Woodside Priory School

Woodside Priory School (The Priory)
Address
302 Portola Road
Portola Valley, (San Mateo County), California 94028
United States
Coordinates 37°22′32″N 122°12′46″W / 37.37556°N 122.21278°W / 37.37556; -122.21278Coordinates: 37°22′32″N 122°12′46″W / 37.37556°N 122.21278°W / 37.37556; -122.21278
Information
Type Private, coeducational, day and boarding school
Motto "Ora Et Labora"
(Prayer and Work)
Religious affiliation(s) Roman Catholic;
Benedictine
Patron saint(s) Saint Stephen the King
Established 1957
Founder Father Egon Javor, OSB
Oversight Board of Directors and Board of Trustees
Head of school Tim Molak
Grades 6-12
Enrollment 370[1]
Average class size 13[1]
Student to teacher ratio 7:1[1]
Campus Rural/suburban
Campus size 51 acres (210,000 m2)
Color(s) Black and blue         
Athletics conference CCS - Central California Section
Mascot Panthers
Team name Panthers
Accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges[2]
Average SAT scores 1920[1]
Newspaper The Priory Post
Yearbook Omnibus
Tuition 2015-2016 school year
$40,675 (day)
$61,665 (boarding)
Affiliation Saint Anselm Abbey; Goffstown, NH
Assistant Head of School/Head of Upper School/Academic Dean Brian Schlaak
Dean of Students Micah Morris
Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Matt Lai
Athletic Director Mark Stogner
Dean of Residential Life Adam Siler
Middle School Head Caitha Ambler
Website http://www.prioryca.org

The Woodside Priory School, commonly known as The Priory, is an independent, coeducational, Benedictine Catholic, college preparatory, day and boarding school located in Portola Valley, California, United States. It is located within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco and is thirty minutes from San Francisco to the north and San Jose to the south.

History

The 2008 graduation procession was led by Brother Edward Englund (1942–2014).

The Priory was founded in 1957 by a group of seven Hungarian Benedictine Monks from Saint Martin's Archabbey in Pannonhalma, Hungary. In 1974, the monks affiliated with Saint Anselm Abbey in Goffstown, New Hampshire.

The school began on an 18-acre (73,000 m2) ranch and over the years has expanded significantly to the point that the campus now encompasses some 50 acres (200,000 m2). Originally the school was made up entirely of all-male boarders, but over the years the ratio of boarders to day students changed, and today the boarding school accounts for a smaller percentage of the upper school student body. In the early 1990s, the school began admitting females to the day program, with the first coed senior class graduating in 1995. The Priory's boarding program was expanded to include girls in 2004.

The Priory was granted a six-year accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) and the Western Catholic Education Association in June, 2012.

Student body

The enrollment of the Priory is 370 students spanning grades 6-12. The major population of the student body is from the Bay Area; however, international students are from 12 countries including South Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Hungary, Germany, Switzerland, Singapore, Russia, Spain, Nigeria and Thailand.

Athletics

The Priory offers football, track and field, basketball, soccer, volleyball, cross country, equestrian, swimming, golf, baseball, water polo, lacrosse, and tennis. In 2000, the girls' volleyball team won the state championship for Division V.

The school competes in Central Coast Section (CCS) post-season competition.

Student activities

The school's newspaper is the Priory Post. A literary magazine and yearbook are published by students.

The school has a number of yearly events such as a dodgeball tournament and Spirit Week.

Performing arts

The school offers band, jazz ensemble, choir, drama, and tech. Three buildings were completed in 2009, including instrumental and choir rooms, a drama practice room or black box theater, a theater equipped with modern sound and lighting, and a music lab. Three main stage plays/musicals are presented each year: One by the Middle School, one by the Upper School, and one by all the students. Four concerts are presented in with one in Fall and Winter and two in Spring.

Robotics

The Priory has robotics team that competes regionally and statewide.

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Priory - Fast Facts". Woodside Priory website. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
  2. ↑ WASC-ACS. "WASC-Accrediting Commission for Schools". Retrieved 2009-06-05.

References

  • Beginnings by Father Egon Javor, OSB. The early history of the Priory's founding.
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