With every Team Member you recruit, and every dollar you raise, you support GMHC’s mission to provide life-saving services to thousands of men, women, and children throughout New York City and the tri-state area.  Thank you for taking on this incredibly important role!

By walking and fundraising for AIDS Walk New York, your team supports GMHC’s vital programs, which include serving 100,000 meals per year to HIV positive men and women — and nothing says love like a home cooked meal.

Sign up online please…use the following link to make your registration easier:  Aids Walk Registration Link.
All students are required to donate a MINIMUM of $5 to the cause.  You may either register online and have people sponsor you in that manner, or you can simply give your money to Mrs. Masullo, the team organizer.

Every student who signs up, raises money, comes to the event, walks the walk to completion, collects their completion certificate at the end of the walk, and presents it to Mrs. Masullo will earn 5 service hours!
The walk is enjoyable, free stuff is provided along the way (make a game of it and try to collect at least one of each free handout!  I always bring a backpack!), and if enough people join we will have a team table where we can join at the start.  I’m betting that Dr. Macatee will provide some yummies .

A few things you should know…

Everyone is a potential Team Member – Make sure you ask everyone you know to join your team! 

REGISTRATION TECHNIQUES:

·         Register online at aidswalk.net.

·         Call our office at 212.807.WALK. 

·         Email me a list of each walker’s name, address, e-mail address, phone number, and T-shirt size (we recommend using an Excel document to keep everything straight), and I will register them for you!

·         Fill out the Team Registration Form and scan & email or fax it to me.

GET THE WORD OUT: RECRUITMENT

Click here to order complimentary POSTERS, DISPLAY STANDS, and PROMO CARDS to advertise your efforts!

Spread the love and ask friends, family, and colleagues to join your AIDS Walk team!  Import Your Address Book into your Fundraising HQ

and send the “Join Our Team” email to invite everyone you know to register today!

–
Yvette Masullo – Biology/Book Store
La Salle Academy, 215 E. 6th St., NYC  10003
FAX: 212-529-3598  ext. 209

Principal’s Newsletter 

May, 2012 

Try to remember what it was like to be a student as we move through the months of May and June filled, as they are, with many and varied end of the year activities.  While continuing homework, and with classes in session, there are also class projects, examinations, junior and senior proms, spring and summer sports, registration for summer enrichment and remedial classes, the search for that special summer job that will provide just enough structure and pay to keep the summer moving while at the same time allowing one to capture those extra hours of sleep and have a social life.  The list is endless and, as parents and teachers, we watch our sons as they try to navigate these very busy last months of school.

 Let us listen to them with care.  When they say they feel stressed, offer support and encouragement remembering just how we felt as the summer approached and we still had to complete what appeared to us at the time, as overwhelming amounts of work.  Together, let’s pray that our Lasallian students experience these last two months as a time of success and accomplishment where struggle, hard work and commitment pay off in the long run.

 Keep the following calendar items in mind as we approach the end of the academic year:

• Advance Placement Examinations begin today, Tuesday, May 8^th.  May 9^th, 10^th and 15^th are also AP Exam Days.  Those students sitting for AP Exams do not attend classes on these days.

• This Friday, May 11^th we hold our annual Athletic Hall of Fame from 5:00 PM to midnight

• Tuesday, May 15^th, we will run a PM Assembly Schedule with Mass celebrating the Feast of Saint John Baptist de La Salle @ 1:30 PM.  Students will be dismissed following the Mass

• Wednesday, May 16^th we hold our annual ART EXPO – entries from all around New York City will be on display throughout the day with awards being given at 4PM.  Come celebrate with light refreshments and enjoy the show.

• Thursday, May 17^th and Friday, May 18^th are school holidays – NO CLASSES.  Have a great 4-day weekend and remember to go to Mass on Thursday for the Feast of the Ascension.

• PM Assembly Schedule – Wednesday, May 23^rd at 1:30 we will hold the Junior Ring/Pin Mass in the Church of Saint George.  The entire student body will gather to celebrate the junior class as they prepare to become the leaders of the La Salle Community.

• Thursday, May 24^th is the last day of classes for the seniors as well as the senior prom being held at Giando’s inBrooklyn.  The prom, being held in conjunction with Saint Joe’s in Brooklyn and Saint George Academy is from 8PM to 12 midnight

• Friday, May 25^th is a school holiday – NO CLASSES – enjoy the long Memorial Day Holiday weekend.

• Senior Examinations are scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, May 29^th, 30^th and 31^st.  Please see that the students are getting plenty of sleep and a good breakfast.

• La Salle’s Commencement is scheduled for Thursday evening, June 7^th beginning at 7PM at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.  The ceremony will begin promptly at 7PM so please plan to be in your seats between 6:30 PM and 6:40 PM.

• Friday, June 8^th is the Feast of Saint John Baptist de La Salle and a school holiday – NO CLASSES.

• Tuesday, June 12^th is the last day of classes for the underclassmen and marks the end of the 4^th quarter.  Students should plan to have all work completed and handed in by this date.

• New York State Regents and School Examinations are scheduled for June 13^th through June 20^th.  Get plenty of sleep and eat breakfast before coming to school.

Let us pray for one another.  As students, teachers, administrators and parents, we are all engaged in serious work that requires that we maintain our composure as the year comes to a close.  Keep focused and aim for success.

Live, Jesus, in our hearts!

I hope that everyone had a restful and happy new year.  It’s that time of year again for current students to re-apply for financial aid.  Attached are the PSAS Applications in English and Spanish.  All students must re-apply for financial aid every year.

The deadline is Friday, February 3, 2012.  Please complete these forms and mail them to the following address:

Applications will still be processed after the deadline.  However, Please keep in mind that financial aid is limited and on a first come, first served basis.

Warmest Regards,
Anthony Chin

Financial Aid Form (English)

Financial Aid Form (Spanish)

 It is time to say good-bye to 2011 as we welcome the New Year with all its possibilities.  The resolutions that we made and failed to keep in 2011 can now become the ghosts of the past as our new resolutions can become the goals that we aim for as we continue our journey together here at La Salle.

As we start the New Year we are approaching the end of the first academic semester whose last day is Monday, January 23^rd.  Regents and school examinations are scheduled for Tuesday, January 24^th through Friday, January 27^th - make-ups being given on Friday.  Brother William will publish a complete and updated schedule as we get closer to the actual week of examinations.  As these dates approach please see that your son(s) get plenty of sleep and have a full breakfast before coming to school.

Once the 2^nd semester begins we will be focused on making sure that each and every student at La Salle is engaged in productive academic work, solid Christian service and fun extra-curricular activities.  Success in school requires that all of us adults take an active interest in the participation of our children.  Remember to check Edline with frequency and if you fail to find the information you require, email the teacher and ask for an update.  Together we can supply the extra support needed to really challenge the students to produce quality work.

On Wednesday, January 11^th in room 502, please join the guidance counselors and their guest, La Salle alumnus, James Murphy, as he discusses the intricacies of College Financial Aid.  This is an important night and a topic that draws much difficult and complex information together. That night it can be shared and discussed so that all of us come away with a greater knowledge of just what aid is available and how to navigate the pathways that lead to college aid.

At the January Parent Association meeting scheduled for Thursday evening, January 19^th the guidance counselors will join Mr. John Ferguson of Revolution Prep to continue our discussion and planning for the classes beginning March 20^th.  Please join us for this important and informative discussion.  The meeting begins at 6:00 pm in the school cafeteria.

The most frequent cause of poor grades is a lack of participation on the part of individual students.  Not only must we all – students and teachers – actively participate in classroom discussions, exchanges, and assignments; we also must complete with care and hand in our homework.  There are few good excuses for not completing homework with care and certainly even fewer excuses for not handing in work that has been completed.  Please keep an eye on this important part of participation.

Plan ahead to come to Report Card Night on Thursday, February 2^nd between the hours of 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm.  As in the past, the guidance counselors will be here to distribute report cards and schedules so that you can make the rounds and visit with the teachers.  Please see that you have kept up with your tuition payments or have at the very least made a payment plan with Ms. Kenny.  If you fail to do so you will not be able to pick-up your son’s report card that evening.

The 2^nd Professional Day of the year is scheduled for Friday, February 3^rd.  As the teaching staff will be engaged in discussions and activities centered on differentiation, there will be no classes that day.  I hope the students have a great long weekend!

Our 2^nd Open House is scheduled for Saturday, February 4^th between the hours of 10:00 am and 1:00 pm.  Mr. Chin, his ambassadors, members of the Parent Association and the teachers will be planning for this important function.  Please plan on coming to the Open House and sharing the good news about La Salle with our prospective students and parents. Monday, February 6^th is also a school holiday so those students who join the faculty and staff working at the Open House will be able to catch up on sleep and school work on that Monday.

1^st semester awards will be distributed on Thursday, February 16^th in the Church of Saint George beginning at 6:30 pm.  Please make sure to come and celebrate the successes of the young men who have earned a place on the school honor role.  We look forward to seeing many of you here that evening.  At that point in the calendar we arrive at the winter break.  The last day of classes will be Friday, February 17^th and classes will resume on Monday, February 27^th.

Keep your eye on the school web site and calendar for all the news about upcoming basketball games here at La Salle and come and join the fun as we support the Cardinals throughout the season and wait patiently for the start of spring and summer sports.

As many of you know theLa Sallebasketball team was away at a tournament over the Christmas break.  La Salle has a long and storied history of participation in regionally sponsored tournaments yet we have been absent from these important events for several years.  This year, at the urging of Mr. Polanco, VP for Student Services, Mr. Aberer, AD and the athletic staff, Mr. Pannell’s organizational push and with the full financial support of Dr. Hambleton and members of the board we have been able to fly once again the flag of La Salle in a Mid-Atlantic tournament in Baltimore.  Its official title is 2011 Northwestern/IAABO Board 290 memorial Mixer!

The Cardinal’s varsity basketball team left New Yorkearly on the morning of December 27^th and arrived at Northwestern High School, Baltimore where they went up against Lake Clifton High School’s team beginning at 5:30 pm.  Coach Barbosa reported that in the end we were defeated but the team performed well and they came away from the defeat stronger and more solidified than before.  On Wednesday, December 28^th at 2:30 pm the Cardinals took on Digital Harbor High School and played a close game finally being out shot by 7 baskets!  Brother William was there to cheer the Cardinals on through what were two (2) tough physical games.  I want to thank publicly each of the adults who made this trip and these games a reality.  This is another example of the many ways that we broaden the experience of the students as we promote the name of the school.  Whether it’s the sports program, the Art Expo, or the upcoming semester science fair, each of these activities provides our young men with experiences that deepen their sense of self and promotes their individual and corporate success as Lasallians.

I pray that the Lord bless you and your families with abundant grace and blessings in this New Year.  Each of you — students, parents, teachers and staff members —  in your own special way bring gifts to the learning community here at La Salle and I want to make sure that we lift our voices in thanks for these many gifts.  The Lord blesses us and our common mission and ministry.  May God continue to present us with every opportunity to serve the students of New York.

Live Jesus in our hearts!

La Salle Academy Open House Poster (2011-2012)

September 30, 2011

 Time flies here at La Salleas we find ourselves preparing for the month of October with its falling leaves, brightly colored pumpkins, Columbus Day Holiday and Halloween trick or treating!  We also celebrate World Mission Sunday on the 23^rd of October.  Please be mindful of the world-wide Lasallian Community and when approached to support these ministries please give from your abundance. 

Mr. Polanco has made a sensible adjustment in the school’s dress code.  Please be advised that some students will be changing into their sneakers after school. Many students have approached Mr. Polanco and asked for this considered change because it makes walking less strenuous. After careful consideration, he has decided to let the students change into their sneakers; however, they must still be in the remaining dress code elements (shirts, ties and school pants).  Thank you for this sensible change Mr. Polanco. You listen with care to the concerns of the student body, faculty and parents and your attention to detail and willingness to compromise when appropriate really demonstrates professionalism.  We are in good hands with Mr. Polanco.

 If there are any questions about this change please feel free to see Mr. Polanco in his office or give him a call at extension 212.

 On Wednesday, September 28^th 2011 we were honored and privileged to have three former NBA and European professional basketball players visit La Salle Academy’s new and stylish gym located on 6^th Street between 2^nd and 3^rd Avenues. They came with a powerful and realistic message that resonated throughout the building; that message is summed up in the phrase LIFE AFTER BASKETBALL.

 These former Basketball professionals are part of an organization called “TEAM FIRST”. What is TEAM FIRST? TEAM FIRST was introduced to the school by Mr. Polanco as a result of his continued presence in the life of one of his former basketball players, Mr. Stephan Barnes. Mr. Barnes, in conjunction with these three former basketball pros, see basketball and education working together to promote success and achievement in both sports and academics. This organization was created to promote, motivate and help bring dreams to reality. TEAM FIRST focuses on helping young men choose the best college fit and supports the student in all aspects of the admissions process resulting in NCAA clearance and participation as freshman scholar athletes. This long range goal – college admission — is central to the TEAM FIRST philosophy and practice. We will continue to support the work of this important organization as it helps inner city student athletes achieve their dreams. We will be working closely with TEAM FIRST in the next several weeks and beyond!

 The students and teachers involved in Campus Ministry have been busy with the start of the school year.  I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank Brother Peter and the entire team for their efforts and the activities that promote the spiritual health of the community.  The freshmen cook out and orientation celebration was an excellent kick-off of the year.  Working closely with members of the student government and Mr. Kerrigan, the overall impact of this event was incredible.  This event was followed closely by the opening school liturgy – Mass of the Holy Spirit.  The La Salle Community was joined by Fr. Donald Baker as we called on the Spirit of God to enlighten our minds and hearts leading us on our journey to wisdom and grace!  Congratulations to Brother Peter and the entire Brothers’ Community who celebrated Brother Peter’s renewal of his vows.

 On Thursday evening, September 29^th, the La Salle Community held its first Back-to-School Night with parents, teachers, students, counselors and administrators walking through a Day 1, affording us all an opportunity for face-time and conversation.  Many individual teachers and parents indicated that having time for conversation without having to discuss specific grades, behavioral issues and class assignments was a welcome change. Edline was one of the hot topics of the evening and Ms. Conroy and Ms. Fields welcomed new users to Edline as they distributed activation codes from the main office.  Please take full advantage of this important service.  Edline provides you with a window into the academic performance/life of your son and you will find both assignments and grades easily obtained through this program.  Also make use of the school webpage and its digital calendar as it is the most up-to-date listing of all activities and functions. Again, thank you to all the parents, teachers, and students who participated in Back-to-School Night.   

 Beginning last year at the end of the 2^nd semester, the school community has been preparing for our upcoming Lasallian Mission Assessment.  A team of faculty led by Brother William, Assistant Principal for Academic Affairs, provided the necessary focus for our self study which has resulted in a Mission Assessment Self-Study Report that will be reviewed, evaluated and confirmed by a visiting committee.  The visitation will take place in the coming week, October 5^th, 6^th, and 7^th, and will involve parents, students, teachers, coaches, graduates, board members and administrators.  Together, these men and women will review the picture that we have painted of our school’s climate, curricular and extra-curricular programs, and athletic program, in an attempt to confirm all the good that we believe is embodied in the works of this great school.

 The next time you are in the building and walk to the 4^th floor, take a look at the many plaques and photographs that are hanging in the stairwells.  The history of the school peppers the walls and many of the great former teachers and students are represented here.  Thank you to Brother Jerry Cox whose practiced and cultured eye arranged this exhibition.  Thanks also to Mr. Ruiz and Mr. Santiago for providing the muscle for this project.

 Our athletic program is up and running.  Congratulations to both the Varsity Soccer and Cross Country Teams for an auspicious beginning.  It is exciting to hear the students talking about their competitions and already expressing the hope that championships may be ours!  Bowling is about to begin with our first league competition scheduled for October 5^th against Cardinal Hayes. Try your best to get to some of the matches and games and support the Cardinals in all their activities. 

 All these athletic competitions and many other important events have been well covered in the latest edition of The Cardinal,La Salle’s award winning newspaper. Congratulations to the editors, writers, photographers and staff on a great publication.

 I hope that the coming weeks are filled with the warmth and joy of family and that all of us are blessed by the grace and presence of our loving God.  Be safe and promote justice and peace at home and in the greater community.  Remember that your choices make a difference and what you choose shapes who you become.

 Live Jesus in our hearts!

Upcoming Events

•  Tuesday, October 4, 2011 Prayer Service and Academic Awards Celebration beginning at 1:30 p.m. in the Church of Saint George at which we will be celebrating those students who received honors in the last semester of 2010-2011.
• Wednesday October 5, 2011 through Friday, October 7, 2011 – Lasallian Mission Assessment
• Thursday, October 6, 2011 first Parent Association sponsored ZUMBA Class beginning at 6:05 p.m. in the gymnasium.  Bring your friends and family and ZUMBA your support for the school and its many programs.
• Friday, October 7, 2011 is the registration DEADLINE for the November SAT.  Seniors don’t miss this important DEADLINE.
• Monday, October 10, 2011, Columbus DayHoliday– School Closed
• Thursday, October 13, 2011 Progress Reports mailed
• Friday, October 14, 2011 – 32-Minute Schedule – student dismissal at 12:55 p.m.
• Monday, October 17, 2011 Principal’s Advisory Council Meetings #2

Student sub-committee at 7:30 a.m. in room 401

Faculty sub-committee at 2:30 in room 401

• Thursday, October 20, 2011 Parent Association Meeting 6:00 pm. to 8:00 p.m. in the cafeteria
• Monday, October 24, 2011 Winter Dress Code begins
• Friday, October 28, 2011 Faculty Professional Day – No Students
• Saturday, October 29, 2011 OPEN HOUSE from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• Monday, October 31, 2011 Holiday – School Closed