MERIT Vol 1 Ed 1.indd - All Saints Academy

Peter Pan:
A Flying Success
All School Production at the Polk Theatre
This year, the Performing Arts Department took
on a new endeavor: a production that includes
students from Lower, Middle, and Upper School
all sharing one stage! Paul Hughes, Mark Thielen,
and Jeannine Wright exceeded every expectation
with the full school production of Peter Pan. And
what better place to watch the pixie dust fly than
at the historic Polk Theatre in Lakeland!
Rehearsals for the play began immediately following
Winter Break in preparation of opening night on
Friday, April 23. The students expertly balanced
their vigorous academic commitments with a
challenging rehearsal schedule. Their dedicated
efforts were richly rewarded by the amazement and
delight of the crowd as they watched the magic
unfold night after night.
The audience was whisked away to Neverland
- the whimsical home of pirates, Indians, and a
group of boys who never want to grow up. While
the actors and dancers kept the crowd entertained
as they transformed into character, the string
students provided the musical backdrop that helped
set the mood and bring the production to life.
Special thanks to the more than one hundred
students and faculty who tirelessly poured
themselves into this play along with all the
parents and volunteers who helped make this
dream a reality. The production was a success
because of your hard work and enthusiasm. Thank
you all for a truly incredible all school performance
- one that will never be forgotten!
Finding Balance
Xavier Leyva (2010)
The following is an excerpt from Xavier Leyva’s address
during the Commencement Ceremony:
Everyone knows that balance is an important
physical attribute. It is constantly stressed by
coaches in almost every sport and physical facet in
life. I also believe, however, that balance is an
important quality in one’s mindset and lifestyle.
As many of you know, I have always been a strong
believer in hard work. I sincerely believe that any goal
or dream can be accomplished, and any far reaching
goal can be reached with enough hard work and
dedication. I believe this because I’ve seen it come
true before my own eyes. I am lucky enough to say
that I have witnessed the American dream fulfilled
through my lifetime through my wonderful family.
After coming from small towns in a third world
country like Mexico, they worked tirelessly fifteen
hours a day for over a decade without a single break.
It’s because of this hard work that we are now able to
enjoy a certain sense of economic security.
Throughout my short life, I have also found that
overworking and overstressing is not the happiest
or healthiest of lifestyles. The extreme of only
focusing on work is not one that I can fully support.
I fiercely believe that it is important to take the time
to enjoy life to its fullest extent. After all, as far as
immediate logic tells us, we only have one life to
enjoy. Living to work is not enough. It also becomes
necessary to work to live.
...Do not misinterpret my message. I am not calling
for everyone to abandon their ambitions and simply
attempt to only have fun. This would be the other
extreme of the spectrum, which I also disagree with.
I am calling for balance between these two lifestyles.
I have learned that it is possible to take the time to
enjoy the pleasures of life while still working hard to
achieve set goals. With enough dedication, one can
strive for the highest peaks and still enjoy the other
luxuries in life. It is for this reason that I constantly
advocate the philosophy of “work hard” and “play
hard”. Those that know me well enough will tell
you that I ardently follow this lifestyle, and I promise
that this mindset can produce desired results.
Today, my classmates and I take a final step in
our careers. As we move forward, I urge all of my
classmates and everyone in this room to remember
the essential balance. I ask that you strive to do
your best work and to do your best at enjoying your
play time. I plead that months or years from now,
if by some chance you remember Xavier Leyva, do
not remember the academics, the Mexican heritage,
or even the crazy spiky hair that I fashioned for so
many years. Instead, please remember the essential
balance that I insist on: to work hard and play hard.
Thank you.
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