DE LA SALLE
HIGH SCHOOL
•  FAITH  •  INTEGRITY  •  SCHOLARSHIP  •

Inside The Spartan Spotlight

PRESIDENT'S LETTER

Dear Parents and Guardians,
Please know that each and every one of you remains in my daily prayers. I know that COVID-19 has affected our daily lives, and we look forward to brighter days. Those days will come – we just need to be patient and put things in perspective. 
Late last night we received the following statement from the Superintendent of the Contra Costa County Office of Education.
This week, both the Governor and State Superintendent of Public Instruction have issued strong recommendations that, given the nature of the statewide stay-at-home order and continued need for physical distancing, K-12 schools should not expect to return to in-class instruction for the remainder of the school year. While not a directive or executive order, based on this guidance and the likely event that Contra Costa Health Services will extend the stay-at-home order, I encourage all of us to embrace the idea that distance learning will continue through the rest of the school year. I will be meeting with the Bay Area Health Officers and County Superintendents early next week to discuss extending the March 16th stay-at-home health order.

We know that this situation is taking its toll on everyone for many reasons, but our health experts continue to remind us that following the stay-at-home order and practicing strict physical distancing are the two best ways to slow the transmission of this virus. While we may not be able to welcome students back to campus this year, we know that learning WILL continue, and that every educator and education professional in Contra Costa County will continue to work hard on behalf of the students and families we serve.
As you know, the situation remains fluid. De La Salle will keep you informed when we know the decision from Contra Costa County Health Services who has the authority to make the final decision on this matter. I empathize with each and everyone, especially the students of the Class of 2020, who have their senior year coming to an end and things remain up in the air. At the present time, it does not look like graduation will take place on May 24th, being that the peak of COVID-19 cases seems to be the middle of May, and we do not think it is feasible to bring 2,000-plus people to campus for this important event. There is too much risk. We are in the process of planning a few different scenarios about how we can celebrate the graduation of the Class of 2020 as well as looking at combining the Mother/Son Liturgy and Brunch with Dads and Grads. More information about graduation activities will follow as we finalize plans after Easter break. We will do what we can to take care of our graduating Seniors!
Reregistration for the 2020-21 school year will start on April 3rd. The contract letter gives specific details of who to contact if you need assistance. As you know from an earlier communication – there is no tuition increase for next year. Being one with our community during this difficult time and setting priorities to ensure we can deliver on our Mission, there will be no salary increase for our employees next year. I want to thank our employees for the sacrifice they too are making during this difficult time to ensure your son has a place where he can receive a high-quality Catholic education. We are in this together, and we will work with you as we plan for next year.
I would like to thank our entire faculty, which includes all counselors and librarians, the Academic Affairs Council, and Campus Life for their commitment to the Lasallian mission and for their educational leadership in this unprecedented time. I'd also like to extend a big thank you to all members of our Technology Department, as the infrastructure they have built over the past years enabled the school to move quickly and effectively to our Flexible Learning Plan.
Finally, it has been quite a Lenten Journey for all of us. It is my hope that we can celebrate the true meaning of the Resurrection, particularly this year, knowing that death no longer has any power over us. In reality, that is the message of Easter, and this year I have come to realize this perspective in light of what is happening.
On behalf of De La Salle High School, we wish you and your family a Happy Easter.
May God Bless each and every one of us!
Mark DeMarco '78
President

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

In case you missed any of our communications regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19), visit our website at www.dlshs.org/coronavirus to review all our information sent to families during this time our students are away from campus. We will post all our updates on this page as we continue navigating through this health crisis.

ONLINE LEARNING SCHEDULE

As we conclude week three of our Flexible Learning Plan, Easter break beings April 4th and runs through April 19th. De La Salle's online learning will resume on Monday, April 20th.
A change has been made to the schedule for the two weeks of online learning after Easter break. De La Salle and Carondelet are allowing for a Flex/Connection Day each Wednesday to create the following opportunities:
  • Allow students time to connect with teachers and counselors
  • Allow students to connect with peers for club and council meetings, for peer tutoring, or for social connections
  • Allow teachers to reach out to students
  • Allow teachers to provide tutoring for students and to plan and assess
  • Allow students and teachers to have time off their screens
De La Salle continues to monitor the situation with COVID-19 daily and inform you of any changes made to our learning schedules.

FLEXIBLE LEARNING STUDENT SURVEY

We are now three weeks into our Flexible Learning Plan as our part of the effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community. Sheltering and working from home have been challenging for all of us, and our teachers appreciate the hard work and flexibility from your sons during this new way of learning.
Last night, we sent a survey to your son in an effort to become even better at this new online learning process. As this feedback is extremely important to help us create a comprehensive online learning plan, please check in with your son to make sure he has submitted his feedback through the survey. Students were asked to complete the survey by April 15th. 

ALUMNI RELATIONS

There are a number of alumni events which take place during the school year. Check out our De La Salle Alumni websiteFacebook page, and Linkedin group for more information or to get involved. 
Spartan Community Service Day
Scheduled for Saturday, April 25, 2020
has been cancelled
Alumni Baseball Game and Reunion
Scheduled for Saturday, May 16, 2020
has been cancelled

ANNUAL FUND


All of us in the Office of Advancement hope you and your family are doing well in these challenging times. Although we have had to cancel or postpone many activities on and around campus, our students continue to work hard through distance learning. Investments in the De La Salle Annual Fund have directly impacted the lives of our young men in so many ways this year, one of significant note – having the resources and technology in place to move to our online/distance learning both seamlessly and immediately.
As you know, with counsel from the President's Cabinet, Board of Trustees, and Finance Committee, President Mark DeMarco ’78 announced that tuition will not increase for the next year, in an effort to do our part to help our families in these uncertain times. In addition, the school has increased our budget for Financial Aid awards to $4 million for the 2020-2021 school year.
Your philanthropy plays a huge role in allowing De La Salle to support all of our students this school year. Your support of the Annual Fund is more important than ever. We ask if you have not had the opportunity to make your gift to the Annual Fund this school year, that you consider helping now with a gift of any amount. All gifts will help our school and students as families experience uncertainty during this pandemic.
If you have any questions, or anything the Office of Advancement can assist with, please contact Vice President for Advancement, Mark Chiarucci at chiaruccim@dlshs.org or via cell at (925) 878-1286, or Director of Development, Karla Wiese at wiesek@dlshs.org or via cell at (510) 612-6435.

ATHLETICS

Athletic Activities Remain Suspended Until Further Notice

Under the current shelter-in-place guidelines from the county, all De La Salle athletic events and activities are suspended until further notice.
The CIF announced today that spring Section, Regional, and State Championship events have been cancelled. Click Here for CIF Statement
During this down time, we have received messages from De La Salle alums, click on the names below to view their messages:

AUCTION

Blue Jean Ball Now An Online Event

As recent events have escalated related to the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), we have created contingency plans for our daily campus life as well as our special events. The Blue Jean Ball is being reformatted into an online auction rather than an on-campus event, and will begin on April 25th.

BROTHER MARIS GOLF TOURNAMENT

As of now, the 36th Annual Brother Maris Golf Tournament, at Crow Canyon Country Club (Danville) on Monday, June 1, is still scheduled as planned. De La Salle will continue to monitor the progress of the COVID-19, and make adjustments to the tournament, if needed, by May 1. 
If you are interested in sponsoring, donating, or getting involved, please contact Manager of Advancement Events, Jamie Frick at (925) 288-8184 or frickj@dlshs.org.

BUSINESS OFFICE

Tuition Payments
We realize these are challenging times and if you are having financial difficulties with any of the payment deadlines, please contact Kathy Resch via e-mail at reschk@dlshs.org or by phone at (925) 288-8122. Tuition payments are due on the 1st of each month and considered late after the 10th of that month.
Senior accounts must be current by May 10th
Please note that re-enrollment Tuition Contracts will be released April 3rd to our current 9th, 10th and 11th graders. Your tuition must be current through March for you to be able to receive your reregistration information.
Thank You.  We will get through this together.

CAMPUS LIFE

We appreciate all of your patience and support you are providing your sons and us as we’ve transitioned to our flexible online instruction model. We have been using feedback to adjust our schedule, our instruction, and our planning for the end of the academic year, as our changing circumstances keep pushing back the desired “return to normalcy.”
With this in mind, we return from our Spring Break on April 20th with a modified online schedule with a non-instruction Flex/Connection Day built-in on Wednesdays. We hope to have and provide more opportunities for informal student connections and activities when we return. Particularly for our seniors, we are working to retain and reshape our time-honored rites of passage for our graduating class as well as other planned activities that typically round out our school year. In addition, know that we will continue to keep you abreast of how De La Salle is adapting to the county guidelines. Through Schoology and the website, continue to access the Daily Announcements which has timely information for all students. 
Please know that all of the faculty, staff, and coaches miss the smiles, daily interactions, unique traits, and characteristics that each of your sons brought every day to form our larger De La Salle community. We are praying for you and your family’s well-being through this time. 

CAMPUS MINISTRY

The Campus Ministry team adds its prayers for all of you during this uncertain time in all of our lives. Our founder St. John Baptist de La Salle had complete trust in the Providence of God in all the trials he faced. One of his most powerful quotes in this regard is: 
“Do not have any anxiety about the future, but leave everything in God’s hands, for God will take care of you. Be satisfied with what you can do, since God is satisfied with it, but do not spare yourself in what you can do with grace; and believe that, provided you want it, you can do more with the grace of God than you think.”  
                                                
--- St. John Baptist de La Salle
Let us all put our anxieties and concerns in God’s hands and trust that this time of uncertainty will pass, and in the words of St. Julian of Norwich, “All shall be well, and we shall see it ourselves that all manner of things shall be well.”
Peace!

COLLEGE COUNSELING

The college counselors at De La Salle High School are committed to providing comprehensive information, guidance, and support for students and their families in the college exploration, selection, and admissions process.
SAT
June 6 (Register by May 8

Register online at: www.sat.org

ACT
June 13 (Register by May 8)

July 18 (Register by June 19)
 
Register online at: www.actstudent.org
Please see information in the juniors’ testing section below for current information about SAT and ACT testing during the coronavirus pandemic.
Virtual College Fair/Panel Presentations
Strive for College Knowledge Virtual College Exploration Week: April 20-23
(See details in the Juniors’ section on the school website)
The joint DLS-CHS College Preview Night for Juniors and their Families, originally scheduled for April 22, has been cancelled, as has the East Bay College Fair normally held the first weekend in May at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga.
As indicated above, there are plans underway to provide an online college fair opportunity. We will update De La Salle families about details as soon as that information becomes available.
General Updates for Coronavirus Situation
Spring is a busy time for college preparation, exploration, and planning.  We realize that the current situation with the coronavirus pandemic makes it impossible for most of the “in-person” types of college admission activities that juniors and seniors and their families engage in at this time of year.
We recognize that the current restrictions create a lot of uncertainty and anxiety for college-bound students, and we are providing as much as possible, online resources to help mitigate the lost opportunities.
Please be assured that colleges are committed to being flexible and accommodating for students and their families, and they recognize that the admissions process will look at least somewhat different this year—for all students.
See new admissions information from UC and CSU systems in regard to SAT and ACT testing, transcripts, AP scores, etc. in light of the coronavirus situation:
If you have any questions regarding college counseling, please reach out to Mrs. Appel, ext. 8128 or email at appelj@dlshs.org, or Ms. Lopez, ext. 8103, or email at lopeze@dlshs.org

DADS AND GRADS

The De La Salle Alumni Association announced that the Dads and Grads Casino Night, scheduled for Sunday, May 3, has been POSTPONED. A new date for this event is to be announced at a later time. 

MULTIPLYING GOOD

The Multiplying Good Students in Action Club (formerly known as the Jefferson Awards Club) wants to recognize students, faculty, staff, or parents who are involved in significant community service activities. While the program has re-branded, we still have the ability to give the nationally recognized Jefferson Award. Student recipients of the Jefferson Award for Community Service receive an official certificate, are listed in the graduation program, and are given special pins to wear at graduation. Adult recipients will receive the certificate and a pin, as well. 
All Jefferson Award recipients are eligible to be recognized at a San Francisco Giants home plate ceremony, featured on KPIX Channel 5, and honored through other regional or national Jefferson Awards platforms.
If you know of someone who does great service/volunteer work in the community, please fill out this form from the link below. The deadline to submit nominations is May 8. Winners will be announced at the school's Academic Awards Night on Tuesday, May 19.

PARENT ASSOCIATION

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 Parent Association meeting scheduled for Monday, April 6 has been cancelled. 

PARENT EDUCATION

Join Carondelet and De La Salle families for an engaging presentation and conversation with futurist and product designer, Jody Medich. RSVP today for this FREE webinar, which is open to all.

2020 SCIENCE FAIR

Although the 2020 Contra Costa County Science and Engineering Fair at Los Medanos College was cancelled, awards were presented to students for their projects. Of the 100 projects submitted, 18 De La Salle students combined to collect 26 different awards.
De La Salle students Cameron Meyer, Elliot Kunz, Mike Kostolansky, Pierre Jolin, and Spencer Richards all received first place honors. The projects submitted by these five Spartans were three of the 18 projects selected as finalists for 2020 California Science and Engineering Fair (also cancelled).  

SPANISH HONOR SOCIETY

The Spanish Honor Society is sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP) to promote awareness and appreciation for the languages. Any student, grades 10th or higher, who has maintained an honor status for three semesters can become a member of our Chapter “Los hombres de fe”. They commit to tutoring students in regular Spanish classes in our learning center. 
Congratulations to five De La Salle students who are now members of the Spanish Honor Society: Luke Anderson, Fernando Campos, Angelo Grajeda, Cameron Meyer, and Giovanni Quintana.

SPARTAN STORE

The Spartan Store on the De La Salle campus will be closed until further notice. Although the physical store will be closed, the online store will remain open for your shopping convenience. 

Our March Madness Sale has been extended
and runs through April 20, 2020
Everything is 20% off - including special orders

Due to campus being closed, online orders will not be available for pickup until school resumes. However, at this time we will ship orders weekly on Wednesday, unless things change.

SUMMER CAMPS

De La Salle Summer Camp Registration Remains Open

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 baseball, basketball, football, lacrosse, soccer, strength and conditioning, swimming, theatre arts, track and field, volleyball, water polo, and wrestling.
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