From Our President
Dear Eastside Catholic Community Members, “For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
T
he nature of putting together
a magazine means this letter was written in early December for publication in February. The flux capacitor on my DeLorean seems to be acting up, so I write this standing on the precipice of 2021, unsure of what it will hold, yet I remain optimistic and filled with hope. Although 2020 was a trying year, it did not change the core of who we are as a school community. And in truth, I believe it strengthened us in many ways. At our core, we are a community that values learning. And our heartfelt goal is to be a school with a distinctive mission to provide challenging academics while building strong character in our students. We regard these pursuits as mutually reinforcing, a belief that is exemplified by our defining Touchstones. For example, we expect our students to challenge themselves academically and complete hours of service during their years at EC. We insist that all of our faculty members—from our new teachers to our Nationally Board Certified teachers who have taught at EC for years—engage fully with our mission to help each student become the very best version of themselves. The result is a schoolhouse filled with diversity and compassion. Eastside Catholic is home to a challenging curriculum, inspiring art, talented performers, spirited athletics and an expansive and breathtaking campus. At our core, Eastside Catholic is the devoted students, alumni, faculty, staff, parents and friends who care about this school. They form an inclusive community that extends
beyond our campus, where our alumni strive to make the world a better place one person at a time. This year has allowed for a great deal of reflection—time to think about why we went into education. For me, it is the student-centric vocation that can move hearts and minds, inform and educate. It is the community. It is all of you. I hope the content here will help you understand the spirit that inhabits this community and that the stories reinforce your appreciation for Eastside Catholic. I hope most of all that you and your loved ones are well and that we will soon have occasion to join together here at the place we call home.
–Gil Picciotto P re s i den t
EC MAGAZINE WINTER 2021
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