It's Finals Week!

Finals begin tomorrow, Monday, December 16. Important details about what happens with absences this week can be found here. Please be sure to read!

This week will follow a modified schedule, with two finals per day from Monday through Thursday (see image).

Week of December 16: Flannels for Finals 

Students may wear leggings, sweatpants, pajama pants, or flannel pants AND a Carondelet or De La Salle top during finals week.

All Carondelet-issued iPads will receive a message after finals on Thursday, December 19 to allow an iOS update. Please accept the message and prepare for your iPad to update to iOS 18.

For the update to happen your iPad will need to:

• Have your iPad plugged into a power outlet and charging properly
• Have at least 15 GB of free storage
• You may need to enter your iPad passcode

If the automated update process is not successful, please make sure you start the update process manually by going to Settings > General > Software Update, and install the newest version allowed by the administrators.

All student iPads should be updated to iOS 18 (or greater) before returning to campus in January. Students need to update their iPads periodically to continue using them in classrooms efficiently. The updates will allow them to remain compatible with the software and applications they use which are updated automatically through our management system once a day.

**Please note there will be no student tech support during Christmas Break.**

Questions? See Michelle Koski in the Library.

Library Hours During December Finals Week

Monday: 12/16, 7:30 - 11:00 AM

Tuesday: 12/17, 7:30 - 11:00 AM

Wednesday: 12/18, 7:30 - 11:00 AM

Thursday: 12/19, 7:30 - 10:05 AM

*Open for SILENT study before school and at Break*

CLOSED for Extended Time Testing 11:00 AM - 1:30 PM

PowerSchool Portal Closing on Monday, Dec. 16 at 8:00 AM

Please note that the PowerSchool portal will be closed for students and parents starting Monday, December 16, at 8:00 AM.

The portal will reopen on Monday, January 6, 2025, at 8:00 AM, giving students the opportunity to communicate with teachers before final grades are stored on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.

Schoology will remain open throughout the break for continued access to class materials and assignments.

Please contact Katie Almonte with any questions or concerns.

Final Advent Project Update!

Thank you for donating to the Advent Project! We are proud to say that we have surpassed our goal and collected 805 items to support Ticket To Dream. Your donations have supported foster youth all over the Bay Area. We have truly served the dear neighbor this holiday season!

Seniors:

• In early January, College Counseling will be sending Mid-Year Reports, which include your grades from first semester, to all the colleges you have applied to. Remember your next steps after you apply to college including updating MaiaLearning with decisions, what to do if you’re deferred, and noting due dates for housing, deposits and financial aid.
• We will be holding a workshop for seniors who want to apply to Diablo Valley College (DVC) on Wednesday, February 12 from 1:30 to 2:50 PM in De La Salle’s Hofmann Center. A representative from DVC will present and students will start working on their DVC application. More information about the session will be sent after the New Year.

Juniors:

• The College Kickstart Registration is open! During College Kickstart, college counselors help students through every step of the college search and application experience, from building your college list to filling out applications, writing your college essay, staying organized, and more! The series has expanded to include a one-day winter session (Saturday, January 25) focused on launching your college search, building your college list, and preparing for applications. Learn more and register here.

Freshmen:

• On Thursday, January 16, College Counseling will host a virtual Freshman Parent College Night to introduce freshman parents to our program, set expectations and  introduce them to the course scheduling process. Register for the event here.

Carondelet shares opportunities from outside organizations for informational purposes only. We do not affiliate with or endorse any particular organizations.

End-of-Year Charitable Giving

There are myriad worthy causes deserving of support during the holidays. As you consider how to make your philanthropic mark this calendar year, we invite you to include a tax-deductible gift to Carondelet in your plans. Your support of our mission and vision has an immeasurable impact on the lives of our students here and beyond. Every gift—no matter the amount and whether outright, via appreciated stock, or bequest—makes an immediate difference. If you have recently given, please accept our gratitude. Thank you for using your voice to amplify theirs.

Crab Feed ’25

Please reserve the evening of Saturday, February 22, 2025 for a crab-tastic evening to dine on succulent crab and tri-tip, dance the night away to the live tunes of Fast Times, and donate in support of Carondelet’s Sisterhood Fund. Tickets go on sale in early January. We can't wait to see you there and dive in to some delicious crab!

Power of Her

Q: When is an old, underutilized locker room not an old, underutilized locker room?

A: When it’s transformed into a world-class Performance Center!

Carondelet has been in the quiet phase of the Power of Her Campaign to completely transform our locker room space. This state-of-the-art facility will include a Movement Studio, Locker Lounge, Powder Room (with showers), Main Campus Training Room, and a Walkout Tunnel. We are SO excited to share details and invite our community to be a part of this wonderful and much-needed project. Stay tuned as we go public in January… or if you just can’t wait, please reach out to the Development Team to learn more!

Winter Sports Schedules

Soccer and Basketball schedules can be found on the athletics website. Athletes should confirm with coaches for any game changes.

Celebrate Your Senior in a Way That’s as Special as She is!

Each year, the yearbook staff sells Dedication/Tribute spaces to senior families in the yearbook. Sales began earlier this year and will continue until Tuesday, December 31.

This year we will be utilizing the Yearbook Forever website for all yearbook ad creation. You will be able to choose your ad size, write your message, and upload and arrange all the images you would like to use. So start gathering your favorite photos; you will need them in a digital picture format (jpeg, png, tif).

December 31: Deadline to purchase and create. Click here to proceed to the Yearbook Forever site. For any questions please contact the yearbook adviser, Faith Ripoli, via email or by phone at (925) 686-5353 ext. 324.

The Carondelet Green Team is dedicated to promoting environmental sustainability within our school. December’s Action of the Month is carpooling!

This month, let’s focus on saving gas and reducing fossil fuel consumption by carpooling. To participate, submit a photo of your carpooling group using the provided link. You can also scan QR codes on campus posters or visit our Instagram bio. Each submission enters you into a raffle for a gift card! For more updates, follow @carondelet_greenteam on Instagram.

Curious about the importance of this issue? Watch this video to learn more about fuel overconsumption. 

Does Your Student Need a Tutor?

NHS Peer Tutoring Program is up and running for this school year! With more than 100 members of the National Honor Society (NHS) participating, we have a wide variety of students with expertise in multiple subjects and academic levels who are eager to assist their peers. Need A Tutor? (Form for any student looking for a peer tutor). Additionally, NHS tutors will be present at PowerLab every Monday through Thursday in the Library. If you have a student who would benefit from extra help, please remind them that a tutor specializing in Science, Math, and Language Arts will be available each day during PowerLab.

Need a few last minute stocking stuffers? Check out our online school store for Carondelet branded apparel and merch!

Please note: The Convent will be open for pick-ups again on January 13, so if you want something to arrive in time for Christmas, choose your home address for delivery.

Some items (the custom sneakers and fire pit) require extra time to produce. They are not guaranteed for a Christmas delivery.