September is always a special time on campus. It is the season where we get to dream big about the year ahead, set new goals, and welcome all the energy that a fresh school year brings.

You can truly feel that excitement in every corner of our school right now. Our seniors are diving into their College and Career Readiness classes as they map out their next steps for life after high school. Meanwhile, our underclassmen are getting used to new schedules, discovering new interests, and building relationships with their teachers

We have also rolled out a few intentional changes this fall, including our new school-day no cell phone policy. It has been wonderful to see our students fully present with one another, engaging deeply in class and connecting during lunch without screen distractions. We are also blessed to welcome some fantastic new staff members this year who are already bringing so much passion and heart to our community.

Everything we do is rooted in our Lasallian mission. St. John Baptist de La Salle famously shared that to touch the hearts of our students is the greatest miracle we can perform. That spirit guides us every single day as we walk alongside our young people, supporting their growth both academically and spiritually.

Thank you for your partnership, your trust, and your unwavering support of our school. I am truly looking forward to a fantastic year ahead together.

In Lasallian spirit,

Michael Bartha

Principal

Our CWS team spent the summer preparing for an amazing 2026–27 school year, and successfully launched all four grade levels into their CWS placements for the school year beginning on September 15. We are proud (and excited!) to be partnering with 80+ companies and organizations in the Portland metro area. 

We are deeply grateful for our many returning corporate partners, and are also thrilled to welcome an impressive group of brand-new companies to the program this year:  Aero Air, Beaverton Foods, FINN Partners, Jani-King, KBF Advisory, Legacy Health, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, Multnomah Athletic Club and Radius Recycling. We also want to extend a warm welcome back to Andersen Construction and Daimler Truck North America who are returning to CWS after a hiatus, and recognize the expansion of students at the Multnomah County Health Department. Many of these exciting new partnerships were made possible by our dedicated 15-member Jobs Committee. Composed of donors, Board and Ambassador Board members, and supporters of Knight Nation, this team worked tirelessly to source new leads and provide invaluable assistance to Noah Wagemann, our Director of Business Development.

We recently caught up with Charles Leverton, General Manager of the Multnomah Athletic Club (MAC), to ask what inspired the MAC to partner with DLSNC through the Corporate Work Study program. (Pictured: Tyler Mielke, Executive Assistant, and Jahzara Wheatt '27)

What made MAC say yes to becoming a CWS partner?

MAC’s relationship with DLSNC goes back at 

least seven years, including a donation of fitness equipment during the pandemic. Throughout that relationship, we’ve been consistently impressed by the students and wanted to deepen our involvement. Becoming a CWS partner gives us an opportunity to support their growth through meaningful work experience while welcoming their talents and perspectives into our club.

What value and impact do you think the CWS program will bring to MAC staff and community?

We see this as an opportunity to learn from one another. Students gain experience, build relationships, and discover career possibilities, while our staff have the opportunity to mentor emerging leaders and learn from their perspectives.

At MAC, we’re working to help people live healthier, more active lives for longer. As a nonprofit, we also hope to share what we learn beyond our membership. That work requires us to understand how people of different ages and backgrounds experience health, community, and belonging. These students bring an important voice to that conversation. Their ideas and contributions can help us become a stronger club and a better community partner.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I’ve had the privilege of getting to know De La Salle students throughout my tenure at MAC, and they continually inspire me. It’s easy to talk about investing in the next generation; this partnership gives us a practical way to do it. We want students to leave MAC knowing their work mattered, their ideas were heard, and they have people here who are rooting for their success.

The office of Lasallian Youth Ministry (LYM) is the heart of school culture and community here at DLSNC. All of LYM’s efforts fall under three important pillars: Faith, Service, and Community.

When I think of the pillar of Service, the two core principles that come to mind are Concern for the Poor and Social Justice and Respect for All Persons. LYM offers bi-weekly service trips that all students have the opportunity to participate in, offering an avenue to put these core principles into action. We provide students with a variety of service opportunities, from helping sort clothing for a community clothing closet, organization of food donations, serving dinner at a shelter, making sandwiches for sack lunches for underserved people in our community, and more. Through our service program we give our students the opportunity to live out our school’s motto, Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve. 

We had our first service trip of the school year on Monday, September 14, in partnership with Y.O.U.T.H PDX. A group of nine Knights helped sort, organize, and set up clothing donations for their Community Closet, which is open each Wednesday. Students jumped right into the work and were able to sort while connecting with one another and with our hosts. During our time at Y.O.U.T.H. PDX, we were able to sort all of their donations and get them set up for the weekly event. We are lucky enough to have Y.O.U.T.H PDX as a service partnership this year and we will be helping in a variety of ways throughout the school year.

-- Alyssa Frangipani, Director of Lasallian Youth Ministry 

On September 3, our first Mass service of the new school year was held next door at St. Charles Catholic Church. In his liturgy, Fr. Ed Obermiller, CSC,from the University of Portland posed the question of what qualities make a Knight at De La Salle North Catholic (DLSNC).

Fr. Ed’s liturgy caused me to think about what distinct traits the student body at DLSNC has that make us Knights. The difference between 

the DLSNC Knights and other student bodies in Oregon is that we use our skills and the five core Lasallian principles both in our school community and outside, with the support of teachers and staff. 

The staff and faculty here at DLSNC help each of us as students to embody these five core Lasallian principles. A fellow student and I recently reflected on our interactions with a few different staff members and how they have both inspired us and helped us through the Lasallian core principles. Here are a few of our thoughts on how staff and faculty illustrate the Lasallian core principles and values. 

Highlighting the Lasallian principle of Quality Education, Ms. Brunning, Social Sciences Department Chair, has opened the door for me to ask her questions and express my interest in Political Science and Modern Political Theory. Ms. Brunning’s support in and out of classroom hours has helped me become a stronger critical thinker and has helped me decide to pursue a minor degree in Political Science.

Continue reading the Knight's Blog here