, “MOM & DAD 1st GRADUATE” read another. Other notable caps were the Stanford logo that was made with a 3D printer, a cap decorated with grape leaves and pom poms, and a tribute cap to the beloved late faculty member Joe Montero. Each cap told a personal story of either where they were going or where they had been. This class was proud of their past and their future.

As graduates, faculty, staff, and Board members settled into their seats on stage, a buzz of excitement hung in the unusually warm air as members of the esteemed Chamber Singers choir belted out the national anthem.

Student speaker, Elizabeth Duncan, addressed the crowd with a warm open honesty, “I have a confession, I almost didn’t come to Priory,” she said. Duncan expressed the need to embrace discomfort and unfamiliarity in order to grow and discover opportunities that help you become a better person. “As much as Priory has made a point about teaching us our Benedictine values and our learning competencies, it did us good,” she said with certainty. Duncan voiced, “Here, this was and still is the space to find and challenge and nurture and emerge as our most resilient, compassionate selves. Our most human selves.”

Commencement speaker, Father John Fortin from Saint Anselm College and Priory board member, shared his long history with Priory. “Forty-two years ago I started here at Priory; a lot has changed, the student body was well under 200, the pool was just built, and the first bus purchased.” Father John also shared a special memory when he accompanied the entire school to a once in a lifetime field trip to view the King Tutankhamen exhibit in San Francisco. The day was going fine until, “an 8th grader set off the anti-theft alarm when he decided to try on some of the jewelry in the exhibit...the entire exhibit was cleared out and the bus ride home was long and completely silent,” he said with a soft chuckle. Father John closed with a reminder to not only the Class of 2018 but to everyone to “be open to consider respectfully different views and perspectives; and to treat all people with fairness and equality and, indeed, with love.”

The Class of 2018 then crossed the stage one by one to cheers of love and triumph as they received their diplomas. As swiftly as they had marched into the large white tent, the graduates marched out as the newest alumni, Class of 2018.

“Be open to consider respectfully different views and perspectives.”

Commencement speaker Father John Fortin.

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US GRADUATION

The Class of 2018

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Student speaker Elizabeth Duncan.

ACADEMIC HONORS AT COMMENCEMENT Academic honors at commencement are awarded to graduates who have earned the following cumulative grade point average by the end of the first semester of the senior year: ** Benedictine Honors - GPA of 4.0 plus * Head of School Honors - GPA of 3.81 to 3.99

Derek Eliseo Abarca

Lauren Marie Kastanis

Ayodele Stephen Aderoboye

Anika Ishani Khakoo **

Emmanuel Olawale Ajanaku-Makun

Emily Hui-Jung Kuo **

Samantha Raili Allison **

Erik Robert Larson

Keyshawn Kelvin Rufus Ashford

Adrian Mario LaValle

Nicholas Morgan Barber

Hannah Amy Lazarus

Lena Lucienne Bhagat **

Maxwell Robert Leiter

Jonathan Reynolds Brandin

Emma Hadleigh Lewer **

Joseph Aguilar Calderon

Alondra Manriquez Cardenas

Sergio Aguilar Calderon, Jr.

Anne Reynolds Xing McLaughlin

Betty Chen **

Jack Roger Nash **

Charis Magdalene Chiu

Kieran Dorrell Pandey **

Francesca Marie Cohn **

Miranda Arthemia Prince-Figuereo

Gabriel Cordova

Samuel Freewill Putney

Mackenzie Fairn Cornish

Devin Maitland Rautio

Duncan Alexander Croll **

Tatiana Marie Reese

Vincent Alexander Cullinan

Jane Alexa Robertson

Elizabeth Cara Duncan **

Isaac Ramon Roybal

Eva Marie Elfishawy *

Claire Kelton Ryland *

Mark Andrew Erasmus

Mikhail Drew Saliba

Eric Maxamillion Guy Fairon **

Samantha Tee Sargent

Catherine Elizabeth Flynn

Devin Andrew Schinski *

Olivia Marie Flynn

Arianna Ashley Schmulbach **

Xurui Gao **

Morgan Kuikeaopa’apono Serughetti

Yijun Gao **

Jackson Philip Smith *

Armando Gonzalez-Zaragoza

Emerson Ward Swan III

Michael William Gunn **

Jasmine Arianna Tang

Anna Elisabeth Gutow

Jerry Tang

Maxwell Stanley Habeck *

Mark Edward Theis **

Lucas Quarmby Harris

Jenna Lauren Tonogai *

Miya Judith Herman **

Casey Marie Walsh

Henry William Herz *

Zoe Skylar Weiss

Audrey Michelle Isackson

Noah Grinnell Willis

Jae Min Jeon **

Xinchang Xu *

Build a Boat Sail Away Max Fairon ‘18 built a wooden sailboat.

Making Music With Father Martin as his mentor, Mark Theis ‘18 built a dulcimer.

Art by Audrey Audrey Isackson ‘18 created original pieces of art.

Cullinary Kitchen Vince Cullinan ‘18 teamed up with Betty Chen ‘18 to create a cookbook focused on Chinese and Irish cuisines.

US GRADUATION

SENIOR PROJECTS

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US GRADUATION 24

2017-2018 College and University Acceptances Schools noted in bold are where Priory graduates of the Class of 2018 will be attending in the fall.

The University of Alabama American University Amherst College The University of Arizona Baldwin Wallace University Bard College Bates College Belmont University Berklee College of Music Boston University University of British Columbia Brown University Bucknell University California State University, Chico California State University, Dominguez Hills California State University, East Bay California State University, Fullerton California State University, Humboldt California State University, Long Beach California State University, Los Angeles California State University, Monterey Bay California State University, Pomona California State University, San Diego California State University, San Francisco California State University, San Jose California State University, San Luis Obispo California State University, Sonoma University of California, Berkeley University of California, Davis University of California, Irvine University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Merced University of California, Riverside University of California, San Diego University of California, Santa Barbara University of California, Santa Cruz Carleton College Carnegie Mellon University Case Western Reserve University Chapman University College of Charleston University of Chicago Coastal Carolina University Colgate University University of Colorado at Boulder Colorado College Colorado State University Columbia College Chicago Concordia University at Irvine Connecticut College Cornell University University of Dallas University of Denver DePaul University

Duke University Eastern Washington University Eckerd College Elon University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at Daytona Beach Emory University University of Florida Fordham University The George Washington University Georgia Institute of Technology Gonzaga University Grinnell College Haverford College University of Idaho University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign James Madison University Johns Hopkins University University of Kansas Kenyon College Lafayette College Lawrence University Lehigh University Lewis & Clark College Loyola Marymount University Loyola University New Orleans Macalester College Marquette University University of Massachusetts at Amherst McGill University Menlo College Miami University, Oxford University of Miami University of Michigan University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Muhlenberg College University of Nevada, Las Vegas University of Nevada, Reno New York University Northeastern University Northern Arizona University Northwestern University University of Notre Dame Oberlin College of Arts and Sciences Occidental College University of Oregon University of the Pacific Pepperdine University Pitzer College Pomona College University of Portland Princeton University University of Puget Sound Purdue University

University of Redlands Reed College Regis University University of Richmond University of Rochester Saint Mary’s College of California University of San Diego University of San Francisco Santa Clara University Sarah Lawrence College Seattle University Simon Fraser University Skidmore College University of South Carolina University of Southern California Southern Methodist University Southern Oregon University St. Edward’s University St. Lawrence University Stanford University Stony Brook University Syracuse University Texas Christian University Trinity College Tufts University Tulane University University of Utah University of Vermont University of Virginia Washington University in St. Louis University of Washington Wellesley College Wesleyan University Wheaton College (MA) Whitman College Whittier College Willamette University Xavier University Yale University

Valedictorians Max Fairon Anika Khakoo Salutatorian Elizabeth Duncan Dean of Students Award Jae Min Jeon Rev. Benignus F. Barat, O.S.B. Citizenship Award Devin Schinski Academic Dean Award Francesca Cohn St. Elizabeth Service Award Jackson Smith Head of School Award Joseph Calderon Tatiana Reese St. Benedict Award Kieran Pandey Residential Life Award Jae Min Jeon Joe Montero Senior Athlete Award Keyshawn Ashford Tatiana Reese Seven Year Club Charis Chiu Mackenzie Cornish Vincent Cullinan Max Fairon Eva Elfishawy Anna Gutow Lucas Harris Erik Larson Adrian LaValle Hannah Lazarus Maxwell Leiter

Jack Nash Samuel Putney Jane Robertson Isaac Roybal Claire Ryland Mikhail Saliba Samantha Sargent Morgan Serughetti Jasmine Tang Mark Theis Jenna Tonogai Zoe Weiss Residential Life Four-Year Award Derek Abarca Yinjun Gao Xurui Gao Henry Herz Jae Min Jeon Hui-Jung Kuo Alondra Manriquez Cardenas Miranda Prince-Figuereo National Merit Scholars Betty Chen Francesca Cohn Duncan Croll Max Fairon Anna Gutow Anika Khakoo Emma Lewer Jack Nash Jackson Smith Mark Theis National Merit Semi-Finalist and Finalist Elizabeth Duncan

US GRADUATION

Upper School Commencement Awards

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2017-18 AWARDS

Middle and Upper

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Livie Carusi

MIDDLE SCHOOL AWARDS

UPPER SCHOOL AWARDS

The St. Ambrose Award for the Humanities 6th grade: Ellie Turk 7th grade: Summer Shapero 8th grade: Liam Chandra

St. Elizabeth Service Award 10th grade: Chelsea Feng and Angela Wang 11th grade: Livie Carusi

The St. Albert Award for Sciences and Math 6th grade: Jacqueline Chuang 7th grade: Nina Pasquesi 8th grade: Thomas Kelly The St. Catherine Award for Fine Arts and Performing Arts 6th grade: Kayla Matsuoka 7th grade: Alexis Levin 8th grade: Remington Fu

Rachael Miller

Scholar Athlete Award Samantha Staudinger Luke Turk Athlete of the Year Megan Mawhinney Ashton Axe The St. Benedict Award 6th grade: Jonathan Lehman 7th grade: Will Strickland

Stuart Feng

Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award Rachael Miller The George Eastman Young Leaders Award Milan Pandey University of Rochester “Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award in Humanities and Social Sciences” Olivia Treynor University of Rochester “Xerox Award for Innovation and Information Technology” Kenneth Akers The Rensselaer Medal Stuart Feng The Williams College Book Award Joseph Casente The Wellesley College Book Award Emma Jaeger The St. Anselm Book Award Hannah Sheridan The Harvard Book Award Andrew Sirenko

2017-18 AWARDS

School Awards

27 The St. Benedict Award 9th grade: Emily Stanger 10th grade: Marie Sirenko 11th grade: Daniel Klein

Performing Arts 9th grade: Emma Solomon 10th grade: Matt Gutow 11th grade: Addison Reynolds

UPPER SCHOOL DEPARTMENT AWARDS

Science 9th grade: Sage Thomas 10th grade: Marie Sirenko 11th grade: Milan Pandey

Computer Science 9th grade: Bobby Youstra 10th grade: Dimitri Saliba 11th grade: Claire Kim English 9th grade: Christine Li 10th grade: Grant Whitman 11th grade: Caleb Pollack Mathematics 9th grade: Esha Umbarkar 10th grade: Bill Liu 11th grade: Andrew Sirenko

Social Sciences 9th grade: Christina Cheng 10th grade: Matthew Doktorczyk 11th grade: Daniel Cassel

Jonathan Lehman

Theology 9th grade: Sonya Kulasooriya 10th grade: Carmen Akamine-Alvarez 11th grade: Addison Reynolds Visual Arts 9th grade: Greta Patterson 10th grade: Maggie Pollard 11th grade: Olivia Treynor

Will Strickland

World Languages 9th grade: Rachel Sheynblat 10th grade: Leyla Gillett 11th grade: Daniel Cassel

Marie Sirenko Luke Turk, Ashton Axe, Samantha Staudinger, Megan Mawhinney

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MS GRADUATION

Promoting with Promise On May 31, 2018, 31 students from the Class of 2022 stood front stage in the Rothrock Performance Hall, ready to take in their last moments of middle school.

Head of Upper School and Assistant Head of School, Brian Schlaak, referred to the group as Generation Z, currently the largest generational group in the U.S. Schlaak explained that this generation tends to communicate with video and movies, rather than simply by text or voice and “will go forward as the most educated and diverse generation in American history.”

Student speaker, Remy Fu ’22, shared his special memories with a focus on the Performing Arts. Remy was involved in the Middle School Choir and stage tech.

Often, after a theater set was completed, Fu enjoyed being able to say “I put together that window,” or “I was the one who painted that wall.” Fu’s elation for Performing Arts beamed when he spoke about the MS Choir, “The Middle School Choir is one of my favorite things here at Priory and I am so glad to be able to sing with them.”

The second student speaker, John Max Byrne ’22, also served as the Middle School ASB President. John Max put an emphasis on the unique welcoming traits that the Priory middle school offers. “I was taught that I would be confronted with bullies and indifferent teachers all throughout my academic life, regardless of what school I went to. Woodside Priory has proved that idea wrong,” said Byrne. He applauded the strength of the Class of 2022 who “accepted each other for who we were, not for who we want them to be.”

Chosen faculty speaker, Todd Turner had many words of wisdom to pass along to the 31 members of the Class of 2022. He used his experiences from playing college baseball to emphasize the value of community. “I am reminded of two of my teammates at Washington, Johnny Burke and Kevin Stocker,” said Turner.

“Sometimes we were too hard on ourselves and Johnny was able to remind us of the things we did right. I encourage you to remember the good that is in you. If you look around, I bet you will find people like Johnny.” Turner reminded them to “surround yourself with the right people,” to get the most out of their gifts.

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Remy Fu

Middle School commencement speaker Todd Turner.

John Max Byrne

MS GRADUATION 30

The Class of 2022 ASHTON AXE CLAIRE BECKER JULIANNA BIRN JOHN MAX BYRNE JENNIFER CARLSMITH KENDALL CASTELO LIAM CHANDRA OLIVER CONN BENJAMIN DYCKERHOFF JESSICA FATHERS REMINGTON FU ROMILA GARGESHWARI OLIVER GAYNOR-LONG ERIK GENET VIVIENNE GILBERT QUINN HURLEY THOMAS KELLY MICHAELA MARONEY MEGAN MAWHINNEY NIKHILAS MULLIGAN NICHOLAS OCCHIPINTI BENJAMIN PUTNEY CONNOR SCHINSKI JULIA SINGH SAMANTHA SKARAKIS FINN SMITH SAMANTHA STAUDINGER ISABELLA THIBAULT LUKE TURK AALIYA VASUDEVAN EMILY WOOD

MS GRADUATION

Middle School Commencement Awards 8th Valedictorian Michaela Maroney Samantha Staudinger Luke Turk 8th Salutatorian Claire Becker

Michaela Maroney

Leadership Award John Max Byrne

31 Jessica Fathers

Middle School Head’s Award Jessica Fathers St. Benedict Award Megan Mawhinney

Samantha Staudinger

Claire Becker

Megan Mawhinney

John Max Byrne

Luke Turk

IN MEMORIAM

PAX

On the Twenty-Third Day of June, 2018 Our Confrere, Father Pius Laszlo Horvath, O.S.B. strengthened and fortified by the sacraments of the Church, was called home to the Lord after his valiant struggle with the challenges of advanced age. Father Pius was 88 years old at the time of his death and had just celebrated 65 years of his priesthood two days before.

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Father Pius was born in Izsa, Czechoslovakia on January 2, 1930 to Hungarian parents, Laszlo Horvath and Rozalia Vatresz. Due to changing borders and political upheavals, he always maintained his beloved Hungary to be his real homeland. His early years were lived in the challenging days surrounding the Second World War when he experienced the Nazi occupation of his homeland followed by the Russian Communist occupation. After the Communist takeover, in order to continue his high school education, he was forced to secretly cross the Danube into Hungary, often swimming across. Finally, he was able to enter the Benedictine Order at the Archabbey of Pannonhalma in Hungary, where he began his studies for the priesthood. After he was ordained he served as a parish priest. He remarked, “you always had to be careful, who you talked to, how you preached, because the system was spying on you.” No one knew, in that situation, who to trust.

The Hungarian uprising of 1956 afforded Father Pius the opportunity to escape religious suppression by the Communist government. In a dangerous and daring journey in the dead of night he was able to cross the border into Austria and from there moved on to Fribourg, Switzerland, where he began studies at the University. It was at the university that he established his lifelong love of languages as he mastered French, German, and even the difficult Swiss-German dialect.

After his time in Europe, he was offered the opportunity by his superior to go either to Brazil or the United States to join Benedictine confreres. For him the choice was easy–California or bust! It was in California where, in 1960, he joined the seven Hungarian monks who had founded Woodside Priory. It was here that he realized his lifelong desire to be a teacher. For over five decades, he served as Latin and German teacher, as well as head of the language department at the school. In addition to his schoolwork, Father Pius served the monastic community as its Prior and served the Archdiocese of San Francisco as weekend assistant in a number of parishes, notably Saint Denis Parish in Menlo Park and Our Lady of the Wayside in Portola Valley. It was his vision and effort that gave birth to the joining of the Priory to Saint Anselm Abbey in Manchester New Hampshire in 1975.

Throughout his years, Father Pius has been an inspiration to the many students he has taught as well as the entire Priory community. His sense of humor, his wit, his wisdom and that sparkle in his eyes will long be remembered by those who love him.

Father Martin, O.S.B.

Pius Laszlo Horvath, O.S.B. Born Professed Ordained Died

January 2, 1930 May 14, 1950 June 21, 1953 June 23, 2018

IN MEMORIAM

In Memory Of

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GIRLS BASKETBALL

Anna Barton ‘19

Annie Boyle ‘19

Shannon Fitzgerald ‘19

2018 CCS CHAMPIONS 2018 NORCAL CHAMPIONS 2018 STATE RUNNER-UP

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Head Coach: Buck Matthews Assistant Coach: Sebastian Poitier Team Manager: AnaMalia Veamatahau Ila Lane ‘19

Julianne Lempert ‘21

Lala Niu ‘20

Annabelle North ‘20

Tatiana Reese ‘18

Kara Reiss ‘19

Dominique Robson ‘20

Gabby Ruiz ‘19

GIRLS BASKETBALL

The Fast Break to State

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How does a girls’ basketball team go from a JV team to playing in the State Championship in just four years?

“Coach Buck Matthews has taken the program from the JV level, to the top of the lower division in the West Bay Athletic League, to the middle of the very competitive WBAL upper division,” said Athletic Director Mark Stogner. “Priory is now a well respected basketball program in the section and state, in just a few short years.”

Coach Buck built the girls’ basketball program year by year with the overall goal of making it to the State Championship. One of the tougher and riskier strategies was to schedule a tough preseason schedule.

“Having a tough preseason schedule prepares you for league and playoffs. It also taught us how to play with a sense of urgency and that we couldn’t take a game off,” Coach Buck explained. “I had complete faith in my team that they would persevere.” The team played against large powerhouse schools like Archbishop Mitty, Aragon, Marin Catholic, and Menlo-Atherton, and felt honored that these well-established programs wanted to play them and they wanted to earn the respect from the area that they belonged. One thing that Coach Buck didn’t account for during the preseason was injuries. Several players suffered injuries that would sideline them for weeks at a time.

They never got to play with a full healthy roster until

GIRLS BASKETBALL 36

CCS playoffs. But according to Coach Buck and Mark Stogner, the entire team was dedicated from the start. “Each player was completely invested in the process,” emphasized Stogner.

Tatiana Reese ‘18 came to Priory in the 7th grade, when the basketball program was still a JV team. Her love for Priory and the mentorship by Coach Buck helped her believe that she could help build the girls basketball program. “I knew right away this was the place for me. It was the place that felt most like home,” Reese said.

As for her connection with Coach Buck, Reese explained, “I always thought of him like an important figure in my life.

He developed me as an athlete, and more importantly as a student. I couldn’t be more thankful to have him in my life.”

In the 2016-17 season, the team was making great strides with a high-scoring historical CCS win, 69-48, over St. Francis Salesian. But their hopes of winning NorCal and advancing to the State Championship were crushed after losing to Eastside College Prep in the NorCal Championship game.

The NorCal Championship loss only seemed to fuel the team with a deeper desire to get to the State Championship this season. “I expected to go to the State Championship because we were so close last year and how much the girls hated losing last year,” expressed Coach Buck.

With that fire now lit, the team went into the season more determined than ever. As the tough preseason schedule rolled through, the Panthers were at first discouraged at trying to execute winning the game, but knew in the long run that those preseason games had helped to prepare them for playoffs.

The first playoff game began with the CCS playoffs, Priory started as the Division V number one seeded team, and blew through CCS with wins over KIPP San Jose Collegiate, 64-24, St. Francis Salesian, 68-55, and for the CCS Championship, a victory over Castilleja, 72-32.

Moving on to NorCal playoffs, there was suddenly a new unexpected change. A new seeding model called “competitive equity” was introduced and teams in all divisions were separated by strength and not enrollment.

Priory has traditionally played in Division V, but with the competitive equity model in effect, the team was still seeded number one, but was bumped up to Division IV. This

would mean possibly competing against much larger schools. This change didn’t seem to discourage Priory in NorCal playoffs though, as it charged through game-bygame with victories over Moreau Catholic, 62-38, St. Bernard’s, 5840, and San Joaquin Memorial, 55-35.

Now the team was in the same position as the previous season– the NorCal Championship game. A major benefit to being the number one seed is home court advantage. Priory was able to host the NorCal Championship at home in front of a jam-packed gym. Behind the chants and support of Priory students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends, the team battled and came out victorious in a nail-biting triumph over Bradshaw Christian 59-58. History was made once again with the first NorCal Championship. “It just felt good to win a championship with people I love and hold close to my heart and to have people I love dearly supporting me,” said Reese about the historical win. “I cried. I was so excited, I’ve never felt this type of happiness ever.”

As NorCal Champs, that meant the team was going to the big game, the Division IV State Championships. The game would take place at the Golden One Center, the same arena that the Sacramento Kings call home. When Reese was asked about how she felt about playing at the Golden One Center, she was always reminded that it took the dedication and talent of the entire team to get there. “There’s no other group that I’d want to be able to experience this with. I was more happy for them to get an opportunity to play than myself,” Reese said with pride.

Coach Buck felt both anxious and determined going into the State Championship game. “Because of our up and down season, I am not sure anyone expected us to make it to the State Championship game,” he said. Coach Buck went on to explain, “Going into the State Championship game, we were very confident and prepared to play Rolling Hills Prep.”

On game day, the team calmly took to the court and began their warm up routine as Priory fans tried to fill the 17,608 seat capacity arena with their large presence of blue and white Priory attire, face paint, pom poms, and poster boards.

Priory was well represented by Joseph Calderon ’18, who stood center court to sing a beautiful performance of the national anthem. The team stood behind Joseph with a look of determination and pride.

GIRLS BASKETBALL 37

The game against Rolling Hills was filled with emotional ups and down. Reese opened the second quarter with two back-to-back three-pointers and the crowd went insane.

Ila Lane ’19, Anna Barton ’19, and Annabelle North ’20 all scored, but foul trouble was already looming by halftime.

By the third quarter, Reese had fouled out and her playing time at the State Championship was over. Lane, Annie Boyle ’19, and Gabby Ruiz ’19 each stepped up to put points on the board, but Priory found itself with too many fouls and Rolling Hills was able to benefit from the foul line. As the last few seconds ticked down and Rolling Hills began to celebrate, the Priory team began to hug one another with pride in their hearts and tears in their eyes. The team had fought with tooth and nail, but would wind up losing 57-53.

The team, coaches and fans all appeared slightly dazed at the loss as the awards ceremony commenced. “I honestly was stunned in the beginning but as I think about it, we developed some lifelong skills, and we got an experience of

our life,” Reese expressed. “It’s the process I’m proud of, we turned our L’s into lessons.”

“This was the toughest loss I’ve ever had to endure because we put in so much time and I know how bad the girls wanted to win that game. I feel we let that game slip away from us,” explained Coach Buck. But being the exceptional teacher of the game, Coach Buck knew that this talented team has a bright future. “I am extremely proud to coach a group of girls that love one another, and played and practiced hard for five months,” he said. “Our goal next year is to win a State Championship and send our soon to be seniors off in style.”

North was awarded the CIF Sportsmanship Award for her display of respect for the game and others at the State Championship game. The team and coaches took home the 2018 Division IV State Championship RunnerUp trophy, which now sits as a first of its kind in the Priory trophy room.

PANTHER PAUSE

Stephanie Sanchez Meets the Pope

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In celebration of Sant’ Anselmo’s 125th anniversary, 15 students from Benedictine schools throughout the world traveled to Rome. Sant’ Anselmo is a house of study for monks from Benedictine communities throughout the world. Priory student, Stephanie Sanchez ’19, was one of the lucky students chosen to make the trip, and the highlight of the journey, was a once in a lifetime personal meeting with Pope Francis.

Sanchez prepared for her meeting with Pope Francis by asking her family members if they wanted to write him a letter that she could give to him. “I even talked to some of my teachers about it and they had some questions that they wanted answered,” she said.

In a room next to St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Sanchez sat patiently with approximately 250 other devoted people awaiting the Pope’s arrival. When Sanchez’s time came, she was surprisingly calm, “Standing in front of him, I felt comfortable and happy that I was talking to him,” she explained. Sanchez had decided it was best for her to speak in Spanish to the Pope, so she introduced herself, mentioned her hometown, her school and “said that my friends and family love him very much, and thanked him for being an inspiration to many.” Once she finished speaking, she handed him the letters written by her family and asked him to bless a few small items belonging to her family members. After he blessed the items and received the letters, he said “Thank You” in Spanish and the remarkable encounter was concluded.

Sanchez reflected on meeting the Pope, “talking to him was definitely not what I expected. I thought that I would have gotten a lot more nervous than I did and I felt that after meeting the Pope is when I realized what a positive impact such an admirable figure can have on some people such as myself.

Sanchez was very grateful to have had the opportunity to meet the Pope and also visit Rome and the surrounding cities of Montecassino, Subiaco, and the Vatican. “Meeting the Pope was not the only once in a lifetime opportunity for me, but spending time in one of the most beautiful places in the world with amazing people is truly a blessing,” she added. “I’m very glad I had a chance to experience this life-changing trip.”

PANTHER PAUSE

25 Years with Volunteer Captain Tim Molak

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Tim Molak with his daughter Kate and future son-in-law Brad Hallick.

On April 28, Priory took part in the annual Rebuilding Together project to restore a home in East Palo Alto. What many people don’t realize is it takes a team leader, an organizer, or what Rebuilding Together classifies them, a Volunteer Captain, to make the entire project come to life. Head of School Tim Molak, has been that Volunteer Captain for the past 25 years. Molak’s tireless dedication to Rebuilding Together goes beyond the actual day of work by the large group of volunteers. What many people don’t see are the days that Molak went to the homes in need and scoped out what needs to be repaired, dumped, cleaned and followed up with additional final repairs.

This year, Rebuilding Together honored Molak by presenting him with a trophy for 25 years of his dedication as a Volunteer Captain. Molak started the relationship between Priory and Rebuilding Together as the dean of students and was proud that Priory is the first school in the area to volunteer with Rebuilding Together. “They started 28 years ago and we have been a part of Rebuilding Together for 26 years, that’s pretty cool,” remarked Molak.

So what has inspired Molak to continue working as a Volunteer Captain for all these years? “I love doing it, the kids love doing it with faculty and staff by their side, and it provides a specific fundraiser for all students during Lent,” Molak explained.

“The clients we serve are so happy and grateful for what our group does for their home,” he added. Mr. Molak, we are happy and grateful for what you have unselfishly done for so many homes and for so many years. Congratulations on your 25 years of service honor!

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10 Years in the PAC Ten years ago, the Performing Arts Center, now known as the Rothrock Performance Hall, opened to the delight of the entire Priory community. The cool features like the giant screen that seemed to drop down from the sky, or the actual green room with makeup stations and the immense SPACE brought out “ooooohs” and “aaaaahs” from the crowd on opening day.

A lot has happened in the PAC over the last 10 years. We thought it would be fun to have outgoing choral instructor, Tina Paulson and drama instructor, John Sugden share some of their favorite moments of what they call “moments of beauty, humor, and real artistic connection.”

• All the musicals were awesome–but particularly “Urinetown,” “Drowsy Chaperone,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” and of course, “Jesus Christ, Superstar.”

• The Mechanicals (bottom and crew) in “Midsummer Night’s Dream” making them laugh so hard that they fell out of their seat.

• All the Faculty Talent Shows–but particularly the one where Molly Buccola did “interpretive dance” while Amanda McFadden and Tina did a piano/recorder rendition of “My Heart Will Go On,” or the one when John and Tina did the “One Man Les Mis”–they did ALL of “Les Mis” in about 10 minutes, and John played every character, with costumes and props.

• Several stand-out Pops Concert performances...

Concert Choir with the “High School Musical Medley” two years ago, or the entire choral program’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” from about six years ago.

• Chris Gregory’s ‘12 unflinching dedication to outdoing himself with lights every subsequent year of his time here... and how he asked for a key to the PAC when he was a 6th grader...

• “The Laramie Project” was heartbreaking and so beautiful, as was “Twilight: Los Angeles 1992”–our students’ capacity for depth and truth in tackling really hard issues.

• Any time John and Tina performed for events/ galas–“Wonderful Town,” “Priory (Comedy) Tonight,” “This is the Priory (Cabaret)”–and all of the parodying the Performing Arts has done over the years...

The Drowsy

Chris Gregory

John a

nd Tin

Beauty and

the Beast

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Chaperone

MILESTONES Midsummer

Nights Dre

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The opening of the PAC in 2008

Pops

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Pops Conce

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Urinetown

GALA

The Beat Goes On...

Priory’s 36th Gala CLUB 60!

Priory’s first disco nightclub, Club 60, opened for the parent community on March 17 at Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club with enormous thanks to Jennifer Youstra, Christy Occhipinti and Cynthia Mahood Levin, chairs of the school’s largest social event of the year.

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Groovy guests responded to the theme with enthusiasm arriving in bell bottoms, tie-dye, mini skirts, white patent leather boots and peasant blouses ready to get down and get funky! Wandering through the silent auction, decorated by Clayre Fathers and Wendy Dyckerhoff, guests enjoyed signature cocktails and appetizers, while at the same time monitoring the NorCal championship game of our girls’ basketball team.

In full Saturday Night fever form, Mr. Molak oversaw the Live Auction imaginatively curated by Kristi Patterson, Carolyn Putney and Jennifer Youstra. Julie Dickerson and Linda Thomas’ creative composition of cakes received a rousing response, including a never-before-offered 60th Anniversary cake! Live auction highlights included a Dream Race Weekend with Mario Andretti, an ultimate luxury experience in the Big Apple with tickets to see Jimmy Fallon and the Roots, a culinary tour of Paris including cooking classes at Le Cordon Bleu, an extreme V.I.P. weekend with Coach Moseley to see the LA Lakers and an action packed day at Universal Studios and … of course, Father Martin’s handcrafted, heirloom quality Tall Clock–number 34 in a limited edition series.

With the final paddle counted, guests made a mad dash to the disco dance floor to claim their spot and rock the night away! Jam packed and roaring until the very last beat of the very last song, Club 60 will be the measure for galas to come.

1. Scott and Pamela Weiss were dressed head to toe in 60’s fashion.

2. Gala chairs Cynthia Mahood Levin, Jennifer Youstra, and Christy Occhipinti with Tim Molak.

3. Father Maurus proudly displayed the Monks Cake.

4. Father Martin got into the spirit while serving a hot Irish coffee that accompanied the Monks Cake!

5. Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club was filled to capacity with happy bidders.

6. Parents enjoyed themselves at the silent auction portion of the evening.

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GALA

Fund-a-Future Halfway through the live auction, Fund-a-Future Chair, Carolyn Putney, took the stage to ask for support of Priory’s financial aid program, “Let us not deny any qualified student the chance to benefit from our timeless values and superior education, based on their bank accounts. Let us make a commitment to improve tomorrow by making a gift of the Priory, to others today.”

She then presented Priory alumna, Keyra Galavan ‘11, who shared her experience as a participant in Priory’s financial aid program and how that experience set the course for her life. A graduate of Santa Clara University and a Fulbright Scholar, Galvan currently works as a financial analyst for Adobe Systems in San Jose. In her touching remarks she said, “I’m proud to be the first in my family and extended family to go to college. I am completely humbled and blessed to have had the Priory community as well as many others to thank for my journey.“

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With special thanks to co-chair Millie Gong who worked behind the scenes, Putney and Galvan’s Fund-a-Future presentation generated over half a million dollars in support of financial aid at Priory. Galvan expressed her gratitude beautifully, “To everyone in this room, especially those who have been with me on my journey through the years, I couldn’t be more grateful to you. “

1. Keyra Galvan ‘11 spoke during the Fund-a-Future portion of the evening.

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2. A flurry of bid paddles went up during the Fund-a-Future.

3. Stuart and Carolyn Putney happily won the 60th Anniversary Cake presented by Al Zappelli.

4. The gala committee enjoyed the evening in their festive 60’s attire.

5. Father Martin with his clock #34!

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SUSTAINABILITY

Greetings,

44 “On campus, I have a reputation as a singleminded thistle terminator. This reputation precedes me despite the many hats I wear.

Indeed, weed-whacker on my shoulder, hands lacerated by prickly thorns, sweating through my clothing, I am embarrassed to realize that I can’t hide on the exposed Priory hillside. I see that my reputation is well-earned.”

The Priory is fortunate to enjoy one of the world’s most favorable environments for plant growth; as a gardener you can grow just about anything in Portola Valley.

The winters are mild, and winter root vegetables and leafy greens endure the chill.

During the summer, with enough irrigation water to supplant our deficit in summer rain, tomato plants grow taller than the people who planted them, and zucchini vines make audible sounds as growing leafs bristle past one another. Spring and fall are so temperate that you can always hear someone on campus saying, “Just another day in paradise.” During those magical shoulder seasons, plants inside the Franklin Garden and beyond its fences–feel the same way.

So it should be no surprise then, that the combination of a favorable climate and a root-level “All are Welcome” vibe have combined to invite some unwelcome visitors to the Priory campus. I’m talking about plant visitors, of course: weeds, thistles, allopatric grasses new to the Bay Area, and other invasive and opportunistic plant species. These pest plants thrive in Portola Valley’s climate. Many of them have seeds that endure the driest times of summer, and are adapted to out-compete native plants for limited soil water. Indeed, people familiar with recent sustainability efforts at the Priory should be familiar with yellow star thistle because it presents such a perennial nuisance and has been the target of so much on-campus student eradication effort over the last few years.

The number, variety, and extent of invasive plant species making a home on the Priory campus continues to grow. This pattern reflects a larger trend that we can observe at various ecological levels and scales, from the greater Bay Area to the global ecosphere: in the context of global change and increasing interconnections, biological communities are threatened by invasive species from exotic locations.

And the truth is, the array of uninvited visitors to the Priory does not just include plants. The long 2016-2017 rainy season provided enough moisture and related plant growth that gave rise to huge populations of other pests. In 2017-2018 we have had to contend with unprecedented numbers of mice, rats, gophers, and squirrels that made their presences known–on the Priory campus–and in greater Portola Valley.

In my AP Environmental Science class, we continually talk about the concepts of interconnectivity, interdependence, balance and positive feedback (the idea that changes to a system could lead to further changes in the same direction.) As we observe the connections between weather, climate, and global change, we can see examples of the systems attributes I mentioned above. We also explore the concept of “function stacking”–the idea that a single solution could solve multiple problems.

This year, as my class discussed the causes and effects of global change and ecosystem simplification, we also discussed solutions. As we discussed some of the ways that global change is evident on the Priory landscape–I had an idea.

A student’s question led me to consider how we might use a function stacking approach to solve several problems that we encounter on the Priory hillside.

So I called a goatherd.

Sincerely,

Hovey Clark Sustainability Director

SUSTAINABILITY

The problem plants that grow on the Priory hillside are especially vexing because they have a get-in/get-out quick population strategy that allows seeds to germinate, grow, get pollinated, reproduce and disperse in a cycle that is out of sync with the school’s scheduled brush clearing. Fact is, you can’t drive a heavy mower on a steep and muddy hillside in the middle of winter.

So, on March 23, Brian and Daniel Allen of Green Goat Landscaping brought 240 goats, which were set out on two acres surrounded by a temporary electric fence. The goats, they assured me, would eat everything, even the thistle. The goats grazed the Priory hillside. They looked happy and quite at home.

During the week that they were on campus, more than 10 kids (the goat kind) were born and the goats did indeed eat everything in their two-acre enclosure. They browsed thistle and native grasses to soil level. By the end of the week, in fact, the last bits of green were disappearing from the hillside like the final sands in an hourglass. And despite the pleas and plaintive statements from students, “I hope we keep them. I feel like I am in love when they are around,” I wanted them to leave. I was worried that we had over-grazed the hillside.

So the goats left. And as the weeks passed and the seasons have changed, the multiple benefits of their time on campus have proved themselves. Yellow star thistle is not present in the areas where the goats grazed. Native grasses have filled in lushly. Moreover, in the time that the grasses were laid-low, red-tailed hawks feasted on rats, squirrels, and gophers. The pests had nowhere to hide.

And, an additional benefit of the grazing seemed to be that the hillside retained more moisture. The grazing and ranging by the goats had re-invigorated microorganisms in the soil. The grasses in the grazed area of the hillside remained green long after neighboring grasses had turned brown and turned to thatch.

In reflection, the goat-grazing project was an experiment in function stacking. Particularly, it was an experiment in the application of “integrated pest management”. It was a living and dynamic example of the ways in which we can apply regenerative solutions to take advantage of multiple layers of benefits.

And while I think that the benefits to the Priory soils and plant communities are immense and represent the school’s embrace of sustainability on a holistic level, I’d also suggest that something much deeper was happening, as well. There was a spiritual benefit that came from having the goats around as well, a kind of ancient and existential reminder that all is right and in balance when humans, animals, and their landscape are working in harmony with one another.

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PRIORY FUTURES PRIORY FUTURES How you you can can prepare prepare for for your your future future and, and, at at the the same same time, time, provide provide for for How Priory’s future? future?

Priory’s

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Over the the years, years, those those who who have have experienced experienced the the Over community of of Woodside Woodside Priory Priory School, School, remark remark on on its its community truly special special spirit spirit and and unique unique character. character. This This spirit spirit truly comes directly from the five Benedictine values that that form form the the core core of of Priory’s Priory’s mission. mission. They They often often comment comment they they want want this this spirit spirit to to continue continue and and serve serve students students well well into into the the future. future.

Priory’s Planned Priory’s Planned Giving Giving program, program, PRIORY PRIORY FUTURES, allows FUTURES, allows individuals individuals and and families families to to consider ways consider ways through through their their estate estate plans plans to to answer answer the question. the question. The The Priory’s Priory’s planned planned giving giving website website at at prioryca.org/plannedgiving provides provides helpful prioryca.org/plannedgiving helpful information information to to plan plan for for your your family and family and insure insure aa legacy legacy for for Priory’s Priory’s future. future. Here Here you you will will also also see see testimonials from testimonials from others others who who invested invested in in the the PRIORY PRIORY FUTURES FUTURES program. program.

When you you inform inform us us that that you you have have included included or or intend intend to to include include Priory Priory in in When your estate estate plans, plans, we we want want to to honor honor your your legacy legacy by by including including you you in in the the Saint Saint your Benedict Society.

Society. This This group group of of donors donors includes includes current current and and alumni alumni families, families, Benedict Chapel Friends, Friends, alumni alumni and and individuals individuals who who see see the the need need for for Benedictine Benedictine Chapel education to to continue continue to to serve serve students students for for years years to to come. come. education welcome your your questions questions and and interest interest in in PRIORY PRIORY FUTURES FUTURES and and look look forward forward II welcome to talking talking further further with with you you about about planned planned giving giving opportunities opportunities at at the the Priory.

Priory. to Al D. Al D. Zappelli Zappelli Senior Director Director for for Strategic Strategic Initiatives Initiatives Senior 650-851-6101 650-851-6101 azappelli@PrioryCA.org azappelli@PrioryCA.org

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 closeout 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.

With gratitude,

Suzanne Couch Director of Development

DEVELOPMENT

Summer Greetings to All,

“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

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VOLUNTEERISM 48

Volunteer Appreciation Brunch

By Liz Kendall

“By volunteering at their school, my children’s world becomes my own. I get to know their daily environment, their teachers and friends on my own terms, which gives me so many more ways to authentically connect with my children.”

1. Senior moms, Regina Saliba, Kaleo Serughetti-Waxman, Carolyn Putney, and Sue Leiter.

2. Parent volunteers Angele Singh, Reid Matsuoka, and Callie Turk.

3. Cindy and Wayne Davidson.

4.Christy Occhipinti helped to thank the many gala volunteers.

5. New PPA Presidents Carolyn Putney and Kristi Patterson thanked past PPA Presidents Kari Rust and Kathy Fitzgerald.

It was a morning of excitement and celebration as 71 parent volunteers took their seats in the Rothrock Performance Hall on April 25 for the 2017-2018 Volunteer Appreciation Brunch. Seated at round tables decorated with floral centerpieces, volunteers enjoyed a brunch of salads, sandwiches and a variety of desserts.

After a blessing offered by Father Martin, Head of School Tim Molak welcomed the 2018 gala chairs, Christy Occhipinti, Cynthia Mahood Levin, and Jennifer Youstra to the podium where they re-capped Club 60 and celebrated the 35+ parents who made up the gala team.

The annual tradition of honoring the Last Volunteer Standing was led by Molak, inviting volunteers to remain standing based on the number of years they’ve volunteered at Priory resulted in two honorees this year! Jennifer Hammer and Mary Rose Theis were both honored with bouquets, applause, and hugs for their 13+ years of service to the Priory.

In celebration of Priory’s 60th anniversary, all past PPA presidents and gala chairs were invited and were recognized with blue ribbons on their nametags.

Cindy and Wayne Davison, who traveled from their home in Oregon, are Priory’s most decorated gala chairs to date, having chaired five galas dating back to 1999.

The foundational accomplishments of the Davisons and all of the legacy leaders were recognized and celebrated with a standing ovation.

The gratefulness continued with PPA Presidents Kari Rust and Kathy Fitzgerald recognizing individual volunteers for their roles in coordinating new parent cocktail receptions, Grandparents’ Day, Christmas magic, admissions open houses, Annual Fund participation, and dozens of other events and opportunities throughout the year.

Reflections on volunteering submitted by parent volunteers were read aloud throughout the brunch, including a touching message written by Pamela Dorrell that seemed to resonate with all in attendance. “By volunteering at their school, my children’s world becomes my own,” Dorrell writes. “I get to know their daily environment, their teachers and friends on my own terms, which gives me so many more ways to authentically connect with my children. Volunteering sends an important message to my kids that school is valuable. If I can spend my precious time working for free to make the Priory an even better place, the children too should have respect for the school and work hard.”

The new PPA presidents, Carolyn Putney and Kristi Patterson, were introduced and joined Fitzgerald and Rust on stage before Director of Development Suzanne Couch shared an enthusiastic 10-second clip of the entire student body thanking parent volunteers to close out the brunch.

VOLUNTEERISM

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All current Priory parents are part of the Priory Parent Association. To find the right volunteer opportunity for you, visit the PPA back-to-school coffee and volunteer fair on Friday, August 17. All skill levels and time commitments are welcome! We would love to celebrate you at next years Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast on April 26, 2019!

VOLUNTEERISM

Last Volunteer Standing, Jennifer Hammer

Taking it One Frame at a Time Since 2004

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By Liz Kendall

“It’s a privilege to be a part of it”

Jennifer Hammer knows Priory. Beginning when her daughter Eleanor (Ellie) Oates ’10 entered Priory’s 6th grade in 2003, Jennifer did what was natural to her and looked for opportunities to volunteer. She imagined she might be a class parent, but in the spring of 2004 when Father Martin was unable to photograph the theatre performance, Jennifer stepped in and has photographed every theater production since. Along the way, she and her husband added videography as well, providing photos and videos to parents and the school. Taking 3,000-4,000 initial photographs of the show, Jennifer says she takes a day and a half to narrow the images down to 400-800 and aims for 10 great pictures of each actor and actress.

As Ellie continued to be part of Priory’s twice-annual theater productions until she graduated, Hammer took on new volunteer roles beyond photography and videography.

In 2007, she co-chaired the Cinco de Mayo-themed gala and chaired it herself in 2008, with a theme of “An Evening in Monte Carlo.” Continuing to volunteer in the theater realm, she remembers working with the costumer and refreshment stand, and decorating the theater’s entry hall for Christmas during the performances of “A Christmas Carol. “ Hammer describes the volunteering experience as “a gift to be closer” to Ellie and that she was happy to share a part of her Priory experience with her. With Hammer continuing to photograph the performances in the eight years since her daughters graduation, she has delighted in continuing to work with the theater department and meeting today’s students.

“The theater program meant so much to my daughter. If at all possible, find time to volunteer because it’s so great to see what’s going on, especially in the theater, it’s such a magical relationship these kids have together.”

Hammer’s best advice for volunteering at your child’s school is to make yourself invisible.

“You need to be able to do it in a way where your kid is going to be ok and comfortable. I tried never to show my face in front of her and her friends. It’s so precious for them to have their space. It’s a privilege to be a part of it.”

VOLUNTEERISM

Last Volunteer Standing, Mary Rose Theis

Giving Back Through Teacher Appreciation

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By Liz Kendall For Mary Rose Theis, the motivation to volunteer at Priory is simple: “I just like to give back.”

With her third and youngest child graduating as a member of Priory’s Class of 2018, Theis looks back on her years of volunteering with purpose, “It’s a joy to be able to contribute to Priory,” she said.

One of Theis’ favorite volunteer projects was beginning the teacher appreciation breakfasts. “The teachers at Priory are great, I really wanted to thank them,” she remembered.

Describing the breakfasts as a way for teachers to connect with one another in a relaxed and casual space, Theis remembers the breakfasts being a great way for parents to demonstrate their appreciation for Priory’s teachers. The simple appreciation breakfasts transitioned into what today’s employees know as the grand annual faculty and staff appreciation lunch. The beloved gift card raffle tradition began by Theis at the breakfasts continue into today’s lunch.

Other volunteer roles she cherished were coordinating auctions and being a room parent when her three boys were in 9th grade. She remembers her goal was to make Priory’s newest 9th grade students feel welcome.

She described most of her volunteer roles lasting a few years before another volunteer parent transitioned into the role. She recommended this transition as new voices and leaders enter a project. “New people will bring new ideas; they’ll bring value in a new way.” Another reason for her transition to different roles related to when she would occasionally hear from her boys about how often she was at their school. She’d seek out under-the-radar roles for herself after these conversations, including painting set pieces for the theater productions.

“You feel a bit of pride after working so hard on a set piece, and seeing it being used in the play,” she shared.

Theis says volunteering was simply a way to stay involved with other adults and give back to Priory in whatever way she could add value. “You learn new things, you give back, you create things.” She cited her favorite volunteer work as anything related to teacher appreciation.

At the Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast, outgoing PPA president Kathy Fitzgerald shared, “Mary Rose has one of those minds that can take a project, organize every little detail, ensure it runs smoothly, and make it better, we have the binders to prove it! Mary Rose has touched and impacted every corner of Priory from performing arts to theater, athletics, to development–through the auction and annual campaign, to faculty and staff appreciation breakfasts and lunches, she is omnipresent.”

“Adding Value and Giving Back”

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Double the Fun

Priory officially moves annual Alumni Reunion to the spring What a year for the Priory Alumni Association! For the first time in school history, not one but two reunions were hosted in the same school year! After an incredibly successful Reunion Weekend in September 2017, and with the plan to host the yearly gathering in the spring going forward, Priory welcomed generations of alumni home for the second time during the school year for the 2018 Alumni Reunion on April 14.

With graduates from the Classes of 1964 to 2013 in attendance, the day began with a beautiful alumni-led Mass in the Priory Chapel, followed by a poolside reception and ceremony at the Joe Montero Aquatic Center, featuring Father Martin Mager and Priory chef Ruben Zambrano’s famous wood fired pizzas.

Adding to the merriment were numerous current and past faculty and staff members, including Ruth Benz, Nancy Newman, Betty Van Wagenen, Brian Schlaak, Paul Trudelle and Faculty Alumni Liaison Todd Turner.

Capping off the festivities were remarks from Head of School Tim Molak and a special presentation honoring the Class of 1968 from Father Maurus Nemeth in celebration of their 50th Reunion.

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A golden moment. Members of the Class of 1968 celebrate their 50th reunion.

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REUNION RECAP

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A big thank you to our dedicated Class Captains, who are keeping their classmates informed of all things Priory alumni!

Don’t see your year represented? Contact the Alumni Office at alumni@prioryca.org or Faculty Alumni Liaison Todd Turner at tturner@prioryca.org to learn more and get involved.

Class Year

Name

2018 2018 2018 2018 2018 2018 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2013 2012 2008 2007 2006 2006 2006 2005 2005 2003 2003 2002 2001 2000 1987 1983 1978 1972 1968 1968

Elizabeth Duncan Emma Lewer Mick Jeon Miranda Prince-Figuereo Tatiana Reese Emerson Swan Noah Willis Ryan Calbert Brooks Royals Jane Ross Chris Gregory Riley Munks Emre Sonmez Kaitlin Bonfiglio Connor Pierson Linda Szabados Scott Bader Kendall Bell Tori Patton Cynthia Sleight Bret Yerkovich Tara Scarioni Bryan Riches Alex Mills Kathleen Ruiz Emily (Cohen) Chapman Ed Sun Raegen Miller Gerard Orban Phil Gregory Vincent Siciliano Chris Drouin

REUNION RECAP

Class Captains — Spreading the Priory Word

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CLASS NEWS & NOTES

1967 Christopher Kennedy ’67 is the senior deputy director of athletics at Duke University and teaches in the university’s English Department and Ethics Institute. His book, Battlefield Surgeon, based on his father’s experiences and frontline medical care in World War II, was a finalist for the Army Historical Foundation’s Distinguished Writing Award. He’s currently working on another book and has no plans to retire anytime soon.

2000 Zoltan Kovacs ’00 recently moved to a Nashville, Tenn. suburb with his wife Cheryl and two sons, Ethan (6) and Jacob (3).

1980 Angelo Kusber ’80 and his daughter joined his parents, Leo and Annamaria, for Mass at the Priory Chapel while visiting from Minnesota.

2003

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Falon Fatemi ’03, formerly the youngest Google employee at 19, founded Node this past fall. The business development company boasts $17 million in investor funding, including from star of Shark Tank and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

In February 2018, she reunited with Director of Strategic Initiatives Al Zappelli at an event in San Francisco.

Tara Scarioni ’03 currently lives in Los Angeles and works as an events planner for Netflix. She recently caught up with Father Martin during his visit to LA in June 2018.

Travel enthusiasts, the Scarionis: Tara ’03 and Marc ’07, spent time traveling in China this last year.

2012

Bret Yerkovich ’05 is currently a vice president at JLL, helping companies lease and buy real estate in the Bay Area. He recently was the best man in classmate Peter Giovannotto’s wedding.

Max Barnes ‘12 was the recipient of Menlo College’s Outstanding Oak Award in recognition of his leadership while an undergraduate. In addition to being named to the Dean’s List, his classmates voted him “Most Likely to be the Next Steve Jobs.” He also was the Judge Russell awardee, given annually to a student who exemplifies the greatest scholarship, leadership, character and service to the Business Management Program. During Barnes’ time at Menlo, he also founded the Pioneer Club, a private entrepreneurship club, which was voted the 2017-18 Club of the Year.

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2005 classmates: Peter Giovannotto (left) and Bret Yerkovich

2007 Alicia Kriewall-Lopez ’07 and her husband Daniel welcomed their first child, Benjamin Pacha Lopez, this past May. Baby Benjamin was born on the same day his parents closed on a new home in Rochester, N.Y.

2010 Lauren Allen ‘10 has worked at IDS Real Estate Group for the past two years, overseeing real estate management, marketing and leasing, and construction management of a portfolio totaling 310,000 square feet of office and 3.4 million square feet of institutionally-owned industrial assets throughout Southern California.

2012 Kat Gregory ’12 graduated from Stanford with her BS / MS in Computer Science in June, and she is heading to London to work for Google in AI (Artificial Intelligence) and HCI (Human Computer Interaction.) She taught 13 classes during her Stanford years, focusing on Computer Science, Ethics and AI / HCI. Kat is shown flanked by her alumni brothers, Chris ’14 (left) and John ’17.

CLASS NEWS & NOTES

2005

Kat Gregory ’12 graduated from Stanford with her BS/ MS in Computer Science in June, and is headed to London to work for Google in AI (Artificial Intelligence) and HCI (Human Computer Interaction). She taught 13 classes during her Stanford years, focusing on Computer Science, Ethics and AI/HCI.

Kat is shown flanked by her alumni brothers, Chris ’14 (left) and John ’16, at her Stanford graduation.

CLASS NEWS & NOTES 60

Anthony Shu ’12 joined Upper School English faculty Kindra Briggs’ Discourse of Dining: Food and Literature classes in March 2018 in the Franklin Garden Pavilion. Shu, who graduated from Princeton with a degree in sociology, discussed his exploration of the international food community, experience working in the restaurant industry and overall passion for food, and then led students in cooking demonstrations.

Alumnus Anthony Shu ’12 returned to campus as a guest lecturer and was joined by current faculty member and Priory classmate, Eric Turnquist ’12, during one of his lessons in the Franklin Garden Pavilion.

2013 After graduating from Duke, Emre Sonmez ’13 moved back to the Bay Area to join Smartcar as a software engineer. He still can be caught running the trails around Priory on Sunday mornings.

2013 Reunites (l-r): Emily Ting, Emre Sonmez, Brian DiGiorgio, Griffin Koontz, Sarah Zuckerman, Matt Campbell and Ben Krausz.

2014 Before his May 2018 graduation from Bucknell University, Chris Gregory ’14 received the school’s Bison Award, given annually to a senior who displays exceptional leadership through their involvement and impact on campus.

Following his graduation from Bucknell, Chris Gregory ‘14 gets a lift from younger brother, John ‘16.

2015 On Mar. 29, Andy Isokpehi ’15 stopped by campus to see the recently completed LaureL STREAM Center and visit with Residential Faculty & Tech staff member Kailen Song, outgoing Director of College Counseling Dot Kowal and Father Martin.

Did you get your Priory sunglasses this year?

Thanks to all the alumni who came from near and far to visit campus this past year! Next time you’re in the area, be sure to stop by Priory, catch up with the monks, former teachers, explore the new buildings on campus and see the Alumni Office for your Priory sunglasses!

If you know you’re going to be visiting campus and would like to arrange a tour or shadow a class, please email alumni@prioryca.org.

CLASS NEWS & NOTES

Damien Perez ’14 is currently working towards a degree in social work at San José State University. He recently completed an internship at a re-entry program in San José that offers employment and life skills classes to people who were previously incarcerated. He hopes to continue working professionally with people in the criminal justice system.

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2016 A Wildlife Biology and Equine Science double major at Colorado State, John Gregory ‘16 will be taking the fall semester off to accommodate a fabulous adventure with his sister, Kat ‘12.

The pair will hike the Pacific Crest Trail for the next four months from Canada to Mexico. And you can follow their journey at: katandjohn.wordpress.com.

2017 Addison Vogt ’17 was recognized by the National YoungArts Foundation as a 2018 YoungArts winner. The jazz musician was one of 757 honorees from over 7,600 applicants from across the United States.

CLASS NEWS & NOTES

Social Rewind

Priory...coming to a town near you!

Boston Trivia Night & Dinner The Alumni Association kicked off its year-long regional socials with a pair of mini reunions in Boston in September 2017. While on official college counseling business, Director of College Counseling Rolando Crisostomo reunited with Shivani Dayal ’14 (Wellesley College) for a Trivia Night in downtown Boston, followed by a dinner in Cambridge the next day with Nick Jaeger ’17 (Harvard University), Rachel Wolf ’16 (Tufts University) and Jessica Thorson ’15 (Tufts University). Joining Crisostomo and the quartet of grads was former Priory college counselor Betty Van Wagenen.

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Palo Alto Happy Hour More than 20 alumni from the Classes of 1978 to 2015 joined Head of School Tim Molak, Father Martin Mager, Director of Development Suzanne Couch, Alumni Director Diana Chamorro, Faculty Alumni Liaison Todd Turner and Director of Strategic Initiatives Al Zappelli for the Alumni Association’s Palo Alto Happy Hour at The Patio on May 10.

Upcoming Alumni Events If you’d like to partner with the Alumni Office to host a regional social in your city, email alumni@prioryca.org.

San Francisco Social Friday, July 20 New York Social Thursday, August 2 Alumni Basketball Game Wednesday, November 21

CLASS NEWS & NOTES

Los Angeles Social Father Martin Mager, Diana Chamorro and Todd Turner reconnected with nearly a dozen Los Angeles-based grads from the Classes of 1979-2012 for a social on June 21 in Public School 310 Bar & Restaurant in Culver City.

Alumni Soccer Game Thursday, November 22 #Love4Priory: Alumni Giving Day Tuesday, November 27 Home for the Holidays: Young Alumni Social Friday, December 21 2019 Reunion Saturday, April 13

A Lasting Legacy

Class of 2018 honors Joe Montero ’76 with Senior Gift Over their time at Priory, the Class of 2018 gained quite a reputation. A reputation for being leaders in the school community with an unmatched level of spirit and class camaraderie. Beyond all they contributed in the classroom, as thespians, artists, singers, musicians, athletes, global stewards, club leaders and more, together they have invested in the future of Priory.

Guided by the leadership of the seven-member Associated Student Body (ASB) and in partnership with the Alumni Office, the Class of 2018 designated its Senior Gift to partially fund a scholarship named in honor of beloved teacher, coach and alumnus, Joe Montero ’76 †, to benefit a fellow students’ pursuit in receiving the gift of a Priory education.

“We remember Mr. Montero as a teacher, a mentor and a friend,” said ASB Vice President Elizabeth Duncan. “He brought joy and enthusiasm to learning and the Priory experience. He inspired and supported us all…[and each] gift will give another Panther the opportunity to be inspired at Priory, like we all were.”

Each senior was asked to make a gift of $20.18, in honor of their graduation year, and by the conclusion of the three-week campaign 70 percent of the class came together to support the Joseph B. Montero, Jr. Endowed Scholarship Fund with nearly $1,300.

“It is incredibly humbling to see the love and dedication the Class of 2018 has for Priory,” said Diana A. Chamorro, associate director of development, marketing & alumni engagement, of the campaign only in its second year as a formal program. “By passionately coming together to honor a beloved member of our community and support something so meaningful, as a scholarship fund, is inspiring and affirms their Priory education has prepared them to serve a world in need of their gifts.”

The ASB team (l-r): Emerson Swan, Tatiana Reese, Mick Jeon, Miranda Prince-Figuereo, Elizabeth Duncan, Emma Lewer, and Noah Willis worked as class liaisons to help educate their classmates about the significance of their support and how it will benefit future generations of Priory students.

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MONASTERY NEWS 64

Doing Time at San Quentin

By Father Martin Mager, O.S.B. I have been making regular visits to the State Penitentiary at San Quentin and meeting with many of the “men in blue”, the term which refers to the inmates at the prison. I began this new chapter in my life during the first semester, meeting with Christian men and women from every denomination who are a part of a team called “Kairos”–a Greek word which means “an opportune moment.” The purpose of the Kairos program is to bring the love of Christ to the men in blue, many of whom have never experienced love or the sense of self-worth.

After a number of meetings preparing for the event, the Kairos team entered San Quentin on a Friday evening and except for sleeping outside the prison at night, we were locked in all days until late Monday evening. I was apprehensive the first time I entered the prison–pretty nervous–and the sound of the heavy steel gate slamming behind me did very little to put me at ease. The facade of San Quentin is not very inviting from a visual perspective, reminding me of something out of the “Lord of the Rings.” I felt hopelessly inadequate as the only person that was not an advertisement for some local tattoo parlor.

Meeting with the men in blue was an unforgettable experience–a different world in so many ways. Most of the men were in for life or at least for long terms. Most had very troubled pasts, yet inmates and Kairos team members shared their common humanity and need for the mercy and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. It was a weekend of transformation for both.

Now I see that ugly prison architecture as a place of beauty. I return to San Quentin and the men in blue on the third Friday of every month.

That is the number one priority–nothing else is ever in my calendar on that day.

Monastic Community?

EXCITING NEWS! For the first time in 22 years, the Priory Monastic Community will be welcoming a new permanent monk! It is with much joy to welcome Father Matthew Leavy, O.S.B. to Priory! Father Matthew, the former Abbot, comes from Saint Anselm Abbey and has an abundant history with Priory. We are thrilled with the arrival of Father Matthew in August!

MONASTERY NEWS

What’s happening in the

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Father Maurus was honored for 55 years of service to the Priory at the Faculty/Staff Luncheon.

Bidding Farewell to Father Pius Priory held a Mass of Christian Burial in the chapel for Father Pius on Saturday, June 30. Hundreds were in attendance to say goodbye to one of our most beloved monks. Father Pius had been battling declining health for several months, yet still managed to attend the graduation ceremony for the Class of 2018. He will be interned in his hometown of Izsa, Slovakia with his parents.

How lucky we have been to have known someone who is so hard to say goodbye to.