Annual Report on Mission Activities 2022

ENTER TO LEARN, LEAVE TO SERVE

Faithful to the charism of St. John Baptist de La Salle, St. John’s College High School is an independent, Catholic college preparatory school whose mission is to provide a human and Christian education to young men and women from diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.

St. John’s is a community of faith and zeal with dedicated Lasallian educators committed to the spiritual, academic, cultural, physical, and moral development of the students. Rooted in Christian values, the Lasallian experience at St. John’s prepares young men and women for lives dedicated to leadership, achievement, and service to the community.

MISSION AND MINISTRY

The Office of Lasallian Mission and Ministry helps students deepen their faith and understanding of the human experience. Within our Christian community, we encourage students to ask thoughtful questions about their faith. Our liturgies, retreats, seminars, and service opportunities lead students to the answers they seek and help them make God known to others.

LITURGIES

As we gather together to worship on Holy Days, at weekday Mass, as an entire community, and as a class, the Mass imparts the Sacred Mysteries in an approachable way.

RETREATS

Freshmen: Our Place of Becoming and Belonging Prepares students to make the most of their time at St. John’s through friends, mentors, and faith

Sophomores: Prayer Focuses on the students developing their relationship with God by learning and practicing a variety of prayer forms

Juniors: Road to Emmaus Explores relationships, choices, and discovering Christ in the everyday

Seniors: The Kairos Retreat

Heightens self-knowledge and spirituality

Peer Ministry

Builds a community focused on ministerial work

SEMINARS

An expression of our commitment to educating the whole person, the seminar series focuses on human development and relationships, decision-making, academics, and life skills. Throughout the eight-part series, freshmen and sophomores explore topics ranging in diversity from digital safety to diet and health.

CHRISTIAN SERVICE

Service to others reveals our students’ God-given graces and talents and helps them become citizens of the world. During their four years at St. John's, our students typically complete 90 hours of Christian service, with many students extending themselves beyond what is required. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the requirement was amended to 10 hours of service per student for the 2021–22 school year. The class of 2022 completed a total of 819 extracurricular hours.

While on retreat, sophomore students visit the Ukranian Catholic National Shrine for a prayer experience.

Students unloaded and sorted donated food at the mobile food distribution center run by Sacred Heart Southern Missions.

FORMATION AND EDUCATION FOR MISSION

We educate the whole person and offer continuing formative education opportunities for all of the faith community; it’s the Lasallian way. Last year, our faculty and staff participated in a variety of enrichment opportunities that opened them to new ways of thinking and believing—as mentors and as human beings.

FACULTY AND STAFF PARTICIPATED IN THE FOLLOWING:

The Brother John Johnston Institute of Contemporary Lasallian Practice

The Buttimer Institute of Lasallian Studies

Centering Prayer Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Faculty Development

Faculty/Staff Retreats Heritage on Tap

The Huether Lasallian Conference

New Faculty Formation

Restorative Justice Workshops

VEGA Workshop for Young Lasallians

Facing page: SJC faculty attend the 2022 Buttimer Institute.

The Buttimer Institute of Lasallian Studies is an intensive three-year Lasallian education and formation program that studies the life, work, and spirituality of St. John Baptist de La Salle and the origins of the Lasallian educational mission.

Right: dedicated faculty continue to enrich and expand their knowledge by participating in SJC’s summer reading project.

FORMATIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCES WERE ALSO OFFERED TO THE BROADER SJC COMMUNITY:

Board of Trustees Meetings

Lasallian formation was offered at a Board of Trustees meeting.

Freshman Parent Receptions

An annual September event for freshman parents started in 2011, President Jeffrey Mancabelli hosted four parent receptions, sharing the life story of St. La Salle and how we live the Lasallian mission at St. John’s College High School.

Summer Reading

Coordinated by the school’s librarian, faculty and staff participated in a summer reading project. Each participant chose a book to help guide professional learning and educational interests and then read and drafted reviews of their books to share with colleagues in the fall.

A COMMUNITY-CENTERED CURRICULUM

Faith development at SJC isn’t exclusive to liturgies or religion class lectures; it’s the cornerstone of our curriculum. From physics to the performing arts, our curriculum challenges students to strengthen their faith and commitment to social justice.

CADET CORPS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

All 184 members of the Cadet Corps Leadership Program participated in Operation Cadets Care. Cadets collectively spent more than 300 hours planning and leading the service project. The cadets donated, collected, and organized:

• Supplies and Christmas decorations for the Armed Forces Retirement Home

• More than 1,000 canned goods for Manna Food Bank

• $2,000 in supplies and toiletries for veterans at the Washington, VA, Medical Center

• $1,500 in toys for Toys for Tots

Twelve cadets spent the day volunteering a total of 84 service hours at Boulder Crest Retreat in Bluemont, VA. This facility supports wounded veterans and their families. They cleared walking trails, helped clean horse stables, reinforced recreational targets, and spread mulch at four of the cabins.

Each upperclassman cadet mentored a freshman in the program.

DE LA SALLE SCHOLARS

Students created innovative independent study projects, many of which served the local community.

ENGLISH

Students raised $18,500 for the San Miguel School and visited the students to learn more about the school.

MODERN AND CLASSICAL LANGUAGES

Students in Spanish 3 classes participated in a virtual student exchange with La Salle México in Mexico City.

PEER MINISTERS

The students ministered to the student body throughout the school year.

Members led 19 student retreats.

Peer ministers were crucial to the success of Freshman Orientation and the Froshmore Dance.

PERFORMING ARTS

Members of Advanced Vocal Studies

(AVS) performed during Black History Month at the Little Sisters of the Poor nursing facility.

RELIGION

Religion classes raised $6,600 for our twinned school, the Child Discovery Centre in Kenya, during Poverty Education Week.

VISUAL ARTS

Students participated in the Memory Project, creating 54 self-portraits for Nigerian children.

Students made more than 100 ceramic bowls to benefit the annual mission drive.

WRITING CENTER

Ten student volunteers managed 454 appointments for written language support.

Facing page, top: junior cadets spread mulch on the grounds of Boulder Crest Foundation in Bluemont, VA, a retreat center for wounded veterans and their families.

Facing page, bottom: throughout December, cadets put their leadership skills to the test by organizing a school-wide mission for various organizations in need.

ALUMNI AND ADVANCEMENT OFFICE

The annual Doc Scalessa Golf Tournament raised $32,439 for tuition assistance, contributing to $5.2 million in 2022 tuition assistance.

In honor of Founder’s Day, the school’s annual Day of Giving raised more than $100,000 for tuition assistance.

The Class of 1972 Scholarship Fund was established in 2022 by the Class of 1972 in honor of their 50th anniversary. This endowment fund provides financial assistance to students who excel in the classroom, on the field, and in service to the community.

Doc Scalessa golfers raise funds for tuition assistance.

EXTRACURRICULAR TEAMWORK

Clubs, organizations, and athletic teams at SJC attest to the power of collective action. Every day, students, faculty, and parents involved in school-sponsored activities enliven our mission with passion and purpose.

BEST BUDDIES

Members wrote Valentine’s Day cards for Best Buddies chapters at other schools.

The club raised money for SJC’s Best Buddies chapter through a T-shirt tie-dye fundraiser.

Members participated in the Best Buddies Friendship Walk at the National Mall. The walk raised awareness and financial support for the inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

CADETS FOR A CURE

The club hosted a fundraiser through Chipotle to raise $900 for the Leukemia Society by working the concession stand at home basketball games.

LASALLIAN YOUTH

Students and faculty participated in 28 weekly service trips to San Miguel School to tutor and mentor the students.

Members hosted a mid-year food drive.

NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY

Forty-five students tutored 106 peers during homeroom throughout the year.

PARENT CLUBS

Men of St. John’s:

• Co-hosted the Fat Tuesday Pancake Dinner, raising $750 for the mission drive

• Helped with operational aspects of the annual Admissions Open House

• Held their annual Citrus Fundraiser to benefit SJC students

• Ran the concession stand for home athletic events

• Teamed up with Cadets for a Cure to raise $900 for the Leukemia Society

• To celebrate their 75th anniversary, the men established a $75,000 endowment fund to benefit families in need of tuition assistance

Mothers’ Club:

• Co-hosted the Fat Tuesday Pancake Dinner, raising $750 for the mission drive

• Helped with operational aspects of the annual Admissions Open House

• Contributed to the Marge Gasser Memorial Award for teachers

• Decorated the school for Christmas

• Hosted:

Meal of Solidarity during Poverty Education Week

Mardi Gras party for the school community Teacher/Staff Appreciation Day

STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION

During the Christmas season, students collected toys for residents of National Children’s Hospital.

SIGNUM FIDEI

Fourteen faculty members who possess significant formation experience in the Lasallian charism, met throughout the year to plan and analyze mission-focused initiatives, including mission education, service, and faculty retreats.

TERESIAN CLUB

Six students and two faculty worked with the Missionaries of Charity to serve the most marginalized and vulnerable in the DC area.

Top: SJC’s Best Buddies chapter participated in the 2022 Friendship Walk at the National Mall, helping to raise funds to sustain and expand area programs.

Bottom: to help students celebrate Mardi Gras, members of SJC’s Mothers’ Club organized music, festive decorations, and delicious treats for students to enjoy during lunch periods.

UNDERSTANDING POVERTY

During Poverty Education Week, lessons on poverty were integrated into the curriculum and taken full circle through prayer and proactive outreach.

Students prepared sandwiches for Martha’s Table, a nonprofit organization committed to supporting strong children, strong families, and strong communities by increasing access to quality education, health and wellness, and family resources. Several students also baked cookies at home to accompany the meals.

DAY OF SOLIDARITY AND SIMPLICITY

Facilitated by the Mothers’ Club during Wednesday lunch periods, students participated in a Meal of Solidarity to demonstrate unity with those who have no choice but to go without. Students and faculty consumed oatmeal and water while seated on the floor of Frana Auditorium. During the meal, SJC art students sold handmade ceramic bowls to benefit the mission drive. Students and faculty also engaged in a school-wide technology fast, which included abstaining from the use of all technological devices—iPads, smartphones, computers, and audio/visual equipment.

The SJC community raised funds St. John’s twinned school, the Child Discovery Centre in Kenya.

Student-artists exhibited murals across campus depicting the plight of the poor.

The Fitzpatrick Library featured a story walk with Maddi’s Fridge written by Lois Brandt. Students had the opportunity to reflect on the book’s topics—poverty, empathy, and service to others—while exploring ideas to help those living in poverty.

ministries and stakeholders of DENA, faithful to the Lasallian mission and values of service of and with the poor, will, together and by association, deliver sustainable models for education and treatment and advocate for those we accompany and support, especially the poor, that they ‘may have life and have it in its fullest.’”

The Brothers of the Christian Schools

of Eastern North America)

Above: during Poverty Education Week’s Meal of Solidarity, students sold their handmade ceramic bowls to benefit the Child Discovery Centre in Kenya.

Below left: during their lunch periods, students prepared sandwiches for Martha’s Table. Below, right: students gather before the Meal of Solidarity.

INNOVATIVE CHRISTIAN SERVICE: LEADING BY EXAMPLE

“Service to the marginalized and most needy of our community is a hallmark of a St. John’s education. During the COVID-19 pandemic, students were asked to do what they could to serve despite the many hurdles presented by the health crisis. The students’ eagerness and thoughtful innovation to meet the needs of the local community was truly inspirational and serves as an authentic model of Christian service.”

—Thomas Sipowicz, Director of Mission Integration

In support of our mission, the St. John’s Christian Service Program is designed to bring students, through experience and reflection, to a mature understanding of their personal responsibility to those most in need. During their four years as Cadets, students must complete 90 hours of Christian service. While the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic limited many options for our students, they rose to the challenge, often extending themselves far beyond their requirements.

• One student created Halloween- and Christmas-themed gift packages of toys, puzzles, and games for young patients at Ronald McDonald House.

• Determined to provide minority students in underserved areas with access to computers, one student established a project through the Boy Scouts of America, Capital Region, to recycle and reconfigure used computers, providing 24 machines to the Karenni High School students in Winston Salem, NC.

• Two students created the student-led Teresian Club dedicated to serving the most vulnerable and marginalized in the DC community by sharing in Mass and assisting with care of the elderly residents. Members visited the Missionaries of Charity in DC to attend Mass and assist with resident meals.

• Two students created the outreach project Hugs on Paper, making and distributing handmade cards and letters for COVID-19 patients and healthcare workers.

• Due to the pandemic, students launched the St. John’s chapter of Families4Families, a nonprofit organization that mobilizes young leaders to combat food insecurity through lasting partnerships with grassroots organizations. For the last two years, they have supported the Healthy Babies Project, providing food, meals, and other essential items for the families.

Along with the myriad contributions to family and community, many students fulfilled their Christian service hours through volunteer work with local organizations such as:

• A Wider Circle

• Blessed Sacrament School

• Catholic Charities

• Capital Area Food Bank

• Children’s National Hospital

• Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America

• Haven Universe

• JK House of Grace

• Knollwood Retirement Community

• Latino Student Fund

• Leukemia Lymphoma Society

• Martha’s Table

• Meals on Wheels

• Missionaries of Charity

• Montgomery County COVID-19 Vaccine Public Service

• National Council of Negro Women

• Olney Swim Center

• Operation Christmas Child

• Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church Soup Kitchen

• Our Lady of Victory School

• Progress Unlimited

• St. Andrew Apostle Catholic Church

• St. Peter’s Catholic Church

• Shepherd’s Table

• So Others Might Eat

• Sunrise Senior Living

• Viet Toc Foundation

SACRAMENTAL LIFE

LET US REMEMBER WE ARE IN THE HOLY PRESENCE OF GOD…

Facing page, clockwise from top left: Students, faculty, and staff gathered to celebrate Founder’s Day with an all-school Mass and festive activities. | SJC gathered to observe Ash Wednesday through prayer, reflection, and the distribution of ashes. | Fr. Tim Corcoran ’63 presided at the annual Senior Mass for the Class of 2022. | The Freshman Mission Committee displays the class’s signed mission statement following the annual Freshman Mission Mass.

Below: Bro. Michael Andrejko, FSC, former SJC Principal (2011–2016), spoke with the Class of 2022 class about vocations.

ABOVE AND BEYOND

Many students choose to serve beyond the curriculum requirements and embark on service opportunities across the nation and abroad. In these immersion trips, students relinquish creature comforts and stereotypes in favor of Christian service and self-discovery. These experiences are made possible by members of the SJC community, who donate generously to the Lasallian Christian Service Fund.

• Sacred Heart Southern Missions, Walls, Mississippi: During three trips, 23 students and six faculty members worked at a mobile food distribution center and replaced roofing for some of the state’s neediest residents.

• De La Salle Blackfeet, Browning, Montana: Eight students and two faculty members empowered children on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation by assisting students with their math, reading, and robotics skills.

• Oscar Romero Center, Camden, New Jersey: Nine students and two faculty members aided the urban poor by assisting The Neighborhood Center and Urban Promise. Students worked in the gardens, prepared and distributed food, and cleaned up and restored playgrounds and summer camp areas.

“Living, working, praying, and being together are all part of the immersion trip experience and each student’s formative journey. From the vantage point of the Montana trip, students were challenged to bear witness to the socio-economic diversity that exists within the Lasallian community. Meeting students who live Jesus in their hearts and remember they are in the holy presence of God is a grace to witness and be a part of—even if only for a short time. Each student walked away from the experience recognizing that the mission of St. John Baptist de La Salle extends far beyond Military Road.”

—Patrick Fitzgerald, Religion Teacher

Facing page, top row: students served The Neighborhood Center and Urban Promise during their trip to the Oscar Romero Center in Camden, NJ.

Center row: during three trips to Sacred Heart Southern Missions in Walls, MS, students volunteered at a mobile food distribution center and replaced roofing to residents in need.

Bottom row: during their trip to the De La Salle Blackfeet School in Browning, MT, students helped their peers with math, reading, and robotics.

SCHOLARS ON A MISSION

St. John’s De La Salle Scholars Program culminates with the Independent Study Project, where students connect and synthesize the significant aspects of their academic, cocurricular, and spiritual journeys. Scholars may create and test a hypothesis, create a work of cultural expression, or investigate a possible career or area of interest. After choosing their topic at the beginning of junior year, they work with a mentor throughout their junior and senior years to complete their projects. Students then present their work to members of the school community. Inspired by their Christian service, several students’ projects targeted social change, goodwill, and community engagement. This year our students:

• Organized a mission drive at SJC to collect women’s hygiene products for Martha’s Table in DC and raised $1,500 for the Child Discovery Centre in Kenya

• Organized a creative writing contest at St. Andrew Apostle Catholic School for students in grades 3 through 8

• Organized a series of art and art history lessons for third-grade students at St. Jane de Chantal School

• Organized a series of in-person art lessons for students at the Woods Academy

• Worked with PAL (People Animals Love) to train a family pet to be a certified therapy dog

• Coordinated with Montgomery County Parks Department, Randolph Civic Association, and Weed Warriors to organize a park clean-up at Randolph Hills

• Coordinated with the American Red Cross to organize a school blood drive, which yielded 23 pints of blood

• Partnered with DC Street Hockey to organize a series of ball hockey clinics for children in Alexandria, VA

Left: students worked directly with the Red Cross to organize an on-campus blood drive, collecting 23 pints of blood.

Right: third-grade students at St. Jane de Chantal School display the results of their art and art history lessons led by St. John’s students.

CROSS-CULTURAL CONNECTIONS

In fall 2021, St. John’s Spanish 3 classes participated in a semester-long virtual exchange program with Escuela Preparatoria de la Universidad La Salle. Students exchanged three short videos with their partners and at the end of semester, participated in a live, virtual exchange. Students were then divided into breakout groups to share interests and stories in both Spanish and English. The schools also exchanged recipes to prepare during a virtual dinner event and spoke with one another in both languages while enjoying their meals.

“Through the exchange of short videos, the students learned about Mexican culture and traditions such as the beautiful ofrendas, or altars, created by the Mexican students and their families for the Day of the Dead. Through live conversation, students went above and beyond to make personal connections and were struck by how much they have in common with their Lasallian peers in another country,” said Spanish Teacher and SJC Exchange Coordinator, Dan Pier.

In spring 2022, Mr. Jesús Espinosa de la Luz, English Teacher and Exchange Coordinator at La Salle México, visited St. John’s to speak with the school’s faculty, sharing a beautiful video featuring Mexico’s celebrated artists and writers, as well as the country’s renowned food, tourist sites, and historical places. Following a question-and-answer session, he invited St. John’s to participate in another virtual exchange in 2022–23. The next day, de la Luz visited Spanish language classes and met several of our students.

Both schools are enthusiastic about this Lasallian association of shared mission—a mutual collaboration that deepens each school’s identity.

THE MEN OF ST. JOHN’S CELEBRATE 75 YEARS

“WE MAKE GOOD THINGS HAPPEN”

The parent clubs at St. John’s have a long-standing tradition of assisting the school in meeting its Lasallian objectives and supporting the school community. This year, the fathers’ club— the Men of St. John’s—celebrated their 75th anniversary.

Since 1946, the Men of St. John’s have been advancing and supporting St. John’s by building on our founding principles to assist the school in its objectives and to promote the greater success of its students. The school relies on these Men to “make good things happen.” What started as a simple organization to assist the school’s administration by raising funds for students who could not afford to remain enrolled at the school, has grown over the last 75 years to become one of the most well-known and impactful organizations at St. John’s.

The executive board of the Men of St. John’s gathers monthly to strategize how they can support the school in its efforts to educate today’s children. The club also holds biannual dinner meetings to enlist new members and share news about upcoming school activities that would benefit from the club’s support. Many MOSJ’s activities have become more complex, mirroring the school’s growth over the years. Physically, they are the working hands of the school administration and hosts for a variety of wellattended events throughout the year.

One of the most important duties of the Men of St. John’s is to act as a living example to their children of what it means to serve and give back to the community. These men model behavior that we as a Catholic, Lasallian institution try to instill through the words of our Founder and the mission of the school. “Your zeal towards the children you teach would not go very far and

would not have much result or success if it limited itself only to words. To be effective, your teaching must be supported by your example” (St. John Baptist de La Salle, Meditations for the Time of Retreat).

As part of the celebration and to mark this historic milestone, the Men of St. John’s raised more than $75,000 to create the Men of St. John’s 75th Anniversary Scholarship Fund, which helps families in financial need.

MOSJ-sponsored events through the years:

• Father–Son Banquet

• Oyster Shuck Fundraiser

• Carnival Fundraiser

• Annual Citrus Fundraiser

• SJC baseball game cookout for incoming freshmen and their families

• Trivia Night

• Dinner Theatre

• Fat Tuesday Pancake Dinner

Facing page, clockwise from top left: The Men of St. John's celebrate their 75th anniversary. | Fathers and sons gather for the 1959 Father–Son Banquet in the main ballroom of the Sheraton Park Hotel, believed at the time to be one of the largest events of its kind in the country. | Carnival-goers try their luck at the many game stands during the 1960 Men of St. John’s Carnival. | Members prepare refreshments during a football game. | The MOSJ gather before a 2021 football game.

Students take a break while serving at the De La Salle Blackfeet School in Browning, MT.