The Legend of Proserpine

PERSEPHONE (Latin for Proserpine), in Greek mythology is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and wife of Hades, King of the Underworld.

Persephone was gathering flowers when she was seized by Hades and taken to the Underworld. Her mother sought for her in vain, sorrowing, and after nine days, Demeter asked the all-seeing sun-god Helios, if he knew what had happened. After learning the truth, Demeter ceased, in her misery, to be concerned with the harvest or fruitfulness of the Earth. Widespread famine ensued.

Zeus intervened, commanding Hades to release Persephone to her mother, but Persephone had grown some food to eat while she was held prisoner in the Underworld, and thus was doomed to remain one-third of the year with Hades, and rising from the Underworld, she would spend two-thirds of the year with her mother.

This is the myth that seems to explain the seasons of the year and the bountiful harvest each spring and summer.

The myth and the harvest are depicted on the school badge (seen above in the header)