ParentNewsletter THE LA SALLE
FOR PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF LA SALLE HIGH SCHOOL • PASADENA • CALIFORNIA • MARCH 2017
Principal Ideas Learn•Serve•Lead
Hello! We have made it to March! February was a busy and successful month here at La Salle. I am proud to share that in February our students competed and achieved in a variety of ways. In case you missed it, here are some of the highlights:
Lancer Success
Four out of five of our winter sports programs advanced to the playoffs. Boys and girls soccer both made it to the first round of playoffs, while our boys basketball team made it to the quarterfinals and our girls basketball team made it to the semifinals, a first in the history of the program! It was an exciting (and exhausting) winter season. Our debate team continued to make us proud. The team competed at the Cal Invitational last month where Sebastian Dunbar '18 and Will Murray '18 made it to the top 16 in the JV Public Forum competition and Sebastian won top speaker for the entire JV competition. Seniors Jack Crawford and
John Nahas were semifinalists in the Varsity competition. Phillip Krings '17 received notification that he has moved forward in the National Merit Scholarship Program Competition and is now a Finalist. Our Academic Decathlon team had amazing success at the Annual Academic Decathlon, with our decathletes winning an astounding 106 medals! La Salle placed in three divisions at the competition, winning 2nd place overall in Division II, 2nd place overall in Division III, and first place overall in Division IV (for the 2nd year in a row!). Our team was also the Division IV Super Quiz champs. All of these successes are testaments to the work ethic and talent of our students, as well as the quality of our teachers and coaches who spend many, many hours working with our students to make sure they are prepared to succeed.
Admissions
Last month was also a busy time for our admissions team. In February the admissions committee met to review 435 freshmen applications for approximately 165 spots in next year’s freshPrincipal Ideas Continued on page 2
In the Words of Saint John Baptist de La Salle "If you show the firmness of a father towards the children (when you teach), you should also show the tenderness of a mother in gathering them together." Saint John Baptist de La Salle
Patron Saint of Teachers, c1705
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Principal Ideas Continued from page 1
man class. Letters will go out to all applicants on Friday, March 3 to notify them of the Committee’s decisions and we will be welcoming another new class of Lancers to our school at freshman registration on Saturday, March 11.
Great Coach, Teacher and Friend
MAKE COURSE SELECTIONS NOW
With all of its joy and excitement, February also brought great sadness to our community with the loss of Fred Riley P'07. I’d like to thank all of our families who reached out to me and others on our campus, not only expressing sympathy, but also offering help and asking what they could do to support the school and Mr. Riley’s family. Many people continue to ask if there will be any memorial or the like to celebrate Mr. Riley’s life. Things are certainly in the works; Mr. Riley had a great and lasting impact on our school community and we want to be sure that our community is able to grieve and celebrate all that he did for his students and athletes over his more than 20 years here at La Salle. One way we hope that we are already honoring him is by promoting two of his former athletes, mentees, and assistants to head coach positions. Chris Ring '01 is now the head track and field coach and Kjersti Holyfield '04 is the new head cross country coach. Mr. Riley had been working with both and preparing them to take on greater responsibilities and I know they will do a great job stepping into the big shoes that have been left for them to fill.
Course Selections
to review their choices, but please be sure you have also reviewed them with your child.
The Season of Lent
March 1 was Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent, a season of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. In his Lenten message this year, Pope Francis focused on three main points: the other person is a gift, sin blinds us, and the Word is a gift. In talking about how the other person is a gift, he said, “A right relationship with people consists in gratefully recognizing their value.” Recognition of the value of others I would argue is included in three of the five Lasallian Core Principles: Inclusive Community, Respect for All Persons, and Concern for the Poor and Social Justice. While we focus on these principles here at La Salle, if you spend any time on social media or watching TV, I think you will agree with me that we seem to live in a time with a lot of disrespect for other people and a desire to demonize rather than value the other. And this trickles down to our students. For the past few years I have thought less about what I can give up for Lent and more about what I can do better, and the Pope’s message has again made me think about how I can use the time of Lent to better myself and my relationship with God. As we celebrate Ash Wednesday as a school community, I hope in your own families you might find the opportunity to talk with your children about how they plan to acknowledge and celebrate this special season of Lent.
As we head into March, your students should be completing their course selections for the upcoming school year. These need to be entered into Power School by Friday, March 3. They Mrs. Courtney R. Kassakhian should all be meeting with their academic advisors Principal
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From the Parent Association
New Beginnings Life never stops dealing us new beginnings. Nothing has been truer than for our family recently. We moved my 89-year-old father into senior living a few weeks ago. I think nothing could be more difficult than at his age to adjust to a new home. He is a real trooper with all of the change. It is difficult going from independent to dependent again. We are constantly transitioning. I have found that people are in one of two camps. You are either someone who swings well with the change or you are not. I have really struggled with this. Life has thrown us so many curve balls I just have to have my catcher’s mitt on all of the time! As spring approaches, we see La Salle looking at new beginnings. In just one week, we will be welcoming our class of 2021 students into our La Salle family. This is an exciting time for all involved. It is so wonderful to see all of the new families. We also will be welcoming several transfer families. In the next month, most of our seniors will be receiving their remaining college acceptances. They will be looking forward to their new beginnings away from home. At our last Parent Association meeting, Dr. Gray was our featured speaker. Parent Association He reviewed the Master Plan for the school and it looks wonderful. This will be Meeting an exciting new beginning for our school. We had a great attendance and it was nice that so many were able to get the updates on the master plan. Thank you to MARCH 12, 2017 everyone who took time out from his or her busy schedule to attend. Our next 6:30pm Parent Association meeting will be on Tuesday, March 12 in Blakeslee Library at Blakeslee Library 6:00pm for hospitality and 6:30pm for our meeting. Our featured speaker will be Principal Kassakhian. The theme will be “College Preparatory – Beyond the Books.” This will prove to be an important presentation that all parents will be interested in attending. Following the meeting, Arts, Academics and Athletics will have their booster meetings. We are quickly winding down our year for Parent Association and we are doing succession planning for our board and committee for next year. We would love to have new people involved. We have several positions open and if you are interested please email me at jsamartin@charter.net. Being involved in our board satisfies family service hours and is a great way to be more involved with our school. Lastly, we have our most treasured and fun event on the horizon…Crystal Ball. This year it will be held Friday, May 5 at the Noor in Pasadena. This is such a fun, wonderful event. If you loved the '80s this is your event to go to. It is an evening with dinner, dancing and silent and live auctions. Buy your tickets early, as it will sell out. As always, blessing to your families,
Jacky Samartin P'15,'19 Parent Association President
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La Salle Matters Readers of this space will know that I’ve been focusing on the aftermath of the recently concluded presidential election. My attention to this significant development in our Nation’s political evolution hasn’t been so much on who won the election but on how this historic moment came to be. In particular, I’ve been scratching my head on how pundits and pollsters could get the outcome so spectacularly wrong. The Media have offered what I consider to be glib explanations for this dichotomy between prediction and outcome: the “Tom Bradley effect,” angry white voters, vanishing middle-class jobs, class/race dysphoria; to name a few. I’m confident that historians will offer a variety of theories to explain the 2016 Election, and I’m equally confident that they’ll be arguing about which theory is correct ten – and surely – 20 years from now.
EMBRACE THE AMERICAN DEMOCRATIC EXPERIENCE
What I’m not confident about is the – symbolic – challenge to America’s historic peaceful transfer of power represented by the appearance of “Not My President” signs at the various protests popping up across the Nation. It’s bad enough that this was, probably, the nastiest presidential election in modern times; but to reject a constitutionally valid candidate raised to the highest office in the land by claiming he’s “not my President” is to abandon the fundamental principles upon which our Republic was founded. Like it or not, the system produced a validly-elected president. Individuals do not have the option of rejecting the outcome because they disagree with it. I worry about this tendency to refuse to accept the outcome of a valid election for the same reason that I worried about the nonsensical “birther” rejection of the last two presidential elections – either the system works or it doesn’t – and those who find the outcome unacceptable don’t get to redefine the rules that produced an undesirable result. Needless to say, I worry about these behaviors because of their potential impact on the students entrusted to our care. At La Salle, we seek not only to “produce good students and good people,” but thoughtful and dispassionate students and responsible, balanced adults as well. Suggesting – as “Not My President” signs do – that one can reject the outcome of a valid presidential contest is to tell our young people that they don’t have to care about – much less pay attention to - rules governing social norms that underpin the fundamental elements of how we negotiate our shared space in a democratic republic.
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I want to be clear: my concern about “Not My President” signs isn’t to argue for or against the outcome of the November election. It is to articulate a basic principle of our democratic enterprise: it doesn’t matter who wins an election – it matters that the outcome was legitimately derived.
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We can applaud or boo the results of the November eighth contest – that is our right as American citizens. What we don’t get to do is to challenge its legitimacy. This is what I worry about when I see “Not My President” signs. I want our young people to trust the system that was put in place 240 years ago. I want them to understand that democracy means that some people are happy with the outcome of an election and others are not. I want them to appreciate that Truth (yes, with a capital “T”) is not the exclusive provenance of any one group, but a product of the ebb and flow of decades of electoral cycles that – only over time – begin to form a pattern out of which we can make sense. I worry about our country at this point in time – not because of who was elected president – but about how that outcome has polarized the electorate. Somehow, we must get past this agonizing moment in a way that enables our young people to embrace the elegant complexities of the American democratic experiment without succumbing to narrow partisan perspectives. I’m not sure how to accomplish this task, but I know that it was never more important than right now.
MARCH 2017
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
© 2017 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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A FUN EVENING FOR THE BENEFIT OUR STUDENTS
Gifts From the Heart On Sunday, February 12th, La Salle High School hosted the Gifts from the Heart celebration at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Clarizio '75. This event is held annually to support the San Miguel Scholarship Fund, a program designed to give full scholarships to students whose family’s household income is at or below the federal poverty line. The evening was a resounding success as patrons were able to engage in social frivolity while enjoying some musical delight performed by Dr. Adam Kendall. The continued success of this event is a testament to the overwhelming generosity of the Lasallian community and it continues to inspire our students. Thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you at the Crystal Ball in May!
Suzy Rettig accompanies Dr. Adam Kendall in a musical demonstration of teaching techniques.
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Suzy Rettig P'19 and Cherry Agapito P'18,'20.
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Adam Waggoner P'17, Angela Ryan P'19, Yvonne Waggoner P'17, Joni Conlon P'18 and Tim Ryan '19. Back, Jacky Samartin P' 15,'19, Ellen Radle P'17.
David Lam, P'08,'09, Linda Lui P'17, Ellen Radle P'17, Angela Lam, P'08,'09.
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SERVING OVER 30 YEARS IN CATHOLIC EDUCATION
Fred Riley - Farewell The La Salle community lost a great man and coach February 12, 2017. Coach Fred Riley’s passing from an abdominal aneurysm came as a shock to the La Salle community. Mr. Riley, Computer Science Department Chair, taught at La Salle for over 20 years and worked in Catholic education for more than 30 years. He touched many lives through his roles at La Salle as computer teacher and cross country and track and field coach. Coach Riley has led the Lancers to numerous league, CIF and State titles in his 20 plus years at La Salle. He made a major impact on the lives of hundreds of student-athletes (including his son, Westley who graduated in 2007) that have gone on to do phenomenal things. Coach Riley will be greatly missed and fondly remembered. We have received hundreds of messages through the Alumni office regarding the passing of Coach Riley. They have all been touching, but one seemed perfect to pass along as we grieve the loss of our colleague, friend and teacher.
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“Mr. Riley always advised us to not try and run a sub-second half split. He said to just go out strong and you’ll be able to achieve more. Fred always went out strong and achieved oh so much. Taken too soon, but he used every moment that he had to the fullest. I will miss his humor, his laugh, his even keel, his smile and his passion for the success of those under his care. Rest in peace Mr. Riley, yours was a race well run.” Richard Wall '99
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From the Athletic Boosters
Winter Sports Report Winter 2017 was another record making season year for Lancer Athletics! For the first time in our school’s history, the La Salle’s Girls Basketball Team made a semifinal appearance in the CIF playoffs. The team played Lancaster last Saturday night to a packed La Salle house in what proved to be a very close game right up until the end. Lancers lost to the Lancaster Eagles 53-47, but still have a shot at qualifying for the CIF State tournament. Our Boys Basketball team had another outstanding season finishing 2nd in the league and advancing to the CIF Playoff Quarterfinals where their 52-71 loss to Oxnard High School ended their season. Coach Mike Lynch and his coaching staff in their 2nd year at La Salle continue to move our program forward and with only four seniors on Varsity this year, we can expect a solid showing in the 2017-18 season as well.
CHECK THE ATHLETICS WEBSITE FOR GAME DATES AND TIMES
Rounding out our Winter sports teams, Boys Soccer had a winning season finishing 1st in the league and advancing to the CIF playoffs 1st round; Girls Varsity Soccer also advanced to the CIF playoffs. Congratulations to all our Winter sports student-athletes and coaching staff! We are excited about our Spring sports season, kicking off Baseball, Softball, Golf, Tennis, Boys Volleyball, Swimming, and Track and Field—our teams have already brought home several victories in pre-season play. ANNOUNCEMENT: The Athletic Boosters are looking for Officers for the 2017-18 year and beyond. Please consider volunteering for the Athletic Boosters and get involved in this very worthy and fulfilling service opportunity. If you would like to be considered or volunteer for service hours, please contact the boosters at 626.688.4634 or christinemarez@me.com. Respectfully,
Christine Marez P'14,'18 President
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From Institutional Advancement
Plan Your Gifts to Help Achieve Your Financial Goals A “Planned Gift” (as opposed to an “annual gift”) is a donation to La Salle High School made in one’s lifetime or at death that is a part of a donor’s overall financial and/or estate plan. Such gifts enhance the endowment of our School by supporting and ensuring the commitment to its Mission. Income tax return filing season is upon us, and this provides an opportunity to take stock of one’s overall financial goals. There is a lot of discussion about how tax legislation might change and when it will be effective. At least the federal level, tax rates will likely be lower, and there will be some changes to various itemized deductions including charitable donations. Such donations will still be deductible but perhaps in a revised manner. It is important to note that no changes are effective at this time, and what the changes will be and when they will be in effect are not known. A Planned Gift can be beneficial to the donor in a number of ways, some of which include: A GREAT WAY TO SUPPORT LA SALLE
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Providing a stream of income either immediately or in the future along with a current tax deduction (Charitable Gift Annuity)
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Using appreciated assets (real estate and securities as examples) to avoid federal and state capital gains taxes while creating a tax deduction
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Gifts payable at death (a bequest or designating our School as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy or retirement fund) are exempt from estate taxation
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Donating an asset to a charitable trust such that our School receives it when the trust terminates in the future; in the meantime, the donor receives either fixed or fluctuating payments of income at a rate that exceeds that which can be conservatively attained in the open market
These are but a few of the opportunities available in the world of Planned Giving. Determining what type of Planned Gift is appropriate for you depends on your personal financial goals and the circumstances that encompass your personal situation. As you compile your tax and other financial documents for tax return preparation season, it is an opportunity to review the tax and financial benefits available to you from these strategies. Please review the Planned Giving articles in future publications of both the Parent Newsletter and Lancer Magazine for ongoing updates in the Planned Giving Program.
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In Summary La Salle High School can provide more information, both generically and specifically, regarding the benefits available through Planned Giving. For more information, please contact Jon Keates, the Director of Institutional Advancement at 626.696.4344.
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ALL THE FUN BEGINS MAY 5
18th Annual Crystal Ball Friday, May 5th, 2017 • Noor, Pasadena The Crystal Ball is 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 our live and silent auctions. The funds raised through the Crystal Ball enable La Salle to offer Contact Suzi Rettig, Chair, for more information at suzy.rettig@bankofamerica.com
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From the College Counseling Center
College Center News By Owen Hou ’90, Tina Bonacci '94 and Marcia Yu, College Counselors
Senior News College acceptances are continuing to come in. Seniors have been offered admission to many colleges throughout California and the United States. Remember to add your admissions decisions on Naviance. We need to know all the news, both good and not so good, in order to get a complete picture.
Junior News Ms. Bonacci, Mr. Hou, and Mrs. Yu are now meeting with juniors and talking to them about college options. Some Junior College Planning Surveys are still outstanding. If your student has not submitted his/her survey, please remind them to do so as soon as possible. The sooner they complete the survey, the earlier we will meet with them. Their responses help us to identify colleges that might be a good fit for them, what actions they need to take, events to participate and so on. We then discuss our recommendations during the meeting. An early start in the college planning in the spring often leads to a well thought out and less stressful college applications in the fall. We are also glad to meet with parents after your student has met with his/her College Counselor. Please feel free to call and schedule an appointment.
Sophomore News SOPHOMORE CAREER DAYS MARCH 14 AND 16
Career Days will take place on March 14 and March 16 during Mentor Period. Alumni of La Salle will talk about their career with your student. Students were given the opportunity to complete a survey and chose the career presentation they were most interested in attending. Ask your student what careers they learned about.
All Students Standardized Testing News We would like to thank all juniors who took the ACT at La Salle in February. Some students have already seen their scores on the ACT student website. We expect all the results will be available by early to mid-March. We hope that all juniors have already registered for a spring SAT and/or another ACT. If not, they should register as soon as possible. Registration information is available in the College Center. The next SAT test dates are May 6 and June 3; the ACT test dates are April 8 and June 10.
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If your student is planning to apply to a University of California campus in a science or engineering major, then he/she is encouraged to take two SAT Subject Tests from different disciplines. The best time to take SAT Subject Tests is in June after the student has completed the course. There is time to re-test for SAT, SAT Subject Tests, and ACT during the senior year, and all colleges will take the highest scores. In addition to the UCs, some colleges* require or highly recommend applicants to submit two or three SAT Subject Tests. The College Center advises Freshmen to consider taking the Biology test
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and Sophomores, the Chemistry and/or World History test on June 3 if they are receiving a A- or higher in the course. Students should talk to their teacher about the material covered in the test or consider taking a practice Subject Test exam. Please contact Ms. Bonacci, Mr. Hou, or Mrs. Yu if you have any questions. *A list of colleges that require/recommend Subject Tests can be found at: www.compassprep.com/admissions_req_subjects.aspx.
Plan to Visit Colleges Over Easter Vacation Plan a college tour locally or out-of-state with your son or daughter over the Easter break (April 13 to April 23). Touring a college this time of year will allow your student to experience a true college setting with college students attending classes and club activity in the campus center. Seeing a college campus first hand will help your son or daughter find the right college campus for them.
COLLEGE FORUM MARCH 30
College Forum – Thursday, March 30 Our largest college-planning event of the year will take place on Thursday, March 30th at 6:00 pm. We are planning the following presentations for 9, 10 and 11 grade students and parents: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
• Dollars & Sense • Understanding UC Admission • Studying the Physical Sciences and Engineering • The Arts: Application Process, Auditions & Portfolios • Considering College Out-of-State, Creating Options in Your College Search • WUE and Other Scholarships • Enrollment Management 101 • Parent Forum • Getting in: Tips for Admission to Highly Selective Colleges • Navigating Naviance: Family Connection, Admission Stats, and More • Preparing for Health Related Careers • The NCAA, the Student Athlete & Admission • ROTC and Service Academies • The ‘Undecided’ major • Making the Moment Count: College Visits! • Using Career Interests to Guide Your College Search
We are finalizing the speaker list and should have all of them confirmed by the beginning of March. Once that is done, we will send parents a copy via email and distribute programs to students in their Mentor period. Please contact Ms. Bonacci, Mr. Hou or Mrs. Yu if you have questions.
Advanced Placement (AP) Exams (May 1 - May 12) All students received their AP Exams Information Package including the Bulletin for AP Students and Parents, student checklist and schedule. The exam fees are included in March’s tuition statements. College Counseling Continued on page 14
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College Counseling Continued from page 13
The AP exams will be administered on the following dates (all dates are in the school calendar): CHECK AP EXAM DATES
Monday, May 1 - Chemistry (8:00am) Tuesday, May 2 – Spanish Lang and Cult(8:00am) Wednesday, May 3 – English Literature & Comp (8:00am) Thursday, May 4 – US Government and Politics (8:00am) Friday, May 5 – U.S. History (8:00am), Studio Art (8:00am) Monday, May 8 – Biology (8:00am), Physics C: Mech (noon), Physics C: E & M (2:00pm) Tuesday, May 9 – Calculus AB/BC (8:00am), Spanish Lit and Cult (noon) Wednesday, May 10 – English Lang & Comp (8:00am), Macroeconomics (noon) Thursday, May 1 – Statistics (noon) Friday, May 2 – Microeconomics (8:00am), European History (noon) Exams can only be administered at the pre-determined date and time. If there is a conflict due to school athletics or school related activity, please let Mrs. Yu know as soon as possible.
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Save the Date!
12th Annual Grandparents Day
The Lancer Armory
Wednesday, April 12, 2017 La Salle Dining Hall Check-in at 9:00am
Regular Armory Hours
Brunch with your grandchild followed by Performances from the La Salle Visual and Performing Arts Students
Tuesdays and Thursdays
Celebration concludes at 11:15am
Invitations will be mailed on March 15. RSVP by mail or online by April 5.
Regular Schedule (Day A) 12:15pm - 1:15pm
Regular Schedule (Day B) 11:15am - 12:15pm
Special Schedules
7:00am - 8:15am
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La Salle's No-Cost Fundraisers Free to you, La Salle makes money, and you earn a service hour! Register ON OR AFTER SEPTEMBER 1st by signing onto your Ralphs.com account and selecting La Salle High School (81179) under “Account Summary” and “Community Rewards.” Ralphs gives back a percentage to La Salle on each purchase! Please ask family, friends and neighbors to participate.
1) Register your Credit/Debit/Grocery cards for shopping in stores, restaurants and on line at www.escrip.com. Use the registered cards and eScrip gives money directly to La Salle! 2) For on line shopping, please download the Forget Me Not Toolbar or shop directly at shopping.escrip.com to find hundreds of vendors. The tool bar will alert you if it’s a participating vendor, you shop and La Salle gets money! Virtual gift cards are purchased and delivered within seconds to the mobile app for immediate in-store redemption. While shopping at stores like Wal-mart, Home Depot, Target or Whole Foods, you can download a gift card to your phone and use it at check out. La Salle gets a percentage of the sale at no cost to you! You can also send gift cards directly from your phone to family and friends! Download the Benefit App, select La Salle High School, enter your payment method and start shopping!
GREAT WAYS TO SUPPORT LA SALLE
When you shop directly at smile.amazon.com and designate La Salle High School as your charitable organization, Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchases to La Salle. Bookmark smile.amazon.com, shop smile.amazon.com and help La Salle at no cost to you!
La Salle has earned over $150,000 through current and past programs! With no cost to families and friends, sign up today and support La Salle. Please visit the La Salle website under “Support LSHS” and “No Cost Fundraisers.” Any questions? Please email: Michele Hardy mlhardyconsulting@yahoo.com or Kari Helgeson khelgeson2002@ yahoo.com
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
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From left, Jack Crawford '17, John Nahas '17 Sebastian Dunbar '19 and Will Murray '19 .
Speech & Debate Team Tournament Reports By Elizabeth Meerson, Speech & Debate Mentor
SPEECH & DEBATE CONTINUES TO PLACE HIGH
This past Saturday, February 25, our Speech & Debate team competed in the National Tournament Qualifiers at Damien High School. Juniors, Jack Crawford and John Nahas advanced to the final round against Flintridge Prep. Sophomores, Sebastian Dunbar and Will Murray also competed against Flintridge Prep in the final round and qualified as the 2nd alternates to Nationals 2017 in Alabama. Over Presidents' weekend, the Speech & Debate team competed at the University of California Berkley Speech Tournament. Our Individual Event participants went up against some crazy-good competitors throughout the first two days and learned a great deal about the incredibly competitive California speech world. Out of 165 teams, Jack and John ended the tournament as semi-finalists in Varsity Public Forum. As for debate, out of 105 JV Public Forum teams, Sebastian Dunbar and Will Murray made it to Octos (sweet-16). Sebastian received the First Place Speaker award for the entire JV Public Forum competition!
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At right, Jack Crawford , John Nahas, Sebastian Dunbar and Will Murray prepare for the Qualifiers.
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The Lasallian theme for the 2016-2017 liturgical year is “One Call, Many Voices.” The two global trends that we draw attention to in the Lasallian Reflection for this theme are “sustaining spirituality amidst secularization” and a “new way of being Church.” The Brother Superior and General Council developed themes through the year 2021 in the spirit of the 45th General Chapter. The 2016-2017 liturgical year celebrates “One Call, Many Voices” as the supporting theme for the overall theme, “Living Together Our Joyful Mission.” The Lasallian Reflection asserts, “One of our critical roles as Lasallian educators is to help adolescents and young adults to understand one another and to discern the one call of God: a provident God, at work in the fabric of reality.” It further invites us into a dialogue in the midst of culture’s many voices. The Gospel icon of Pentecost serves as the frame for our dialogue. The Brother Superior and General Council invite Lasallians to incorporate and celebrate this theme in their ministry and/or community, and to engage in conversation and action. They encourage you to develop your own creative ways to employ this theme and share your efforts through social media. The Christian Brothers webpage includes resources to help you celebrate “One Call, Many Voices.” New resources will be added as they become available. We encourage you to share with us how you live out this theme by emailing us at communications@lasallian. info.
La Salle High School • Pasadena
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From the Arts Boosters
Busy Spring for the Arts Spring finds the La Salle Visual and Performing Arts Department a very busy and creative place.
Winter Play - THY MOTHER’S GLASS Students along with professional actors created a Shakespearean exploration of family relationships while performing scenes from Hamlet, Macbeth, Henry IV part 2, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear and The Tempest to name a few. The performances were inspired as students tackled difficult material and new standards of theatre.
SPRING STRINGS - March 12th - 4:00pm - Porticos, Pasadena A new offering from our very talented instrumental musicians. Come and enjoy chamber music performed by our string ensemble students. This is a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Students have been preparing and rehearsing for a lovely musical presentation that will leave you ready for the blossoms to come. Reservations 626.696.4415. A FUN PLAY SCHEDULED FOR THE SPRING
SPRING MUSICAL - MARCH 25 th THROUGH APRIL 8th "MY FAVORITE YEAR" is this spring’s musical offering. Over 40 students are involved in creating a look into the early days of television. The musical is based on the motion picture "My Favorite Year" starring Peter O’Toole. The musical was written by Dennis Palumbo and Norman Steinberg, and tells the humerous story of a young comedy writer. Seniors who will be featured in the cast are, Ellis Holland, Max Do Vale, Elijah Griffin, Michelle Broussard, Christopher Dinkel, Rebecca Whitehead, Aly Hartman, Catherine Dewar, and Sebastian Beltran-Moeller. Note for the future: SCHOOL WIDE ART SHOW – APRIL 8th –Blakeslee Library GRANDPARENTS DAY APRIL 12th Performances and presentations by VPA students. DANCE CONCERT – APRIL 29th and 30th
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Arts Boosters meets every second Tuesday of the month at 7:30pm in the Grinstead Theatre. We hope to see you there. For information on any or all of the events listed , please call 626.696.4415 or email dneedles@ lasallehs.org.
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Alumni Association College Scholarship Class of 2018 Application & Information www.lancernetwork.com/AlumniScholar •
A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE JUNIOR CLASS
All members of the Class of 2018 are invited to apply for the $1,500 Alumni College Scholarship sponsored by the La Salle High School Alumni Association. Application deadline is Thursday, March 16th at 5:00pm. Questions about the Alumni Scholarship should be directed to the Alumni Office at 626.696.4362 or alumni@lasallehs.org.
Baskets Please!
Are you not sure what to do with that empty gift basket you received this holiday season? The Crystal Ball Committee would like to help you put those empty baskets to good use. We need medium to large baskets for our auction. You can drop them off in the Institutional Advancement Office. We hope to see you at the 18th Annual Crystal Ball, to be held Friday, May 5, 2017.
Have some fun! Check out the Spring Rally pix in the Flickr Gallery!
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STEAM POWERS FORWARD
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MARCH 2017
ParentNewsletter
MARCH 2017
The Crystal Ball
Opportunity Drawing
WE ARE ALWAYS THANKFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT
Opportunity Drawing tickets are on sale now! Here are our great prizes: A Pleasant Holidays Vacation for 2 to Maui* 8 days, 7 nights at the Royal Lahaina Resort Includes round-trip airfare from LAX $300 food and beverage credit at select resort restaurants Plus two complimentary Luau tickets
• Apple iPad
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Disneyland Family Park Hopper 4-pack Opportunity Drawing takes place on May 5, 2017 during the Crystal Ball Contact Suzy Rettig for more information at suzy.rettig@bankofamerica.com *Maui Vacation made possible by a grant from the William H. Hannon Foundation
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MARCH 2017
A Day of Ashes and Change LIVE JESUS IN OUR HEARTS... FOREVER
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La Salle marked the onset of the Lent, the 40-day period of fasting and abstinence prior to Easter (Sundays are not included in the count), on March 1, Ash Wednesday. Lent is a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. It is also known as the ‘Day of Ashes.’ (So called because on that day at church the faithful have their foreheads marked with ashes in the shape of a cross). This day was also the beginning of the “Fred Riley Race for Change” in memory of our esteemed teacher and coach. Each class competes through donations to support our Christian Brothers “Twinning School.” Each year, during the season of Lent, La Salle High School along with all the other Christian Brother Schools in the United States and Canada, raise money for our brother and sister schools in Africa through what is called the Twinning Program. La Salle, along with four other high schools throughout the country, are paired with Mount La Salle College in Naka, Nigeria. Though its name is Mount La Salle College, it is really a junior high and high school serving both boys and girls. Over the years, students and faculty have raised tens of thousands of dollars for improvements for our "sister" schools, with Mr. Riley usually being the biggest single contributor. We are proud to dedicate this Lenten crusade to Mr. Fred Riley. He will be missed.
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MARCH 2017
Check your School calendar for event times and dates
March Highlights STUDENT HOLIDAY FACULTY INSERVICE MARCH 6
REGISTRATION CLASS OF 2021 MARCH 11
SCHOOL HOLIDAY MARCH 27
COLLEGE FORUM MARCH 30
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March 6 Student Holiday Faculty In-Service 7:00am Campus, Los Angeles
March 16 MAC (Mothers of Alumni) "Cupcakes and Champagne" 6:00 - 8:00pm Blakeslee Library
March 8 Incoming Freshmen Ice Cream Social 5:00pm Amphitheatre
March 17 Saint Patrick’s Day
March 11 Saturday Registration Class of 2021 9:00am - 12:30pm Dining Hall Duffy Lewis Gymnasium March 12 Sunday Daylight-Saving Time Begins Spring Strings 4:00pm Porticos, Pasadena* March 14 Parent Association Meeting 6:30pm Blakeslee Library Parent Boosters Meetings 7:30pm Campus Locations
March 20 Mission Effectiveness Workshop 3:00 - 9:00pm Altadena Town and Country Club March 25 Opening Night Spring Musical "My Favorite Year" 7:00pm Porticos, Pasadena* (See online calendar for additional show dates)
Report Cards Mailed Home
March 30 College Forum 6:00 - 9:30pm Dining Hall April 3 - 6 Student Life Campaign Week April 6 Student Life Elections April 7 Feast Day of Saint John Baptist de La Salle April 8 Saturday Schoolwide Art Show 4:00 - 6:00pm Blakeslee Library April 12 Grandparents Day 9:00am-Noon Dining Hall
March 27 School Holiday March 27 - 28 District Teacher's Science Education Workshop
When you see this icon, it means there are more photographs connected to the article. Go to the La Salle home page and click the Flickr icon. It will take you directly to our photo gallery.
Celebrating 60 Years of Lasallian Educational Excellence 1956 - 2016 * Porticos Art Space, 2033 East Washington Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91104