La Salle Parent Newsletter For Parents and Friends of La Salle College Preparatory • Pasadena • California October 2019
Principal Ideas Hello. Welcome to fall and October! Before moving into October happenings, I’d like to give a recap of just a few of the many happenings around campus in September.
Courtney R. Kassakhian Principal
On September 11 we celebrated the academic achievements of our students with our Academic Awards Assembly. The event was given a soundtrack by our Jazz Band under the direction of Mr. Ziomek, and they definitely made the event lively and fun. Before beginning awards, we were happy to welcome Manny Soriano ’12 to speak to our students about his experience at La Salle and how it has impacted what he has chosen to do since graduation. Mr. Soriano is currently a member of our Alumni Executive Board and chairs the Young Alumni Committee. After hearing from Mr. Soriano, the following awards were given at the event:
Reflection Prayer St. John Baptist de La Salle
You too can perform miracles...by touching the hearts of children St. John Baptist de La Salle Meditation 180.3
• 151 students received Gold Certificates (spring GPA of 4.0 or higher) • 56 students received First Honors (spring GPA of 3.73.999) • 71 students received Honors (spring GPA of 3.3-3.699) • 8 students received the Academic Achievement award for increasing their GPA by 0.5 or more from first to second semester Additionally, we acknowledged the students who met the pre-requisites for membership in our many honor societies. • 28 new students were inducted into the California Scholarship Federation • 29 new students were inducted into the Mu Alpha Theta National Math Honor Society • 26 new students were inducted into the National Art Honor Society • 15 new students were inducted into the National Honor
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Principal Ideas continued from page 1
Society • 4 new students were inducted into the National Honor Society for Dance Arts • 25 students were inducted into the Rho Kappa Social Studies Honor Society • 18 students were inducted into the Science National Honor Society But our students are not only shining in the classroom here at La Salle. I am very happy to share that senior Lance Tam has been named a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist based on his achievement on the 2018 PSAT/NMSQT. Of the approximately 1.6 million students who take the PSAT each year, only 16,000 (1%) are named semifinalists. Lance will now have the opportunity to move on in the competition for a chance to earn a scholarship and be named a Merit Scholar. Additionally, seniors Neil Angsanto, Mikaela Avakian, David Chen, Darwin Kim, Ruobin Lan, Ewan Painter, Colby Stenzel, Katherine Wang and Mika Watanabe were named Commended Students in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Their scores put them in the top 3.125% of test takers. Congratulations to all these students on their great accomplishments! This year’s juniors will have the opportunity to enter the competition when they take the PSAT on Wednesday, October 16. Freshmen and sophomores will take the Pre ACT exam this day and seniors get the day off. (For seniors, this day would be a great opportunity to work on their college essays and applications or to go for a local college visit as they continue their search process.) I hope that each student approaches these tests seriously. We know that standardized test scores are an important part of the college application process, and these practice tests help students prepare for the tests that will be sent to colleges. Some other highlights from September come from our Speech and Debate and Football teams. Last month two of our varsity Debaters, Maddy Cahill and Rhyen Hunt, traveled to Yale for a competition where they advanced to the top 16 teams (out of 215 teams). And out of 430 speakers, Rhyen was named 54th speaker overall and Maddy was named 5th overall speaker. Moreover, this marks the first gold Tournament of Champions bid for La Salle this year. Congrats to our debaters and their coaches. Another highlight of September has been the tremendous turn-around in our football program. As you may know, our football team went 0-10 in the 2018 season. So far this season they are 4-0. It has been exciting to watch and I know that the players would say much of their success comes from the leadership of their new coach, Mr. Ben Buys. Coach Buys is an example of the kind of coaches and teachers that we work to bring into La Salle: people who are capable in their subject area - be it math, language, or football - but just as importantly are compassionate, collaborative and enthusiastic,
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see themselves as and act as role models, and want to be here to work with and help our students be the best they can be. Our coaches and student athletes would love to see our Lancer Fans supporting them throughout their seasons. Fall sports include football, girls volleyball, girls golf, girls tennis, boys water polo and boys and girls cross country. I invite you to check out the athletic calendar on our website and come cheer on our Lancers this month. A great day to come out and support the football team specifically is at our annual Homecoming game on Friday, October 18 vs. Victor Valley. The game is the culmination of our Homecoming week, which is filled with fun activities for our students. This year’s homecoming theme is Welcome Home and will include dress-up days, a celebration of our twinning school in Naka Nigeria, and information about the foster care system and what happens to children who don’t always have a “home sweet home”. Information about the week will be in the daily announcements and sent home through the Friday email blasts to parents. The week prior to homecoming marks the end of our first grading period on Friday, October 11. Report cards will be mailed home the following week. Please be sure you are discussing the report card with your student, and, if he/she is struggling, you start talking about what he/she can do in the second quarter to achieve more. Academic Support and Student Success Workshop are wonderful resources for our students to take advantage of throughout the year, but especially when they may be struggling. Lastly, October brings our annual El Otro Lado immersion trip. It is fitting that this trip occurs in October as October is Respect Life Month and one of the focuses of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles during this time is immigration and solidarity with immigrants. El Otro Lado (The Other Side) is supported by Lasallians Without Borders. It is a five day immersion program for high schoolers in which they experience the realities of life for migrants and refugees along the United States - Mexico borderland. Using San Miguel High School in Tucson as home base, our students will meet with other students from across our district to learn about this very real crisis. Please be on the lookout in November’s newsletter for pictures and highlights of our students’ experiences on this trip. In closing, I truly hope that the first full month of the school year has been a good one for your students and that October, with all of its excitement, is even better. Sincerely, Courtney Kassakhian Principal
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La Salle Matters
Patrick Bonacci, AFSC, P'94,'97 Acting President
I would like to begin by thanking the parents that were able to attend one of last month’s “listening sessions” with the representatives of Educational Directions, our Presidential Search firm. I appreciate it that so many of you were able to join in on one of the two parent listening sessions or participate through the online survey. Both Mathew and Risa Heersche reported back to us that they were very impressed and grateful for the depth and candor of the conversations they had with our parents and with all of the other constituents they met. To be honest, the group that impressed them the most during their visit was our students, which was no surprise to me! You received a follow-up email on September 17 from the Co-chairpersons of the Search Committee regarding an update on the process. Within that correspondence, you also received the names of the distinguished members of our school community that agreed to constitute the Search Committee. I am grateful that they accepted the invitation from our Board of Trustees to serve on this committee. I know each and every one of them, and I am very confident that this Committee will make deliberate, equitable and thoughtful decisions that have the long-term interest of La Salle College Preparatory as their sole motivation. The next step in the search process is the detailed summary of all the comments shared at the listening sessions and submitted through the online survey to create the search prospectus. As you read in the email your received last month, “the prospectus will articulate the special qualities of La Salle College Prep’s community, the opportunities for the president, as well as the qualities sought, both personal and professional.” As part of their recruitment efforts, it
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is this document that Educational Directions will circulate to proven and experienced Catholic educational leaders, executive directors of educational organizations and regional school associations. I am confident that their marketing efforts will surface the best candidates possible. I will continue to use the Newsletter to share updates on the process and we will also post related information on the school’s website in the Presidential Search section. The 2019 International Lasallian Days for Peace (ILDP) began on September 21 (the United Nations’ sanctioned International Day of Peace) and will run through October 21. The theme for this 13th annual event is “Peace is ALWAYS Possible’’. This theme aligns with the overall yearly theme of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, “Great Things are Possible.” Our students, as in the past, are participating in this month-long emphasis on the need for peace in our local community as well as in society as a whole through prayer activities and specific conversations initiated through our Mentor classes. I encourage you, as parents, to also interact with your students regarding the importance of this subject. I share with you the following prayer/reflection as a means of unifying us in the reality that “Peace is ALWAYS Possible’’:
Heavenly Father, you are the source of all goodness, generosity and love. We thank you for opening the hearts of many to those who are living far from peace. Help us now to open our arms in welcome, and reach out our hands in support. May the desperate find new hope and lives torn apart be restored. You have made us individuals with unique backgrounds, stories and gifts. You have given us these so we can all work together in our La Salle Community. Help us, Lord, to recognize that as this special community, we are called, by you, to strive for peace to reach all who inhabit the world that you created for us. Amen Live Jesus In Our Hearts…. Forever!
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Parent Association Report Well, we are almost 2 months into our school year and it’s moving fast. We had our first Parent Association meeting and met with the President’s search company. Thanks to all who participated. It is very exciting that we were asked to participate and our voices were heard.
Jacky Samartin, P'15,'19,'21 Parent Association President
We had our first home football game and what a game!!! Congrats to our team and thanks to all who came out to cheer them on. We had a very successful Crystal Ball Tailgate Party. Lots of really great chilli and lots of great football. Our next Parent Association meeting will be on Tuesday, October 8 at 6:00pm hospitality 6:30pm meeting and 7:30pm Booster meetings. As usual, we will be serving a light dinner to tide you through a long day. We again will be in the Blakeslee Commons. This month, along with our committee reports, our featured speaker will be Ms. Tam Ly our Director of Guidance and Counseling. She will be presenting an overview of our “Healthy Choices” curriculum. “The counseling department believes in supporting the whole child in the three domains of counseling including academic, college and career, and social-emotional. We recognize that social-emotional learning is an integral part of student success and wellness given the challenges adolescents face today.” We will also be adding a component to this from the athletic department. There are so many different challenges our teens have that are different when we were in high school. It will be welcome knowledge to help us navigate these teen years. Lastly, when my daughter went off to University of Arizona with La Salle graduate Bri Antilon as her roommate they took with them “Flat Pat” named after our own Mr. Bonacci. Much like “Flat Stanley”, “Flat Pat” will be travelling the United States this year and many universities. Since
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Mr. Bonacci graciously stayed on this year to transition the President’s office, we thought we would let him travel virtually. His first stop is at The University of Arizona in Tucson. Stay tooned to see where he travels and hear a little about Freshman college year from our alumni. Fall Blessing to you and your families, Jacky Samartin P’15, P’19, P’21 Parent Association President 2019-2020
Plans for the 2020 Crystal Ball are well underway! The Crystal Ball committee is working on every detail to make this an event to remember! With that said, we know it doesn't happen without team work and we need your help! You can contribute by donating items from our Amazon Wish List and earn credit toward your parent hours at the same time. It's quick, easy and fun! To see our 2020 Crystal Ball Wish, please visit www.lasallehs.org/crystalball. 157
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Club Day 2019 There are over 40 clubs on campus that range in a variety of interests. Students are welcome to join any club, and if there isn't one they like, they are welcome to start a new one. Some notable new clubs are the Meat of the Month Club and the Alternative Truths Club.
Clockwise from Top Left: Change My Mind Club, Support Our Troops Club, Just Dance Club, Air Force 1 Club, and Key Club
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Clockwise from Top Left: Meat of the Month Club, Mental Health Awareness Club, Alternative Truths Club, Green Teens, Lettuce Club
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End of Year Tax Planning Help Yourself and Help La Salle Don’t look now, but the end of 2019 is not far off. Our School’s campus continues to be upgraded on many levels, and that process will continue to be an integral part of our growth and advancement. This effort has been enabled in large part by Planned and Legacy Gifts from our many benefactors. Amidst the various holidays and related activities, year-end financial and tax planning also come into play, and many of us will begin to address year-end tax and financial planning issues. By taking advantage of financial opportunities that provide you both tax and financial/investment benefits, you can also help support the Mission of our School. 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. Traditional charitable giving in support of our School is a donation of cash. But alternate gifting opportunities are available through a Planned Gift in which a current outlay of cash is not required. Though both traditional and planned gifts are integral components of the financial support of our School, planned gifts are a key component of our endowment in support of the long-term financial stability of our School. Year-end planning in the context of Planned Giving can be executed in many ways. Some of the more common strategies include: Donating appreciated assets (real estate and securities as examples) that you have owned for more than one year will avoid federal and state capital gains taxes on the appreciation while creating a tax deduction. The stock market has shown volatility, but it is still at or near historical highs. As such, this is an opportune time to consider a planned gift of appreciated securities or real estate. Taxpayers age 70 ½ or older can receive tax benefits from having one’s required annual IRA distribution directed to La Salle College Preparatory. Limitations apply in this scenario, but with retirement assets at very high historic levels, this strategy can be beneficial to the both the taxpayer and our School. Additionally, naming our School as a partial or full beneficiary of a retirement account or a trust can serve to address potential estate tax issues while not requiring the current outlay of cash or other assets. 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. IN SUMMARY La Salle College Preparatory School can provide more information, both generically and specifically, regarding the benefits available through Planned Giving. For more information, please contact Jon Keates, Major Gifts Officer at (626) 696-4344.
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! y d a e R tebuds
s a T r u Get Yo
The much anticipated return of the
is coming! An unlimited food and spirits tasting event not to be missed!
Saturday March 28, 2020 6:30pm-9:00pm
La Salle College Preparatory Ticket sales open online in October. For more information or to serve as a sponsor, donor or volunteer contact the Alumni Office @ 626.696.4362 or alumni@lasallehs.org All proceeds benefit the Alumni Scholarship Fund.
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Tournament of Roses Royal Court La Salle College Preparatory had the pleasure of two of our young women make it to the final 25 candidates for the 2020 Tournament of Roses Royal Court. We are so proud of Sydney Haupt '20 and Camille Kennedy '20 for representing us with both grace and pride.
Top 25 Candidates waiting to hear who will be on the Rose Court.
On September 30, 2019, at Tournament House in Pasadena, the Tournament of Roses announced the Royal Court. Camille Kennedy was selected as one of seven princesses. Serving on the court with Camille are Cole Fox (South Pasadena High School), Michael Wilkins
(Maranatha High School), Reese Saporito (Marshall Fundamental School), Emilie Risha (Flintridge Sacred Heart), Mia Thoresen (Marshall Fundamental School), and Rukan Saif (Arcadia High School). Congratulations, Camille! We are very excited for you and this journey, and you have made us incredibly proud. The Tournament of Roses will announce the 2020 Rose Court Queen on October 22, 2019, at Pasadena Playhouse.
Camille Kennedy '20 after being chosen as a Rose Court Princess
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Open House 2019
Sunday, November 17, 2019 12:00 – 2:30 p.m. 3880 E. Sierra Madre Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107 RSVP online www.admissions.lasallehs.org and click “Visit Us”
We invite you to tour the campus, meet teachers, coaches, and current students. Watch and enjoy presentations, performances, and demonstrations from our many student programs!
LEARN . SERVE . LEAD @lasallepas • LaSalleHS.org • 626.351.8951
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College Center News College Counselors Tam Ly, Owen Hou '90, P'21, Marcia Yu P'21
Colleges Scheduled to Visit La Salle in October The College Center has already hosted many colleges during the month of September, and many more are scheduled to visit La Salle in October.
The UC System consists of 9 schools up and down the state.
Colleges are being added to the College Visit Calendar every day. Please check the Naviance website under ‘What’s New’ or the College Center bulletin board for the most up-to-date schedule. Please also encourage your student to list his or her colleges of interest on Naviance Student, as it automatically generates email reminders to your student when a college he or she is interested in visits La Salle. One-on-one College Application Meetings with Seniors Our college counselors are busy meeting with students who have completed their Senior Survey. Unfortunately, a significant number of students have not completed it yet. Please encourage your student to complete their Senior College Planning Survey online on Naviance if he or she has not done so already. Based upon their responses to the survey, the college counselors will have a one-on-one meeting with the student in order to review his or her college list and provide feedback, suggest additional colleges if needed, review deadlines and application requirements. So the sooner students meet with their counselor the better prepared they will be to put forth the best college application possible without having to rush it. Monday, October 7 and Wednesday, October 16th are days off that seniors may use to work on their college applications, visit college campuses, write their college essay/personal statement, or finalize their college list on Naviance. Seniors will find the process to be less stressful once they finalize their college list and start their applications. Those two days are also excellent
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opportunities to submit Cal State applications and to check them off their ‘to do’ list. SAT/ACT Testing Seniors have their last opportunities to take standardized tests in November and December for most Cal States and UCs. Please double check with your college of interest on last accepted test date as requirements vary. SAT or SAT Subject Tests Test Dates: • November 2 (Regular Registration Deadline: October 3) • December 7 (Regular Registration Deadline: November 8) ACT Test Date: • December 14 (Regular Registration Deadline: November 8) UC & Cal State Applications The University of California application is currently available at http://www. universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/. The UC application filing period is November 1st to November 30th. We encourage students to submit their applications before the Thanksgiving holiday to avoid the high volume of applications submitted in the last week of November. The California State application, available at www2.calstate.edu/apply, opened on October 1 and will remain open until November 30. Many of the 23 California State University campuses are impacted for first time freshmen. We suggest students to apply broadly to the CSU campuses. La Salle College Preparatory is considered a local high school to CSU Los Angeles and CSU Northridge which means that our students will be accepted to these campuses as long as they are CSU eligible given the CSU eligibility index (GPA and test scores on a sliding scale). Private Schools Most private colleges utilize the Common Application, which can be accessed electronically at www.commonapp.org. Please check each out-of-state and private colleges’ websites for their application procedures. Art Schools If your student plans to apply to performing and visual arts programs, please make sure to review carefully the application requirements for information about portfolio submissions, auditions, and/or interviews. All students planning to submit portfolios should plan on attending the National Portfolio Day, an art school college fair where admission officers will offer critiques of students’ work on the spot, on Sunday, College Center Continued on page 16
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November 10th , from 12:00pm to 4:00pm at the Otis College of Art and Design. Please visit https://nationalportfolioday.org/event/los-angeles-ca-november-10th/ for a complete list of attending colleges and for additional information. Cash for College/FAFSA Workshop On October 23rd from 5:00-8:00pm, we will be offering a workshop at La Salle in partnership with Cash for College to answer questions related to the FAFSA and complete your FAFSA on the spot. This event is specifically for Seniors and their parents. We highly recommend bringing your own laptop as we have a limited number of computers available. Additional information, including a link to RSVP for the event, will be sent in a separate email. In that same night, we will be offering two presentations open to all grade levels. • College Admissions Testing (Oct 23rd from 5:30 - 6:00 pm in the BLC) Revolution Prep will be offering an insider’s guide to college admission testing including the PSAT, SAT, SAT Subject Tests, AP, and ACT to help parents develop a testing plan that is right for their child. • Smart Track College Funding (Oct 23rd from 6:00 - 6:30 pm in the BLC) The Smart Track workshop provides actionable steps for families to better prepare themselves for college costs. Smart Track will be educating families on 1) the issues that affect college costs, 2) what steps families can take now to mitigate issues specific to their financial situation, and 3) how to maximize eligibility within the financial aid system. This session will provide context, define terms, discuss common pitfalls, and cite encouraging case studies. To create your Smart Track account and start utilizing their resources, click here. Standardized Testing for 9th , 10th and 11th Grades Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors will take the standardized tests on Wednesday, October 16th. Freshman and Sophomore students will take the PreACT, and Juniors will take the PSAT. Everyone should bring their calculator and number two pencils. All students should finish around 12:00 pm. College tours Besides the LA College Tour on October 7th, we are planning for two additional college tours in the spring: San Diego College Tour February 21st , 2020 University of San Diego, UC San Diego, San Diego State University
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Bay Area College Tour March 16-17, 2020 Universities to be visited will be announced in January 2020 Mock ACT The Academic Boosters, with the help of Revolution Prep, are offering the Mock ACT on Saturday, October 12th. The price for the mock test is a $20 donation. All proceeds go towards our Academic Boosters. To register, please submit a check to the College Center, made payable to La Salle High School. Keeping track of your accomplishments It is very important that your students keep track of their awards, accomplishments, volunteering, work, internships, honor societies, awards, etc. throughout their high school years as this information will be very valuable when they fill out their college applications in the future. It is also a very good way to build their resume one piece at a time. This can be done on Naviance ‘About Me’ tab by clicking on the ‘My Resume’ link. Be sure to always keep a printed copy as well.
Congratulations, Lance Tam! Lance Tam '20 is a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist. Students are selected based off of their PSAT scores. Winners will be announced between April and July of next year.
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DreamTreeVisions Educational Scholarship DreamTreeVisions is an online Art Gallery that sells beautiful and peaceful photgraphic prints. Its mission is to share beauty found in our world. This year marks the inaugural Educational Scholarship granted by DreamTreeVisions. Currently, 30% of all net proceeds from photographic print sales are dedicated to fund this $1000 scholarship. Any student in the United States, between grades 6-12, is eligible to apply. This year's winners are Thurman Hou ‘21 and Vincent Vazira '20. Hou is involved in Cross Country and Track and Field. Vazira, on the other hand, is heavily involved in the Performing Arts as well as DrumLine. For more information on the gallery as well as how to apply, please visit www. dreamtreevisions.com. Be sure to follow them on Instagram (@dreamtreevisions) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/dreamtreevisions) . Congratulations to both Thurman and Vincent on this excellent achievement!
Thurman Hou ‘21
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Vincent Vazira ‘20
September 2019
27 ANNUAL LANCER GOLF CLASSIC & FALL FUNDRAISER TH
Monday, October 14, 2019 San Gabriel Country Club
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! lancergolf.givesmart.com Sponsorship & Underwriting Opportunities Available Contact Tara Morales: tmorales@lasallehs.org or 626.696.4381
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October Highlights October 3 Dress Uniform Liturgy Schedule
October 16 National Testing Day 8:00am - 12:30pm
October 4 Dollar Dress Day
October 18 Homecoming Rally 1:30pm Duffy Lewis Gymnasium Homecoming Game 7:00pm Kohorst Field Alumni 10th Battalion Honoree Ceremony Halftime Kohorst Field
October 7 Faculty Inservice Student Holiday Los Angeles College Tour Alumni Board Meeting 5:30pm Blakeslee Learning Commons October 8 Parent Association 6:30pm Blakeslee Learning Commons Parent Boosters 7:30pm Campus Locations
October 19 Homecoming Dance 7:30pm Dining Hall October 21-23 Junior Retreat
LA SALLE COLLEGE PREPARATORY 3880 E. SIERRA MADRE BLVD. PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91107-1996 • TELEPHONE 626.351.8951 FACSIMILE 626.351.0275 WWW.LASALLEHS.ORG • LA SALLE PARENTNEWSLETTER IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY EXCEPT JANUARY AND JULY BY LA SALLE COLLEGE PREPARATORY
October 10 Winter Sports Meeting 6:30pm Dining Hall
October 23 Cash for College Night 5:00pm Campus Locations
October 11 First Quarter Ends/Eligibility Grades Due
October 25 12:30 Dismissal Faculty Inservice
© 2019
• EDITOR, NICOLE CARLOS '12 COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING COORDINATOR TELEPHONE: 626.696.4429 • EMAIL: NCARLOS@LASALLEHS.ORG
October 14-19 Homecoming Week October 14 Lancer Golf Classic San Gabriel Country Club
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October 27-November 1 El Otro Lado Immersion Trip October 31 Halloween Costume Attire
Transforming Lives Since 1680