Priorities #21: Winter 2003

PRI RITIES A Magazine of Woodside Priory School

January 2003

The

NEW SAT

A Learning Community for the New Century

Woodside Priory School A Learning Community for the New Century

In This Issue SAT and other test scores, new classes and facilities, Benedictine values and more are all covered in State of the School, a look at Woodside Priory 2003. If you haven’t been on the campus lately, Fast Facts will bring you up to speed. From the Headmaster, pages three, four and five.

The New SAT’s, Page 6

That big exam looming over every student—the SAT—is getting a thorough examination itself. Experts have reviewed and revised in an effort to bring the test more in line with what classes actually teach. It is a response to criticism from many who rely on the scores, particularly the University of California. Priory students have nothing to fear from the “new” SAT, says Academic Dean Jennifer Martin. Academics, page six.

Gloomy television news and friendship with a Kosovo near-refugee led Priory Alumna Zuzka Fedorkova to help develop a program of leadership training for young refugees.

Working with Stanford faculty and a representative of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, the students hope to start with a small project in Africa this summer. Student view, page seven.

Fall-Winter at a Glance, Page 8-9

Benedictine medalists, students at work and at play, a terrific play written and acted by Priory high school students, and the Priory’s second annual holiday Messiah sing-along are all in Fall-Winter At A Glance, pages eight and nine.

College-aged alumni gathered for the traditional pizza and conversation, Father Martin and Al Zappelli, Director of Admissions, form an alumni network in Asia, Dave Arnold, Class of 1978, is on the campus helping to keep the link between today’s students and the alumni association. And there are LOTS of individual alumni notes. Alumni news and notes, pages 12-15.

Asian tour, Page 12-15

When Trustee Bob Simon was a high school student, he whizzed past the competition in track and from his track coach developed a philosophy that he has followed ever since— don’t think too much. It’s a surprising guide for a guy who has accomplished amazing things and shows no signs of slowing down now. Trustee profile, page 16.

Tiffany’s launches the Priory’s Performing Arts Center campaign, which is now well under way. Many major and beloved buildings around the Bay Area had beginnings exactly like the Priory’s Performing Arts Center. Like them, the Priory needs leading benefactors who can help assure the “big pieces” of construction. Then the rest of the plans can proceed—and everyone who donates will have his or her name on the founders’ wall.

Naming the Arts Center, Page 18-19 Golden Jubilee update, pages 17-19.

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 Mr. Peter Campagna Mrs. Liz Cirino Mr. Wayne Davison Mr. Al Ebneter Mrs. Anne Hannigan Mrs. Dotty Hayes Father Pius Horvath Mr. George Huertas Mr. Craig Johnson Mrs. Virginia Kavanaugh Mr. Robert Klein Mr. Steven Krausz Mrs. Mary Lemuth Mrs. Janiece Bacon Oblak Mr. Bill Roberts Mr. Ray Rothrock Mr. Andy Schilling Mr. Bob Simon Mr. Bob Ward Mrs. Donna Wengert-Neff Dr. Stuart Young 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: Jim Kirkland, Father Martin Mager, Carolyn Dobervich.

Cover: Carolyn Hayes and Daniel Wengert react sensibly to the high-stakes SAT. The exam Carolyn took (she is a senior) is different from the one Dan will enjoy (he is a sophomore).

Story on page six.

Chapel Services Masses at 7:30 a.m. Monday-Saturday 9:30 a.m. Sunday 11:00 a.m. Sunday Hungarian service 8 p.m. third Friday (Taize) ecumenical service

From the Headmaster

An annual reflection indicates most things are going well

I

t is a pleasure every year to assess the state of our school—the topic of this Headmaster’s Letter. As I hear and read (with sympathy) of the difficulties faced by many schools around us, I feel blessed to see our Benedictine school doing well on many fronts.

On pages four and five, I’ve provided a range of topical examples that may be of interest, especially for readers who haven’t been on the campus lately. Fast Facts, especially, will give you some point of comparison with the school as you knew it. On those pages and throughout this issue, I hope you will see some of the evidence that brings me to my conclusions.

I arrive at my sense of the school from reports and quantitative data, and also from talking daily with parents, students, faculty and staff, neighbors and colleagues. I am in my fourteenth year with the Priory and have observed many changes.

I look at several aspects of the Priory. In summary • The quality of student education remains high; • Student experience is guided by the Benedictine values that are our foundation; • We are financially stable, but are challenged to keep salaries up and provide facilities for our larger student body; • Our Golden Jubilee campaign to provide for the future is on target; • Our alumni association is growing in size and vigor; our parent association’s work continues to be a mainstay of the campus; • Our relations with our township of Portola Valley have become rewarding and strong.

Our students are graduating with excellent academic preparation for college. We have a strong college prep curriculum and a faculty trained to prepare the most able scholars. We have breadth in the curriculum that makes it possible for students to focus appropriately. I don’t see any indications that this would change.

Our students learn through a process of experience and reflection that will serve them throughout their lives. It emphasizes individual self-discovery, breadth

in education, values that work in guiding their decision-making, and balance in life. Some people might see this emphasis as competing with our focus on academic excellence, but I see evidence all around me that it is a reinforcement. It is our kids’ safety net—a community they trust gives them confidence.

In November, we suffered a wrenching loss.

Eugene Koenig, a sophomore, died of a rare health condition. Although the Priory hasn’t lost a student since the 1970s, our response was automatic. Peter Zaffaroni, a junior, explained it well in a front page article in the high school newspaper. “At the Priory, we need not face the unthinkable alone. Eugene will now rest for eternity, and with the strength of the Priory community, the rest of us will support each other as we come to terms with our loss.”

A frequent question to me these days is whether the Priory has been hit by the economic downturn. Thus far, we appear to have the student applicant pool that we need for next year, and the candidates exhibit the same high academic standards. The total number of applications is down somewhat, but I can say with caution that this aspect of our planning for next year looks good.

However, expenses are higher. Liability insurance and health care premiums are much higher. We are committed to raising salaries to keep the Priory’s compensation in the top quartile of comparable schools. Requests for financial aid have increased in number—we are not yet sure of the total amount. We planned for these potential expense increases by taking a five percent budget cut in all departments for this fiscal year. But the savings are not sufficient. Our board of trustees has decided that a tuition increase will be needed. Families will be receiving information soon.

Priory life is hardly without challenges. Times change, our students change, and by definition that means challenges. I am continually impressed at the ability of our school community to work at them, fairly and effectively, one day at a time. The refreshing thing about moving back a big step from the daily issues is seeing how good, in fact, is the big picture.

I hope you will enjoy this issue.

Tim Molak

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It is refreshing to step back from the daily issues and take a broader view. The big picture at the Priory is good.

From the Headmaster

Hillary Berman was one of the swimmers on the first girls water polo team, which entered league competition this year.

State of the School Fast Facts about the Priory

Keeping A Benedictine Perspective

Enrollment: 320, one-third in Middle School Student:teacher ratio: 9:1 Average class size: 13. Nearly all are under our target 15-18. About eight of 170 classes are more than 20.

Average student load per teacher: 59, down from 62 two years ago.

Boarding: 32 boys, from California and worldwide Tuition and fees: $20,350 Boarding fees: $14,655 Financial aid: About 20% of the student body receives some financial aid. The total financial aid fund this year is $750,000, about the same as last year.

Athletics: 14 teams in the High School, 6 teams in the Middle School.

Advanced Placement Courses: 18 Fine and Performing Arts Courses: 27 (including AP art and music)

When the community gathers for Morning Prayer every Monday, speakers reflect on one of the Benedictine values, tying it to contemporary events in the world, on the campus, and in their own lives. Spirituality and hospitality were themes last fall, and integrity is the theme this month.

Our newly rewritten mission statement is clear, simple, and easy to use in practice. This year, it is making a terrific impact. It is the beginning point for community-wide strategic planning, which carries forward to department-level evaluation, and goal-setting by individual faculty members. Parents and students all received wallet-sized copies—it’s that short!

We have a visiting scholar, Father Eric Hallas, who is studying for an advanced degree at Stanford.

In the fall, he was known mainly to the campus residents, but this spring he will be speaking in several classes. We are hoping to continue to attract visiting Benedictines to alleviate the declining presence of monks in daily campus life.

Rave Reviews No Homework holidays and weekends. The faculty designated several and feedback is very positive.

AP courses are tied to a standardized national curriculum, so those students sometimes can’t enjoy this benefit.

Few schedule disappointments. Students get most of the classes they ask for. Giving seniors every class they request is a high priority. The Academic Dean reorganizes the master schedule of classes every year and changes student schedules every semester to achieve this goal.

Summer grants for faculty. These continue to be a lifeblood of new ideas and technology that flows directly into the classroom. Last summer, about half the faculty received grants, and they completed 25 projects.

They ranged from a study of middle school issues to varied teaching techniques, from overhauling our ninth grade English curriculum to alternative ways of assessing learning in math. This opportunity makes a big difference to faculty morale!

Peter Trudelle represented the Priory at the State-level competition in Cross-Country and at a 10-state U.S. regional meet.

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Grandparents Day drew more than 100 of our favorite people to the campus. We took the opportunity to show off classes, musical skills, chapel meeting—and our kitchen crew’s great lunches!

What’s New? Two Classrooms now occupy the patio space between the science wing and Father Maurus’s pond and rose garden.

Middle School music. The entire Middle School is taking choir and discovering that Mr. Adams is right— he can teach anybody to sing. Already, students who were too shy to join in at Morning Chapel last year are singing out and seeming to enjoy it.

Middle School Robotics. This course builds on two successful years of the High School program, which involves teamwork in building a robot that accomplishes predetermined tasks. The team can participate in local, regional and national competitions.

Radio and Broadcasting. A class that involves building the instrument has grown to include broadcast capability, and we now have several student sportscasters, making for a livelier audience experience. Students Scott Kimball, Peter Trudelle and Ross Anderson (Class of 2001) were the student muscle behind this project, supervised by science faculty member Dave Hafleigh. Scott, Peter and Senior Brad Burton have also been sportscasters at Stanford this year.

Panther Pals matches younger (and new) students with older students to be sure of a friendly face in the hall and voice on the phone when questions arise. Senior Aimee Epstein and Dean of Students Erik Carlson created the program over the summer.

Dorm Parties. Following on the tradition of including day school friends on weekend dorm activities, the “dormers” this year threw parties for the entire school—one at Halloween and one an afternoon ping-pong tournament. (The Fathers Martin and Maurus face-off was the most popular match.)

Testing...Testing

Friends and Neighbors

The Priory emphasizes individual achievement, which is hard to include in a general report.

However, standardized test scores are also important and our students do very well on them.

Our relationship with neighbors and town officials in Portola Valley is strong, and I look forward to good work together in the coming year. Our on-site housing project was of benefit to both the school and the town. A town-school agreement, which resulted in a parcel of land behind the school being zoned as three residential lots, was a long process but a good compromise. Those lots are now for sale and proceeds will provide for the monks’ retirement, then the school endowment.

Priory students are involved in trails cleanup, charitable endeavors, town events, local theater and music groups in Portola Valley and all the mid-Peninsula communities. Our graduation requirement of 100 hours of community service most often benefits in the mid-Peninsula.

Local residents use the Priory facilities in numerous ways from choral group practice to neighborhood association meetings to athletic activities. Woodside Priory’s playing fields and gym facilities are used virtually to capacity by both adult and youth athletic teams.

National Merit Recognition: 12 students in the Class of 2003 (almost 26% of the class). Four are semifinalists.

Advanced Placement Scholar Recognition: 17 students (sophomore, junior, senior and ‘02 grads).

National Scholars: Charles Kou, Class of 2001 and Harvey Jones, Class of 2002, were announced this fall.

AP Art National Recognition: The portfolio of Claudia Meyer, Class of 2002, was selected for high honors by the AP program, and her work is being displayed nationally.

SAT Average for the Class of 2003 is 624 on the verbal section and 618 on the math section—both up from last years class averages. Our PSAT results show a consistent upward trend over five years.

Eighth graders’ GPAs change less than a letter grade in either direction when they enter the Priory freshman class.

—Tim Molak Headmaster

Notable Athletic Achievements High School Cross Country: finished in top 20 at State championships Girls Water Polo: the entire team made all league honorable mention Girls Varsity Volleyball: finished one game shy of a fifth consecutive appearance in the CCS playoffs. Lisa Flagg earned allleague first team and all-county second team; Whitney Peterson and Laura Trudelle earned all-league recognition.

Girls Tennis: Alexis Smith made league top 10 list for the third year in a row; Sammi Nuttall made the top 20; Michelle Bradford earned honorable mention.

Eugene Koenig’s recent life, as he struggled against a rare health condition, was an inspiration to many in the Priory community. His death on Nov. 19, 2002, saddened the entire community.

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Academics

More Writing and Algebra In the ‘New’ SAT The revisions are measuring precisely those things our students do well.

Academic Dean Jennifer Martin also teaches a class in the Social Studies Department.

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By Jennifer Martin, Academic Dean

I

f you are like many people, you have never thrilled to the sense of fun and accomplishment to be found in the analogies section of the SAT I exam. Or, perhaps you’ve always had a yearning to encounter SAT mathematics questions at the level of Algebra II. If so, you will love the new and improved SAT I that’s being rolled out in the spring of 2005.

Analogies are out, Algebra II is in. If you always enjoyed “quantitative comparisons” — sorry, that’s out, too.

The decision to revise the SAT I exam comes after several years of research, discussion, and debate among those constituents for whom the exam is very important. The list of “players” includes educators at the high school and college levels, psychometricians at the College Board, guidance professionals, and college admissions offers.

Their goal is to more closely align the test with the actual high school curriculum, to bring a student’s writing skills into the admissions picture, and to reflect the greater emphasis placed upon writing skills throughout education.

The SAT I exam has been modified about ten times since its inception over 76 years ago. Most recently the exam was “re-centered” in the mid-1990’s to bring national averages closer to the actual midpoint of the score range. At that time, educators feared that the re-centering process manipulated and falsely inflated scores—an unlikely concern with the current revisions.

The changes are no cause for concern at the Priory. In math, our students can begin taking Algebra II as soon as eighth grade; they will not be tested on unfamiliar territory.

The former Verbal section will be re-named the Critical Reading section, and the analogies questions will give way to the addition of short reading passages (in addition to the lengthier passages already

included). In the short and long passages, students will be asked to ascertain the intent or position of the author, respond to questions about the main ideas in the text, and describe relationships between various components of the text.

A completely new section, the Writing test, will continue to include questions about grammar, usage, and word choice, but the biggest development is the inclusion of a student-generated writing sample.

Students will be given 25 minutes in which to write an essay about a particular topic, and will be scored on the basis of the organization of their ideas, their clarity of expression, the cohesiveness of the essay, and their use of standard written English.

Priory students will undoubtedly find the new format to be in alignment with the strong skills our curriculum develops in these areas. They may, however, balk at the added time involved in this modification. The new test will take approximately one additional hour to complete, bringing total testing time to three hours and thirty-five minutes.

Some educators have voiced concerns that students who are most comfortable taking a test for which they have been coached will now feel the need to add essay-writing seminars to their lists of “things to sign up for.” Again, a very positive factor for Priory students is that they are continually engaged in this type of writing in the course of their school day.

They will be at a distinct advantage in that regard.

Our current freshmen will be the first to experience the completely revised SAT. A revised version of the PSAT exam will debut in the fall of 2004; however, this practice test will not include the student-written essay portion of the actual SAT I. We are sure to encounter more information about the effects of this modification as the coming years unfold. For now, however, students and parents need not become anxious about this coming change. It is measuring precisely those things our students do well, and quite possibly the only disappointment is that students must give up one extra hour on a Saturday in exchange for the opportunity to show more of their stuff!

Student View

By Zuzka Fedorkova

P

aying attention to international affairs and the world’s suffering always seemed natural to me. But I never realized until this past year how little I actually knew about the “dark side” of this world. I certainly had no plan to help. But now I do—the World Refugee Academy.

I guess I can thank the British Broadcasting Corporation for opening my eyes. I spent the past year studying at the Stanford Overseas Center in Berlin. When I arrived there in January 2002, I did not speak German, and the weather was awful. I was pretty much trapped at the Stanford Center. The only television channel available was the BBC, and we all spent way too much time watching it.

Soon, I realized something interesting—I was getting very frustrated and depressed about world affairs. Everything that happened in the world seemed to be connected with death, war, or hunger.

Every day I saw pictures of hungry/freezing/ ’earthquaked’/beaten children and women in Afghanistan and other countries.

In that rather depressing environment (later, I learned to love Berlin, but this was at the beginning), I started to wonder more and more about what happens to all the people in the news and also to all those who do not even make it into the headlines but suffer nonetheless.

One of my closest friends, Kujtesa Bejtulahu, a Stanford student as well, comes from Kosovo and nearly was a refugee herself. Her experiences of the war are recorded in the “E-mails from Kosovo” aired on many American TV and radio stations. Our interest in the “world’s problems” brought us together as freshmen at Stanford. Tesa had talked then about the need for an institution that would educate young refugees in leadership skills. It should give them leadership tools and encourage them to return to their communities, she believed. In Germany, this idea began to take a more concrete form. Last August, after a lot of talking and planning, we started a project called the World Refugee Academy.

Our ultimate aim is an ambitious one—to establish an institution, supported by international bodies such as the United Nations or the European Union, that would teach skills of responsible leadership to a small number of selected young, talented refugees. Specifically, these would be skills such as critical thinking, public speaking, negotiation, organization and management, and develpoing a global perspective on international affairs. We are not aware of any aid programs that fill this need.

We are excited to be moving forward with small steps. We already have a team of committed young people of various backgrounds at Stanford. We have support from a number of Stanford professors. Dr. John Bravman, the Vice-Provost for Undergraduate Education at Stanford, and Dr. Byers from the Stanford department for Management Science and Engineering are on our Board of Advisors, as is Benny Otim from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva. We have moral endorsement from influential and experienced people such as Warren Christopher, the former Secretary of State, and Congressman Tom Lantos.

This summer, we hope to begin with a pilot project in either Botswana or Kenya, with the help of UNHCR. Ten to 12 Stanford area youths will work with young potential African leaders in identifying an important local project and accomplishing it, using strictly the resources in the camp. The project isn’t the point so much as learning—on both sides. Hopefully, the African youths will learn leadership. On our side, we will gain hands-on knowledge that will be invaluable in attaining our ultimate goal—the World Refugee Academy.

Dan Riveong, my classmate at the Priory, designed our website—go to www. worldrefugeeacademy.org.

Students Have a Plan To Change The Lives of Young Refugees

Zuzka was one of three students representing her country (Slovak Republic) at a youth conference . It was sponsored by the European Union and held in the seat of the European Parliament in Brussels.

Zuzka Fedorkova is a member of the Class of 2000. She spent

her senior year at the Priory through the auspices of the Slovak

Republic student abroad program. She was awarded a four-year

scholarship to Stanford University and is now in her junior year.

During her year in Berlin she was an intern with a European

Union research foundation and spent part of her summer in a Slovak gypsy settlement.

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Take 12 cast members, add 12 laptop computers on loan from the Science Department, and the result is fantastic theater created from the ground up. Director Tom Carter (who has written many plays himself) guided the cast in developing a theme, characters and script. The resulting drama, “Blue or Black Ink Only” was a funny, incisive and compassionate look at issues that matter to teens, with actors demonstrating skills that startled even their parents. All four performances played to full houses. A professionally done videotape is available to buy or borrow. Contact Tom Carter, tcarter@woodsidepriory.com.

Fall/Winter

Papers, exams and college prep anxiety are punctuated with fun throughout the fall.

Halloween and Spirit Week both give students and faculty an excuse to come in costumes. Elena Herzen could be a maid at a Renaissance Fair.

As canned goods for Second Harvest were collected this winter, a few students thinking of ill schoolmate Eugene Koenig began building the shape of a heart with him in mind. Soon, this heart was followed by another in Red Square, and EK initials in cans beside.

They were photographed and sent to Eugene at Boston Children’s Hospital. The news of Eugene’s death on Nov. 19 was an devastating experience for the entire community. Students are making plans now for a way to preserve his memory on the campus.

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The annual Priory Golf Classic brought in $22,000 for the athletics department as well as a good time for the 95-plus participants-including freshman Hap Plain and eighth grader Sam Chavez (who is being called a golf prodigy).

at a Glance When Orchestral Director Kris Yenney lifted her baton, the grand finale of the Winter Concert began—the Second Annual WPS Messiah SingAlong. With the power of a full orchestra, choir, and the great acoustics of our neighboring Valley Presbyterian Church, it was a glorious way to begin Christmas vacation. The audience was provided with copies of Handel’s well-known work. Even so, the blizzard of staffs and notes in the score helped first-time singers in the audience appreciate the magic that music students routinely perform.

Eight Tibetan monks clad in traditional red and saffron robes spent the day with Priory monks, faculty and students, beginning with morning Chapel. Throughout the day they practiced rituals surrounding the creation of a mandala of vividly colored sand in Founders Hall lobby. The ritual ended with a procession to distribute the sand in running water, so (according to Buddhist belief) its positive energy can spread. Father Egon was among the observers enjoying the monks’ work.

St. Benedict’s Medals Awarded for exemplary service to the school at the September 2002 Appreciation Dinner Bishop John Gerry, OSB Tom and Fran Dempsey Mary Paine Klara Kovacs Awarded at the Family Picnic Al and Suzanne Maas

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In the beginning…

There was ora et labora and a little rock ‘n roll!

• Set the date aside now. Ticket order forms will be in the mail soon.

The Auction Committee invites you to celebrate at the best party yet— Woodside Priory 1957! Be a Special Angel* and Join the Pre-Party—A donations launch party takes off at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 21 at the Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club. Just bring or arrange whatever Wonderful, Wonderful** auction contribution you want to make. Now is the time for donations, underwriting and program advertisements. Participating parents of Middle Schoolers are welcome to drop their students at the campus. Shawna Trujillo, Director of the Middle School, is organizing something special for them.

It’s going to be the best, the most successful auction since 1957. Don’t miss it! Be watching for the auction Web site launch once the donation items start rolling in. For auction information contact Carol Duncan, Chair, at auction@woodsidepriory.com.

Thanks—you’re too much! * Bobby Heims, 1957 **Johny Mathis, 1957

Wheels!

This immaculate blue and white Mercedes 280SL is a classic and could be yours if you are the highest bidder.

It is a family gift of Carmen M. Christensen with her daughters, Karen and Diane. For information on the bidding process, email auction@woodsidepriory.com.

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Benedictine Letter

I

don’t remember exactly when it was that I began my interest in photography, but I think it might have been in the seventh or eighth grade in grammar school. I was fascinated by the mechanics of the camera itself and decided to create a darkroom in the damp cellar of the house on Seymour Avenue in Newark, New Jersey where we lived.

For a time, I was hooked on taking pictures and then processing the film and making prints in my very primitive darkroom. Most of my equipment was purchased at one of the many hock shops that abounded downtown.

As often happens, my life became more involved and other interests supplanted photography as I moved into high school. But deep down I retained a sense that photography would again be a part of my life—and it has. For many years at the Priory it has brought joy to me. I have been able to record over a quarter of a century of Priory students and share some of my experiences and knowledge with students who took my photography class.

The shutter in a modern camera has the ability to move at an incredible speed, sometimes as fast a 1/4000 of a second—the briefest slice of time. It captures something that takes place for only a very small fraction of a second and freezes that moment in an image that is both permanent and powerful. I think of the pictures which have impacted the lives of people in various ways with their ability to evoke a mood and tell a story: little John Kennedy with his mother at the funeral; a napalm-burned child

screaming in pain in Viet Nam; the magnificence of an Ansel Adams mountainscape; the agony of 9/11.

They hold for us such stories, such memories, and yet they are only a thin slice of time. It is in the remaining bulk of time that the actual stories are written.

I love to challenge the students in my class to “look for the story.”

What does this image suggest and what story does it tell? What do you see? This exercise in imagination opens up mental possibilities and sharpens thinking.

I have a collection of many hundreds of photographs of the students who have entered the Priory community and who have written their own stories as they have grown into young men and women. And I will always enjoy watching, with the eye of the photographer, the unfolding of the stories of our present students—written on the playing fields, in community service, on our stage, in classrooms, at dances and in Red Square.

These images, these brief slices of life, help me realize the value of time and of the present moment.

May each one of us be thankful for the time we are given. Let us use it wisely and with courage, painting our picture and writing our own stories with broad, crisp strokes.

The camera captures something that takes place for only a very small fraction of a second. It freezes that moment in an image that is both permanent and powerful.

Sincerely,

Father Martin Mager, OSB Superior of the Benedictine Community

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Alumni News & Notes Transitions

Lloyd Claire, member of the first graduating class of the Priory, passed away this past fall. Please keep his family in your prayers.

Alumni News

Richard McCoy, class of 1964, is on sabbatical from Queens College, the City University of New York and reports that his most recent book is now out. It’s called “Alterations of State: Kingship in the English Reformation” (Columbia University Press, 2002). His wife Marsha is the Ombuds Person at Columbia, and his children are now college graduates. Kate is applying to law school and Sarah is a Mitchell Scholar at University College, Dublin, James Joyce’s old college.

Patrick Dougherty, class of 1966, reports that last January he was fortunate to be asked to participate in a World Fun Cup soccer tournament held in Dunedin, New Zealand for participants over 45 years of age. Forty teams from around the world competed in his division, which made it to the finals and played a German All-Star Team from Zwickau. His team won 2-1 with a man down. He says he owes this wonderful experience to Fr. Christopher and Fr. Egon.

Tyler Grady, Class of 1974, and his wife Carolyn are delighted to announce the birth of Tyler del Valle Grady, Jr. who was born October 11, 2002. Tyler, Jr. was also welcomed by his big sisters, Amanda (13) and Carolyn (7).

Alberto Navarro, class of 1978, along with his wife, Paula, and their three children visited the Priory over the holidays. He originally lived in Guatemala and is now residing in Panama.

David Rudd, class of 1978, has recently relocated to Central Florida’s High Tech Corridor. He is building a new brand image for his database consultancy, Konduit, Inc. Konduit offers database design and programming services as well as several unique turnkey aids to building and maintaining databases. To learn more about Konduit you can visit www.konduit.com. David’s other passion, his son Spencer, also has a Web site- 222. spencerrudd.com. Among Spencer’s latet feats is reportedly eating oatmeal without getting it on the ceiling or floor. David’s niece has started boarding school in upstate New York. Visiting her in St. Donate, Canada, brought back many unforgettable Priory memories of Father Martin, pizza, ping pong with Alvin Lee, Brad Oster’s boots, and Chris Conlin’s orange jump suit, he said.

James Jenson, class of 1980, wrote that he and his wife (who practices dentistry at the Palo Alto Dental group) are in the Army Reserve. His wife is currently on alert. He has been on active duty for the past two weeks (and intermittently prior) preparing his unit to deploy, expecting the mobilization order at any time.

1/13/03 UPDATE - James and his wife have been called to active duty.

Jordan Weinstein, class of 1982, proprietor of Dark Victory Armory-http://darkvictory.com is renovating Victorian era houses in southern Vermont. He is married to Anne Cole and the father of David Weinstein, born on Halloween, 2001. He has been in charge of the Vermont Renaissance Festival for the past 3 years and is now developing an English Tudor village for the 2004 season of the festival.

Nels Paine, class of 1984, is an investment banker specializing in M&A. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife and 3 children-Sydney (9), Cori (7) and Hudson (5). He spent the holiday with the 1994 Student Body President, David Arnold. Nels reports that David is still a “pretty good guy and is starting to gray just a bit.”

Tom Dowley, class of 1986, reports that Laura Anne joined their family on December 21. She weighed 7 lbs. 14 oz. and was 20 inches long. Along with her proud father, welcoming her to the family were her mother Catherine, and her sister, Grace Eileen,who is 2 years old.

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Philip Beh, class of 1987, attended Whittier College for two years and then transferred to University of California at Irvine while living in Newport Beach, CA. After graduating from UCI he worked for Equitable, a large New York financial planning company. He started his own financial planning business two years later and through that met his future wife, Heidi. They have been married 7 years and have three children, Joshua (6), Alexa (4), Brendan (3), and are expecting their fourth child, a girl, the end of April. The family lives near Laguna Beach in south Orange County. He still surfs 3 to 5 times a week, loves Orange County and is very active in all it has to offer.

Salvador Garcia, class of 1991, has moved from London to Madrid. He was married in September to a “Catalan Headhunter” named Carla. He left the finance industry (equity derivatives) and says he loves his new project, a company that provides child care services for corporations.

Tinyee Hoang, class of 1995, has changed his program of study from a MS of Food Science to Ph.D. in Food Science at Washington State University.

Nathan Williams, class of 1996, is attending law school at DePaul University in Chicago. He is now in the middle of exams and seems to think they went well even though the first year is meant to be the “killer”.

Young Bae Lee, class of 1997, is currently working for an information technology company focusing on virtual reality, Web3D and image solution. The company is partners with another called Zoomify, which is located in Santa Cruz. Young Lee will be traveling to the United States on business and plans to be in the Priory area.

Suzi Kovacs, class of 1998, graduated from USF in December 2002 and has a job in San Francisco as administrative assistant of a private advertising office. She is also studying German and Italian. After graduation she went skiing in Colorado and at Lake Tahoe (during Christmas break). She is secretary and member of the Board of Directors of the United Nations Association of San Francisco, and also a member of their International Diplomacy Council.

Mike Hon, class of 2000, is currently a junior at Pitzer college. He is looking forward to spending the spring semester abroad in Ecuador. His four months of study and course work will include one-week stays in the Galapagos, the rural Andes and other interesting sites. When he returns to Pitzer, Mike plans to complete a business degree, then earn a teaching credential at Claremont.

Tina Campbell, class of 2001, is preparing for a trip to Tahiti (specifically the island of Moorea) to do statistical work. She is working on a web site for information on French Polynesia and Moorea, though it isn’t up and running yet. She is hoping to be scuba certified by the end of the semester. Last summer she spent a month in Norway and really enjoyed visiting fjords, farms and small communities. She said that it was amazing to see people still using old-fashioned tools for farming. The hills prevent the use of tractors.

Roxanne Lundin-Crittenden, class of 2001, is attending Colorado College, where she is a resident assistant in the freshman dorm. She is working hard with other students in the environmental group on campus to learn about sustainable architecture and building. By the beginning of April the group hopes to have proposals and grants ready for the renovation of a house that has been given to them by the school. This will provide housing for 15-20 members of the sustainable living group beginning next year. This summer she, along with a CC biology professor and three other students, will be studying Flammulted Owls (a relative of the Screech Owl) in the Rockies.

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Alumni Reunions!

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ore than three dozen alumni from the Classes of 1998 to 2002 shared good conversation and Father Martin’s good pizza at the annual college alumni reunion on December 27 in the Father Christopher room. All the monks were present to meet their former students and hear comments on college life.

Dave Arnold Meets Students Dave Arnold, Class of 1978, was the most recent alumni to meet with current students. He spoke at Morning Prayer, giving students a vision of how his Priory education has served him in the years since he left the campus and sharing some funny stories about things on the campus that haven’t changed.

Alberto Navarro III (Class of 1978), his wife, Paula, and their three children had a great visit on the campus. Originally from Guatamala, he now lives in Panama.

D

Bryan Patton, Class of 1995, roared by the campus to show off his bike to fellow Honda-lover, Father Martin.

B

C

Alumni and families met with Father Martin and Director of Admissions Al Zappelli in Bangkok (A), Hong Kong (B), Seoul (C) and Taipei (D).

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A

Asian Network Connects A network of Asian reps is being developed—an idea that grew during Father Martin’s and Director of Admissions Al Zappelli’s fall trip. We take great pleasure in announcing our first network: • Hong Kong: Dan Hyler, Class of 1983, who is head of Merrill Lynch’s Asia Pacific Semiconductor Research team. Parent reps are Alfred Li and Jenny Lam, parents of Man On, a ninth grader.

• Seoul: Young Bae Lee, Class of 1997, Parent reps are Dr. Sunghee Oh and Dr. Jungsin Lee, parents of Michael, a tenth grader.

• Taipei: Ron Mak, Class of 1984. Parent reps are Tina and Gary Tseng, parents of Edward, a ninth grader.

• Bangkok: Joe Pathmanand, Class of 1993 (No parent representatives at this point.)

Network members will help facilitate communications and reunions, and can be invaluable in being the liaison between potential students and the Priory, Mr. Zappelli said.

Among the college students returning for the Christmas holiday reunion were (clockwise from upper right) Anna Lind-Guzik and Helene Nguyen; Crissy Spanoghe, Josh Rado and Brendan Kelly; Angela Sibal and Jill Simons; Ginny Nguyen and Rotami Fatemi; Mary Hurlbut and Eric Perret; Kit Newman, Warner Iversen and Jordan Braun; Emily Kirkland, Devin Coats, Roxanne Crittenden, and Anne Halsey; Evan McKinney, Beta Berez and Brandon Carse

Thanks, Tom The name of Alumni Fund volunteer Thomas Dowley Class of 1983, was inadvertently omitted from the Annual Report issue.

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Trustee Profile

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Bob Simon Lives in Los Altos, CA Wife: Annette Family: Three grown children three grandchildren Education: MBA, Stanford University Favorite Activities: computer graphics, light verse WPS Assignment: Development Committee, Golden Jubilee Campaign Leadership Team

nce upon a time, Priory Trustee Bob Simon and his high school track coach had a little chat — directly after Bob ran in an intramural mile event and handily unseated the ranking varsity miler at the time. Out of this fortuitous conversation came a high school varsity track career, an athletic scholarship to Stanford University, and a life philosophy. “The coach told my folks, ‘Bob will be a good miler, if he just doesn’t think about it too much.’”

Although those who know him at all might have something to say about how much quality thinking Bob Simon—a.k.a. former Air Force pilot, SRI marketing exec, Assistant Dean for Corporate Relations at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, North American Director of Development for the American University in Cairo, local ambassador for Priory-Slovak relations, and published author of light verse—really does, Bob concurs with his coach.

He says that he tries “not to get too introspective, so when something comes along that just looks right to me, I tend to do it without a lot of thought. So far, the Slovak student program and serving on the Priory’s Board of Trustees are two ‘quick decisions’ that I’m very happy about.”

The Priory community would certainly agree. It was a “quick Simon decision” that resulted in the The sketch and the poem below are taken from Bob’s book of light verse, Fleeting Rhyme. Anyone interested in purchasing a copy or arranging a reading is invited to contact Bob at bob@logotogo. com. Proceeds will benefit the Priory scholarship fund.

The Poetry Lesson What was my best teacher’s yearning?

Not great teaching, Just great learning.

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She taught me how to see, in time Where there’s reasonThere, there’s rhyme.

Priory becoming involved with the Slovak student program, for which he is the local link. A fraternity brother who now lives in Bardejov, Slovak Republic, founded it.

“I don’t remember who suggested the Priory, but I do recall going on the Web and looking at Tim’s picture and saying to myself, ‘He looks like a nice guy.’”

A phone call and some logistical discussion, and Priory had its first two official Slovakian students, members of the Class of 2000. But Bob was not going to escape so easily—he was summarily invited to sit on the Board of Trustees, an excellent example of many who serve the Priory through no alumni or familial relations, but simply as friends and benefactors.

Bob also has contributed his time and talents to the Development Committee (which he will soon chair), and various aspects of the Golden Jubilee Campaign, right down to helping coin the name and subsequently designing the signature logo.

Bob describes computer graphics as being one of his two current vices (or passions), the other being light verse. His recently published book, Fleeting Rhyme, is the heart of a fundraising project. The proceeds from the book sales (which are brisk— almost 1,200 copies sold to date) go to Stanford scholarships and other charities. He has recited excerpts before more than 60 audiences and now has been asked to write commissioned poems. And if he needs anything else to fill his golden years of retirement, there’s always the Los Altos Library Endowment, which he originally helped to found and now serves on the board of directors. Or his “small business” -LogoToGo. And what does Bob say about his vast and varied interests? “Rightly or wrongly, I feel that my legacy will be the poetry. It won’t be computer graphics, or fundraising slogans...” That is, of course, excepting his progeny, of which he and wife Annie have three.

Whatever legacy Bob Simon leaves, it will certainly include many instances of “running the mile” for his friends, family, and community.

—J. Dobervich

Progress on housing and Chapel, too.

Tiffany’s Launches WPS’s Performing Arts Center Campaign

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veryone who donated to the first year of WPS’s Golden Jubilee campaign—plus monks, arts facility and volunteers—was invited celebrate last fall at a gala evening hosted by WPS parent Terri Robbins Tiffany (mother of Jordan) and Tiffany’s at Stanford Shopping Center.

The event was also the kickoff of the $7 million Performing Arts Center and Classrooms campaign— the biggest single project of the five in the Golden Jubilee campaign. The wine and food—and beautiful baubles—couldn’t have been more delightful.

Construction of the Maas Family Commons residences and preparation for sale of three parcels of

land are both on target. The seven new units in the Commons should be ready for occupancy this summer. While the funding is essentially complete, anyone interested in contributing (possibly to name a residence) is invited to contact Doug Ayer, Director of Development, at (650) 851-6101.

Additional seating space in the Chapel was scheduled for a few years down the road, but the project is being moved up because the need is so great, said Tim Molak, Headmaster. With the direction of the Benedictine Community, the back wall of the main seating area will be extended and an exterior Blessed Sacrament Chapel added.

Fall Semester Activity: • Half of the $7 million Performing Arts Center funding is pledged.

• Donor activities, architects’ preliminary work and meetings with Portola Valley officials are on target.

• Maas Family Commons housing is on track for completion by summer 2003.

Next Target: • Total $7 million for the PAC by year-end 2003 • Portola Valley approval of the Priory master plan by summer 2003 Go online to see monthly photo updates of Maas Family Commons construction and sketches of the PAC—plus a 1-minute Flash presentation. The address is www. woodsidepriory.com/campaign.

Fathers Pius (far left), Martin, Maurus and Brother Edward shared a toast with parent and hostess Terri Tiffany and Giles Marsden, manager of Tiffany’s at Stanford Shopping Center.

A very surprised Wayne Davison was presented with an engraved silver Tiffany’s tray at the fall gala. The award honored his work as Chair of the Board of Trustees and Golden Jubilee Campaign Leadership Team, and an incredible number of other services large and small. He attended with his wife (and equally hard worker) Cindy.

17

Everybody Knows Their Benefactors Who Lead The Way Make Big Dreams Come True

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The Priory’s new Performing Arts Center introduces many opportunities for benefactors to put a name up in lights.

Eventually, every donor’s name will go on the founders wall.

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ook around, and you will notice that all of the private schools and colleges have them. So do many treasured community resources, like New York’s Lincoln Center and San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall. Woodside Priory School is just beginning to collect them and needs more now.

The subject here is high-visibility benefactors— people who take the lead to make a community’s dream a reality. Their names appear on plaques, engraved in walls, included in signs that identify the buildings and even the streets that lead to them.

The Priory’s new Performing Arts Center introduces many opportunities for benefactors to put a name up in lights, so to speak — to “name something,” from the whole complex to a single theater chair. Right now, the items to be named are big things, like the auditorium, because “we can’t really plan for lighting or chairs until we know about the theater,” explained Jack Hundley, Director of Finance and Operations.

Many people think that buildings like the PAC are funded by large numbers of modest contributions.

Actually, that’s an economic impossibility—it would take a small city, or several decades, to raise building funds that way. While a broad base of contributors is crucial over the long term, no campaign can succeed without a few benefactors who lead the way. When Stanford or MIT plans a new, $500 million engineering wing, they need benefactors with multiple millions in the beginning. Woodside Priory, with a Performing Arts Center of $7 million, most needs leaders in the range of low six to seven figure gifts.

These early, large benefactors assure everyone that the project is definite—at least the broad outlines.

With this assurance, planning can go forward, everyone can be involved, and eventually—at the Priory, at least—everyone can be a PAC founder. That is, every name of every donor will be included on the large “founders wall” in the lobby, said Wayne Davison, campaign chair.

So far, the Priory is on target with its fund-raising and construction timetable— $3.5 million is pleged to date, and meetings with architects and city officials are progressing well. Another $3.5 million must be raised in 2003 if the school is to stick to its schedule. Needed improvements to library facilities, the student center and additional classrooms can’t begin until the PAC

is completed. (For an explanation of space use, go to www.woodsidepriory.com/campaign/tour006. html. and view the slides on the “trinity plan.”)

Around the Bay Area, beloved buildings demonstrate a pattern in the names they carry.

Overwhelmingly, the initial benefactors seem to have had vision and passion for the projects they launched. When they linked their names to the project, they have come to almost symbolize that passion. Example: most of us don’t remember who M. H. DeYoung is, but we link that name with public access to world class art in the museum at Golden Gate Park. Without him, that museum almost certainly wouldn’t be there.

People also “name” to honor individuals and events, and to keep memories alive. At the Priory, many of our recent benefactors have chosen to be anonymous; however, their opportunity to attach a name continues. Additional names could pop up many years from now, if they change their minds.

Often, the leading benefactors didn’t simply write a check. They planned a gift over several years, or helped create a family gift, or found a way to include corporate or foundation funds along with their own.

Anyone interested in discussing opportunities to name a piece of the PAC is invited to contact Ray Rothrock, PAC committee chair, or Doug Ayer, Director of Development. People don’t need a checkbook large or small to make that call, Ray said.

PAC campaign volunteers are anxious to meet with anybody who is interested in learning more now.

“People may be able to contribute more than they think—their experiences, friends, and company contacts could lead us to an avenue we haven’t thought of yet,” Ray said.

However, anyone who may have a name for that sign out front, or the fine arts gallery in the lobby, or over the stage in the auditorium, is especially encouraged to “pick up that phone now. Campaign volunteers are standing by,” he added with a smile.

Both Ray and Doug can be reached by phoning the Development office at 650-851-6101 or emailing campaign@woodsideriory.com

Names

Beloved Buildings Share Common Histories The front lobbies and plaques in much-loved buildings around the Bay Area only begin to tell their histories. Here are just a few examples.

Overcoming the economy: San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House opened in 1932, despite the depression. Through the next few decades the SF performing arts complex of buildings grew with a tradition of public and private funding. By the mid-1970s, the arts were choking for space, but economic "stagflation" stalled both public and private sources. Louise M. Davies’ gift opened the way for additional foundations, corporations and philanthrapists. The Davies Symphony Hall opened in 1983.

Preserving history: The Julia Morgan Theater in Berkeley, designed by the famous local architect, has had many uses over the years. A couple who loved it not only gave a $300,000 gift to save it, they also moved to the area last year to supervise development of its community arts program.

A driving vision and family gift: Dr. Peter Wallenberg was so excited by the possibilities of a program for innovative studies that he organized support from multiple family foundations to see the vision realized at Stanford University. It was the first time his family had made such a gift outside their native Sweden.

Honoring dedication: The Robert C. Smithwick Theater at Foothill College in Los Altos honors a man who was tireless in his effort to bring musical theater to the school and community.

–C. Dobervich

A Vision Of A Community: In Palo Alto, the name Lucie Stern is

synonymous with theater, classes, and beautiful meeting spaces. The Cantor Arts Center (inset above) came into being despite Stanford University’s competing need to restore widespread damage on the

campus after the 1989 earthquake. It took leadership from many quarters to make it happen, as well as the gift of Iris and B. Gerald Cantor.

We’re Halfway to our

Performing Arts Center Goal!

Funds still needed: $3.5 million

Funds already pledged: $3.5 million

Why We Need The PAC NOW! Audiences at the Priory’s fall music and drama performances chose these as their top reasons: Space Crunch: Classes meet every day in the Assembly Hall. They are constantly interrupted.

Classroom Crunch: We have grown from 2 to 13 performing arts classes. We have NO classrooms designed for them.

Arts Courses: Students want more. We need facilities for them.

Our Assembly Hall holds 310 people—we have 390 students and faculty. Our "trinity plan" can’t proceed until the PAC is completed.

Read more at www. woodsidepriory.com/ ca-mpaign. Click on Arts Center.

Woodside Priory School 302 Portola Road Portola Valley, CA 94028 (650) 851-8221 fax (650) 851-2839

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