2013 Headlines

My role in transforming LaSalle youth
LaSalle School provides youth with a Lasallian education in the spirit of the founder of The Brothers of the Christian Schools - Saint John Baptist de La Salle. Each year, college age students enrolled in a program called Lasallian Volunteers are assigned to various Lasallian operated schools and facilities around the world to become involved in their activities and learn more about the mission of Saint LaSalle to serve the underprivileged. A few months ago, Patrick Blythe, a 2012 graduate of Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and currently serving his first year as a Lasallian Volunteer at LaSalle School wrote about his experiences working with the youth at LaSalle.
Click here to read one Lasallian Volunteer’s perspective on his work at LaSalle School >>

SOAR wins UAlbany President's Award for Exemplary Community Service
On May 8th, staff and trustees from LaSalle School, St. Anne Institute, and the University at Albany's Schools of Social Welfare and Criminal Justice gathered with UAlbany President Robert J. Jones to accept a President's Award for Exemplary Community Engagement from UAlbany for the SOAR project (Service Oriented Action Research). The award recognized SOAR as making a significant contribution to societal needs and enhancing public well-being through community-engaged research, creative activity, teaching, academic and public service.
Click here to read the UAlbany President's Letter to the Community announcing the 2013 award recipients >>

JRFC participates in Global Youth Service Day
To mark Earth Day, LaSalle students joined JRFC partners - St. Anne Institute and St. Catherine's Child and Family Center on April 27th to spruce up the Community Gardens at Livingston Avenue and Lincoln Park.
Click here to visit www.gysd.org for more information about the 2013 Global Youth Service Day >>

Siena students ready LaSalle grounds for summer
In another Earth Day activity, students from Siena College came to LaSalle to prepare the all-purpose recreation field for summer activities at LaSalle. This effort was part of Siena's 2013 Community Service Day.
Click here to visit www.siena.edu for more information about Siena College >>

2013 Lasallian Dinner honors Daughters of Sarah Senior Community and Massry REsidence Dining Services Director
LaSalle School, on May 2 welcomed 215 guests gathered to honor the Daughters of Sarah Senior Community and head of their Massry Residence’s dining services, Keith Smith, with Lasallian Service Awards at theschool’s 31st annual dinner.
Click here to read the full press release >>

New OMH license paves way for outpatient clinic and integrated treatment
At their March meeting, the Mental Health Services Council of the NYS Office of Mental Health reviewed and approved LaSalle’s application for an OMH license to operate an outpatient mental clinic for adolescents. “This [license] opens up new funding streams, new impacts and services in the community and an integrated behavioral health delivery system key to the Affordable Care Act,” said Katharine Briar-Lawson, LaSalle trustee and dean of UAlbany’s School of Social Welfare. Fellow LaSalle Trustee Robert McMahon agreed saying “as the system transitions to medicaid managed care, LaSalle is
better positioned with Health Homes and Managed Care companies with their mental health, preventive, residential, OASAS, and now mental health clinics to be a major provider.” McMahon is retired executive director from SCO Family of Services. LaSalle expects that it will take several months for this new clinic to become operational.
For further information about LaSalle’s new OMH licensure, you can email information@lasalle-school.org.

Ulster Family Court Judge Anthony McGinty asks LaSalle staff:
'How can I facilitate a successful outcome from the bench?'
On March 21st, Ulster County Family Court Anthony McGinty came to LaSalle School for a scheduled visit, and stayed three hours touring campus, meeting with staff, and talking with Ulster County kids he helped to place at LaSalle. “It was clear he was seeking to open a dialogue about improving how we all work with youth and families within the existing system,” said Dave Wallace, director of LaSalle’s clinical services. “ I was impressed. He was insightful, astute, and had a broad knowledge of what role he could play to improve a youth and family’s engagement in the court and placement process. It was a real cooperative and collaborative experience for us.” Click here to read the full story >>

LaSalle School is NYNP's April 'Agency of the Month'
With recently expanded distribution into the Capital Region, the New York Nonprofit Press is distributed monthly to more than 30,000 readers in non-profit human services agencies as well as decision makers at state and local levels of New York government. NYNP is also distributed through 360 public libraries and local universities with programs in social work, public policy and nonprofit management. LaSalle School is the first Capital District nonprofit to be featured as an NYNP Agency of the Month since this January 2013 expansion. Click here to read the full article >>

LaSalle hosts first Juvenile Reporting and Family Center Parent Night for Albany County youth and families
The new Juvenile Reporting and Family Center, funded by ACDCYF effective March 1, 2013, held their first joint monthly Parent Night in the LaSalle School gymnasium on the evening of March 20, 2013. The JRFC is an expansion of the highly regarded Evening Reporting Center operated by LaSalle for the past seven years. In collaboration with St. Anne Institute and St. Catherine’s Center for Youth and Families, the alternative to detention program expansion offers referred families the opportunity to enroll other children in the household to be involved in safe, structured and supervised enrichment activities during high risk after school hours. Click here to read the full article >>

'Chicks That Knit' make donation to LaSalle
Two members of ‘Chicks That Knit’ came to LaSalle to deliver a donation of dozens of hand knit scarfs, mittens, baby afghans and blankets, vests, hats, and slippers. These colorful goods will be a beautiful and welcome addition to LaSalle’s 2013 CWSL Annual Christmas Boutique for youth. Pictured from left to right, are LaSalle’s Ed
McNamara, assistant director for program services, Beth Mashmann, Jody-Sallise Mason, and Bill Wolff, LaSalle’s executive director. Click here to learn more about ‘Chicks That Knit' >>

Ramping up for LaSalle's participation in the 2013 National Annual History Day Competition regionals
The process to get ready for the regionals of the 2013 National History Day competition began at LaSalle in September, and has run the gamut from research and creative design to presentation skill exercises to technical ability.

A public speaking exercise pitted four teams of 10th-grade global studies students against one another to discuss how militarism, alilances, imperialism, and nationalism caused World War I, the importance of each cause and the degree to which it contributed to the conflict. In addition to learning the causes of the war, LaSalle History Teacher Jerald Hensler explained that the activity was designed to give the students experience and confidence in presenting their findings to their peers and others much like the National History Day competition but on a smaller scale. "I think the kids got a good understanding of the content because they were able to take ownership of it themselves, with guidance," said Ashlyn Slater, a LaSalle student history teacher currently majoring in Social Studies and Adolescent Education at The College of Saint Rose.

On March 18th, National History Day competitors will present their projects to a group of 'mock' judges especially invited by LaSalle to campus to help the youth prepare for the rigors of the formal competition later in that month. The mock judges attending LaSalle's mock judging exercise will include officials from OCFS and SED as well as family court judges and social service staff from Albany, Dutchess, Orange, Rensselaer, and various other NYS countiels. Watch for details int he march eNews.
Click here to read more about the National History Day competition. >>
Click here to read about last year's LaSalle History Day competition mock judging exercise. >>

LaSalle board member and nursing administrator honored
Joan Healey, a member of LaSalle School’s Board of Trustees since 2001, and a former LaSalle employee, was recently named 2013 Administrator of the Year by the New York Chapter American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA). Healey is currently the chief operating officer and administrator for the Daughters of Sarah Senior Community in Albany, New York.
Click here to read the full press release. >>

Twinning: Supporting Lasallian missions around the world
On February 14th, LaSalle School held its annual bake sale fundraiser to benefit St. Paul’s Secondary School in Marsabit, Kenya. LaSalle has participated in this Lasallian Twinning program for several years and it brings out the best in staff and students who volunteer their time and talents to come up with recipes for sweets and baked goods as well as sell the goods all to help out this African School. Pictured are students in a St. Paul’s classroom in 2012.
Click here to read more about the Lasallian Twinning program. >>

LaSalle to celebrate Ruth Pelham and the 'power of we' in March
Ruth Pelham, a nationally known performer, songwriter, educator, advocate, and activist will be honored with LaSalle’s Eighth Annual Mary G. Breslin Volunteer Service Award on Tuesday, March 12th at 8:00 a.m. breakfast ceremony held at the Hanner Chapel Cultural Center on the school’s campus. Pelham is creator of Music Mobile, a souce of creative in-school and after-school programming. For further details, please contact LaSalle School’s Office of
Communications and Development - 518-242-4731 x271; jadlos@lasalle-school.org
Click here to read more about Ruth and her Music Mobile. >>
Click here for more background on the Breslin Volunteer Service Award. >>

From the blackboard to practice to presentation
LaSalle culinary program featured in The Evangelist
The Evangelist, the official publication of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, visited LaSalle School in January to observe andn write about LaSalle School's innovative culinary skills program stemming from a partnership with the Massry Residence at the Daughters of Sarah Senior Community.
Click here to see the full story (www.evangelist.org).

Staff share knowledge and expertise with peer professionals
Increasingly, LaSalle clinical staff are invited to present on innovative, best practice treatemtn techniques and strategies with professionals from other child caring agencies across New York State. On January 15th, LaSalle staff presented on the use of Adventure Based Programming appleid to juvenile mental health treatment at the first Albany Regional Professional Development Networking Breakfast sponsored by COFCCA's Center for Excellence. The Networking Breakfast, developed by representatiaves from COFCCA, LaSalle, and St. Anne Institute, held its premiere event at Parson's Family and Child Care Center in Albany, NY. More 2013 evetns are being planned.

LaSalle participates in 7th Capital District Region Future City Competition

On Saturday, January 26th, LaSalle youth transported their 3-D future city model to Hudson Valley Community Colelge as one of 20 middle-school teams entered in the 2013 Capital District Region Future City Competition. At the the end of the day-long display and judging, LaSalle's 'Hillside City' was impressively voted by their peer competitors as the best city to live in and chosen the future city with the best public transportation system. Asked by a judge why the citizens of tomorrow would want to live in Hillside City, one LaSalle competitor answered quickly saying the city was safe, had good police and fire departments, and also had great sports teams. The judges loved that answer! For more information, about this national educational competition, click here (www.futurecity.org).

LaSalle offers diverse alternative to detention program activities

In January 2012, Evening Reporting Center's monthly parent night program focused on the power of conversation. The talk was given by Troy Kennedy, LaSalle training and development professional. Kennedy's presentation focused on strategies parents can use to communicate inp ositive and constructive ways with their children and families.

Youth in LaSalle's Evening Reporting Center (black shirts) faced LaSalle's residential student basketball team in an end-of-year match-up. The first time for this activity, it was fun for the kids and a demonstration of LaSalle's efforts to provide healthy, structured, and supervised pro-social after school activities to youth. LaSalle's residential team won the game by six points.