PRI RITIES A Magazine of Woodside Priory School
July 2004
WE DID IT!
Classes of 2004 and 2008 graduate.
Celebrating 46 Years of Benedictine Education
Woodside Priory School Celebrating 46 Years of Benedictine Education In This Issue Faculty use the funding provided by individual grants to improve classroom education next fall. A revised conditional use permit proposal promises to meet two compatible goals: protect the valley’s rural atmosphere and provide a high quality of education in the future. From the Headmaster, page3.
Spring at a Glance, Page 4-5
Students play fantastic, imaginary characters in “East of the Sun, West of the Moon;” homemade corn muffins win the US President’s heart in Gershwin’s “Of Thee I Sing,” 20 young Ugandan dancers visit the campus to perform, then spend time in Priory classrooms; dormers wrap up the year with whitewater rafting, and seventh graders get their feet wet in community service. Spring-Summer At A Glance, pages 4-5. They wrapped up their high school years with hugs from the faculty and their parents, and words of wisdom from classmates and guest speaker, filmmaker Jerry Zucker. Then they doffed their morterboards, headed home for the summer, and off to college in the fall. It’s the Priory’s newest alumni, the Class of 2004. Graduation, pages 6 and 7.
High school graduation, Page 6-7
Eighth graders followed tradition in their graduation exercises with flowers and boutinnieres, a faculty member to address them—this time they selected Josh Bookin— and a special plaque for each individual, covered with personal wishes from their teachers. Eighth grade commencement, pages 8 and 9. Departments presented them. Faculty and administrators selected them. Teammates nominated them. Students’ performance in class, on exams, on athletic fields, and in service activities qualified them. St. Benedict, which combines them all, is the top. Meet the award-winners for the 2003-2004 academic year, pages 10, 11 and 12.
Eighth grade graduaton, Page 8-9
Could Gaspar de Portola, for whom Portola Valley was named, have napped on the Priory grounds? WPS’s founder, Father Egon Javor, thinks he probably did. Portola was looking for Monterey Bay, and on his way he staked claims to sites that later became California missions. The replica mission bell by Founders Hall is intended to remind students of the valley’s and the state’s history, Father Egon said. Benedictine Letter, pages 13 and14. Every decade was represented, and several spouses and children enjoyed the annual firstSaturday-in-June reunion held on the campus. See page 15.
Alumni Reunion, Page 14-15
Matthieu and Caitlin sent news of their weddings, Bernadette and Michael have set the date, Luigi and Mike and Zuzka are headed for graduate studies, Dan and Eddie and Edward and Terrell and Anna Marie have career news. Julie and Marcello and Michael have their bachelor’s degrees—and Michael is headed for the Pacific Crest Trail. That and more in Alumni News & Notes, pages 16 and 17. Dave Rogers remembers high spirits and pranks, as well as a strong positive influence, at the Priory of the early 1970s. Alumni conversation, pages 18 and 19. For admissions information, please contact Al Zappelli at (650) 851-6223, azappelli@woodsidepriory.com. Downloadable forms are available on the school Web site: www.woodsidepriory.com. Click on Admissions. On the cover: Exultant grads in the Class of 2004. Story on pages 6.
Board of Directors Abbott Matthew Leavy, OSB Father Mark Cooper, OSB Brother Edward Englund, OSB Father Martin Mager, OSB Father William Sullivan, OSB Board of Trustees Mr. Dave Arnold Dr. Kristen Brew Mr. Peter Campagna Mrs. Liz Cirino Mr. Al Ebneter Ms. Betsy Haehl Mrs. Anne Hannigan Mrs. Dotty Hayes Fr. Eric Hollas, OSB Mr. George Huertas Mr. Craig Johnson Mrs. Virginia Kavanaugh Mr. Steven Krausz Mrs. Mary Lemuth Mr. Alfred Li* Fr. Maurus Nemeth, OSB Mrs. Janiece Bacon Oblak Mr. Bill Roberts Ms. Alicia Rodriguez Mr. Ray Rothrock Mr. Andy Schilling Mr. Bob Simon Dr. Stuart Young * Special Representative
Priorities magazine is published in October, January, April and July by Woodside Priory School for its alumni, parents, students, neighbors and friends. Contact the Communications Office at 650-851-6193 or the school at 650-851-8221. Editor: Carolyn Dobervich Design: Jim Kirkland, Copperline Multimedia Photos: Carolyn Dobervich, Father Martin Mager, Chapel Services Masses at 7:15 a.m. Monday-Saturday 9:30 a.m. Sunday 11:00 a.m. Sunday Hungarian service 8 p.m. third Friday (Taize) ecumenical service All are welcome.
From the Headmaster
As always, when school is closed for
the summer, the school staff is working full speed ahead to get ready for the coming year. In the administrative offices, we are preparing for the yearlong accreditation self-study. Dorms are being readied for the first co-educational boarding class. Our two summer camp programs are in full swing. In late July, we host the International Benedictine Youth Conference, which will focus on peace studies. Fifteen faculty members are taking advantage of the Priory’s summer grants program to improve their classroom teaching in the fall. This program is completely funded by special donations, and it packs a terrific punch to the quality of students’ classroom experience and faculty morale. Each spring, faculty members write individual grant requests to the school for something each personally wants to accomplish. Requests are reviewed by an administrative team and approved by me. Over the years, we have come to view this individualized approach as the best we can design. Proposals are almost always right on target, and most are granted. This year, all of them were granted. A sampling follows: • An experienced and a new teacher are working together to improve and coordinate teaching of sixth grade core subjects and seventh grade social studies curriculum. • Faculty from several subject areas will be integrating elements of a humanities curriculum into their teaching, led by one faculty member who is preparing everything this summer. • Theology faculty members will be taking a look at the historical foundations of Catholic teaching, world religions, developing new curriculum (Film and Literature and Hebrew Scriptures), and revising the Morality and Social Justice curriculum. • Community service projects could tie directly to class work (the same as writing a book report) in some parts of the curriculum. The Campus Ministry Coordinator is working out miniprojects that will demonstrate the possibilities this fall.
• We will have another staff member certified in First Responder advanced first aid, and a more efficient management system in the athletics training room by the start of the new school year. • Astronomy and art history curricula are in the making. Last spring, the faculty voted the second annual teaching award to their amazing colleague, Mitch Neuger. Board of Trustees chair Ray Rothrock presented the award, which comes with a generous check underwritten by a former board member, at the annual parent-sponsored (and spectacular) facultystaff appreciation luncheon. Mitch is well known as the quiet guy who can accomplish miracles in his sixth grade core classroom, one student at a time. In his six years at the Priory, he has been a fearless leader in moving the middle school towards a more flexible teaching style that supports students’ differences in learning. A Yale graduate in American Studies, Mitch discovered his love for teaching while interning with a summer program devoted to ending world hunger. He worked with teachers and was stuck with the lasting importance of what they did, he said. This fall, he is leaving teaching, at least for awhile, to pursue a second love. He is beginning graduate studies at the San Francisco Art Institute. Our proposed conditional use permit revision starts public hearings on July 21. Since Oct, 2003, when the school filed a preliminary master plan, school leaders have met numerous times with town planning staff, volunteers on the town committees, and residents. We have listened carefully to both formal and informal feedback and have made several changes. The result is a revised proposal that I believe meets two compatible goals: it preserves this lovely, rural valley setting and provides for WPS’s educational quality going into the future. I hope you are enjoying a peaceful summer in the company of loved ones and with at least a little time for activities you love. Soon it will be fall and, as our oft-quoted Benedictine slogan goes, “Always, we begin again.” Sincerely,
Tim Molak, Headmaster
Fifteen faculty members are taking advantage of the Priory’s summer grants program to improve their classroom teaching in the fall.
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Spring at a Glance Corn Muffins Win Presidential Nod Wholesome young campaigner Cynthia Sleight (left) won the heart of US President Daniel Wenger with her tupperware container of homemade corn muffins. Meanwhile, jilted beauty queen Dion Diederich (right) is left standing at the White House Rose Garden in the music department’s adaptation of a Gershwin classic, “Of Thee I Sing.” The political satire capped an afternoon and evening of marathon student presentations in drama, orchestra, choir, visual arts and the first ever student film festival held under the stars on Church Square on May 17, 20204.
Wet Shoes, Clean Beach Sixth graders Jenna Tehaney, Katie Nekowitz and Alix Franklin returned grubby and wet from their class service day pulling weeds that were crowding out native plants on a nearby beach. But they felt great. “It was hard, but we got a lot more done than they thought we could,” the girls reported gleefully.
Children of Uganda Spend the Day Twenty young performers bedazzled the Priory community with their upbeat cultural music and dance in a morning assembly. Then they became guests of Priory students for the next few hours, sharing lunch,, classes and dozens of private discussions. While Priory students were touched by the tragedy the Ugandans had endured (all had parents who had died of AIDS or were too ill to care for them), they found that their education, interests and career goals were surprisingly the same. Local sponsor Robin Stavisky said the person-toperson time with American kids was a rare and welcome experience for the performers.
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These Kids Are REAL Characters Actors in “East of the Sun, West of the Moon,’ the Middle School play, learned to create all sorts of fantastic characters based on Scandanavian legand. They even created individual masks, working with the stage manager, art faculty, and lots of papier mache to fashion believable noses, warts, horns and other original features. Elena Herzen, Class of 2003 and a veteran of just about every aspect of Priory performing arts, arrived home from college and immediately headed for the Priory to share her expertise with the younger students. The Middle School theater photos were taken by parent Jennifer Hammer, who is pictured with her daughter, Ellie Oates, in the thumbnail photo on page 2.
Tristan Sansbury
Lara Tennenbaum, Cassandra Montalvo, and Kayla Patterson Elana Herzen and Erik Lyon
Nathanial Rothrock Whitewater ahead! The dorm students’ annual whitewater rafting trip caps a year of biking, surfing, kayaking, hiking, camping, and even the occasional cultural arts experience. It is all part of the dormers’ off-the-couch weekends that students and staff plan together. Faculty, staff and day students are invited to most of the day trips—and plenty of brave ones wouldn’t miss it.
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The Class of ’04: ‘Rebels With A Cause’
Young Joon Lee, Jerry Shih, Tony Zhang and Alex Sproch are in high spirits as they “gown up” for the ceremony.
From start to finish, the class of 2004 was shaking things up, challenging the status quo, and ultimately, changing the Priory for the better. –Alexis Smith Student Speaker
Brigitte Hale Bradford Northeastern University
Leon Ajayi Johnson University of the Pacific
Alexis Lauren Smith * Stanford University
Laura Gayle Brent * Harvard College
Jinho Kim University of Missouri, Columbia
Andrew Harris Smith * Haverford College
Gretchen Mullaugh Burch Mount Holyoke College
Zoltan Klarik Medical University of Debrecen
Dong Soo Sohn University of Hawaii, Manoa
Renato Jo Castaneda Chapman University
Ashley Yasemin Kustu * Duke University
Andrew Michael Souter Saint Mary’s College
Yong Ho Cho * Emory University
Young Joon Lee Indiana University, Bloomington
Alexander Sproch Karlova Unverzita v Prahe
Kimberly Lauren Chow Loyola Marymount University
Travis Otto Maahs University of Colorado, Boulder
Kevin L. Stasun Santa Clara University
Philip K. Chu University of Arizona
Alice Elizabeth Muelling MacKay * Bryan Joseph Tehaney * University of Southern California Reed College
Lauren Abigail Clapper University of Arizona
Charles Richard Magnuson Pitzer College
Lori Mariko Teraoka * Loyola Marymount University
Allyn Elizabeth Coats University of San Francisco
Aaron Richard Mandle * Brown University
Lenka Vankova Univerzita Komenskeho
James Michael Eaneman, Jr. California State University, Monterey Bay
Abigail Christina Mills California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo
Nicole Brownstone Verhalen * University of Southern California
Theodore Andrew Finlay Reed College
Seán Stéphane Jordan Moreau * University of Southern California
Conor James Fitzpatrick * University of Pennsylvania
Katie Anna Noice * Bryn Mawr College
William Walz Flammer Albertson College of Idaho
Megan Christina Noice * University of California, San Diego
Evan Andrew Green * Princeton University
Samantha Nuttall Drew University
Li-Yuan Yu University of California, Santa Barbara
Bertram Jay Haine University of Oregon
Sharaf Taiyab Rizvi * University of California, Berkeley
Maria Regina M. Yujuico * Macalester College
Julianne Elisabeth Henderson George Fredrick Schnurle IV * Stanford University University of San Francisco
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Michael Lee Jernick Georgetown University
Cheng-Yu Shih * Cornell University
Gardner Thomas Waterman Regis College Stephanie Graziella Wegman Santa Clara University Ashley Elizabeth Will Loyola Marymount University
Alejandro Peter Zaffaroni * Stanford University Yin Zhang University of California, Riverside *Honors
Woodside Priory School celebrated its graduation of
the Class of 2004 on Saturday, May 29 at 10:00 a.m. The outdoor ceremony began with the traditional procession led by bagpipers, then graduates in caps and gowns, and finally the gowned faculty coming down the hill and across the lawn. After speeches, awards, and a short reception on the basketball court, the event concluded with a reception for grads and guests in the gym. The graduation speaker was filmmaker and producer Jerry Zucker, whose work includes such comedy classics as My Best Friend’s Wedding, Rat Race, Airplane, Naked Gun and Hot Shots. Summing up his experiences since graduating from college, Zucker advised the students to think about the future but not live in it. “I work in a business where almost everyone is waiting for the next big thing. Sometimes it comes, and sometimes it doesn’t. But it doesn’t matter that your dream came true if you spent your whole life waiting,” he said. He advised having the courage to fail big in pursuit of big goals, and not to worry much about what other people think. After one of his films bombed, John Travolta pointed out to him that other people hardly notice one’s failures—“it’s hardly a blip on their radar screen,” he said. Student speaker and Valedictorian, Laura Brent, told the assembled guests that “though 51 students is a very small graduating class, this size has its benefits. In our multi-talented class, it would be impossible to form friendships and social hierarchies along any
of the classic one-dimensional high school divisions. There is no one here who is just an artist, just a musician, just an athlete, just a computer enthusiast.” Student speaker Alexis Smith described her classmates as the “rebels with a cause.” “From start to finish, the Class of 2004 was shaking things up, challenging the status quo, and ultimately, changing the Priory for the better,” she said. “…This class’s restless spirit actually strengthened the Benedictine values of support for individuality and positive change. . . Now it is up to us to change the world. For, as Mahatma Gandhi once said, ‘We must become the change we wish to see,’ ” she said. Awards presented at graduation are listed on page 10.
Priory class of 2004 celebrates its special qualities and heads into the future.
Brother Edward Englund, followed by the traditional bagpipers, led the procession of students and faculty into the outdoor setting for the graduation exercises. Following the ceremony, faculty and grads collected on the basketball court for congratulations. In the photo, one of the grads gets a hug from Father Maurus.
Eighth Graders’ Commencement Maintains Traditions Woodside Priory School graduated thirty-six eighth graders in a ceremony held on June 3 in the school’s chapel and followed by an outdoor reception. In keeping with tradition, girls carried a flower and boys sported a boutonniere pinned in place by faculty members. Also in keeping with tradition, each student received a plaque covered with personal greetings and well-wishes from their teachers. Class Valedictorian Peter Hurtubise reminisced about the experiences that created lasting friendships. The seeds were planted during a scary and daunting— but successful— ropes course early in sixth grade. They were reinforced with three years of Spirit Days, capture the flag, middle school dances, field trips, kayaking and camping trips, swim parties—even praying together in Chapel following September 11 and studying for finals together, he said. “I hope and pray that we will never take for granted all the gifts and all the opportunities. So many other students in the world would make great sacrifices for these gifts, “ he added.
Class of 2007 Daniel Sandberg Aboud Lindsey Robertson Barnett Alyssa Cheung Patrick Michael Daly Andrew Wayne Davison Alexander Worthington Dehnert Molly Rose Dellheim Philip Rockwell DiBoise Edward Carl Fischer Allison Christine Frisbie Amy Elizabeth Furstman Katherine Elizabeth Gorman Whitney Ann Greswold Christopher Jay Hammond Abigail Rose Havern John Francis Helfrich Peter Hurtubise Lauren Nicole Jones Benjamin Thomas Kellerman
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Shelley Rebecca Lowe Erik William Lyon Maxwell Thomas Magnuson Russell Henry McIntosh Ashley Rebecca Neckowitz Kaori Ogawa Peter Andras Pellionisz Gregory Dalton Pfau Connor Waters Pierson Alexandra Marie Plain Nathaniel Meredith Rothrock Tristan Alexander Sansbury Alexandra Kin May Schilling Robert Campbell Sherman Justin Michael Vertongen Samantha Gabrielle Villella Ariel Lidamarie Zommer
Ariel Zomzommer (left), Middle School Dean, Shawna Trujillo, Samantha Villella, Lauren Jones, Robert Sherman, Peter Hurtubise, John Helfrich, Abbie Havern, Chris Hammond, Alex Plain, and Whitney Greswold.
Philip DiBoise (left), Connor Pierson, Erik Lyon, Headmaster Tim Molak, Justin Vertongen and Teddy Fischer.
Kaori Ogawa and her baby brother talk with graduate Alyssa Cheung’s brother, Corey, who will be a Priory sixth grader in the fall.
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Awards Presented at the High School National Merit Commended and Semifinalist Graduation Exercises
Presented at the Academic Awards Assembly
Valedictorian Laura Brent
Department Awards
Salutatorian Ashley Kustu
Department Awards Theology Allie MacKay English Department’s A. Vernon Sohlberg Prize Alexis Smith Mathematics Laura Brent Visual Arts Charles Magnuson Science Evan Green Theater Arts Jerry Shih
National Merit Finalists and Scholars Laura Brent Ashley Kustu Allie MacKay Aaron Mandle Sharaf Rizvi George Schnurle Dean of Students’ Community Service Award Gretchen Burch Father Benignus F. Barat Citizenship Award Conor Fitzpatrick
Music R. J. Castaneda
Headmaster’s Award James Eaneman, Jr. George Schnurle IV
Computer Science/Technology Aaron Mandle
Dean’s Award Megan Noice
Social Studies Ashley Kustu
Saint Benedict Award (WPS’s highest award) Alexis Smith
Modern Languages Megan Noice King St. Stephen Chapter of National Honor Society Laura Brent Gretchen Burch Allie Coats Ashley Kustu Aaron Mandle Katie Noice Megan Noice Sharaf Rizvi Jerry Shih Alexis Smith Andrew Smith
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Scholars Evan Green Theodore Finlay Sean Moreau Megan Noice Alexis Smith Andrew Smith Bryan Tehaney Alejandro Zaffaroni
Theology World Religions: Josephine Lehaff Christian Scriptures: Miles Lam Morality and Social Justice: Jessamine McLellan Mathematics Algebra I: Vivian Nikolich Geometry: Stephanie Sebree Algebra II: Nolan Green Pre-Calculus: Daniel Wenger A.P. Calculus BC: Thomas Flint Differential Equations: Tim Kovachy Science and Technology Physics: Katherine Lampert Biology: Rachel Moody Chemistry: Laura Trudelle A.P. Biology: Tim Kovachy A.P. Chemistry: Daniel Wenger A.P. Environmental Science: Anna Costello-Dougherty A.P. Statistics: Michael Lee Computer Science: Alicia Kriewall A.P. Computer Science: Myles Lam English Introduction to Literature: Alicia Kriewall Transitional English and Writing and Structure: Chris Chan Writing Lab and Research Skills: Laura Hohnsbeen British Literature: Ryan McDermott American Literature: Daniel Wenger Social Studies World Cultures I: Nicholas Coombs World Cultures II: Kristof Horompoly United States History: Jennifer Dhaliwal Modern Languages French French I: Kristof Szoke French II: Nika Clark French III: Kristof Horompoly French IV: Elaine Haegele Spanish Spanish I: Vivian Nikolich Spanish II: Ian Brent Spanish III: Guilly Mendoza Spanish IV: Kieran Howard A.P. Spanish Language: Kyle McAuley
Japanese Japanese I: Stephanie Sebree Japanese II: Yong Uk Kwon Japanese III: Myles Lam Japanese IV: Jonathan Kwong Performing Arts Speech: Rachel Moody Drama I: Sara Verhalen Drama II: Diego Moncada Drama III: Tim Kovachy Musical Theater: Elyse Romano Chamber Choir” Daniel Wenger Concert Choir: Jesse Lampert Orchestra: Chase Haegele A.P. Music Theory: Kristof Horompoly Visual Arts Art Foundations: Laura Koenig Ceramics: Wes Bennicas Drawing and Painting: Susan Lyon Metalsmithing: Tania Valetsky Photography: Cynthia Sleight National Honor Society Grade 10 Clint Campagna Jocelyn Chambers Christa Daley Kristof Horompoly Myles Lam Diego Moncada Ben Pekarek Elyse Romano Grade 11 Ben Archer Inga Diederich Lauren Frasch Jocelyn Gamburd Elaine Haegele Lauren Hecht Tim Kovachy Jesse Lampert Michael Lee Susan Lyon Kyle McAuley Francys Scott Cynthia Sleight Laura Trudelle Daniel Wenger
Model United Nations Award Michael Mellenthin
Presented at the Menlo Park Rotary Awards Assembly
School Awards Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Award: Thomas Flint Worcester Polytechnic Institute Award: Kyle McAuley Massachusetts Institute of Technology Award: Timothy Kovachy Saint Anselm Prize: Laura Trudelle Yale Book Award: Jesse Lampert Wellesley College Book Award: Lauren Frasch Harvard Book Award: Daniel Wenger
Mathematics Algebra II: Andrew Ho PreCalculus: Michael Lee AP Calculus: Thomas Flint Differential Equations: Tim Kovachy AP Statistics: Sean Moreau
Headmaster’s Award Julia Lee Duncan Saint Benedict Award Grade 6 Eleanor Oates Grade 7 Jordan Foland Grade 9 Mariana Shtukina Grade 10 Benjamin Pekarek Grade 11 Adriana Costello-Dougherty
Presented at the Eighth Grade Graduation Scholar Athlete Award Katherine Gorman and Erik Lyon Academic Achievement Award Peter Pellionisz Leadership Award Alyssa Cheung St. Cecilia Performing Arts Award Nathaniel Rothrock St. Benedict Award (WPS’s highest award) Molly Dellheim
Science and Technology AP Biology: Kristof Horompoly AP Chemistry: Laura Brent AP Physics: Jerry Shih AP Environmental Science: Susan Lyon AP Computer Science: Evan Green and Aaron Mandle Foreign Languages AP French: Jennifer Dhaliwal Japanese: Young Lee AP Spanish: Alexis Smith Language Arts AP English Literature: Megan Noice Fine Arts AP Studio Art: Inga Diederich Art Foundations: Aracely Aceves Metals: Tessa Berman Ceramics: Julia Duncan Photography: Jessamine McLellan Visual Media: Conor Fitzpatrick Performing Arts Drama: William Schofield Instrumental Music: Daniel Wenger Vocal Music: Jesse Lampert AP Music Theory: Ted McIntosh Social Studies U.S. History: Kyle McAuley World History & CulturesII: Myles Lam AP Economiucs: Laura Brent Theology Cynthia Sleight Service to Community Julia Duncan Service to School Gretchen Burch Leadership Alexis Smith
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Other Year-End Awards Johns Hopkins Awards Alex Dehnert David Bessin Alyssa Cheung Publication in Concord Review Dan Wenger Chris Zeider Scholarship Award Tim Kovachy Portola Valley Library Poetry Contest Junior/Senior division: Inga Diederich Freshmen/Sophomore division: Dion Diederich & Chrissa Trudelle
Athletes of the Year WPS High School Michael Jernick Laura Trudelle West Bay Athletic League Most Valuable Player, Tennis: Naveen Dixit Most Valuable Player, Volleyball: Laura Trudelle Private School Athletic League Most Valuable Player, Tennis: Mark Waylonis Most Valuable Player, Golf: Sam Chavez WPS Middle School Rookie of the Year-Joshua Nimer Rookie of the Year-Marie Trudelle Most Inspirational Athlete-Abby Havern Male Athlete of the Year-Tristan Sansbury Female Athlete of the Year-Alyssa Cheung
Middle School Spring Sports Awards Sixth Grade Girls Basketball Most Improved Player-Ellie Oates Most Inspirational Player-Lauren Schilling Most Valuable Player-Marie Trudelle
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Sixth Grade Boys Basketball Most Improved Player-David Nimer Coaches Award-Joshua Nimer Most Valuable Player-Ben Kovachy Seventh Grade Girls Basketball Most Improved Player-Michelle Hess Most Inspirational Player-Consi Hiller Top Scorer-Kiley McDermott Most Valuable Player-Adrian Holland Seventh Grade Boys Basketball Most Improved Player-James Hickman Coaches Award-Nathan Feldman Co-Most Valuable Player-Kyle Berka Co-Most Valuable Player-Tyler Starling Eighth Grade Girls Basketball Coaches Award-Kaori Ogawa Coaches Award-Katharine Gorman Most Outstanding Player-Alyssa Cheung Eighth Grade Boys Basketball Most Improved Player-Connor Pierson Coaches Award-Max Magnuson Co-Most Valuable Player-Erik Lyon Co-Most Valuable Player-Tristan Sansbury Tennis Most Improved Player-Elana Wenger Most Improved Player-Ali Goodyear Coaches Award-Russel McIntosh Coaches Award-Peter Pellionisz Most Valuable Player-John Helfrich Co-Ed Soccer Most Improved Player-Zoe Ciupitu Most Inspirational Player-Adrian Holland Rookie of the Year-Tommy Shields Defensive Player of the Year-Alyssa Cheung Offensive Player of the Year-Kylie McDermott Most Valuable Player-Abbie Havern Boys Soccer Most Improved Player-Jodey Glaser Most Inspirational Player-Caelum Shove Rookie Of The Year-Colin Schwartz Co-Most Valuable Player-Justin Vertongen Co-Most Valuable Player-Tristan Sansbury
Middle School Fall Sports Awards Sixth Grade VB Most Improved Player-Kate Finlay Most Inspirational Player-Jenna Tehaney Co-Most Valuable Players-Samantha Hiller and Lauren Schilling Seventh Grade VB Most Improved Player-Michelle Hess Most Inspirational Player-Adrian Holland Coaches Award-Laura Bevilacqua Most Valuable Player-Consi Hiller Eighth Grade VB Most Improved Player-Allison Frisbie Most Inspirational Players-Abbie Havern and Lindsey Barnett Team Player Award-Katherine Gorman SSIL Volleyball Most Improved Player-Ashley Neckowitz Most Inspirational Player-Kayla Patterson Most Valuable Player-Alec Schilling Cross Country Most Improved Runners-David Low and Alyssa Thunen Most Inspirational Runner-Sean Zarringhalam Most Valuable Runners-Teagan Corkery and Augie Browning JV Flag Football Most Improved Player-Jack Hearst Most Inspirational Player-Caelum Shove Most Valuable Player-Kyle Berka Varsity Flag Football Coaches Award-Erik Lyon Most Valuable Lineman-Philip DiBoise Most Valuable Player-Tristan Sansbury
Benedictine Letter
The Original Portola Probably Slept Here— WPS’s Founder Honors Explorers With A Bell In 1769, Gaspar de Portola and Father
Junipero Serra, accompanied by soldiers and missionaries, embarked on a journey that lead them up the coast of California. Portola, originally a soldier in the Spanish army, had been appointed governor of Baja, California, and more recently governor of Las Californias. Father Serra was the head of the missionaries. Following the maps of the Spanish sailor Sebastian Viscaino, they arrived and established the first mission, in San Diego. From there, Portola and a company of men journeyed north to Monterey, which according to Viscaino’s map boasted an excellent bay. But it was actually an insignificant harbor and nothing like Viscaino’s description. The explorers thought they had missed it. Portola continued his exploration with his soldiers toward the North, still looking for Monterey Bay. In his good fortune, from the hills of San Mateo he discovered the San Francisco Bay. On this journey, according to the records of the missionaries and soldiers, they rested under a tall tree, the “Palo Alto.” It was from here, from the present Palo Alto, that they marched through the winding valley, which is now named after Portola. Perhaps they rested on the green fields of what is now the Woodside Priory grounds. On the return journey, the explorers placed crosses to establish their presence by the little Monterey bay and what is now the beach in Carmel. In 1770, Father Serra established the second California mission, at Monterey. George Potterff, a parent and public relations professional, spearheaded the effort to get an El Camino Real bell to mark Portola’s likely travels through what is now the Woodside Priory grounds. The bell, in front of the Priory’s administration building, was installed in the 1980s. Continued on page 14
I always wanted the Priory to have a Mission Bell to remind our students and faculty of the area’s history. – Father Egon Javor
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Continued from page 13 El Camino Real Bells were first erected and paid for by the Camino Real Association in the early 1900s. The first bells were designed and produced by Mrs. A.S.C. Forbes, known as America’s first woman bell-maker. Mrs. Forbes was an active member of many California civic organizations. In 1902, she was named state chairman of the California History and Landmarks Department of the Federation of Women’s Clubs, and in 1914 she founded the California Bell Company. The dates “1769 & 1906” are printed together on the El Camino Real Bell. The first date refers to the founding of the first California mission, in San Diego, and the 1906 date refers to the placement of the first El Camino Real Bell in Los Angeles. A parent whom Father Egon remembers as George Pottorff, a public relations professional, spearheaded the effort to get an El Camino Real Bell to mark Portola’s likely travels through what is now the Woodside Priory grounds. The bell, in front of our administration building, was installed in the 1980s.
With no money but a lot of youthful energy to support an adventure, Father Egon headed to the southern tip of his new state and followed the mission trail of Portola and Father Serra, stopping at each point along the way.
Father Egon Javor chats with guests outside the chapel following this year’s eighth grade graduation ceremony.
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Editor’s note: When Father Egon Javor arrived in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1955, California was for him a territory as unexplored as it was for Gaspar de Portola two centuries earlier. A Hungarian refugee from post-World War II communist repression, Father Egon initially taught theology to young Benedictines at St. Mary’s Monastery in Morristown New Jersey. With six confreres from the same thousand-year-old archabbey of Pannonhalma, Hungary, he made plans to start their own monastery and school. California was growing in population, schools and educators were needed, and there were no Benedictines yet in the state. Father Egon found a welcoming community in San Francisco and along the Peninsula. In the lovely Portola Valley, he found land the monks could afford and a vista that would remind his fellow refugee monks at least a little bit of their Hungarian home. Once his future was established here, he had several months remaining before school would open. With no money but a lot of youthful energy to support an adventure, he headed to the southern tip of his new state and followed the mission trail of Portola and Father Serra, stopping at each point along the way. He said he wanted to understand for himself the roots of this young state so that he could share that knowledge with the students who would populate his school. Father Egon and parent Abbe Patterson have coauthored several articles for Priory Parent newsletter over the past two years, highlighting the history of the campus one landmark at a time. This article was printed in the May newsletter.
Annual Reunion! All of the decades were represented but the earlier ones were especially well represented at the annual alumni reunion held on June 5 on the campus grounds. As always, the day started with a pick-up soccer match, followed by lunch, a couple of bouncehouse games and other special activities for the children, and a walking tour of the campus. The Class of 1984 had an off-campus reunion in Las Vegas, Nev., on May 1. More information is on the Priory Online Community Web site. Go to the school’s main site, www.woodsidepriory.com and click on the icon.
Headmaster Tim Molak explains the Priory master plan proposal to Paul Shih and his fiancee, and Simon Wang.
Nate Titterton listens to the headmaster’s remarks while his son (and Bob Kamangar’s little daughter in the inset photo) pay attention to the pizza.
The class of 1964 took over a corner of the Father Christopher Room at lunch. Posing together at right are Fathers Egon and Pius, Harold McElhinny, Andras Csaplar, Joe Cowan and Chuck Arnold.
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Alumni News & Notes Emerson “Chip” Swan II, class of 1977, takes special joy in his wife and three children, Jennifer, 11; Stephanie, 5; and Emerson III, 4. The business is doing fine and the family is looking forward to acquiring a new puppy soon. Dan Hart, class of 1981, contacted friend and fellow alumnus Bill Szcoska at a Jimmy Buffett concert in Indianapolis. Bill is Jimmy Buffett’s sound engineer in charge of the stage monitor sound. Dan and Bill try to meet at least twice a year and will be getting together in Boston over Labor Day weekend. John Pentelei-Molnar, class of 1983. After spending the last 13 years in corporate consulting, John attended the Western Nevada State Peace Officers Academy in 2003 and graduated first in his class. Following a special training course in which he again was valedictorian, he relocated to Las Vegas in October 2003 to begin his duties as a state trooper. He is certified as a technical accident investigator, and is also a field training officer with the department. He just bought a home with his girlfriend. Dan Begin, class of 1985, was named Sales Person of the Year by his employer, Courtside Club. Dan’s individual sales efforts generated more revenue than most of the clubs’ total comparable revenue. Chris Pieper, class of 1985, along with his wife, Elana, and two children (Gwendolyn, 6 and Reed, 4) spent a week on Kauai with Chris’s parents. Chris and Elana live in Taos, New Mexico and own a sport supplies store called Mudd-N-Flood. Priory friends are invited to visit the Piepers if traveling to Taos. Chris Sharpe, class of 1985, was married two years ago. He and his wife, Janine, relocated from the Bay Area to Carlsbad, Calif., last December, and they are enjoying their five-month-old Golden Retriever, Bromhead. The Sharpes vacationed in Honduras with fellow Priory alum Scott Stache and his wife, and the couples plan another vacation Hawaii at the end of this summer. Eddie Tsai, class of 1985, has been appointed Vice President of Business Development for Dryden Financial in Taiwan. Edward Lee, class of 1992, left a successful career in high tech and since January has been attending Fuller Theological Seminary. This summer he plans to go on a short-term mission to India to help launch new churches. He said he became a Christian at the end of his college career and now is motivated to devote full time to work related to his faith. Chris Fuka, class of 1993, is married and currently living in Portland Oregon. The couple has two children—Rachel, 4, and Heather, 9. Matthieu Brule, class of 1994, will marry Rachelle Uribe on July 31, 2004, in San Francisco. Matt is currently in the Marines and is serving a 10-month deployment in Japan. Matt and Rachelle plan to live in Hawaii, where he is stationed. Caitlin (Cain) Davis, class of 1995 – married Justin Davis (Saint Francis ’93) on March 12 in Maui, Hawaii. Father Martin Mager performed the ceremony. Bernadette Austin, class of 1998, and Michael Bower, class of 1998, will be relocating to Davis, Calif., this summer. Michael will be attending UC Davis in the fall to pursue a PhD degree in Ecology. Bernadette is working for a non-profit counseling center for clients dealing with HIV/Aids and substance abuse. Bernadette and Michael, whose relationship began at the Priory in 1996, are engaged to be married, possibly in the fall of 2005. Anne (Mecham) Hawkins, class of 1998 – is working on a master’s degree in genetic counseling at the University of Arizona. Anne and her husband, Jacob, are in to the Bay Area for the summer because Anne has an internship at the Kaiser Oakland Genetics clinic. They hope to move back to the Bay Area after Anne graduates next year.
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Anna Marie Pacheco, class of 1998, called to say thanks to the Priory for her education and the great things she learned here. Nativity School in Menlo Park, Calif. has just hired her, as a member of their faculty. She sends greetings to all of her friends. Terrell Virgil, class of 1998, was recently promoted to Branch Manager for Wells Fargo Financial in Sacramento, Calif., and is on the Diversity Council for Wells Fargo Financial. Luigi Quismbing, class of 1998, is currently attending law school at the University of San Carlos, Cebu City, Philippines. He won the May 10 election as a Provincial Board Member for the Sixth Legislative District of Cebu Province, Philippines. Tara Belden, class of 1999, graduated from Loyola University Chicago in May 2003 and is now working at Ernst & Young (in the Sears Tower) as an auditor. Tara is planning to sit for the CPA exam in the near future. Julie Kimball, class of 1999, graduated from UCLA on June 18 with a B.A. in history. Several family members attended the celebration, including her mom, Gail, who is Associate Director of Development at WPS, and brother Scott, Class of 2003. Michael Alcheck, class of 2000, graduated Summa Cum Laude from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, this spring and will be attending UC Davis Law School in the fall. Marcello Centofanti, class of 2000, graduated from Santa Clara University in March 2004 with a degree in math. He’s now looking for an opportunity to utilize his math skills in a business environment. Zuszka Fedorkova, class of 2000, graduated from Stanford in June with a BA in International Relations. She will return to the campus in the fall to complete work on a master’s degree in cultural and social anthropology by December 2004. This summer, she is doing enthnographic research in Slovakia for her master’s theses about the ethnic relations between the Roma (Gypsy) minority and the majority populations. In September she will be moving to San Francisco. Michael Hon, class of 2000, graduated in May from Pitzer College, one of the Claremont, Calif., colleges, with a BA in organizational studies with emphasis in education, and a minor in Spanish. Michael plans to do some substitute teaching this fall while he prepares to hike the Pacific Crest trail next May. Elizabeth Cauley, class of 2003, has successfully completed her first year at Willamette University and has declared her major as Psychology. She also worked on the yearbook staff and mentored a second grade girl at a local elementary school. Next year she will work on the newspaper as a staff photographer. Peter Trudelle, class of 2003, was named Vector’s Number One All-American (Vector’s product is CutCo Cutlery). “The All American race is similar to a cross-country race: one must pace themselves by starting strong, maintaining pace and kicking into high gear at the end,” said Peter. The race is open to all full-time college students working with Vector. In addition to trophies, an annual grand total of $40,000 in scholarship money is awarded to 100 college student sales reps. Faculty Note: Former Dean of Students Russell Shaw and his wife Shira announced the birth of their daughter, Ma’ayan Bess Stutman-Shaw (she will be called Maya). With son Caleb, it’s now a family of four.
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Alumni Conversation
Alumnus Remembers Plenty of Fun In The Early ‘70s
sDave Rogers’ photo from the 1970 yearbook.
Editor’s Note: We thought it would be entertaining to have an across-the-decades conversation between two alumni. In this issue, it’s the New Millennium talking with the Early ‘70s--the decade of bell-bottomed pants, shaggy hair, and Flower Power. In the next issue, Liesl’s conversation will be with someone from the decade of the ‘90s. By Liesl Yost, Class of 2001
The period from 1967-1971 can be
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characterized by student rebellion, questioning authority and social turmoil. Attendance at the Woodside Priory certainly was no exception to that! Although some of the antics remembered by Dave Rogers, WPS Class of 1971, were more lighthearted than serious, they were nonetheless just as memorable—and very entertaining. Today, Dave is a senior wine consultant and lives with his lovely wife in the beautiful Sonoma County wine country along the Russian River. He fondly passes on tales of a very formative time both in Priory’s history and in his own which he remembers with tremendous personal gratitude and great affection.
Uniforms Dave’s class was the last to experience a strict Priory uniform dress code consisting of black slacks, a button-down white collared shirt, class color tie, and olive green blazer with the WPS school emblem on the breast pocket. His class attended school on Saturday mornings (the infamous “Saturday School”). His was the last class to experience “Freshman Day”-- an annual hazing ritual hosted by the Seniors involving such events as rolling down a hill backwards, a tug-of-war through the mud and silence while serving lunch to the Seniors —and, trust me, if this sounds like innocent fun, you should hear some of Dave’s other stories! The late sixties and early seventies also represented an age that was embroiled by the conflict in Vietnam and personal decisions about the draft. There were weekend trips to San Francisco that included free concerts, peace marches and $3.50 tickets to Santana concerts at the Avalon Ballroom. Dorm students would make sure to be back from daily study hall by 4 p.m. to catch the original “Star Trek” episodes on television. It was a time when AYSO soccer rules were changed to prohibit schoolbased teams after an all-Priory team won the state championship for 15-year-olds in 1968. High-Jinks Common to every Woodside Priory class, Dave recalls several memories with smiles and hearty laughs. Among some of the “cheap thrills” he remembers is his freshman class devising a game similar to shuffleboard, involving the breezeway of lockers where parents would pick up day students after school. Using remarkably slick-bottomed book briefcases and a special ability to slide them down the breezeway, they would then pray that the briefcase would stop closest to but not slide over the edge of the slick cement pavement. In the event of such tragedy, the briefcase could tumble down the hill, or worse, spill homework onto the asphalt driveway!
During a late evening episode, an upper classman set up a barbecue outside his dorm room window then opened his window to check on the progress. However, by opening his window, he unintentionally sent the aroma of roasting venison permeating throughout the Senior Dorm and eventually got caught. Even during the school day, there were plenty of laughs. In one particularly boring English literature class, a fellow classmate fell asleep bumping his head on the back wall of the classroom. He was quickly awakened by a monk dusting the top of his head with a chalkboard eraser that sent the rest of the class howling with laughter at the ensuing massive dust cloud and white hair! In between classes (and throughout the day), the banisters lining the stairs from the library to the classrooms and Red Square to the parking lot were used as a “race track.” (Soon after said tracks were discovered, bolts were inserted into the banisters in an attempt to stop the banister sliding, though one look at the seat of my brother’s pants is a testament to the failure of that attempt). Kalman Field Dave was a sophomore when Father Maurus arrived at the Priory and organized the first field trip to the coast to study marine biology, starting a tradition that remains a much-anticipated event for his biology students to this day. It was also a class project to cut back the apple orchard behind the gym to create a baseball field which Dave, as student body president, dedicated to his schoolmate, Stephen T. Kalman, who lost his battle with cancer in 1970.
At times during our conversation, I wondered if we really attended the same school, but at other times, our experiences couldn’t be more similar. His recollections of the beneficial influence the monks had on him, for instance, and the pride he felt in all members of his class being accepted to four-year universities because of the high quality of their Priory education rings true in virtually every Priory class. When I heard him rattle off the names of friends he’s stayed in close contact with over all these thirtyplus years, and as he talked about the support they have given each other, I became increasingly sure that our experiences have not been that different. It is when he pauses and tells me “those of us who have survived, I think we have come through with some pretty amazing families, relations, [and] acquaintances,” that I realize his sentiment mirrors that of many alumni. I came away from this rewarding conversation with the reassuring feeling that at Priory, the people may come and go, the scenery may change, buildings may be built up or burned down, but the one thing that will never change is the strong foundation.
Wife: Priscilla Meyers Activities: home gardening, viticulture and winemaking, backpacking Professional field: wine consultant for Windsor Vineyards, adjunct instructor at Santa Rosa Community College, wine judge
It was a formative time in WPS’s history and in his own, remembered with gratitude and affection.
Dave and his wife relax on a recent vacation in the Hawiian islands.
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FAMILY BARBECUE Saturday, September 19 • 3:30 p.m. Priory front playing field
Great Food! Upbeat Music! Honor Society Car Wash for Charity! Fun for all ages! Brought to you by the WPS Parent Association — a great way to launch a new school year.
Woodside Priory School 302 Portola Road Portola Valley, CA 94028 (650) 851-8221 fax (650) 851-2839
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MENLO PARK,CA PERMIT #805
Celebrating Our 46th Year