Dec 2017 / Jan 18 Parent Newsletter

ParentNewsletter THE LA SALLE

FOR PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF LA SALLE HIGH SCHOOL • PASADENA • CA • DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018

Principal Ideas Hello.

Learn•Serve•Lead

I hope that the holiday season is off to a wonderful start for all of you. With Thanksgiving behind us and Christmas ahead, this is an exceptionally busy time of year. This is not only because of all the festivities that happen during December, but also because this is the end of the first semester for our students.

Final Exams Finals for the first semester will take place Monday, December 18 - Thursday, December 21. All classes meet during exam week and all final exams are mandatory and must be taken at the assigned time.

A teacher cannot arrange for a student to take an exam at any time other than the published time. Finals will end at 11:20am MondayWednesday and at 9:30am on Thursday. The dining hall will only be open before school and at the break. No lunch will be served during final exams. Additionally, the library will not be open during finals week in order to accommodate extended time finals.

There will be review days for all classes on December 14 and 15. On these days there will be no new assignments given or collected.

This will enable teachers to have all assignments entered in the gradebook by the end of the day on Friday, December 15, so that students will know what their grades are going into finals week. If your child has a question about any grade in the gradebook up to that point, they need to ask the teacher during finals week and before the Christmas break begins.

PowerSchool Open Like last year, PowerSchool will stay open throughout the Christmas break. Final grades will not be finalized by teachers until Tuesday, January 9. Please remember, teachers are on break from December 22 to January 8. Although some may check e-mail over the break, they are not required to do so. So if you Principal Ideas Continued on page 2

In the Words of Saint John Baptist de La Salle "There is nothing we should more insistently impress on our students than the necessity of forming friendships only with such of their companions as are good."

Saint John Baptist de La Salle Patron Saint of Teachers, c1705 Meditations for Sundays 126, p1.

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Principal Ideas Continued from page 1

or your child have questions about grades or final exams during the break time, you can send an e-mail or leave a voicemail, but know that it will likely not be returned until teachers resume work on January 8. Please take the Christmas vacation to truly take a break from school. All questions about final exams and grades will be answered when school resumes. If a student has any questions about a grade, they can initiate a petition no later than five days after report cards are postmarked. (See page 15 in the Student Handbook.)

A GREAT SEMESTER IS BEHIND US AND AN EXCITING ONE IS AHEAD

Lancer Athletics Semester Report

As we transition from first semester to the second semester, our athletic program also transitions from fall sports to winter sports. The Lancers had a busy fall season, and our girls' teams had exceptional success. ➢ • Varsity Girls Golf: Overall record: 7-9. The team finished 2nd in thest Camino Real League and six of the girls earned all league honors: 1 team - Makenna Hicks; 2nd team - Collette Allen, Josephine Lo, Ashley Mayo, Ahtziri Rios-Aguirre and Sophie Woodman. Additionally, Makenna Hicks advanced to the CIF individual prelims. ➢ and • Varsity Girls Tennis: Overallstrecord: 12-4. The team earned 2nd place in the Del Rey League had five all-league players: 1 team – Cameron Agapito, Tracey Gibbs, and Long Lin; 2nd team: Lauren Raymundo and Annie Yerevanian. In the postseason the team, which had no seniors, advanced to the Quarter-Finals for the first time in seven years. The doubles team of Long Lin and Tracey Gibbs advanced to the CIF Doubles Championships where they lost in the 2nd round. ➢ • Varsity Girls Volleyball: Overall record: 28-7. The girls were undefeated in league play and were Del Rey League champions! The girls had an incredible postseason and were the CIF Div 3 Runners Up and State Division 2 Regional Runners Up. Additionally, four senior girls earned Division I athletic scholarships: Sophia Anderson (San Francisco State), Tori Ashkinos (Stanford), Claire Forrest (Seton Hall), and Sofia Sanchez (Seattle University). ➢ • Varsity Cross Country: Girls Team – Senior Samantha Knapp was named 1st Team All-League.

Boys Team – Overall record: 5-8. Finished 4th in Del Rey League. Three boys were awarded 1st team all-league honors: Senior Daniel Costello, Junior Nicholas Reynolds and Freshman Daniel Piesik. ➢ • Varsity Football Team – Overall record: 3-7. Three players earned 1st Team All-League honors and four players earned 2nd team honors. ➢ • Varsity Boys Water Polo: Overall record: 5-13. Art Xue earned 1st Team All-League.

Thank you to all of the parents and friends who came out and supported our student athletes throughout the fall season. Now on to basketball, soccer, and girls water polo!

Visual & Performing Arts

As I said, December is a busy time here at La Salle and students involved in our arts programs are among the busiest! December brings our Dance concert, AP Art show, Jazz Band concert, and Strings, Choir and Band concert. We have some fantastically talented students and attending these performances and exhibits is truly a holiday treat.

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Our Mission for the Season

This holiday season is not only one filled with festivities, but also a time of giving. Here at La Salle, giving and, more importantly, doing through service, is an important part of who we are as a community. Our mission includes inspiring in our students a sense of responsibility for others and motivating

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our students to respond compassionately to the needs of others, especially the poor. So, I’d like to share some numbers reflecting how our community has been living out our mission so far this year.

Through our annual Adopt-A-Family Christmas project, La Salle High School will • • Provide gifts for 65 children and teens and four families from Hillsides Home for Children • • Provide gifts for five military families from Fort Irwin • • Provide gifts for 53 children from 23 families associated with Eliot Middle School’s Healthy Start Program.

Additionally, the fall semester included the first of our three yearly blood drives, monthly service at Pasadena’s Union Station, and the kick off of our Lasallian Educational Advantage Partnership (LEAP) program through which La Salle students teach unique lessons in science, English, math, and physical education during visits to four area schools.

The Security of our Campus So much happening on La Salle’s campus keeps it a very busy place. Many people come on and off campus for events, to volunteer, and more. Maintaining the security of our campus amidst the busyness is important. As such, parents and visitors will have noticed the new security gate at the lower lot off of Michillinda Avenue. On school days, the gate will be closed from 8:15am. – 2:15pm. If you need to come on campus during those hours, please park in the upper lot using the visitor spots. (They are located next to the Accessible Parking Only spots on the far east side of the lot.) If you are entering school outside of pick-up and drop off times, you can also park in front of the school along Sierra Madre Boulevard. The lower lot is accessible by using the call box if needed, but we would like to ask visitors to please use the Sierra Madre parking options as often as possible and enter the school through the front door.

Very Successful Open House Lastly, I would like to say thank you to the many parents, boosters, and students, who, along with the entire faculty and staff, made Open House such a welcoming experience for our visitors last month. An event of that magnitude cannot happen without the help of many people, so thank you! And I’d like to give special acknowledgement to our admissions staff: Liz Cadwalader and Nathan Housman. It was another proud day for the Lancer community!

I hope you all have a very merry Christmas and that 2018 brings you and your families much joy.

Mrs. Courtney R. Kassakhian Principal

Adoration of the Kings by Joseph Adam Ritter von Molk (1718 - 1794).

Matthew 2:1 "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem."

The Bible never specifies how many wise men came. I believe it is a common assumption because three gifts were brought to Bethlehem.

Mölk, an Austrian painter adorned more than 40 churches, monasteries and castles with his paintings. From 1728 to 1733. - The Editor

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La Salle Matters

RESPECT FOR ALL PERSONS

For quite some time I’ve avoided commenting on the twin scourges of sexual abuse and sexual harassment; the former because of the obvious mishandling of the issue by our own Church over the course of the last three or four decades; the latter because, quite frankly, it has been a head-scratcher for me to learn – particularly lately – of the systemic and pervasive character of this sin against the seventh commandment in American society. I assure you, I am not being naïve. I recognize that men – especially men in positions of power and authority – can succumb to the temptation of using their influence in deleterious ways, particularly with respect to women. People of a certain age don’t need the disgusting behavior of Harvey Weinstein to be reminded that a Hollywood stereotype – the “casting couch” – was rooted in reality. What causes me to scratch my head these days is not only the extent of the scourge of sexual harassment but that it can be (and is found) in pretty much every occupational category one can imagine: entertainment, politics, journalism, sports, transportation and, yes, religion. And, now, we learn (November 17, 2017, National Catholic Reporter) that this scourge can be found in the hospitality industry.1 Unhappily for Catholics, renowned New Orleans Chef John Besh, the subject of a months-long sexual harassment expose by the New Orleans Times-Picayune, is well known as a Catholic activist, having served on the advisory board of the Center for Ethics and Culture at the University of Notre Dame as well as participating in the Middle East Ecumenical group Chefs4Peace. I suppose it is naïve of me to think that an individual with such a deep commitment to his Catholic faith could lose his way in such a spectacularly calamitous fashion…yet another head scratcher. This is particularly discouraging for me as one who has spent the last 40 years in Catholic education.

After 40 years, I recognize that it is enormously challenging for parents to guide their teenagers safely through the rough and tumble world of adolescence. I have seen these challenges manifest themselves in different ways, whether it was the seventies, eighties, nineties or – especially –the current moment. Not only has Social Media fundamentally altered the landscape teenagers negotiate, but it has also created an environment in which information is shared instantaneously, giving adults little opportunity to shape their children’s understanding of its significance. Shaping how young people understand the world which surrounds them is central to the process of forming a values-based perspective. Those of us of a certain age remember that the dinner table served as a Petri dish for values formation. Discussing the day’s events, its challenges and successes, enabled parents to provide a context for the moral formation of their children's consciences.

With the advent of Social Media, it is almost impossible to prepare children for the onslaught of the unmediated information to which they are exposed, let alone to put it in the context of a values-based world view.

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Which is why the prevalence of sexual harassment is such a head scratcher for me – how do we help teenagers learn how to respect others – especially women – when they are fed a steady diet of #me too messages? How do they learn to manage their own emerging sexuality when adult celebrities – some of whom they may be inclined to admire – have clearly failed to embrace the messages of respect for 1

Chef’s Catholic connections in spotlight after sexual harassment allegations

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the other that we are trying to teach them at home and at school? As bleak as this appears (to me), I am encouraged by the rapid response trend of different institutions to the charge of sexual harassment: they are quickly severing ties with those individuals who have been credibly accused.

While I want our teenagers to learn Respect for all persons (a Lasallian core value) in the classroom and at the dinner table, I recognize that we all need reinforcement of social values through negative consequences (I am not necessarily being an upstanding citizen because I obey the posted speed limit). While our teenagers are being exposed to a steady diet of “bad boy” behavior by adult celebrities, they are also learning that there is a price to be paid for it. I suspect that the scourge of sexual harassment will continue to unfold, but it will be met with an increasingly vigorous “zero tolerance” response. Our young people will observe this dynamic, going forward, and will, inevitably, make the necessary connection to the importance of the values we teach them at home and at school.

It will not be easy. I regularly tell parents that everyone has their individual demons which lurk just below the surface; unfortunately adolescence is that time when the filter hasn’t been fully developed – all the more challenging when they see too many adults who are incapable of maintaining their own filters. We need to double down on this challenge. While I am comforted at the prospect of a healthy student culture at La Salle enabling our teenagers to acquire appropriate pro-social skills when interacting with their peers, I also recognize that high school is a time in an adolescent’s life when the hormones try to throw a party and forget to invite the brain! Together, parents, teachers and administrators must confront the scourge of sexual harassment and equip our young people with the tools to resist the bad boy behavior of celebrities who should have known better.

And that challenge is no head scratcher.

Richard Gray, Ph.D. President

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018

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

© 2018

• EDITOR, DESIGNER JOHN BLACKSTOCK ’67 DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS TELEPHONE: 626.696.4316 • EMAIL: JBLACKSTOCK @ LASALLEHS . ORG

Transforming Lives Since 1680

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From the Parent assoCiation

Opening Our Hearts Hope may seem like empty optimism or wishful thinking. At Christmas, we celebrate real hope.

God comes into the world and offers us the strength to face the ups and downs of this life. How will you experience hope this Christmas?

On December 1, 2017, I attended the Crystal Ball Holiday Gift Gathering event and at that moment I realized Christmas was just a few weeks away. Prior to arriving at the Holiday event I was so exhausted but upon my arrival, the home where the event took place reenergized me.

The committee members welcomed everyone, and it was a fantastic evening. I met some amazing La Salle family members especially the Hansen’s. I would like to welcome them to La Salle and to say thank you for sharing your amazing journey to La Salle and for introducing me to Pentatonix. I went home and listened to the Hallelujah song, which pulls on your heart strings. While the song was playing Parent Association in the background, I realized how blessed I have been this year. This year has been challenging health wise for our family and for some of my very close friends. However, I am so grateful for Meeting the individuals I have met at La Salle that have lifted me when I needed hope. The Holiday January 16, 2018 season is all about opening our hearts to each other by showing each love and hope.

6:30pm I am looking forward to our Faculty Appreciation luncheon. The Parent Association would like to say thank you. As a parent, I would like to extend my thank you, whether it was Blakeslee Library with helping my son Ethan with his college essay, applications, exploring current events topics in class, his curiosity in math, watching his face light up in the morning on his services days. He has really loved working with the students at Don Bonito Elementary School. And last, thank you Coach Lynch for your patience, love and respect for your players.

The Holiday season would not be the same at La Salle without the Adopt-a-Family party. I encourage all our La Salle family members to attend this event, which is hosted by the Student Life Council members. This Christmas party brings so much joy to the families that are hosted, especially the children. Please come and help spread the holiday joy.

Christmas was one of my favorite holidays growing up in St. Lucia. For me, Christmas was about looking forward to wearing a new dress, going to midnight mass, and spending Christmas day with my family. One of the things I love about Christmas in the United States, is having a tree as we did not have Christmas trees in St. Lucia. Decorating the tree is a big deal in our family, and I love watching the look on the faces of my children when they find ornaments we purchased when they were children, or made during their early years in elementary school. I love experiencing Christmas through the eyes of my children. The other tradition we have is driving down Christmas Tree Lane in Altadena. It is magical.

In 2018, many of our La Salle families will be anticipating college acceptance letters and preparing for graduation. This will be a wonderful and amazing journey for many parents at La Salle. We will all be there to support each other, and remember you are never alone.

Our next Parent Association meeting is January 16, 2018 at 6:30pm in the Blakeslee Library.

Merry Christmas to all from: Emily, Ken, and Ethan “Hope is the one thing you can’t buy, but will be given to you freely if you ask.

Hope is the one thing people cannot live without.”

- Matthew Kelly.

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Emily Vaughn Henry P'18 Parent Association President

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Students Paint Portraits for Syrian Refugee Children

By Anissa V. Rivera Columnist “Mom’s the Word” Reprinted from Pasadena Star-News

Picture this: children living in a refugee camp in Syria open up a package from America. In it is their own portrait, a piece of personal history in a life too often devoid of happy memories.

Kate Williams, fine art teacher at La Salle High School in Pasadena, asked her students to partner with The Memory Project, a nonprofit that invites art teachers and students to create and donate portraits to youth around the world who face neglect, abuse, loss of parents, violence and poverty.

The students, all members of the National Art Honor Society, received print and digital copies of children’s portraits. They spent two months working on their artwork after which they will send the finished portraits, at their own cost, to Syrian children living in Azraq and Za’atari, the largest Syrian refugee camps. It is a chance to creatively practice kindness and gain global awareness.

The portraits help refugee children 7,000 miles away feel valued and important, officials at The Memory Project said. Since 2004, the nonprofit has created more than 100,000 portraits for children in 43 countries. La Salle students will also receive videos of their portrait subjects receiving their original art pieces.

Williams said her students “have expressed repeatedly that they love giving back to the community, both local and global. It is such a joy to serve others through their passion, art.”

Taylor Hanna, 18, of Sierra Madre, said what he saw in his photo of a Syrian child was apathy, that “he seemed to think that taking the picture was pointless and that nothing was really going to happen from it,” Hanna said. “So I decided to prove him wrong by painting a really good portrait of him, even though he probably never thought that.”

“If I can give back to the community by doing something that I enjoy, then I am happy to do so,” Hanna said. “That is what I like about (National Art Honor Society), and if people can do service by doing what they like, then I think much more good can be achieved in this world.”

This semester, La Salle art students are crafting centerpieces for the Thanksgiving dinner at Union Station in Pasadena as well as teaching arts and crafts to under served children at the school’s Adopt a Family event at Christmas.

The National Art Honor Society will hold a gallery show from 6:00 to 8:00pm, Friday, December 1, at Belle’s Nest, 55 N. Baldwin Avenue, Sierra Madre.

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Volleyball's Spectacular Year

OUR GIRLS NEVER GAVE UP

This year's 2017 Varsity volleyball went

farther than the program has ever gone before.

La Salle lost the first two games 25-21

The Lady Lancers took 1st place in the Del Rey

and 25-16. The third game the Lancers came

games in three sets. La Salle was ranked 1st

yon won 25-17.

League (in style). The Lancers won all their going into CIF playoffs and were able to defeat Arcadia, Yorba Linda and Sage Hill High

schools. The Semi-Finals game vs Sage Hill was the first time that the team played a five set match. The CIF Finals vs Sierra Canyon was the

Lancers first appearance in a CIF Final Match since 2013 when they

beat Harvard Westlake to win the Division 1A Championship.

"We knew what to expect

going into the finals, since we had already played and beaten Sierra

Canyon earlier in the season. We

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vous to being anxious."

knew they were a good team and

a hard team to beat again," said coach Tiare Tuitama. "The finals

were filled with emotions; everything from being excited to ner-

back to win 25-18, but in the fourth game Can-

As the State Playoffs started, there was

a possibility of playing Sierra Canyon or Sage

Hill again. The girls came to practice with a different mind-set and a goal to get

to the State Championship. First, they beat Bakersfield Christian

then Del Norte from San Diego

and finally, Olympian. Then La Salle got the opportunity to play Sierra

Canyon

again

for

the

State Regional Finals. This time we were ready to compete taking the first and second game 25-16 and 25-19. Canyon fought back

winning the third game 25-16.

Canyon was in the lead 19-11, in the fourth game as the Lanc-

ers fought back and scored five

points in a row tying the score,

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MORE PHOTOS ARE IN THE LA SALLE FLICKR GALLERY

but unfortunately we lost by two points 25-23

scrimmage or a State Regional game." Despite

State Regional game. The girls went out ďŹ ghting

heads held up high, accomplishing something

and dropped the 5th game 15-10. "It was a great

as hard as they could which all a coach can really ask for. I am very proud of the Lancer volleyball

program, and I am honored that I had the opportunity to coach these girls. They have truly fought day in and day out, whether it was practice, a

the loss, the team was able to walk out with their

that the volleyball program has never done be-

fore. I’m proud of all the girls. Every single one of them brought something unique to the team and

they contributed that throughout the season," said coach Tuitama.

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Leadership Rings True Monday, November 13th the class of 2019 gathered in the dining hall for the Junior Leadership Ceremony. At this significant and prayerful event, the Juniors are recognized as leaders of the school now that they are upperclassmen, and as a token of La Salle’s appreciation of their leadership and service. The juniors were given a testament of appreciation and a Lasallian Medallion with the inscription; “Let us remember, we are in the holy presence of God.” Many students received their class rings at this ceremony as well, to commemorate their time here at La Salle.

The class selected Ms. Jane Osick, Dean of Students, as the keynote speaker. Blessings by parents and students marked the conclusion of the ceremony.

JUNIOR LEADERS RECEIVE MEDALS AND RINGS

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DECEMBER/JANU-

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From the College Counseling Center

College Center News

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

College Applications

At this point, all University of California applications are completed and submitted, as are the Cal State applications. Parents, please remind your seniors to submit their official SAT / ACT scores to the schools where they are applying. In order to do so, they need to log into their College Board or ACT account and select the option to send scores. Colleges only accept official scores sent directly from the test agency. Students applying to multiple UC campuses may send the SAT or ACT scores to only one of them and they will share. The same is true for the Cal States, as they share scores as well. For all the other schools, students need to send the scores to each of them.

If students are completing the Common Application, they must match their Common Application and Naviance accounts which will allow us to submit their transcript and letters of recommendation electronically. All students have to do is to go into their Naviance page, select “Colleges I’m applying to” and enter their email address in the designated field and click on the match button.

When seniors find out about their college acceptances (and denials), they should share their news with their College Counselors and enter the results in Naviance.

Letters of Recommendation JUNIOR COLLEGE PLANNING NIGHT JANUARY 17

From the counselor: All seniors should have turned in their College List to their College Counselor by November 15th. If your student applies to a college not on their list and that has a January 2018 deadline, they must inform their college counselor by December 8 to allow sufficient time for the counselors to submit the required forms and letters of recommendation before the holiday break.

College Counselors will not be able to write letters of recommendation or fill out school/counselor reports over the Christmas break. Please plan ahead!

From the teachers: All seniors should have asked teachers to write their letters of recommendation in November. All forms and envelopes (if needed) must be given to the teachers by Friday, December 8.

The teachers must complete forms/letters of recommendation to colleges before holiday break to meet most deadlines. They need time to write good letters of recommendation, and the best letters will not be written over vacation.

FAFSA & Cal Grant

Please note that La Salle has already submitted our senior GPAs to the California Student Aid Commission. This means parents who have submitted their FAFSA will be notified if their student is eligible for the Cal Grant. Our College Counselors strongly encourage parents to submit their FAFSA early to ensure that your student is considered for the maximum amount of gift aid.

College Planning Survey for Juniors

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The College Planning Survey for Juniors will be available just before the Christmas Break. College counselors will schedule one-on-one college planning meetings with students starting in January in the order that the surveys are completed.

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College Planning Night for Juniors Ms. Bonacci, Mr. Hou and Mrs. Yu will begin the formal college counseling process for juniors in January. We will meet with juniors and their parents on Wednesday, January 17, at 6:00pm in the Dining Hall. Junior students will receive a packet of information that includes material explaining the college application process. Attendance is mandatory for junior students. We strongly suggest at least one parent to attend with your student.

Schedule: 6:00 – 6:20pm: 6:20 – 6:40pm: 6:40 – 7:05pm: 7:05 – 7:30pm: 7:30 – 8:00pm:

Opening Speaker: Jee Won Lee, Sr. Associate of Admissions, Whitman College UC & Cal State Admission Requirements College Planning Process Utilizing Naviance Question & Answer Period

SAVE the DATE – College Forum for Freshman, Sophomore & Junior families La Salle’s College Forum will be held on Thursday, March 22, at 6:00pm. As in the past, college admission representatives from many colleges will present important information to our families (see tentative sessions below). The College Forum is a great opportunity for students to learn about the college admission process and learn how to research and identify the right college for them. So, highlight the College Forum on your calendar.

COLLEGE FORUM MARCH 22

The following were the presentation topics from the 2017 College Forum. While a majority of presentations will stay the same, some presentations will be different. Please advise by January 15 if there are any specific topics you would like to see presented: Words of Advice from Veteran Parents How to Pay for College Tips for Admission to Highly Selective Colleges The Visual Arts: The Application Process and Portfolios Navigating Naviance: Family Connection, Admission Stats, and More The NCAA, the Student Athlete & Admission Studying the Sciences and Engineering Searching for the Best Opportunity: Parents’ Advice to Out-of-State Colleges Understand Need and Merit Based Discounting Studying Business Studying Nursing and the Health Sciences Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program and other scholarships

universitY oF san diego

More detailed information will be published in the February ParentNewsletter.

Classes of 2019 and 2020 - College Tours We are offering the following college tours in the spring: College Counseling Continued on page 14

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College Continued from page 13

San Diego College Tour February 5, 2018 University of San Diego, UC San Diego, San Diego State University

uC davis

Bay Area College Tour March 5-6, 2018 Santa Clara University, UC Santa Cruz, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, Saint Mary’s College of California For more information, please contact Mrs. Elmslie-Britt.

Standardized Testing ACT FOR JUNIORS FEBRUARY 10

All freshman, sophomore and junior students took standardized tests in October. In January, freshman and sophomore students will receive and review their PreACT results and Junior students will receive and review their PSAT results. Please do not hesitate to contact one of our college counselors if you have any questions about test results.

February 10 ACT for all Juniors All juniors have signed up for the February 10 ACT at La Salle. They MUST also do the following in order to be admitted to the test site: 1. All students have created their own account on www.actstudent.org. However they need to have their photo uploaded on their account by February 2 2. Once their photo is uploaded, they need to print out their Admission Ticket.

3. Bring the Admission Ticket and a picture ID to the February 10 ACT Photo requirements and directions to upload photos can be found at www.actstudent.org/regist/ add-photo.html. For your student’s convenience, Mrs. Yu sent an email on October 4th to your student with his or her Powerschool picture attached to be used for the ACT registration.

Your student can change the test location and/or change to a later test date if necessary. Please note La Salle has already paid for this test and there is no expense on your part. Should your student decide not to take the ACT this academic year, we will have to bill the cost back to you.

Please call the ACT directly at 800.553.6244 if you have any technical issues.

Ms. Bonacci ’94, Mr. Hou ’90, P'21, and Mrs. Yu, P’21 wish you a very

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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Lancers Sign National Letters

Seven

LANCERS SIGN COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS

Seven Lancers signed National Letters of Intent on November 15, 2017.

From left,

Sophia Anderson - San Francisco State - Volleyball Sofia Sanchez - Seattle University - Volleyball Victoria Ashkinos - Stanford - Beach Volleyball Darius Henderson - University of Massachusetts (Lowell) Basketball Julia Macabuhay - University of California San Diego - Basketball Claire Forrest - Seton Hall - Volleyball Ethan Patrick - Loyola Marymount - Baseball

Girls Golf - Way Above Par

By Steve Haderlein, Girls Varsity Golf Coach

Junior Makenna Hicks had a big season for the Lancers. Hicks has not only been the Lancers best golfer all season, she is also their most consistent and best clutch golfer as well. Hicks led La Salle to Del Rey League match victories over Pomona Catholic and St. Paul. She shot a 47 against the Pacers, which was six shots better than the closest Lancer. Hicks also shot a 47 in a win over St. Paul, and in this match, she was 14 shots better than the next closest golfer.

League results: Makenna Hicks, Ashley Mayo, Sophie Woodman, Ahtziri Rios-Aguirre, Josephine Lo and Collette Allen competed in the final round of the Camino Real League women’s golf tournament. Ashley, Sophie, Ahtziri, Josephine and Collette earned second team All-League Honors. Makenna earned first team AllLeague Honors.

Makenna Hicks

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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.

AN EASY WAY TO SUPPORT LA SALLE

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!

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 $160,000 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.”

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Questions? Please email: Loretta Whittingham - lorettawhittingham@att.net or Emily Vaughn Henry - evaughnhenry@gmail.com

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

ParentNewsletter

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018

Mass Photo

On December 8th, Father Mark celebrated mass for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in the dining hall, highlighted by the music and singing of our own “Music for the Masses.�

Rejoice! Ugly Christmas Sweaters!

Christmas sweaters of all kinds were everywhere on campus as the Support Our Troops club served hot chocolate and students wrote notes in Christmas cards that the club will mail to our soldiers. See more fun photos on the Flicker Gallery.

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ParentNewsletter

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018

'Twas an Amusing Family Affair An amazing and talented cast brought Broadway's "The Addams Family - A New Musical Comedy" to er...life! Nine SRO shows featured the double-casted actors who performed wonderfully accompanied by music from La Salle band members.

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ParentNewsletter

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018

TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS, GO TO LA SALLE HOME PAGE, LINK TO FLICKR AT BOTTOM LEFT

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ParentNewsletter

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018

From the viCe President For mission

Mind the Mission

By Patrick Bonacci, AFSC, Vice President for Mission

As I get older, it certainly seems to me that the fury of the race to Christmas becomes more intense each year. My October sightings of Christmas “stuff” in stores makes me cringe; and do not get me started on the whole “Black Friday” rampage. To help put Advent and Christmas into perspective, I share with you the highlights from a short article titled “Be gracious and hospitable this Christmas”, written by Jeff Young for the December 2017 issue of Catholic Digest. He stated, “The holy day that commemorates the silent arrival of the God-man more than 2,000 years ago is often experienced today as a tightly wrapped package of anxiety and stress. That can’t be what God intends for the celebration of Christmas, a solemnity imbued with a sense of graciousness and hospitality.” He went on to write, “Jesus comes to us with the utmost graciousness and hospitality. Graciousness and hospitality are two attitudes I want to adopt this Christmas so I can be a little more like Jesus.”

BE GRACIOUS AND HOSPITABLE THIS CHRISTMAS

I do not know Mr. Young’s educational background; but his comments about Jesus coming to us with graciousness and hospitality are very Lasallian. Among the Five Core Lasallian Principles our students study, there are three that clearly incorporate the ideals of being gracious and hospitable: Being aware of the Holy Presence of God, Being Inclusive and Respecting All. My hope for all of us is that, especially during the Advent and Christmas Seasons, we feel the presence of God in our lives, fully, and accept his hospitality and that we welcome all to our table.

I most often share a prayer or meditation verse with you at this time of the year. The prayer I have selected for this year is one of the prayers our students heard during our morning PA prayer. It is one of the Advent prayers recited as the Advent Candles were lit each morning:

Lord of Hope, dare I? Can I really hope? From out of darkness, I sense a dim light ahead, the light of your coming into the world.

I so long for the time when you are no longer hidden from me and my deepest desire is to trust in your warm voice I hear behind me, guiding me along a hidden path I do not know.

Dry my tears, heal my wounds and help me wait for the dawning of the dim light ahead, with a brighter vision of healing and freedom.

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Have a Blessed, Faith-filled and Family-filled Christmas Season!

ParentNewsletter

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018

Plastic "Coral Reef" and "Bottle Tower" made of trash and discarded beverage continers.

Chasing Coral

By Elizabeth Mullin, Environmental Science and Biology teacher

The environmental science class is trying to make a difference this year, in the world and in our own La Salle community. Sary Nachabe ’18, says, “These days, we get many warnings about our environment, such as the melting ice caps and the loss of coral reefs. Many of us just brush it out of sight and out of mind, hoping that that one bottle we recycled will change the world.” During class, students had the opportunity to view a Netflix movie called Chasing Coral. It shows the impact that global warming is having on the world, especially the coral reefs. “Coral bleaching is caused by the water temperature increasing,” says Annie Yerevian '19. “Changes in coral communities also affect the species that depend on them for food, shelter, and recruitment habitat. Declines in genetic and species diversity may occur when corals die as a result of bleaching.”

Several students in the class wanted to make a model of a coral reef community, Zoe Samerjan ’18, says, “The plastic coral reef statue was my interpretation of what the coral reef population will look like if humans keep treating our oceans like they are dispensable. The plastic statue is made out of recycled bottles and cans students found near the La Salle campus. With this statue we want

to convey a message to other students about what is happening to the coral reefs because of climate change.”

Other students put together informative videos to help get the word out on what is happening. They have been shown on LTV and can be seen at the links https://youtu.be/dfJU84Mk6v0 and https://youtu.be/vqVHRXZzNVk Devon Culpepper ’19, noted, “The Chasing Coral documentary was an inspirational film that truly opened my eyes to the effect that mankind has had on our environment, while also demonstrating how a small group of individuals can make a difference.”

Riley Sansone ’18, says, “My group and I decided to write letters to the school faculty, parent associations, and parent boosters to stop buying Styrofoam goods because of the environmental repercussions of using Styrofoam. Stopping our school’s use of Styrofoam is a small step towards reducing pollution in the oceans and a small step towards helping the dying corals in our oceans.”

(The faculty lounge and kitchen no longer use Styrofoam items).

One Step. One School. Big Impact!

LEARN SERVE LEAD

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ParentNewsletter

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018

From Institutional Advancement

Year End Planned Giving

Through the Planned Giving program at La Salle High School, donors and supporters can contribute to the School’s endowment through one of many Planned Giving Instruments. Though this program is supported throughout the year, it can be especially strategic and helpful to the donors and supporters as the end of the year approaches.

Last month’s article addressed examples of Planned Gifts that are typically utilized at or near the end of the year.

THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO SUPPORT LA SALLE

• The donation of appreciated securities (held for over a year) (1) avoids capital gains tax, and

(2) creates a tax deduction for the full value of the securities donated. With the stock market at historically high levels, this strategy is a most effective manner of year-end charitable giving.

•

The transfer of up to $100,000 of one’s IRA (for taxpayers having attained age 70½) to La Salle High School can serve to reduce the taxation of other attributes being reported on one’s tax return in additional to avoiding the tax due on all or part of one’s required annual IRA distribution.

• Funding a Charitable Gift Annuity allows the donor to receive not only a tax deduction but

also a stream of income at a very competitive rate of return, part of which is received free of income tax. With bank interest rates hovering at or below 1% over the past several years, the Annuity program is a great alternative to safely increase one’s rate of return on invested cash.

• Naming La Salle High School as a full or partial beneficiary of a life insurance policy is also a

common estate planning strategy. This can be established without incurring any out of pocket cost to the donor/owner of the policy.

Certain year end giving strategies require additional time to execute, so timely planning for these donations is highly recommended.

We are all aware of various tax-reform proposals that have been newsworthy for several months. At this time the status of these for 2018 is unknown. Consultation with one’s tax advisor is suggested as part of the consideration of a Planned Gift.

These are some of the common examples of a Planned Gift to be considered as the end of the year approaches. 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.

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In Summay

La Salle High School can prrovide 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.

ParentNewsletter

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018

Matching Gifts

Baskets, Baskets!

WE ARE ALWAYS THANKFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT

Yes, We Need 'em.

Are you not sure what to do with that empty gift basket you received this holiday season? The Crystal Ball Committee would like to help you put those empty baskets to good use. We need medium to large baskets for our auction.

You can drop them off in the Institutional Advancement OfďŹ ce, room 340.

We hope to see you at the 19 Annual Crystal Ball, to be held th

Friday, May 4, 2018.

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 Morales at: tmorales@lasallehs.org or call 626.696.4381.

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ParentNewsletter

TODAY IS YOUR LUCKY DAY

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018

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

• Disneyland Park-Hopper Family 4-Pack

•

Apple iPad Opportunity Drawing takes place on May 4, 2018 during the Crystal Ball

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Contact Cheryl Allen for more information at cherylallen8@icloud.com

ParentNewsletter

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018

Crystal Ball Christmas Party Starts the Season Beautifully Magnificent holiday decorations greeted nearly 150 guests at the historic home of Carol and Mark Forbush P'14, '16, hosts of the 2017 Crystal Ball Christmas Gift Gathering Party on December 2.

The La Salle Christmas Choir and Jazz Trio performed before parents, friends and faculty as they enjoyed a delicious buffet dinner, desserts and libations.

TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS, GO TO LA SALLE HOME PAGE, LINK TO FLICKR AT BOTTOM LEFT

Top, committee members gather at the party entrance.

Left, hosts Carol and Mark Forbush P'14, '16.

Above, La Salle Christmas Choir.

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ParentNewsletter

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018

Lancer Veterans Honored On Thursday, November 9th La Salle hosted a Veterans Day Assembly to honor the 282 known alumni veterans and veterans in the greater community. The assembly included a Marine Color Guard, performances by the La Salle Orchestra and Choir, Video Tributes and an address from the guest speaker, Major Aixa Dones, United States Marine Corp.

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ParentNewsletter

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018

Opposite top, The US Marine Corps Color Guard Presents the Colors as the La Salle band plays the Star Spangled Banner.

Opposite bottom, Major Aixa Dones, USMC with students.

Above, La Salle veterans are introduced by military branch. Below and right, members of the La Salle orchestra and choir.

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ParentNewsletter DECEMBER/

ADOPT-AFAMILY CHRISTMAS PARTY DECEMBER 16

MARTIN LUTHER KING HOLIDAY JANUARY 15

NEW STUDENT FINANCIAL AID FORMS DUE JANUARY 16

ACADEMIC AWARDS JANUARY 25

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018

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December/January Highlights December 15 Crystal Ball $5 Raffle Dress Day* La Salle New Student Application Deadline December 16 Saturday Adopt-A-Family Christmas Party Campus, Dining Hall 11:00am - 2:00pm December 18-21 Semester Final Exams Week December 18 Periods 1 & 2 Dismissal 11:20am December 19 Periods 3 & 4 Dismissal 11:20am December 20 Periods 5 & 6 Dismissal 11:20am December 21 Periods 7 Dismissal 9:30am December 21 Thursday SnowBall 8:00 - 11:00pm Dining Hall December 22 - January 9 Christmas Holiday Vacation January 9, 2018 Classes Resume Second Semester Begins First Semester Grades Mailed

January 10 CSF Applications Open NHS Applications Available January 15 Monday Martin Luther King, Jr. School Holiday January 16 Financial Aid Applications Due to FACTS for Incoming Students / Class of 2022 Parent Association Meeting 6:30pm Blakeslee Library Parent Boosters Meetings 7:30pm Campus January 17 CSF Applications Close NHS Applications Due College Night for Junior Parents and Juniors 6:00 - 7:30pm Dining Hall

January 22-24 Senior Retreat January 25 Dress Uniforms Academic Awards 9:25 -10:50am Dining Hall January 27 Saturday High School Placement Test and Essay 9:00am -12:30pm Dining Hall January 29 -February 2 National Catholic Schools Week February 2 Special Schedule National Catholic Schools Week Prayer Assembly 9:20- 10:50am Dining Hall

January 19 Rally Schedule Winter Sports Rally 1:20pm Duffy Lewis Gymnasium January 20 Saturday High School Placement Test and Essay 9:00am -12:30pm Dining Hall

December 16

*Purchase of $5 Opportunity Drawing ticket for a trip to Hawaii, Disneyland Passes or an iPad

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For specific Lancer Athletic game dates, times and locations log on to www.lasallelancers.org or www.lasallehs.org Athletics.

Please visit the La Salle Athletics Boosters page at www.lasallelancers.org under Boosters