Tips For Finals

The students took it upon themselves to post around campus helpful tips in preparation for taking final exams.  In the spirit of David Letterman's recent retirement, here are the top 7 tips (not quite 10!) as declared by the student Spartans of De La Salle High School.

Tip #7: Relax!

Tip #6: Turn Off Your Phone! (always a good idea!)

Tip #5: Manage Time Wisely (also a good idea!)

Tip #4: Put Non Important Things Aside (like ... TV, surfing aimlessly, social media, XBox, PS?)

Tip #3: Eat A Hearty Breakfast! (what if you're a vegetarian?)

Tip #2: If You're Reading This Now, Then It's (Never) Too Late (uh oh ...)

Tip #1: And, finally ... Love Yourself!

De La Salle and ... Nike?

A wonderful cast bronze statue of Saint La Salle was ordered from China and installed on our campus a few years back.  Apparently, two of our boys posed as Saint La Salle's modern day companions. 

Upon closer inspection, I happened to notice this ...

... makes sense, of course, since we are a Nike sponsored school, after all.  But, heaven help us if we were to be sponsored by some other multi national conglomerate!  Would we have to change the swoosh on the statue?  

Bobby Z And The DLC

Bobby Z is one of De La Salle High School's most beloved teachers.  He is immensely popular with our students, is approachable and kind, and he knows his stuff.  When we see one another, we often bow profoundly toward each other and utter the greeting, "Hello, dedicated Lasallian colleague!" (DLC) When not teaching, he is often found in our Campus Ministry lair on the hunt for salty peanuts, or cashews, or ... well, whatever he can scrounge for a snack. 

When I first interviewed at DLSHS, I sat in the conference room which had pictures of school life adorning the walls.  On one such wall was a picture of Bobby Z, who, also happened to participate in my interview.

Today, we had a meeting in the same conference room with ... you guessed it ... Bobby Z!  So, we asked him to pose in a similar fashion to the picture behind him.  

It's appropriate that Bobby Z would be featured on the conference room wall.  As a DLC, he is a positive witness to what a Lasallian teacher should be, and a great example for the rest of us to aspire to. 

No Credit For Ice Hockey

From time to time we get notes from the main office or from the counselors to pass to students in our classrooms.  The goal is to communicate important details in a timely manner.  But, sometimes these messages just don't stick.  Nevertheless, whether they listen to the general announcements or not, a direct message is worth a shot.  

Sometimes, students get notes from the deans indicating that students have committed a misconduct.  Our deans really do a great job as enforcers of our school rules of conduct.  Thanks in large part to the work they do, we have a fairly safe campus and thank God there have not been any incidents of fighting.  As long as students don't cross the red line, they can be assured that they will be treated respectfully and fairly.  But, when they do, they might garner a suspension. 

And, sometimes students get penalties for not paying attention to their academic careers. But, no matter how much they trip, we teachers try to act as the safety net to keep them from failing.  Also, holding back students from soaring and moving forward is the last thing we teachers want to do.  I mean, we really do want to fully equip our students so that they do not graduate from DLSHS shorthanded.

When students are fully engaged in their learning, it is more than just the icing on the cake, it makes all the overtime we spend with students worth it!

Boo!  Ice Hockey Does Not Count For Credit!  Boo!

Friday Broadcast: Year In Review

... the last Friday Broadcast features segments that have entertained us through the course of the year.  Highlights include Coach Eidson's Raiders Report, the flashy special effects, Move That Sully, and a guest appearance by yours truly attempting to be funny, eh.  

Gameboys and Fr LaSalle Hallissey

It's no secret that Fr LaSalle Hallissey, my compatriot in the Campus Ministry department, is a fan of technology.  He's got his trusty desktop computer (a PC), a school issued laptop (a MacBook), an iPad, a Kindle, and a ...

Gameboy?

... that's right, it's a Gameboy!  Who knew that Fr LaSalle was a gamer?  Apparently, his favourite game is:

Well, okay Fr LaSalle ... as long as you don't play your game during retreats, immersions, or while hearing confessions!  Also, don't set a bad example for our faculty ... many of whom play games on their iPhones during faculty meetings! 

Phone Booth

I'm guessing none of the students on campus really know what truly belongs in this space.

(No) Fan of the Oxford Comma

After returning student essays, one particular student came forward to challenge me on a note I had made in his paper.  

"So, my English teachers said that you can do whatever you want in the future with regard to using commas in sentences," he said while pointing to my comment about the use of the Oxford comma.

I'm sure my fellow colleagues did not use those words in particular, so I had to carefully correct my student.  And, this was an opportunity to spread the wisdom in using the Oxford comma. 

For the sheer sake of understandability, the reduction of ambiguity, and consequently the clarity it affords, the Oxford comma makes sense.  To wit:

After I showed the student the above graphic, the idea of the Oxford comma seemed to get his gears turning.  Or, so I sense, hope, and pray ...

A Few Tips From The Fencing Club

From a recent Fencing Club ad on campus:

... Conduct I know a little about, and Kebabs make me hungry.  Seppuku wouldn't be a good idea, but Cheat Codes might be!  And, Mask Throw is a little cheap. 

What Do You Stand For?

We were bound to get some toilet humour on this blog sooner or later.  But, not perhaps the kind you are thinking of.  

In our present location, we are lucky to have an accessible restroom.  A curious poster adorns the wall behind the toilet.

I mean, as a male it's rather obvious ... isn't it?

There are some great virtues listed on that poster, but here's one that stands out to me.

For some reason when the poster prompts me as I'm doing what I need to do, I hear this man ...

... apparently the definition of Truthiness is ... "the quality of seeming or being felt to be true, even if not necessarily true."  God Bless Stephen Colbert!

Whiteboard Art: Brother ... Chris?

From time to time, faculty are called upon to substitute for another teacher.  At our school, we are fortunate enough to be compensated when we sub.  Not all school administrations are as generous!  As a teacher new to this community, I deeply appreciate the fact that our administrators do honour our time.  Sometimes, we teachers forget how fortunate we are.

It seems that whiteboard art is a common warmup activity for one such teacher I was called to sub for.  The class decided that I would be the subject of their artistry since I was the ... guest of honour?

Angry Brother Chris, FSC?

Hipster Mister Trinidad?

Retro Trinidad?

Hmmm ... I dunno?

Easter Chocolate Bunny

A student in my Religious Studies 2: Jesus and Justice class regularly gives me a little package around major secular and Christian holidays.  It happened on Halloween.  It happened at Christmas.  And, it happened again right before Easter.  Said student comes up to me, rather sheepishly, half-embarrassed, and in hushed tones says:

"Hey Mr T, here's a little something for you.  But, it's not really from me.  It's from my mom.  She likes to do these things.  So, here it is."

He looks around to ensure that no one is watching, and from within clenched fists, reveals the gift ... 

How cute.  It's the gesture that counts ...

Friday Broadcast: Jim Harbaugh and Boss Tagaloa

Every Friday, the DLSHS community is treated to a video created by our Broadcast Club that features news, previews, and reviews of student life on campus.  They do a great job entertaining and informing the student body of the plethora of activities taking place.

This particular segment features an interview of humble defensive tackle Boss Tagaloa ... it involves prom, Jim Harbaugh, and multiple shout outs ... in that order!  No spoilers ... enjoy the broadcast!

Famous Singer Goes Back To School(ogy)

Starting in school year 2015 - 2016, we'll be using Schoology as our school-wide learning management system.  Some of us have been selected to pilot and then train our fellow colleagues in the use of Schoology.  It features an intuitive interface (similar to Facebook), and its features are continuously evolving (like most software these days).  Those of us who are piloting and training had an in-service webinar last Friday where we were joined by our Carondelet colleagues.  In the training module, I noticed an eerily familiar person also taking the webinar.

Naw ... it can't be!

The hair, the look, and the forehead looked all too familiar.  Now, I love cheesy slowjams and power ballads as much as the next person (as a child of the 70s and 80s), but I must admit that I was never a fan of the Bolton brand ... or the Kenny G brand, for that matter.

I wonder how Michael Bolton will fare in class ... and in Schoology!

Naw ... you 'da man!

Serial Number Email Addresses

Most schools assign email addresses to students for school use.  Usually, the format for the email address involves obvious identifiers like first initial, last name, and perhaps graduation year.  

Here at DLSHS, we have a peculiar practice of assigning a series of numbers which are de facto serial numbers: five digits, beginning with the number '2', ending with our school top level domain of @dlshs.org.  Clearly, they act as the student's identification number, and perhaps they offer the student a level of anonymity. 

What is not clear, however, is how the numbers are assigned.  The numbers might simply be assigned randomly, maybe numbers follow a sequence, and perhaps there is some logic which is only available to those far above my pay grade!  

Surely, however, we can refer to students by more than a series of numbers.   Wouldn't independent school development officers want to keep in touch with future alumni without having to refer to some sort of matrix or database?  What about when our students apply for college?  

What is more appealing?  Receiving an email from 24601@dlshs.org or from jvaljean15@dlshs.org.  Hey ... wait a minute.

Last I checked, 24601 was Jean Valjean's prisoner number!  Surely, the students of DLSHS are not prisoners!  And, when they graduate, they're not on parole!  Javert might disagree.

Need Prom Date? No Problem!

It's prom time around here, and one student took to advertising for a date on their ... Toyota Sienna?

License plate spray painted out to protect the innocent.

So, if you're interested, then HMUJ ... (hit me up, J?)  He'll probably have a better ride for prom.  No offence to Sienna drivers out there!  

Junior Prom, But Not A Junior!

Here's a way to sneak in, if you're not a junior!

J of the Day: Son of a Buffalo!

J of the Day: Scarecrow and the Nobel Prize

Why did the scarecrow win the Nobel Prize?

...

Because he is out/standing in his field!

J of the Day: Skeleton Bones

What do you call a skeleton with no bones?

...

... wait for it ...

...

NOTHING!  A skeleton is nothing BUT bones! 

J of the Day: Yeast and Shoe Polish

My usual warm up routine includes a "Class G," or, greeter who stands at the door, and high fives or fist bumps students as they come in, a "Class DJ,", or disc jockey who plays a tune on our multimedia system as people are settling in (one caveat: the song selection has to be pre-1990s!).  I teach students how to prepare class prayer, and they are affectionately known as the "Class P," and finally, one student is responsible for what I call the "J of the Day."  These are corny jokes to get us laughing before we get on with the day's work.  All of these little novelties are meant to lighten the mood, but also to affirm the humanity of "doing school."  Human contact, music, sacred moments, and laughter ... every day is a party in Mr T's class!

Here's one student's J of the Day:

What happens when you eat yeast and shoe polish for dinner?  Two possibilities:

1.  You die; or,
2.  Every morning, you'll rise and shine!