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• FAITH • INTEGRITY • SCHOLARSHIP •
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Inside The Spartan Spotlight
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LETTER FROM THE VP FOR ACADEMIC LIFE
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Dear Parents, Guardians, Students, and Friends of De La Salle,
Happy New Year and welcome back! We missed you! We trust you have enjoyed a wonderful (albeit a bit more quiet) holiday with your families. We are excited to welcome a number of transfer students to our campus as well as our in-person and virtual returning students, many of whom have been waiting to see their friends for three weeks. We also want to again thank our faculty who, after a much-needed break, are ready to start the new semester and new year.
As we prepare to start our second semester, we wanted to share some important updates and crucial reminders:
- De La Salle will open in person for semester 2, while Carondelet has made the decision to start semester 2 virtually next week only for various planning reasons. Both schools fully support one another, and the instruction of our students remains our highest priority. The decision that either school may want or need to go virtual for a week was one we made early in the pandemic. We have secured locations and supervisors for students who will not be going to their CHS classes in person. All students who have class at CHS during the first week of S2 need to report to the Hofmann Center during that class period.
- We also wanted to assure you, after consultation with Dr. Chris Farnitano, that he confirmed that we have safe, effective, preventive COVID protocols, and the county and state have substantial and increasing data about the safety and effectiveness of schools that are open.
- An important reminder: please, please remember to respond to the email that Ms. Dickson and Mr. Aliotti sent out on Tuesday (1/05) regarding your son’s group choice for semester 2. All families need to make changes no later than this Friday (1/08). Also, please remember to remind your sons, and our students, to fill out the E3 Student Survey, which is a required part of the registration process and which gives us invaluable information about how to better educate our Spartans.
- On Thursday (1/07) and Friday (1/08), our faculty and staff will continue their training in Empowered Communication, focusing on cultural competency, with our trained mediators, Vanessa Alfaro and Lori Cohen. We will also start preparing for our accreditation process, which will happen in the 2021-2022 school year. All faculty will participate, additionally, in one of two Professional Learning Communities: “Online Teaching Tips and Tricks” or “Anti-racist teaching.” Mr. Mike Aquino and I will lead a semester-long book club on Ta-Nehisi Coates’s National Award-winning Book Between the World and Me.
Before I sign off, I wanted to communicate that we are acutely aware of what a challenging week this has been for our nation. Know that as a Lasallian school, our sacred mission is to embrace your children as they come to us, to inculcate at every moment our core principles, and to listen to and to learn from our students. We invite you to pray with us the Prayer of St. Francis.
Happy New Year. We could not be on this journey without you.
Sincerely,
Dr. Heather Alumbaugh Vice President for Academic Life
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Dear Parents and Guardians,
In December, I wrote to you about the "12 Days of Christmas." On Christmas day I received a box of candy canes. And, it got me thinking – what is so special about candy canes? Lo and behold, with a couple of quick strokes of the keyboard, here is one legend I found – there are many other interpretations, but this is my favorite. Legend has it that in the 18th Century, somewhere in Europe any public display of Christianity was forbidden. No crosses or Bibles were allowed and the Christians were greatly oppressed. One old man, a candy maker by profession, was particularly distressed by this. He loved the Lord with all of his heart and couldn't stand to not share that love with the world. ...Continue Reading
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Our annual Ensuring Educational Excellence (E3) Western Catholic Educational Association survey is a data collection opportunity required as part of our accreditation protocol. We ask that all students (including Seniors) complete the survey in a timely manner. It takes most students about 30 to 45 minutes to finish.
- Submission of the survey is REQUIRED for current Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors in order to complete their course registration for 2021-22 classes.
- This survey is also for Seniors, as the school values their input about their experience at De La Salle.
Please encourage your son to complete the survey in a timely manner, as course registration for all returning students begins on February 1st and runs for three weeks.
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MANDATORY GRADUATION MEETING JANUARY 13TH
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On Wednesday, January 13, Mr. Aliotti will host this year's annual Graduation Kick-off Meeting, virtually on Zoom at 6:30 p.m. Parents of De La Salle Seniors should have received a graduation meeting email on Wednesday (Jan. 6), that included the meeting's Zoom link and password. If your son is a senior and you did not receive the email, please check your junk mailbox, or contact Mrs. Dee Turrin at 925-288-8115 or email at turrind@dlshs.org.
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Upcoming events for the De La Salle Class of 2025 admissions process:
- The virtual De La Salle High School Placement Exam is Saturday, January 9, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- Financial aid applications for the 2021-22 school year are available on the De La Salle website and are due February 12th.
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Due to the uncertainty with COVID-19 and large gatherings, we have had to postpone many of our fundraising events. We are hopeful that we will be able to hold all of our annual events in some capacity in the Spring. Please keep an eye out for future communications regarding the Crab Feed and Taste of De La Salle.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to plan these events in compliance with the County guidelines.
Save The Date! May 1, 2021 – Auction June 21, 2021 – Brother Maris Golf Tournament
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Join us for a day on the links at the De La Salle Golf Classic on Monday, March 29.
We are excited to return to Diablo Country Club after their recent renovations to continue this tournament tradition. Benefiting student financial aid, this event is a wonderful way to experience the Brotherhood, while giving future Spartans the opportunity to benefit from a De La Salle education.
Please contact Jamie Frick, Manager of Advancement Events, at frickj@dlshs.org with any questions.
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There are a number of alumni events that take place during the school year.
For more information or to get involved, check us out:
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Three Spartans Sign NLIs During Football's Early Signing Period
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On December 16, three De La Salle student-athletes signed their National Letters of Intent during the NCAA Early Signing Period for football. Congratulations to Dorian Hale (Sacramento State), Lu Hearns (Cal), and Chad Tasi (Southern Utah) on their commitments.
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Tuition payments are due on the 1st of each month and considered late after the 10th of that month.
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.
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Financial Aid Applications for the 2021-22 school year through FACTS are now available through our website, and are due February 12th. We encourage you to apply using the FACTS application link directly through our website at www.dlshs.org (Admissions>Financial Assistance). This will ensure that your application will be included in our review for Financial Aid. If you apply early, please note that the application will show as incomplete if you submit without providing any of the required financial documents.
Please remember if you are currently receiving Financial Aid you must re-apply each year. If you have any questions regarding the application process, please visit the Financial Aid webpage. If you have any further questions, please contact via e-mail either Angelica Rodriguez at rodrigueza@dlshs.org or Kathy Resch at reschk@dlshs.org.
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Daily Announcements - Please continue to check the Daily Announcements, posted in Schoology or under Quicklinks on the De La Salle website, for up-to-date events, happenings, and deadlines in Campus Life.
Senior Portraits - Did you miss taking your Senior Formal Portrait for the Yearbook and end of year festivities? There’s still time! Please contact the school’s official photographer: Studio One Photography (925) 361-0430 or www.studio1experience.com. They are taking bookings up to February 11. If your son missed their chance taking their portrait, check your email for a reminder from Studio One.
Junior Mass of Unity - Save the date for our Junior Mass of Unity on Sunday, February 28th. If you purchased a ring through Jostens, you will receive it at the mass. All Juniors are welcome and asked to participate with their families, even if you did not purchase a ring. The Junior Mass of Unity celebrates the brotherhood of the Class of 2022 and their unique place as they become upperclassmen in the De La Salle community.
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Campus Ministry is looking forward to Kairos 129 and Kairos 130 this January. Due to the COVID-19 situations, we are saddened to have had to cancel the Parent/Son retreat and the Ven A Ver program for this year but look forward to having all our programs up and running again in the 2021-2022 school year.
Daily Mass is celebrated every morning at 7:30 a.m., is streamed live on the De La Salle Facebook page, and lasts only about 20 minutes. Students, their families and friends, the wider De La Salle Family, and other interested folks are invited.
Confessions are offered every Monday and Thursday at lunch in the Brothers’ Courtyard.
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Driver's Education registration for the 2020-21 school year is currently available through the De La Salle website. Dates for Quarter 3 Driver's Ed run from January 25th through February 25th, during seventh period. The cost for the course is $150.
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HYBRID LEARNING GROUP CHANGE FORM
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It is very important that if your son is in Hybrid Learning Group 1 or 2, he is expected to be on campus for the dates specified on the schedule, or he will be marked absent. If your son needs to stay home temporarily due to illness, post-travel quarantine, or COVID-19 exposure, we ask that you call the attendance line to specify the time period he will be learning from home. A learning group change is not necessary for these situations.
If you need to change your son's on-campus learning group, please be aware:
- You must submit your request by Friday, January 8 at noon in order for the change to be effective Monday, January 11, the first day of Semester 2.
- All of these requests for opt-in and out will be granted.
- Requests for switching between learning groups 1 and 2 will be notified by end of day January 8th.
- You may opt-out to online learning at any time but you must submit the change form below
If you submit your request after January 8th at noon:
- If requesting to opt-in, you will have to wait until the next opt-in window, which closes at noon February 5th, for an on-campus start date of February 8th.
- Requesting to switch in-person groups, you will be contacted via email by Ms. Dickson for more information or if your change has been approved.
- Requesting to opt-out to learn from home, your learning group will be changed within 24 hours of submitting the form.
***Please do not use the attendance line to request a change of learning group, but instead, use the link found below.
You should follow the Hybrid Learning Group designated at the bottom of the Grades and Attendance page in the PowerSchool portal.
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NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY TRIBUTE VIDEO
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This video was produced by our National Honor Society (our community project) as a tribute to the amazing work and effort put forth by all of us at De La Salle High School. We truly lived like Lasallians, "pandemic style" in 2020 and we will continue to do so in 2021.
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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.
Next Parent Association Meeting The next Parent Association meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 1 at 7 p.m., via Zoom. The Zoom link is posted on the Parent Association webpage. Click on the appropriate date under "2020-21 Parent Association Meeting Schedule" for all meeting information. All are welcome!
Current Open Positions
- Community Outreach Chair – includes helping organize the Cereal Drive and One Night Only events.
- Senior Trip Chair – includes working in tandem with the De La Salle administration.
If you are interested in either of these positions or would like more information, please contact Kris Earle, President of the Parent Association, at kristine.earle2@gmail.com or Candi Mannoni, Vice President of the Parent Association, at pmannoni@pacbell.net.
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Bookstore Hours: Monday: 8:00 am - 2:00 p.m. Tuesday: 8:00 am - 2:00 p.m. Wednesday: CLOSED Thursday: 8:00 am - 2:00 p.m. Friday: 8:00 am - 2:00 p.m.
Bookstore hours reflect the school schedule. Changes may occur. Please check the website for the latest information.
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TOY DRIVE GENERATES NEARLY $6,000 IN DONATIONS
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The 2020 De La Salle Toy Drive generated $5,952 in online donations to support the De La Salle Academy, the Bay Area Crisis Nursery, the Oakland Catholic Worker, and Running with Love. All online donations went directly to the organizations to help purchase toys for children in need this past Christmas season.
Thank you to everyone that supported the 2020 De La Salle Toy Drive, we could not do this without your continued support of our students and local communities.
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