|
• FAITH • INTEGRITY • SCHOLARSHIP •
| |
|
PRESIDENT'S CABINET LETTER
| |
Dear De La Salle Community,
We have persevered through many challenges together these past few years, but the support from you, our parents, has not waivered. The belief and the trust that you have in the impact of a De La Salle educational experience on your son and his classmates are clearly evident in the financial support received, and the event participation we have seen this past year.
It was reported last month that De La Salle will award more than $4.4M in financial aid for the upcoming 2022-2023 school year. That is a staggering number when you think about the school’s overall budget of $21 million. One in three students receives financial aid from the school, based on their family’s demonstrated financial need. If not for the philanthropic support of our parents, alumni, grandparents, faculty/staff, and friends, that number would look vastly different. Whether it is a $50 gift made on our De La Salle Giving Day, an auction item that was purchased at one of our events, or a leadership gift to fund an endowed scholarship, every gift is a major gift and makes a difference in the lives of our young men.
| |
As we transition through these changing times, we ask that we all be cognizant of those around us and respect each individuals comfort level with COVID. We are still seeing cases occur while on campus and thankfully for those, symptoms have been minor. If your son is sick, we as that you keep him home and work with his teachers for assignments missed. We will continue to track positive cases as we finish out the school year and have testing available on campus for those that may feel it is necessary. Thank you for your understanding.
| |
The Spartan Charity Challenge kicked off on Ash Wednesday and concludes on Tuesday, April 11. Currently, De La Salle has raised $5,588, which is $2,412 away from our goal. With just five days remaining in the challenge, we can still reach our goal with your help.
For the online platform, the school will be using QR Codes (provided in the graphic) to collect donations through PayPal or a credit or debit card. When making these donations, students can participate in the class competition by filling in their name and grade into the optional memo line. The in-person collection takes place every Friday during 5th-period classes. Additionally, students in the Hofmann Student Center will have the option to donate $1.00 to the Challenge when purchasing food.
Donations to this year’s Spartan Charity Challenge will support the Brothers’ Ministries in India and Sri Lanka, the De La Salle Brotherhood Fund, and Generation Alive.
| |
COMPANY SPRING PERFORMANCE - HEATHERS
| |
Opening night for the De La Salle and Carondelet Theatre Company performance of Heathers was Thursday, March 31st in the Brother Celestine Cormier, FSC Theatre. If you missed opening weekend, there are still three performances left, with closing night on Saturday, April 9.
Although the teen version of Heathers removes most of the hot-button material like four-letter words, references to adolescent smoking, drinking, and fooling around, what is left is teens trying to be cruel to each other, trying to hurt each other, or trying to be kind to each other. Due to the nature of the play and some of the language used in the performance, the play has a PG-13 rating.
Both schools are pleased that Company is a place of Educational Theatre through which art helps to enlighten, raise awareness, and open dialogue that benefits the individuals involved, the audience, and the wider community. The content of Heathers will be part of wider school conversations on the themes raised in the performance in collaboration with the school's Student Support team and various academic departments.
To learn more about Heathers, or to purchase tickets for one of the final performances visit our Company website.
| |
DE LA SERVE COMMUNITY SERVICE DAY
| |
On Saturday, April 30, the De La Salle Campus Ministry Department will host a “De La Serve” Community Service Day for current students and their families and alumni. All are invited to volunteer from 9 a.m. to noon at one of our community service sites. After volunteering, all participants can return to the school where the De La Salle BBQ Club will provide a free lunch from 12-1:30 p.m. in the Quad. If you have any questions about any of the “De La Serve” opportunities, please contact Mary Hassett at 925-288-8110 or hassettm@dlshs.org.
| |
SOLAR PANELS ADDED TO ROOFTOPS
| |
A Lesson in Sustainability at De La Salle, Solar Panels Added to Rooftops
De La Salle High School is on track for an A+ for energy sustainability, having worked with Centrica Business Solutions to deliver a major solar energy project set to reduce their electricity costs by half. Financed using a prepaid power purchase agreement, the array, totaling 420KW, is spread out over the rooftops of seven buildings at the school and is expected to save over $125,000 every year on power costs.
| |
Upcoming events for the De La Salle Class of 2026 admissions process:
Upcoming Activities
- Monday, May 2 is the Welcome Evening for parents and students of the Class of 2026.
- The French Placement Test for the Class of 2026 is on May 3rd or May 5th at 4:00 p.m. at Carondelet High School.
- The Algebra Placement Test for the Class of 2026 is on Monday, May 9 at 3:30 p.m. in the Hofmann Student Center.
- The Spanish Placement Test for the Class of 2026 is Tuesday, May 10 at 3:30 p.m. in the Hofmann Student Center.
- The History Placement Test for the Class of 2026 is Wednesday, May 11 at 3:30 p.m. in the Hofmann Student Center.
- The Geometry Placement Test for the Class of 2026 is Tuesday, May 17 at 3:30 p.m. in the Hofmann Student Center.
| |
Mark Halvorson Takedown Poker Tournament
On Saturday, May 14, the school will host the inaugural Coach Mark Halvorson Takedown Poker Tournament in the Hofmann Student Center. The Mark Halvorson Takedown will be a full-blown, professionally-run poker tournament, and all proceeds from this event will be used to establish the Mark Halvorson Endowment Fund.
Mark’s care for others, unselfishness, work ethic, passion for his sport, and life lessons he taught the student-athletes will make him unforgettable on the De La Salle campus.
| |
The Dads and Grads event has become a year-end tradition for all graduating seniors to bring their dad, uncle, or significant adult who walked with them on their journey at De La Salle. The cost for the professionally-run poker tournament and casino gaming tables, with a hosted BBQ and refreshments, is $12 per person.
The De La Salle Alumni Association and Blue Dog Events will host this event. Blue Dog will be here to teach all players pokers, craps, and all games in the room.
| |
| Brother Maris Golf Tournament Scheduled for June 20, 2022
The 38th Annual Brother Maris Golf Tournament will be held on Monday, June 20, 2022, at Round Hill Country Club in Alamo. This is our largest Alumni fundraiser benefitting Alumni Endowment for financial aid and our Bishop Cummins Scholarship Program. Sponsorship opportunities are currently available for this year's Brother Maris Golf Tournament. The cost for an individual golfer is $275 with a total cost of $1100 for a foursome.
| |
Tax Season and Your Charitable Giving Benefits
Tax season is here! If you made a charitable gift to De La Salle in 2021, as long as you itemize your tax return, you can deduct your charitable gifts. When you are meeting with your tax specialist be sure to ask them about the benefits you will receive in 2021 and start planning for your charitable giving in 2022!
We are here to help you too. Contact our VP for Advancement, Mark Chiarucci at (925) 288-8106/chiaruccim@dlshs.org or Director of Development, Karla Wiese at (925) 288-8195/wiesek@dlshs.org if you have any questions.
| |
AP BIOLOGY VISITS YOSEMITE
| |
From March 24-26, De La Salle AP Biology students and their teacher Mrs. Acquistapace spent four picture-perfect days in Yosemite National Park. Students took data as ecologists do by hiking, observing, documenting, photographing, and preparing samples for DNA analysis, which they will do in upcoming weeks in the STREAM Center.
| |
Jaden Dumdumaya '24 Wins Drive, Chip, and Putt Competition
De La Salle student-athlete, Jaden Dumdumaya ’24, made a clutch 15-foot putt on the 18th Hole at Augusta National on April 4th, before celebrating with his family, to win the 2022 Boys 14-15 Division National Drive, Chip, and Putt competition.
| |
| Spring Sports Update
- Baseball – The Spartans are 9-2 overall and will travel to Las Vegas for the Bishop Gorman Spring Tournament over Spring Break.
- Ice Hockey – Our ice hockey team has started their spring schedule and 2-1 through three games
- Lacrosse – Our lacrosse team is 8-1 overall with its lone loss to nationally ranked St. Ignatius (San Francisco)
- Rugby – Our rugby team is 8-0 and ranked number 2 nationally. They recently won the California Single School State Championship by defeating Torrey Pines High School 52-24.
- Swimming – De La Salle swimming and diving just won the Oak Ridge Invitational and also won the De La Salle Swim Invite.
- Tennis – Our tennis team has a big week coming up with matches on April 11, 12, and 14 vs. Dublin, Granada, and Foothill.
- Track and Field – Anthony Trucks won the 300 hurdles at the West Coast Relays with a personal best time of 38.98 which moves him to 1st on the NCS list and ninth in the state.
- Volleyball – Our volleyball team has won eight in a row and is 11-2 overall and competing for an EBAL Championship.
NLI News Our spring NLI signees will be celebrated at lunch on Tuesday, April 12. Visit our Signing Day Webpage for all our 2021-22 signings.
Athletics Website and App Athletic schedules and general information for all sports are available in the main office, the locker room, and on the De La Salle High School athletic webpage at DLSspartans.org. You can also download the DLS Spartans app, through the Apple Store or Google Play, for athletic news, schedules, and rosters.
Follow De La Salle Athletics on Social Media: Twitter: @DLSAthletics Instagram: DLSAthletics
| |
Michael Giorgi '23 to Attend Boys State Conference
De La Salle High School junior, Michael Giorgi has been chosen to participate in this summer’s Boys State California Conference. Michael submitted an application and interviewed with American Legion members of Post 331, and was selected as one of six juniors from four local high schools to participate in the conference, representing the Pleasant Hill delegation.
| |
Tuition payments are due on the 1st of each month and are considered late after the 10th of that month.
With Graduation fast approaching, all seniors’ tuition accounts must be paid in full by May 10th in order for your son to participate in semester finals, graduation activities, and to receive graduation tickets.
Tuition Contracts for 2022-2023 for current 9th, 10th, and 11th graders will be sent out via SchoolAdmin on Friday, April 8. Your son’s tuition account must be current in order for you to receive next year’s tuition contract, etc.
Please contact Kathy Resch if you are having difficulties with any of the payment deadlines via e-mail at reschk@dlshs.org.
| |
Student Support Team You are welcome to register for the upcoming free webinar and Facebook Live event: Suicide Prevention 101 for Parents: Recognizing Signs and What to Do. This free webinar will provide information about suicide prevention for parents, including warning signs for suicide, how to have a conversation with their teen, actions to take if their teen is having suicidal thoughts, and resources. The webinar is provided in partnership with the California Department of Education, the California Mental Health Services Authority, the Directing Change Program, and Teen Line. The webinar is offered in English and Spanish.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for children and youth ages 10-24. It is imperative that we provide information to parents on how to recognize signs of suicidal ideation and how to support their children who may be experiencing emotional distress.
Senior Week & Senior Ball We will be holding a week of events during April 25-29 in the run-up to the return of Senior Ball, Saturday, April 30 at the Soda Center on the campus of Saint Mary’s College, Moraga. Tickets for Senior Ball are $115 per person and are available via this link. Guests from other schools are welcome. Hosting students just need to complete and submit a guest pass to the De La Salle Deans’ Office by Monday, April 25.
Senior Celebration & Breakfast We’re excited to announce our Class of 2022 Senior Celebration on the USS Hornet in Alameda. Participating students will be bussed to Alameda and back where De La Salle and Carondelet seniors will enjoy an evening on the venerable aircraft carrier with food, dancing, and games! The evening will go from 4:30 pm (drop-off at DLS) with the event starting at 6 p.m. and ending at 10 p.m. Parents should be able to pick up their seniors by 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $155 per person and can be purchased via this link.
On the morning of the celebration, we’re also working on hosting a special Senior Breakfast hosted with the assistance of our Parent Association where seniors will pick up their Memory Wall page and be treated to a meal together as a class.
We need volunteers to assist with BOTH the Senior Breakfast and Senior Celebration. Please reach out to Mr. Aquino (aquinom@dlshs.org) if you can assist!
| |
Matthew 6:21 - For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Every year during Lent, De La Salle, through the Spartan Charity Challenge, calls on its boundless generosity to help and hold up our Lasallian sisters and brothers who count on us for support. The beneficiaries of this year’s Charity Challenge are our twin school- Nativity Village School in Eritrea, East Africa; the Christian Brothers Orphanages in India and Sri Lanka where Mr. Zorad, Mr. Hassett, Mr. Curry, Mrs. Stevens, and many other De La Salle teachers have spent a month in the summer living and working with the brothers and the children they serve; the De La Salle Brotherhood Fund, which helps to assure that everyone at DLS has the opportunity to participate in the programs and opportunities, like our retreats, Ven a Ver immersions, sports teams, field trips, and many other activities that make our brotherhood so deep; and finally, Generation Alive, which helps us create thousands of meals for the Monument Crisis Center through the Sophomore Immersion Program.
- As we enter April, we welcome back the last of this year’s Kairos Retreats.
- Throughout Lent, we have been reflecting on what we can fast from (e.g., exclusion, discontent, anger, pessimism, worry, complaining, negativity, unrelenting pressure, hostility, bitterness, discouragement, lethargy, suspicion) and what, instead, we could feast on (e.g., unity, gratitude, patience, optimism, trust, appreciation, affirmatives, unceasing prayer, nonviolence, compassion, hope, enthusiasm, and trust).
- We conclude our Lenten journey with an all-school prayer service on April 12th.
- We celebrate our Founder, St. John Baptist de La Salle, with a Liturgy on April 27th.
- Founder’s week will conclude with De La Serve - a Lasallian community-wide day of service on Saturday, April 30. All De La Salle students, parents, and their families are invited to join De La Salle faculty, staff, coaches, athletes, and alumni as they volunteer three hours of service in our communities around the Bay Area. Visit the De La Serve Community Service Day SignUpGenius to view the volunteer opportunities and register for one of our coordinated community service sites.
| |
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AT DE LA SALLE
| |
Come work with us!
De La Salle is not only a great place to learn but a great place to work!
| |
Throughout the school year, Co-Directors of College Counseling, Mrs. Esther Lopez-Arias and Mrs. Lisa Sciacca provide an overview of all the steps that need to be taken for successful selection, application, and acceptance to colleges and universities. Please don’t miss it! Email questions to Esther Lopez-Arias at lopeze@dlshs.org (for students whose last names begin with A-K) or Lisa Sciacca at sciaccal@dlshs.org (for students whose last names begin with L-Z).
College News for Seniors
- Community College/DVC
- DVC Enrollment Steps
- Scholarship Opportunities
- Admitted Student Events
- UC AWPE Placement Test
- Making Final College Decisions
- Final College Advisory
|
College Planning for Juniors & Sophomores
- Upcoming College Events for Juniors
- SAT/ACT Testing
- College Advisory for Juniors
- Summer Academic/Enrichment Programs and Camps
- College Preview Night (April 27th)
- Volunteer Programs
- Summer College Tours
|
| |
MOCK TRICK SHINES AT 2022 CCCOE COMPETITION
The mock trial team from De La Salle High School finished third in the virtual Contra Costa County Mock Trials championship, the Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE) announced at an awards ceremony on February 17th.
| |
The Parent Association is a group of current De La Salle parents who work on behalf of students, faculty, and staff to support events and volunteer needs.
The next De La Salle Parent Association meeting will be on May 9, 2022. All De La Salle parents are welcome to attend these meetings!
Upcoming Events Parent Coffee - Wednesday, April 27 from 7:45 - 8:30 a.m. in the Starbucks Courtyard at the Countrywood Shopping Center. Please join members of the Parent Association for a cup of coffee and a pastry. It's an excellent opportunity for parents of all classes to meet one another and for senior parents to say goodbye. We look forward to seeing everyone!
Happenings The Senior Mother Son Brunch was held on Sunday, March 6. The event was lovely and everyone enjoyed it. Thank you to all of the volunteers that stepped up to help with setup, during the event and cleanup and especially to organizers Jen Mucha, Rebecca Ainsworth, and Valerie Nagel. It was a hugely successful event! There's not just socializing at the Parent Socials held right before our Parent Association meetings...we have a beautiful setup of appetizers and drinks for everyone to enjoy. We want to thank our Community Outreach Committee, Katherine Gandy, Shannon Nornhold, and Mary Peeff, for providing all of the tasty treats before each of our meetings.
Current Open Parent Association Board Positions Currently, there are no open positions on the Parent Association Board. However, we have many parents in positions that will be open at the end of this school year because their sons are graduating. If you are interested in being on the Parent Association Board for the 2022-23 school year, please contact Valerie Nagel-Monaldo, President of the Parent Association, at valerie.nagel.a@gmail.com or Laura Flannigan, Vice President of the Parent Association, at flannygirl1@gmail.com.
Thank you all for your support of De La Salle!
| |
During the school year Mr. Michael Aquino, Director of Campus Life and Culture, coordinates a number of educational opportunities available to parents of De La Salle High School students. Information will be posted on the Parent Education web page, providing the topics, presenters, dates and locations, and registration information if required.
The Common Ground Speaker Series is a parent education consortium on the San Francisco Peninsula, stretching from Hillsborough to San Jose. Their events take place at a variety of venues on the Peninsula and showcase the most current thoughts on education, health, and parenting. There are two upcoming events in the Common Ground Speaker Series, click on the title below for complete details or to register for the webinar.
Upcoming Speaker Series Events
| |
Do your Spartan shopping with us!
Bookstore Hours Monday-Friday: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Shop online for Spring Sports Spiritwear The Spartan Store is your official source for all things De La Salle. Be sure to visit us on campus or browse our catalog and order online at www.DLSBookstore.org for all your spring sports spiritwear. We have De La Salle apparel and accessories for all sizes and ages in a variety of colors and styles. You can have your purchases shipped anywhere in the world or available for pickup at our on-campus location.
BOOK RETURN As the school year comes to an end, it is time for our students to be accountable for their textbooks. Please have your student find their books to ensure they have all textbooks ready to return. They can stop by the Bookstore to return any books that they are not using or to check on what they need to return.
SENIORS must return or pay for lost/damaged books by Tuesday, May 17 in order to receive their graduation tickets. Diplomas, and/or transcripts, may be held if book accounts are outstanding. We will be sending information on dates and times that will be available to return books via Signup Genius.
UNDERCLASSMEN must return or pay for lost/damaged books by Friday, June 2 - No returned books will be accepted after that time – you own them - and will be billed accordingly. We will be sending information on dates and times that will be available to return books via Signup Genius.
MANDATORY BOOK DISTRIBUTION DAYS Students MUST pick up their books on one of the dates listed below. We will be sending specific information regarding times via Signup Genius.
- Monday, August 8th
- Tuesday, August 9th
Students must be present – Parents/Friends cannot pick up books.
If you will be out of town during this time please make alternative arrangements with the Bookstore by July 1.
| |
De La Salle High School hosts camps to provide a fun, skill-building week for kids. Appealing to local youth with a variety of interests, De La Salle will offer sessions for archery, baseball, basketball, football, lacrosse, soccer, strength and conditioning, swimming, theatre arts, track and field, volleyball, water polo, and wrestling.
| |
2022-23 Year at a Glance Available on School Website
De La Salle High School has published its calendar framework (Year at a Glance) on the school's website, including key dates for the start of the school year, orientations, book distribution, holidays, and other key dates throughout the 2022-23 school year.
| |
|
|
|
|