APRIL 2023 SPRING SEMESTER
CH R I S T I A N B ROT H E R S H I G H S CH O O L
E N T E R TO L E A R N, L E AV E TO S E RV E
FALCON FAMILY NEWS A MESSAGE FROM THE COUNSELING DEPARTMENT CHAIR Dear Families, As a child, it was always difficult for my parents to figure me out. When our family would attend the Hot August Nights car shows in Reno, and everyone would spend countless days looking at and admiring old cars, I was always walking around town looking for a library. I never wanted to watch the game, never wanted to hang out at the mall; my interests always seemed to involve reading. So, in the 5th grade, my parents made the big decision to buy me the Encyclopedia Britannica series hoping that satisfy my appetite. Not having a lot of money at the time, it was a big financial decision. But with each passing month, I would devour whatever mysteries the letter “A” had in store for me, then “B”, then all the way to the end. Or so I thought. When we got to the letter “I”, my parents let me know that money was a bit too tight, and they were not going to be able to continue the series past where we left off. I was crestfallen to say the least but trusted that the world beyond the letter I would present itself eventually. My parents comforted me by saying that I would go to Christian Brothers for high school and that CB would “finish what we started”. Indeed, that is exactly what Christian Brothers did for me back in the early 90s, and what we as a faculty continue to do today for all the young people entrusted to our care. Together, we ensure that their education extends beyond the letter “I” and encompasses a human, holistic approach rooted in the Lasallian charism. One crucial component to that ministry here at CB is the Counseling Department; a well-respected team of dedicated, Lasallian professionals whose singular focus is on the personal, college, and academic needs of all the students. Our goal is to help empower the student to have a life of meaning suitable to their goals, but along the way, make sure they strive to create a better community around them. It is a lofty goal indeed, our own “founding father” and esteemed counselor Mr. John Higgins described it to us as being “the conscience of the school”, but our counseling
team is always prepared. That tradition is alive and well within our group of counselors today, with whom I call my colleagues and friends. In the world of college counseling, we have Mrs. April Melarkey and Ms. Melissa McClellan. Our wellness program consists of Mrs. Emily McDougall and Mrs. Juanita Patterson ‘81. Mrs. Michelle Timm, Mr. RileyPortal, Mr. Purdy, and I round out the four grade-level counselors. Mrs. Cynthia Grajeda keeps us all running smoothly as our counseling administrative assistant. Our department has over 95 years of combined service to this institution, and many more years in the profession outside of CB. Of our own children, 16 are graduates, current falcons, or will be attending CB next year. We are coaches, Lasallian Educators of the Year, retreat leaders, club leaders, program directors, and familiar faces all around campus. We are also known to put on quite the Halloween party (this past year’s Jurassic Park-themed celebration was a hit)! Our commitment to you as a counseling department is that your child’s education will never stop at the letter “I”. The education you began with your child is the education we will finish together. We as counselors will do our very best to support the personal, college, and academic goals of each student entrusted in our care, quite literally, from “A” to “Z”. God’s Blessings,
Armando Diaz ‘94, MA, PPS 2024 Grade-Level Counselor Counseling Department Chair
CHRISTIAN BROTHERS HIGH SCHOOL MONTHLY NEWSLETTER | WWW.CBHS-SACRAMENTO.ORG
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