"Young people need the light of watchful guides to lead them on the path of salvation: guides who have an adequate understanding of what God expects of young people and of their usual shortcomings."
St. John Baptist de La Salle
As we look to the start of the semester and the start of a new year, we are excited for the very many opportunties we have for reflection and growth as a school community. Before you know it, we will be talking about graduation plans and end-of-the year activities! For now, we hope that you have enjoyed a restful holiday season with your loved ones, and that you spend some time reading this Spotlight as we start 2018 here on Winton Drive.
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| From Dr. Heather Alumbaugh, Vice President for Academic Life
January 5, 2018 Dear Parents, Students, and Friends of De La Salle, Welcome back! We all hope that you and your families had a restful, peaceful, and joyful Christmas break. We are all furiously preparing for the return of all students next week. Faculty and staff will return Monday, January 8 to begin one of two professional days, which will include (among other professional development activities) the second half of a workshop on best practices in working with students who have differentiated learning needs, especially those students with ADHD. In January, your sons will be receiving academic counseling from teachers and counselors alike, as pre-registration for the 2018-2019 academic year begins February 1st. The course catalogue will be online by the third week of January, and you will notice the addition of a new class: Computer Science. If you have any questions, please reach out to your son’s counselor and/or to Mrs. Mary Ann Mattos, the DLS Director of Academic Services. Over the past few years, De La Salle has been engaged in a process of examining the prevailing culture of masculinity and its direct impacts on our campus culture.
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From Mark DeMarco, President
Dear Parents, Students, and Friends of De La Salle, Happy New Year! I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and celebration of the Birth of Our Savior! Last month, I wrote to you about an article “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” (archived at the bottom of this page). Well, after I wrote that letter, I read another article published in the JSTOR Daily by Alexandra Samuel entitled “Yes, Smartphones Are Destroying a Generation, But Not of Kids.” Samuel says that what is missing from many alarmists regarding the use of smartphones and social media is the “so what?” In other words, while many educators and parents and psychologists and blog writers can explain the problem, few of them can provide an adequate solution.
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Student Survey Now Open!
ALL students must complete the E3 Student Survey. Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REGISTER FOR CLASSES UNTIL THEIR SURVEY IS COMPLETED. The electronic link for students to take the E3 Student Survey will be available beginning on Friday, January 5. Students are expected to complete the survey BEFORE they see their counselor for registration or by the second week of February – whichever comes first. The survey will be available 24/7 and will take most students approximately 30 minutes to complete. Students may take the survey on any mobile device or desktop computer at home or away from school. Students will be able to access the link through Schoology posts and through Quicklinks on the DLS website. The following venues will be available for students to complete the survey when they are on campus: |
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Computers and space will be available after school until 6 p.m. M-Th and until 2:30 p.m. on Fridays
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All Study Skills classes will reserve at least one day to allow students to complete the survey in class
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Seniors Only - Early Start Survey Day
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Seniors will be asked to come to school for a special early start Wednesday to complete their survey
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Crab Feed - 81 Adult Volunteers still needed!
We are have many slots available for volunteering on the Crab Feed weekend. Shifts are available on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We particularly need help in the kitchen supporting the caterers and student servers. Click here to volunteer through Sign-Up Genius.
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Office of Admissions:
Entrance Exam (aka High School Placement test or HSPT)
The Entrance Exam will be on Saturday, January 20 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Students are asked to arrive before 9:00 a.m. but not before 8:30 a.m. Please bring two (2) #2 pencils. Calculators are NOT allowed. Additional Due Dates:
Financial Aid Workshops:
Sat., Jan. 27 - 9-11 a.m. Wed., Jan. 31 - 6-7:30 p.m.
Financial Aid Applications:
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Business Office
Tuition payments: As a reminder, tuition payments are due on the 1st of each month and considered late after the 10th of that month. If you have questions relating to your tuition obligation, call Ms. Kathy Resch in the Business Office at 925-288-8122 or email her at reschk@dlshs.org. Financial Aid Applications for the 2018-19 school year are now available online. Applications for 2018-19 will be due February 12, 2018. Families who are currently receiving financial aid must reapply each school year. Financial Aid Workshops will be held in the DLS Library on the following dates:
Saturday, January 27 - 9-11 a.m.
Wednesday, January 31 - 6-7:30 p.m.
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College Counseling
Important Notes for Seniors - Mandatory College Advisory Sessions
- College Financial Aid
- SAT & ACT Reminders
- Private & Out-of-School Applications
- Letters of Recommendation
- Scholarships
Important Notes for Juniors - PSAT & PACT Score Results on January 17
- Junior Parents' College Planning Night - Wednesday, January 31 at 7 p.m.
- Small Group College Planning Meetings
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Campus Ministry
We thank Thee for food and remember the hungry. We thank Thee for health and remember the sick. We thank Thee for friends and remember the friendless. We thank Thee for freedom and remember the enslaved. May these remembrances stir us to service. That Thy gifts to us may be used for others. Amen.
Don't miss out on these Campus Ministry programs!
VEN A VER IMMERSION applications (available in the Campus Ministry Office) are due January 19 for both the San Diego (3/19-24) and the Los Angeles (4/16-21) programs. The Sophomore Immersion Program (S.I.P.) will begin in February. Financial assistance is available for all retreats.Email Nadine Ghammache ghammachen@dlshs.org with questions or requests.
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Student Support Services
Scheduling for Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors for the 2018 -2019 school year will take place in February.
In preparation, students should consult the Course Catalog, which will be available the third week of January, to check course descriptions and requirements.
Parents and students should plan course loads with an eye towards all of the commitments that the student will have during the upcoming year. As a reminder, students must complete the E3 survey first before they are able to select courses for the 2018-19 school year.
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Alumni Relations
Alumni Team Reunions: Wednesday, January 10 - Wrestling Pre-Match Social & Senior Night Other Alumni Events:
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De La Salle's Jefferson Awards Club and Service Leadership Class will be hosting the 6th annual Laps for Life Walk on Saturday, February 3 from 9-11 a.m. This suicide prevention and mental health awareness event was founded after the tragic loss by suicide of former Spartan Tyler Bunn. This year, we will also be hosting Mental Health Week, during which we - as a school community - will work to promote mental wellness and raise awareness for those affected by mental illness and suicide.
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Upcoming Calendar Dates
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Classes Resume - Special Schedules on January 10 and 11 (all classes meet)
- Normal bell schedule on January 12
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No Classes - Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
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- High School Placement Test (aka Entrance Exam)
- Crab Feed (sold out!)
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January 23
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Academic Advisement Week #1 begins
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College & Academic Advisement Night for Junior Parents (Theatre)
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- Special Schedule - Student Recognition Assembl
- Academic Advisement Night for Frosh/Soph Parents
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| Did you know?
In 1665, when De La Salle was just 14 years old, St. Francis de Sales was canonized, and his Feast Day falls on January 24. When writing about St. Francis, De La Salle said, "Do you have these sentiments of charity and tenderness toward the...children whom you have to educate? Do you take advantage of their affection for you to lead them to God? If you have for them the firmness of a father to restrin and to withdraw them from misbehavior, you must also have for them the tenderness of a mother to draw them to you and to do for them all the good that depends on you" (Meditations 101).
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