Principal Mary Beth Riley Honored With YWCA Tribute Award
Saint Lucy School Celebrates the Performing Arts
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CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
Patricia Tennant Retires After 37 Years at Saint Francis High School
June 19 , 2018 | The Valley Catholic
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For nearly four decades , Patricia Tennant has called Saint Francis High School home , but that changes at the end of June when she retires as principal .
In addition to her role of principal , in which she has served for 22 years , Mrs . Tennant has worn many other hats including director of academics , guidance and counseling department chair , English teacher , as well as moderator for the junior class , the senior class and the Challenge Success campus club .
“ There is something about being around young people right in the middle of their adolescence and maturation that is so remarkable and aweinspiring ,” she said .
One of the areas in which she has made an impact is to ensure that the work and spirit of the Holy Cross Brothers would remain strong . Early
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Principal Patricia Tennant in conversation with students during lunch .
in her principalship , Mrs . Tennant met with fellow principals from the Holy Cross Southwest Province to discuss how their schools can maintain the Holy Cross charism when it became clear that the Brothers could not live forever . These initial efforts yielded unimaginable results for the school . The BRIC values – the four core beliefs
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that embody all elements of school life – and the school immersion program came out of those talks .
In addition , Mrs . Tennant oversaw the growth of Saint Francis as an institution where students can receive a well-rounded education . As part of the school ’ s growth , Mrs . Tennant has championed Saint Francis ’ commitment to innovation and change in the classroom . The block schedule , which mimics a college schedule , and the use of iPads are notable demonstrations of this commitment . In addition , faculty members have also embraced reinventing how they teach , using instructional strategies such as varied assessments to evaluate students and flipped classrooms to better respond to student learning needs .
Throughout her tenure , Mrs . Tennant has been a tireless leader . From
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athletic contests to drama and musical performances , she is unwavering in her support of students . Outside of Saint Francis , she has sat on many boards . She has been part of the CCS board of managers , the Drexel Schools board of trustees , and she chaired the superintendent search for the Diocese of San Jose .
“ It ’ s important for educators to support each other . We don ’ t operation in isolation . The more we know about how others do things , we become better ,” she said .
In typical fashion , Mrs . Tennant credits her ability to lead the school to the work and dedication of the faculty and staff at Saint Francis .
“ Here , everyone is so committed . We help each other , and when you need people , they ’ re there ,” she said . “ It ’ s been a great run .”
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Principal Mary Beth Riley Honored With YWCA Tribute Award
YWCA Silicon Valley presented Notre Dame High School Principal Mary Beth Riley with a 2018 Tribute to Women Award recently . The Tribute
Mary Beth Riley to Women Awards recognize the achievements of women who have excelled in their field and have made significant contributions to the Silicon Valley through their leadership . The awards , in the 34th year , are an effort to encourage women ’ s leadership and promote equal advancement opportunities for women of diverse backgrounds .
“ It is an honor to be recognized by the YWCA in the company of so many talented and respected women ,” said Riley . “ I share this with the many inspirational women I am fortunate to work alongside including our faculty , staff and board members and look forward to seeing some of our Notre Dame graduates , who are impacting communities around the world , recognized in the future .”
Mary Beth Riley joined Notre Dame in 1985 as a French teacher and served as director of admissions from 1998 until 2006 when she was named principal . At Notre Dame , she has spearheaded the development of programs that , in addition to preparing young women for college and life beyond college , foster a deep understanding of social justice in a global community . She has been recognized by the Silicon Valley Business Journal as a Woman of Influence and received the Educational Excellence Award from the National Catholic Educational Association .
Saint Lucy School Celebrates the Performing Arts
The arts were celebrated by the Saint Lucy School community during May ’ s annual “ Evening of the Performing Arts ” event .
Students in music classes from grades Pre-K through fifth highlighted their musical talents for a packed house during singing performances in the Saint Lucy church . During the Disney themed production , students donned costumes from such popular movies as Moana , Mary Poppins , Coco , The Jungle Book , and Beauty and the Beast . They proudly demonstrated what they had been working on during music class , led by Saint Lucy music teachers , Brennan and Jackie Whitaker .
The student school choir also performed for the eager audience of parents , teachers , and grandparents with a medley of music from the Beatles . Following the lively musical performance , the crowd was ushered into the Saint Lucy gymnasium where they were treated to a Drama Club performance of
Saint Lucy Students in music classes from Pre-K through fifth grades highlighted their musical talents during singing performances .
the time travel story , “ Back to Summer .”
The Drama Club students from fifth through eighth grade had been practicing for weeks , and their performances did not disappoint ! The acting was spot on , the costumes were creative , and the sets transformed our stage .
Principal Sue Grover shared , “ celebrating the arts provides a wonderful balance to our academic program and provides our students with an opportunity to showcase their many talents .”
Marie Curie , Alexander Hamilton , Betsy Ross , Jane Goodall , Martin Luther King , two Abraham Lincolns plus more than 30 other alive and historical heroes were all present at Saint Simon School ’ s “ living ” wax museum exhibition .
This annual event provided an opportunity for the school ’ s third grade students to showcase their knowledge of great heroes and represents a significant amount of preparation on the part of students and teachers alike .
“ There are weeks of build-up to this event . I am really proud of the research and writing they completed to get them to today ,” said Ms . Whitney Ehret , one of Saint Simon Parish School ’ s two third grade teachers .
Students arrived at the school on the 9th in costumes they had put together at home . Then , the third graders transformed the school ’ s gymnasium into a museum . At each station , students set up their poster
History Comes to Life at Saint Simon Parish School
Astronomer Sally Ride ( Claire Provencher ) and artist Leonardo Da Vinci ( Caitlin Lee ) at Saint Simon School ’ s “ living ” wax museum exhibit .
boards , displayed relevant artifacts and took their place on stools ready to welcome visitors .
Civil rights leaders and scientist , artist and authors , astronauts and entrepreneurs , the Saint Simon Parish School-gymnasium-turned-museum was a buzz of so many of the very best human attributes .