December 2016 and January 2017 Parent Newsletter

ParentNewsletter THE LA SALLE

FOR PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF LA SALLE HIGH SCHOOL • PASADENA • CA • DECEMBER/JANUARY 2017

Principal Ideas Learn•Serve•Lead

Hello. Well we have nearly made it to the end of the semester. Time has truly flown by for me this first semester, and I am guessing it has done the same for you and your children. The semester cannot come to an end though without final exams. Final semester exams will take place Tuesday, December 13 through Friday, December 16.

All teachers should have all grades entered in the gradebook by December 12, with the exception of the final exam of course. 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.

Please note that final exams are finished by 11:20am Tuesday-Thursday and by 9:30am on Friday.

The dining hall will only be open before school and at the break. No lunch will be served during final exams.

PowerSchool Unlike years past, PowerSchool will not go dark this year. However, please be aware

that final grades are not due from teachers until Friday, January 6 and that teachers are on break from December 17- January 5. Although some may check e-mail over the break, they are not required to do so. So if you or your child have questions about final grades or final exams during the break time, you can send an e-mail or leave a voice mail, but know that it will likely not be returned until teachers resume work on January 6.

Please take the Christmas vacation to truly take a break from school. All questions about final exam grades and finals 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 9 in the Student Handbook.)

Open House

On Sunday, November 6, La Salle opened its doors to prospective students and families.

This could not happen without the hard work of many people. I would like to say thank you to the many parents, boosters, and students, who, along

In the Words of Saint John Baptist de La Salle "If you wish to profit by the coming of Jesus Christ in you, you must let him be the master of your heart."

Saint John Baptist de La Salle Patron Saint of Teachers, c.1705 Meditations 85.2 Vigil of the Nativity

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Principal Ideas Continued from page 1

with the entire faculty and staff, made for such a welcoming experience for our visitors. And I’d like to give special acknowledgement to our wonderful admissions staff: Liz Cadwalader and Nathan Housman. It was another proud day for the Lancer community!

First Semester Recap ADOPT-AFAMILY DECEMBER 10

This first semester has in part gone by so fast because so much has taken place. Our first four months of school have been filled with many successes both inside and outside the classroom.

I would like to give you a brief recap of some of the things that have been going on at La Salle that have not made it into past parent newsletters: Zachary Damir, Bettina Lee, and Japhet Quitzon, all class of 2016, represented La Salle High School and the USA proudly at the Scholars Cup Tournament of Champions at Yale University in November. They finished as the top team in the US, top team in the Americas, and 6th overall.

Additionally, Christian Billings, also class of 2016, competed in the tournament and finished with a DaVinci award for being one of the most well rounded scholars in the tournament.

Lancer Winter Sports

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As we transition out of fall and into winter, our athletic program also transitions from fall sports to winter sports. The Lancers had a great fall season overall.  Varsity Girls Golf: Overall record: 7-10.

3 Finished 3rd in Del Rey League. Makenna Hicks, Sarah Day and Victoria Tong named 1st Team All-League. Annabell Lee named 2nd Team All-League.  3 Varsity Girls Tennis: Overall record: 12-7.

Earned 2nd place in Del Rey League. Postseason: Lost in CIF wildcard round to Century High. Abby Siracusa and Annie Yerevanian named 1st Team All-League.

Cameron Agapito, Laura Biosca and Long Lin named 2nd Team All-League.  Varsity Girls Volleyball: Overall record: 3 23-12. 8-0 in Del Rey League. Del Rey League champions! Post-season: Lost in

CIF –SS quarterfinals. Sophia Anderson (League MVP), Victoria Ashkinos, Claire Forrest and Ravin Rhodes named 1st Team All-League. Vanessa Ramirez and Emily Wasson named 2nd Team AllLeague.

3 Varsity Cross Country: Girls Team –  Overall record: 0-12. Ashley Mayo named 1st Team All-League. Boys Team – Overall record: 5-8. Finished 4th in Del Rey League.

3  Varsity Football Team – Overall record: 7-4. Tied for 3rd place in Angelus League and had first post-season win in nine years! Noel Beltran, Myles Cecil (League Most Valuable Lineman), Wyatt Cimino, Harrison MacDonald, Amon Milliner (League Offensive MVP), Jake Rose, and Ryan Sparks named 1st Team All-League.

Myles Bailey, Sammy Martinez, Tommy Radle, and J.T. Young named 2nd Team All-League.  3 Varsity Boys Water Polo: Overall record: 5-13.

I know part of the reason students and families choose La Salle is because they get more than an excellent academic education here.

Students are able to grow personally and learn about their passion. Athletics is one way they do this. Thank you to all of our fall sport coaches for helping our students grow and learn on the field, court, and in the pool, as well as in the classroom.

Adopt-a-Family Christmas Party

With Christmas upon us, I have been hearing the term “season of giving” in ads from retailers who want us to buy their products to give to others. Here at La Salle though, our students and community members give of their time, talents, and treasure year round through service projects both on and off-campus. December 10 brings our annual Adopt-a-Family Christmas Program. This means that we will: • Provide gifts for 55 children and teens from 3 Hillsides Home for Children

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3 Provide gifts for six military families from • Fort Irwin •3 Provide gifts for 70 children from 25 families associated with Eliot Middle School’s Healthy Start Program.

Service to Our Community

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to what I say. The child…sleeping in the night, He will bring us goodness and light!” Our world and nation have felt very chaotic lately. We could use a lot more peace and a lot more love. I hope that throughout this season we do as the king in the song says and pray for peace and celebrate Jesus who does indeed bring us goodness and light.

Additionally, 49 faculty, staff and students donated to our annual blood drive organized by the Student Life service team in November. And as part of the annual Christmas tree sale in support of student activities, La Salle donated 165 trees to military families. November 30 was also the first school visit for our LEAP program. Through the Lasallian Educational Advantage Partnership (LEAP) La Salle students teach unique lessons in science, English, math, and physical education during visits to four area schools.

He will Bring us Goodness and Light

It is easy to get caught up in the holiday spirit and forget about the true meaning of Christmas. Gift buying, holiday parties, and planning for trips and family dinners tend to take the bulk of our energy during December. I myself love Christmas music from pop tunes about snowmen to the hymns and carols we sing in church throughout this advent season. My favorite Christmas song is “Do you hear what I hear?” (I’m especially partial to the Whitney Houston version.)

In the last verse, the king speaks to his people, saying, “Pray for peace people everywhere. Listen

REST AND ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS

Have a very merry Christmas and may 2017 bring you and your families much joy.

Mrs. Courtney R. Kassakhian Principal

Celebrating 60 Years of Lasallian Educational Excellence 1956 - 2016

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La Salle Matters

I’m not much of a Facebook fan – I subscribe to it because it’s the only way I can keep track of my extended family’s activities – so when I stumbled on one of those social media quizzes that purport to demonstrate one’s expertise (“You know you are a native of X if you can correctly answer these 10 questions…”), I surprised myself by being lured into taking one designed to test how much I knew about the Catholic religion. With questions like:

FAITH SEEKING UNDERSTANDING

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• What was the name of the last Pope?

• What color represents Ordinary Time on the Liturgical Calendar?

• When does Advent occur?

I quickly realized that it was not a serious exercise in religious knowledge. Needless to say, I answered all the questions correctly, producing this breathless statement by the author of the test: “You aren’t one of those people who calls themselves Catholic without knowing the religion really well – you know all there is to know!”

Would that were true.

Like all of the world’s great religions, Catholicism seeks to steer a line between knowing its principles and practicing them…between the facts of the faith and spirituality. It’s not unusual for many, if not all, churchgoers to err on one side over the other. I imagine most of us know someone who likes to assert: “I’m spiritual but not religious.” I suppose that statement is intended to mean that the individual eschews the institutional world of religion in favor of a vague sense of being “spiritual.”

The problem with that approach is its assumption that the terms “spiritual” and “religious” can be separated from each other. At some level, someone who is spiritual (acting out of a belief in a divine being) is, to a greater or lesser extent, also religious (understanding a system of behaviors which flow from a belief in a divine being).

One may only weakly follow the tenets of organized religion or even reject specific religious institutions and their practices, but being spiritual and religious go hand-in-hand.

As a Catholic school, La Salle, for example, emphasizes the importance of being both spiritual and religious. I am fond of saying that, at La Salle, we welcome students of all – and no – faiths out of our firm understanding that Catholic values can make an important contribution to the moral (spiritual) development of all adolescents. This is why all of our students are expected to study Religion each year; and it is why we expect all students to participate in our various Service programs.

Knowing the Gospel and practicing its exhortations (“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”) provide an essential foundation

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for negotiating the unstructured, often chaotic, world our students will inherit when they leave us.

Christian churches began the season of Advent last Sunday. It is typically understood as a time to prepare for the Christmas celebration on December 25th.

Regular churchgoers know that it is more than just a time of preparation. It is equally a time for us to be both spiritual and religious – to remind ourselves of the need to consciously embrace the values that are continually transforming the world for the better as well as to participate in religious activities which focus our attention on how God can give us the grace to become better persons.

Near the front entrance to the School is our version of the Advent wreath, containing three purple candles and one rose candle. A purple candle is lit on the first two Sundays of Advent. The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday (symbolizing that the period of preparation for Christmas is half over) and the final, purple candle is lit on the Sunday before Christmas. On Christmas day, the colored candles are replaced with white ones to symbolize the entrance of God into human history.

I love this beautiful religious tradition because it simply and elegantly reminds me of how important it is for me to live my life as if God were about to arrive any day. It subtly reinforces the facts of my faith and encourages me to embrace them as guiding principles for how to live my life. Saint Anselm captured this dynamic when he adopted the motto: Faith seeking understanding.

So while a perfect score on a Facebook quiz won’t impress even the most casual of Catholics, it reminds me – as does the season of Advent – that it is important to be both spiritual and religious, especially now when our fragile world is beset by so many seemingly intractable challenges.

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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

Richard Gray, Ph.D. President

Transforming Lives Since 1680

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From the Parent Association

Goodbye 2016...Hello 2017 THE YEAR GOES FAST AND THEN EVEN FASTER

It is hard to believe that we are half way through yet another school year. When people say these four years go fast, they are so right!

The holidays quite often are a tough time of year with too many things to do and not enough time to accomplish them. I mulled this over all weekend as I worried about the several hundred things I needed to do to make the holidays happen and close out the year. It is also a time that I like to look back over the year and see what has changed and how far we have come. When our kids were little, it was easy to track their growth. It is literally chronicled on the sidewall of our kitchen where every six months each child was measured. As they get older and their physical growth comes to a conclusion, measuring growth and change is harder to track. La Salle has given our children the opportunity to grow and try new things. Since this time last year, Kelli has learned how to golf, become a better dancer and can almost converse comfortably in Spanish with her father.

The school also experienced many changes over the last year. I remember reading this month’s newsletter last year learning that Brother Christopher would be leaving us, we were in the middle of WCEA/WASC accreditation and the Master plan needed approval. Our accreditation and Master Plan approval became complete and Courtney Kassakhian became our new principal. Now, this last week Principal Kassakhian addressed the Mother’s of Alumni luncheon via remote telecast and reminded us of the many qualities and achievements we have had this last year. She has settled in and it feels like she has been with us for a long time.

Parent Association Meeting JANUARY 10, 2017 6:30pm Blakeslee Library

Our first Parent Association meeting of 2017 will be on Tuesday, January 10. This will be our “Mission Support” meeting. At this time, we will review the recommendations of the WCEA/WASC accreditation and pose several questions to our parents. We are looking for and appreciate our parent input and would love to have as many parents present as possible. Pat Bonacci will lead this discussion. We will have hospitality starting at 6:00pm with the meeting beginning at 6:30pm. The booster group meetings follow immediately after the conclusion of the Parent Association meeting. I am sure, after having our kids home for three weeks that we could all use a respite away!

We can look forward to the many things winter and spring bring.

Our seniors will begin hearing from the colleges that they applied to and our juniors will start visiting some of their prospective schools. There really is no down time. The kids need to press forward and so do we. Our new student registration will be in early March and then we will do it all over again.

As this Year of Mercy comes to a conclusion, may God’s Mercy grace your lives and may you find peace in the New Year.

Jacky Samartin P'15,'19

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Parent Association President

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From the Athletic Boosters

Lancers Sign National Letters of Intent

LANCERS READY FOR COLLEGE SPORTS

Three Lancers recently signed National Letters of Intent to attend Universities on athletic scholarships. At the ceremony, with athletic director, Anthony Harris, far left and principal, Courtney Kassakhian, far right, were Kinsley Washington who will attend UCLA on a softball scholarship, Eleni Daughters who will attend Davidson College in North Carolina on a track and field scholarship and Kolby Deziel who will attend Bryant University in Rhode Island on a softball scholarship.

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A Crystal Night for a Crystal Ball Christmas Party HOLIDAY CHEER HOLIDAY FOOD HOLIDAY FUN

A gorgeous panoramic view was the centerpiece for the 2016 Crystal Ball Christmas Gift Gathering Party. Held at the majestic Vagim Estate on Friday, December 2nd, dozens of Lasallian parents and guests enjoyed delicious hors d’oveures prepared by the gracious hosts. Accompanying the evening was a wonderful performance delivered by the Lancer Jazz Band, conducted by Dr. Jude Lucas. At the end of the evening Dr. Gray, along with the Crystal Ball Co-Chairs, Suzy Rettig, Ellen Radle, and Cheryl Allen, thanked the Vagims for their spectacular hospitality, offering them a hosted invitation to this year’s big event. Ellen Radle continued her praise of he Committee Chairs, Jacky Samartin and Cherry Agapito, for their tireless efforts which turned this year’s event into a reality. The committee would like to thank everyone who was able to attend, your generosity goes towards benefitting the academics, arts, and athletics at La Salle. Merry Christmas!

Dr. Gray with Christmas party hosts, Jim and Chelisa Vagim with their daughter Madeline '16.

Tom Raddle P'17 and Brent Schoenbaum P'16,'19.

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Dr. Jude Lucas with Kent and Norma Kachigan P'20.

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Richard Victor P'05, Mark and Vicky Richards P'08.

Joni Conlon P'18, Jacky Samartin P'15,'19, Clive and Shereen Kelly P'12,'16, Gaelle MacDonald P'15,'17,'20, Angela Ryan P'19, Yvonne Waggoner P'17.

Dr. Gray with Tamara Flowers, Chair, Board of Trustees.

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Trees for Troops

LASALLIAN COMMUNITY SPIRIT

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Through La Salle’s annual Christmas Tree sale, 175 freshcut trees were purchased for soldiers and their families currently stationed at Ft. Irwin in Barstow. Soldiers from the base were on campus Friday, December 2nd to meet with members of the Student Life Team and Support Our Troops Club to thank them for their support and to load the trees and take them back to the base.

We thank all those who donated Christmas Trees to the men and women serving our country.

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From Institutional Advancement

Year End Tax & Financial Planning to Support La Salle

Through the Planned Giving program at La Salle High School, donors and supporters can contribute to the School’s endowment through one of a number of 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.

The following examples of Planned Gifts are typically utilized at or near the end of the year.

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By donating appreciated securities, properly structured, the donor avoids paying any income tax on the appreciation. Securities include stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. This strategy can also extend to appreciated real estate. At this time of the year, it is normal to review one’s portfolio to see what, if any, strategic moves are warranted based on one’s own financial goals and objectives. The stock market has been reaching all-time highs, and it is likely facing higher interest rates in the coming months. Consideration of a Planned Gift of appreciated securities, is a part of one’s year end financial and tax planning.

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Taxpayers who have attained the age 70½ are required to take an annual distribution from their IRA and other retirement accounts. Such distributions, in addition to the tax due on the distributions, can serve to reduce the tax benefits of other attributes being reported on one’s tax return. Taxpayers meeting this age requirement can transfer up to $100,000 from such a plan to La Salle High School without having to report the distribution as part of one’s income.

The provision of this within the Internal Revenue Code was made permanent a year ago, and California tax law also recognize this strategy.

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Making gifts to family members is also an estate planning strategy that is addressed as the end of the year draws near. While there is no significant income tax benefit to doing so, these gifts can be an integral part of one’s estate planning. In this process of contemplating such intrafamily gifting, consideration should also include gifting to La Salle High School. Such gifts, properly structured, can provide a significant tax savings to the donor while supporting the long term financial goals of the School in its support of its Mission.

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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 interest rates hovering 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.

END OF YEAR GIVING PLANS

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.

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.

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From the College Counseling Center

College Center News

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

College Applications

COLLEGE PLANNING NIGHT FOR JUNIORS JANUARY 12

Our seniors are deep into the application process. All University of California applications are completed and submitted, as are the Cal State applications. Parents, please remind your seniors to contact the College Board / ACT to send official SAT / ACT scores to the schools where they are applying. Students must add the colleges they are applying to and request transcripts on Naviance. 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.

In order to the reduce cost of sending scores to the UCs and Cal States, we recommend adhering to the below protocol:

SAT and ACT scores to the UCs: Please submit scores to one UC campus and that campus will forward your scores to the other UC campuses your student has applied to.

SAT scores to the CSUs: Please submit scores to “CSU Mentor” and CSU Mentor will forward your SAT scores to the other CSU campuses your student has applied to.

ACT scores to the CSUs: Please submit scores to one CSU campus. In about two weeks, those scores will appear on your student’s ACT Score Manager Page within his/her CSU Mentor account. Use ACT Score Manager to forward scores to the other CSU campuses. If the scores don’t appear after a month, please call CSU Mentor directly as they’ve had issues matching scores to student accounts in the past.

Letters of Recommendation

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COUNSELOR: All seniors should have turned in their “Recommendation Form” to their College Counselor in November. If your student applies to another college not on the list, they must submit school/counselor report forms to Ms. Bonacci, Mr. Hou or Mrs. Yu by Friday,

December 9. The college counselors must complete forms/letters of recommendation to colleges before holiday break to meet most deadlines. The College Counselors will not be able to write letters of recommendation or fill out school/counselor reports over the Christmas break. Please plan ahead!

TEACHER: 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 9. 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.

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.

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 would be notified if their student is eligible for the Cal Grant. Our College Counselors strongly encourage parents to submit their FAFSA early to ensure your student is considered for the maximum amount of gift aid.

Junior – Planning for College Night

Believe it or not, 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 Thursday, January 12, 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

ParentNewsletter for Junior students. We strongly suggest at least one parent to attend with your student. After the meeting, junior students will be able to access the Junior ‘Plan for College Survey’, online via Naviance. The completion of the online survey will start the one-on-one college counseling process for juniors.

Schedule 6:00 – 6:20pm: Opening Speaker, Jason Hale, Recruitment Coordinator & California Regional Representative, University of Tennessee, Knoxville 6:20 – 6:40pm: UC & Cal State Admission Requirements 6:40 – 7:05pm: College Planning Process 7:05 – 7:30pm: Utilizing Naviance 7:30 - 8:00pm: Question & Answer Period

SAVE the DATE – College Forum for Freshman, Sophomore & Junior families

La Salle’s College Forum will be held on Thursday, March 30, 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.

The following were the presentation topics from the 2016 College Forum. While a majority of presentations will stay the same, some presentations will be different. Please advise if there are any specific topics you would like to see presented.

• Dollars and Sense • Getting In: Tips for Admission to Highly Selective Colleges • Parent Forum • Studying the Physical Sciences and Engineering • Successful Transition to College for Students with Learning Difference • Considering College Out-of-State, Creating Options in Your College Search • WUE and Other Scholarships • Enrollment Management 101

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•Getting a Liberal Arts Education on a State School Budget • Will Your Student Bring Diversity to Campus?

• SAT Subject Tests and Mock Scoreback • Understanding UC Admission •College Quickstart for Freshman and Sophomore Families • A Student Athlete Guide to Successfully Find the Right College Fit • Life as a Collegiate Student-Athlete • Preparing for Health Related Careers • The Arts: Application Process, Auditions and Portfolios More detailed information will be published in the February ParentNewsletter.

College Tours San Francisco Bay Area Tour

The Bay Area tour will be held on Friday and Saturday, February 6-7, 2017. We will be visiting UC Davis, University of the Pacific, Saint Mary’s College, UC Berkeley, University of San Francisco, and San Francisco State University.

UC Davis

Greater Los Angeles Area Tour

The Greater Los Angeles area tour will be held on Monday, March 6, 2017. We will be visiting USC, UCLA and LMU. Additional information will be available in the next month’s newsletter.

East Coast College Tour

With Easter being late this year, the school we usually partner with moved their spring break up from the traditional week after Easter. Unfortunately, our vendors weren’t successful in finding another group with the College Continued on page 14

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same Easter Break as ours that we could partner with. As a result, we will not be offering an East Coast College Tour this spring.

Standardized Testing

ACT FOR ALL JUNIOR FEBRUARY 11

You may recall that all freshman, sophomore and junior students took standardized tests in October. In the middle of January during Mentor period, 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 your College Counselor (Mr. Hou - last names A-G; Mrs. Yu-last names H-O, Ms. Bonacci-last names P-Z) if you have any questions about test results.

Matching Gifts

ACT/SAT Test Preparation

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February 11 ACT for all juniors With the exception of those juniors participating in the Academic Decathlon, all juniors have signed up for the February 11 ACT at La Salle.

They MUST also do the following in order to be admitted to the February 11 ACT: 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 3.

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 11 ACT.

Photo requirements and directions to upload photos can be found at http://www. actstudent.org/regist/add-photo.html. 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, and Mrs. Yu wish you a very Merry Christmas and a fun but safe New Year!

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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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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Leadership and the Rings

On the evening of November 14th, the class of 2018 gathered with their parents in the dining hall for La Salle High School’s annual Junior Leadership Ceremony. Recognizing and celebrating the rite of passage into junior year, this event sends forth the students to embrace their role as leaders in the school community. This prayerful ceremony honors the students for the leadership role they are accepting by distributing their class ring, or a Lasallian medallion and a Lasallian Leadership Certificate to each student. The Junior Class selected English teacher and La Salle Alumnus, Mr. David Soltis '90 to be the keynote speaker. He gave a moving speech recognizing the gifts and potential of the Junior Class. It was a wonderful event thanks to the support of the administration, junior class mentors, parent association, junior class council and several members of the junior class who provided decorations, art, music, and readings.

THE JUNIOR CLASS RITE OF PASSAGE

Back: James Torrez, Joseph Rivera, Jeffrey Daley, Giovanna Martinez, Sarah Day, Caterina Burch, MIichael Piesik.

Front: Claire Forrest, Tamia Cephus.

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Noah Zate, Victor Scalzo.

Gabrielle Lanyi, Ashley Mayo.

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TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS, GO TO LA SALLE HOME PAGE, LINK TO FLICKR AT BOTTOM LEFT Victoria Barrios, Christina Anne de la Cruz, Annika Bohanec, Garien Agapito.

Ashley Conlon with her mother, Joni.

Hallie Milton with her grandparents, Robert and Kathi.

Oliver Richards with his mother, Colette

Keynote speaker, Mr. David Soltis '90.

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ParentNewsletter

DECEMBER/JANUARY 17

MAC Luncheon & Boutique

On Friday, November 18, the Mothers of Alumni Council (MAC) of La Salle High School hosted their annual Christmas Luncheon & Boutique. This year’s event was chaired by Liz Kwong P'12, '14 and Susan Cribbs P'10,'14, assisted by MAC president Lisa Urbina P'09,'10,'16. and featured a shopping boutique, raffles, socializing, and a delicious meal to help support La Salle’s San Miguel Scholarship Fund.

The San Miguel Scholarship honors the first American Lasallian Saint, Brother Miguel, by offering up to nine full-tuition scholarships to incoming students of academic promise whose family income level puts them at or below the federal poverty level. This year's guest of honor, Alyson Hartman '16, explained how her scholarship was lifechanging and how it opened the doors of educational and artistic opportunity for her. To learn more about the San Miguel Scholarship Fund or the Mothers of Alumni Council, visit La Salle’s website at www.lasallehs.org.

Dr. Richard Gray with MAC Chair, Lisa Urbina P'09,'10,'16.

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Heather Young P'14,'17, Pamela Cimino P'13,'17.

Liz Kwong P'12,'14 with the unique 2016 Christmas centerpiece that were immediately sold out.

ParentNewsletter

DECEMBER/JANUARY 17

Our Lancer Christmas Choir entertained the MAC guests.

Eleana Williams, Esther Lopez.

Luncheon guest speaker, Alyson Hartman '16.

From left, front row, Elizabeth Silva, Irene Santucci P'95, Kathi Wilson GP'16,'18,'20, Tara Milton P'16,'18.

Back row, Valerie Ganguin P'18,'20, Joni Conlon P'18.

Doreen Harmon P'10,'18 with raffle prize.

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ParentNewsletter

DECEMBER/JANUARY 17

Celebration of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception A BEAUTIFUL MASS FOR THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

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

We Need Baskets!

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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 Office.

We hope to see you at the 18th Annual Crystal Ball, to be held Friday, May 5, 2017. Save the Date!

ParentNewsletter

DECEMBER/JANUARY 17

The Lancer Armory Regular Armory Hours Tuesdays and Thursdays Regular Schedule (Day A) Regular Schedule (Day B) Special Schedules

Letterman Jackets 12:15pm - 1:15pm 11:15am - 12:15pm 7:00am - 8:15am

La Salle High School Voted 2016 Beacon Media

Limited Quantity

$125

GOOD STUFF TO KNOW

GOLD FAVORITE CATHOLIC SCHOOL SILVER FAVORITE COED HIGH SCHOOL

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DECEMBER/JANUARY 17

ParentNewsletter

The Obsequious Observer

By John Blackstock, The Editor

Lancer Golf Classic

GREAT STUFF TO KNOW

Radio personality Phil Hendrie '70, left, and Don Olender '70, rear, Lancer Golf Classic Chair, with St. Andrews flight winners from left, Pat McCormick '69, Jay Nuccio '69, Bob Nuccio '71 and Makenna Hicks '19 (not pictured). See more Lancer Golf Classic photos in the Flickr Gallery.

Lancers USA Academic Champs

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La Salle High School students finished 6th overall in the International Tournament of Champions Academic Competition. In the final round of the premier global academic competition for high school students, Zachary Damir '16, Bettina Lee '16, and Japhet Quitzon '16 represented the United States of America and finished as the top team in the United States, top team in the Americas, and 6th overall in the world in the Tournament of Champions in the 2016 World’s Scholar Cup. Together, the team won 34 individual and team medals in four events: the Scholar’s Bowl, Scholar’s Challenge, Collaborative Writing, and Team Debate. Japhet Quitzon ranked as the 13th best scholar in the competition. Hosted at Yale University, the Tournament of Champions invited over 700 scholars from over 40 countries that were the top teams from the Global Rounds. La Salle students finished 3rd place overall in the Los Angeles regional round and 2nd overall in the Global Round in Prague in order to qualify for the Tournament of Champions. This year’s topic was An Imperfect World, and covered the subjects of Art, History, Social Studies, Literature, Science, and the Special Area of Crime and Justice.

ParentNewsletter

DECEMBER/JANUARY 17

Sierra Madre Rose Parade Float Princesses ALL THE BEST FOR A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR

Samantha Grijalva '19, Sarah Adams '17 and Ashley Conlon '18

peek from behind a wall at the Sierra Madre Rose Parade Float Association workshop. Watch the girls on January 2 as they ride the Sierra Madre Float, "Sweet Taste of Success" five and a half miles down Colorado Boulevard in the 128th Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade themed, "Echoes of Success."

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ParentNewsletter

DECEMBER/JANUARY 17

Check your School calendar for event times and dates

December/January Highlights ADOPT-AFAMILY CHRISTMAS PARTY DECEMBER 10

SNOWBALL DECEMBER 16

MLK HOLIDAY JANUARY 16

ACADEMIC AWARDS JANUARY 24

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December 10 Saturday Adopt-A-Family

Christmas Party

11:00am - 1:00pm Atrium Amphitheatre

Dining Hall

Grinstead Theatre December 12 Special 7 Period Schedule Dismissal 12:20pm Academic Study Week DECEMBER 13-16 Semester Final Exams DECEMBER 16 SnowBall Dance 8:00 - 11:00pm

Dining Hall DECEMBER 17 JANUARY 9, 2017 Christmas Holiday JANUARY 9, 2017 School Resumes (Day B5) Second Semester Begins JANUARY 10 Parent Association Meeting 6:30pm Blakeslee Library Parent Boosters Meetings 7:30pm Campus

JANUARY 12 CSF Applications Open College Night for Junior Parents and Juniors

6:00 - 7:30pm

Dining Hall JANUARY 13 Dollar Dress Day CSF Forms Due NHS Applications Due JANUARY 14 Saturday High School Placement Test and Essay

9:00am -12:00pm

Dining Hall

Blakeslee Library JANUARY 16 Monday Martin Luther King, Jr.

School Holiday JANUARY 17 Senior Retreat Departs Financial Aid Applications Due to FACTS for Incoming Students / Class of 2021

JANUARY 24 Dress Uniforms Academic Awards

9:25 -10:50am

Dining Hall JANUARY 28 Saturday High School Placement Test and Essay

9:00am -12:00pm

Dining Hall

Blakeslee Library Southern California Private Schools Academic Decathlon JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 3 National Catholic Schools Week FEBRUARY 3 Dress Uniforms National Catholic Schools Week

Prayer Service 9:20am

Dining Hall Financial Aid Applications Due for Returning Student

JANUARY 19 CSF Applications Due JANUARY 20 Rally Schedule Winter Sports Rally 1:20pm

Duffy Lewis Gymnasium

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