FROM THE PRESIDENT

BETTER TOGETHER

Dear La Salle Community,

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, Board of Regents, faculty and staff, I’d like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to each of you for your love and support of La Salle College Preparatory. While this school year was filled with unprecedented challenges and change, it was also a year of reflection, understanding and learning. Reflecting upon the importance of faith, family and community. Understanding the tremendous amount of work and effort our students, teachers and parents had to put forth to be successful. Learning about the different ways to deliver a strong, robust curriculum and educational experience under some of the most challenging of circumstances.

We continue to pray for the many that have suffered - whether through loss of loved ones, loss of jobs, or loss of our normal daily routines. There were times when it felt challenging to feel hopeful. I found myself referencing a quote from our founder, St. John the Baptist de La Salle, many times throughout this past year - “Often remind yourself that God is with you.” During a time with so much unknown, it’s possible to feel alone - that you are navigating this by yourself. But remembering that God is always with us helped me see beyond the tragedy of the moment. I have seen so many examples of our Lasallian community banding together to support one another. From supporting our amazing educators who had to reinvent education overnight, to our parents who stepped up to support their children and the school, and to the community, who continued to give back to the school with their time, talents, and resources - this past year has really proven that we are truly, better together.

This issue of Lancer Magazine is dedicated to our theme Better Together, where you will find examples of our educators, students, parents, and alumni living the Lasallian motto of Learn, Serve, Lead. This is truly a special community.

In being Better Together, our athletic programs persevered tremendously, bringing home a number of league championships and individual accolades. Our arts students performed magnificently and expressed their work masterfully, despite the challenges of virtual rehearsals and physical separation from one another and their classrooms. We bid a fond farewell to outgoing principal Mrs. Courtney Kassakhian, who served La Salle with professionalism and excellence for over five years. In turn, we are thrilled to have selected Mr. Jamal Adams as our next principal, who will help lead our school to future success and sustainability, keeping our students first and our core principles close to our hearts and minds. These examples of success and hope are just a fraction of the wonderful things our students, faculty, staff and families have accomplished over the last year. I am so immensely proud for all that has been accomplished this year, showing first-hand the grit, tenacity and commitment our community has to a quality educational experience, no matter what the circumstances.

As we close out the 2020-2021 school year, our school board and leadership team has begun to identify areas of focus in the coming years, that will help to set our school apart and become sustainable in many important areas, while remaining rooted and true to our Five Core Principles. It is critical to safeguard the school for the future and position us for long-lasting sustainability and success. As we’ve learned, there are things we can plan for, and things we cannot. I want to ensure the school is well-prepared for both. It’s imperative we continue to evaluate our strategic priorities and continue to work in the best interest of our students and the community we serve.

Demographic Sustainability: Becoming more inclusive and representative of the employee and student population.

Environmental Sustainability: Incorporating sustainability practices into teaching and routine; becoming greener and less wasteful. Sincerely,

Financial & Philanthropic Sustainability: Becoming more efficient and develop new and innovative donor relations.

Global Sustainability: Becoming more networked locally and internationally, preparing our students for global work and career environments.

Programmatic Sustainability: Becoming more focused on the skills and values that the marketplace of the 21st century will seek and reward.

I remain committed to keeping our entire school community informed about the progress we make in these important areas. Your perspectives, thoughts and ideas are vital to our continued success and I thank you in advance for your willingness to share and collaborate with me.

We are now experiencing glimmers of hope after a year filled with so much unknown. I am thrilled to see our students, teachers, faculty, and parents on campus once again. Throughout the past year, we’ve shown we can endure. In the hardest moment of our lives, we found a way - La Salle found a way - to adapt. We managed to get through it and proved we are resilient. We kept an open mind when obstacles presented themselves and we proved we are better together. I am proud of this school and our community. I thank you for your love and support of La Salle College Preparatory and continue to pray for each and every one of you now and always.

Sincerely,

PERRY K. MARTIN

PRESIDENT