As we enter the last month of 2024, I can’t help but feel so grateful looking back on all the experiences and milestones we’ve shared this year. It’s incredible how fast the months have flown by, each bringing its own ups and downs. This year has been quite the ride, and I want to take a moment to celebrate everything we’ve accomplished together as a community. Our young women and men on campus have really shined—whether in their studies, sports, or creative projects—it’s been amazing to see their hard work and determination shine through. And let's not forget our dedicated teachers and staff working hard to create this Palma Family. I am blessed to work in this incredible environment every day.
With the holiday season here, I hope everyone finds time to connect with family and feel grateful for each other. Let’s celebrate not just the big wins, but also the small moments that often go unnoticed. Sharing stories, showing appreciation for our loved ones, not taking this moment in time for granted. These days with our family do not last forever.
Looking ahead to 2025, there are plenty of exciting projects and challenges to come. Our campus will be alive with projects as our enrollment grows above and beyond its capacity. I’d recommend you could ask your favorite Palma student what their goals and challenges are for this coming semester. Challenge them to push past their perceived limitations and what more they could squeeze from their potential and time left at Palma. I promise they won’t second guess their decision if they asked themselves “what if” for their next endeavor.
I wish all of you in the Palma family a Merry Christmas and an incredible New Year.
December! It’s almost time to celebrate Jesus as the reason for the season. The Church reminds us the season of Christmas begins at sundown on December 25, continuing long past the sales, and street Santas, and parades. It continues into January, even! The Church urges us to prepare for Christ’s coming with a countercultural practice — we do Advent!
Advent is the season during which we quiet our busy lives; we pray with more intensity; we give to those who need; we hope for Christ’s coming with an expectant fervor that prepares us to receive him. But we live in a culture that puts TVs in every room and car; we stream from devices that fit in our pockets; “noise” dominates every moment we are alone, and sometimes even when we are not. How can we prepare for his coming into our hearts, into our world (now and at the end of time), amid so much noise? Let us take time this Advent to pray with our families and our loved ones, and to put some perspective on the commercial frenzy that secularizes the holiness of this time. Let us take time to enter into communion with one another — at the Mass, in our giving and sharing, in the time we spend truly being present to one another.
Advent, from the Latin adventus, means “coming.” This is a time of expectant waiting. It is represented by a blue-purplish color that represents the night sky before the dawn of the rising sun, a symbol for the birth of the Son, who is the light that extinguishes the darkness, as the first chapter of John proclaims. Each Advent Sunday we light candles in a wreath of evergreen, rich with symbols to remind ourselves of this most important truth.
One need not be Catholic, or even Christian, in order to recommit oneself to this terrific recipe for joy and happiness. We welcome and cherish our students of all backgrounds, blessed abundantly with varied customs and beliefs. And we challenge them to give of themselves, especially at this time of year. Jesus wouldn’t have it any other way. Merry Christmas, Palma! Go Chieftains!
Yours in Blessed Edmund Rice,
House Happenings
Holly Harris
Director of Student Activities
email
Happy Holidays from the Palma Houses! 
November was an amazing month of fun, giving, gratefulness and mustaches as we celebrated the tradition of No Shave November here at Palma. We finished the campaign with a “homemade mustache” day when students could wear either a natural mustache, a drawn on mustache or a stuck on mustache for the day and wear free dress — something our students love! Our students held a sock drive in which the junior high students really came through with over 250 pairs of socks donated from just them! Together, Palma was able to donate 600 pairs of socks to a local charity who works with the unhoused community in our area. The Palma Interact Club held our annual canned food drive called Cans for Credit. Students donated canned goods in exchange for extra credit in class. Palma students donated a record number of barrels to the Monterey County Food Bank before the Thanksgiving holiday.
This month will be filled with more holiday spirit as we kick off December with Giving Tuesday! Students can donate a minimum of $5 to wear free dress on Tuesday, December 3rd. The following week, our houses will compete in our first ever “Holiday House Party Week.” They have planned dress up days, a gingerbread house challenge, a movie/bingo night, holiday relay races and more. Finally, our House Leaders were selected to adopt a local child for Christmas and they are working hard at putting together a pretty amazing Christmas for their adopted child plus their family. We are so proud of the hard work our House Leaders are doing here at Palma to create an amazing experience for our students and beyond.
We wish your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
CAMPUS MINISTRY
Willie Beesley ’86
Director of Campus Ministry
email
ATHLETICS
Rob Bishop
Athletic Director
email
Guidance
Irina Short
Guidance Department Chair
email
Paint Night
Palma parents and friends enjoyed an evening of painting and refreshments at our Fall Paint Night on November 6th. Everyone’s fall pumpkin paintings turned out great!
December Parent Meetup
BINGO at Other Brother Beer in Seaside
Wednesday, December 11th at 6:30pm
877 Broadway Ave., Seaside
RSVP to parentsclub@palmaschool.org so we can save you a seat!
Our next Parents’ Club meeting will be held on January 22nd, at 6:00pm in the CSC. There is no meeting in December.
