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• FAITH • INTEGRITY • SCHOLARSHIP •
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Inside The Spartan Spotlight
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Dear Parents and Guardians,
Well, here we are five-plus months into this pandemic. I know we can all become irritable – we want our “normal” lifestyle back whenever that may be. As you know by now, I announced that I would retire at the end of this school year, and in doing so, I was reminded by someone of a letter I wrote a few years back and thought it might be good to send it again.
In the early pages of the book Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson, he includes a story that continues to remind me about what matters the most and this is not easily done for me. Continue Reading
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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,
Welcome to the 2020-2021 Academic School year! By now, you will have all received the Back-to-School Night videos for each of your sons’ classes. Thank you to our teachers, all academic directors, and our communications team for working so hard to get those out! I will repeat what I said in the opening video: we are extraordinarily impressed with what our teachers and students have already accomplished, and we look forward to what we can continue to accomplish together spiritually, academically, and communally as we work together in this extraordinary moment. Continue Reading
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During the Summer of 2020, we started a virtual town hall meeting project to help keep the De La Salle community informed about activities and updates for the school. Currently, we have held five town hall meetings, covering the topics of Academics, Athletics, the Learning Center, and the State of the school. If you missed any of these meetings, links to the records are available on the Virtual Town Hall Meetings webpage on the school’s website.
The next town hall meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 10th at 5 p.m., and will cover the topics of Campus Life and Faith Life at De La Salle.
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As De La Salle embarked on distance learning, along with many schools and workplaces, last spring, we were not immune to the practice of Zoombombing, which is where uninvited participants “crash” a virtual meeting to disrupt and cause havoc. A handful of our teachers, male and female, were subject to this behavior and we quickly issued guidance to help teachers better control this new tool and mitigate disturbances. Some of it was from our students sharing private class links with others, some were our own students hiding behind the anonymity that some of these tools provide.
We ask for your cooperation and support in having ongoing conversations with your son about proper decorum and behavior in a virtual environment and how they can speak up and interrupt incidents of disrespect that they witness.
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CALIFONIA COVID-19 GUIDELINES UPDATE
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On Friday, August 28, new state guidelines were introduced in the document A Blueprint for a Safer Economy. This blueprint includes information on the possible re-opening of schools. This new guidance went into effect on Monday, August 31.
Contra Costa County is currently in the “Purple” tier and must stay there for three (3) weeks. Updates are given by the state each Tuesday. The earliest Contra Costa County could move into the “Red” tier is September 22nd. The County must then meet the "Red" tier criteria for two (2) weeks before schools are able to re-open. If the County continues in a positive direction, De La Salle would be able to open on/around October 6th.
If the County does not meet the criteria or worsens, we will move back to the "Purple" tier and the clock starts over. Counties can be more stringent. De La Salle will continue to monitor the situation and update families as new information becomes available.
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SCHOOL SCHEDULES & DISTANCE LEARNING
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School Schedules During the time of Distance Learning, De La Salle High School will not produce special schedules. Parents are asked to go to the Master Calendar on the De La Salle website to review the daily schedules for the fall semester. Currently, families can see the daily schedule through the end of September.
Distance Learning Updates All important information updates about COVID-19 and the school's Distance Learning program will be posted on the school's website on the Distance Learning/COVID-19 Response webpage. Please refer to this page to view all communications sent to De La Salle families.
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Thank you for participating in our virtual Back to School Night. We hope that the pre-recorded videos from our faculty were informative. If you have any questions please reach out to your son's teacher directly through email. Teacher's email addresses can be found on the School Directory on the De La Salle website.
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The 20th Annual De La Salle Cereal Drive will run from Monday, September 21 through Friday, October 2. Unlike previous years, when boxes of cereal were delivered to the campus, the school will use GoFundMe to accept donations in 2020. With the money received, the school will purchases boxes of cereal and deliver those boxes of cereal to the Monument Crisis Center. The goal is to raise enough money to purchase 3,000 boxes of cereal. A $4 donation is equivalent to one cereal box donation.
The GoFundMe page will be available on September 21. Additionally, there will be raffles and auction items made available by faculty and staff, with all proceeds going directly to bulk cereal purchases. The links to the GOFundMe page and the raffle and auction will be coming soon.
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Upcoming events for the De La Salle Class of 2025 admissions process:
- Online applications for the Class of 2025 became available on Tuesday, September 1.
- The 2020-21 Spartan for a Day shadow program begins on Wednesday, September 23, and is currently scheduled to run each Wednesday through November 11.
- De La Salle's annual Open House is scheduled for Sunday, November 8.
For more information on the admissions process for the Class of 2025, visit the De La Salle Admissions web page.
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There are a number of alumni events that take place during the school year.
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2020-21 De La Salle Annual FundYour Help is Needed!Our 55th school year is in full swing, even if it looks a little different than in years past. De La Salle continues to develop innovative programming to serve our students even while distanced. Everything from clubs, campus ministry, even athletics - the students are coming together in community, virtually. We’ve continued to weather the pandemic and endure to serve our students and our Lasallian Catholic Mission during these challenging times.
In Spring 2020, the school administration made financial decisions amidst the pandemic to assist our families during these economically challenging times - no increase in tuition for the 2020-21 school year, but an increase in tuition assistance to $4 plus million for the 2020-21 school year. While we had hoped these budgetary preparations would be enough…
...the 2020-21 school year is like no other. With students learning at home, it poses other challenges for the school – the loss of auxiliary revenue such as cafeteria sales, athletic and Company gate/event revenue, and sponsorship sales. With athletics postponed until January 2021, our sponsorship and gate revenues are on hold or potentially lost for the year. With the inability to gather physically as a community, our event fundraising income is also questionable.
With these challenges, we are faced with a significant loss of operational revenue to support our school efforts - tuition assistance, faculty development, and student co-curriculars.
Although we have had to cancel or postpone many activities on and around campus, our students continue to work hard through distance learning. Our faculty remains dedicated to the transformative, educational environment which De La Salle provides. Your investment in our Mission and our students is needed now more than ever. Your support will impact the lives of our young men in so many ways.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to support the De La Salle Annual Fund – today is a great day to do so! Visit www.dlshs.org/givenow to make your gift to benefit all students.
Have questions about giving? Contact Director of Development, Karla Wiese at wiesek@dlshs.org.
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Registration for AP Testing Now Open
De La Salle High School, in conjunction with College Board, offers Advanced Placement (AP) programs that present college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities often grant placement and course credit to students who obtain high scores on the examinations.
If your son is taking an AP class, it is expected that he sign up for the AP test, which will take place in the first two weeks in May. You will need to pay for each individual test your son will take. Your son will also need to register for their AP classroom with their teacher. Please note while signing up whether or not your son is taking Physics 1 or Physics C, also Calculus AB or Calculus BC.
Registration and payment for AP Testing is due by October 2, 2020
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Athletic Hall of Fame Class for 2020
Individuals Bryan Byrne '02 - Baseball Matt Clizbe '90 - Football, Baseball, Track & Field Theo Robertson '05 - Basketball Kevin Simon '01 - Football Jacob Yount '05 - Golf
Teams 1993 Football Team 2005-06 Basketball Team
Supporter Tom Bruce
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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. Thank You.
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CALIFORNIA SCHOLARSHIP FEDERATION
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It's California Scholarship Federation application time again!
Students must apply every semester.
Applications are online only this year and must be submitted no later than September 14th at 3 p.m. NO LATE SUBMISSIONS!
The California Scholarship Federation (known as CSF) is a state-wide academic honors organization whose purpose is to recognize students who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement. CSF membership is based on qualifying grades that are earned each semester.
You can find the links you need here (your son must be logged into his DLSHS.org email account to access the links below):
Mrs. Byrne, the Registrar, is the new moderator (with Ms. Lopez’s guidance). Please email her if you have any questions at byrnel@dlshs.org.
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Junior Rings Your class ring orders will take place this Fall! We will be getting back to you in late September or early October with the class ring ordering information and order days. When you place your class ring order this Fall, you will be able to receive your ring at the Junior Class Ring Mass/Ceremony which will take place this Winter or early Spring. You may contact Jostens at martin.oliveira@Jostens.com or by phone at (925) 838-1835. Congratulations and we will look forward to seeing you soon!
Senior Portraits Studio One Photography is our official Senior Portrait Photographer. Appointments for your Senior Portraits have been going on all summer. If you haven't taken your portrait, call to schedule your appointment ASAP at (925) 361-0430 or go to www.studio1experience.com.
De La Salle Clubs Virtual Club Fair Are you interested in joining a club this year? Stay tuned for De La Salle and Carondelet’s Virtual Club Fair. Existing clubs will be creating videos about their clubs and hosting Zoom info sessions to recruit prospective members.
Yearbooks Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the printing of our 2019-20 Yearbook was delayed. We’ll be in touch with information about how sophomores, juniors, and seniors can get their yearbooks soon.
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“The rivers don’t drink their own water; trees don’t eat their own fruits. The sun does not shine for itself; and flowers do not spread their fragrance for themselves. Living for others is a rule of nature… Life is good when you’re happy; but it is much better when others are happy because of you!” - Pope Francis
Welcome back! We so much miss seeing you and hearing your lively voices in person around Campus, yet, we are happy to be connected at least virtually.
As you can imagine, some adjustments had to be made to our Fall schedule:
- All Kairos retreats will take place in the second semester (online registration will be available in October).
- The Father/Son retreat in November has been cancelled (we still plan on having the Parent /Son Retreat in February, which is open to father/son and mother/son pairings).
- Starting in September, Campus Ministry will be conducting virtual prayers at 8 a.m. every Wednesday, which is a Flex Day.
- On September 23rd, together we will say Prayers for Peace.
- On September 27th, we will celebrate the Sophomore Class with a Mass.
- The Freshmen will have a retreat day on Wednesday, October 14, a day that will be dedicated to setting solid foundations towards meaningful relationship building, be it with Spartan brothers, one’s family, one’s self, and God.
- The Junior Retreat dates are still to be determined.
- We will celebrate Thanksgiving on November 18th.
- We will celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 9th.
Morning Mass Father LaSalle Hallissey invites you, your sons, and loved ones to the live-streamed Morning Mass. Every morning during the week, Father LaSalle will celebrate Mass from the De La Salle Chapel at 7:30 a.m., live on the De La Salle Facebook page. These morning masses should last between 20-30 minutes. You are welcome to invite your students and the wider De La Salle Family to this virtual online Mass.
No matter the circumstances, Campus Ministry is here to provide you with spiritual nourishment. Together we can help each other face the current challenges with faith and strength, and build a caring inclusive community as our founder, St. John Baptist de La Salle instructed.
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SENIOR PARENT COLLEGE APPLICATION NIGHTWhen: Wednesday, September 16 at 7 p.m. Where: Zoom (a link will be sent via email as the date nears)
The Co-Directors of College Counseling, Esther Lopez and Lisa Sciacca, will provide an overview of all the steps that need to be taken this fall for successful selection, application, and acceptance to colleges and universities. Please don’t miss it! Email questions to Esther Lopez at lopeze@dlshs.org (for students whose last names begin with A-K) or Lisa Sciacca at sciaccal@dlshs.org (for students whose last names begin with L-Z).
In addition to the Senior Parent College Application Night, the College Counseling Office has also provided information on the following topics:
- SAT and ACT Testing
- Senior College Advisory
- College Admissions Representative Visits to De La Salle
- Parent Resources
Please click on the link below to review this information provided by the College Counseling Office.
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Visual and Performing Arts and Science Teachers Convert Classroom into Fabrication RoomOver the past few years, De La Salle has been investing in the hands-on learning of students interested in the arts, robotics, and engineering. The new Fabrication Room is the culmination of this investment. With expanding interest in the robotics program, technical theater, sculpture, and engineering classes, we needed one room that was dedicated to the use of tools and machinery in all of these disciplines. In the summer of 2020, Mr. Bedford, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Thompson, and Mr. Wickboldt converted room 501 into the new Fabrication Room.
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De La Salle Honor Roll for 2019-20 - Semester 2
Congratulations to the 550 students that made the De La Salle Honor Roll for the second semester of the 2020-21 school year.
High Honors were awarded to 349 students, who earned a 3.75 grade point average or higher, and Honors were awarded to 201 students, who earned a 3.50-3.74 grade point average.
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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.
Recent Happenings On Saturday, August 15, the Parent Association, and its many volunteers, delivered a welcome gift to every one of our new freshmen and transfer students. We would like to thank Amber Hom-Tooze who spear-headed this successful event, Alison McNell, DLS Bookstore Manager, who procured the goodies, and the following volunteers who made it all possible: Gwen Aberer, Alexis Alden, Rebecca Ainsworth, Mary Becher, Vanessa Broussal, Lelilani Calara, Marnie Carter, Wendy Chriss, Kasey Curran, Joe Dungo, Laura Flannigan, Erika Hoffmeister, Noel Hughes, Caroline Kennedy, Mary Katherine Kienzle, Nina Kunz, Tami Lightle, Angela Lombardi, Candi Mannoni, Debbie Meeks, Theresa Meyer, Jen Mucha, Valerie Nagel/Monaldo, Maria Romo, Kim Sanner, Cindy Schwenger, Yvonne Vega, Ray Villar, Lisa Woelfel, Lisa Wood, and Ana Zaluda. Thank you all!
We also want to thank a fabulous local business who went above our expectations and designed and made the cookies for the Welcome Bag. Karen was able to provide us with many cookies, which were delicious, “Spartanly” decorated and delivered with an incredibly short lead time. Please patronize Karen Cordero and her Old Town Danville Bakery business:
Old Town Danville Bakery 105 Town & Country Drive Suite G, Danville, CA 94526 925.837.7844 danvillebakery.info
Current Open Positions
- Community Outreach Chair – includes helping organize the Cereal Drive
- 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.
Please join us for our next Parent Association meeting via Zoom on Monday, September 14 at 7 p.m. For Zoom link please visit the De La Salle Parent Association webpage and click on the appropriate date under 2020-21 Parent Association Meeting Schedule. All are welcome!
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All registrar services are available during the pandemic. The best way to contact the Registrar, Mrs. Linda Byrne, is by email at byrnel@dlshs.org. Mrs. Byrne will have on-campus office hours from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., on Wednesdays during the fall. All other days she will be working remotely or by appointment on campus.
- Transcript request – Please email the Registrar for a transcript. For current students, a parent or the student may request; for a graduate, the student himself must send the email. For official paper transcripts, the Registrar will mail or arrange for pickup at her home or at the school.
- Work Permits – Please email the Registrar the Intent to Employ form and she will send back the Permit.
- Education Verification – Please contact the Registrar via email not fax because she is only retrieving faxes occasionally.
All other requests can be made via email.
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Although the on-campus store currently closed due to COVID-19, the Spartan Store is committed to filling your spiritwear needs online. Please visit our online store at WWW.DLSBOOKSTORE.ORG for all your De La Salle apparel needs. The Spartan Store is still shipping orders several times a week and will have scheduled pickup days.
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