THE GEAR MONTHLY PARENT NEWSLETTER ISSUE 61 NOVEMBER 2016
Members of Bosco Tech’s Sophomore Class Anticipate the Start of the Second Quarter
CSEE SOPHOMORES HELP REBOOT COMPUTER LAB Sophomores in CSEE played a vital role in the reopening of the Parsons Lab. CSEE recently received a new computer lab and their previous machines were then upgraded by the students and donated to the unused lab located in the IDEA building. The CSEE students not only refurbished the computers, they also transported and set them up in the Parsons Lab, now a fully outfitted computer lab available to academic and technology classes who may need the workspace. “We’re proud that our sophomores have developed a level of expertise that allows them to effectively rebuild a computer,” said Assistant Principal Jeff Krynen. “These computers are now available for use by other classes and individual students working on projects. That’s thanks in no small part to our enthusiastic students and their abilities, and the teachers who guide them!”
2016-2017 SENIOR CLASS PRIVILEGES Parents of seniors, please be advised that the following senior privileges have been approved for the 20162017 school year and became effective on October 11, 2016. —Relaxed dress on Fridays (if formal dress lands on a Friday, seniors can wear relaxed dress on Thursday.) —Get out of second block for lunch five minutes early (at the discretion of the teacher). —Graffiti the senior wall in the senior lunch area (appropriate drawings to be approved by Fr. Steve and the Dean.) —Drug and Alcohol Awareness bracelet for athletic clothing (if seniors wear their awareness bracelets on relaxed dress days, they can wear athletic clothing.) —Senior sweat suits on Monday (approved senior sweat suits sold in activities office.) —Wear any socks not featuring obscene logos, violence, sex, or drugs. —Seniors do morning prayer and announcements (this is to be handled and organized by the senior class and ASB.) —No homework if any team sport goes to the championship game. —Any hats (baseball caps and snapbacks) not featuring obscene logos, violence, sex, or drugs (these hats are not allowed to be worn indoors.) Please contact Dean of Student Services Carlos Plantillas (cplantillas@boscotech.edu) with any questions or concerns. Bosco Tech’s administration reserves the right to revoke these privileges at any time.
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ACE SENIORS DEVELOP & TEST ALTERNATIVE FUELS Seniors in ACE are developing and testing biodiesel fuels as alternatives to petroleum-based diesel in their Green and Energy Efficient Engineering class. Using cooking oil as a feedstock, the students are achieving remarkably effective results. The course stresses how the environmentally sound concepts of reducing, re-using and recycling apply to the fields of architecture and engineering. While studying fuel sources, the students had the chance to conduct and document burn-comparison tests that compared the energy and pollutants generated by their biodiesel formulas to petroleum-based diesel fuel. They also compared the physical properties to determine if biodiesel could be used in existing diesel engines as a ‘drop-in fuel.’ They found the biodiesel had an equivalent energy density, making it a viable alternative, while also diverting waste that would previously have gone to a land fill. The biodiesel alternative also produced less smoke, possibly making it cleaner burning and less harmful to the environment. Tests of the physical properties showed it could be used as a drop-in fuel, meaning that the environmental benefits of biodiesel could be realized without replacing the existing fleet of diesel vehicles. “In ACE’s Green Technology course, students are constantly encouraged to seek alternative, environmentally sound solutions to everyday problems,” said Dean of STEM Education Eric Tom. “In the fields of architecture and engineering, that can include efficient solar design, alternative eco-friendly building materials, the use of re-cycled finishing materials, and alternatives to traditional fuel sources.” “The ACE students also study the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) curriculum, a unique course for the high school level. These students are being equipped with an industry-worthy understanding of environmentally sound creativity and design.”
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SOPHOMORE EARNS EAGLE SCOUT Congratulations to MAT sophomore Dennis Marciuska who has attained the rank of Eagle Scout, Scouting’s highest level. Through San Gabriel Mission’s Troop 261, Dennis completed over 40 merit badges, hiked over 140 miles, and currently serves as Senior Patrol Leader. He has earned all four Catholic Scouting emblems, the Parvuli Dei and Light of Christ emblems as a Cub Scout, and the Ad Altare Dei and Pope Pius XII emblems, as a Boy Scout. In April 2016, he received the Chi Ro award at the Scout Mass with Archbishop Jose Gomez at the cathedral. Less than 1% scouts earn all four emblems and the Chi Ro. Dennis, who was recently honored by the San Gabriel City Council for his service and achievement, will be recognized at his Eagle Court of Honor ceremony on Nov. 12. Wanting to create something of lasting significance for the community, he chose a complex Eagle Scout project that required extensive fund raising, planning and execution—the redevelopment of the mission’s parish center meeting room 1 (now known as the Helen Nelson Memorial Room). Mrs. Nelson was a dedicated mission parishioner and volunteer for over 50 years who passed away last year. To complete the project, more than 800 hours of service were performed by troop scouts and leaders, friends, parishioners, family, Eagle Scouts from local troops, and scout and leaders from troops in Rosemead, Alhambra, and Temple City. Dennis organized a formal dedication of the room in February upon the project’s completion. In addition to scouting, Dennis is an altar server, a youth music group member at the Mission, a veteran of Pony and Little League baseball, an honor student at the Tech, and a member of the school’s marching, jazz and concert bands. “The Bosco Tech community is extremely proud of Dennis and his accomplishments,” said Bosco Tech Principal Xavier Jimenez. “In fulfilling the Eagle Scout requirements, he has succeeded in bettering the community and created an environment where others will benefit. These precepts go hand in hand with the teachings of St. John Bosco.”
BOSCO TECH COLLEGE NIGHT DRAWS HUNDREDS The counseling department of Bosco Tech hosted its ninth college fair for high school students and their parents on October 5. Nearly 1,000 enthusiastic attendees met with representatives from more than 30 colleges and universities from across the country. The annual event provides high school students from across the San Gabriel Valley a venue in which to meet representatives from top colleges in one location, enabling young people and their families an opportunity to explore their options and compare colleges and universities from across the country. Sponsored by The Princeton Review, the college fair featured break-out sessions on financial aid for college and standardized testing. Special thanks to Bob Currie, Paul Ortiz, AJ Pimentel, Catherine Diaz, and Merced Contreras for their leadership and organizing efforts.
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NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETIES INDUCT TECH STUDENTS NHS/NHHS JOINT CEREMONY IS NOVEMBER 3 On November 3, Bosco Tech will proudly induct the newest members of the prestigious National Honor Society and National Hispanic Honor Society. Students are invited to join these esteemed groups because of demonstrated excellence in scholarship, leadership, service and character. Both prestigious societies emphasize providing service to Bosco Tech, as well as the larger community. Congratulations to the 2016-2017 Bosco Tech inductees! The ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. in Tech Hall. Students interested in getting involved in the prestigious organizations in the future should contact moderator Mrs. Antonia Elenes at aelenes@boscotech.edu
WHITTIER COLLEGE HOSTS TECH STUDENTS FOR THEATER FIELD TRIP Students in Bosco Tech’s Spanish classes were treated to a night at the theater when Whittier College graciously hosted them for their recent production of “Representing Don Quixote and Sancho Panza,” a retelling of the classic Man of La Mancha tale. A total of 46 Bosco Tech students, accompanied by Mrs. Antonia Elenes, Mrs. Carolina Schmeisser, and parent chaperones, attended the Saturday night theatrical event. A Whittier College professor invited the students in Advanced Placement Spanish Literature, Advanced Placement Spanish Language, Spanish 2 and some Bilingual Spanish 1. “Several of the college’s instructors met and were impressed with our students,” said Mrs. Elenes. “They remarked on the maturity level and politeness of our boys. But I’m really not surprised; these boys always make us so proud!”
CELEBRITY BASKETBALL GAME Don’t miss the Hollywood Knights celebrity basketball team as they take on Bosco Tech faculty on Thurs., Nov. 17, starting at 6 p.m. Your favorite stars will help raise funds for the Tech's basketball program. Advance game tickets are $10 and $12 at the door; courtside seating is $20. Tickets can be purchased from Coaches Dominic Sermeno and Rob Godinez, basketball team members, or at the school's Finance Office. Cheer on favorite teachers as they face off against the stars! See the full-page ad on page 12. Questions? Contact Coach Sermeno at dsermeno@boscotech.edu.
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CAMPUS-WIDE CHRISTMAS TOY DRIVE— BLESSING CHILDREN THIS HOLIDAY SEASON Please encourage your son to bring in toys for Bosco Tech’s annual Christmas Toy Drive. The sophomore class annually sponsors this philanthropic event on our campus. The toys will be collected by technology, sorted and sent to children in local parishes and schools in underserved communities, including the Salesian Boys & Girls Club and St. Mary’s in Boyle Heights. The last day to bring in a toy is December 16. Help your son to brighten Christmas for a small child and help remind him of the true spirit of the season. Every toy donated is greatly appreciated!
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PRODUCTS
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SENIOR RETREAT: FRIENDS, NOW BROTHERS —BY ASSISTANT CAMPUS MINISTER BRAD STOLZ
“We began our freshmen year at Bosco with an overnight retreat; we want to start our final year the same way, with an overnight retreat.” Thus the nine-man senior retreat committee/team changed what would have been an ordinary daylong retreat into something quite special. A theme was created: In the beginning, friends…now brothers–a bond that cannot be broken.” Carrying their sleeping bags, pillows, and snacks, the seniors began arriving at Youth Ministry at 6:45 p.m. on October 12. The retreat started with an opening prayer service in the chapel led by retreat team leaders Rodrigo Plata and Michael Rodriguez and Mr. Herrera (H). The seniors were then broken into nine groups, each led by a team member. They spent an hour enjoying the various ice breakers, led by Arthur Romero, that were designed to renew friendships and start the ‘brotherization’ process. This process was given quite a boost with the arrival of the 23 large, hot pizzas and cold sodas they had for dinner. A further boost occurred with Mr. H’s talk on the forgiveness of past injuries. St. John Bosco’s ideas of an oratory included the aspect of playground. The retreat’s version (which definitely advanced the concepts of friendship and brotherhood) started with various games: football and basketball while retreat leaders kept everyone up-to-date on the Dodger’s score. Two hours later was the traditional “good night” prayer as practiced by Don Bosco led by Manuel Alvarez. This was a signal for what later on was supposed to be lights out at 1:15 am. Although several rooms were designated as stay-up-and-talk rooms, and others as sleep rooms, the sleep part didn’t happen all that quickly. The second day of the retreat started with Don Bosco’s traditional “good morning” to the bleary-eyed seniors, given by Michael Mendoza. The activities began with four learning stations, organized by past Salesian Youth Leadership Conference (SYLC) participants. The purpose, among other things, was to get them to experience working together for achieving a common good. Since by now they had, without a doubt, bonded together as brothers, this proved to them that working together can not only be fun, but will also make things in life easier. The retreat culminated with a liturgy presided over by Fr. Andrew Ng. Here their brotherhood was clearly evident by the way they offered each other the sign of peace. Before they left for home, however, there was a Class of 2017 slideshow, created by Rodrigo Plata, Ruben Martinez, and Arthur Romero. It was clearly enjoyed by the senior class and brought the retreat to a fitting end. (At left, tired seniors recoup the next morning!)
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SPORTS UPDATES CROSS COUNTRY —BY ASSISTANT CROSS COUNTRY COACH BRAD STOLZ
The last 40 days has been a very busy time for Bosco’s cross country team who ran in five meets – three invitational, and two league meets. It also has been a time in which most of our athletes have improved their personal record (PR) – some just by seconds, but others quite substantially. Remember, high school cross country races are usually three miles long, so the fact that five of our athletes improved by 1 ½ to 3 minutes (freshmen Tim Galvan, Oscar Cendejas, Andrew Caballes, sophomore John Michael Gonzalez, and junior Anthony Caballes) and senior Rodrigo Plata by 6 minutes is an outstanding achievement! Our team has continued to win medals. The latest individuals to receive medals were at the Bosco Tech’s freshman team at the Bell Gardens Invitational Bell Gardens Invitational at Cerritos Regional Park: freshman Joey Rivas, sophomore Aaron Dominguez, and senior Zach Lugo. Our most recent races were at the Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) Invitational in Walnut (probably the most difficult course in California and perhaps also the U.S.) This invitational is considered the largest in the country with thousands of athletes from throughout California attending, as well as some from out of state. Our freshmen came in fifth in their race, so we are very proud of them, as well as the others who braved that scorchingly hot day and performed admirably. In the final races of our season, we expect to improve even more and continue to make the school proud of us. Joey Rivas and Aaron Dominguez (left) and Zach Lugo and Rodrigo Plata at the Bell Gardens Invitational.
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BOSCO TECH MUSIC NEWS —BY BAND BOOSTER MR. JUN REYES
SCHOOL SUPPORT The DBTI Royal Techmen Marching Band kicked off a streak of performances with a show of support for the varsity football team as the band performed at the game against Workman High School held on September 23. They then performed at the annual High School Night held on September 28, followed by another performance at the varsity football game versus Verdum Dei High School held on October 1 at Southwest College in Los Angeles. The band showed their school spirit by performing at the First Annual DBTI Rally and Bonfire held on October 6. They then performed at the Homecoming Game on October 7. Good job, boys! COMMUNITY SUPPORT The DBTI Music Program has always encouraged students to get involved in the community. This was on display this month as the marching band performed at the Bethany Christian Festival on October 8, entertaining the crowd with popular songs such “Take On Me” by A-Ha and “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon. The band was also invited to participate at the City of Montebello 96th Anniversary Parade on October 15. The band did the school proud as they played the DBTI fight song while marching through the parade. SECTION SPOTLIGHT - WOODWINDS The woodwind family of instruments includes flutes and reed instruments such as the clarinet and the saxophone. This year's Bosco Tech woodwind section is comprised of section leader Ethan Truong, Michael Garcia, Jacob Armas, Jonathan Morejon, Guadalupe Argamon, Dino Linsalato, Shuhao Lu, Dennis Marciuska, Patrick Kakooza and Emilio Torres. The woodwind coach for this year is Ms. Elizabeth LaCoste. (See photo of the woodwinds on the next page.) POPCORN FUNDRAISER The Music Program will have a Popcornopolis Popcorn Sale from December 1-15 as part of its fundraising efforts. See the full-page flyers in this issue of The Gear. We appreciate your continued support for our program and, if you have tried Popcornolopolis’ delicious products, you will know why this is a great fundraiser. The Bosco Tech music program is more than just the marching band! After football season, many band members transition to the Concert Band for the winter months, and finally to the Jazz Band in the spring. Students who join one of the school's band programs learn valuable lessons about working together as (continued on next page)
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BOSCO TECH MUSIC NEWS (CONTINUED) a group. And extracurricular activity such as music look great on any college application. Parents are invited to check out the band's YouTube channel, DBTI Music at www.youtube.com/dbtimusic and the Facebook account 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 the right is Bosco Tech’s woodwind section with Coach Elizabeth LaCoste.
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” - Plato
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ALL NATIONS DAY—INSTILLING CULTURAL AWARENESS Bosco Tech’s annual All Nations Day is an opportunity for students to learn more about the many nationalities and cultures present on our campus. This year, on October 14, students and instructors spoke and carried flags on behalf of the 36 countries currently represented on campus. The parade of flags was followed by a brief and informative introduction to each country’s interesting facts and features. “It is so important for students to develop an awareness and appreciation of different countries and cultures,” said Mrs. Antonia Elenes, who coordinates the event each year. “Each nationality contributes so much to who we are as a cohesive learning community.”
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SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSOR
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Advance tickets are $10; $12 at the door. Courtside seating is $20. See Coaches Sermeno or Godinez or members of the Bosco Tech basketball team for tickets. Tickets can also be purchased at the Finance Office.
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NOVEMBER 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.
Tuesday
11/1
Wednesday Thursday Saturday
11/2 11/3 11/5
Sunday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
11/6 11/8 11/9 11/10
Friday Tuesday Thursday Thurs.-Mon. Friday Sunday
11/11 11/15 11/17 11/17-11/21 11/18 11/20
Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Thurs.-Fri. Friday Tues.-Fri. Thursday Friday Saturday Tuesday Friday
11/22 11/23 11/23 11/24-11/25 11/25 11/29-12/2 12/1 12/2 12/3 12/6 12/9
All Saints Day liturgy (formal dress) Parent Council meeting at 6 p.m. Technology Information Session (TIS) #2 in technologies at 6 p.m. NHS/NHHS induction ceremony at 6 p.m. in Tech Hall SAT (off campus) Class of ‘86 30-year reunion at 4 p.m. Daylight Savings ends Election day Alumni Association meeting at 6 p.m. Parent Teacher Conferences (report cards) from 1:30 to 8 p.m. Veterans Day (no school) Sophomore retreat Hollywood Knights celebrity basketball game at 6 p.m. Music Program cheesecake distribution Tech Rotation #2 ends Mass & Freshmen Tie Ceremony at 9:30 a.m. TIS #3 in technologies at 11:30 a.m. Holiday boutique from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Open House from 12 noon to 4 p.m. (mandatory for all students) Japanese class field trip to Little Tokyo Please note that 11/23 is not a Thanksgiving service (afternoon assembly) formal dress day. Happy Thanksgiving (no school) Thanksgiving break (classes resume on Mon., 11/28) Alumni basketball games Kairos #84 Music Program popcorn fundraiser begins (ends on 12/15) Report cards mailed SAT (off campus) Parent Council meeting at 6 p.m. Student-free day (WASC in-service for instructors)
IMPORTANT: SIGN UP FOR NHS/NHHS CITY OF HOPE EVENT Reminder to parents of NHS/NHHS members: Please be sure to sign up your son for the November 6 City of Hope 5K at cityofhope.org. All participating students should be registered under the Bosco Tech team name of “Los Tigres” in order to run or walk with the team on that day. Best wishes to the team as they take part in this worthy cause!