DeLaSalle offers an accredited high school education program with a personalized learning environment enhanced by critical student support services. In order to graduate from DeLaSalle Charter High School, students must earn 24 credits in English/Language Arts, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, Practical Arts, Fine Arts, Physical Education/Health, Personal Finance, and Electives. Additionally, students must demonstrate that they possess reading and math competency, pass the United States Constitution test, complete 25 hours of community service, and create a five-year plan for their future.
Unique Academic Programs
Post-Secondary Exploration Program
This is a course required for graduation from DeLaSalle that assists senior students in preparing for their future beyond graduation. Seniors are required to investigate post-secondary options, both college and career. Each senior participates in work/career readiness training, which includes learning how to complete job applications, developing a resume and participating in a mock interview with a local businessperson. Seniors participate in life planning activities where they learn the basics of budgeting for the “real world” and develop a five-year plan for their future. Community service is emphasized; each senior must complete 25 hours of service.
Math Lab
The Math Lab (consisting of Math 50 and Math 100) provides remedial instruction to students in need of improving their math skills. Math 50 focuses on basic math applications such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Math 100 progresses to Pre-Algebra. Post Math lab classes offered include: Math 200A (Algebra), Math 200B (Geometry), and Math 300 (Trigonometry).
Language Arts 1 (funded by COMBAT tax levy)
This is an intense remedial reading program designed to ensure that all students who successfully complete the program will comprehend text written at an age and grade appropriate level. Students in this class will develop self-awareness of their reading skills in decoding, comprehension, and vocabulary. After students are assessed and receive a diagnosis and prescriptive services to design individualized reading strategies, students engage in the following activities: sustained silent reading, reading aloud for peers, writing activities such as personal journaling, participation in Socratic Seminars, discussion of free choice reading, etc. Mastery performance tasks are implemented to confirm students have met standards for exiting the program.
Discovery (New Student Orientation) (funded by COMBAT tax levy Prevention Funds)
Orientation is required for all new students and is designed to assist students in developing age appropriate life skills, build substance abuse prevention awareness, and develop strong communication skills. Students focus on team building, anger management, assertiveness training, problem solving, conflict resolution and vocational exploration/educational assessment.
Students Tackling Environmental Problems (S.T.E.P.) Program
S.T.E.P. is DeLaSalle’s new “career academy” which offers students environmental science, social studies, math and language arts through an integrated curriculum based on issues surrounding the environment enhanced through regular field trip opportunities and guest speakers. The S.T.E.P. program offers students a chance to participate in an internship to instill basic job competencies, introduce students to new career fields, help students learn how to network, and prepare them to enter the work force armed with job experience in the expanding “green” job market. DeLaSalle collaborates with area businesses to offer the internships, and students are able to earn credit towards their graduation requirements for successfully completing their internships.
Pathways
Pathways, established in 1999, allows DeLaSalle students the opportunity to enroll in up to nine college credit hours at Penn Valley Community College, while still enrolled in high school. Students are encouraged to remain enrolled in the Pathways program after graduating from DeLaSalle. The program provides an opportunity for students to experience a college setting before actually enrolling in college, helping them gain confidence, have a better understanding of college expectations, and giving them a clear understanding that the more education or training they receive, the better their chances are to increase lifetime earnings.
Student Press @ DeLaSalle
The goal of the Student Press @ DeLaSalle is to improve students' academic and employability skills by integrating academic concepts and personal finance training with real world work experiences through the operation of a printing business. Students actively participate in a commercial printing operation with customers and in doing so, develop skills in basic accounting, inventory management, quality production, business communication, and customer relations. The Student Press does printing for the school as well as many area schools, businesses and non-profit organizations.
Extra-Curricular Activities
After-School Art and Drama Programs
These programs, which allow students an additional opportunity to earn course credits, provides students with the opportunity to participate in after-school drama or 3-D art such as creating a mosaic or tile bench.
Automotive Design Studio
The DeLaSalle Automotive Design Studio consists of the design and fabrication of an actual working electric automobile. In 2009-2010, the care design was based on using a rolling platform of a 2000 Lola Indy Car. The platform has working suspension, brakes, steering and structural tub. The educational objective is to give the students the tools to process creative thinking, see the potential for realizing dreams for a successful future and instill a greater desire to learn in the students. The process involves a unique pairing of an experienced automotive mentor with each student. Visit http://delasalleautodesignstudio.wikispaces.com/ for more information.
Bamboo Bicycle Project
The Bamboo Bicycle Project involves DeLaSalle students developing an international business process. Approximately twenty (20) bicycle frames fabricated in Africa and India from local bamboo will be shipped to DeLaSalle, and a program will be developed to manufacture, assemble and sell these bicycles.
Holistic Student Support Services
Team of Care
The Team of Care consists of three (3) mental health therapists and a part-time child psychiatrist who offer mental health therapy, individualized guidance and support to students attending DeLaSalle. The mission of the Team of Care is to provide student-centered, strengths based services to assist students in identifying and addressing barriers and unmet needs that are disturbing the full potential of educational and social development in the student.
Parent and Child Education Support (PACES)
PACES is an intensive and comprehensive on-site child development program that provides a stimulating learning environment for DeLaSalle students’ children, while enabling young parents to remain in school and complete their high school education. The PACES program also works with the young parents to help them develop good parenting skills.
Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment and Prevention Program (funded by COMBAT tax levy)
This program provides treatment services to high school students who are involved in drug and/or alcohol use and abuse and provides prevention education for all DeLaSalle students so they understand the negative consequences of substance abuse and develop skills to resist negative peer pressure and remain drug free.
Recovery Program
The Recovery Program is an “alternative to the alternative” at DeLaSalle that combines intense individualized academic instruction and behavior modification counseling to assist students who are challenged to remain in the regular classroom setting with their academic and behavioral needs.
