August 2013web size

ParentNewsletter The La Salle

FOR PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF LA SALLE HIGH SCHOOL • PASADENA • CALIFORNIA • AUGUSt 2013

Principal Ideas Learn•Serve•Lead

Yes, we have reached our summer midpoint and that means that it is more than half over! I hope that your family has been able to find some time for enjoyable rest and relaxation. If not, you still have a few weeks. I know that the summer months can be even busier than the rest of the normal school year but it is a wonderful time to catch your breath and have a nice cool lemonade.

Summer Information Packet

Yesterday, we mailed a packet of information home for each student. It may have arrived or will be arriving shortly. Please read carefully the contents and then return the necessary annual school forms as requested by the due date. Meeting these deadlines will hopefully avoid any potentially embarrassing moments at the time school starts. THANK YOU in advance for your cooperation on this matter.

Orientation

The start of the school year for NEW (9th grade and transfer) students is Wednesday, August 21. The day will include an orientation program from 9:00am to 2:00pm that will be directed by students and adults from our Student Life Team.

Lunch will be provided (no charge!) and there will be neither need for textbooks nor any need to be in uniform. That same evening, August 21, we will also host a very informative New

Parent Orientation Program beginning at 6:30pm in the Dining Hall. Included in this packet (for new students) is a letter regarding the evenings' program. I would strongly encourage the parents of our new students to attend this activity as it is a most informative experience in addition to hearing my pearls of wisdom!

First Day of School

On the next day, August 22, the ENTIRE student body will gather for its first day of classes beginning at 8:00am and concluding at 12:20pm.

All classes will meet on this day – textbooks and full uniforms are required. I recommend that you begin buying your textbooks soon, to assure Continued on page 2

The words of St. John Baptist de La Salle to the first Brothers “You ought to have great care and affection for the students entrusted to you...and guarf them from whatever may interfere with their education” Saint John Baptist de La Salle c.1703

Meditations for Sundays and Feast Day 110 PAGE 1

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AUGUST 2013

Principal Ideas Continued from page 1

Days. (In addition, the Armory contains other La Salle apparel suitable for most occasions).

Recommit to Learning

ORDER BOOKS ONLINE NOW

their arrival at your home by early August. Our authorized online bookstore, ESCO, can be accessed from our school’s website and is now available to receive your orders. While you are able to buy your textbooks from many different sources, we provide ESCO with detailed information about our course textbook needs including the most current ISBN coding under the Academics tab of the website. We regularly update the ISBN code in-order to avoid textbook version confusion.

Purchase correctly as refunds are not always easy to obtain and/or may come with a restocking charge.

Our process for getting ready for the return of students to our regular program is well underway. The office staff and maintenance department are doing their best to have everything in place by the first day of school.

The start of every school year is a tremendous opportunity for all of us to pledge our support and recommit our effort as a learning community. We all have a vital role to play in this process and I promise that I will do my best to assure that the faculty and staff of this school are ready, willing and able to work with your son/daughter in maturing them to young adulthood. I am honored to serve as the Principal of La Salle and look forward to working with you in our important educational venture called Catholic Lasallian education.

See you in a few weeks – well, actually 33 days!

Brother Christopher Brady, FSC Principal

Lancer Armory

The Lancer Armory is available for approved school locks, PE clothing and school ties that must be worn by all students on Dress Up

Important Notice for Summer Trips

Neither La Salle High School nor Student Life of La Salle High School is

sponsoring or is liable for any student participation in summer trips to places such as Europe, Mexico, Alaska or Hawai’i. These activities are solely the responsibility of the sponsoring person or group.

School sponsored events, such Venaver, class retreats or those with Student Life, will always include the standard Parent Request Form that clearly indicates the School’s support and approval of the event.

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ParentNewsletter

AUGUST 2013

From the Parent Association

The Beginning of Something New and Exciting

While the “end” of summer is signified by the start of school, it also represents the beginning of something new and exciting. The Parent Association invites you to get involved and share in the many great things that lie ahead within our La Salle community. Parent volunteers truly make the La Salle High School experience fabulous for our students. With an eye to the upcoming 2013/2014 academic year, we are currently in the planning stages of what promises to be an exciting calendar featuring interesting and fun programs. Our monthly Parent Association meetings will continue to provide informative content from administrators, faculty, students and guest speakers. Our three booster groups are also hard at work developing parent-enhanced activities and communication of volunteer opportunities. Get involved and share your talents and time, everyone has so much to offer. Come "Experience the La Salle Difference."

We want to take this opportunity to once again welcome the parents of the Class of 2017 and to those families who are here at La Salle for the first time as they begin their wonderful journey exploring the endless possibilities at La Salle. With this in mind, the Parent Association is Next again hosting its annual Freshman Parent and New Parent Orientation program, which is Parent Association designed to provide incoming parents the opportunity to better acquaint themselves with life at La Salle. All freshman parents and parents new to La Salle should mark their calendars Meeting for Wednesday, August 21st at 6:30pm in the Dining Hall. We would like to take a moment September 10, 2013 to thank everyone who helps make this a success, especially Co-Chairs Craig Snodgrass and 6:30pm Hilary Scofield, for what continues to be nothing short of an extraordinary event.

Just as orientation introduces new students and parents to a host of opportunities to explore, we encourage all parents to attend Back-to-School Night on August 29th.

Whether you are a parent of a new freshman student or of a soon to be graduating senior, the importance of attending this evening’s activities can not be underestimated. Learn about the classes your son or daughter is taking and meet their teachers or college counselors… take interest in their studies and share the classroom experience with them.

Blakeslee Library Booster Meetings 7:30pm

Tuesday, September 10th marks the start of our monthly Parent Association and Booster meetings.

This year, we invite all parents to attend the general Parent Association meeting at 6:30pm in the Blakeslee Library. Individual Booster meetings will follow; these meetings will begin at 7:30pm. As part of our “featured presentation”, Brother Christopher will share some of the new and exciting changes for the upcoming school year. Please join us for what promises to be an extremely informative and excellent first meeting. As a reminder, all parents are given credit for one service hour for each meeting attended.

With the start of the new school year just around the corner, we are very excited about the upcoming year and look forward to seeing all of you at La Salle. With grateful hearts for God’s many blessings, my husband Jay and I wish you and your students a safe and fun-filled end of summer!

Tess Crabtree P’12, '14 President Parent Association PAGE 3

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AUGUST 2013

La Salle Matters IS IT POSSIBLE NOT TO BE MY NEIGHBOR

Who is my neighbor? This question, posed to Jesus by what we would identify in today’s nomenclature as a lawyer, can be found in Luke 10:25-37; the Gospel reading we heard on Sunday, July 14th. Over the years I have heard priests take a variety of perspectives on the significance of Jesus’ message in this Gospel passage. What I have not heard - at least not yet - is a commentary on how Jesus upended the definition of the word “neighbor.” The Webster Dictionary, for example, is quite clear - and simple - in its definition of the term: one living or located near another Those who are familiar with what has come to be called the “Good Samaritan” parable know that the injured man at the center of the story was nowhere

near a population center, but on the desolate road connecting Jerusalem to Jericho. So the notion that a “neighbor” would be nearby is, for all practical purposes, irrelevant. Yet, Jesus, in the penultimate moment of his encounter with the lawyer, asks him: PAGE 4

Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?

And the lawyer answers this self-evident question correctly: The one who showed him mercy The lawyer’s question is an important one. Hebrew - and later - Christian Scriptures call believers to “love our neighbor” as ourselves. Hidden within the multiple layers of meaning of this magnificent parable is Jesus’ broadening of the concept of neighbor to embrace Gospel values that redefine Webster’s simple - and simplistic - definition of someone in close proximity to someone else.

In other words, Jesus tells us that everyone is our neighbor. And, while I prefer the biblical translation that favors the word compassion over the word mercy; still Jesus’ message that everyone is my neighbor - and therefore worthy of my concern - represents one of the single most challenging imperatives of the Gospel.

Ironically, the tragedy of the Trayvon Martin case highlights an understanding of the term “neighbor” that is rarely appreciated through the lens of Sunday’s Gospel: is it possible for someone to not be my neighbor?

George Zimmerman certainly thought so as he patrolled his neighborhood that fateful night.

Neighborhood watch programs, like the one George Zimmerman supported, argue in favor of the notion that not everyone is my neighbor.

And, in a simplistic way, it is easy to agree to that proposition. All of us have experienced the fear that accompanies a late night walk through unfamiliar surroundings. In those settings each of us has assumed that the person walking towards us is filled will ill intentions. Is it possible, then, that the person on the other side of the street is not my neighbor?

Jesus would say “no.” This is a hard proposition to support - and the Trayvon Martin case is an excellent example why. Lost in the screaming headlines of who did what to whom is the fact that a boy with a shady past was confronted by an adult who assumed he was up to no good.

What if George Zimmerman had assumed that

ParentNewsletter Trayvon Martin was his neighbor? Would the conversation between the two individuals have led to a different ending?

Would Trayvon Martin still be alive? Would George Zimmerman have avoided having his head slammed on the ground? Regardless of who initiated the confrontation, the end game was all but predictable, given the presence of a gun in Zimmerman’s pocket. That gun affirmed the notion that Trayvon Martin was not George Zimmerman’s neighbor. Left unanswered by the tragedy is the question: could the outcome have been different?

Of course we will never know; but the encounter between Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman provides an opportunity for each of us to ask the same question the lawyer asked of Jesus: who is my neighbor? At La Salle, we are constantly asking ourselves that question. Our motto: Learn - Serve - Lead assumes that everyone is our neighbor - even when we find it inconvenient or intimidating. This is not to suggest that we frown on graduates who join neighborhood watch programs - the world is often a frightening place. Rather, we want our graduates to cultivate the Gospel notion that everyone is our neighbor; that each person deserves the benefit of the doubt. And, when suspicious circumstances cloud that notion, we want our students to meet those moments with a perspective that is balanced between alarm with respect to the present situation and concern for the other.

There are no easy answers to the ZimmermanMartin case; but there are plenty of questions - and the most important one is: Who is my neighbor?

AUGUST 2013

La Salle High School

3880 E. Sierra Madre Blvd.

Pasadena, California 91107-1996 • Telephone 626.351.8951 Facsimile 626.351.0275 www.lasallehs.org • The La Salle ParentNewsletter is published monthly except January and July

by La Salle High School of Pasadena, Incorporated

© 2013

Richard Gray, Ph.D President

• Editor, Designer John Blackstock ’67 Director of Communications Telephone: 626.696.4316 • email: jblackstock@lasallehs.org

Transforming Lives Since 1680

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ParentNewsletter

AUGUST 2013

Freshman Parent and New Parent Orientation A GREAT TIME TO MEET AND GREET

We trust, by now, with summer officially in high gear, the thought of getting ready for the upcoming school year is the farthest thing from your mind. But for some, the excitement of summertime plans may soon give way to the nervous anticipation of starting high school or transferring to a new school.

For new Lasallian parents, whether those of transfer students or of the incoming Class of 2017, we are sure that you and your child are running through a gamut of emotions as you prepare to embark on your upcoming high school experience.

Whatever the case, this can truly be an exciting time for you and your son or daughter. We are looking forward to the arrival of all our new students and welcome their parents to the family that we call La Salle!

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In order to help incoming parents discover their own La Salle experience, we invite you to our Freshman Parent and New Parent Orientation.

This event will be held on the evening of August 21 at 6:30pm in the Dining Hall. It follows your son or daughter’s orientation earlier that day and will provide you the opportunity to familiarize yourself with life at La Salle. You will learn, through a variety of information sessions, the details of what we are all about and we will address key aspects of life at La Salle from both a parent and student perspective.

You will also have the chance to explore many organizations and opportunities for involvement that may be of interest to both you and your child.

New Freshman-

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AUGUST 2013 New Freshman-

Continue from page 6

Following the orientation program, we will offer a time for socializing and provide a “New Parents Only” opportunity for you to purchase certain last minute student apparel and locker items from The Lancer Armory.

The

INCOMING PARENTS WANT you!

Calling all Sophomore, Junior and Senior Parents New Incoming Parents Want You!

With it already the middle of summer, we’re wellunderway in getting ready for our annual Freshman Parent and New Parent Orientation program that will be held on the evening of August 21st. Whether you’re a soon-to-be sophomore parent, or the parent of a returning junior or senior, please let us know if you’d like to join us in helping with this special introduction of La Salle to all new incoming parents and the parents of the Class of 2017. Remember, this is an easy way to get a jump on service hours for the coming year! So, if you’d like to volunteer to help with the event, either during the organizing phase or on the evening of August 21st, please contact us for additional details.

Additional details about Freshman Parent and New Parent Orientation will be mailed in early August.

In the meantime, be sure to mark your calendars for this very special event. If you have any questions about our orientation program, please contact event co-chairs: Craig Snodgrass P’09,’12,’14 altadena.craig@gmail.com 626.798.2517 Hilary Scofield P’14 scofaxs@yahoo.com 626.798.2407

Event Co-Chairs Craig Snodgrass P’09,’12,’14 - altadena.craig@gmail.com 626,798.2517 Hilary Scofield P’14 - scofaxs@yahoo.com 626.798.2407 PAGE 7

ParentNewsletter

AUGUST 2013

From the Crystal Ball Committee

15th Annual Crystal Ball and Gift Gathering Parties!

The 15th Annual Crystal Ball, La Salle’s main fundraising event, will be held Friday, May 2, 2014. Save the date and plan to join us!

The Crystal Ball “Defined” GATHER WITH GIFTS FOR A GREAT CAUSE

Crystal Ball: La Salle’s single largest annual fundraising event and one of La Salle’s most fun social events. An evening spent enjoying friends and families of La Salle while dining, socializing and being swept up in the excitement of live and silent auction opportunities. This year’s Crystal Ball will be held Friday, May 2, 2014 at the Langham Huntington, Pasadena. The funds raised through the Crystal Ball enable La Salle to offer state-of-the-art programs in academics, visual and performing arts, athletics, tuition assistance, faculty and staff profes sional development, technology and endowment.

Gift Gathering Parties: Three fun social events held prior to the Crystal Ball; these parties provide a great opportunity for La Salle families and friends to get to know each other outside of the “academic halls,” while gathering items to be auctioned during the Crystal Ball.

“Gifts” Gathered at a Gift Gathering Party: Admission to a Gift Gathering Party is the donation of an item to be incorporated into the silent or live auctions at the Crystal Ball. Invitations to each gift gathering party contain a list of suggested donation items. The “gifts” that are “gathered” at these parties are typically combined with other donations and put together in the form of gift baskets that are then available for auction during the Crystal Ball.

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First Gift Gathering Party: The first Gift Gathering Party is held early in the school year and is a great opportunity to welcome new families to La Salle. This year’s first gift gathering party will be held on Saturday, September 28, 2013. .

Second Gift Gathering Party: The second Gift Gathering Party is held during the holiday season and promises to inspire the holiday spirit in all families and friends who attend. This year’s Holiday Gift Gathering Party will be held on Saturday, December 7, 2013.

Third Gift Gathering Party: The third Gift Gathering Party is usually held after the New Year. This party’s theme is “Gifts from the Heart” and, unlike the first two Gift Gathering Parties, the donations received at this party go directly to the San Miguel Scholarship Fund, La Salle’s scholarship program.

This year’s “Gifts from the Heart” Gift Gathering Party will be held on Saturday, February 9, 2014.

Attendance – Crystal Ball and Gift Gathering Parties: We would love to see as many of the La Salle community as possible at the Crystal Ball and at each of the Gift Gathering Parties! We understand that lives are busy, so we will welcome you to any of these events that you are able to attend! Attendance at any one of these events does not commit you to attending any other.

Your attendance at any or all of these very fun events directly contributes to La Salle’s fundraising success and is greatly appreciated by all!

For more information, please contact event chair, Liz Kwong, at lizwardley@gmail.com

Save the Date - Saturday September 28

"Havana Nights" Gift Gathering Party

Look for Invitations Soon

ParentNewsletter

AUGUST 2013

Boys & Girls State 2013

R obbie McAlister '14 and Li b by Lyn ch '14 attended Boys State and Girls State respectively in June.

Boy s St ate is a nationwide program with a number of excellent organizations educating young men to be the leaders of tomorrow.

American Legion Boys State is among the most respected and selective educational programs of government instruction for US highschool students. A participatory program in which students become part of the operation of local, county and state government, Boys State was founded in 1935 to counter the socialism-inspired Young Pioneer Camps. The program was the idea of two Illinois Legionnaires, Hayes Kennedy and Harold Card, who organized the first Boys State at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield.

At Boys State, participants learn the rights, privileges and responsibilities of franchised citizens. The training is objective and centers on the structure of city, county and state governments.

Operated by students elected to various offices, Boys State activities include legislative sessions, court proceedings, lawenforcement presentations, assemblies, bands, choruses and recreational programs.

Legion posts select high-school juniors to attend the program. In most cases, individual expenses are paid by a sponsoring post, a local business or another community-based organization.

Boys State programs currently exist in all Legion departments except Hawaii. As separate corporations, Boys State programs vary in content and method of procedure, but each adheres to the same basic concept: teaching

government from the city to the state level.

Robert ‘Robbie’ McAlister was the the American Legion California Boys State 2013 Delegate and attended the 76th Boys State Session at California State University, Sacramento, on June 22-29, 2013.

"It was amazing what we were able to accomplish. We created an entire city, county, and state government from scratch in less than a week. The things I learned will stay with me forever, and so will the friends I made while at Boys State," said Robbie.

California Girls State is a leadership program of the American Legion Auxiliary designed to increase awareness and knowledge of governmental processes while learning about the duties, privileges, rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Delegates come away with a greater appreciation of the American Flag and of the sacrifices made by our veterans. While at Girls State, they make friends with outstanding girls from around the state and have a fun week they will remember for the rest of their lives.

"Girls State has been one of the greatest opportunities that I have ever been given. It was amazing to be surrounded by such a wonderful group of girls that are tomorrow's leaders," Libby said. She was just one of 18 elected Senators out of over 500 girls, and represented their section named "Marshall."

California Girls State is a program sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliar y (ALA) Department of California. Elizabeth ‘Libby’ Lynch was the the American Legion California Girls State 2013 Delegate and attended the 70th Girls State Session at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, on June 17 - 22, 2013.

BOYS STATE WAS FOUNDED IN 1935 GIRLS STATE WAS FOUNDED IN 1937

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ParentNewsletter

AUGUST 2013

From the Athletic Boosters

La Salle Sports Starts to Heat up in August JOIN THE ATHLETIC BOOSTERS AND SUPPORT THE LANCERS

By the time you receive this newsletter we will be staring down the start of the 2013-2014 school year, and you will be wondering what happened to your summer. Our La Salle Parents will be experiencing different emotions. Freshman parents will have the uncertainty and excitement of a new school. Sophomore parents will be recovering from the first year having kind of figured out the lay of the land. Junior parents will be ramping up to start talking about colleges as well as trying to survive the hardest year of school. Lastly, in a blink of an eye, parents like me will be watching the graduation of their son or daughter, wondering where has the time gone. My advice to parents is to enjoy whereever you are in the process because it goes by way too fast. High school is a contact sport and the more you make contact, the better the experience will be for your child, as well as yourself.

We have many exciting things planned for La Salle in the fall. Lancer Football will open its season against schools from upper divisions.

Coach Gordon could have picked some easy teams that would have been walk-overs, but he has chosen to challenge our athletes, just like our school challenges our students academically.

Our home games are August 30 - Cathedral (Back to School Night), September 6 - Pasadena High (Grandparents Night), September 20 - Maranantha (Parent Appreciation and Wounded Warrior Night), September 27 - St. Bernard (Junior High Night), October 18 - Mary Star (Homecoming), October 25 - Bishop Montgomery (Senior Night).

Please see our sports website for the away games.

The Athletic Boosters will be offering Lancer Football packages for our Fall events. These packages have proven to be very popular.

Gold Package Includes: 2 Stadium seats, 2 Lancer Hats, 2 Shirts, Admission for 2 to all La Salle home games, 2 meals at each event (sandwich, chips, drink) and 1 precious VIP reserved parking space on top level next to the field for each home game.

Price $550.00

Silver Package Includes: Admission for 2 to all La Salle home games, 2 meals at each event (sandwich, chips, drink) and 1 precious VIP reserved parking space on top level next 9to the fieldfor each home game.

Price $400.00

Season Pass Package Includes: Admission for 2 to all home games and reserved parking for 1 car on top level next to the field for each home game.

Price $200.00

If you are interested in any of these packages please contact me at my email address.

Our September 20 game will be sponsored by the Wounded Warriors Project. La Salle is one of only six high schools nationwide to receive the honor of hosting this game. Our school was selected over many other high profile programs and, if all

For Specific Game Dates, Times and Locations Log on to Lasallelancers.org or lasallehs.org Athletics.

Please visit the La Salle Athletics page at www.lasallelancers.org under Boosters for volunteer opportunities.

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ParentNewsletter goes well, it will be televised on Fox Sports West; see our athletic website for additional details.

This fall our Girls Volleyball team will begin its defense of their Division 1 title, and because of the team's continued success, they have been invited to three major tournaments in Las Vegas, Arizona and Santa Barbara. We expect great things from a squad that is returning most of its players. Lancer Girls Volleyball has reached a high level of respect under Coach Tuitama.

Congratulations and good luck!

We are always looking for people who want to become more involved in the La Salle Athletic Boosters, so please do not hesitate to contact me for more information on any talents you feel you could bring to the Boosters. Please feel free to contact me anytime at jdcina@sbcglobal.net.

Last, but not least, the La Salle Athletic Booster Board reminds you that if you volunteer to manage a major project, a significant amount of your Parent Volunteer Hours are taken care of for the year.

We'll see you soon for another exciting year of Lancer Athletics.

God Bless,

John D. Cina P'13, '14

AUGUST 2013

21st Annual

Lancer Golf Classic and Banquet

BIG GOLF BIG PRIZES BIG AUCTION BIG FUN

Monday, September 23, 2013 Glendora Country Club

Four-Person Scramble Calloway Scoring System Player Package Includes: Green Fee and Cart, Hot Lunch On Course, Banquet Dinner, Lancer Golf Gift, Complimentary Beverages on the Course (Beer, Soda, Water), Range Balls, Bag Tag, $25,000 Hole In One, Longest Drive and Putting Contest

$125 Special Young Alumni (’99-’13) $195 Early Bird discount if you register by August 31st! $225 registration fee after August 31 ALL LEVELS WELCOME Proceeds to benefit La Salle’s Academic, Arts, Athletic and Financial Aid Programs For more information, please contact: Kristin Donahue 626-696-4381 kdonahue@lasallehs.org

Athletic Boosters President PAGE 11

ParentNewsletter

AUGUST 2013

From the College Counseling Center

College Center News

By M. Teresa Baldonado and Owen Hou ’90 College Counselors

Camp College – Second Offering

CAMP COLLEGE AUGUST 12

For those who missed the first Camp College session in June, the College Center will be offering another section of this course the week of August 12th.

The purpose of this three-day seminar is to provide students with an overview of the college admissions process and provide hands-on instruction regarding organizational systems, the application process, and the college essays. Most students will have one essay completed and have drafts of a second and a third essay by the end of the course.

Registration forms are available in the College Center. Non-La Salle students are welcome to attend. Please contact Mr. Hou at 626.696.4314, if you have any questions.

College Tours

Visiting college campuses is a wonderful opportunity for our students to see a variety of campuses before they begin the college admissions process. This school year we will be offering the following tours: Bay Area College Tour Friday and Saturday, October 11, 12, 2013 UC Berkeley (Cal), Santa Clara University, UC Santa Cruz, Saint Mary’s College, Stanford University, and University of San Francisco.

Greater Los Angeles College Tour Friday, February 14, 2014 UCLA, Loyola Marymount University, and Cal State Long Beach San Diego College Tour Monday, March 17, 2014 UC San Diego, University of San Diego and San Diego State University.

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East Coast College Tour During the Easter Holiday, April 21-26, itinerary and colleges to be determined

College-related Events of Interest

Colleges That Change Lives Fair Wednesday, July 31 and, Thursday August 1 at 7:00pm at the Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City Hotel. The forty colleges featured in Loren Pope’s book Colleges That Change Lives (CTCL) will offer an information session and a college fair for prospective students and parents.

All students and parents who are interested in learning more about these liberal arts colleges and universities and interested in hearing more about the CTCL philosophy – namely that there are great college options for every student (not just for the strongest students) and that the college search should focus on finding the best match for each student – are invited to attend. There is no cost to attend and pre-registration is not required.

Please read Loren Pope’s book or go to www.ctcl. com for additional information on the colleges in the CTCL group.

Additional information to these and other events can be found under the “Area College Events” section on our Naviance page.

News for Seniors and Their Parents

Remember to utilize Family Connection from Naviance. Family Connection is a web-based application that enables our counseling office to offer a comprehensive website that you and your student can use to help in making decisions about colleges and careers. Family Connection is linked with Naviance, which we use in our office to track and analyze data about college and career plans. It provides up-to-date information that is specific to La Salle.

AUGUST2013 2013 AUGUST

ParentNewsletter

Family Connection will allow your student to: 3· Keep track of the process – Build a resume, complete on-line surveys, and manage timelines and deadlines for making decisions about colleges and careers.

3· Research colleges – Compare GPA, SAT scores, and other statistics to actual historical data from our school for students who have applied and been admitted in the past. · Sign 3 up for college visits – Find out which colleges are visiting our school and sign up to attend those sessions.

Senior students can access the ‘Senior College Planning Survey’ on Naviance. The survey is to be completed and submitted by August 30th.

The individual senior college meeting will be scheduled according to the receipt date of the ‘Senior College Planning Survey’. In other words, first come-first served.

Senior parents/guardians still have an opportunity to complete the Parent/Guardian College Planning Survey on Naviance if you have not done so. We would appreciate your help by setting aside a few minutes to answer this survey.

Please complete the survey by Friday, August 30th.

Reminder: at least one parent /guardian must register on Naviance. The college counseling office uses your registered email address to communicate important college admissions information/deadlines via Naviance Please contact your student’s college counselor if you need assistance registering on Naviance.

College Night Please mark your calendars for Thursday, August 29 to attend the College Night for Senior Parents at 7:00 pm. in the Dining Hall (parents only).

The meeting will follow the Back-to-School Night General Meeting.

Senior College Night Schedule 7:00 pm Welcome Senior Parents (Dining Hall)

M. Teresa Baldonado & Owen Hou 7:15 pm Overview of the college admissions process 7:50 pm The Application Essay 8:20pm Questions & Answers 8:30 pm Adjournment

Senior students will receive formal instruction on the college admission application process in their Mentor Period.

Standardized Testing

Registration is open for the Fall SAT and ACT. If your student would like to take these standardized test(s) and has not registered yet, please do so as soon as possible. We encourage your student to register online, for the SAT at www. collegeboard.com, and for the ACT at www.act.org.

Please note the registration for the September ACT is just around the corner.

TESTING LINKS AVAILABLE ON NAVIANCE

SAT Test Date (Register By) October 5, 2013 (Sept. 6) November 2, 2013 (Oct. 3) December 7, 2013 (Nov. 8) ACT Test Date (Register By) September 21, 2013 (Aug. 23) October 26, 2013 (Sept. 27) December 14, 2013 (Nov. 8)

Fall SAT Prep Course

We are proud to partner with the Princeton Review for this upcoming school year.

They will be offering two SAT prep courses a year, one for the Fall and one for the Spring. The Fall course prepares students for the October 5 SAT. It starts with a practice test on Saturday, September 7 and runs to Wednesday, October 2. Classes are on Mondays and Wednesdays, with practice tests on Saturdays. Additional information, including a full course schedule and cost can be found on the Princeton Review website at www. princetonreview.com, first click on ‘SAT’ and Fundamentals Course.

While the Classroom Course is usually 18 hours long, we were able to get the Princeton Review to add an additional 6 hours for no cost.

Families can also receive a $100 discount with the promocode: LASALLE2013OCT.

Freshman, Sophomore, Junior Parents

The following standardized tests will College Counseling Continued on page 17 PAGE 13

AUGUST 2013

From Guidance and Counseling

Transition Adjustment is Critical Now

By Susan E. Keens, Ph.D. Clinical and School Psychologist, Department of Guidance and Counseling

This summer, we are getting to know many of our incoming freshman students.

They are working hard and meeting some of their future classmates. Your students have the opportunity to forge friendships during the summer. These summer friendships may help to ease your student’s adjustment to the important changes that they will experience as they begin high school.

NEW YEAR NEW STUDENTS NEW CHALLENGES

The transition to high school is an important developmental milestone for your student and family. Your students will be challenged in many ways as they begin their high school years with us. They are entering adolescence at the same time that they begin their high school years. Both tasks are daunting and will take time to master over the next four years.

Your students have to adjust to each teacher’s expectations, organize their study schedules, and complete and hand in their assignments on time. This seems deceptively simple at first glance. However, it is one of the biggest learning curves for freshman students. The fall semester of ninth grade is very challenging. Study habits and social adjustment are both important areas of change. Learning to be able to ask a teacher for help is enormously important for all students, and especially for many freshmen students. Some days it may feel as though you and your student are on a roller coaster. Providing positive support to your student by listening to their concerns and helping them to problem solve reduces stress for both you and your student.

If you have concerns about your student’s academics, know that you can make contact with your student’s teachers and academic advisor by phone or email. Sometimes parents become aware that their students seem to be struggling or upset about things that they do not want to discuss. Questions or concerns arise about their adolescece and how to be supportive in these situations. Families may also experience stressful times that can impact their student.

Please be aware that you may always contact me at 626.696.4390 to discuss any concerns that you may have about your student’s well-being.

We wish you a safe and restful summer and look forward to welcoming you again to La Salle in August.

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AUGUST 2013

EARN A SERVICE HOUR JOIN LA SALLE’S NO COST FUNDRAISERS! A “No Cost” fundraiser is just that…Register in one or all of the programs below, shop as usual, and La Salle makes money at no cost to you! All La Salle families, grandparents and friends please register your Vons, Hows, Ralphs, Target, Visa, MasterCard, AmEx, Discover and debit cards with eScrip, Ralphs and Target.

La Salle earned over $9,400 in 2012 and over $100,000 since 2002!

Download AutoEARN toolbar and La Salle earns money on your on-line shopping!

www.escrip.com LOG ON AND LINK YOUR VONS/PAVILIONS, HOWS, CREDIT AND DEBIT CARDS TO LA SALLE. BE SURE TO RENEW YOUR VONS/PAVILIONS CARD BY NOVEMBER 1st, TO KEEP EARNING MONEY FOR LA SALLE. WHEN YOU RE-NEW, PLEASE UPDATE AND ADD YOUR CREDIT/DEBIT CARDS AND CONFIRM YOUR SCHOOL SELECTION, IF NEEDED.

NO COST FUNDRAISERS is an Easy way to help la salle

SCAN THIS BARCODE AT RALPHS and pass on to family and friends!

JUST BRING THIS BARCODE THE NEXT TIME YOU SHOP AT RALPHS AND SWIPE IT WITH YOUR GROCERY CARD AT THE REGISTER. YOUR CARD WILL BE LINKED TO LA SALLE AUTOMATICALLY AND NEEDS TO BE RENEWED EACH YEAR, STARTING SEPTEMBER 1st. PLEASE CALL RALPHS AT 1-800-660-9003, IF YOU NEED TO UPDATE YOUR INFO.

Did you know: YOU receive 5% on every purchase at checkout and La Salle receives a 1% donation?

CALL 1-800-316-6142 (AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM) AND LINK YOUR RED CARD TO LA SALLE HIGH SCHOOL!

EARN ONE SERVICE HOUR BY DOWNLOADING ESCRIP’S AUTOEARN TOOL BAR.

Please contact us if you have any questions or need help signing up. Thank you!

Michele Hardy at mlhardyconsulting@yahoo.com • Beckie Holmes at holmes.beckie@gmail.com Updated 7/15/13

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ParentNewsletter

AUGUST 2013

From the Academic Boosters

PARENTS: YOU NEED HOURS! These events are now available for sign-ups

NOTE DATES FOR VOLUNTEER EVENTS

AND HERE IS HOW TO SIGN UP FOR THEM: Go to the La Salle Website.

Click on “Parents” at the top of the screen.

Click on “PA volunteer website” on the left side of the screen.

Click on “member log in.”

Enter your user name, this is your firstname_lastname (lower case).

Your password is your last name (lower case).

Once you are in the La Salle Parent website, click «calendar» at the top of the screen.

Now you can look through the calendar year and click on the events that you are interested in volunteering for.

Please check to see how many volunteers are needed, and how many have already signed up.

ACADEMIC BOOSTERS EVENTS 2013 - 2014 DATE 8/29/13 11/3/13 11/18/13 1/9/14 1/16/14 1/16/14 1/25/14 2/1/14 3/15/14 4/9/14 5/21/14 5/23/14 5/27/14 6/4/14 7/10/14 7/11/14

ACADEMIC BOOSTER EVENT Back to School Night Semester 1 Open House Junior Leadership Ceremony Back to School Night Semester 2 Junior “Planning for College” Night FAFSA Workshop Entrance Exams & Interviews Entrance Exams & Interviews Registration & Freshman Pledge College Forum Senior Uniform Buyback Commencement Exercises Academic Awards Night Used Uniform Buyback Used Uniform Sale Set-Up Used Uniform Sale

START TIME* 5:30 PM 11:30 AM 6:00 PM 5:30 PM 5:30 PM 6:30 PM 7:30 AM 7:30 AM 7:30 AM 6:00 PM 11:30 AM 6:00 PM 5:30 PM 9:00 AM TBA 11:00 AM

HOURS* 2 5 3 2 3 2 5 5 5 3 3 3 4 3 8

*Start time and number of service hours is approximate. Volunteers will be advised of exact start time prior to the event. Credit will be based on actual hours served.

Volunteer Coordinators: Ellen Hoffman: ehoffman929@gmail.com Diane Taylor: dtaylorfamilyof5@gmail.com Cookies are needed for most of these events.

Earn one service hour for each two dozen HOME-BAKED cookies.

Please sign up on the calendar where you see “Cookie Club.”

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ParentNewsletter

AUGUST 2013 College Counseling Continued from page 13

be administered on Wednesday, October 16th: Freshmen – EXPLORE, Sophomores – PLAN, Juniors – PSAT.

Wounded Warrior Project Game

The La Salle Lancer Football program has been selected to host the Wounded Warrior Project game sponsored by Under Armour. This is an enormous honor as there are only six high schools across the country who have been selcted to host this game. The game will be on September 20, when the Lancers take on cross-town rival Maranatha in the Showdown for the Crown.

This is a great game for the Under Armour Wounded Warrior Project as it will have a large crowd due to the schools' friendly rivalry.

The purpose of the Wounded Warrior Project is to raise awareness and enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured service members, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of injured service members. For more see www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

EXPLORE Explore results can be a benchmark before taking the PLAN and the ACT test. Taking PLAN as a 10th grader is a great way to prepare for the ACT. The PSAT (preliminary SAT) provides firsthand practice for the SAT.

All juniors will be required to take the ACT this coming spring on Saturday, February 8th.

La Salle High School is an ACT test center for this date.

WOUNDED WARRIOR GAME SEPTEMBER 20

NHS and CSF Registration

If your student is eligible for membership in the National Honor Society (NHS) and/or the California Scholarship Federation (CSF), please remind him or her to register. The deadline to register for CSF is August 30th and NHS is September 6th.

Please note, in order to wear the CSF cord for graduation, the student must be a member of CSF for 4 or more semesters, with at least one of the semesters during the senior year. In order to wear the NHS cord, the student must be an active member of NHS for at least two years (to be determined by the NHS moderator).

From the Blakeslee Library

Library Volunteer Opportunities The Blakeslee Library is in need of after-school monitor volunteers each school day afternoon from 3:00-5:00pm. This is a good way to fulfill your Parent Volunteer Hours obligation.

Also, donations of snacks and drinks will be appreciated for the Café Bibliothèque events in the library. The dates for events are: September 12, October 24, November 14, December 12, January 23, February 13, March 20, and April 10.

Please call Delia Swanner at 626.696.4313 or Janet Hagen at 626.696.4332 to sign up.

See eFlyers for esco Book Buyback PAGE 17

ParentNewsletter

AUGUST 2013

Dr. Richard Gray, President, La Salle, Brother Visitor Donald Johanson, FSC (SF), Brother Visitor Timothy Caldwell, FSC (NO) and Brother Christopher Brady, FSC, Princiapl. La Salle.

De La Salle Christian Brothers Form New District

In an historic gathering, Brothers from the San Francisco and New Orleans-Santa Fe Districts gathered June 10-14 to formally agree to join together as a new district to be called the District of San Francisco New Orleans. The name of the new entity was determined by vote and will officially come into being on July 1, 2014.

The four-day Constitutive Assembly held at the Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center in Sierra Madre, California, culminated two years of meetings and consultation. Eighty-five Brothers from both Districts met to examine the final structure, decide upon a name, and to vote on its approval. In a statement, the soon-to-be-joined groups declared that they see themselves “as Brothers without borders” and the creation of a new district as an opportunity to renew the mission of serving the young.

General Councilor Brother Robert Schieler noted that “the Partners and Brothers who will comprise the new District of San Francisco New Orleans are writing a new chapter in a glorious history of innovative educational service to the poor, the young and the adults in our country.”

Symbolic of the hope and renewed strength of the new district, the closing prayer service was followed by a welcoming ceremony for three postulants and the robing of two novices. As a confirmation of their commitment to the new unity, all the Brothers in attendance renewed their religious vows.

Part of the International Institute of Brothers of the Christian Schools, the San Francisco District De La Salle Christian Brothers have been educating students in California, Oregon, Washington, and Arizona since 1868. The Brothers opened La Salle High School in Pasadena in 1956.For more, go to delasalle.org.

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ParentNewsletter

AUGUST 2013

The Obsequious Observer

By John Blackstock, The Editor

Names in the News

Exane Berhane ’14 and Rob Hulbert ’13 received Honorable Mention on the All-Area Tennis Team. Paul Gouw ’14 and Brett Mirly ’13 also received Honorable Mention on the All-Area Swimming Team. Jacqueline Torrez ’16 received Honorable Mention on the All-Area Swim Team with her sister Samantha, who was All-Area First Team as reported in last month's ParentNewsletter.

Another track tidbit from Coach Riley. He reports that last spring sophomore, India Hines, broke the school record in the 300 meter hurdles.

A record previously held by her coach, Kjersti Houseman-Holyfield '04.

Malone Lombarda '14 recently attended the 19th Annual Los Angeles Film Festival where his two award winning fillms "The Farm" and "Escaping the Island" were screened. Malone's films have been accepted in 12 film festivals around the country.

"Escaping the Island" won Best of Show and Best Experimental film at the Delta Moon Film Festival in Walnut Creek, California earlier this summer.

Malone is shown at right with noted Director, Jon Chu at the LA Film Festival.

Sara Rupp '13 performed Libestraum, by Franz Liszt at the Dan Stover Rotary Music Competition. Her expressive and outstanding musical performance of this classic romantic piece won the judges over. When asked, band director Megan Foley had this to say: "I will truly miss Sara. I will always remember how hard she worked on her musicianship. Her performance at the Dan Stover competition was exquisite and I thought she really captured the essence of that piece, which shows such musical maturity on her part. Liszt's music is some of the most challenging in the piano repertoire. She was also a valuable member of the drumline -- the first girl on the snare line, in fact. She simply put her head down and did the work -- never complaining. There were many mornings when she would appear in the band room just after I arrived at 7:30am to work on something. I remember seeing her in the hallway as she was headed to a track meet and I spied a pair of drumsticks in her backpack. She told me she took them everywhere she went! A true mark of a good musician,' I thought."

The Rotary Club of Sierra Madre offers financial support to students in our community who are involved in the community and who demonstrate excellence in their work. Each year the Club awards one or more scholarships to students who are beginning college. This year they have awarded a scholarship to Ethelyn Alessandra Trager '13.

Check out the Under Armour Wounded Warrior Project on page 17.

La Salle is only one of six schools in the nation that will host this program at our football game with Maranatha on September 20. Under Armour is donating a million dollars to this project. Please support our "wounded" service men and women.

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE FLYERS ATTACHED TO THE NEWSLETTER EMAIL

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AUGUST 2013

ParentNewsletter

AUGUST 2013

Check your School calendar for event times and dates AUGUST 2013

August Highlights NEW & USED UNIFORM SALES AUGUST 5

NEW STUDENT WELCOME NEW PARENT ORIENTATION AUGUST 21

MASS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AUGUST 28

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT AUGUST 29

August 29 Back-to-School Night and Senior Parent College Night and General Parent Meeting 6:15pm Dining Hall

July 25 Academic Institute Concludes August 2 All Student Forms and Signature SIGN-OFFS Due

August 30 Senior Parent and Student College Survey Due CSF Applications Due FOOTBALL vs Cathedral High School Varsity 7:00pm Kohorst Field

August 5 CKW New Uniform Sales Used Uniform Sales

9:00am - 11:00am

6:00pm - 7:30pm

Dining Hall and

Blakeslee Library

September 2 Labor Day School Holiday

August 21 New Student Welcome and Orientation Casual Dress

9:00am - 2:00pm

Lunch Provided New Students Parents’ Orientation 6:30pm Dining Hall

September 6 Spirit Day NHS, SNHS Applications Due FOOTBALL vs Pasadena High School 7:00pm Kohorst Field

August 22 Special Schedule First Day of School 7 Periods 8:00am - 2:25pm Complete Uniforms and all Books are Required Lancer Armory Open August 23 Dress Up Day CSF, NHS, SNHS Applications Available Yearbook and ID Photos Taken August 28 Liturgy Schedule Dress Up Day Mass of the Holy Spirit 9:20am Dining Hall August 29 Fall Team Pictures 2:45 - 4:30pm Campus Locations

September 7 Saturday Welcome Dance 8:00-11:00pm Dining Hall September 9 SAT Prep Class 12:45 - 3:45pm

21st Annual Lancer Golf Classic and Banquet • Monday, September 23 Glendora Country Club

September 10 Parent Boosters Meetings 6:30pm Campus Locations Parent Association Meeting 7:30pm Blakeslee Library September 20 UnderArmour Wounded Warrior Project Game FOOTBALL vs MaranathaHigh School Varsity 7:00pm Kohorst Field

La Salle Family Communion Breakfast Sunday, September 22, 2013 9:30 Mass Followed by Fabulous Catered Brunch

PAGE 20

SAVE THE DATE!

See eFlyer Attached