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Dear Roxanna,
“Time flies when you’re having fun,” such a simple idiom but holds so much meaning. We have now completed our 1st month and what a wonderful month it has been. Our boys have enjoyed a month filled with various activities and opportunities. The fifth-grade students have settled into their new home here at The De La Salle School and are learning what it means to be Lasallian, as well as eagerly participating in our Lasallian traditions. The sixth and seventh grade students are back in the swing of things with great ease. The eighth-grade students are learning that they are the seniors and as we are told in Luke 12:18, “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” They are quickly learning that they are the leaders and must lead by example.
This week our seventh-grade students had the opportunity to go on the annual farm trip. Mrs. Becker, Ms. Zahralban and Ms. Spohr accompanied fifteen students for five days to Spring Brook Farm in Reading, Vermont. They were provided with an outdoor classroom where they could explore new dimensions of learning.
Through the generosity of the Farms for City Kids Program, our boys had the opportunity to experience life on a working dairy farm. In a beautiful, vast thousand-acre classroom at Spring Brook Farm‚ our boys had the opportunity to learn beyond the classroom. They worked on reading‚ writing‚ math‚ social studies and environmental studies skills and applied them to farming tasks.
Our boys were able to show their character strengths‚ and develop critical teamwork skills. Our Mission Statement states, “We emphasize respect, responsibility, leadership, and service thereby preparing the young men to be caring citizens of the world,” and at the farm they were able to apply these core values, and learn that all of these efforts play an integral role in helping us help ourselves, as well as others.
Each day at the farm began with group-structured tasks which allowed our boys to learn
through tactile hands-on activities learning which is often limited in a traditional classroom environment. They learned how to care for farm animals and complete farming tasks which helped strengthen the values of hard work‚ self-confidence and responsibility.
I spoke with the boys as they returned and asked them about the trip. They shared stories about how much fun they had and how many new things they learned. They learned so much and more importantly they were positively impacted by their time on the farm. The trip left a lasting impression on the boys and I hope that it sparks a deeper appreciation for where our food comes from, and the importance of sustainable farming practices. I pray that their experience with nature reveals God's beauty, glory, power, wisdom, presence, creativity, and most of all, His loving care. That they enjoy the beauty of nature and see the many wonders of God’s creation and how they reflect His glory.
In order to meet our financial necessity, we have three yearly fundraisers that help us raise the needed funding. Our Golf Outing and Bocce Tournament was scheduled to take place on September 25, but it was postponed due to the weather. The Golf Outing and Bocce Tournament is now scheduled for October 16. If you are interested in playing, sponsoring and/or supporting the event in any way, please contact Mr. Don Holden at 516-379-8660.
Future fundraisers will include our Annual Christmas Luncheon at the Garden City Country Club, which will be held on Thursday, November 30. The Annual Gala at Crest Hollow Country Club, which will be held on Friday, May 31. Opportunities to attend the events and participate in raffle drawings will be available. We always count on your support and appreciate your continued prayers for the success of the young men entrusted to our care.
Please join us on Thursday, November 30 at the beautiful Garden City Country Club for our Annual Christmas Luncheon. Our guest speaker this year is Msgr. James Vlaun, President and CEO of Catholic Faith Network. Invitations will be in the mail shortly.
Thinking about the farm trip and all the events this school year will bring, it is humbling to reflect on the generosity of all who contributed to our good growth through their prayers, donations, gifts in kind, and volunteer service. When you choose to invest in our students, you help to create by God’s grace, a unique school where hearts are touched, minds are challenged, and lives are changed.
As always, I ask that you continue to pray for our students, as I promise our prayers for each of you.
SAINT JOHN BAPTIST DE LA SALLE…PRAY FOR US
LIVE JESUS IN OUR HEARTS…FOREVER!
Mrs. Roxanna De Peña-Elder
Executive Director
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