the Lantern May 2017

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LANTERN Presentation High School Parent Newsletter | May 2017

Academic Technology: A Renewed Mission

By Katherine Georgiev | Vice Principal of Academics Presentation thoughtfully embarked on its 1:1 iPad initiative in 2013, placing iPads in the hands of all students and teachers with the mission of empowering our students to create and apply content to real-world applications. After careful reflection and research, we are recommitting to this educational mission with new iPads and policies to better support our curriculum and instruction, students, teachers and parents.

This May, we are excited to announce all students will turn in their current iPads and receive new 9.7” iPad Pros, smart keyboards and Apple pencils. This new and additional hardware will allow students and teachers to continue to engage with our curriculum in innovative ways and better support all classes and assignments. The addition of the keyboard virtually turns each iPad Pro into a laptop prepared to take on writing assignments, while the Apple Pencil turns the iPad Pro into a powerful tablet for solving math problems and creating art.

Finally, we are happy to announce, for a marginal $50 increase in the annual student technology fee, all iPads are now covered by AppleCare. This means broken screens will now cost families just $49 instead of the current $170. Plus, our new cases will be better equipped to prevent accidental damage.

Students will receive information about their new devices and our new policies this month in their mentoring classes. We are excited by these changes and are confident they support our mission of teaching students to use technology responsibly to access and evaluate information, analyze and solve problems, and effectively communicate ideas. Furthermore, an important part of our mission is working with you as parents and partners in your daughters’ education. With the adoption of these new policies, we’re all working together toward academic excellence and responsible use of technology.

The new iPads will come with a standard set of apps our teachers have determined to be essential for learning. Students will no longer have the ability to download any personal apps, such as those used for social media, gaming, or entertainment. Presentation provides iPads to students as an educational tool and these new policies reflect that educational purpose.

The Lantern | May 2017 1

Letter from the Principal

Graduation

Dear parents and friends of Presentation,

LIVE STREAM Presentation High School will be live streaming the ceremony from 10 a.m.–12 p.m. on Saturday, June 3. The link will be available on the Graduation webpage: www.presentationhs.org/graduation.

By Mary Miller '72 | Principal

We must have been having fun, because this school year flew by.

At the opening liturgy (which seems like last month), I asked the students to “go high” no matter what they heard or witnessed others doing; and I reminded them that we have one Pres community and we stand together. I believe they took that message to heart; we have had a great year!

Yes, we have a few more athletic banners, many more trophies, another national championship, impressive college acceptances and many other physical symbols of great achievement. All these are important and well-deserved, and they fill me with great pride. But what really makes me smile are the day-to-day moments when Pres girls are simply being Pres girls: working hard in classrooms, being themselves no matter how crazy that may appear, volunteering in the community--near and far, enthusiastically singing and bonding at our school liturgies, their simple acts of kindness and care for one another when no one is looking, and their dogged commitment to raise money and serve those in need. So, as another year comes to an end, let’s give a big shout out to The Panthers! They did, indeed, GO HIGH!!!

Leading the effort this year was the senior class. Individually and collectively, the Class of 2017 has left a positive mark on Presentation. College decisions are made and the agony of the process over; May is the month for them to enjoy the final days of high school and make some memories. Senior parents, don’t miss a thing: Senior Dinner, Awards Assembly, Class Day and, of course, Graduation. The four years have flown, and life will never exactly be the same once she goes off to college; I encourage you to savor this time as well. Thank you for all you have done for Pres.

My gratitude extends to all of you for the individual contributions you have made to Presentation this year. This community thrives because of your support; know how important you are as partners in the education of your daughter.

And as we prepare for a month of celebration for the Class of 2017, we welcome the Class of 2021! We had the highest number of applications in school history, so we had to make some difficult decisions. It is heartening that every encounter we have had so far with the incoming girls and their parents has confirmed we made the right choices.

That sums up the ebb and flow that is the cycle of a life in education. Have a wonderful month and magical summer.

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The Lantern | May 2017

Ceremony Graduation is Saturday, June 3, at 10 a.m. in the Miller Athletic Complex. Gates to campus--and doors to the school and gym--will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 3. Parking will be available at St. Christopher School. Families and guests will not be able to access campus prior to 9 a.m. Immediately following graduation, a reception will be held in the Marian Stuckey Center and courtyard.

Attendance

By Catherine Furtado ’06 | Registrar As the school year comes to an end, please remember to schedule appointments after school. Finals are approaching and it is important for your daughter to be in class. Ensure she is getting plenty of rest so that she can stay healthy between now and the end of the year.

Here are a few reminders from the Attendance Office: If your daughter is absent or late: •

Please call the Attendance Office at (408) 266-1060 no later than 9 a.m.

•

Your daughter is considered absent if she arrives after 8 a.m. (unless she has a free period) and will need a parent note when she checks into the Attendance Office.

•

All absences require a written note signed by a parent the day she returns to school. Faxes and emails are not accepted.

In the rare instance when your daughter needs to leave school for an appointment, please send her to the Attendance Office before school begins with a note from you stating the reason she needs to leave school and the time of her dismissal. She will be given an early dismissal notice from the Attendance Secretary. When she returns to school from the appointment she must check back into school with the Attendance Office.

For further information, please review the detailed attendance policy in your daughter’s academic planner. If you have any other questions, please contact the Attendance Office at (408) 266-1060 or by email at cfurtado@presentationhs.org.

Campus Ministry

Community Involvement

By Claire Hansen | Director of Campus Ministry

By Lindsay Swoboda | Director of Community Involvement

Presentation began the month with the annual May Day prayer service in the courtyard to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary and celebrate her mission of love. This beautiful event was a reminder of Mary's grace and her faith in God as well as her love for her family, her community and the poor. Led by our senior class, the prayer service provided an opportunity to honor some special women of faith from the Class of 2017.

During the past six weeks, our Presentation community has come together to raise funds for the low-income schools our Presentation Sisters work with in Nicaragua and Guatemala. More importantly, our students, faculty and staff spent those six weeks learning about the students, teachers and families who are impacted by our donations. They learned the stories of several students in rural Nicaragua who attend school on scholarships funded by our donations, like Maria--who is grateful for every day she gets to spend in school learning instead of selling tortillas on the street­—or Jaime, who will start his own sustainable farm after graduating this year.

We are also delighted to welcome 80 young women into next year’s Peer Ministry program! These generous students will help our program organize all school prayer experiences, masses and retreats next year. The new team will gather June 1 for prayer, leadership training and bonding.

On June 2, we will honor the graduating Class of 2017 during Class Day, which begins with our Baccalaureate liturgy at 9 a.m. in the gym.

All are welcome to attend.

Registration forms have been mailed for next year’s retreats for sophomores, juniors and seniors. These retreats are free and open to students of all faith traditions. The retreats are popular and fill up quickly, so please get your forms in by May 31, 2017.

We wish you a blessed summer full of fun, laughter, peace, and renewal!

After graduation, ten Presentation students will be heading to Nicaragua to meet more of the students who benefit from our donations. Next year, these students will be tasked with sharing their experiences with the rest of the school community and continuing to build the bonds between our school and those in Nicaragua and Guatemala. Thank you to everyone who helped support Mission Drive. You made a difference that will last a lifetime.

Fashion Show It's a wrap for Let Yourself Blossom!

The 2017 Fashion Show gave us an afternoon and evening to remember with two fabulous productions. The music was toe-tapping and the fashions were spectacular. The entire committee extends its heartfelt gratitude to all of the dancers, designers, hostesses, models, parents and production team who helped make this show a success.

We couldn't have done it without each and everyone of you.

A final shout out to our 17 designers and store partners: Banana Republic, Bella James, Black Cat Hats, Bombshell Boutique, Chicos, Eli Thomas, Francesca's, GAP, Ibiss, Johnny Was, Kendra Scott, Kitsch Couture, The Library and White House Black Market. When you're shopping, please be sure to thank them for their continued support of Presentation High School.

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Technology in the Modern Language Classroom

By Sharon Iorgulescu | Modern Language Department Chair

Bonjour and hola from the Modern Language Department! It certainly is hard to believe that the fourth quarter of the school year is already upon us! It has been an exciting year in our department.

We enjoyed a great visit from the students and faculty of College Saint Charles in Pignan, France. A group of our French students will travel to France to visit them this summer, honing all those language skills and getting ready to put them into action.

Spanish students are finishing up their new textbooks in levels I and II. Our new textbook, Adelante, has allowed us a few more days in each unit calendar to review, read, write and converse. Spanish III will follow suit next year. AP students in both languages continue to prepare for success on upcoming exams in May. ¡Buena suerte/ bonne chance!

We are proud to say that our classes have gone nearly paperless.

In the three years our students have had iPads, we have tried out, tested, failed and triumphed in our use of technology. As a result, we have discovered apps and tech learning tools that have become real favorites in the Modern Language Department. Here are some highlights: Showbie is taking the lead for writing exercises in both Spanish and French. This app allows the teacher to assign work that students can produce and turn in for editing and comments--without paper or red pens. The ease of use and capability for teachers to give quick, paperless feedback on writing assignment and projects is fabulous!

Clara Bohórquez’s Spanish II and Honors Spanish II classes use Edpuzzle to edit funny videos in Spanish from a popular TV show produced in Spain.

French students in Monica Stampfl’s courses use PollEv to share their ideas and opinions immediately on visual graphs. Most recently, French III honors students shared their “most important hotel features” amongst other travel preferences.

Another favorite across the board is Kahoot, a game-based learning platform that allows us to have friendly, low-stress, fun classroom competitions.

I speak for all of the teachers in the Modern Language Department when I say it has been a pleasure to have your girls in our courses this year. Sometimes they make us laugh; sometimes we cry together while watching movies or even music videos. But always, we bond over the real world issues presented in our classrooms. Merci and gracias for the privilege of teaching them!

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The Lantern | April 2017

College Counseling

By MaryLynne Rodriguez | Director of College Counseling It seems like the world today, with its constant media access in all its forms, has bombarded the everyday person. Daily, I see people distracted by technology - staring at glowing screens, necks down, texting and scrolling through the latest status update. We have become so consumed by smartphones and other devices, we forget to engage in real and meaningful conversation. As a graduate with a Master’s in Counseling Psychology, I firmly believe in talking as a form of curation, to relieve stress, to share one’s feelings is to relieve the soul of its burden.

This is my eighth year at Presentation. I have witnessed firsthand the number of applications rise along with the stress of standardized exams. More than ever, students seem most concerned with the name and rank of the college they would be attending, rather than what the college could provide to them in terms of academic opportunities and fit.

Senior year was a rollercoaster ride for those lucky enough to be in the throes of it this year--a wonderful, glorious, messy year, with rejections and acceptances aplenty. SAT and ACT scores never result in a satisfied test taker; there always seems to be a better score to attain or the promise of a more prestigious college acceptance.

For the senior parents, the first semester was fraught with nervous energy. Applications were completed online, test scores were sent via a glossy computer screen, and many students received their decisions not through a fat envelope in the mail, but via an impersonal email. While much of the college process is being conducted on a cold hard screen, the conversation, emotions, and consoling will all be done face to face, one-to-one, human being to human being.

The spring semester has been one of emotion, decision making, and often, tough conversation. And then, as soon as it all began, you are getting ready to say goodbye to your daughter. Talk. Laugh. Rejoice.

Mourn. Celebrate Sit with and accept the raw glory of this life.

Parent Board

Gratitude

I can’t believe the school year is nearly over. There were so many fun events, late-night study sessions and new friends. I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I have. This is my final letter as Parent Board President. It’s been an honor to serve, especially working with such a compassionate group of parents who truly care about our students and the future of this school.

Last year I wrote an article about happiness and the new field of Positive Psychology, which examines how people can feel more fulfilled and happy in their lives. As the junior class level counselor, this semester I am incorporating questions of thankfulness and gratefulness when meeting with students. Focusing on what we are thankful and grateful for, even about ourselves, can help us feel happier.

By Joel Dibble | Parent Board President | jcdibble17@gmail.com

Parent Board doesn’t do it alone though. We accomplish our goals because fellow parents, generous alumnae and community supporters continue to attend events, donate supplies and buy endless raffle tickets!

Thank you! It has been a good year and we already have plans for our hard-earned money. With your help, Parent Board is donating another scholarship to a deserving student. This means she will have tuition, uniform, books, athletic registration or club fees, and SAT/ACT test costs; basically every financial need will be covered so she can attend Presentation and enjoy the experience.

Additionally, Parent Board is donating $50,000 toward Presentation’s operating budget.

These investments will continue under the new leadership of the 2017-18 Parent Board: President, Matt Sunseri; Vice President, Maria de la Torre; Recording Secretary, Feng Tsao; Treasurer, Michael Catelani; Parliamentarian, Joel Dibble; Family Ties Chair, Dave Nickel; Historians, Anne Naragon and Nirvana Anoosheh; and Alum Rep, Phil Micciche.

As the school year comes to a close, I want to thank you again and wish you a relaxing, safe summer. Make sure to enjoy every minute because it will move even faster than the school year.

By Yvette Frojelin ‘86 | Junior Counselor and Learning Specialist

Research has shown that acts and exercises of gratitude are not only beneficial to the people receiving the praise, but even more so to the ones performing the acts. (Positive Psychology Program) According to Dr. Robert Emmons, the feeling of gratitude involves two stages (2003). First comes the acknowledgment of goodness in one’s life.

Second, gratitude is recognizing that some of the sources of this goodness lie outside the self.

People can use gratitude to form new social relations and build upon and make current ones better. Gratitude is a selfless act, done unconditionally, to show others they are appreciated--without any expectation of anything in return. Gratitude not only impacts oneself positively, but it can have a positive social effect through reciprocity.

It’s easy to start practicing gratitude. Each night before you go to bed, think of positive things you are grateful for. Keep a journal or write a blog. Take a moment with your children before bedtime to share what each of you are grateful for. Take that extra step by thanking someone who has done something nice or influenced you in any way. Not only is gratefulness good for you…it’s contagious!

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Choir

Dance Team

The choirs of Presentation have been very active the past three months. Presentation’s premier choir, Bella Voce, was invited to the SJSU Choir Invitational on March 3 where it performed with other Bay Area high school choirs and received expert feedback from Dr. Edith Copley of Northern Arizona University. Congratulations to Lucia Gomes ‘17 for receiving a superior rating in the CMEA Solo Festival on March 25 for her performance of Se tu m’ami by Pergoesi.

As the year slowly comes to an end, we are approaching the final dance show of the year, our Spring Dance Concert. All are welcome to enjoy performances from our Dance Team, Dance Company and our third and fourth period classes. The show will be performed three times: May 10, 11 and 12. Visit the Presentation box office for more information and to reserve your tickets: www.presentationhs.org/boxoffice.

By Emilie Bertram| Choir Director

Bella Voce traveled to Seattle and Vancouver on a weeklong tour at the end of March, performing joint concerts with the Seattle Girls Choir and the British Columbia Girls Choir. The group also attended a clinic with Dr. Boers at the University of Washington.

The girls completed the tour by participating in the Choral Organizations and Developing Artists Concert Festival at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco where they had the opportunity to work with composer Richard Burchard and Dr. Jeffrey Benson from SJSU. In April, Bella Voce featured its graduating members in the Senior Solo Showcase in the Marian Stuckey Student Center. Bella Voce and Cantabile also had the opportunity to perform at the Music in the Parks Festival at Great America.

The Spring Choral Concert, Journey Home, will take place on May 5 from 7:30-9 p.m. at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Willow Glen.

The concert will feature PHS choirs Bella Voce and Cantabile as well as the West Valley College Chamber Singers. Tickets can be purchased through the Presentation box office online: www. presentationhs.org/boxoffice.

The PHS choirs will close out the year with their yearly trip to the CMEA Large Groups Festival on May 12, hoping to bring home a fifth consecutive unanimous superior rating. On May 20, Bella Voce will travel to St. Mary’s College in Moraga for one final concert.

Thank you to all for the support you have shown our singers during this busy year! If you or your daughter is interested in joining choir next year, auditions for 2017-2018 Cantabile and Bella Voce choirs will take place May 15-17. Please contact Mrs. Bertram at ebertram@presentationhs.org for further information.

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The Lantern | April 2017

By Sara Fugate | Dance Team

Auditions for our national championship-winning Presentation Dance Team are coming up. The first parent meeting for potential dancers will be held June 5 at 6 p.m. in the library. An audition clinic for prospective dancers will be held June 6-8, with each session running from 4-6 p.m. in the gym. Auditions will be held June 9, with the first audition group beginning at 4 p.m. We hope to see you there!

Performing Arts

By Jim Houle | Performing Arts Director Freshman Snip-ITS/Improv Show Join the Class of 2020 in the Valenzuela Theater on Friday, May 19 at 7 p.m. for this year’s edition of Freshman Snip-ITS, an evening of short scenes and show tunes presented by our drama club (ITS). As part of this double feature, stay for our own improv comedy team, Spontaneous Combustion, as they take ideas from the audience and turn them into comical scenes improvised on the spot. Tickets are $5 at the door. See you at the theater!

Summer Theater at Pres Registration continues for our five-week summer theater camp, PresRep, now in its fourteenth year. This year we are producing the family musical, Seussical Jr., as well as a play, The Emperor’s New Clothes. All students, boys or girls ages 12-17, should consider improving their self-presentation skills and self-confidence by being part of this fun summer experience where lifelong friendships are made and theater skills are improved.

Summer Theater Enrichment Classes For the first time, we are adding theater classes to our summer school offerings. These classes are weeklong, three-hour-a-day classes taught by local professionals in either morning or afternoon sessions. This year we will be offering the following courses: Audition Technique, Directing/Playwriting, Stage Design and Model-Making, Costume Design and Construction, and Acting Women’s Roles. Check out www.summeratpres.com for more information.

Athletics

By Stacey Mallison | Athletic Director Hello Panthers, Our third annual athletic fundraiser, Game of Throws, was held on March 25. This fun evening for our amazing and generous Presentation community was a complete success with $31,000 raised for our student-athletes! Congratulations to Team Totes Skornellas for its Game of Throws win! Stay tuned for the save the date for our fourth annual Game of Throws next year.

Our spring sports are in full swing and our student-athletes are hard at work! More than 200 students are representing Presentation this spring in softball, swimming and diving, and track and field.

Softball Under head new head coach Robert Burley, our softball team is off to a great start with wins over Gilroy, Leland and St. Ignatius. So far, the team has outscored opponents 96 to 58 with half of the season still to go!

Swimming and Diving Our swimming and diving team is also off to a strong start with a big win over Valley Christian. Already, a large group of swimmers has qualified for CCS. Track and Field The track & field team is off to the best start in the history of the program, including a big win over Mitty in the WCAL dual meet.

Plus, five track and field athletes qualified for the highly-touted Arcadia meet.

Varsity Home Games

Diving Wednesday, May 3 WCAL Diving Championship | 4 p.m.

Softball Thursday, May 4 vs. Sacred Heart Cathedral | 4 p.m.

Tuesday, May 9 WCAL Playoffs Start at High Speed | TBA Wednesday, May 17 CCS Playoffs Start at High Speed | TBA

Led by our mental skills coach, Kellen Lee, the Athletic Department hosted a series of workshops for our coaches this year on the following topics: "Process Oriented Mindset," "Mental Preparedness and Sustaining Athlete Motivation,” and "Defining Mental Toughness in Your Sport.”

Save the date for Presentation’s Sports Physical Night on Monday, May 1 from 6-9 p.m. in the Miller Athletic Complex. Each physical costs $35; all of the proceeds go directly back to the Presentation training room to buy supplies for our student-athletes (tape, prewrap, bandages, etc.). Specific information about Sports Physicals Night is available on the Athletics homepage, or contact our athletic trainer, Heather Terbeek, at hterbeek@presentationhs.org. We’ll see you in the gym on May 1!

Go Panthers!!

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May 2017

For complete calendar visit www.presentationhs.org/calendar

MONDAY

1

LAMP Meeting 7–9 p.m., Jenvey House

TUESDAY

2

Golf Tournament Committee Meeting 6–8 p.m., Library

Sports Physical Night 5–9 p.m., Miller Athletic Complex

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WEDNESDAY

3

Parent Board Meeting 7–8:30 p.m., Library

THURSDAY

4

5

Spring Dance Concert and Art Show 7–9 p.m., Valenzuela Theater

11

Meeting and Appreciation Dinner 3:30–8 p.m.

12

Spring Dance Concert and Art Show 7–9 p.m., Valenzuela Theater

Semester-End Recitals 7–9 p.m., Valenzuela Theater

16 Board of Trustees

Booster Board Party 6–9 p.m., Marian Stuckey Student Center

17

Senior Dinner 6:30–9 p.m., Miller Athletic Complex

18

Frosh Snip-ITS and Improv Show 7–9 p.m., Valenzuela Theater

Awards Assembly 10:35 a.m., Miller Athletic Complex

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23

30 Memorial Day

3rd & 4th Period Finals

24

31 5th & 6th Period Finals

13

Spring Dance Concert and Art Show 7–9 p.m., Valenzuela Theater

Prom 6–11 p.m., Villa Ragusa, Campbell

14 19

Senior Lock-In 8 p.m.–8 a.m.

Miller Athletic Complex

20 21

Alumnae Council 6–7:30 p.m., Jenvey House

22

6 7

10 TADA! Reception 6:30-8:30 p.m., Marian Stuckey Student Center

SATURDAY/SUNDAY

Spring Choir Concert 7–8:30 p.m., Valenzuela Theater

LAMP Senior Mom Welcome Event 6–10 p.m., CLC

9

15

FRIDAY

25

Student Holiday

1 7th Period Final

26

27

2

28 3

1st & 2nd Period Finals

Class Day Liturgy 9–10:30 a.m., Miller Athletic Complex Class Day Assembly 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m., Miller Athletic Complex

Graduation 10 a.m.–12 p.m., Miller Athletic Complex

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MAY 2017 Presentation High School The Lantern 2281 Plummer Avenue San Jose, CA 95125