FALCON FAMILY NEWS
A MESSAGE FROM OUR MVPA DEPARTMENT
CHAIR
Dear Families:
Christian Brothers is a school of countless opportunities. From the classrooms to the athletic fields from clubs and activities to the religious and service mission, CB offers so many spaces for its students to find connection, community, and confidence. As a CB graduate, I found my oncampus home in the arts. I didn’t know a single person when I first arrived at Christian Brothers as a student, but through choir and theatre, I found lifelong friendships, an outlet for creative expression, and ultimately, the foundation of my career. The commitment to extensive arts programs at CB is a proud tradition. For more than 25 years, CB has offered arts-focused students the ability to pursue a four-year curriculum in choir, band, and visual art. Along the way, a three-year curriculum in media arts was added, and for the first time this year, the theatre program offered a four-year course of study with the addition of a Technical Theatre class.
CB students engage with the arts in many ways beyond the classroom as well, whether singing with the student-run choirs, De La Femme and De La Dudes, or performing on stage in a play, playing in the orchestra pit of the fall musical, working on tech crews for shows and concerts, or volunteering their Saturdays to build and paint scenery. The work of our visual artists is displayed in student art showcases from Davis to the Crocker Art Museum, and our media students network with their peers from across the country, sharing their creativity at the national Student Television Network convention. Open Mic Nights, often a fan favorite, are student-planned, student-performed, and student-supported nights that showcase the many talents of our school community, from lively bands to spoken-word poetry.
Leading and supporting this array of activity are a cohort of talented and dedicated faculty. They enhance our school community with music at liturgies, sporting events, and fundraisers. Their students provide artwork for school greeting cards and play posters. They continue to offer exciting new courses like Guitar and AP Drawing to meet the ever-evolving needs of our students. Of the ten teachers who instruct courses in the Media, Visual, and Performing Arts Department, seven are CB graduates, returning to share their passion for the arts with fellow Falcons - and who knows? - maybe some CB teachers in the making.
There are truly special things happening in the arts at Christian Brothers. I hope that this semester, you’ll take the opportunity to attend a concert, a play, and/or the La Salle Art Show and see for yourself why CB is the place to be an artist.
Sincerely,
Heather Christianson ’01 MVPA Department Chair
COUNSELING DEPARTMENT
PRE-REGISTRATION FOR 2025-2026 CLASSES
Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors will be working on pre-registration for next school year with their counselors during February and online pre-registration will be open from February 17th to March 10th. This process allows Mr Bowen (Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction), and the department chairs an opportunity to begin building the master schedule with the proper number of course sections Students should be looking ahead to their post-secondary plans when trying to decide which courses to take next year and beyond The counselors encourage students to think about challenging themselves academically, but with courses that they can be successful in (C’s or better) Teachers are also highly involved with the process of recommending the proper courses for students to take
*Look for the pre-registration materials students will have after counselor classroom visits and use the Course Catalog (under the Academic section of the website).
Counselors will be available near the Learning Commons during lunch while PowerSchool is open for the PreRegistration process to assist or answer questions.
CLASS OF 2025 COLLEGE NEWS
Seniors are finishing college applications and are now in a “holding pattern”, anxiously awaiting word on whether they are admitted into their colleges. Please complete the FAFSA and any other required financial aid forms ASAP. If parents have any questions, they should contact Ms. Melissa McClellan or Ms. Shenk-Tiffany. Seniors should make sure that they turn in any college acceptances and/or scholarships to the counselors by the April 28th deadline for the Graduation Program
CLASS OF 2026 COLLEGE INFORMATION
Juniors have begun meeting individually with Ms McClellan and Ms Shenk-Tiffany (College Counselors) to learn about what is involved in the college planning process They are looking over their transcripts, talking about SAT and ACT tests, performing college searches, and talking about summer programs, in addition to asking any other questions that they have at this point. Juniors are also encouraged to update their Personal Bio/Activities & Achievements on Scoir, enter potential colleges into the “Following” section under My Colleges, and complete the Career Profile.
SOPHOMORE ACADEMIC PLANNING NIGHT
Parents of the Class of 2027 are invited to attend our “Sophomore Parent Academic Planning Night” on Wednesday, February 19th from 6 - 7:30 p.m. Pre-registration and early college planning are two topics that will be addressed Students are also encouraged to attend as well
THE ARTS
Check out the arts calendar for the Spring Semester 2025
Artwork by : Isabella Rose Ledford
Theatre is busy this month with the CB Theatre Showcase on Friday, February 7 at 7 p.m. This evening highlights the performances of monologues, songs, and duet scenes that our most advanced theatre students will take to the Lenaea High School Theatre Festival that weekend. The Showcase also marks the premiere of Ribbons, an original one-act play written by Natasha Reese ’25 and Mirelia Saavedra ’26. This is your only opportunity to catch this work before our students go to perform, compete, attend workshops, and receive feedback on their pieces from theatre professionals alongside 3000+ high school theatre students from across California Tickets are $5 and are available online only from the Ticket Hub
AUDITIONS!
Auditions for our spring play, The Dining Room, by A R. Gurney, are February 11-13 after school in the theatre. Written in the 1980s, The Dining Room features a cast of 12 actors who play nearly 60 roles. The play jumps back and forward between the 1930s and the 1980s, examining the breakdown in familial norms and formality through the perspective of a formal dining room. Interested students can join the Schoology Group “The Dining Room” with code W575ZTR3-MDM6M. Questions? Email Mr. Jackson at mjackson@cbhs-sacramento org
Open Mic Night returns in February, with auditions on Wednesday, February 19 and Thursday, February 20 after school in the choir room Put your act together now and get on stage for this talent-filled night Contact Mr Fleming with questions at tfleming@cbhssacramento.org. Open Mic Night is Friday, February 28 at 7 p.m. in the theatre. Tickets are $2 at the door.
A special shout-out to the choir students under the direction of senior Marc Thomas Valdez ’25 who collaborated with students from our American Sign Language program to perform a moving rendition of “This Little Light of Mine” at the recent Ambassador’s Dinner, an annual event held to thank those who generously gift CB as volunteers and patrons. Your special “thank you” performance was very appreciated
LASALLIAN STUDENT LIFE
For all faith-filled events, visit the LSLO page here: https://www.cbhs-sacramento.org/liturgies-and-prayer-services/
For all current retreat opportunities, visit the LSLO page here: https://www.cbhs-sacramento.org/retreats/
SERVICE UPDATES:
In the fall, juniors in American Literature classes read the novel There There by Tommy Orange The book explores the interconnected lives of modern Native Americans living in Oakland as they navigate identity and the complexities of urban Indigenous life After reading There There, juniors reflected on what they learned and what they were interested in learning more about Then, they created interactive exhibits to both demonstrate their knowledge and teach others about Indigenous culture and history
On January 23, the juniors hosted 4th grade students from Oak Ridge Elementary School on campus for the first annual Indigenous Americans Cultural Expo. The goal of the event was to teach the 4th graders about Indigenous history and culture. The younger students had the opportunity to explore the exhibits with CB Hosts, who acted as guides for the day. The day ended with an opportunity for reflection and sharing.
The whole school community enjoyed having our younger guests at CB! The day was a success, and we are looking forward to continuing this new tradition
ATHLETICS
SCHOLAR ATHLETESS
Any student wishing to try out for a Spring Sport must have an updated physical on Final Forms and all the FinalForms parent and student Forms signed to participate To add your student to a tryout group, use the sport button on your individual Final Forms account
CHRISTIAN BROTHERS HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARD
ELIGIBILITY: Athletes who are members of a Capital Valley Conference recognized Varsity Team are eligible for the award. Freshmen are not eligible as the athlete must have at least one year of grades, beginning with the 9th grade. Athletes must finish the season in good standing.
Athletes must have a cumulative 3.50 GPA (or above) weighted grade point average as well as a current 3.5 (or above) weighted GPA. The cumulative GPA is based on cumulative grades of Semesters from 9th grade onward. Athletes are awarded a Scholar-Athlete patch for each sport season for which they qualify.
The following athletes are being recognized as CB Falcon Scholar Athletes:
Men’s Basketball
Aaron Grijnsztein ’25
Braeden Hennelly ’27
Stephan Hewitt ’25
Maximus Maldonado ’26
Cameron Nero ’25
Daniel Powers ’25
Andre Rabb-Patterson ’27
Grayson Stockdale ’27
Men’s Soccer
Ethan Brown ’25
Jonathan Chavez Velazquez ’26
Aidan Crawford ’26
George Dozzie III ’25
Rocco Giordano ’25
Logan Horst ’26
Gabriel Kojima ’26
Finn Murray ’25
Shane Puga ’27
Ernesto Regalado ’27
Jacob Weathers ’27
Ryan Yee ’26
Women’s Basketball
Amor Corcoran ’25
Gabriella Devlin ’27
Aleyah Harmon ’25
Olivia Novi ’27
Sofia Salazar ’25
Journey Williams-Mitchell ’27
Women’s Soccer
Mackenzie Aurich ’27
Mia Bernet ’25
Courtney Chin ’25
Penelope Cole ’26
Stella DeRoss ’26
Celsey Drew ’26
Marisela Gaeta ’26
Nicolette Kufasimes ’26
Margaret Kuzmich ’25
Delaney Lowder ’26
Isabella McDougall ’26
Sara Pierce ’27
Bailey Rakela ’25
Amanda Tholstrup ’26
Malia Van Den Bogert ’27
PHILANTHROPY
AUCTION PLANNING MEETING
The CB Annual Auction is an event that raises vital funds for CB programs and students. There are many ways to become involved and we hope that you will consider participating to make it an unforgettable event
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CB WISH LIST
GOLDEN RAFFLE
Purchase a Golden drawing that takes Bloom’ Auction & Dinner. If your ticket is pulled, you can select your choice of available Live Items. What will it be? A trip to Montana, dinner at Allora, a Pebble Beach resort, or possibly VIP Parking? You do not need to be present for the drawing. Tickets are $125.00 each. Funds generated directly support CB educational programs and tuition assistance. This year we are highlighting selected LIVE Items every Thursday on the CB Facebook page: CB's Facebook Page.
We are less than two months away from the big day! CB Auction Chairs, Pat Lewis and Gretchen Rado along with the entire auction team have been working hard to make this event a success Help us continue to grow this incredible fundraising event by participating in the 'Elegance in Bloom' planning meeting on Thursday, February 13, 2025 We will be discussing the latest auction updates and ideas Whether you are new or have been around awhile all are welcome! Sign-up here: Planning Meeting
To purchase a Golden Raffle ticket please contact Jackie Simon at simonjackie94@gmail com or Carmen HerreraRogers at tc-rogers@sbcglobal net or call CB Philanthropy at 916-733-3647
AUCTION NEWS!