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LANTERN Dear Parents and Friends of Pres, What happened? About 2 days ago, I was adrift in a sea of 200 royal blue graduation gowns and now I am welcoming you all back to school. This myth about teachers and three month vacations is highly exaggerated. I do hope you are having a wonderful summer. We have been busy here — running a very successful summer school, working on some capital projects (including remodeling three classrooms and one science lab), prepping for the arrival of 230 freshmen, eight transfers and 14 new faculty and staff. But Pres is just a building without the girls, and we are most eager to welcome them back... and you too!
Presentation High School Parent Newsletter | August 2017
The 2017-18 school year will be a very exciting one. We have just completed a two year master-planning process that has involved staff, boards, students, and parents. We have looked at curriculum, facilities, leadership, co-curricular programs, finances, enrollment, technology and tried to address where Presentation needs to be in the next 10 to 20 years. It has been an extensive analysis and we look forward to sharing the results with you. Pres is on the move! Enjoy the last few days of vacation. I hope to see you often in the coming year. All the best,
Mary Miller ’72 Principal
The Lantern | August 2017 1
Attendance
Donors in Plaid Class Dues
As we start the new school year, here are a few things to remember:
For the fourth year in a row, Presentation is continuing its Donors in Plaid program.
By Catherine Furtado ’06 | Registrar
Emergency Card/Dismissal Please make sure you have filled out and completed all necessary forms and information contained in the online summer mailing, especially the emergency card/dismissal portion. This must be completed and submitted before your student starts school. Attendance Procedure Reminders If your daughter is not coming to school or will arrive late, please call the Attendance Office at (408) 266-1060 no later than 9 a.m. For safety reasons, it is very important for us to hear from you no later than 9 a.m. All absences require a written note signed by a parent the day your daughter returns to school. Faxes and emails are not accepted. Your daughter is considered absent if she arrives after 8 a.m. and will need a parent note (unless she has a free period).
Each student is asked to turn in $20 to their homerooms by Monday, Aug. 28. These class dues accumulate into a fund to be used for class activities and for a senior gift for the school. Each senior class has two options for the senior gift: partially funding a student on financial aid for the following school year or supporting the non-tuition scholarship fund. What better way to give back then to give directly to one of their sisters in plaid? Donors in Plaid replaced class level candy sale fundraisers in homeroom. Students will participate in the annual Magazine Drive, Holiday Drives for Sacred Heart Community Service and the Mission Drive for the Sisters of the Presentation. Thank you for your support of this special program. For more information, please email Kristin Schneider: kschneider@presentationhs.org.
In the rare instance when your daughter needs to leave school early for an appointment, send her to the Attendance Office before school with a note from you stating the reason she needs to leave school and the time of the dismissal. She will be given an early dismissal notice and will be able to leave class at that designated time. Your daughter may carry in her backpack the following items: Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, Midol, Tums, and throat lozenges. If she requires prescription medication, the Attendance Office needs to be informed if she carries the medicine in her backpack. If your daughter has severe allergies and requires an Epi-Pen, Benadryl, etc, please inform Ms. Furtado at (408) 266-1060 or cfurtado@presentationhs.org so we can keep an extra for her at school. If your daughter is sick at school, she must go to the Attendance Office. Ms. Furtado will call her parents when necessary. We thank you for complying with our policies. We value your daughter’s well-being and safety. It’s going to be a great school year! If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Ms. Furtado at cfurtado@presentationhs.org.
In an effort to truly modernize your family’s transportation needs, we are partnering with Zum transportation to provide shuttles and carpools to Presentation. Rides are available from every zip code, all over the bay area. Zum offers a solution for all your child’s commute needs—school rides, activity rides and even add childcare around your rides. ZUM has made many carpool and payment options available. Also, when you register for a carpool, you are automatically eligible to win a $50 credit for Zum!
Stay connected: Follow Pres on social media! 2
The Lantern | August 2017
Book your rides online before 7 pm, or call Zum after for any lastminute or same day requests. Visit https://ridezum.com/carpool/#/school/presentation.
College Counseling
By MaryLynne Rodriguez | Director of College Counseling The beginning of a new and exciting school year has arrived. The month of August can be incredibly busy, with new classes, teachers, and schedules to adjust to, as well as the start of the college application process for seniors.
Our “First Five” college application model is now in its third year. As part of this process, we ask all students to create a list of five colleges that are (1) academic matches, (2) social fits, (3) financially feasible, (4) offer her major(s) of interest, and (5) are places she would be excited to attend. We find a strong and sound list of colleges that fit this criteria helps students feel confident as they move forward with the application process. In fact, nearly 80% of the class of 2017 reported they were accepted to their first or second choice college, confirming that our application model does produce sound results. Beginning in August, we will offer mandatory collaboration periods and individual meetings for seniors. The individual meetings will cover a variety of topics including: • Verification of “First Five” college list • Confirmation of planned standardized testing dates (if applicable) • College Essay and Supplemental Essay brainstorm and proofing • Creation of personal deadlines and timeline for college and financial aid applications • Identification of teachers for letters of recommendation
August holds a promise and hope for what the school year will hold. There is a certain feeling of optimism in the hallways as we arrive back to welcome each other at our very first liturgy of the year. My hope and wish for each of our students is that they maintain this positive perspective, even when it proves to be most challenging. Undoubtedly, the application process will bring with it challenges, surprises and disappointment. As you approach this year with your senior, we encourage you to remind her that, “Where you go is not who you’ll be.”
Performing Arts
By Jim Houle | Performing Arts Director This year’s shows The Performing Arts dept. is excited to announce our mainstage student-performed shows for this coming school year. We begin in November with the musical tale as old as time, Beauty and the Beast, reimagined by our talented students and an army of fantasycostume-making volunteers. We will follow this in January with another Disney classic, the now-retro High School Musical. Our spring drama in March will be an adaptation of the classic George Orwell novel, 1984. All Pres students (and boys from all local high schools) are encouraged to audition for these productions. And non-performers can serve backstage on the tech crew. We encourage all students to participate in at least one production while they are here at Pres! We also encourage you to attend these cultural events as audience members. Tickets for all of our theater events can be purchased online through our website.
Communication will be essential as you progress through the fall application season. We recommend you and your daughter plan weekly family conversations regarding her progress. We find these weekly meetings promote open and positive communication while cutting down on tension and stress, making the application process a more enjoyable rite of passage. College Counseling Department is here to support your family’s application process. Therefore, we welcome any questions or concerns that arise. We are in partnership with you, and look forward to this new and exciting year together.
It's I.T.S. The current officers of this year’s International Thespian Society, our drama club, are already hard at work one their all-studentproduced productions, the first of which will be a benefit concert to be held on October 4 at 7p.m. This year will be the biggest concert yet, with some exciting acts and surprise performers. The first ITS meeting of the year will be August 22 on stage at lunch. If your student is even a little interested in what our theater has to offer, do send them our way. Freshmen especially welcome! Audition Workshops Did you know that we hold an audition workshop before each of our major auditions? At this participatory workshop, we provide basic self-presentation skills, as well as all the material the student will need to be confident in their audition… including stress reduction techniques! Any student interested in being cast in a show—and all student interested in improving their ability to speak in front of a group and present themselves with confidence--should attend one of these after-school workshops. The workshop for Beauty and the Beast is on August 21 from 3-6p.m. See you at the theater.
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Athletics
Community Involvement
Welcome back to Presentation, Panther fans! I hope you had a wonderful summer and that your family enjoyed time together. The school year and the Fall sports season is just around the corner. In fact, Fall Sports tryouts begin as early as August 5th for the Fall season; make sure to check the athletics homepage for the Fall tryout information. All student-athletes who want to try out for an athletic team must complete and turn in the Athletic Participation Packet (the Sports Physical form and also the online forms) to the Athletic Dept. before they can tryout.
Community Involvement is excited to kick off this new school year with our annual Service Fair on September 5th! This year over 30 organizations will be on campus to share their service opportunities with our students. From working on bikes, to serving meals, educating children, to playing with animals, or working on crafts that help brighten people's day, there is something for everyone. Our students continue to make a huge impact on the organizations they serve and the people they help. We hope this year even more students feel inspired to get involved in the community. If you or your daughter have questions on the Service Fair or how to get involved with a service organization please contact Crystal Catalan, ccatalan@presentationhs.org.
By Stacey Mallison | Athletic Director
By Lindsay Swoboda | Director of Community Involvement
The Panther’s Den will be open once again this school year so you can shop for your PantherWear right on campus! The Panther’s Den store is located in the Gym Foyer. We’re selling a lot of great gear, make sure to check it out! Check the Athletic Booster’s website for store hours and email the Panther’s Den store manager with questions: boosterpreswear@presentationhs.org Lastly, make sure your calendar is marked for the Athletic Fundraiser on March 24, 2018. The 4th Annual Game of Throws is sure to be a fun night and I hope to see you there! Be on the lookout for information about the Athletic Fundraiser in the coming months.
Gear up for back-to-school!
Nike Brasilia 7 XL Backpack, Royal $55.00
Nike Dri-Fit Visor $22.98
Stadium Chair $49.99
Ladies Perfect Weight V-Neck Tee $24.98
Visit www.pantherwear.org www.presentationhs.org 5
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August 2017
For complete calendar visit www.presentationhs.org/calendar
MONDAY
TUESDAY
1
WEDNESDAY
2
THURSDAY
3
FRIDAY
4
Fall Sports begin
SATURDAY/SUNDAY
5 6
7
8
14
9
15 First Day of School
10
16 Assumption of Mary Opening Liturgy
11
12
Freshman Orientation 8:30 AM–3:00 PM
Freshman Orientation 8:00 AM–1:10 PM
Lantern League Welcome Coffee 7:30 AM–10:00 AM
Transfer Student Orientation 10:00 AM–12:00 PM
13
18
19
17 School ID Photos
Work Scholarship Student-Parent Meeting 7:00 PM–8:00 PM
21
20 22
Mandatory College Counseling Collaboration for Seniors
23
24
Back to School Night 6:30 PM–9:00 PM
26
Mandatory College Counseling Collaboration for Seniors
Auction Meeting
28
25
Frosh Mixer
29
30
27
31
Club Day/Fall Spirit Festival
AUGUST 2017 Presentation High School The Lantern 2281 Plummer Avenue San Jose, CA 95125