The Winds of Change

If you are like me, answering a ringing telephone at 7:00am produces a groggy and fairly befuddled response. Fortunately for me, the originator of the call was a computer featuring the recorded voice of our Principal, Pat Bonacci, AFSC (and therefore not requiring me to speak in complete sentences) alerting us to the fact that school had been cancelled for the day because of the enormous damage inflicted by a particularly violent arrival of Santa Ana winds. It turned out that all Pasadena schools closed that day and, as I drove to school that morning, I could see why: mature magnolias completely uprooted, roads blocked by mountains of debris and, at La Salle, a batting cage split in half by a limb of the overgrown liquid ambers that we keep beseeching the City to prune on a regular basis (these trees are between the sidewalk and the street, making them Pasadena’s problem, not La Salle’s).


It was then that it suddenly hit me: by the time I arrived on campus, our Principal, Pat Bonacci, AFSC had everything well in hand and, together with Director of Operations, Elena Gallud, was intent upon making certain that La Salle would be ready to receive students - as usual - the next day. This insight is not particularly clever - we all know this is what Pat does. But it was unusual for me to dwell on it from this perspective: as we search for a new principal; will Pat’s successor take as good care of us as this admirable man has done for the last 26 years? Of course, it’s a rhetorical question that does not admit of a glib answer - but it is an important one - after all, the great strength of La Salle is its sense of community in which we all aspire to nurture, challenge, inspire and motivate (to paraphrase our Mission Statement) the people entrusted to our care. Pat has been the role model and cheerleader-in-chief for this essential element which highlights the “La Salle Difference.”

In one sense, it’s an unfair question - no one should be measured by the standard of the person they succeed. Still, we are human and we like to know where our comfort zone lies. By the time you read this, we will have completed the search for the next principal of La Salle High School and expect to announce the appointment in early January. So, these ruminations are particularly poignant for me as I wrestle with the inescapable reality that the most important contribution I will make to La Salle is the appointment of the successor to Pat Bonacci, AFSC. I am extremely pleased with the individuals who agreed to serve on the Search Committee; especially, Dr. Vera Vignes, its Chair. We have representatives of the School’s faculty and administration, alumni, parents of alumni, Trustees, area elementary principals, representatives from the Archdiocesan Catholic Schools Office, and the Christian Brothers. They have taken their charge extraordinarily seriously. From 50 initial inquiries, they identified six candidates for a preliminary round of interviews. From the pool of six, three candidates were brought in for a second round of interviews with the Search Committee and a round of on-campus interviews with focus groups representing: administration, faculty, students and parents. These focus groups were asked to email their feedback to the Committee, which was then reviewed and assembled as support for their recommendations regarding the three finalists. Then, it was time for me to be put on the hotspot: I had to select one of these candidates to be the next principal of La Salle High School.

I think you can see, therefore, why Pat’s “Johnny on the spot” performance on the day the Santa Anas brought Pasadena to its knees is of particular concern to me as I contemplate who should succeed him. Each of the three finalists brings outstanding - and different - attractive qualities to the position. Two are skilled in particular areas: curriculum and instruction for one and guidance and counseling for the other. The third is a generalist, a seasoned “pro” that has helmed more than one Catholic high school over the last 20 years. More than one teacher who sat in on a focus group interview echoed my own sentiments by saying to me: “Can’t we just merge all of these characteristics into one person? (Where is that picture of Dorian Grey when you need it?).

I suspect you get the point of this dilemma: in the grand scheme of things, we don’t get to insist on the “one” way to perfection. The process of becoming better is always messy and unpredictable. What we do get to do is to say; given our imperfect knowledge of the present (and especially, the future) this seems to be the way to go. I have been extraordinarily impressed with the seriousness with which my colleagues, students and parents have approached this challenging task. I know they all care deeply about the future of La Salle and I am fairly confident that they realize that no one person can shoulder the burden of our varied expectations.

Pray that I may benefit from the Lord’s wisdom as we begin the next chapter of the marvelous story of the La Salle Difference. Pray, also, that the next principal of La Salle will take as good care of us as the current one has so wonderfully done.

Te Deum Laudamus

Sadly, I had to fly up to Saint Mary’s College to attend the funeral of one of the Christian Brothers - Brother Donald Mansir, FSC (John Blackstock ’67, a college classmate of Brother Donald’s, was asked to be one of the Pall Bearers). Brother Donald began his teaching career here at La Salle Pasadena, where he taught and directed Music for four years. He was well-regarded and a popular teacher. From 1979 to 1986, he was a teacher and administrator at San Joaquin Memorial High School in Fresno. He left the high school arena in 1986, eventually earning a Ph.D. in Theology and Near Eastern Studies. Brother Donald spent ten years in the Middle East, first as an instructor at Bethlehem University (sponsored by the Christian Brothers), then as a member of the staff of the Apostolic Delegation in Jerusalem (the Pope’s representative in Israel). Brother Donald then joined the staff of the Pontifical Mission for Palestine, eventually becoming its Director in Jerusalem and then Chief Operating Officer of the Mission’s headquarters in New York City. He concluded his service to the Holy Land when he was appointed Director of the New York office of the International Catholic Child Welfare Bureau and Permanent Observer to the United Nations’ UNICEF. He returned to California in 1988 and assumed a faculty position at Saint Mary’s College, where he would remain - happily - for the rest of his life. He succumbed to metastatic cancer just after he turned 62.


I knew Brother Donald fairly well and considered him a friend (as did many of the standing room-only crowd that attended his funeral in the College Chapel). So it was all the more surprising to me to learn of his distinguished career in the Middle East. As I reflected on my lack of knowledge of Brother Donald’s activities between the time he left Pasadena and the time he returned to Saint Mary’s College, I realized that for all of his talent and intellectual brilliance, Brother Donald did not need to showcase his accomplishments. He was content with the quiet quotidian of a professor’s life. He lived in the dormitories for the entire time he was on the faculty of the College and delighted in his duties as a tutor in the Integral Program (Saint Mary’s version of the Great Books program). Having an apartment in the dorms enabled Brother Donald to engage in one of his favorite activities - cooking. Many student members of the Integral Program would find their seminar sessions adjourning to Brother Donald’s apartment for a lavish supper.

So it should have been no surprise to me (it was) to see a number of the College students in attendance at the Mass celebrating Brother Donald’s life to be openly weeping because of their grief that such a treasured teacher was taken from them too soon. In thinking about their tears on the flight back to Pasadena, I wondered how many of us engaged in the ministry of Lasallian education would be similarly honored by the students entrusted to our care at the time of our passing. For the first time in my 20 years working in Lasallian schools, I could fully appreciate the oft-quoted encouragement written by Saint John Baptist de La Salle over 300 years ago:

You, too, can create miracles by touching the hearts of the students entrusted to your care!

Those tears of grief represented (for me) the profound ability of Brother Donald to “touch the hearts” of the students entrusted to his care. The significance of this outcome is made even more powerful by the fact that two alums from La Salle, Pasadena flew up to attend Brother Donald’s funeral. Brother Donald had taught one of them, Alan Cabral ‘78 for each of his four years at La Salle; and that experience was still memorable to him almost 30 years later. De La Salle in his Sixteenth Meditation for the Time of Retreat captured this amazing outcome:

Oh what glory there will be for those who have instructed youth, when their zeal and devotion to procure the salvation of children will be made public before all people!

All heaven will resound with the thanksgiving which these blessed children will render to

those who have taught them the road to heaven!

Rest easily, Brother Donald, in God’s presence and, through your intercession, may we who continue the work of Lasallian education merit a similar reaction when it is time for us to meet our Maker.



Looking for Pat 2.0

Most folks are well aware, by now, that Pat Bonacci, AFSC will step down at the end of this academic year as Principal and assume a new set of responsibilities at La Salle as Vice-President for Mission. I had the opportunity at the September Parent Association meeting to present the results of the on-line Needs Assessment Survey that over 300 parents took last spring. Veteran parents may remember that we asked you to respond to this survey so that the School could get a sense of your priorities for the next principal. The results were enlightening, but not surprising:

• 80% of respondents wanted the next principal to offer a compelling vision for Catholic, college preparatory education

• 60% wanted someone who was skilled in strategically leading change

• 74% wanted an administrator who is open and transparent with respect to decision-making

• 83% wanted a principal who is a fair, trustworthy, decisive leader capable of creating an environment that fosters high morale

Thinking about this data makes me realize that, in many ways, we’re a little spoiled here at La Salle. Over the course of his fifteen years as principal, Pat Bonacci, AFSC has nurtured an environment where people are taken care of; their problems quickly addressed and the school environment managed in such a way that the inevitable conflict which arises is handled quickly and without a great deal of drama.

Lately, I have been fond of describing the next principal as “Pat 2.0” – meaning that the ideal candidate will have Pat’s ability to take care of people while, at the same time, motivating teachers and students to embrace the 21st Century and the inevitable changes which will take place in our lifetime. The parent survey responses cluster around that profile: a visionary, strategic leader who is trustworthy and decisive in transparent ways.

And, while La Salle is blessed with the resources to embrace the rapid shifts in the technology of instruction, its culture is rooted in the care and concern of the individual. This isn’t just a function of “Pat 1.0”. The 300 hundred year old legacy of the Christian Brothers is rooted in this admonition by Saint John Baptist de La Salle:

You, too, can create miracles by touching the hearts of the students entrusted to your care.

As we cast the net widely for Pat’s successor, we are keenly aware of the challenge we face to find in one person the kind of administrator who will “touch hearts” while also embracing a future that can only be dimly perceived. The next principal will face an educational environment that is in rapid flux as new technologies emerge and unforeseen expectations for students’ intellectual competence are imposed upon schools. Writing in the Bulletin of the National Association of Secondary Principals, Richard DuFour framed the challenge this way:

Principals must live with paradox: They must have a sense of urgency about improving their schools, balanced by the patience to sustain them for the long haul. They must focus on the future, but remain grounded in today. They must see the big picture, while maintaining a close focus on details. They must be strong leaders who give away power to others.

That pretty much sums up La Salle’s ideal principal – now on to the challenge of finding that person!

The Perfect Integration of Mind, Body and Soul

Recently, Our Sunday Visitor, a national Catholic weekly newspaper published a provocative story entitled:

Why are Catholic schools so good at sports?

OSV pursued this lead because of ESPN’s rankings of high school athletics. It turns out that two of the top five nationally ranked football programs are at Catholic schools as are two of the top five boys’ basketball and three of the top five boys’ soccer programs. Two of the top five girls’ soccer programs are Catholic and, locally, Mater Dei’s girls’ basketball is ranked #1 in the nation.

The story led with an analysis of the stereotyped responses favored by public schools:

• Catholic schools can pick and choose their (student) athletes

• They have more resources to put into athletic facilities

• They recruit athletes by giving them scholarships

Space doesn’t allow me to list the arguments that put the lie to this stereotype, particularly as I was quite impressed with the arguments made by representatives of Catholic-identified organizations which underscore many of the same athletic values we espouse at La Salle. I was particularly intrigued by the comments of Ray McKenna, founder and president of Catholic Athletes for Christ who noted that:

There are transcendent values that we can learn from sports. First, practice reminds us that no matter how talented you are, you just can’t show up the day of the game and expect to succeed. It’s the same thing with our faith. You just can’t say you’re Catholic and not partake in the sacraments, not having a daily prayer life. These are all parts of being ready for the moment and being prepared.

It never occurred to me that the discipline which Catholic schools bring to the transmission of our faith mirrors the discipline one finds our teenage athletes experiencing on the field and court. It makes sense, in retrospect, when we consider - as the OSV story did - the central role high school athletics plays in integrating the virtues of physical fitness, sportsmanship and perseverance. These considerations echo the message Blessed John Paul II often articulated in his “Theology of the Body” - that the resurrected body in heaven is the sum of these virtues which represents the fullness of our human potential. McKenna reinforces this message:

Sports, properly understood, is directed at the perfect integration of body, mind and soul.

That is the Catholic perspective.

At La Salle, we know that the purpose of high school sports is to align the teenagers’ athletic potential with their personal - and yes - their spiritual potential. And there is the rub. Teenagers - and often times adults - confuse winning with success. While we all are thrilled to see championship banners proudly displayed in the Duffy Lewis Gymnasium, it is vital that they are put into the proper context. Success is the product of the internalization of the virtues that lie at the core of high school athletics - and they are very much Catholic virtues:

• concern for one’s teammates

• disciplined behavior

• focus on the greater goal

• learning from our mistakes.

Championships - also Runner-up titles - are derived from the demonstration of these virtues. And, in the end, coaches - like teachers - are the critical link to the successful integration of athletic - and Catholic - virtues. Paul Mach, program coordinator for National CYO Sports puts it this way: “Coaches are Youth Ministers.” Some day I’d love to see La Salle show up in the ESPN rankings. And, as is true of any human institution, we don’t always get it right. That having been said, I’m encouraged by the daily demonstration of the virtues that will lead to success on and off the field.



I’ve spent the better part of the summer working on two job descriptions – one - Vice President for Mission is brand new; the other - Principal – is a revision of a previous document. Readers of this space and the ParentNewsletter will know the reason for this exercise. After 15 years as Principal, Pat Bonacci, AFSC would like to turn his attention to a less overwhelming set of responsibilities. When Pat informed me of his desire two years ago, and that he wanted to continue in some capacity here at La Salle, without batting an eyelash, I told him I knew exactly what I wanted him to do next – and that job – Vice President for Mission - didn’t exist! So, at the end of the 2011-2012 academic year, Pat will transition into a new role at La Salle and a new principal will take on the challenge of filling Pat’s enormous foot print.


Folks who are familiar with La Salle know that we take enormous pride in the 300 year old heritage we hold in trust for the Christian Brothers. Our Lasallian traditions are evident across the campus, from the way we start and end our daily prayers to the posters and framed images of Saint John Baptist de La Salle and his confreres, even a stranger to La Salle would be able to tell that the School is part of a much larger network of educational institutions. Still, given the School’s commitment to its Lasallian heritage, one could validly ask why, in tight economic times, create a new position tailored to address those components of La Salle’s culture that appear to be operating successfully on their own?

The first, but not the only, answer is quite simple: we have a wonderful repository of Lasallian values in the person of Pat Bonacci, AFSC. It’s a logical next step for a man who has spent nearly 25 years laboring in the vineyard we call La Salle High School. It wouldn’t make sense not to take advantage of his years of experience, devotion to the students entrusted to his care and deep commitment to Lasallian values. What better way to cap an exemplary educational career than to become responsible for passing on the heritage of the Christian Brothers to students, teachers, parents and alumni? But there are even more powerful arguments for the creation of this position at this time in the School’s history.

At a time when the presence of priests, nuns and brothers in Catholic institutions is steadily diminishing, it is all the more necessary to ensure that their religious heritage, values and traditions are preserved and passed on to the next generation of school children. Our society is being buffeted by the winds of change, challenges to the existing social order and an increasing disdain for shared social values. Schools like La Salle exist, in part; to pass on a consistent heritage that supports the role authority plays in social interactions and to reinforce the importance of shared social values. The School is successful in large measure because the heritage, vision and values of the Christian Brothers inform our efforts to educate the children entrusted to our care. With only Brother De Sales to provide a link to that marvelous heritage, however, it is up to us - the Brothers’ Lay Partners - to ensure that the incoming Class of 2015 and its successors receive more than a rigorous college preparatory education; they must also become exposed to the values that are paraphrased in the School’s motto: Learn  Serve  Lead which reflects the Mission of Saint John Baptist de La Salle to: provide a Human and Christian education to the young, especially the poor. So, what will the Vice President for Mission do?

Students and Faculty are more familiar with the rich array of programs provided by the Christian Brothers which are intended to pass on their heritage than, perhaps, are parents and alumni. Our Student Life Leadership Team, for example, just returned from a week-long leadership camp sponsored by the Christian Brothers and held at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga. One of our teachers, Monique Gougeon ’03 just completed the Buttimer Institute of Lasallian Studies, a three-year summer program at Saint Mary’s College designed to equip Lay Partners with the theology, spirituality and pedagogy of Saint John Baptist de La Salle. By the time you read this post, Jim Canney ’65 and Tamara Flowers will have returned from Napa where they attended a three-day workshop for new trustees sponsored by the Christian Brothers. In short, the Christian Brothers are committed to the process of passing on their values to students, teachers and board members.

La Salle needs someone of Pat Bonacci’s caliber to coordinate these efforts as well as to provide resources for parents, students and teachers that will deepen their commitment to Lasallian values. With his background, years of experience and commitment to Lasallian values, I can’t think of a better person to take on this responsibility than Pat Bonacci, AFSC. Many of you may note the significance of the letters “AFSC” after Pat’s name. They reference a rare and significant honor that was bestowed upon Pat when we celebrated his 20th year at La Salle: the Christian Brothers conferred upon Pat their highest honor: Affiliation. In effect, Pat is an honorary member of the Christian Brothers. In one sense, we’ve come full circle with Pat’s new role; in another sense, nothing - really - has changed.

Oh, by the way, something tells me you’ll still see Pat and football games and theater performances!

A Midsummer's Musing

I just returned from a week visiting friends in Philadelphia. Putting aside W.C. Fields jokes and ignoring the three “h’s” (hot, hazy, humid) that characterize the City of Brotherly Love in July, I encountered a very different Philadelphia from the one I visited over thirty years ago. “Center City” – the band of streets surrounding City Hall and sandwiched between the Schuylkill River on the west and the Delaware River on the east – has evolved into a vibrant urban center featuring great restaurants, restored architecture and repurposed buildings. As someone who loves to walk – particularly in cities that offer historical insights to our Nation’s founding – it was a delight for me to “rediscover” the buildings and monuments that were integral to the creation of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. The Liberty Bell sits in a magnificent new facility and a new Visitor’s Center across from it provides interactive displays and high tech educational experiences for the young as well as for the old.

As I wandered through the various historical sites I continually encountered tour groups of elementary school students. There sense of awe was palpable and gave me a deeper appreciation of the drama of our founding story. As I thought about their experience of historical Philadelphia, I wondered if they would remember their sense of awe as they grow up and became exposed to competing media messages from the Left and the Right. Would they process Fox News and MSNBC as a function of the very liberties outlined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution? Or would they become cocooned in political intransigence fostered by right or left wing “talking heads”? These questions are important to educators because our success is measured by the degree to which our students evolve into critical thinkers who are able to evaluate arguments, adopt a position based on evidence and to respond rationally to opposing viewpoints.

I dwell on this in the middle of summer when our students are enjoying their freedom from school because I find myself becoming discouraged about the tone and content of political discourse here in California. It is a mystery to me that politicians in a state blessed with such abundant resources cannot come to agreement on how to balance a budget. Rather than reasoned debate, the voters are exposed to finger-pointing and one or more versions of the “blame game.” As I reflect on the compromises that went into the writing of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, I can’t help but think that our Founding Fathers were far more successful in negotiating much thornier issues than those faced by our Legislature. And I have to ask myself: what has changed over time that makes political compromise so difficult?

I’m certain that there are many reasons for the strident voices that characterize political debate in California; but one that makes sense to me is the attempt to turn complex issues into black and white iterations of Truth. Perhaps it’s because of my many years in secondary education that I tend to be wary of arguments that claim Truth as a possession. And, where this occurs, I find the level of cynicism in response to be significantly greater. In this poisoned environment our politicians and pundits talk at each other, not to each other.

Our Founding Fathers understood this human dynamic and attempted to construct a political system that favored compromise over winning and losing. Sadly, we seem to be doing our level best to thwart their good intentions. And this is why I write about my concerns in the middle of summer. We educators and parents face an especially challenging effort to instill in our children the ability to look past the shouting and to critically evaluate all arguments claiming the greater good. It is too easy for teenagers to be swayed by a bombardment of media messages and to accept them at face value. Schools like La Salle exist precisely to ensure that the students entrusted to our care are provided the intellectual tools to evaluate a variety of messages and even to construct an argument opposed to their personal opinion.

If American history has one over arching lesson to be learned, it’s this: political debate ebbs and flows in cycles. The current cycle of cynicism will fall by the wayside sooner or later. And, when it does, our students must be prepared to shape the next cycle of political debate with integrity, honesty and thoughtfulness.

W.C. Fields believed that “second prize is two weeks in Philadelphia.” For me, one week was the grand prize as it renewed my hope in the next generation of leaders who will pass through the halls of La Salle and who will (I hope) retain their sense of awe at this grand experiment that was launched in 1776.

Have a "Fashion-Free Summer"

Anyone who has encountered the dubious experience of walking behind a teenage boy in a shopping mall can be forgiven for succumbing to the temptation to support dress code requirements in public places. A view of “Joe Boxer” peeking over belted jeans that angle somewhat south of where most people expect it to be is enough to cause one to advocate for the return of knickers. I am reminded of this cultural oddity as La Salle students sit for their final exams, flushed with anticipation for the start of summer vacation. The malls will be flooded with teenagers in varying stages of sartorial disarray. Boys’ hair will grow longer, girls’ shorts will shrink and a variety of “message” t-shirts will proclaim an array of nihilist (or pointless) messages. And, there will be a flood of belts-below-the-butt as far as the eye can see.


These are the moments when I celebrate the existence of La Salle’s uniform requirement - the virtue of which can be measured on any given Friday when “Spirit Day” or “Dollar Dress Day” produces student clothing more aligned with mall-hopping attire than the khaki pants and LS polo shirt usually seen Monday - Thursday (I’ve learned to invite visitors to the campus on any day but Friday).

Those who advocate for the Friday exception argue that teenagers need to be able to express themselves - and sociologists would agree. I recognize that I am a bit of a “Luddite” when it comes to my view of how teenagers should comport themselves in public spaces. I also suspect that the best I can hope for in this regard is that the adult world - which they will enter in just a handful of years - will impose upon them a conformity to standards of dress that is only a pipe dream in high school. So, I recognize that “Casual Fridays” at La Salle will always be a foundation for the inevitable testing of boundaries that is the sacred mission of every teenager. Yet, I wonder, shouldn’t that be enough? Shouldn’t the promise of a casual Friday be sufficient for our students to accept the more restricted dress code of Monday-Thursday? Every parent reading this should be rolling their eyes at my naiveté. I know it’s a rhetorical question! The point is this: why do we engage in this test of wills from Monday - Thursday? Surely there are more important battles (keeping every grade above a “C” is a good example).

This grim rumination at the end of a school year has been prompted by an article I recently read entitled:

Dealing With Today’s Social Norms

When a Catholic school teacher says to a student “tuck in that shirt,” it means more than actually tucking in the shirt

The author celebrates a by-gone era when lay teachers, sisters, brothers or priests would tell a teenager: “Tuck in that shirt” and compliance would be instantaneous. No more; social norms have changed and our teenagers are exposed to a barrage of electronic images which disparage conformity and celebrate transgression. The author argues that the traditional elements of Catholic education - traditions, foundations and values - have served the Church well during the last three decades of cultural chaos. Anyone who has encountered the Catholic Church would recognize that ritual, routine and principles are the central operative elements of its schools. That was true fifty years ago and it is just as true today.

For me, this is the “edge” that schools like La Salle have over the other fine private educational options available to the students entrusted to our care. We hold in trust a tradition of Catholic and Lasallian education that has served the Pasadena area for over 50 years. The ritual, traditions and values of a Catholic and Lasallian education inform our college preparatory mission by asking this rhetorical question: prepared for what? If it is only college, then the existence of La Salle High School is unnecessary. If the answer is a life well lived and well worth living, then, perhaps, something as simple as a tucked-in shirt has larger cultural consequences that escape the notice of most 15 year-olds. Sociologists and psychologists, for example, have found 'external appearance' to be one of the prime factors that decides how a child is perceived and accepted by a peer group. At La Salle, we expect our students to demonstrate care and concern for others, especially their peers. This is challenging enough in the world of today’s adolescents, without having to also manage the status-conscious aspect of teenage fashion statements. At La Salle, the uniform serves the same function as our rituals (daily prayer/monthly mass) and traditions (Lancer Cheer/singing the alma mater while waving one’s hand with the number of fingers representing one’s year in school): to reinforce for our students a sense of community that aspires to reflect the values of the Catholic Church.

A Taco shop just opened in Sierra Madre. By 3pm, it is filled with students sporting La Salle logo wear. As I drive by, I can better appreciate the notion that “sometimes the instruction to tuck in that shirt” is more than actually tucking in the shirt. Have a blessed – and fashion free – summer!