La Salle College High School 8605 Cheltenham Avenue Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania 19038 www.lschs.org
February 2010 Volume Nineteen Number 6
Dear Parents and Guardians, While I sit here writing this letter, our students are taking their mid-term examinations. It is hard to believe that the first semester has come and gone! My hope is that your son had a productive and enjoyable semester and is ready for the “home stretch”. I know that you recently received a letter announcing the tuition for the 2010-2011 school year. This unusually high increase is representative of the fact that La Salle is not immune to the economic turbulence of the past eighteen months. La Salle’s endowment, like many American 401K’s, was significantly impacted by the worst downturn in the U.S. economy since the Great Depression. Despite these uncertain times, La Salle’s programs of excellence continued to enjoy remarkable successes and have established La Salle as the very best choice in private Catholic education in the Delaware Valley. Certainly the strong interest in our school on behalf of this year’s candidates for the Class of 2014 is a real blessing. That being said, steps needed to be taken at this time to insure that La Salle will remain a pre-eminent Catholic high school well into the future. Please understand that we know that our tuition is a stretch for many families and are committed to increasing our financial aid funds to meet an increase in demand. Please also understand that, despite tuition of $17,200, only 88% of the cost of instruction will be covered by tuition. The remaining 12% comes to us as a result of the generous gifts of alumni, parents, and benefactors. As always, providing our students with the very best programs and learning environment remains our highest priority. Thank you for the sacrifices you are making on behalf of your sons. You may remember that, in November of 2007, La Salle was re-accredited by the Middle States Association of America. That accreditation lasts for seven years and requires a mid-term review to insure that the action steps associated with our Middle States goals are progressing. I am pleased to announce that La Salle passed its mid-term review “with flying colors”. Special thanks go to Mr. Nick Coggins, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, for guiding us through the review process. Please make note of some important dates in February. Report cards will be issued in homeroom on Monday, February 1, 2010. The Mother/Son Communion Brunch, a truly wonderful event that will feature Sean McDermott ’93 of the Philadelphia Eagles as the guest speaker, will take place on Sunday, February 21, 2010 at 10:00 AM at Williamson’s. And, believe it or not, the “Senior 100 Day Celebration” will take place at La Salle on the evening of February 25, 2010. Thank you once again for entrusting your sons to our care. Sincerely yours,
Joseph L. Marchese Principal