CHRISTIAN BROTHERS HIGH SCHOOL • ENTER TO LEARN, LEAVE TO SERVE
FALCON FAMILY NEWS Dear CB Families,
A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRINCIPAL
As we begin a new year, I am truly grateful to officially step into the role of Principal of Christian Brothers High School. I eagerly accept this privilege with humility and enthusiasm, and with a deep commitment to serving your children and to honoring the 150-year tradition of Lasallian education in Sacramento. It is truly an honor and a privilege to serve alongside such outstanding Lasallian educators and staff. Their dedication to academic excellence, faith formation, and the holistic development of each student is evident every day and is central to the education your children receive. My relationship with this school spans more than 30 years, during which I have served in a variety of capacities as teacher and administrator. In addition, my husband and I are proud parents of four alumni (Mark ’18, Luke ’20, Joe ’23 and Daniel ’25), which allows me to appreciate this community not only as an educator and leader, but also as a parent who has entrusted this school with the formation of my own children. Each of our sons can articulate the exceptional impact that their teachers and coaches had on their young lives. For this, we are forever grateful. Looking ahead, I am inspired to provide leadership and to work collaboratively with our strong faculty and staff and our President, Dr. Dave Perry. Together, we will continue to strengthen our Lasallian mission in Sacramento while ensuring that our students are well prepared academically, spiritually, and personally for the future. For me, I find my inspiration daily in the words of our founder, St. John Baptist De la Salle, who said, “Remember that the good of the young people entrusted to you is the most important thing of all.” I believe deeply and whole-heartedly in the good of our young people. If CBHS can help form and support young people to find their voice and encourage them to make their unique contribution to the world, then we are fulfilling our mission. Thank you for your continued trust and partnership. Together, let us continue to encourage the good in our young people and help them grow into compassionate, confident, and capable leaders. Live Jesus in our hearts!
Cecilia Powers Principal
Falcon Family News | January 2026
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COUNSELING DEPARTMENT COUNSELING NEWS Parents/Guardians, if your student has D's or F's on their report card, PLEASE READ THIS! As pages 14-16 of the CB Parent/Student Handbook emphasize, "F's" and "D's" are bad news on report cards! It is important for you and your student to understand that neither "D's" nor "F's" are acceptable. “F” grades must be repeated for credit this summer to continue to attend Christian Brothers High School. “D” grades, though worth 5 credits towards graduation, are NOT accepted by four-year colleges and universities. All California State University campuses, University of California campuses, and most private institutions require a “C” or above in ALL core courses (core courses are approved History, English, Math, Lab Science, World Language, Visual and Performing Art, and Elective courses - also known as the "a-g" list of approved courses - see below for a chart of these requirements).If students have “D’s” on the transcript in any a-g courses and do not remediate them, they are not eligible to apply for admission to CSU and UC, and therefore are seriously limiting their choices for college. (*For senior D or F grades, please contact the counselors immediately!) If your student would like to keep their options open and remain eligible to apply to a four-year college, the Counseling Department highly recommends that they remediate (repeat for credit) any “D” grades earned in a-g approved courses. Students may enroll in a variety of classes during the 2026 CBHS Summer School session to remediate a grade. While previous grades are never removed from a student’s transcript, if a student completes the course in summer school with a “C” or above, his/her transcript will reflect the new credits and the new grade will be used when calculating the grade point average. For example, if your student is currently enrolled in Biology and received a “D” the first semester, they should consider repeating Biology this summer. If they are currently enrolled in a math course or foreign language course and received a low grade the first semester (D or F), it is important to receive a “C” or above at the end of the spring semester. CSU and UC will “validate” (count as successful) the whole year of a math course or a world language course if the student shows marked improvement the second semester (i.e., goes from a “D” to a “C”, “B”, or “A”). Therefore, students have a choice – work very hard this semester in math and/or world language and bring the grade up or repeat it in summer school or next school year to raise the grade. Since a full four-years of English is a basic requirement for eligibility to a 4-year college, any "D's" in English should be remediated in the summer. One year of World History is the minimum requirement for eligibility, so students should be sure to have a "C" or above for at least two of the four semesters of Frosh/Soph World History. Any US History "D's" should also be remediated. Please contact your student’s grade-level counselor if you have questions about remediating grades. If you intend to register for summer school, registration will be available on-line. Check the CB website in February for further information.
Subject
Requirement for UCs and CSUs
Social Science
2 years (1 year World History & 1 year US History or 1 semester US History/1 semester government)
English
4 Years
Mathematics
3 Years including Algebra II; 4 years recommended
Laboratory Science
2 years; 3 years recommended (one must be a life science and one a physical science)
Foreign Language
2 years (of the same language); 3 years recommended
Visual and Performing Arts
1 year
College Preparatory Electives
1 year (more recommended)
ATTENTION SENIORS AND PARENTS: Please remember to turn in copies of your admission decisions and scholarship letters to Cynthia Grajeda, Melissa McClellan, or Suzanna Shenk-Tiffany, in the Counseling Center as you receive them. It is also very important that students update their “admission status” on Scoir. Falcon Family News | January 2026
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THE ARTS
Our performing arts program celebrated Christmas cheer during the Christmas Choral and Instrumental Concert The first episode of the Wellness Waves podcast is live! Wellness Waves is a student-produced podcast featuring the CB Wellness Counselors where they discuss all things surrounding parents and students navigating high school. This year is the first year of the Audio Production class, where students can produce, edit, and record their own music - this podcast also features original music by Audio Production students! Check out the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BwAwIE9zsc
Falcon Family News | January 2026
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LASALLIAN STUDENT LIFE Applications for VENAVER El Otro Lado and VENAVER Yakima are due Friday, January 9. See Schoology for details. The entire CB community came together to celebrate a special all-school mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe with the Most Reverend Bishop Jaime Soto.
Falcon Family News | January 2026
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ATHLETICS Sport passes are on sale for the 2025-2026 winter season. You may purchase a sport pass in the Ticket Hub. Holy Hoops The Holy Hoops women’s basketball games against St. Francis is scheduled for Saturday, January 17th at St. Francis High School. Game times are 2:30 p.m. (Frosh/Soph), 4 p.m. (JV), 5:30 p.m. (V). Holy Court tickets will be available online for CBs families, students, and staff starting Friday, January 9. Please check the CB Weekly Update for ticket information.
The Holy Hoops men’s basketball games against Jesuit High School will take place at Golden One Center on Saturday, January 10. Game times start at 2 p.m. Purchase tickets here: https://www.ticketmaster.com/eve nt/1C006379F562CD68
Live Streaming: Every home Frosh, JV, and Varsity basketball and soccer games will be live streamed on the www.nfhsnetwork.com. The link is on the CB athletics webpage. You must create a username and password, and all games are free except for the playoffs.
Falcon Family News | January 2026
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PHILANTHROPY
We’re excited to share that tickets for CB’s ‘A Night to Remember’ Auction & Gala, happening March 14, 2026, will go on sale January 7th! This year is extra special as we celebrate 150 years of CB’s history. Your support plays a vital role in funding CB’s exceptional education and needbased tuition assistance program. In addition to the Tuition Assistance Fund-A-Need featured the night of the event, we’re launching a special advance Fund-A-Need to help us purchase a much-needed new campus cart. You can learn more about this opportunity HERE. Tickets typically sell out quickly, so if you miss your chance, be sure to explore our mobile auction for a great selection of silent-auction items. Stay tuned—there’s plenty of excitement ahead! How can you become involved? SPONSOR DONATE ADVERTISE VOLUNTEER For more information: Mobile Website: https://150CBAuction.givesmart.com For FAQs: https://www.cbhs-sacramento.org/cb-annual-auction/ For Questions: 916-733-3647 or kvillarreal@cbhs-sacramento.org
Falcon Family News | January 2026
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FALCON FAMILY FACES