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LANTERN Presentation High School Parent Newsletter | September 2016
The beginning of a new school year is always a time of welcome and hope—a time to reset our intentions and reevaluate what is most important to us. In that spirit, I’d like to share an excerpt of the remarks I delivered to our students on the first day of school. Welcome to a new school year! Some of you have been part of Pres for quite some time; others are just beginning. But starting now, each of us is making a commitment—a commitment to bring our best individual selves (our talents, our hopes, our goals) and join with each other in community—the community that is Pres. There is no Catholic Pres; there is no Protestant Pres; there is no Muslim Pres—there is one Pres! There is no Catholic School Pres; there is no public school Pres—there is one Pres. There is no white, black, or brown Pres—there is one Pres. There is no straight Pres or gay Pres—there is one Pres. There is no AP student Pres or struggling student Pres—there is one Pres! We are a diverse community. As the old saying goes, “...we may have arrived on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.” We will need everyone to make it float. So what is the rudder that will keep us going in the right direction? What will unite us? A common vision of life, as well as some common principles I ask you to embrace. We are all children of God—made in God’s image—inherently good. So treating people as “other”—dehumanizing people or putting down others as different or scary—is wrong. We are flawed people—often prone to making mistakes—choosing poorly at times. Because this is our nature, we need to
We are all weak and vulnerable—quite often—so we all need to show compassion and mercy and kindness towards one another. We are smart, and capable and talented—but we do not walk the path of life alone—we need each other to be truly happy. We are responsible for ourselves, but we are called to serve others—especially those (who through no fault of their own)—do not enjoy all the advantages we have. Above all, we need to love one another as we are loved by God. These are the values found in the gospels; these are what Jesus proclaimed and lived; these are human values that will create a better world. These are the values that fill us with hope. I don’t know if you feel the same way, but I feel the culture we live in is getting more rude and crude and mean-spirited. Language matters, words matter, and living in a free society should not give you license to say any mean thing that comes to your mind. We are better than that; we must be better than that! A few weeks ago, First Lady Michelle Obama remarked on the lesson she and her husband have tried to impart to their daughters, “When others go low, we go high.” So, as we begin a new year, I ask us and challenge us—as individuals and as a school community, to bear witness to what we believe—in our words and in our deeds. Be kind and compassionate to one another—even when it is hard.
What's Inside DEPARTMENTS Student Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Attendance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . College Counseling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Counseling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Community Involvement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Campus Ministry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Performing Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
forgive and be forgiven. Seeking retaliation, holding on to past grievances only fills us with anger and becomes self-destructive.
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ATHLETICS Athletics/Home Games Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 OFFICE OF ADVANCEMENT Fashion Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Parent Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Auction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 SEPTEMBER CALENDAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Be forgiving—even when wronged. Do good—even if it goes unnoticed. Give your best. When others go low—go high!! If we do this, we won’t have to hope for a great year— we will make this a great year!! God bless you and go Panthers!! Mary Miller ’72 Principal