| As we move deeper into the school year, I find myself feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude for our community. In my roles as Vice Principal of Student Life, Co-Athletic Director, and Head Coach of our Varsity Men’s Basketball Team, I have the privilege of seeing our students from multiple angles—walking into school each morning, engaging in classes, building friendships, and giving their all in practices and games. And despite the many challenges happening in our city and in the world around us, they continue to show up with determination, heart, and a commitment to becoming the best versions of themselves.
Our students’ resilience is powerful. They navigate life with a level of courage and hope that encourages all of us—staff, families, and peers alike—to do the same. Watching them step onto the court, the field, or into the classroom reminds me daily why our mission matters and why the work we do here is deeply meaningful.
With Thanksgiving just around the corner and Christmas approaching quickly, this season invites us to pause and reflect on the blessings we share. I’m grateful for our students, who both persevere and bring joy to our school community. I’m grateful for our families, who entrust us every day with their children’s care. And I’m grateful for my colleagues, who show up with passion and purpose every single day.
Thank you for being part of what makes De La Salle North Catholic such a special place. I’m excited for the months ahead, the memories yet to be made, and the continued growth of our community.
Blessings,
James Broadous
Vice Principal of Student Life, Co-Athletic Director, Men’s Basketball Head Coach
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Special Opportunity to Strengthen Literacy and Critical Thinking
De La Salle North Catholic (DLSNC) is innovating its curriculum through participation in a special two-year program —the ThinkCERCA Cristo Rey Network (CRN) Literacy Hub. ThinkCERCA is an online literacy framework that helps students develop strong critical thinking and argumentative writing skills. Using the Claim, Evidence, Reasoning, Counterargument, and Audience (CERCA) model, students learn to read closely, think critically, and write effectively across all subjects. DLSNC is excited to participate in this network-wide initiative to strengthen our culture of collaboration and critical thought.
We are proud to be part of this year’s cohort alongside Christ the King Jesuit College Prep (Chicago), Verbum Dei Jesuit High School (Los Angeles), and ICA Cristo Rey Academy (San Francisco). As part of the program, English teachers and school leaders visit each participating school for two days to learn new strategies and tools, co-plan lessons and create exemplars, guest-teach lessons, evaluate student work samples, and discuss best practices.
In September, English Department Chair Anne Warrington, English Teacher McKenzie Clark, and I went to Christ the King in Chicago to do the first collaborative session. Last month, we hosted the 20+ participants, and in February, we will travel to Verbum Dei in Los Angeles for the final session of this year.
This initiative is made possible through grants from CRN, and we deeply value the opportunity to collaborate with English teachers across the network. These partnerships foster connection, professional growth, and shared excellence in literacy education, benefiting our students as well as our faculty.
--Maria Cabrera, Vice-Principal for Academics
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That's a Wrap for Fall Sports
Fall sports here at De La Salle North Catholic were marked by steady growth, hard work, and strong representation across all our athletic programs. Our Women’s Volleyball team continued to develop throughout the season, competing with focus and determination in every match. Their improvement showed in their stronger serving, solid defense, and the confidence displayed by both returning players and newcomers who stepped into important roles. The team’s commitment and positive spirit reflected the values of the Knight Nation community.
The Women’s Soccer team made meaningful strides as the season progressed, growing closer as a group and strengthening their communication on the field. They supported one another through every challenge, building trust and confidence as the season went on. Their dedication to growing together was clear in the way they worked as a unified and committed team.
Lastly, our Men’s Soccer team delivered a strong, competitive season, playing with poise, energy, and a genuine commitment to teamwork. Their reliable defense and creative attacking play kept them honest competitors throughout league play. The team featured a talented group of younger players who made impressive contributions, which points to a promising future for the program.
We are proud of all our Knights for their hard work, character, and dedication throughout the fall season, and we look forward to seeing them continue to grow. Kudos to all our fall student-athletes!
--Demetrius Rhodes, Athletic Director
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The author (on right) with his "Mega Drive" teammates
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The Knight’s Blog by Arturo Isais Perez ‘27
During November at DLSNC, we show our support to the greater community by holding a Hunger and Homelessness Awareness assembly and a canned food drive. The assembly’s purpose is to provide knowledge to the whole school community about the realities the homeless live with and to bless the canned goods we collect as a school community.
This year, Mrs. Maher, Director of Mission and Junior Theology Teacher, decided to bring the Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Assembly to her Junior class curriculum to serve as a unit test. She recently shared, “Since we're learning about homelessness as an example of a preferential option for the poor and vulnerable (one of our Catholic social teachings), it made sense for me to put our knowledge into action and to inform our entire school about the realities of homelessness.” "As Lasallians,” she continued, “we strive to have concern for the poor and social justice, which means we not only care for those in poverty but fight to end injustices. The reason for this assembly is to bring awareness about how those experiencing homelessness are being dehumanized and to recognize our Lasallian call as a school community to help them.”
What I learned most in this unit is how, as people and as God's creations, we are all equal. We all deserve the same opportunities and chances to be the best versions of ourselves. Yet it's important to acknowledge that there are times of hardship that simply aren't in our control. We want to not only directly serve the homeless through volunteering and donating, but also understand why they need help by listening to their stories of hardship that have brought them to where they are. Lastly, we must help them be able to achieve their own goals and wishes.
A couple weeks ago, I reached out to Mrs. Maher about creating a school drive for those in need, particularly those affected by the recent government shutdown. Originally, my group (Millie Sosa-Santiago '27, Alexander Calel Mendoza '27, and I) was charged with creating a toy drive as our part for the assembly. This past week, the three of us, along with Mrs. Maher, have been collaborating to expand that to be a “Mega Drive.” We have been reaching out to multiple Catholic charities, along with homeless centers that we could partner with, to donate and distribute our resources to. We want “Mega Drive” to be about collecting multiple necessities that homeless shelters are in need of at this time of year, including warm clothing, non-perishable food, kids’ toys and books, toiletries, and cat and dog supplies. For more information about how you can support our "Mega Drive," contact smaher@dlsnc.org.
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Fall Field Trips Enrich Science Learning
Our environmental science students took a field trip to the Columbia Gorge last month, hiking at Horsetail Falls, learning how the Missoula floods formed the Gorge 15,000 years ago, and collecting data for our comparative biodiversity lab. We then went to Eagle Creek to see the tail end of salmon spawning (it was very stinky as the salmon start to die and decompose after breeding) and then on to Bonneville Dam where we visited the fish ladders, learned about hydroelectric energy production, and visited the fish hatchery were we saw salmon of all different ages, and got to say hi to Herman the Sturgeon.
--Amit Gordon, Biology & Environmental Science Teacher
This month, students from Engineering 1 and our Robotics Team went on a tour of Micro Systems Engineering Inc.'s factory, which makes sensors and processors for Biotronik's heart sensors, pacemakers, and IEDs. Students first saw engineers starting automated processes where robots create, fold, and assemble parts, then witnessed the engineers running those parts through automated testing and quality-control devices. We also learned about the troubleshooting procedures that occur if the robotic systems produce faulty parts.
Then, using PPE to minimize contamination, students got to participate in lab control procedures. Finally, the group heard from electrical, mechanical, and software engineers about their career paths and day-to-day work. Special thanks to Teresa Larson, Steve Olson, and Oscar Cisneros for organizing this fascinating visit!
--Callan Stowell, Biology & Environmental Science Teacher
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Past and Present Connect!
De La Salle North Catholic (DLSNC) recently had visitors from our namesake school, North Catholic High School. North Catholic opened in 1958 and served the North Portland community until 1970, when a fire destroyed the school, displacing its 430 students. The school was not able to rebuild and was a much-missed neighborhood institution. Since our founding, DLSNC has incorporated the legacy established by North Catholic with our Lasallian charism, by serving those in need and providing an excellent education in our neighborhood.
Forty-five years after North Catholic’s destruction, a team of alumni organized an all-school reunion. Over 300 alumni attended the celebration, having never forgotten the community or friendships they formed. The North Catholic Alumni graciously chose to donate the funds from the reunion’s ticket and raffle sales to DLSNC. We were pleased to welcome a group of North Catholic alums for a campus visit this month in which they presented a generous check, enjoyed a student-led tour, and saw firsthand how their alma mater’s spirit continues.
--Kate Gobel, Manager of Donor Relations
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Selfie With A Supervisor
Get a peek into the Corporate Work Study (CWS), the unique program that sets DLSNC apart from other schools in Oregon by hearing the perspectives of individual supervisors and their student associates.
This month’s supervisor/student team is from the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office, which has been partnering with us for a remarkable 20+ years. On Thursdays (plus one Monday per month), Operations Supervisor Hilda Cardoza supervises Junior Jazira Valdez Nunez, who is in her third year at MCDA.
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How have you grown by supervising DLSNC Student Associates like Jazira?
I became the coordinator for the DLSNC program five years ago, and during that time, I have had at least 15 students work under me, with two senior legal assistants. One thing I’ve learned in this role is being flexible and meeting the students where they are at. I have learned from every one of my students. Some are tech-savvy, some have more organizational skills, some are more creative; they all bring something to the table and are hungry to learn. Also, I’ve learned that allowing them ownership of their work helps them become more responsible and builds confidence, not just at MCDA but at school and moving forward towards college. (Hilda Cardoza)
How are you growing working as a Student Associate at MCDA?
I want to become an immigration lawyer when I get older, so it’s good to get legal experience. Freshman year, my job was to organize and close case files. Then they asked me to work in the summer. They put me in the grand jury section then, and so for the past two school years, I’ve stayed at grand jury. I was really happy when they hired me for the summer, and hopefully, I’ll do it again this year.
I’m learning how to communicate because a lot of people come who don’t know what to do for grand jury duty and ask me questions. Also, organizational skills. And sometimes they’ve let me in the grand jury room during the procedure review. My parents think it’s a great opportunity for me—they brag a lot. (Jazira Valdez Nunez ‘27)
What’s the coolest thing about working with DLSNC and its Student Associates?
The coolest thing is that no day is the same. In addition, we had one former student who eventually was hired and then promoted in permanent positions after college. That was so rewarding! There was something that we did right in this office—she liked the work, liked the environment, liked our purpose and goals—which caused her to apply to work in a permanent position.
I have learned a lot from your program, not just how to manage students but how to manage people in general. Hearing the experiences of other companies during the DLSNC trainings opens my mind to explore other ways to manage my staff. I’m thinking this might be the same for other partner supervisors; the trainings help us all. (Hilda Cardoza)
What’s the coolest part of your job at MCDA?
I like the people; I feel really welcome there. I feel like I’m surrounded by people that are mentors. I’m really close with Esmerelda because she’s the person who tells me what I need to do. And we found out that our families are connected. That’s cool. And then there’s Jill and Judy—they are both really nice and kind, and sometimes they give me advice.
I like that they let me be creative. They have a DDA of the month board, and they asked me to decorate it. So it’s basically bedazzled now. And they had me go into every grand jury room and put some kind of art in all of them. (Jazira Valdez Nunez ‘27)
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| Ways to support
Fred Meyer Reward Cards + De La Salle North Catholic
By linking your Fred Meyer Community Rewards points to De La Salle North Catholic, we will receive a quarterly donation from Fred Meyer. It only takes a moment to sign up:
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