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November 2014 PRESENTATION HIGH SCHOOL PARENT NEWSLETTER
LANTERN Dear Parents and Friends of Presentation, Last month, while indulging in one of my secret pastimes— reading People magazine, I came across this quote from Michelle Obama. She was asked what advice she would give herself if she was still in high school. Her response made me think immediately of your daughters who often worry too much and let the opinion of others weigh too heavily. This could apply to those of us women who are older as well. If I could give my younger self just one piece of advice it would be this: Stop being so afraid! That’s really what strikes me when I look back – the sheer amount of time I spent tangled up in fears and doubts that were entirely of my own creation. I was afraid of not knowing the answer in class and looking stupid, or worried about what some boy thought of me, or wondering whether other girls liked my clothes or my hair, or angsting about some offhand comment someone made to me in the lunch- room. I would love to go back in time and tell my younger self: “Michelle, these middle and high school years are just a tiny blip in your life, and all the slights and embarrassments and heartaches, all those times you got that one question wrong on that test – none of that is important in the scheme of things. Instead, what matters most are the true friends you make, the activities you throw yourself into, the books you read, the skills and knowledge you acquire. Those experiences – the ones that make you stronger, smarter and braver – are what really matter.” So I would have told myself: “Walk away from ‘friendships’ that make you feel small and insecure and seek out people who inspire and support you. Focus more on learning than on succeeding – instead of pretending that you understand something when you don’t, just raise your hand and ask a question. You’re a smart girl and the chances are, if you’re confused, so are many others. And for heaven’s sake, let yourself really fail once in a while – not some tiny little mistakes here and there, but big, glaring, confidenceshaking, dark-night-of-the-soul inducing failures. Understand that no one – especially folks that are truly successful – simply coasts from achievement to achievement. The most accomplished people in the world fail and fail big. That’s how they learn so much and grow so quickly and become so interesting and wise. In short, stop trying to be someone who will impress everyone else and just focus on being and becoming fully, sincerely and passionately yourself.”
Good advice! This is exactly what an all-female school like Pres should promote in our students. So when your daughter feels that something relatively small is the end of the world, you may want to share this with her! Women are, in particular, very hard on themselves; we need to help each other. In this month of Thanksgiving, let us be grateful for all the experiences that made us who we are, for the friends and mentors who inspired and supported us, and for the gift of life and the blessing of health. May God continue to watch over you and your families and fill you with grace. Happy Thanksgiving!
Mary Miller ’72 Principal
Inside this issue LETTERS Board of Trustees letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Parent Board letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 DEPARTMENT UPDATES College Counseling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Community Involvement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Campus Ministry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Department Spotlight: Social Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Math and Science Colloquium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Music Department . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dance Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Performing Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Counseling Department: Senior Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Attendance Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Athletics: Varsity home games. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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OFFICE OF ADVANCEMENT Auction Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Fashion Show: Fundraiser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 NOVEMBER CALENDAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8