February 2016

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THE GEAR MONTHLY PARENT NEWSLETTER ISSUE 54 FEBRUARY 2016

2015-2016 BOSCO TECH ASB/STUDENT COUNCIL

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL Dear Bosco Tech Families and Friends, The Spring semester is fully underway and, with first semester final exams completed, our students and teachers are moving at a fast pace toward the completion of another academic year.

Many things of note are happening in the coming weeks. Lent comes early this year; Ash Wednesday on February 10 ushers in the solemn commemoration, leading us to the glorious celebration of Easter on March 27. All students will have the opportunity to participate in the sacrament of reconciliation during their technology periods toward the conclusion of Lent.

On February 11, we will host our first mid-week, evening Open House for prospective students. They will have the opportunity to participate in Explore and Create workshops, our signature introduction to the Tech’s advanced technology program.

Encourage young friends and family members to attend.

Please ask your son about the progress of his Science Fair project. This year’s fair is February 17 and 18 and parents are welcome to check out the projects on display in Tech Hall. The month will close with our annual Engineers Day, a campus-wide recognition and exploration of the diverse professions with the engineering scope on February 24. Alumni from prestigious companies like Intel, Lockheed Martin, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory will return to campus to speak with students, encouraging them in their studies and professional ambitions and pursuits. Be sure to ask your son what he learned that day!

Please note in your calendar the dates for registration for the 2016-2017 academic year (March 15-17). We ask that you attend the evening that corresponds with the first letter of your son’s last name, referenced below on this page. Before we know it, another academic year will be upon us.

Thank you for your continued support of our work on behalf of all our students and may God richly bless you and your family.

Sincerely, Xavier Jimenez President

2016-2017 REGISTRATION DETAILS Please note these important facts regarding registration for the 2016-2017 academic year: •

Registration materials for the upcoming school year (2016-2017) will soon be mailed to every family. If you do not receive a packet, please contact the Business Office at (626) 940-2018.

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Registration dates are Tuesday-Thursday, March 15-17, from 5 to 8 p.m. in the multi-purpose room (across from the Student Activities Center).

- Tuesday, March 15, 5-8 p.m.

- Wednesday, March 16, 5-8 p.m.

- Thursday, March 17, 5-8 p.m.

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Current students, last names A-L Current students, last names M-Z Current students & incoming freshmen

Tuition for the 2016-2017 school year is $11,250.

Contact the Finance Office at 626-940-2018 or Finance@boscotech.edu with any questions.

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FROM THE SALESIAN DIRECTOR Dear Bosco Tech Family and Friends: Easter is early this year, which means that Lent also starts early. What to do for Lent? Instead of the usual giving up of chocolate and desserts, here is an alternative. Pope Francis has called for a special year of mercy. How about choosing an activity or two from the list below to practice during Lent and beyond? These practices make our faith something lived daily rather than just endured for an hour on Sunday. More importantly, showing/living mercy directly and positively impacts everyone we meet. What a great way to change the world (and still enjoy chocolate)!

Seven Corporal Works of Mercy: Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy: - Feed the hungry - Instruct the ignorant (share knowledge) - Give drink to the thirsty - Counsel the doubtful (give advice) - Clothe the naked - Admonish the sinner (give correction) - Shelter the homeless - Bear wrongs patiently (be patient with others) - Care for the sick - Forgive offenses willingly (forgive others) - Visit the imprisoned - Comfort the afflicted (comfort the suffering) - Bury the dead - Pray for the living and the dead For practical examples of works of mercy, visit www.seekmercy.org Happy Lent, Fr. Steven Way, SDB Salesian Director

WINTER OPEN HOUSE & FRESHMAN PREVIEW DAY IS FEB. 11 Bosco Tech will host its annual Winter Open House & Freshman Preview Day on Thursday, February 11, from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Prospective freshmen and their families are invited to tour the school’s extensive engineering and applied science labs and participate in its signature “Explore & Create” workshops—this is a great opportunity for younger members of your family and the children of friends to learn more about Bosco Tech.

Free technology workshops, offered to boys in grades 6-8, will feature interactive introductions to alternative energy, circuits and programming, polymers and chemistry, and more. Seating for the 30-minute workshops is limited and reservations are encouraged.

This year, Bosco Tech is especially proud to highlight the experiences and stories of various student leaders.

Representatives of sports teams, clubs, and honor societies have accomplished much throughout the year and we are proud of our future Techmen! A special thank you to our student leaders for their hard work.

To reserve workshop spots for a prospective student, visit boscotechopenhouse.eventbrite.com or contact Director of Admissions Valeria De Luna at vdeluna@boscotech.edu or 626-940-2009.

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INTERNATIONAL CLUB NEWS —BY MRS. CATHERINE DIAZ, DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACADEMIC PROGRAM

In December, parent volunteers, International Club members, Parent Liaison Paul Garcia (who also runs Bosco’s Bingo program), and I had the honor of delivering Christmas toys to every student at Our Lady of Talpa School in East Los Angeles, one of the smallest and most economically disadvantaged schools in the city. Incredibly, every class was excitedly waiting for our arrival.

It was a daunting task collecting and organizing the toys, but had you been a fly on the wall your heart would have been so full, and your eyes filled with tears. We began distributing gifts with the youngest students, the pre-K class. Mr. Garcia, a volunteer, and student ‘elf’ delivered toys each a class. Talpa’s vice principal rang a bell at the class next door, and as we walked in, the kids were sitting quietly with such excitement in their eyes! We followed this pattern all the way up to the eighth grade. It was an unbelievable experience.

To let you know how grateful these students were, the younger student spontaneoulsy hugged our Bosco students, the volunteers, and Mr. Garcia. The fifth grade was ready with thank you notes from each child! In the sixth grade class, the vice principal asked the students to extend their hands toward me, praying and showering me with gratitude and blessings. Yes, I was overcome with emotion! I introduced Mr. Garcia to the classes to let them know that he, his volunteers, and our own student elves worked to fill their Christmas wishes. As someone passed out the gifts, we watched the students nervously anticipating their name being called. Talk about the Salesian Spirit and believing Christmas is in the giving. What we experienced—something as small as giving a toy to each child in a school—taught us to be more humble and grateful. This act of kindness became our very own Christmas gift!

Our Bosco students represented us beautifully. The International Club students donated over 70 toys. Gavin Yam, Sheng Wei Hong, Nguyen Vu, and Leslie Giovanny, and several others responded in writing to the letters the students had sent us. A special thanks to those students in the International Club who worked tirelessly and unselfishly to make this Santa drive a success, most especially Nguyen Vu. Before the school visit, he counted every class bag to make sure no student was left out. He even pulled out an In’n’Out gift card from his own wallet for one student who went ballistic when he saw the gift! There was no shortage of generosity during this campaign. International students Mohammadjavad, Rill, Edward, Raymond, and Triet, stayed late prior to the big day, helping match each gift to a student’s letter. They were crucial in helping to get these orders filled. Ming Zhang, Jairo Chen, freshman Miguel Nunez, and several other students were remarkable in their work to organize gifts.

Many thanks to Mr. Garcia and his generous Bingo players for collaborating with us. They were able to collect about 150 toys! He and I worked together matching toys to students. Four parent volunteers helped us with the finishing touches on letters and packing gifts. They also helped deliver and distribute the toys to each class. One senior mother, Mrs. Moreno, said she would never forget this experience in all of her life! Thank you to each person for their generosity and Christmas spirit.

May St. John Bosco pray for all the children who live below the poverty line, yet have a smile on their faces as they received a toy this Christmas—a toy from our Bosco students, families and our Bingo players!

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MUSIC NEWS —BY BAND BOOSTER MR. JUN REYES

The DBTI Music Program ended a successful 2015 with their Annual Winter Concert. Concert goers were treated to wonderful holiday music performed by the Bosco Music Appreciation Class and the DBTI Concert Band. Thanks to all the teachers and family volunteers that made the night so memorable.

Kudos—Congratulations to Elias Hosseini, our DBTI Royal Tech Marching Band Drum Major, for being selected to participate in the 2016 Rose Parade Honor Band. Good job Eli! You make your Tech family proud.

Congratulations to Angelo Domingo (Sax-Alto), Elias Hosseini (Trumpet), Zea Fang (Trumpet), Dan Hosseini (French Horn), Ming Zheng (Tuba) and Devin Cornair (Percussion) for being accepted to the 2016 California State University LA High School Honor Band. This program provides the opportunity for outstanding musicians from high schools across Southern California to come together for a weekend of music. Participants will receive instruction from Cal State LA faculty, rehearse with their fellow musicians, and perform a final concert for friends and family. The program is scheduled for the weekend of January 29.

Philharmonic Opportunity—The Bosco Tech Music Program applied for and received a 2016 grant from the Los Angeles Philharmonic's Symphonies for School program. We were awarded 75 tickets to see the Philharmonic at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in February. Additionally, Mr. Almanza, our music director, will be attending workshops with Los Angeles artists to implement a curriculum around the concert our students will attend. This is a great opportunity for them to learn beyond the classroom walls. Our students will connect the theory and history found in their books and hear it modeled by some of the best musicians in the world. Thank you to the Los Angeles Philharmonic's Education (Elias Hosseini with Mr. Almanza at Rose Parade Honor Band Department for helping fulfill our mission of ensuring that the students of Bosco practice.)

Tech and the youth of the San Gabriel Valley develop a lifelong appreciation for the arts through music education and other meaningful learning experiences. (continued on the next page)

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MUSIC NEWS (CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE) Upcoming Performances—The DBTI Royal Tech Marching Band will perform on the school’s second Open House of the school year on February 11. All families are welcome! In addition, the Concert Band is gearing up for the next Heritage Festival. This year, the band will be competing in Seattle April 7-10. Information regarding an opportunity to help the band raise funds for their trip will be coming soon. We appreciate all the support!

“There, in the chords and melodies, is everything I want to say. The words just jolly it along. It’s always been my way of expressing what for me is inexpressible by any other means.”

—David Bowie

TECH STUDENTS LEAD YOUTH THROUGH PROJECT NEO More than 20 Bosco Tech students are providing leadership and tutoring to middle school boys and girls at Monterey Parks' Repetto Elementary School through that city’s Project NEO tutoring/mentoring program.

“In addition to helping the youngsters in their study skills and through peer mentoring, our students are getting a sense of giving back, of accomplishment,” said Mr. Rudy Herrera, Bosco Tech’s Director of Campus Ministry, who oversees the Tech’s involvement with the respected non-profit community program. “They see their work with the younger kids as important. In fact, two of our dedicated students even serve on Project NEO’s youth board.”

Kudos to each student volunteer who is giving so much of themselves!

COLLEGE IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER! HOW WILL YOU PAY FOR YOUR SON’S COLLEGE TUITION? Save the date and don’t miss the next Parents Association quarterly workshop, “Paying for College,” on Wednesday, March 9, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the multipurpose room.

The helpful and informative session will cover the college admissions process, scholarship opportunities, financial aid, information about FAFSA and other resources for college money.

An electronic mailing soon will be coming your way.

RSVP through that mailing to save your spot for this event.

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EXCITING SUMMER EXCURSION

BOSCO TECH STUDENTS TO STUDY ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING & HISTORY IN GREECE Don’t miss the upcoming informational meetings on Thursday, Feb. 25, and Tuesday, March 22, to learn more about Bosco Tech’s exciting summer excursion to Greece.

Participating students will have the opportunity to take a unique and exciting architectural and engineering study tour of famous locations and historical sites. Hosted by ACE Chair Mr. Chris Barnett, the tour will include lessons in history as well as structural construction and is open to students in all technologies.

The group will tour Ancient Greece with location stops at Acropolis, Olympia, Epidaurus, Mycenae and the Temple of Poseidon. The site explorations will be lead by local guides and a full-time tour director.

The group leaves June 19 and returns June 28, 2016. For more information, please attend the meetings. Contact Mr. Barnett (cbarnett@boscotech.edu or 626-940-2064) for details.

DONATIONS FOR GALA EARN TRIPLE SERVICE HOURS! Bosco Tech’s fifth annual Black and Gold Gala is April 9, 2016. The Parents’ Association has been working extremely hard to make this the most successful fundraiser to date, with the proceeds benefitting students receiving financial assistance. We need your help!

If you own a business, will you please consider donating goods or services? We need printed materials, floral centerpieces, music, decorations, etc. We also need items for the silent and live auctions. Donated items may include: - Gift cards - Store certificates - Gift baskets - Movie or theme park passes - Sporting tickets or equipment - Travel certificates or time shares Bonus Service Hours: As you may know, donations qualify as part of the required parent service hours (excluding bingo hours). Usually product donations equal to $35 qualify for one service hour. However, if you return your donations to Bosco Tech before Open House on Thursday, February 11, you will receive TRIPLE the parent hours. That’s three hours for $35 worth of product!

Thank you in advance for your help in making this a successful fundraising event for our students. Please contact Parent Liaison Paul Garcia at 626-9402147 or pgarcia@boscotech.edu if you have questions.

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SOCCER SEASON STARTS —BY VARSITY HEAD COACH DIEGO BACK & MR. BRAD STOLZ

The Bosco Tech soccer team has been working hard during conditioning and pre-season play. Unfortunately, some of the nonleague games resulted in a number of injuries to some key players, so our team was slowed down. On January 11, we lost a tough season opener at Serra 1-0. The Tech team dominated for 75 minutes.

However, the ball hit the post three times in a place where the ball wouldn’t go in. Captains Alex Honegger, Chris Martinez, and Rene Vega worked hard throughout the game, but we just were unlucky not to score. The teams we are playing against in our league, Camino Real, are quite evenly matched, so winning this league is going to be tough. The winner will be the team that wants it the most. Bosco Tech is trying to be that team and to improve in league and come out on top!

BASKETBALL UPDATE —BY HEAD JV COACH MICHAEL ROMO

Varsity basketball improved to a 12-4 record with a win over St. Pius Matthias Academy. The varsity boys team have been lead by junior Jason Reyes and his incredible 20 points per game average. The varsity team has played in three tournaments in which they made it to either the semifinals or finals.

Their recent win against St. Pius was their first league game. Home games are at 7 p.m.—come on out and cheer on the team!

TRACK & FIELD SEASON STARTS FEB. 1 —BY ASSISTANT TRACK & FIELD COACH BRAD STOLZ

Throughout the month of January, the track and field team has been doing pre-season conditioning: there are daily warm-up and stretching exercises, frequent sprint exercises, exercises for building up body core strength, agility, runs, ladder workouts (not the type you climb on) and cone workouts (not ice cream cones). Twice a week we use the weight room for building up strength. Starting in February, we will begin practice for the many events that comprise track and field. We will also have our first invitational meets this month.

At this point, we have about 70 team members. It is not too late to join the team; just show up for one of our practices or see Coach Stolz to receive the necessary paperwork. All is not work, however; on February 21, 20 of the team members and coaches will be attending a TV show, “America’s Funniest Videos,” and be part of the on-screen audience. We do not know the broadcast date, probably sometime in February or March. Watch closely and you may see the Bosco track and field team, not only on the field, but in your own living room (that’s scary, I know).

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TINY TOTS STUDENTS COACH BASKETBALL TEAMS Youngsters in the City of Rosemead’s Tiny Tots sports program are learning basketball from the best!

Among this season’s coaches are Bosco Tech’s own: (left to right) Vincent Maldonado, Daniel Rojas, Jaime Uy, Alex Magallon, Ian McConnell, Diego Espinosa, Matthew Salazar, Joshua Duenas and Gabriel Gonzalez. Not pictured are Justin Atienza and Marcos Chavez.

Keep up the great work, gentlemen!

BLOOD DRIVE SAVES LIVES More than 30 students and their teachers chose to give the gift of life at the American Red Cross’ recent campus blood drive. These young individuals understand the value of each donation.

Did you know that: • One in seven people entering a hospital needs blood.

• More than 40,000 pints of blood are transfused daily in the U.S. and Canada.

• As little as one pint of blood can save a life.

(Statistics are from americasblood.org) Thank you to each donor for making a difference!

BOSCO TECH SPONSORS Bosco Tech would like to thank the following businesses for their support.

We are grateful to our generous sponsors!

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NEW FAMILY BREAKFAST WELCOMES CLASS OF 2020 The Office of Admissions’ New Family Breakfast on January 9 officially recognized and celebrated the most recent members of our school community, the Class of 2020! Among the many enthusiastic young people there were the children of alumni and the younger siblings of current students and recent graduates.

Special thanks to our student Ambassadors and members of Bosco Tech’s Alumni Association who helped create a welcoming environment to the class of future Techmen.

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FEBRUARY 2016 Please note that dates and events are subject to change. Check the school’s full calendar at www.boscotech.edu (see the Upcoming Events box on the lower right side of the homepage) for the latest updates and for events scheduled for later dates.

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Japanese classes field trip to Storrier Steams Japanese Garden Thursday 2/4 Vocation Day Friday 2/5 Winter Sports assembly Saturday 2/6 ACT Bosco Tech Math Competition for 5th-8th graders Monday 2/8 Lunar New Year Standardized test results meetings (grade 9 at 6 p.m., grades 10 & 11 at 7 p.m.)

Wednesday 2/10 Ash Wednesday FAFSA workshop for senior parents at 6:30 p.m.

Thursday 2/11 Winter Open House & Freshman Preview Night from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Friday 2/12 Open House Holiday (no school) Saturday 2/13 Yurak Run/Walk Sunday 2/14 Valentine’s Day Monday 2/15 Presidents’ Day (no school) Tuesday 2/16 Oki Gakuen School visit to campus (Japanese sister school) Football Booster Club meeting in YAC at 6:30 p.m.

Wed.-Thurs. 2/17-2/18 Science Fair Wednesday 2/24 Engineers Day Thursday 2/25 Youth Day at L.A. Religious Education Congress Excursion in Ancient Greece trip meeting in ACE at 6 p.m.

Fri.-Sun. 2/26-2/28 L.A. Religious Education Congress Friday 2/26 Professional development day for faculty (no school for students) Mon.-Thurs. 2/29-3/3 College Week Monday 2/29 Report cards mailed Happy Leap Year!

So Many Great Things Are Happening at Bosco Tech…

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5th-8th Grade Math Competition Yurak Memorial 5K Run/Walk Tiger Football Spring Cleaning Sale Easter Break Black & Gold Gala Father-Son Mass & Breakfast Mother-Son Dance

Saturday, Feb. 6 Saturday, Feb. 13 Saturday, March 19 Thurs.-Sun., Mar. 24-April 3 Saturday, April 9 Sunday, April 17 Friday, May 6