April 2017 Parent Newsletter

ParentNewsletter THE LA SALLE

FOR PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF LA SALLE HIGH SCHOOL • PASADENA • CALIFORNIA • APRIL 2017

Principal Ideas Learn•Serve•Lead

Welcome to April! We are now in the 4th quarter of the school year. Grades for the third quarter were mailed out March 24. Hopefully you were able to review those with your student and talk about what he or she needs to do to end the semester and year successfully. As of April 1, there are only 35 more school days before finals begin for our freshmen, sophomores and juniors and only 27 days of school before senior finals begin. Remember that La Salle does not grant graduation units for core courses in English, Math, Science, Social Studies or World Languages if students receive a final semester grade of D+ or lower. If your student is in danger of ending the semester with a grade of D+ or lower, talk to them right now. about what they can do to earn a better grade: What assignments have they missed that they need to turn in? How are they studying?

What are they doing during Academic Support time? Please also know you can always reach out to a teacher or academic advisor/ counselor to discuss strategies for success.

Welcome Class of 2021

March was a month of transition at La Salle. On March 3 acceptance letters went out, and on March 11 we had our freshman registration day. Those new families are receiving their first La Salle Parent Newsletter with this April edition, so I would like to once again welcome them to the Lancer Family!

We are so excited to have you.

Course Selections

During March we also finished the course selection process for next year. I am very happy to report that some of the new offerings proved to be popular with our students. Courses that will be running for the first time next year include Digital Game Design, Innovation and Design Lab, Introduction to Law, and Sports Medicine. These classes all emphasize the core 21st century Principal Ideas Continued on page 2

In the Words of Saint John Baptist de La Salle "The more ardently you apply yourself to prayer for the good of the souls confided to you, the more facility God will grant you for [teaching] them."

Saint John Baptist de La Salle Patron Saint of Teachers, c1705 Meditations for Sundays 148.2

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learning skills of critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication and I am excited about the learning that our students will be doing in these courses next year.

Christian Service Award

Also in March, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles celebrated its annual Christian Service Awards honoring students and faculty who have excelled in Christian service. Two of our La Salle seniors were honored at the event: Kaitlyn Gibson and Audrey Sayer.

Both girls volunteer at Huntington Hospital and each have served over several hundred hours there. Additionally, Audrey has volunteered over at Elizabeth House, a home for young women and children run by Lake Avenue Congregational Church, and Kaitlyn coaches a pee wee girls volleyball team. Aside from that, they both have given many hours to La Salle volunteering over the years through Adopt-a-Family, cooking at Union Station and more. The event at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels was a wonderful opportunity to see them recognized for their commitment to service.

BE SURE TO CHECK THE CALENDAR FOR THE MANY APRIL EVENTS

Student Life Elections

April will continue to bring transition as we head into Student Life elections on April 6. Good luck to all of our students who are running for office. Win or lose, they are putting themselves out there and truly living out the mission of La Salle High School by offering to lead and serve. Due to the elections, we will have a special schedule on April 6. We will use the regular A day schedule, with speeches occurring during our first block of the day, followed by periods 7, 5, and 6. As seniors cannot vote, they will have a late start and should be at school for the beginning of the second block at 9:40am. All students will be dismissed at 2:25pm.

Audrey Sayer, Principal Kassakhian and Kaitlyn Gibson.

A Busy April

Although April is a shorter month due to Easter break, it is still just as busy! We have our last junior retreat of the year, the spring musical, My Favorite Year, continues this month, the schoolwide art show opens April 8, Grandparents' Day takes place April 12, Prom will have our students dancing the night away April 28, and we will close out the month with the dance concert on April 29 and 30. And in addition to that we have all of our spring sports.

The furious pace that all of us - students, parents, and teachers – work at necessitates breaks now and then. As we do head into Easter and Easter break, I wish all of our families a blessed and enjoyable Easter and a safe and relaxing vacation period. I look forward to seeing all of our students return to school refreshed and ready to finish strong on April 24.

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Mrs. Courtney R. Kassakhian Principal

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From the Parent Association

Happy Spring!

I love it when the time change happens and our days start to grow longer. For me, it is so much easier to get more things done. I was so happy to get the acceptance email Friday, March 3rd.

It was a great video Dr. Lucas and the kids put together. I now can put P’21 after my name as well as P’15 and P’19. We had a very successful new student registration on Saturday, March 11. It was so great to see all of the new kids coming in and we have some wonderful families joining LaSalle.

Thank you to the entire Parent Association team for all of your hard work. The flow of registration was flawless and the response from the new parents was very positive. We had the Armory set-up in two locations and had a very lucrative day!

We had a wonderful Parents Association meeting on March 14th. Principal Kassakhian was our featured speaker and gave a very informative talk on “College Prep Beyond the Books”. I learned a new term “Snowplow Parent” which apparently I am recovering from. This is a parent who plows the path for their kids so there are few to no obstacles in the way. I stopped myself from doing this last month with our older son. He was applying to business school and I had to let him stand on his own merits to get accepted. I wanted to make a phone call and pull Parent Association some strings so badly, but I didn’t. Sadly, it was not the outcome we had all hoped Meeting for, but it was a good lesson learned for all. I cried a lot and realized one of the MAY 2, 2017 NEW DATE great gifts we had given him was resilience. Principal Kassakhian also talked about kids with “grit”. It is known that kids who have had to work hard for what they get 6:30pm are far more successful in the long run. We are down to our last Parent Association Blakeslee Library Meeting on Tuesday, May 2. (This is a change from our scheduled April meeting).

It will be our Senior Parent Recognition night where we will be honoring our Parent Association parents who are graduating. Please join us for our 6:00pm hospitality session then the 6:30pm meeting. All three booster groups will be meeting following the general meeting.

Our meetings for the year may be coming to a close but not our activities. Crystal Ball is in full swing. We will start making gift baskets for the Crystal Ball auction by April 1. We welcome all donations for the silent auction. Gift items, gift certificates, tickets, etc. are all welcome and may be turned in to the front desk. We are also still in need of large baskets. They also may be turned in to the front desk. Lastly, do not forget to get your tickets for the event early. It will sell out.

We are looking for new parents to join our Parent Association administrative team for next year. Emily Vaughn Henry P'18 will be our President and we have openings on the executive board and committees. Please email me if you are interested at jsamartin@charter.net

Finally, I wish you and your family a peaceful and blessed Easter. May we all remember the sacrifice our Savior made for us. That is our true blessing.

Jacky Samartin P'15,'19, '21 Parent Association President

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La Salle Matters

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Fake News has been in the news a lot lately…and it’s not just because the President and the mainline news media are engaging in a war of words. The well-researched role of Facebook’s Newsfeed in enabling “alternative news” to go viral resulted in that organization being inundated with a storm of criticism in the month following the presidential election. According to Forbes Magazine, Facebook’s algorithm encourages “engagement,” which gives priority ranking to sensational stories that attract more “clicks,” causing the story to continue to rise in the rankings on Newsfeed. In a highly polarized society such as the one we are now experiencing, it should come as no surprise that biased, misleading and incorrect stories rise quickly to the top.

With 62% of adults reporting that social media is their primary source for news and two-thirds of Facebook users relying on its site for news (Pew Research), is it any wonder that a bitterly contested presidential election became even more contorted by internet memes promoting false stories about the candidates (and their supporters) that subsequently went viral? It is estimated that, in the run-up to the November presidential election, 30% of all fake news traffic could be linked back to Facebook. According to the same Study, 23% of those polled admitted they had personally shared fake news, whether knowingly or not.

Candidly, I hadn’t really considered the impact Fake News is having on how some segments of the electorate perceive the veracity of information passed on to them via social media sites until I came across these Fake Headlines: “Pope backs Trump” “Hillary sold weapons to ISIS” “FBI Agent Suspected in Hillary Email Leaks Found Dead” I’d like to think that most informed citizens would

find the latter two Fake Headlines so absurd as to be dismissed out-of-hand; but the first Fake Headline gave me pause. As a practicing Catholic and an unabashed fan of Pope Francis, I couldn’t believe that His Holiness would enter into the tempest of American politics; but the American Church has more than a few Bishops who skirt that boundary from time to time, so it piqued my curiosity. Not surprisingly, Factcheck.org, a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, debunked the headline by tracing its origin back to a Fake News TV station/web site WTOE5 News – which acknowledges its purpose is to create satirical news stories around controversial issues (Think: The Onion).

Here’s the troubling part: all three Fake Headlines went viral on Facebook in the run up to the election. How can two patently absurd statements and a claim written as satire gain so much traction so quickly? I recognize this is a rhetorical question, but I grew up in an era when a news anchor, Walter Cronkite, was considered “the most trusted man in America.”

Since Cronkite’s retirement, his replacement, Dan Rather, resigned in humiliation after he broadcast an inaccurate story about George W. Bush’s war record. Fast forward, ten years later, and NBC News Anchor, Brian Williams, is fired for misrepresenting his experience as a reporter in the Iraq War. Meanwhile, Fox News’ “fair and balanced” approach gains traction with America’s middle class just as the Internet picks up steam as a source of “unmediated” news. In the 30+ years since “the most trusted man in America” retired, broadcast journalism has not only become an increasingly unreliable source of information (Think: how many pollsters and pundits got the Presidential Election of 2016 wrong), but is steadily being replaced by an equally unreliable output of Internet “news.”

Readers of this space know that my concern isn’t about who won or lost an election, but how that tortured process impacts the ways in which the students entrusted to our care make sense of the world around them. I worry about their ability to distinguish fact from fiction – especially when terms like “alternative facts” and “fake news” – bandied

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about on both sides of the political spectrum – inevitably create doubt in their minds as to who they should believe. I worry about how they process the deluge of opinion masquerading as news which confronts them whenever they log-on to the Internet. I see this dynamic at play every time my Mentor group discusses controversial political and social issues in which their young perspective is so clearly being shaped by the latest unmediated newsfeed.

I am particularly concerned about how our young people make sense of this barrage of misinformation because, as a Lasallian school, we expect our students to acquire habits of: § Faith in the presence of God § Concern for the poor and social justice § Respect for all persons § An inclusive community1¨ These core values are under assault in the current toxic political and social climate. Our students are too young to intuitively know how to balance fundamental human values with what they see on the daily newscast and the latest Internet meme. They do not experience a framework of trust whenever they turn on the television or log on to the Internet. And, because they are young and impressionable, they are inclined to accept at face value what they encounter in these arenas where, frequently, shouting and name-calling dominate the message. How can they acquire a “respect for all persons” when they encounter disrespect for those who hold a different opinion from commentators who claim to speak for the majority encountering television and the Internet? How can they appreciate the importance of creating an “inclusive community” when they are exposed to political strategies which emphasize exclusion rather than inclusion?

And, most importantly for a Lasallian school, how can they nurture a “concern for the poor and social justice” when they are barraged by messages which claim that they should take care of themselves first?

I’m not sure how to respond to these rhetorical questions, but I do know that, as educators and parents who are committed to Lasallian values, we cannot rest until the young people entrusted to our care are able to distinguish “fake” news from its real counterpart.

La Salle High School

3880 E. Sierra Madre Blvd.

Pasadena, California 91107-1996 • Telephone 626.351.8951 Facsimile 626.351.0275 www.lasallehs.org • The La Salle ParentNewsletter is published monthly except January and July

by La Salle High School of Pasadena, Incorporated

© 2017

• Editor, Designer John Blackstock ’67 Director of Communications Telephone: 626.696.4316 • email: jblackstock @ lasallehs . org

Transforming Lives Since 1680 Richard Gray, Ph.D. President

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Core Principles of a Lasallian School

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EVEN ParentNewsletter

PRACTICAL REAL LIFE PHYSICS LESSONS LEARNED Savannah Nelson, Lance Tam, Holly Grigg.

Cardboard Regatta Ahoy!

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La Salle’s 7th Annual Cardboard Regatta took place March 14th (Pi Day, 3.14) at the Sierra Madre Aquatic Center. With clouds threatening early in the day, dozens of Physics and Geometry Honors students maintained their composure as they proudly brought their creations to the “docks” of the pool. Their spirits skyrocketed as the sun broke through the clouds, allowing for a glorious day on the water. Constructed with only standard or appliancegrade cardboard and clear packaging tape, the teams were challenged to design sea-worthy boats that would hold three team members and survive navigating two lengths of the Sierra Madre pool.

In conjunction with the Cardboard Regatta, the Honors Physics classes deployed their Mousetrap-Powered Boats. The construction of these boats is part of the project that invites students to design and build a functional self-sufficient watercraft that utilizes a mousetrap as its “engine.” The boat must follow a set of guidelines, which include the use of any number from 1 to 12 different mousetraps to power the boat’s movement through the water. The students are scored on the boat’s ability to travel at least three meters through the water, with different percentages being assigned based on the total length of the voyage.

Fun and laughter was had from the moment the first boat hit the water. With clever pi-inspired names, such as Pi-Tanic, Octi-Pi, and Pi-Napple, the day saw many successful completions, sinkings, and flips. It most certainly lived up to its reputation of being one of the most anticipated events of the school year.

Rebecca Whitehead.

Noah Chin, Ethan Henry, Jason Helgeson.

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Sarah Adams in water , Theodore Lee, Emmett Sloan, Taylor Beddawi.

Middle left, Carlee Ladesich, Mihira Stanek, Cami Brown.

Middle right, Caterina Burch, James Torrez, Greg Jasper.

Left, Marcos Vargas, Jared Terrazas, Chris De La Mora.

Cardboard

Continue on page 8

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Mousetrap Boats Spring into Action

POWERED BY INNOVATIVE MOUSETRAP ENGINES Mary Harmon, Natalie Mirasol, Sarah Day, Bella Marez, Paula Velosa.

Alexander Weitzel. Below, Melody Griffith, Claire Ganguin.

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Hunter Newell.

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Abby and Amon Sign NLI SEE THE LANCER WEBSITE FOR MORE

Abby Siracusa and Amon Milliner with Athletic Director, Anthony Harris on March 21.

Seniors and student-athletes, Abby Siracusa and Amon Milliner, signed National Letters of Intent to attend college on athletic scholarship. Abby will attend Methodist University on a tennis scholarship, while Amon will attend Portland State on a football scholarship.

Ryan Sparks Receives NFF Scholar-Athlete Award

On March 21st, Senior Ryan Sparks was recognized by the National Football Foundation as a ScholarAthlete Award recipient. This distinction requires the awardee to be a Senior football player, have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA, and exemplify good character. Ryan is well above the minimum criteria. He is a young man of exceptional character who holds a 4.19 GPA. During his time at La Salle, he continually challenged himself by being a tri-season athlete while taking no fewer than seven AP courses during his Junior and Senior years. Coach Russell Gordon commends Ryan, saying "he represents La Salle High School, the football team, and our immediate community in an honorable fashion."

Ryan Sparks and Coach Russell Gordon

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ALL THE FUN BEGINS MAY 5

18th Annual Crystal Ball Friday, May 5th, 2017 • Noor, Pasadena

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The Crystal Ball is La Salle’s single largest annual fundraising event and one of La Salle’s most fun social events.

An evening spent enjoying friends and families of La Salle while dining, socializing, and being swept-up in the excitement of our live and silent auctions.

The funds raised through the Crystal Ball enable La Salle to offer Contact Suzy Rettig, Chair, for more information at suzy.rettig@bankofamerica.com

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The Crystal Ball

Opportunity Drawing Opportunity Drawing tickets are on sale now!

Here are our great prizes: A Pleasant Holidays Vacation for 2 to Maui* 8 days, 7 nights at the Royal Lahaina Resort Includes round-trip airfare from LAX $300 food and beverage credit at select resort restaurants Plus two complimentary Luau tickets

• Apple iPad

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Disneyland Family Park Hopper 4-pack Opportunity Drawing takes place on May 5, 2017 during the Crystal Ball Contact Suzy Rettig for more information at suzy.rettig@bankofamerica.com *Maui Vacation made possible by a grant from the William H. Hannon Foundation

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From the College Counseling Center

College Center News

By Owen Hou ’90, Tina Bonacci '94 and Marcia Yu, College Counselors

Senior News CHECK DATES FOR AP EXAMS

Ms. Bonacci, Mrs. Yu, and Mr. Hou would like to thank those parents who have been communicating with us regarding their student’s college acceptances and scholarship awards. This month, seniors will be formally instructed to enter their college acceptances into Naviance. To simplify this process, we created a survey called “Senior Graduation Survey” on Naviance where your student can enter his/her college acceptances and scholarship awards. Parents, please remind your student to communicate with the colleges to which they have been accepted. The colleges need to know if an accepted student is not planning to attend their college. If a student is sure they will not be attending a particular college, they should let the college know by letter as soon as possible.

Junior News

Ms. Bonacci, Mrs. Yu and Mr. Hou have met with almost all of their juniors who have completed their ‘College Planning Survey for Juniors.’ We will meet with all students regardless of them completing the survey or not; however, the survey helps your student’s College Counselor learn more about the student and his/her plans after La Salle High School. Thank you for encouraging your son or daughter to complete the survey.

The next SAT test dates are May 6 (April 8 is last day to register without a late fee) and June 3. The next ACT test date is June 10. The exams are not offered over the summer and the next ACT test date is in September and the next SAT test date won’t be until October. Students also interested in applying to a UC campus are strongly recommended to take the SAT Subject test, also scheduled for May 6 and June 3.

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The College Center will again be offering Camp College, a three-day seminar for rising seniors (Class of 2018). The purpose of this course is to

provide hands-on interaction with students who need additional help with their college planning and application process. At the completion of this course, students will have created an organizational system, completed two college essays and learned in depth about college visitations, interviews, recommendations, financial aid, and developed a much better understanding of the colleges’ selection process.

The cost of Camp College is $200. The complete summary of the course can also be found in the Summer Academic Institute brochure or online at www.lasallehs.org and click on ‘Summer Programs’ under the ACADEMICS tab.

Two sessions are available for students to choose from: Session 1: Tuesday to Thursday, June 13 to June 15, 8:00am to 12:00pm Session 2: Monday to Wednesday, August 7 to August 9, 8:00am to 12:00pm Please contact Ms. Bonacci, Mrs. Yu or Mr. Hou if you have any questions.

All Students NACAC College Fair

The NACAC College Fair will be held at the Pasadena Convention Center: Thursday, April 20 from 6:00pm to 8:30pm. Juniors, please plan to attend this college fair as this is the largest event in Southern California with over 300 colleges and universities represented.

Brochures and other information can be obtained at the fair and many of your questions can be answered at that time. This is also a great time to make a good first impression on the college representatives. Parents are encouraged to attend the college fair with their student.

In order to get the most out of your time, we strongly recommend students to preregister at

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Spring Strings https://www.nacacfairs.org/attend/national-collegefairs/los-angeles-college-fair. In addition, please also plan to carpool or park at a neighboring lot as parking at the Pasadena Center costs $12.

Advanced Placement

Advanced Placement (AP) exams are on (5/1-5/12). All students currently scheduled in AP courses are required to take the AP exam. If a student is unable to take the exam at the scheduled date and time due to a school related sports event, a late exam may be ordered for administration during the 05/17 to 05/19 time frame as designated by the College Board.

Students are not required to attend classes before or after their AP exams but parents are still required to call the school to excuse the students from the block he or she will be missing. If students plan to come to school before or after their AP exam, they must be wearing school uniforms, otherwise, they are not required to do so.

The AP exams will be administered on the following dates (all dates are in the school calendar): Monday, May 1 - Chemistry (7:45am) Tuesday, May 2 – Spanish Language (7:45am) Wednesday, May 3 - English Literature (7:45am) Thursday, May 4 - US Government & Politics (7:45am) Friday, May 5 - U.S. History (7:45am) Monday, May 8 - Biology (7:45am); Physics C: Mech (11:45am) and Physics C: E& M (1:45am) Tuesday, May 9 - Calculus AB/BC (7:45am); Spanish Literature (11:45am) Wednesday, May 10- English Language (7:45am); Macroeconomics (11:45am) Thursday, May 11 – Statistics (11:45am) Friday, May 12 – Microeconomics (7:45am); European History (11:45am)

For additional information, please contact Mrs. Yu, AP Coordinator, at 626.696.4387.

Enjoy the beautiful photos of the Spring Strings Concert in the Flickr Gallery

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RSVP BY APRIL 5

April 12, 2017 Dining Hall 9:00am to 11:15am Grandparents will enjoy time with their grandchildren, a delicious brunch, and great performances by the Visual and Performing Arts Department. www.lasallehs.org/GPDay2017 (seating is limited)

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Contact Elizabeth Silva with questions at 626.696.4382 or esilva@lasallehs.org

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La Salle's No-Cost Fundraisers Free to you, La Salle makes money, and you earn a service hour!

Register ON OR AFTER SEPTEMBER 1st by signing onto your Ralphs.com account and selecting La Salle High School (81179) under “Account Summary” and “Community Rewards.”

Ralphs gives back a percentage to La Salle on each purchase!

Please ask family, friends and neighbors to participate.

1) Register your Credit/Debit/Grocery cards for shopping in stores, restaurants and on line at www.escrip.com.

Use the registered cards and eScrip gives money directly to La Salle!

2) For on line shopping, please download the Forget Me Not Toolbar or shop directly at shopping.escrip.com to find hundreds of vendors. The tool bar will alert you if it’s a participating vendor, you shop and La Salle gets money!

Virtual gift cards are purchased and delivered within seconds to the mobile app for immediate in-store redemption. While shopping at stores like Wal-mart, Home Depot, Target or Whole Foods, you can download a gift card to your phone and use it at check out.

La Salle gets a percentage of the sale at no cost to you! You can also send gift cards directly from your phone to family and friends! Download the Benefit App, select La Salle High School, enter your payment method and start shopping!

GREAT WAYS TO SUPPORT LA SALLE

When you shop directly at smile.amazon.com and designate La Salle High School as your charitable organization, Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchases to La Salle. Bookmark smile.amazon.com, shop smile.amazon.com and help La Salle at no cost to you!

La Salle has earned over $150,000 through current and past programs!

With no cost to families and friends, sign up today and support La Salle.

Please visit the La Salle website under “Support LSHS” and “No Cost Fundraisers.”

Any questions? Please email: Michele Hardy mlhardyconsulting@yahoo.com or Kari Helgeson khelgeson2002@ yahoo.com

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

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From Institutional Advancement

Financial and Tax Planning in Support of La Salle

The Planned Giving program at La Salle High School provides support to the School’s endowment through one of a number of Planned Giving instruments. The program is essential in supporting the long term goals and Mission of our School.

A GREAT WAY TO SUPPORT LA SALLE

Though annual giving is very important and serves to support the ongoing and annual needs of La Salle High School, Planned Giving differs in a number of ways. Some of the more popular strategies in support of our School through a planned gift include:

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Leaving a gift in your will

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Naming La Salle High School as a beneficiary of your life insurance policy and/or Trust

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Donating appreciated stocks, securities, real estate or other appreciated assets

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Establishing a Charitable Gift Annuity whereby the donor receives a partially taxfree stream of income for one’s lifetime while supporting our School’s Mission

In addition to providing long time support for La Salle High School and its Mission,

the following benefits are available from these planned gifts.

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Current and long term income tax reductions or deferrals

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Estate tax reduction

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Avoidance of capital gains taxes on appreciated assets

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Provision of a lifetime stream of income at a competitive rate of return

These are common and popular planned giving strategies that are available to benefit both the donor and La Salle High School. Please review the Planned Giving articles in future publications of both the Parent Newsletter and Lancer Magazine for ongoing updates in the Planned Giving Program.

In Summary

La Salle High School can provide more information, both generically and specifically, regarding the benefits available through Planned Giving. For more information, please contact Jon Keates, the Director of Institutional Advancement at 626.696.4344.

Matching Gifts

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If you are an employee of a matching gift company, we would love to work with you. This is an easy way to raise funds for La Salle. If you are not sure if your company participates, you can ask your employer or contact Tara Milton at: tmilton@lasallehs.org or call 626.696.4381.

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The Lasallian theme for the 2016-2017 liturgical year is “One Call, Many Voices.”

The two global trends that we draw attention to in the Lasallian Reflection for this theme are “sustaining spirituality amidst secularization” and a “new way of being Church.”

The Brother Superior and General Council developed themes through the year 2021 in the spirit of the 45th General Chapter. The 2016-2017 liturgical year celebrates “One Call, Many Voices” as the supporting theme for the overall theme, “Living Together Our Joyful Mission.”

The Lasallian Reflection asserts, “One of our critical roles as Lasallian educators is to help adolescents and young adults to understand one another and to discern the one call of God: a provident God, at work in the fabric of reality.” It further invites us into a dialogue in the midst of culture’s many voices. The Gospel icon of Pentecost serves as the frame for our dialogue.

The Brother Superior and General Council invite Lasallians to incorporate and celebrate this theme in their ministry and/or community, and to engage in conversation and action. They encourage you to develop your own creative ways to employ this theme and share your efforts through social media.

The Christian Brothers web page includes resources to help you celebrate “One Call, Many Voices.” New resources will be added as they become available. We encourage you to share with us how you live out this theme by emailing us at communications@lasallian. info.

La Salle High School • Pasadena

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Variety Show Thrills Students "Just Dance Club" Fernando Jiang, Phoebe Pan, Sophie Ding, Sophia Li.

Show time! March 24, 2017. See the amazing show photos in the La Salle Flickr Gallery.

Patricia Fotto

TALENTED STUDENTS PERFORM Sam Southard

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"Two Hour Shower" Alex Weitzel, Elijah Reyes, James Fall. Sebastian Moeller, obscured.

Alyson Hartman and Tyrese Lee.

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"Apollo" Noah Sonnenburg, Anthony Becerra, Jewelyn Pickett, Angelo LeRoi, Isaac Caldas, Max Do Vale.

Anthony Kyriakakis

"STEGOsaurus" Jason Haug, Nick Sweetland, Cammie Bragg.

"Fears of Abandonment" James Fall, Ellis Holland, Aidan Holland.

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Memorial Prayer Service • Coach Fred Riley h LIVE JESUS IN OUR HEARTS

Sunday, May 7th, 1:00pm La Salle High School • Dining Hall Reception to follow in the Atrium

h For more information, please contact Kristen Schultz ’98 in the Alumni Office at 626.696.4362 or alumni@lasallehs.org RSVP online at www.lancernetwork.com/Memorial Attendees will be invited to make a donation to the Fred Riley Memorial Fund for Track & Cross Country. If you are not able to attend, you may make your gift online at www.lancernetwork.com/CoachRiley

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Fred Riley Memorial Fund for Track & Cross Country

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La Salle is establishing the Fred Riley Memorial Fund for Track & Cross Country to provide professional development for Track and Cross Country coaches now and in the future.

Coach Riley’s former athletes and assistant coaches Chris Ring ’01 and Kjersti (Housman) Holyfield ’04 have been named the new Head Coaches of Track and Cross Country respectively. They have big shoes to fill as they carry on the legacy of their coach, mentor and friend - Fred Riley. This fund will allow Coach Ring, Coach Holyfield and future track and cross country coaches to attend conferences and professional development opportunities to improve their respective programs to ensure Coach Riley’s legacy is preserved.

This fund will also allow for the purchase of new equipment and supplies as needed by the teams that Coach Riley loved so much.

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GRADUATION EXERCISES FOR THE CLASS OF 2017 IS MAY 26

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From the Vice President for Mission

Mind the Mission

By Patrick Bonacci, AFSC, Vice President for Mission

La Salle’s 11th Mission Effectiveness Workshop was held in March, after a two-year hiatus during which time the school’s Strategic Plan and a very successful WCEA/WASC Accreditation process were completed. Approximately 70 members of our greater school community participate in this Workshop.

IMPORTANT LASALLIAN MISSION GOALS EXPLORED

As in the past, the participants included current students, current parents, past parents, alumni, faculty, administrators, and members of the Boards of Regents and Trustees. This Workshop concept was initiated by Dr. Gray and the leadership of the Board of Regents. The planning and organization for each of the 11 Workshops has been entrusted to a standing committee – the Mission Support Committee. During each of the past years, the Committee reviewed various aspects linked to the life and experience of the students and the school that relate to the School’s established Lasallian Mission. Beginning this year, Dr. Gray added a new dimension to the task of the Committee by empowering them to yearly monitor the six goals of the Strategic Plan as well as the four goals of the WCEA/WASC Educational Improvement Plan. Beginning in the Fall, the Committee began their work by establishing the focus areas that would be reviewed and monitored at the Workshop. These focus areas are examined through the collection and analysis of data: student surveys, standardized test scores, multiple interview sessions conducted with students, program directors, parents and faculty. The accumulated data is then presented to all of the participants at the Spring Workshop for their review and discernment.

At last month’s Workshop, the following six focus areas were examined: Ø Teaching & Learning – Academic Rigor (Academically Challenging Courses and Review of the Course Selection Process) Ø Teaching & Learning – Academic Rigor (Review of the new A/B Schedule) Ø Teaching & Learning – Academic Rigor (Review of the Academic Support Sessions) Ø Catholic Identity (Five Core Lasallian Principles) Ø Student Support – Counseling/Advising Ø Catholic Identity and Teaching & Learning (Review of responses from the Student Survey Questions: La Salle prepares me to be the best student I can be; and the best person I can be)

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As their “work product”, the Workshop participants from each of the above focus areas submitted a summary statement that included comments derived from the group discussions of specific questions and inquiries related to each focus area and areas of strength and areas needing improvement pertinent to their particular area. This summary statement will be presented to the Mission Support Committee for further analysis with the end-goal being the submittal of the summary to the Board of Trustees, Board of Regents, and the Administration. Subsequently, the summary statement will also be provided to all of the participants of the Workshop. Dr. Gray and Mrs. Kassakhian will initiate, with their direct reports, the follow-up work and implementation of specific items addressed during the Workshop.

ParentNewsletter

APRIL 2017

I have been directly involved with all of the past Workshops and it never ceases to amaze me that when constituents of La Salle High School come together for a common purpose – great and amazing things happen.

I wish all of our families a safe and enjoyable upcoming Easter Break. It is worth remembering that for our Lasallian/Catholic Community, this time off from school is not just a “Spring Break” but it is the special time in the year where Christians around the world celebrate the living reality and presence of the Risen Lord.

Have a Blessed Easter!

Summer Athletic Physicals The Athletic department will hold its annual summer physicals and is currently looking for parent volunteers to help with the process. Physicians and registered nurses to aide in the physical exams are needed, as well as parents to check in students. Parent volunteer hours will be awarded for your service.

The physical dates are June 17th and July 8th and run from 9:00am to 1:00pm.

The Resurrection of Christ. Peter Paul Rubens 1611-12 Christ strides powerfully from his open, rocky tomb rather than the customary sarcophagus. The vigor of the living body of Christ in the painting above is heightened by Rubens’ masterly use of light and shadow. Rubens contributed more than any other Flemish master to the formation of the Baroque style of the seventeenth century.

If interested, please contact Tim Rasmussen via email: trasmussen@lasallehs.org.

Remember this event is only possible with your help.

Thank you.

NOTE DATES FOR SUMMER PHYSICALS

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ParentNewsletter APRIL 2017

Check your School calendar for event times and dates

April Highlights

March 31 Spring Musical (See page 22 for dates/times).

GRAND PARENTS DAY APRIL 12

JUNIOR SENIOR PROM APRIL 28

CRYSTAL BALL MAY 5

LANCER SHOWDOWN MAY 12

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APRIL 2017

April 3 - 5 Junior Retreat

April 13 -23 Easter Break April 15 Easter Sunday

May 2 Parent Association Meeting 6:30pm Blakeslee Library May 2 Parent Boosters Meetings 7:30pm Campus Locations

April 3 - 7 Student Life Campaign Week

April 24 Monday Classes Resume 8:00am

April 6 Student Life Council Speeches and Elections Late Start for Seniors (9:40am)

April 25 Special A Schedule 1:40pm Dismissal Student Life Commissioner Interviews

May 5 Crystal Ball

April 7 Feast Day of Saint John Baptist de La Salle

April 28 Special Schedule 12:30pm Dismissal Junior-Senior Prom Universal Sheraton Students on Campus 5:00pm Bus Transportation Busses Return 11:45pm (approximately)

May 6 Saturday AP Art Show Porticos Art Space*

4:00 - 6:00pm Band, Choir and Strings Concert 6:00 - 8:00pm Dining Hall

April 29, 30 Saturday and Sunday Dance Concert 7:00 - 9:00pm Saturday 4:00 and 7:30pm Sunday Porticos*

May 12 Founder's Day Showdown IV 5:00pm Lancer Field Duffy Lewis Gymnasium

April 8 Saturday School wide Art Show 4:00 - 6:00pm Blakeslee Library April 10 Dress Uniform Holy Week Prayer Service 9:15am Dining Hall April 12 Dress Uniform 12:15pm Dismissal Grandparents Day 9:00am-Noon Dining Hall

May 1 AP Exams Begin Check AP Schedule

May 15 Dress Uniforms Founder's Day Liturgy 9:15am Dining Hall

Celebrating 60 Years of Lasallian Educational Excellence 1956 - 2016 * Porticos Art Space, 2033 East Washington Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91104