| On October 8th, we hosted a successful Fall Open House for prospective students. A total of 58 families attended, bringing more than 200 visitors to De La Salle North Catholic. We were delighted to have 25 Student Ambassadors at Open House who welcomed families at our doors, provided guided campus tours, and interacted with prospective students. The highlight of the event was the student panel where eight Ambassadors shared their personal experiences of Knight Nation. Overall, it was a great event to kick off the 2023-2024 recruitment season showcasing our campus and spirited community.
Student Ambassadors play a large part in assisting with recruitment efforts, and we are lucky to have 33 of them this year. Apart from supporting the Open House, our Ambassadors have also visited seven local middle schools to share their stories about DLSNC, discuss their Corporate Work Study jobs, and answer questions from prospective students about student life. Our Ambassadors leave quite the impression with one school sharing “Our eighth graders are more excited than ever about visiting and learning more about your school and joining you next year. Thank you for helping us fuel that spark!" We are so proud of our Ambassadors who are doing a wonderful job representing our school!
Spend-A-Days are starting in November, where prospective students will shadow a current student, attend classes, and be a part of our inclusive community. Help us to spread the word and invite future Knights to come and experience our spirit and diversity firsthand!
Natasha Durant
Director of Admissions
| |
Maker Space Launch!
The final element of capital improvements for the St. Charles campus was completed this summer with the construction of a Maker Space. The Maker Space serves students as a hands-on classroom as well as for after-school use. Its goal is to provide a resourced, staffed location for collaborative innovation, creation, and physical construction, whether the end result be a complex robot, an artistic vision come to life, or the solution to a simple mechanical problem
Equipped to promote inter-disciplinary learning, the Maker Space is outfitted with a 3D printer, a laser cutter, a color printer, power tools, and a myriad of hand tools and materials to promote invention and imagination. During the school day, the space currently houses two levels of Engineering classes which encourage free-form learning, problem-solving, and “breakthrough” thinking. Afterschool usage is robust with the Robotics team coding and building competition robots three days a week, as well as two afternoons open for all students.
Violet Whaley ‘25 recently observed about the Maker Space, “It has a lot of cool supplies, and new materials, it’s an upgrade. I feel like I have a lot of focus and enjoyment; it’s exciting to be in here.” Kahlial Lofquist ‘25 chimed in, “For me, the Maker Space provides a platform to explore my creative mindset, while also allowing me to learn and grow from my mistakes.”
| |
Knight Nation Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month
Our Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations this month were phenomenal! An assembly featured a fashion show, dance competitions, and folkloric dance performances accompanied by a mariachi band. The event concluded with a “Spinata,” a cool collaboration between the assembly organizers and the Engineering 1 class, created in our new Maker Space. In addition, a delicious lunch that day was donated by several neighborhood taquerias. And the celebration has continued for several weeks with a school-wide Loteria game. Thank you to Ms. Flores, Ms. Young and the many student organizers who created a multi-faceted celebration for the whole school community!
| |
Fall Sports Recap
The Fall sports season has wrapped up, and each of our programs (Men’s & Women’s Soccer; Women’s Volleyball) competed with maximal effort, representing DLSNC well. Whether sprinting down the soccer field or diving on the hardwood floor to make a play, our Knights fought hard each game, leaving it all on the line. All three teams made great improvements this year, which is a big win for us. This is a true testament to how committed our coaches and athletes are to getting better each day.
Many in the world are focused only on winning, but they miss the beauty in the struggle. It’s not the result or destination, it is the journey that really matters. The daily grind of school, work (CWS and homework), practice, and games build resilience and character. Student-athletes challenge themselves both mentally and physically, pushing the limits to see how far they can go. Let’s celebrate our Fall Student-Athletes for their hard work and displaying what it means to be a Knight.
The great late Pelé stated, “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and, most of all, love of what you are doing.” Our student-athletes live this out in the classroom, gym, and field, which is why the future is bright. We are thrilled to see what is in store for our Fall Sports teams next year!
Thank you for supporting and encouraging our teams this season. Go Knights!
--Demetrius Rhodes, Athletic Director
| |
Fall College-Prep News
Many seeds have been planted this month to contribute to DLSNC’s strong college-prep focus. Last year, the Class of 2023 applied to 217 different schools throughout the country and were accepted at 113. Our aim with the recently instituted College Readiness class is to assist seniors in finding “best fit” schools and encourage a minimum of ten college applications per student, thereby growing our application and acceptance numbers.
To help in that process all juniors and seniors spent the morning of October 9 at a big College Fair at the Convention Center where their astute questioning and mature demeanor attracted the attention of several college representatives. In addition, we have dramatically boosted the number of colleges making on-campus presentations to seniors. University of Oregon, University of Portland, Oregon State, Villanova, Whitman, Gonzaga, and Notre Dame, among several others all have made visits to campus.
Finally, by the end of the month, all DLSNC students will have taken either the SAT or the PSAT. Research shows the more times students take the test, the better they do, so we are proud to now make these national tests a regular part of the fall semester for all grade levels.
--Amanda Weingarten '05, College Counselor
| |
|
Please Vote for an Incredible Opportunity!
The Cristo Rey Network, the member organization for the 39 Catholic schools with the Corporate Work Study model, is one of 33 semifinalists for the prestigious Yass Prize for transformational education. As a semifinalist, the Cristo Rey Network is also in the running for a Parents Choice Award. If the Cristo Rey Network receives the most votes and is awarded the Parents Choice Award, the $100,000 prize will fuel a new innovation grant for several Network schools to fund local innovative, high-impact projects. Grants will be awarded through a competitive application process launched in January, and DLSNC would definitely be applying. Help the Cristo Rey Network unlock the potential of being a double Yass winner by voting!
| |
Selfie with a Supervisor!
For the first time in several years, all four grade levels at De La Salle North Catholic are working five days per month in local businesses across the gamut of industries. To celebrate the robust return of our integral Corporate Work Study (CWS) program, we’re launching a regular feature to take a peek into the experience, from both a student’s perspective as well as that of his or her supervisor.
AAA of Oregon/Idaho has been a dedicated CWS partner for nine years and counting. Bucky Coleman ‘24 is in his second year at AAA, working last year in the HR department and now in the travel business department, supervised by Kasee Eggers, Talent Development Program Manager.
| |
How do you think you’ll grow this year as a supervisor of a DLSNC student associate?
For me, I don’t work with kids normally so I’ve grown in learning how to interact with a younger generation. Learning to communicate in a different style, reaching them on a different level than I do with my new adult employees who all already have HR experience. (Kasee Eggers)
What cool elements about AAA of Oregon/Idaho are you excited to introduce Bucky to?
I wanted to give Bucky a broader view of the organization this year and give him a wider range of experiences than filing. He’s getting an introduction to our travel business line now by working in our member service center. That’s an opportunity to gain a lot of new skills–greeting, face-to-face and phone interactions, retail, and cash register. Also, soon he will be fully trained for processing our popular international drivers permits. I want the students to be privy to all elements of our work environment both for work and for fun. (Kasee Eggers)
How do you think you’ll grow this year working as a student associate at AAA of Oregon/Idaho?
Right now I’m working in the member service center so hopefully, I’ll be learning good communication and problem solving. And in HR I’m learning how hiring processes work. It’s giving me insight into how AAA looks at applications, and so now I know what to do or not to do when applying for a job. (Bucky Coleman '24)
What was your favorite part of your first day on the job?
The location is kind of cool; there are lots of food places by it. Last year there was a Halloween party, and they dressed me up like a card. The party was actually fun, they had all this great food. I’m sad I’m missing it this year because I’m not working that day. Also, they gave me Fred Meyer gift cards at the holidays. That was nice; I was surprised. (Bucky Coleman '24)
| |
|
