April Recap
Dear Friends of La Salle Academy,
Q. How many teachers does it take to change a light bulb?
A. Change? Schools are notorious for relying on “we’ve always done it that way.” There is no precedent for what we are encountering now, however. It is concurrently unnerving and energizing to make decisions, formulate plans, communicate remotely, and live well. Here at La Salle Academy we are up to the challenge! Our solidarity in commitment to our Lasallian identity and the concern and creativity of each adult on our team is causing a new educational experience to evolve for students and teachers alike. Some examples are presented below.
Just before we adapted to our “new normal” way of life, a group of our students attended A Catholic Lens, a youth evangelization event organized by the Archdiocese of New York at The Sheen Center in March. Click here to read more about the experience. Pictured here are sophomores Angel Vasquez, Aaron Parajon and Carlos Apreza.
The La Salle Academy community is extremely grateful to healthcare workers and first responders, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the help of New York University’s Men Entering Nursing (“MEN”) program, La Salle students sent electronic cards and letters to local NYC hospitals. Students in Mr. Estevez’s religion class started by making Easter cards a few weeks ago! Click here to view more of the students’ creations.
Students in Ms. Morales’ Chemistry Regents class were so excited to get back to work after Easter break that they showed up in their spring uniform! In their class, they are discussing how diluting substances will effect the amount of its concentration. Zoom allows Ms. Morales to use an interactive whiteboard display so students can solve problems together and share their work with one another.
Ms. Carlsen’s geometry class participated in a Zoom call paired with an assignment on Formative, which is a web-app for classrooms that allows teachers to give live assignments to students. These two highlights from Ms. Carlsen’s and Ms. Morales’ classes are just a couple of ways that our teachers and students have adapted to the new digital learning environment presented to us.
La Salle Academy has officially earned re-accreditation by the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools! This is not just a prestigious recognition, but an affirmation by a respected group of peers that La Salle Academy is doing a top-quality job of living out its mission. I am pleased and proud! Click here to read more about the accreditation.
On April 9th, we kicked off a digital appeal to help our students’ families who are struggling to make their regular tuition payments during the COVID-19 pandemic. We started with a goal of $7,000 and have since raised $16,906 thanks to 52 generous donors. The appeal ends this Thursday, May 7th, so if you haven’t done so already, please consider a gift. You can text LASALLE to 41444, click here, or send a check to me at 44 E 2nd Street, New York, NY 10003.
Attentive to our mission to offer a holistic education, and aware that our alumni continue to be bonded with their alma mater, La Salle’s Guidance Department compiled this list of resources for our graduates. While the material is focused more on the younger cohort of alumni, I am sure we can all benefit from these resources during this unprecedented time.
During Saint La Salle’s time, France experienced a famine. He reminded his followers that “God’s compassion for you is greater than the troubles you have” (Meditation 18.1). May you, and those special to you, be strengthened by that conviction. God bless us all!
Brother Thomas P. Casey, FSC
President
