January 2018

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THE GEAR MONTHLY PARENT NEWSLETTER ISSUE 73 JANUARY 2018

SALESIAN SPIRIT GAMES— CAMARADERIE, COMPETITION, FUN

BOSCO TECH HOSTS NUMAZU CHUO JAPANESE HIGH SCHOOL —BY MRS. RITSUKO ROWE, JAPANESE LANGUAGE INSTRUCTOR On Nov. 29, fifty high school students, three teachers and two tour conductors from Japan’s Numazu Chuo High School visited Bosco Tech and had a great time with our gracious host students.

Ten Bosco students guided a tour to visit the technology buildings first. Then Japanese students shadowed our students for the period 2, 3, and 4 classes.

In the Japanese classes, the students enjoyed games and music, and the Numazu Chuo students demonstrated calligraphy.

I would like to thank everyone who helped make the Numazu Chuo school visit a very enjoyable event. Without your great support, we could not have done it so successfully. The Japanese teachers and tour conductors were impressed how friendly and helpful everyone on campus was; the school’s director thanked us for Bosco Tech’s hospitality. The high school students from Japan had a great time with our students. The Japanese tour company donated $500 to our school and also bought traditional Japanese lunches for all the Bosco host students and volunteer parents.

FRESHMAN TECHNOLOGY SELECTION IS JAN. 6 —BY MR. JEFF KRYNEN, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION Saturday, January 6, 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 about a week prior to the placement day, a letter will be mailed home that has the appointment time that students 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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INTERNATIONAL CLUB TOY DRIVE 2017 —BY INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS (UNDER MRS. CATHERINE DIAZ, INTL. STUDENT COUNSELOR) Bosco Tech’s International Club sponsored a Christmas Toy Drive again this year for in-need students at Our Lady of Talpa Elementary School.

We donated toys hoping they are what the students are wishing for. We don’t do this in China, so it is new for us, and now we can see why helping children is so important.

This year, we had two very special guests join us at a regular lunch meeting of the International Club.

Chloe Cobian is in the fifth grade, and she spoke to us about the excitement and surprise to see us as elves helping Santa deliver toys to her friends at school. She told us about her friend who doesn’t believe she will get a toy this year because her parents are having a very tough time financially, so Chloe asked for a toy for her friend. This was sad for us to hear.

Devin Mason, is in the second grade and he says he is excited about the toy delivery too. Chloe told us what toys are popular this year for girls and Devin talked about toys for boys. Mrs. Leticia Cobian, Our Lady of Talpa parent liaison, spoke about the greatness of our toy drive because some students’ families can’t afford to buy a gift. We never realized this.

Hearing these little kids helped us realize why this is significant each year and why Mrs. Catherine Diaz helps us make it happen. She asked the Bingo families to help us collect toys for these terrific and deserving children with the help of Mr. Paul Garcia, who coordinates Bingo. Also, some toys were donated by our friends at the University of the West and by Mrs. Schmeisser’s Spanish Club. Mrs. Diaz wanted to make sure there were enough toys for every child, so we reached out to others for help. It is a very special day for everyone.

Mr. John Rojas is the principal at Our Lady of Talpa and he was so thankful for what all the Bosco International students do every year for his students. Mrs. Pantaleon, a teachers aide from Our Lady of Talpa, collaborated with us, as well as Mrs. Cobian. Our own parent volunteers, Mrs. Maldonado, mother of Vincent; Mrs. Martinez, grandmother of Julian Lopez; Mr. Valdivia, father of Brian Valdivia; and Laura Llanos, sister of Adrian Lopez, helped organize and match the toys requested in students’ letters to Santa’s elves, pack them up, and deliver them. Our senior counselor, Mr. Ray Chavez, came as a special surprise.

So many of us wanted to go deliver the toys. Many went last year and they were happy to see the smiles on the children’s faces when each received a gift. This made us understand more about the Salesian Spirit and the Spirit of Christmas. These memories will stay in our hearts, especially during the holiday season.

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT JAVIER JIMENEZ (EL ‘90) PRESIDENT AND CEO, CAPITAL INVESTMENT ADVISORS, INC. SECRETARY/TREASURER, BOSCO TECH BOARD OF TRUSTEES Javier F. Jimenez (Class of ‘90, from Electronics Tech) is President and CEO of Capital Investment Advisors, Inc., a full service commercial real estate brokerage company. Capital’s mission is to provide the most comprehensive and specialized real estate solutions available in today’s market. Mr. Jimenez holds a finance degree, with honors, from the USC Marshall School of Business.

Prior to creating the Capital Companies, Mr. Jimenez served as a Vice President for Jones Lang LaSalle, a highly respected real estate investment bank. Mr. Jimenez has over 20 years of real estate investment banking experience and has completed over $2.5 billion in sales, debt and equity transactions on behalf of foreign and domestic corporations, financial institutions and private real estate companies.

Mr. Jimenez enjoys speaking about and sharing his expertise and experiences. He has lectured at the National Association of Hispanic Realtors convention and more recently, he was the keynote speaker at the Bosco Tech Class of 2013 commencement exercises.

“Your parents and the Bosco Tech family have given you something very special, the building blocks of success,” he told the graduates. “But let me remind you that what defines us in life isn’t our success, but how we handle adversity and learn from failure. It takes tremendous courage to follow your personal roadmap.”

According to Javier, the greatest lasting impact Bosco Tech had on him was the relationships he established while at the school, both with fellow students and faculty,” Javier said. “Some of my most valued relationships to this day are with fellow Techman alumni.”

He serves as the secretary/treasurer of the Bosco Tech Board of Trustees. Away from his work, Mr. Jimenez enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids. He is busy on the weekends coaching his son’s basketball team and taking his daughter to gymnastics. Javier said, “I cannot express how much joy I receive from teaching and participating in my kids’ sport activities.”

"Our Knowledge and Expertise is our Competitive Advantage" —CEO Javier Jimenez

Bosco Tech is proud of our many alumni and will be featuring our graduates in issues of The Gear.

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MUSIC PROGRAM NEWS —BY BAND BOOSTER MR. JUN REYES The Bosco Tech Music Program Wraps Up the Year with the Holiday Music Winter Concert The Royal Techmen Marching Band performed at the school’s flagpole dedication honoring Tech veterans and the band made their last performance of the year on Sunday, December 3, as they performed at the annual Christmas Boutique.

To finish off the year, the Music Program held its annual Winter Concert on Thursday, December 14. The Winter Concert featured performances by the Music Appreciation students and the Concert Band. Thanks to all staff, student and parent volunteers for making this event a success. Good job boys!

Pasadena City College Honor Band Congratulations to Drum Major Daniel Hosseini for performing with the Pasadena City College Honor Band at the 2018 Rose Parade. Way to go, Dan! What’s Next for the Music Program The DBTI Concert Band is planning to compete at the Annual Heritage Festival in Chicago, IL in the Spring.

We welcome and appreciate your continued support as the band aims to bring home another award.

The DBTI 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, Mr. 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 a Happy New Year!

“Good music comes out of playing together, knowing what they want to do and going for it, you have to sweat over it and bug it to death.”

—Keith Richards

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MATH COMPETITION FOR ELEM./MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS Do you have a younger student in your family or know a young person who would love to participate in Bosco Tech’s annual Math Competition? Please let them know this year’s popular event, for fifth through eighth grade students, is on Saturday, February 3. The 46th annual event will offer awards to the highest scoring individuals and teams.

“The Tech’s annual math competition is an opportunity for young students to challenge themselves, focusing on their critical thinking and math skills,” said Bosco Tech Principal Xavier Jimenez. “Developing good complex problem solving skills is vital to future success in STEM-related studies, which is key to success at Bosco Tech.”

Competition check in begins at 8 a.m. and the one-hour test starts at 9 a.m. An awards ceremony will begin at 11 a.m., following the competition. The competition cost is $10 per student and registration ends January 26. Email mathcompetition@boscotech.edu or call (626) 940-2009 for more information. Food will be available for purchase prior to the awards ceremony.

ACADEMIC COUNSELING CENTER NEWS Seniors (Class of 2018)— Early decision and early action application notices were announced in December. Seniors should closely monitor their incoming emails and standard postage mail for correspondence from colleges and universities. If information is requested, please contact Director of Counseling Mr. Ray Chavez at rchavez@boscotech.edu or (626) 940-2084 immediately so that a response can be completed as quickly as possible. All college acceptances should be reported to Mr. Chavez, who counsels seniors.

Senior College Applications— Several universities and colleges continue to be open for accepting applications for Fall 2018 admissions.

Please access the Common Application at www.commonapp.org or stop by the Counseling Center to obtain college information from any of the Bosco Tech counselors.

11th, 10th and 9th Grade Parents— Please plan to attend the parent college planning meeting on February 1, 2018, in the campus library. At this meeting, the results of your student’s PSAT test scores will be distributed and explained by members of the counseling staff. Freshmen parents will meet at 5:45 p.m.; sophomore and junior parents will meet at 7 p.m.

College Week— This year’s Bosco Tech “College Week” is planned for the week of February 12. Guest speakers from colleges will present students with insight into college readiness, college choices, and submitting a well-prepared college application. All students will participate during the course of the week’s events.

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VISUAL ARTS FIELD TRIP TO HUNTINGTON LIBRARY Bosco Tech’s sophomore Visual Arts class visited the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens on Nov. 29.

The Huntington’s educational program was entitled "Art Experiences" and involved docents choosing selected artworks from their various galleries to accomplish this purpose.

“The purpose of the field trip was to reinforce, with real art, what they have learned in class about critical analysis of art and the importance of understanding an artwork's historical context.” said Mr. Claude LeBlanc, Dean of Instruction: Theology, Fine Arts, and Languages other than English, and Visual Arts instructor.

REMINDER: ASSISTANCE DEADLINES Please note these upcoming deadlines in applying for Tuition Assistance for the 2018-2019 school year:  February 7, 2018 — all current students wishing to apply  February 12, 2018 — incoming freshmen (regular admission applicants) Details and forms available in Finance Office.

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2017-2018 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!

SCIENCE FAIR WINNERS The following projects and student teams are the winners of the 2017-2018 Bosco Tech Science Fair: Honorable Mentions - Motor Mania: Motor Composition & Power Sources by Jesus Diaz, Franco Herrera and Joshua Rollerson - Household Materials vs. Gun Fire by Dean Minter and Riley Sumner - Power Plants: The Effect of Electricity on Plant Growth by Nathan Chao, Joseph Perez and Jericoh Santiago - The Affects of Acids, Bases, and Water on Steel by Eric Jurado and Christopher Lynn - UV Rays vs. Bacterial Growth by Raymond Barraza and Sergio Hinojos - Blast Off: Rocket Engine Composition by Maverick Henry and Eric Cabato 3rd Place Tie - Shady Stains: The Effect of Detergent and Laundry Boosters by Oscar Cendejas and Aaron De Castro - Bourbon Wood: Composition of Tattoo Inks vs. Intensity by Esteban Castorena, Kevin Banuelo and Tom Zeng 2nd Place - Volts for Dolts: Comparing Batteries by Brand & Size by Julio Contreras and Rai Torres 1st Place - River Hardness: Comparing Water Hardness Along The San Gabriel River by Lorenzo Pedroza and Gregory Saunders

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SALESIAN SPIRIT GAMES A long-standing Bosco Tech tradition, the Salesian Spirit Games, had students competing with 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 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 MSET taking home the first place trophy.

ACE 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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Are you interested phicin going to Europe and visiting: Berlin (Germany), a r g & fo(Czech Prague Republic, Krakow (Poland) and Budapest (Hungary) n i w e n d e Ne during Spring Break (April 2018)?

If you want more information, please contact Ms. Carolina Schmeisser at cschmeisser@boscotech.edu or Mr. Brad Stolz at bstolz@boscotech.edu

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JANUARY 2018 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.

Monday Wednesday Saturday Sunday Thurs.-Fri. Friday

1/1 1/3 1/6 1/7 1/11-1/12 1/12

Monday Tues.-Thurs.

Thursday Friday

1/15 1/16-1/18 1/18 1/19

Monday Wednesday Sunday Wednesday Thursday

1/22 1/24 1/28 1/31 2/1

Friday Saturday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Mon.-Fri.

2/2 2/3 2/7 2/8 2/9 2/10 2/12-2/16

Happy New Year!

School resumes at regular time Technology Selection Day for current freshmen Cross Country Banquet at 11 a.m.

First semester technology exams (regular schedule) Freshman locker cleanout Freshman technology rotation #3 ends Martin Luther King Jr. Day (school closed) First semester academic final exams (noon dismissal) Admission Info Night for prospective students at 5 p.m.

Semester break (no classes; school office hours are 8-4:30 p.m.)

Final exam make-up day Second semester orientation by technology (with Mr. Plantillas) Club photo day Freshman Tie Ceremony & Mass at 9:30 a.m.

Feast of St. John Bosco liturgy (formal dress) Grade 9 PSAT test results parent meeting at 5:45 p.m. in library Grade 10-11 PSAT test results parent meeting at 7 p.m. in library Christian Service fair Bosco Tech Math Competition (grades 5-8) Admission Info Night at 5 p.m.

Vocation Day Regular Admission deadline ACT (on campus) College Week

ATTENTION: L.A. COUNTY EMPLOYEES Did you know that Los Angeles County employees can donate to Bosco Tech through the city’s Charitable Giving Campaign? It’s easy to enroll and start a payroll deduction; simply sign on to www.mylacounty.gov and select the “Charitable Giving” tile. Then, select “Direct Designation Agencies” and click on “Donate Now” to choose Don Bosco Tech as your charity of choice. We appreciate your help and generosity!