January 2017

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THE GEAR MONTHLY PARENT NEWSLETTER ISSUE 63 JANUARY 2017

Senior Jacob Lovi is KABC’s Cool Kid for His Idea That Could Save Money on Every Satellite Boeing Builds

SENIOR’S IDEA SPARKS POTENTIAL COST SAVINGS FOR INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION —HONORED BY THE AEROSPACE & DEFENSE CONTRACTOR MSET senior Jacob Lovi, who interned at The Boeing Company this past summer, developed an idea that has the potential to save time and costs in the factory. Jacob originally mentioned his concept to a test and evaluation engineer involved in the summer internship. That engineer, Robert Stefan, Jr., stated, “Jacob presented the material in a very clear manner, explained the potential benefit of the change and approximately how much it would cost to implement. Although his numbers were preliminary, the thought process helped identify potential savings.” Mr. Stefan came to Bosco Tech on Dec. 15 to present Lovi with a certificate of appreciation from the internship program.

“We’re extremely proud of Jacob,” said Bosco Tech President Jacob with Boeing’s Pat Sandoval (left) and Robert Xavier Jimenez. “Not only does he epitomize the 21st century Stefan, Jr. (right). skills that are instilled in all Bosco Tech students--resourcefulness, problem solving strategies, and technological competency--but he was able to use those skills to identify and clearly present to his internship mentor a new, more efficient approach to a complex process.”

Joining Boeing at the character assembly where Jacob was honored were news crews from KCBS/KCAL and KABC who named Jacob their “Cool Kid” of the week. After graduation, Jacob plans to major in materials engineering at the university level. While at Bosco Tech, he has served as junior and senior class president, YMCA camp counselor, and a youth ministry leader at his church.

FRESHMAN TECHNOLOGY SELECTION IS JAN. 7 —BY MR. JEFF KRYNEN, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION Saturday, January 7, is the Freshmen Technology Selection day when freshmen choose the technology major they will study for their remaining three and a half years at Bosco Tech. On that day, students will be interviewed and placed in the technology program of their choice, based on grades and an acceptable evaluation from the technology faculty.

A few days prior to the placement day, students will be given a letter to take home that has the time they are to report to campus (the time they are assigned is based on their current GPA, calculated from a special grade collection which will occur over the Christmas break). They must be accompanied to the appointment by at least one parent. Please plan to arrive 10-15 minutes early. Students should dress neatly and expect to be at the school for 45 minutes to an hour. This will be a day to make several important decisions regarding your son’s Bosco Tech education!

In preparation for their sophomore year, freshmen will also be taking placement tests for enrollment in Spanish language courses and making their Fine Arts course selection immediately after their tech placement interview. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Eric Tom at etom@boscotech.edu or (626) 940-2025.

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IMPORTANT HEALTH REMINDER DURING FLU SEASON Especially during cold and flu season, we ask that parents review the school’s 24-hour policy regarding students’ return to school after an illness to ensure that the campus community stays as healthy as possible.

(The policy is printed on page 26 of the student handbook.) If your son is or was ill with symptoms including a temperature of 100oF or more, vomiting, or active diarrhea, it is recommended he remain out of school at least one full day free from these symptoms before returning.

Students returning to school with a temperature of 100 degrees or more will be sent home. Students with contagious illnesses such as strep throat, pink eye (conjunctivitis), chicken pox, etc. will not be allowed to return to school until a physician has seen them. Upon returning, he must report to the attendance office, with his physician release and clearance before attending classes.

In addition, please remind your son of a few helpful tips for keeping viruses at bay: —Get vaccinated—Flu vaccines are still available at many locations.

—Wash your hands often—Because viruses may be spread through indirect contact, touching surfaces like door handles can make you sick.

—Do the elbow cough—Reduce the spread of germs by coughing into your elbow, instead of your hand.

—Drink plenty of water—Good hydrating can help strengthen your immune system. If you do get sick, water will flush your system.

Wishing you and your family and happy and healthy New Year!

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DON’T MISS THE YURAK RUN/WALK ON FEB. 18 —SPECIAL REGISTRATION RATE FOR STUDENTS Sign up now for the sixth annual Yurak Memorial Run/Walk on the Bosco Tech campus. The Yurak Athletic Center (YAC), the school’s sports training facility and home of its nine competitive sports teams, is named after long-time athletic director and football coach Bill Yurak.

Sign up today at www.eventbrite.com, under ‘Yurak Run.’ Race registration is $30 on or before January 29 and $35 after that date ($25 for current Tech students.) Same-day registration will be available at the check-in table on the morning of the event. Please note that only online registrants will receive a goody bag and t-shirt. Plaques will be awarded to the top five male and female runners and to the fastest runner under 18 years of age.

Gates open at 7 a.m. and check in begins at 8 a.m.; the run/walk is at 9 a.m. and awards are presented at 11 a.m. See you there!

SENIORS ALREADY EARNING COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES & SCHOLARSHIPS As of the start of December, 35 percent of Bosco Tech’s seniors already have been admitted to at least one college/university. In addition, they have already earned more than $612,000 in merit-based scholarships. The current list includes: CSU Chico Iowa State University Univ. of Nevada, Reno CSU East Bay Marymount California University Univ. of New Mexico Gettysburg College Northern Arizona University Whittier College Grand Canyon University UNLV Senior parents: Please continue to keep Mr. A.J. Pimentel, College Counselor, up to date on any acceptance and/or scholarship offer your son receives in the coming months at apimtentel2@boscotech.edu or 626-9402084.

REMINDER: TUITION ASSISTANCE DEADLINE IS JANUARY 27 The deadline for current students applying for tuition assistance for the 2017-2018 school year is January 27, 2017 (and February 10 for regular admission incoming freshmen). Applications must be filed annually.

Please submit copies of each of the following items to the Tuition Assistance Committee. Applications will not be reviewed until all documentation is received.  Completed application form  Application processing fee of $20  Copy of 2015 Federal tax forms and corresponding supplement schedules, if applicable  All W-2s and 1099s for 2016.

Please review the financial aid application for full details. The forms are available at the Finance Office or on the school’s website.

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SALESIAN SPIRIT GAMES A long-standing Bosco Tech tradition, the Salesian Spirit Games, had students competing for their technology in sports activities simultaneously across the campus on Dec. 8. The games followed a student body Mass to celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, honoring the Virgin Mary. The annual games are an opportunity for the school to openly express the four cornerstones of the Salesian education model—school, church, playground and home—all in one day.

Always a close competition, the results of the games had ACE tasking third overall, MAT earning second place and MSET taking home the first place trophy. MSET also won first place for overall spirit. Congratulations to all of our tech teams for their efforts and their demonstration of Salesian spirit!

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INTERNATIONAL CLUB MAKES CHRISTMAS BRIGHT FOR KIDS —BY JUNIOR YUZHONG ‘JOE’ LI

It is not only a pleasure, but also a responsibility for Bosco Tech students to carry on the Salesian spirit of helping people in need. In this spirit, we, as International Club members, participated in the Toy Drive this year, giving out Christmas gifts to the children of Our Lady of Talpa, one of our feeder schools in East Los Angeles.

Since it is our goal to sponsor every single elementary school student, our club members have continuously brought in toys or donated money. Tech students play the role of elves to the children; we responded to letters the children sent us, even using fictional elf names. We also invited the Bosco Tech Bingo players to join the activity, along with parent volunteers. They helped us match all the toys to the children’s letters. We are very grateful to the Bingo family and our Bosco parents. Each group worked together with our International Club to make kids’ dreams come true. We thank the Bingo family and our parent volunteers over and over again.

The parent volunteers, our club members, and Mrs. Diaz delivered the toys during the last week of school before Christmas Break. Watching the smiles on the kid’s faces and the tears in the eyes of the volunteers melted my heart. Mrs. Diaz, Mrs. Pantaleon, Sr. Adela, Mrs. Cobian, a parent liaison from OLOT, had tears in their eyes, too. I have never seen something like this before. The reason I participated in this activity is because my heart was touched when I saw how the children smiled when they received their gifts. It was so sad for a little child to ask for food and winter clothes in the letter. They made me appreciate what I have; at the same time, I think they deserve a good gift for Christmas. This activity means so much for me, and hopefully for everybody that helped. I want to do this again next year!

BOSCO TECH HOSTS NUMAZU CHUO JAPANESE HIGH SCHOOL —JAPANESE LANGUAGE STUDENTS MAKE INTERNATIONAL FRIENDS —BY JUNIOR LORENZO ESPINOZA

On November 30, Bosco Tech invited students from Numazu Chuo Japanese High School to visit the campus during their visit to the U.S. The students bonded with each other by actively participating in the classrooms as ‘shadows’ and through other activities. Tech students awaited the Japanese students’ arrival and upon entering the school, gave them a warm welcome and greeted each other. A select group of Tech students helped by giving the Japanese high school a tour of each technology. In addition, the Japanese students shadowed the classrooms of their partners to get first-hand experience of the life of a Bosco Tech student. During the lunch period, gift exchanges occurred and the Japanese students gave a presentation of their high school.

Towards the end of the school day, the Japanese students gathered in the library to say their farewells and the Bosco Tech students gathered outside to take one last picture. It was a great experience for both sides and we look forward for future interactions.

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SPORTS UPDATES FOOTBALL SEASON CULMINATES WITH BANQUET —BY HEAD FOOTBALL COACH BRANDEN JONES

Even though the last game of the 2016 football season has been played, the Bosco Tech Tigers football program joined together for one more night at the Whittier Grand Hotel to celebrate both the varsity and junior varsity teams.

For the junior varsity, six individual accolades were awarded as follows: -Scholar-Athlete: Jose Reyes, Freshman -Rookie of the Year: Jose Reyes, Freshman -Lineman of the Year: Riley Sumner, Freshman -Offensive Player of the Year: Dean Minter, Freshman -Defensive Player of the Year: Devyn Espino-Canche, Sophomore -Most Valuable Player: Jesus Lujan, Freshman Moving on to the varsity, the night started with recognition of the seniors who played four years of football at Bosco Tech. Daniel Uballez (80), Diego Vargas (64), Robert Luna (50), Kevin La (19), Arthur Romero (5), and Rey Castellanos(2) helped grow the football program and leave it trending upward for the underclassmen to run with.

From there, we recognized individuals for their accomplishments both on and off the football field: -Yurak Award: Adrian Cisneros, Senior -Scholar-Athlete: Noel Cordero, Senior -Commitment to Excellence: Roman Hernandez, Junior Top right: JV MVP Jesus Lugan; Middle: seniors who played football all four years; Bottom left: Yurak Award winner Adrian Cisneros

-Lineman of the Year: Luis Sosa, Sophomore -Offensive Player of the Year: Rey Castellanos, Senior -Defensive Player of the Year: Roman Kirkbride, Senior -Most Valuable Player: Daniel Uballez, Senior In addition to individual season awards, Rey Castellanos (Hamilton), Arthur Romero (Carnegie), and Daniel Uballez (St. Bernard) were awarded game balls for being player of the game for the season’s victories. (See photos on next page.)

Closing out the night was the announcement of the prestigious all-league members as voted by the head coaches from the South Catholic league. Honorable mention went to junior Gabriel Benitez and senior Adrian Cisneros; second team went to sophomore Gabriel Gonzalez, sophomore Luis Sosa, and (continued on next page)

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SPORTS UPDATES (CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE) junior Roman Hernandez; first team accolades went to seniors Rey Castellanos, Roman Kirkbride, and Daniel Uballez.

Top photos (left to right): individual season awards—Rey Castellanos, Arthur Romero and Daniel Uballez. Bottom photo: All-league members.

BASKETBALL STANDOUT Senior Jason Reyes enters the Bosco Tech basketball season as a four-year starter and three-year captain.

During his four years, Jason has amassed a wealth of experience. Coach Sermeno recently shared that he may have played in more games than any other Tiger in the school's basketball history; he may have played in over 300 games for the Tigers, including in-season and off-season games. During the "Shooting PG's" tenure he has earned two first team all-league awards and a second team all-league as a freshman. Jason has also earned first team all-tournament awards in the Bosco Tech Varsity Tournament, Pasadena Poly Tournament, and in Hawaii.

Coach Sermeno said, "Jason is everything you want in a kid—he excels in his academics, he's unselfish on the court, disciplined, hardworking, and a high-character individual."

Jason has only played in two games this season due to an ankle injury. In his first game, he scored 30 points and was injured in the subsequent game. The captain went down in the fourth quarter against Diamond Bar High School. At that time, he had 16 points and the Tigers were up by four. Coach Sermeno remains optimistic about Jason's return and the team's overall success.

"This gives other guys an opportunity to play more minutes which only strengthens our team in the long run,” Coach Sermeno said. “Jason is a competitor and will be back soon. None of our goals have changed, we plan to compete for a top half finish in our league and strive to put another year on a banner."

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BOSCO TECH MUSIC NEWS —BY BAND BOOSTER MR. JUN REYES

The Music Program Wraps Up the Year with Some Holiday Music The DBTI Royal Techmen Marching Band performed at the Fall Open House and Christmas Boutique on Nov. 20. As they did last year, the band performed their short sets at different areas on the campus, providing entertainment to the families that attended the Open House.

The marching band made their last performance of the year on Nov. 30, as they entertained and showed school spirit to a group of Japanese students visiting the school.

As of this writing, the Music Department is in preparation for the annual Winter Concert to be held on Dec. 15. The Winter Concert features performances by the Music Appreciation students and the DBTI Concert Band.

Please show your support by joining us for a night of music and entertainment.

What’s Next for the Music Program?

The DBTI Concert Band is planning to compete at the Annual Heritage Festival in San Antonio, Texas, in the Spring. We welcome and appreciate your continued support as the band aims to bring home another award.

The Music Program offers several opportunities for your son to excel. Prior knowledge of an instrument is not required. The Concert Band will be well into rehearsals by the time you read this, to be followed by the Jazz Band in the spring. Please check out the band's YouTube channel, DBTI Music at www.youtube.com/dbtimusic and the program’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/dbtimusic. For more information about the band program, contact Music Director Daniel Almanza at dalmanza@boscotech.edu or dbtimusic@gmail.com.

On behalf of the DBTI Music Program and the Music Boosters, we would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

“Music is the universal language of mankind.” —Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 9

HONOR SOCIETIES CLEAN UP BEACHES —PARTNER WITH HEAL THE BAY Kudos to members of Bosco Tech’s National Honor Society and National Hispanic Honor Society who pitched in for Heal the Bay’s Nothing But Sand Beach Cleanup in mid-November. The students joined forces with other volunteers at Hermosa Beach. Along with Mrs. Antonia Elenes, the honor societies’ moderator, the following students joined in the effort:

Andrew Arboleda Daniel Arteaga Gabriel Benitez

Noel Cordero Anthony Duarte Sebastian Jurado

Patrick Kakoosa Alfonso Martinez Jason Reyes

Diego Vargas Suyay Vazquez Cedric Woirhaye

Heal the Bay is an environmental nonprofit dedicated to making the coastal waters and watersheds of Greater Los Angeles safe, healthy and clean. To fulfill their mission, the organization uses science, education, community action, and advocacy.

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EASY WAYS TO HELP THE TECH —NO-FUSS WAYS TO EARN CASH FOR OUR SCHOOL We’ve mentioned before that there are many convenient ways to earn cash for Bosco Tech while running your usual errands, shopping and ordering online. Stores and retailers like Amazon, Food4Less and Ralphs will make donations for every purchase you make by simply registering with them.

Now there is another simple, secure way to earn donations through eScrip.com, a one-time registration, online service where you shop at your regular stores, and selected merchants give back to your favorite non-profits like Bosco Tech. You can sign up as many as three organizations of your choice! eScrip.com merchants care about community and they also care about having your business. By shopping with them, they get great customers, and they pay it forward by contributing funds to the organizations you care about most. They have already given non-profits more than $400 million.

Registering is easy; visit eScrip.com and select the sign-up tab in the “Make a Difference” box or the shop online tab in the box of the same name. To see a full list of participating retailers, select the “Shop Locally” box.

Our school is included as Don Bosco Tech Inst High School and our eScrip Group ID is 500105528.

MATCHING GIFTS CAN DOUBLE DONATIONS Check to see if your company matches employee donations. If you make a tax-deductible gift to Bosco Tech, your employer may match that gift, dollar for dollar, doubling the financial impact. Scan the QR code or visit www.boscotech.edu/giving for more information on matching gift companies.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA @WeAreBoscoTech

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSOR

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2016-2017 SCIENCE FAIR Bosco Tech students have completed another successful Science Fair. The student teams worked extremely hard on their creative, insightful experiments and were able to provide intelligent, thoughtful answers to judges’ questions. Special thanks to all the volunteer judges for their time and participation!

DISNEY IMAGINEERING ADVICE FOR IDEA STUDENTS If your son is a junior or senior in IDEA, he was fortunate enough to meet an architect and design pro!

Special thanks to Mr. Val Usle, former VP of Disney Imagineering and father of Tech alumnus Sam Usle, for sharing his career experiences and helpful advice to IDEA juniors and seniors.

“We’re grateful that Mr. Usle took the time to share his valuable insights with our students,” said IDEA Chairman Luis Garza. “His advice was invaluable and practical. Our students were very interested in what he shared and asked a lot of good questions that he was happy to answer.”

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JANUARY 2017 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.

Sunday Monday Tuesday

1/1 1/2 1/3

Saturday Wednesday Thurs.-Fri. Friday

1/7 1/11 1/12-1/13 1/13

New Year’s Day (Happy 2017!)

No school School resumes Parent Council meeting at 6 p.m.

Freshman Technology Selection Day Alumni Association meeting at 6 p.m.

First semester technology exams Tech rotation #3 ends Lock clean out (freshmen only) Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (school closed) First semester academic final exams (noon dismissal) Semester break (no school, offices open) Final exam make-up day SAT (off campus) Second semester orientation (all grade levels, by technology classes) Club photo day Bosco Tech Information Night #1 5:30-7:00 p,m, WASC in-service day (no school for students) Report cards mailed St. John Bosco Day liturgy (formal dress) Freshman parent meeting (PSAT results) at 6 p.m.

Sophomore/junior parent meeting (PSAT results) at 7 p.m.

Winter sports assembly at 2:15 p.m.

Bosco Tech Math Competition for grades 5-8 All Educators In-service Day @ Alemany H.S. (no school for students) Parent Council meeting at 6 p.m.

Alumni Association meeting at 6 p.m.

Bosco Tech Information Night #1 5:30-7:00 p,m, ACT (on campus) College Week

Monday 1/16 Tues.-Thurs. 1/17-1/19 Friday 1/20 Saturday Monday Wednesday

1/21 1/23 1/25

Friday

1/27

Tuesday Wednesday

1/31 2/1

Friday Saturday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Saturday Mon.-Fri.

2/3 2/4 2/6 2/7 2/8 2/9 2/11 2/13-2/17

SAVE THE

DATE

       

Math Competition (grades 5-8) E-Waste Recycling Fundraiser Yurak Memorial Run/Walk Black & Gold Gala Spring Cleaning Sale Father-Son Mass & Breakfast Mother-Son Dance Bosco Tech Golf Classic

Saturday, Feb. 4 Saturday, Feb. 11 Saturday, Feb. 18 Saturday, March 18 Saturday, March 25 Sunday, April 2 Friday, May 19 Friday, June 30