Annual Mission Report 2019

20 19 Annual Report on Mission Activities

Mission Faithful to the charism of St. John Baptist de La Salle, St. John’s College High School is an independent, Catholic college preparatory school whose mission is to provide a human and Christian education to young men and women from diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.

St. John’s is a community of faith and zeal with dedicated Lasallian educators committed to the spiritual, academic, cultural, physical and moral development of the students. Rooted in Christian values, the Lasallian experience at St. John’s prepares young men and women for lives dedicated to leadership, achievement and service to the community.

St. John's students enjoy the beauty of the Rocky Mountains while serving at the De La Salle Blackfeet School in Browning, MT.

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Campus Ministry The Office of Lasallian Mission and Ministry helps students deepen their faith and understanding of the human experience. Within our Christian community, we encourage students to ask thoughtful questions about their faith. Our liturgies, retreats, seminars and service opportunities lead students to the answers they seek and help them make God known to others.

LITURGIES As we gather together to worship on Holy Days, at daily Mass, as an entire community and as a class, the Mass imparts the Sacred Mysteries in an approachable way.

RETREATS Freshmen: Our Lasallian Identity Strengthens students’ ties to their peers, families and God.

Sophomores: Prayer Deepens students’ faith in themselves and in God’s plan for them.

Juniors: Road to Emmaus Explores relationships, choices and discovering Christ in the everyday.

Seniors: The Kairos Retreat Heightens self-knowledge and spirituality.

Peer Ministry Builds a community focused on ministerial work.

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SEMINARS

CHRISTIAN SERVICE

An expression of our commitment to educating the whole person, the seminar series focuses on human development and relationships, decision-making, academics and life skills. Throughout the 16-part series, freshmen and sophomores explore topics ranging in diversity from digital safety to diet and health.

Our students must complete 90 hours of Christian service during their four years as Cadets, but many extend themselves far beyond what is required. Service to others reveals our students’ God-given graces and talents and helps them become citizens of the world.

A Culture of Service

In support of St. John’s mission, the Christian Service Program is designed to bring students, through experience and reflection, to a mature understanding of their personal responsibility to those most in need. The service our students perform reflects the religion curriculum for each grade level.

FRESHMEN

SOPHOMORES

JUNIORS

SENIORS

John Baptist de La Salle began his service at home, and our freshmen begin their journey in the same way.

Each 9th-grade student forms an intentional relationship with a member of their immediate family and serves that individual in a meaningful way.

Projects range from tutoring a sibling to helping a parent with a longneglected home improvement project.

Sophomore students serve their faith communities. Each 10th-grade religion class, as a group, completed 500 hours of service last year. This number is equivalent to assisting in every elementary school CCD class in four parishes or providing enough ushers and servers for every Mass at two parishes.

For their service, 11th-grade students perform the Corporal Works of Mercy.

Each junior religion class, as a group, completed 1,000 hours of service last year. This is equivalent to 25 weeks as a full-time employee at a shelter, soup kitchen or nursing facility.

Seniors are challenged to act on their adult faith, serving those who can benefit most from their personal gifts.

Over the course of their four years, each senior religion class, as a group, performs 2,250 hours of service. This is equivalent to 56 weeks of fulltime service to those in need.

25,670

7,161

Curricular Service Hours Completed

Additional Hours Completed

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Higher Learning and Continuing Formation

We educate the whole person and offer continuing formative education opportunities for all of the faith community; it’s the Lasallian way. Last year our faculty and staff participated in a variety of enrichment opportunities that opened them to new ways of thinking and believing – as mentors and as human beings.

Faculty and staff participated in the following:

Formative learning experiences were also offered to the broader SJC community:

The Brother John Johnston Institute of Contemporary Lasallian Practice

Coaches’ Retreat Faculty coaches presented to their peers on topics of faith and service

The Buttimer Institute of Lasallian Studies

Board of Trustees Meetings Lasallian formation was offered at two Board of Trustees meetings

Faculty/Staff Retreats Heritage on Tap

Parent Receptions The president hosted four receptions for parents of incoming freshmen, sharing the story of the life of St. La Salle and explaining how we live the Lasallian mission at SJC. This has been an annual September event since 2011.

The Huether Lasallian Conference The Lasallian Social Justice Institute New Faculty Formation The VEGA Workshop for Young Lasallians

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Four SJC faculty members attended the 2019 Buttimer Institute of Lasallian Studies.

Understanding Poverty

A school-wide assembly featuring Dr. Mark Bergel, a nationallyacclaimed speaker in the fields of poverty, health and social connection and the founder of A Wider Circle, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to end poverty, was held to set an action-oriented tone for the week’s activities.

During Poverty Education Week, lessons on poverty were integrated into the curriculum and taken full circle through prayer, presentations and proactive outreach:

During lunch periods, students participated in a Meal of Solidarity in which they sat on the floor and consumed a bowl of rice and beans while engaged in a facultyled meditation.

Senior religion classes listened to presentations from three young alumni who shared their lives of service beyond SJC.

The Mothers’ Club and Men of St. John’s hosted a Fat Tuesday Pancake Dinner to raise money for the mission drive to support our twinned school, the Child Discovery Centre in Nakuru, Kenya.

Members from the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) spoke to junior religion classes in De La Salle Chapel.

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Students and faculty shared their summer immersion trip experiences.

Lasallian Youth members tutored students at San Miguel School.

The student body attended Ash Wednesday Mass, which was preceded by a student-read Lenten reflection.

The SJC community raised funds for a new water filtration system for the Child Discovery Centre, St. John’s twin school in Kenya, and to benefit the De La Salle Blackfeet School in Browning, MT.

The Fitzpatrick Library featured brief excerpts from works of fiction and nonfiction that focused on poverty. Students and faculty had the opportunity to read and reflect on these one- to five-minute pieces throughout the week.

Student-artists created exhibits to raise awareness of the plight of the poor and made bowls for the So Others Might Eat (S.O.M.E.) Empty Bowl Project.

The Counseling Department shared themed prayers and statistics each morning.

Students and faculty engaged in a school-wide technology fast day, which included abstaining from the use of all technological devices – iPads, smart phones, computers and audio/visual equipment.

We all are aware of the problem of homelessness. But when you actually come face to face with it, it becomes real and you grasp that all the statistics we read about aren’t just numbers, but human beings, too. ~Zubby Oboh ’19

Serving Catholic Charities Following the August faculty retreat, 15 members of the SJC faculty volunteered to spend their afternoon helping Catholic Charities by visiting with and taking a census of the homeless in Washington, DC. In the spring, following the annual Poverty Education Week program, students prepared 1,000 sandwiches and packed 500 lunches for Catholic Charities. After school, 17 students and five faculty members joined the Catholic Charities “Sandwich Brigade” program and distributed the lunches to those experiencing homelessness on the streets of DC. Two Catholic Charities shelters also received some of the packaged food.

Global Presence

To kick off the celebratory year of the 300th anniversary of the death of St. John Baptist de La Salle, St. John’s installed The Lasallian Educational Mission Around the World map in the Kimsey Center’s upper hallway.

Generously sponsored by The Men of St. John’s, the school’s father’s club, the map features the far-reaching impact of the Lasallian educational mission.

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“For more than half a century, the Men of St. John’s have supported the St. John’s community. As part of their mission to ‘make good things happen’ by sponsoring Lasallian activities and initiatives, the fathers worked with SJC’s Department of Mission and Ministry to bring the global Lasallian outreach to life for our students.” ~Jeffrey Mancabelli, President

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Extracurricular Teamwork

ATHLETICS Parent Clubs Mother’s Club Co-hosted the Fat Tuesday Pancake Dinner, raising $1,200 for the mission drive.

Clubs, organizations and athletic teams at SJC attest to the power of collective action. Every day, students, faculty and parents involved in school-sponsored activities enliven our mission with passion and purpose.

Best Buddies The club made monthly visits to the Joseph P. Kennedy Institute and participated in the annul Friendship Walk on the National Mall in October.

Lasallian Youth Students and faculty made 21 weekly trips to San Miguel School for tutoring and after-school fun.

Led by a senior student and supported by the Men of St. John’s, the school hosted a field day for San Miguel students.

Three students and one faculty member attended the Lasallian Youth Assembly, a week of faith expression and service at La Salle University.

Helped with operational aspects of the annual Open House event.

Hosted: • Meal of Solidarity during Poverty Education Week

National Honor Society 78 students tutored 58 peers during homeroom throughout the course of the year.

Student Government Throughout the Christmas season, students collected more than 500 toys for residents of National Children’s Hospital, and senior homerooms provided gifts for 14 additional families through the Angel Tree program.

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Mardi Gras party for the school community

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Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day

Men of St. John’s Co-hosted the Fat Tuesday Pancake Dinner, raising $1,200 for the mission drive.

Sponsored: • Spring barbecue for incoming freshmen and their families.

Signum Fidei During the year, 20 faculty members who possess significant formation experience met to plan and analyze mission-focused initiatives, including mission education, service and faculty retreats.

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Bi-annual dinner theater event for students and their families.

Hosted annual citrus fruit fundraiser to benefit SJC students.

Sold concessions at SJC basketball games, home football games and grassroots sports activities and helped with operational aspects of the annual Open House event.

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The swim and dive team packed bags of trail mix for Martha's Table.

Field hockey, girls’ lacrosse and football went Christmas caroling at men’s and women’s shelters run by Catholic Charities.

Softball ran a water station for the Rock ‘N’ Roll Washington, DC, Marathon and Half Marathon.

The swim and dive team donated supplies for and packed 2,100 bags of trail mix for Martha’s Table.

Volleyball sponsored a coat drive for Catholic Charities and a cancer awareness campaign for Dig Pink.

Boys’ lacrosse volunteered at A Wider Circle in Silver Spring, an organization whose mission is to end poverty by inspiring, fostering and measuring individual and community level change.

A Community-Centered Curriculum

Faith development at SJC isn’t exclusive to liturgies or religion class lectures; it’s the cornerstone of our curriculum. From physics to the performing arts, our curriculum challenges students to strengthen their faith and commitment to social justice.

Alumni and Development Office Alumni participants in the Doc Scalessa and Matt Dillon Memorial Golf Tournaments raised $41,000 in student scholarships.

Performing Arts Members of Advanced Vocal Studies (AVS) and the Strings Ensemble performed for the Little Sisters of the Poor and the retired Christian Brothers at Ammendale.

English Department For two decades, the English Department has sponsored the San Miguel Drive. This year, faculty and students raised $96,339 for San Miguel School and visited with the students to learn more about their school.

Religion Department Religion classes raised $21,500 for our twinned school in Kenya and for the De La Salle Blackfeet School during Poverty Education Week.

Foreign Language Three students participated in Amigos de las Americas, which conducts youth leadership programs through Latin America. Past participants spent a day giving presentations to the student body about their experiences.

Over the past 14 years, 65 students have served as ambassadors through this program.

Cadet Corps The Color Guard presented the colors at school liturgies and 28 other events in the community.

45 students and 4 faculty members laid wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

35 students, 15 family members, 2 faculty and 8 alumni participated in Wreaths Across America.

Members of the corps worked at and supported numerous curricular and extracurricular school events and activities, such as Back to School Night, Open House, parent teacher conferences and alumni events. They also worked in the concession stand at football games with the Men of St. John’s for a total of 11,040 hours of service to the school and local community.

Visual Arts Students participated in the Memory Project, creating portraits of Peruvian children.

Art Club students made ceramic bowls for the 25th annual Empty Bowls Soup Supper charity event sponsored by So Others Might Eat (SOME).

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Following the March and Rally for Life, four schools and 43 students participated in a prayer service at SJC, and students from St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute, Buffalo, NY, stayed overnight.

Campus Chaplain

Fr. Luke Clark, OP, joined the SJC community as chaplain for the 2018-2019 school year. In addition to presiding at daily Mass in De La Salle Chapel and being available for spiritual direction and the sacrament of reconciliation, he was a ministerial presence in the Mission and Ministry Center, lectured in classes and assisted with student retreats. In addition, Fr. Luke guided two seniors toward receiving the sacraments to become full members of the Church at Easter.

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Beyond Our Borders

Many students choose to serve beyond the curriculum requirements and embark on service opportunities across the nation and abroad. In these immersion trips, students relinquish creature comforts and stereotypes in favor of Christian service and self-discovery. These experiences are made possible by members of the SJC community, who donate generously to the Lasallian Christian Service Fund.

Sacred Heart Southern Missions, Walls, Mississippi During two trips,16 students and four faculty members worked to rehabilitate the homes of some of the state’s neediest residents.

De La Salle Blackfeet, Browning, Montana Eight students and two faculty members empowered children on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.

Oscar Romero Center, Camden, New Jersey During two trips and in conjunction with two other Lasallian high schools, 20 students and four faculty members aided the urban poor.

Students also traveled abroad to serve in the following countries: Brazil China Costa Rica Dominican Republic Ecuador Japan Panama Puerto Rico Tanzania Vietnam

“The immersion service trips are a wonderful opportunity for our students to engage in the Lasallian tradition of service.

The experiences will remain with them for a lifetime and help to solidify the foundations upon which St. John’s reputation is built – especially the value of service to society.”

New York Lasallian Service Immersion, Bronx, New York Working through the Lasallian lens, 10 students and two faculty members engaged those in need by working with a number of social service sites throughout the week.

~Courtney Bell, Dean of Students

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Service by the Numbers

SJC students attended a total of

17

day and overnight retreats across all grade levels

The Class of 2019 completed

Cadet Corps students completed a total of

4,474

11,040

extracurricular service hours over four years

service hours for the school and local community

52

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The English Department raised

$96,339

students and faculty participated in the service immersion program

for San Miguel School

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Freshmen and sophomores participated in a total of

15

information sessions on human development, relationships, decision-making and academic and life skills

3

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Students completed entrepreneurial scholar projects for the benefit of San Miguel School

Faculty participated in Lasallian formation programs

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2

Students served internationally this year

Students became full members of the Catholic Church

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Opening Minds | Unlocking Talents | Building Leaders www.stjohnschs.org • 2607 Military Road, NW, Chevy Chase, DC 20015