ParentNewsletter THE LA SALLE
FOR PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF LA SALLE HIGH SCHOOL • PASADENA • CALIFORNIA • NOVEMBER 2017
Principal Ideas Learn•Serve•Lead
Hello. We have reached November and are more than half way through the first semester. Our first quarter ended October 13. The report cards that were mailed home are snapshots of how your child was doing at the midpoint of the semester; they are not final grades. Semester grades, which are given after final exams in December, are the permanent grades and are placed on each student’s transcript. There are six weeks before final exams. These weeks will go by quickly! If your child is doing well, encourage them to keep it up for the rest of the semester. If your child is not achieving their potential at this point, talk to them about what changes they can make to achieve the grades they will be happy with and proud of at the end of the semester. Getting in contact with his/her teachers and/or academic advisors to get strategies for success is also something I would encourage parents to do. This year we added an additional piece of information at the quarter: attendance letters. These letters were sent out to students who had four or more absences from any one period. (Absences for school activities, such as athletic dismissals were not included in the count). Regular attendance in
class is an important element of academic success, so much so that our handbook states students may lose credit for a class after more than seven absences. With that said, students who are sick should of course stay home. If your child does have an extended illness that would cause multiple absences, be sure to contact our Dean of Students, Ms. Osick. However, if your child has numerous absences due to reasons other than illness, we hope these letters could start a conversation in your family about the importance of regular attendance. October Activities October was not only a marking point for the academic program, it was also filled with extra and co-curricular events. I’d like to thank Mr. Ed O’Connor and all the faculty and students involved in student life for a wonderful homecoming week. Movie Mania was filled with school spirit and fun activities. Our community also took part in a number of service activities throughout the month. Through the Boxes of Love campaign, led by Mrs. Kristen Schultz '98, Principal Ideas Continued on page 2
In the Words of Saint John Baptist de La Salle "You must help student to be kind to one another, compassionate, mutually forgiving, just as God has forgiven them in Jesus Christ, and loving one another as Jesus loved them." Saint John Baptist de La Salle Patron Saint of Teachers, c1705 Meditations for the Time of Retreat
1