EXPLORER - La Salle College High School

14 Explorer Autumn 2006
Since the beginning of school this year, there has been at least
one meeting scheduled for every night of the week. Most meetings
are for specialized parent organizations, where attendance
is only a small percentage of the parent population at La Salle.
Like what a Penn State home game can do to Happy Valley,
events like Back to School Night and Student Council Mixers
seem to almost double the population of Wyndmoor. For events
like these, it is a bigger challenge finding a parking spot on La
Salle’s campus than it is getting a mixer ticket or finding your
son’s classroom in St. Michael Hall. Leaving Back to School
Night this year just before 10:00pm, I saw that at least half of
the parking spots were still occupied. I have since realized that
this occurrence is not the exception, but rather the norm.
Each time we pass by the school at
night and see cars parked outside, we
no longer need to wonder what is going
on, but understand simply that in
some way the work of St. John Baptist
de La Salle is being done.
Bill Bailey, who is responsible for locking the school up at
night, sees how busy La Salle is on a daily basis. When asked
about the school that never sleeps, Bill responded by saying,
“I am scheduled to be here every night until 10:00pm. But
there are on average at least two nights a week where I am
here until 11:00pm because of meetings that run late.” Bill
Bailey sees every day what most of us at La Salle don’t even
realize; the school is in a constant state of motion. As students
are picked up after their practices and meetings after school,
the building only hits mid-stride as a myriad of parent groups
and committees converge upon the school.
In consideration of how many La Salle affiliated organizations
there are, it is not difficult to appreciate the nocturnal aspect of
the school. Each sport at La Salle has its own parent organization.
There are also organizations such as the Men of La Salle,
the Mothers’ Club, and the Alumni Association that meet on a
regular basis. The La Sale auction committee meets more and
more frequently as the big event draws near. Even faculty and
board members have been putting in long hours at Middle
States meetings that extend late into the evening.
La Salle has not always been so busy at night. In fact, the
many late night meetings are a recent phenomenon. Julia
Maher, Vice Principal for Student Affairs, has been at La Salle
for over twenty-three years. She feels that La Salle is its busiest
ever, particularly during evening hours. Mrs. Maher handles
room and facility reservations for all La Salle organizations, and
she has seen first hand just how much more involved people
have become at La Salle. According to Mrs. Maher, the increase
in involvement can largely be explained through the mission of
the school and St. John Baptist de La Salle.
“The school’s mission is to educate the entire student,” Maher
says. “Since the school focuses on the academic, spiritual, and
physical development of its students, it is no surprise that there
are so many organizations whose main function is student
support.” Mrs. Maher also believes that the increase in parent
involvement and the emergence of parent groups illustrate
how a La Salle College High School education is an investment
in the young men that involves more than just the school’s
own faculty, staff, and administration. “La Salle has adopted a
team approach to education, where faculty, coaches, and parents
all take part in the formation of these young men.”
Mrs. Maher’s outlook on the increased activity and involvement
at La Salle echoes the very philosophy of the school, which
states that, “La Salle endeavors to create a community in
which students, parents, faculty, staff, and administration may
share their beliefs, experiences, and values.” (Student
Handbook, p. 3) The sharing of beliefs and values is what is
taking place at the various meetings that are held at La Salle
each evening.
Each time we pass by the school at night and see cars parked
outside, we no longer need to wonder what is going on, but
understand simply that in some way the work of St. John
Baptist de La Salle is being done.
Nearly every student at La Salle is involved in at least one
sport or activity. Parents, if you haven’t already had your meeting,
your nighttime visit to campus will be coming soon. And if
your meeting happens to run late, don’t worry. Bill Bailey will
leave the light on for you.