Dear Parents and Guardians,

On January 17, we held a Parent Forum in collaboration with Carondelet. I want to thank those who attended and for showing such great interest and enthusiasm regarding the event. The broader topic of respect for self and others is so critical. As mentioned that night, social media has changed the landscape of education. We need more face-to-face conversation, less texting. There is no smartphone app for how to have a healthy relationship.

One narrative that stuck with all of us – administrators, staff, coaches, and certainly the parents and guardians in attendance – will be ongoing dialogue between home, school, and students. Much of what we discuss and teach our students is counter-cultural to what many consider the norms of today's society.  We strongly believe as a Lasallian, Catholic community that there is more to teach about respect. You, as parents and guardians, are the most important teacher in this conversation, and we will continue partner with you as we engage in this dialogue with those entrusted to our care. 

There were many relevant themes that emanated out of the forum.  Here are a few that rose to the top:

Collaboration is key. While we represent two schools with two different charisms, the students are at the center of our ministry. We need to offer more educational opportunities to assist them as they mature.
We are partners with you as the primary educators of your children.
We will conduct a comprehensive review of our joint dance policies to ensure a respectful atmosphere at dances.
 

In the coming months, we will be providing more educational opportunities for parents, students, and employees that will assist us with the Lasallian Core Principle - Respect for All Persons. Together, we know we can continue to make a difference so that your son has the confidence, tools, and experience to benefit him well beyond his years on Winton Drive.

In the Spirit of Saint John Baptist de La Salle,

Mark

February 3, 2017

Dear Parents, Students, and Friends of De La Salle,

Welcome to the second semester of the 2016-2017 academic year. We are excited to be in full swing working with all of our students and families.

As many of you know, the semester began with a Parent Forum that we co-sponsored with Carondelet High School and that included me, CHS Principal Kevin Cushing, and DLS and CHS Presidents Mark DeMarco and Bonnie Cotter. For those of you who could not make it, I want to provide a summary here of some of the programming we discussed.

This year at De La Salle, we have focused in particular on the Lasallian theme of respect for all peoples. We have and will return to the documentary The Mask You Live In as a centerpiece of the programming we have constructed for the year. As many of you remember, in October we hosted Tony Porter—author, educator, activist, and prominent voice in the documentary—to speak to our co-educational Religious Studies classes. In November, we showed the documentary as part of our ongoing Parent Education offerings. On our first January professional day, all faculty and staff participated in a viewing and discussion of many of the salient points that the film addresses in terms of what role we can all play in developing healthy masculinity among our sons. A group of DLS students came at the end to offer their insights about self-identity, the power of institutional and cultural forces to help shape boys into men, the "false narratives" we all carry with us, and the ways we as an institution can continue to foster our students' respect for selves and others.

February proves to be another packed month. In the third week of February, Carondelet will participate in the global movement dedicated to ending violence against women, A Billion Rising, and De La Salle students will attend various events.

In the fourth week of February, De La Salle will celebrate Respect Week. In the past, we have dedicated a week a year to the alternate themes of Diversity and Social Justice. Starting this past fall, we brought together various committees and initiatives—the Social Justice Committee, the Respect Initiative, the Coordinator for Mentors against Violence Prevention, school counselors, and the Vice Presidents for Academic Life and Campus Life—to plan programming for what we are now calling Respect Week.

Respect Week will occur from February 21-24. On February 22, we are beyond excited to host educator and activist, Ashanti Branch, whom you may remember from The Mask You Live In. He will present at an all-school assembly, to which we have also invited Carondelet leadership students. The Hofmann Center will have art panels created by multiple students that address the prompt "Beyond the Surface, I am …" We continue to plan multiple aspects of this week, and as always, we are so excited to work with our students as we continue our examination of respectful humanity.

I invite you all to come on February 4th (tomorrow!) to De La Salle's Laps For Life, which is a run/walk that raises awareness about teen suicide; we donate all proceeds to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Finally, as a preview of what is to come, both De La Salle and Carondelet have been working to create a new, joint Bell Schedule. We are in the final stages of completing this rich collaboration, and the changes have been motivated by our mutual dedication to adolescent holistic health and academic well-being. In the next months, we will be communicating with students and parents, our primary partners in educating our students. Stay tuned for more to come …

Thank you, as always, for allowing me to be part of your son's educational journeys.

Dr. Heather Alumbaugh

Vice President for Academic Life

ADMISSIONS

• FEBRUARY 3: Transcripts, test scores, and recommendations for all incoming 9th grade students are DUE.
• MARCH 17: Notification letters for the class of 2021 will be mailed.

ADVANCEMENT

Currently 57%* of parents have put our students first by making their gift to the Annual Fund.

At De La Salle, our students come first. Therefore, the first priority of the school complements our Mission, serving all students and the every year operational needs of the school. Our hope is that you will put De La Salle and the Annual Fund first on your list to support this year and every year. All gifts are welcomed and appreciated.

CLICK HERE TO MAKE YOUR GIFT OR FULFILL YOUR PLEDGE ONLINE.

Questions? Contact Director of Development Karla Wiese at (925) 288-8195 or wiesek@dlshs.org.

*As of 2/1/17

ALUMNI RELATIONS

We hope to see you at one...or some...or all of these upcoming events!

ALUMNI AND FATHERS' NIGHT AT THE COLOMBO CLUB
Wednesday, February 15, 2017

ALUMNI SWIMMING MEET AND REUNION
Saturday, April 1, 2017

SACRAMENTO ALUMNI MIXER
March, 2017 - TBD

SOUTH BAY ALUMNI MIXER
SPRING 2017 – TBD

SAN FRANCISCO ALUMNI MIXER
SPRING 2017 – TBD

ALUMNI BASEBALL GAME AND REUNION
SPRING 2017 - TBD

DADS AND GRADS CASINO NIGHT
Sunday, April 2, 2017

ALUMNI VOLLEYBALL MATCH AND REUNION
Saturday, April 22, 2017

33rd ANNUAL BROTHER MARIS GOLF TOURNAMENT
CONTRA COSTA COUNTRY CLUB
Monday, May 8, 2017

Questions? Contact Lloyd Schine III '94 at schinel@dlshs.org or visit the DLS Alumni page for more news and events!

ATHLETICS

We are busy as we wrap up Winter Sports and start looking to Spring tryouts. Check here for more updates!

BOOKSTORE

Monday 7:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Tuesday 7:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Wednesday 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Friday 7:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Days and hours reflect the students' schedule

Don't Forget Your Sweetheart! We have new sterling silver necklaces to display our selection of sterling silver charms  – a football, a basketball, baseball, a Spartan head, etc.  We also have Spartan head earrings that are sure to turn heads.  

And, don't forget to check out our "LOVE" t-shirts in grey with pink lettering!  Select the perfect gift for whoever your sweetheart may be… mom, wife, sister, grandma or girlfriend!  These items always sell out, so don't delay!

ONLINE SHOPPING: The Online Spartan Store is always up and running! Day or night, check out all the items we have for sale. You can pick up your items at the Bookstore or have them shipped to any location of your choice. 

To view these items and more, visit us here!

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 e-mail her at reschk@dlshs.org.  All accounts need to be current before finals and graduation.

Financial Aid Applications:  Financial Aid applications for the 2017-2018 school year are available online.  They are due Monday, February 13th.  All families need to re-apply each school year.  Please check the website for Financial Aid Application Workshop dates if you need assistance in completing your application. Read more.

CAMPUS LIFE

February is a busy month for activities and clubs - a dance at CHS, a service drive by Jefferson Awards, Respect Week and more. Click here for more details.

CAMPUS MINISTRY

"You can perform miracles by touching the hearts of those entrusted to your care." ~ St. John Baptist de La Salle

We began 2017 with one Junior and two Kairos retreats with almost 150 participants. Two more Kairos retreats are scheduled for March (filling up fast). The Parent/Son Retreat is on February 4-5.

We celebrate our Juniors with the Mass of Unity on February 12th (please register). Three classes are participating in the Sophomore Immersion Program in the SF Tenderloin District (Feb. 2 & 22). Preparations are on their way for two Ven A Ver Immersions (3/20 & 4/26).

For more details about Campus Ministry programs, read more here.

COLLEGE COUNSELING

We are kicking it into high gear - from reminders to Seniors to planning for the summer for our Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshman.

Read this message from our College Counselors for information.

CRAB FEED - THANK YOU!

Thank you for a wonderful Crab Feed!

We welcomed 850 friends and family to our campus to enjoy a wonderful meal and a fun time, and, more importantly, to support The Brotherhood Fund.

Thank you to all of the parent volunteers who worked tirelessly before, during, and after the event to ensure that all were accommodated and happy. 

Special thanks to our wonderful catering company, Fuget About It!, our generous vendors and donors, Student Leadership for their awesome video prayer, and of course, our fantastic team of 100+ Spartan Servers!

Finally, thanks to your generosity, we were able to add $6,000 to The Brotherhood Fund!

See you next year!!!

GUIDANCE SERVICES

Results of the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) were passed back to Juniors on January 11. Mrs. Appel and Ms. Lopez discussed the results of the test and possible implications for the future. They also reintroduced Naviance, which will help students during the college admissions process. Parents should ask their sons for their PSAT results.

Results of the pre-ACT test were given to Sophomores on January 11. The results were distributed, interpreted, and discussed with students. Parents should ask their Sophomores to see the results.

HONOR ROLL - 2016-17 SEMESTER 1

We are so proud of our student's achievements! 

As we announced at the Recognition Assembly last month,

• 45% of Freshmen
• 37% of Sophomores
• 45% of Juniors
  
• 50% of Seniors

made the Honor Roll (or 464 students). 

Here is the list of High Honors and Honor students; help us congratulate them on their achievement!

PARENT ASSOCIATION

Junior and Senior Families - make sure you register for your family class events!

Junior Mass of Unity (deadline February 5)

Senior Mother and Son Liturgy & Brunch (deadline March 1)

****

Our next Parent Association meeting will be February 7, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. in the DLS Library. We hope to see you there!

PARENT EDUCATION SERIES

De La Salle High School proudly presents a screening of

The Hunting Ground

Tuesday, March 14 6:30 p.m.

Hofmann Student Center

The Hunting Ground is a 2015 documentary that discusses the issue of sexual assault on college campuses. Following the film, there will be a facilitated audience discussion about some themes in the film and how students can stay safe in their college environments.

PURCHASE POWER PROGRAM (P³)

Free money....doesn't that sound nice? When you shop with our P³ partners, a percentage of your purchase comes back to DLS - at no additional cost to you!

Our P³ program includes offerings through AmazonSmile, scripsense, and eScrip.

Make sure you visit the P³ homepage for information on each program, as well as a special Valentine's promotion through scripsense!

SAVE THE DATE

DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS
How to talk with your teen about sexual assault & the importance of fostering healthy relationships

Thursday, February 9, 2017
Garaventa Center, Carondelet campus
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Click for more information