|
• FAITH • INTEGRITY • SCHOLARSHIP •
| |
|
Inside This Issue of the Spartan Spotlight
| |
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
| |
Dear De La Salle Families:
I hope you and yours had a wonderful Christmas and New Years. Yesterday we welcomed back our faculty and staff from a well-deserved Christmas break. It is heartening to work with people who are passionately dedicated and approach their role as a vocation–a calling–to live out our Lasallian Catholic mission and form Men of Faith, Men of Integrity, and Men of Scholarship.
Our work is done within a specific context–the wider Lasallian community, and specifically our District of San Francisco New Orleans. In leading our formation time, I shared a video from incoming Brother Visitor Nick Gonzalez, FSC, a member of our Board of Trustees, when he was president of Cathedral High School in El Paso, Texas. I invite you to watch his video. As a staff, we discussed his reflection and its application to our efforts. Among many notable quotes, he said, “There are physicians and they save lives. But so do we. So do teachers. Every day…If you open your heart and mind to allow God to work through you, you can save lives.” Whoa! Such depth shows the heart of who we are at De La Salle High School and what we do as Lasallians. People here approach their work with similar intensity.
Intensity can often be found behind the scenes, though. January and February might seem like lighter months (compared to May), but we have a ton of work happening. Our Finance department and Finance Committee are in the throes of budgeting for next year (we are in a very solid position!) and preparing for financial aid reviews. Our Board of Trustees will discuss balancing our need to pay our teachers a strong wage and tuition affordability for our families. Winter sports will soon give way to spring sports with over 500 student-athletes and Heathers the Musical will begin rehearsals in earnest.
Even more is to come these next two months. In January, your sons will be receiving academic counseling from teachers and counselors alike. Keep on the lookout for course material and process guidelines that will be shared in the near future. In February, we will be visited for our every six-year Accreditation. Our faculty and staff have spent two years on a data-informed, thorough self-evaluation, and yesterday reviewed our agreed upon goals before the visit next month. I have been impressed with how diligent our Accreditation team led by Dr. Berkes, Ms. Dickson, and our entire staff is in visioning the future not just for the young men of today, but also for those who will join us in years to come.
So just when you think De La Salle is quiet, there is always much more going on than you might realize. Welcome back and best wishes to you this New Year and always.
Warmly, David J. Holquin
| |
| Our website host and provider, Finalsite, is currently experiencing an outage due to the disruption of certain computer systems on its network, which is impacting thousands of schools worldwide. They have been working to identify the issue and secure their systems, which included proactively taking certain systems offline.
Websites are beginning to return online as Finalsite works to restore full functionality to their systems, as quickly and safely as possible. We understand the importance of our website for sharing critical information, and Finalsite has dedicated all resources to resolve the issues. We appreciate your patience and understanding and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.
In the meantime, should you need time-sensitive information, please contact the Main Office at 925-288-8100. Additionally, if you are looking for student-specific information, it will be available through Schoology.
| |
COVID-19 TESTING AT DE LA SALLE
| |
| De La Salle remains committed to in-person learning, yet we also know that the Omicron variant is highly virulent and invisible. Testing remains one of many tools in place to keep the community safe. Therefore, as we return to school, we strongly encourage all faculty, staff, and students to take a COVID-19 test prior to resuming school on January 10th.
De La Salle will continue to partner with Agile Force for on-campus COVID-19 testing for faculty, staff, or students, and families of faculty, staff, and students. Testing at De La Salle will be available every Wednesday in January, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the LAPC Locker Room, and will continue until further notice. Visit the De La Salle On-Campus COVID-19 Testing webpage for dates and to schedule an appointment.
If you are not able to take a test at De La Salle, we encourage you to take a test on your own.
| |
MANDATORY GRADUATION MEETING - JANUARY 12TH
| |
| On Wednesday, January 12, Mr. Aliotti will host this year's annual Graduation Kick-off Meeting in the De La Salle Theatre, beginning at 6:15 p.m
All parents are expected to attend this meeting, and masks will be required for all those in attendance.
At this meeting, Mr. Aliotti will present important information about school policies, expected itinerary for graduation activities, and college planning timelines. He will also address any questions you have related to graduation.
| |
CRAB FEED - VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
| |
The 2022 De La Salle Crab Feed is Saturday, January 29 from 6-10 p.m. in the Hofmann Student Center. As a reminder, all ticketed guests attending this event will be required to show either proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test (within 72 hours of the event) for entry into the Crab Feed.
If you have any questions, please contact our Parent Association Crab Feed Chair, Ms. Veronica Blanco.
| |
Upcoming events for the De La Salle Class of 2026 admissions process:
- The High School Placement Exam is Saturday, January 8 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
- Financial aid applications for the 2022-23 school year are available through the De La Salle Admissions webpage and are due on February 11, 2022.
| |
Legacy Locker Program Honor or memorialize a graduate, family member, teacher, coach, or friend through a named locker in the Ladouceur Athletic Performance Center.
| |
With just 28 naming opportunities left, the LAPC Legacy Locker Program is a great way to leave your mark at De La Salle. Locker naming opportunities will be displayed within the Team Room in the Ladouceur Athletic Performance Center. Lockers are $500 each and have the ability to be personalized with three lines - 20 characters (spaces and symbols included) per line. Visit dlshs.org/legacylocker for more information and reserve your locker today.
Additional naming opportunities are still available for the Ladouceur Athletic Performance Center. For more information or questions, contact Mark Chiarucci at 925.288.8106 or chiaruccim@dlshs.org.
| |
| The De La Salle - Legacy Society The Legacy Society at De La Salle High School honors supporters who have made the choice to leave a legacy for future generations of Spartans, ensuring the gift of education that will transform lives forever.
Answer the Call There are many ways you can leave a legacy to sustain the work of Saint John Baptist de La Salle and the mission of De La Salle High School. Planned gifts can be simple. Either by will, trust, or other planned giving arrangements, the effort to plan ahead will change lives tomorrow.
Define Your Legacy For more information on how you can include De La Salle in your estate plans and become a member of the Legacy Society, call the Advancement Office at 925.288.8106 or visit the Support De La Salle webpage and click on PLANNED GIVING.
Our Future. Your Legacy.
| |
Congratulations to the De La Salle football team which received the North Coast Section Scholastic Award.
The spring sports of baseball, golf, lacrosse, rugby, swimming and diving, track and field, tennis, and volleyball are set to begin on Monday, February 7. If you have questions, please reach out to the individual sports varsity head coaches.
NLI Recap Congrats to our six senior student-athletes who announced their commitments for college next year during the December signing period: Zeke Berry (football), Michigan, Tyler Henry (football), Sacramento State, Bryant Meredith (football), Northern Arizona, Damonie Perkins (football), San Jose State, Charlie Saunders (water polo), USC, and Brodie Tagaloa (football), Nebraska.
Winter Sport Championships Soccer - NCS – February 15-26, CIF NorCal - March 1-5 Basketball - NCS – February 15-26, CIF NorCal – March 1-8, CIF State – March 11/12 Wrestling - NCS – February 18-19, CIF State – February 24-26
Athletics Website and App Athletic schedules and general information for all sports are available in the main office, the locker room, and on the De La Salle High School athletic webpage at DLSspartans.org. You can also download the DLS Spartans app, through the Apple Store or Google Play, for athletic news, schedules, and rosters.
Follow De La Salle Athletics on Social Media: Twitter: @DLSAthletics Instagram: DLSAthletics
| |
Tuition payments are due on the 1st of each month and are considered late after the 10th of that month.
Please contact Kathy Resch (reschk@dlshs.org) if you are having difficulties with any of the payment deadlines. All accounts must be current in order for your son to attend classes in semester two.
| |
| Financial Aid Applications
| |
Financial Aid applications are now available through the De La Salle website. You can access the application directly by going to the school's Financial Assistance website.
Please remember if you are currently receiving Financial Aid, you must re-apply each year.
Financial Aid Applications, along with all required documents, are due on February 11, 2022. Applications received after this deadline risk not being reviewed or funded.
Financial Aid Workshop This year, the De La Salle Business Office was hopeful to host an in-person Financial Aid Workshop, but due to the surge in COVID-19, the school has decided to cancel the on-campus workshop. Instead, the Business Office will provide a Financial Aid Workshop video to help families navigate the application process. The video will be available on the Financial Assistance webpage on the morning of January 19th.
| |
“All can work together to build a more peaceful world, starting from the hearts of individuals and relationships in the family, then within society and with the environment, and all the way up to relationships between peoples and nations” - A Tweet by Pope Francis
- As we begin the New Year, about 80 seniors will be participating in a Kairos retreat (Kairos 137 and Kairos 138). All remaining Kairos retreats are now full (Kairos 137 – Jan 14-16; Kairos 138 – Jan 26-28; Kairos 139 – March 30-April 1), but, if interested, please contact Ms. Nadine Ghammache to be placed on the waiting list.
- On February 5-6, Campus Ministry will host a Parent/Son Retreat at the Vallombrosa Center in Menlo Park. Either the mother or father of the student can participate in this retreat. The retreat is a weekend experience, offering parents and their sons the opportunity to honestly evaluate and celebrate their relationship. The Parent/Son Retreat is open to students in all grade levels. The retreat is $300 for both parent and son and financial aid is available upon request. There are only four (4) spots available for this retreat. If you would like to register for the Parent/Son Retreat, please email Ms. Nadine Ghammache in the Campus Ministry Office.
| |
DE LA SALLE AUCTION - NEON NIGHTS
| |
Save the date for the 2022 De La Salle Auction, which will be held on April 9, 2022, and the theme this year is Neon Nights! This annual event is our biggest brotherhood fundraiser of the year.
This event is traditionally a fun evening with hosted cocktails, food, games, live and silent auctions, and an amazing band. Funds raised during this event help support student co-curricular activities – the arts, athletics, campus ministry, clubs, and beyond. This enables us to give our students the full De La Salle experience.
For questions about sponsorships or to donate an auction item, contact Events Manager, Jamie Frick at frickj@dlshs.org or 925.288.8184.
| |
As the school prepares for our Spring accreditation visit by the Western Catholic Educational Association, all students (including Seniors) will be REQUIRED to complete the special edition of the De La Salle High School E3 Student Survey.
The De La Salle E3 Student Survey will be available in mid-January, and current Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors will not be able to register for 2022-23 classes without completing it. Stay tuned for more information.
| |
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.
Please join us for our next Parent Association meeting on January 10, 2022. The pre-meeting social will start at 6:30 p.m. in the Library courtyard and the meeting will start at 7 p.m. in the Library. All De La Salle parents are welcome to attend these meetings!
Current Open Parent Association Board Positions: Currently, there are no open positions on the Parent Association Board. However, we have many parents in positions that will be open at the end of this school year because their sons are graduating. If you are interested in being on the Parent Association Board for the 2022-23 school year, please contact Valerie Nagel-Monaldo, President of the Parent Association, at valerie.nagel.a@gmail.com or Laura Flannigan, Vice President of the Parent Association, at flannygirl1@gmail.com.
| |
During the school year Mr. Michael Aquino, Director of Campus Life and Culture, coordinates a number of educational opportunities available to parents of De La Salle High School students. Information will be posted on the Parent Education webpage, providing the topics, presenters, dates and locations, and registration information if required.
The Common Ground Speaker Series is a parent education consortium on the San Francisco Peninsula, stretching from Hillsborough to San Jose. Their events take place at a variety of venues on the Peninsula and showcase the most current thoughts on education, health, and parenting. There are two upcoming events in the Common Ground Speaker Series, click on the title below for complete details or to register for the webinar.
| |
Do your Spartan shopping with us!
Bookstore Hours Monday-Friday: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
The Spartan Store is your official source for all things De La Salle. Visit us on campus or browse our catalog and order online at DLSBookstore.org. We have De La Salle apparel and accessories for all sizes and ages in a variety of colors and styles. You can have your purchases shipped anywhere in the world or available for pickup at our on-campus location.
| |
|
|
|
|