La Salle College High School: A Legacy of Faith, Knowledge, and Service

La Salle College High School is a Catholic, all-male college preparatory school in Wyndmoor, Springfield Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, approximately 10 miles northwest of Center City. Staffed by a lay faculty and the Christian Brothers, La Salle began in 1858 at St. Michael's School in Philadelphia.

Early Years and Relocation

Initially named the Select School, it was soon renamed the Christian Brothers Academy. In 1863, it became the preparatory school to La Salle College (now La Salle University). The prep school and college shared the same campus for nearly a century, moving once in 1867 and again in 1882. In 1929, La Salle moved to the university’s present campus. In 1960, the preparatory school moved to the former Belcroft Estate.

Campus and Facilities

La Salle is situated on an 84-acre campus that includes the school building, cafeteria, gymnasium, auditorium, student center, Marian Chapel, a central courtyard, and a meadow featuring a grotto adorned by a shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes. Next to the school is the Christian Brothers' residence, a cottage built in 1927.

Academics

The curriculum requires minimum credits in religion (4), English (4), mathematics (3), science (3), history & political science (3), world languages (3), physical education & health (1), innovation & design (1), and fine arts (.5). A variety of elective courses are offered in core subjects as well as social science, innovation & design, visual art, and music.

Arts and Music Programs

La Salle's band program includes the pep band, pit orchestra, jazz band, and the competition band. The choral program consists of a general chorus and The Belcrofters. Both the band and choral programs perform two individual annual concerts. Each year, La Salle's theatre program performs two productions.

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Athletics

La Salle is a founding member of the Philadelphia Catholic League and has competed in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association since 2009. La Salle fields 47 athletics teams in 19 different sports, including baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, hockey, lacrosse, rowing, rugby sevens and fifteens, soccer, squash, swimming, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field, volleyball, water polo, and wrestling.

Extracurricular Activities

La Salle sponsors over 50 student clubs in areas including academia, the arts, intramural athletics, business, culture and language, media publications, service, and special interests.

The David Program

The David Program, named in honor of Brother David Albert and David Diehl, is an additional academic support service for college-bound students with documented mild learning disabilities. Students in the David Program have a scheduled period each day that focuses on developing strategies for academic success. The program is centered around cultivating problem solving, study, organizational, and self-advocacy skills. The David Program is a support service for an additional fee with limited openings each year.

La Salle College Preparatory: A Pasadena Legacy

La Salle College Preparatory, located in the greater Pasadena area, has been providing a college preparatory education for over 65 years. The school continues the legacy of St. John Baptist de la Salle. La Salle College Preparatory was founded in 1956 at the request of His Eminence James Francis Cardinal McIntyre to the San Francisco District of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. The purpose was to construct and operate a Catholic boys high school to serve the northern and eastern sections of the San Gabriel Valley. Today, La Salle College Preparatory functions as a private Catholic, co-educational, college preparatory high school.

Lasallian Education

La Salle is a Lasallian School, drawing its philosophy and inspiration from the Christian Brothers. The Christian Brothers, assisted by lay colleagues worldwide, educate nearly one million students in 80 countries. These schools serve nearly every ethnic group and religion around the world. La Salle College Preparatory opened its doors in September 1956 with Brother Celestine Cormier, FSC, as the first principal. The new La Salle Catholic High School opened September 11, 1956, with 117 ninth-grade students from fourteen nearby communities. On November 10, 1956, La Salle College Preparatory was blessed by Bishop Alden J. Bell.

The Lasallian Mission

La Salle’s mission is rooted in the teachings of St. John Baptist de la Salle, who believed in providing a spiritual and human education to the youth, with a particular emphasis on the economically poor. The school strives to develop and nurture conscientious, relational, innovative, and community-focused individuals who exhibit Lasallian values in all that they do. La Salle is committed to providing an environment that allows all students to explore their passions, take risks, and discover pathways to excellence.

Academic Opportunities

La Salle offers 24 Advanced Placement courses, providing academically gifted students ample opportunity to push themselves and be challenged. College preparatory classes range from forensic science to introduction to law and digital game design, ensuring that students discover, grow, and learn about themselves, the world, and the challenges ahead.

Co-Curricular Programs

Learning takes place on the field, the court, the stage, behind the camera, and in the lab. Co-curricular programs challenge students to hone and develop expertise while also applying what they learn in the classroom to real-life situations. Students can debate public policy with speech and debate, create a robot in the STEAM program, or travel throughout the nation and world representing La Salle as part of the Academic Decathlon team. Others compete as part of the athletic program or perform with the music, theatre, or dance programs.

Centers of Innovation

La Salle's Centers of Innovation, including the CARLOW Center of Medical Innovation, Center for Cinematic Arts, Center for Global Perspectives, and Center for Linguistic Exploration, encourage students to explore their passions, take calculated risks, and discover pathways to excellence. These centers are strategically developed to encourage creativity, individuality, and personal growth while providing a diverse and comprehensive education that surpasses the confines of traditional classrooms.

Lasallian Core Principles

La Salle is a community of learners bound by the Lasallian Core Principles: Faith in the Presence of God, Respect for All Persons, Inclusive Community, Quality Education, and Concern for the Poor and Social Justice. The faculty and staff are committed to the tenets of St. John Baptist de La Salle, who regarded a school as a community of believers working cooperatively to achieve a shared vision.

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Governance

The Board of Trustees at La Salle College Preparatory governs on behalf of the school’s sponsor, De La Salle Christian Brothers. As a governing board, it does not function as an advisory body and is not involved in the daily operations of the school. The Board’s purpose is to preserve and advance the mission of the school.

School Ambassador Committee

The School Ambassador Committee enhances the School’s reputation, strengthens community relationships, and supports its mission and goals through effective communication and engagement activities.

Lasallian Spirituality

Lasallian spirituality is rooted in de La Salle’s “double contemplation” of our aspiration to be with God for eternity and the challenge faced by the poor and marginalized to achieve that end. Lasallian spirituality is:

Rooted in the school as an instrument of Divine Grace
Focused on the relationship between the teacher and the student
Inspired by the salvific potential of a human and Christian education

In harmony with Lasallian Spirituality, three essential characteristics form the core of the Lasallian School:

Teaching viewed as a ministry of grace
Association, that is, the achievement of the school’s goals through the collaborative efforts of teachers sharing the same vision and values of the gospel
The effective management of the schools to achieve the intellectual, cultural, religious, and vocational formation of the students through a curriculum suited to their needs and based on Christian values

Key Dates and Developments

1679: St. John Baptist de La Salle opened his first school in Reims, France.
1680: The first Lasallian faculty of educators banded together to form the Christian Brothers.
1858: La Salle College High School began at St. Michael's School in Philadelphia.
1953: The first residence halls (St. Albert and St. Michael) were established at La Salle University.
1955: La Salle joined Temple, Penn, Villanova, and St. Joseph's in the Big 5 basketball competition.
1956: La Salle College Preparatory was founded in Pasadena, California, and opened its doors in September. St. Cassian and St. Benilde Halls were dedicated at the high school in Philadelphia.
1960: The Science Center was dedicated at the high school in Philadelphia.
1961: The Honors Program began at the high school in Philadelphia.
1962: St. Edward and St. Bernard Halls were dedicated at the high school in Philadelphia.
1963: The Sisters’ Science Institute became the first recognizable and sizeable group of women at La Salle.
1966: St. George, St. Hilary, and St. Mutien Marie Halls were dedicated at the high school in Philadelphia. La Salle’s Faculty Senate began.
1967: La Salle’s first full-time women faculty members, Dr. Minna Weinstein and Dr. Rosemary Haughton, were hired.
1970: La Salle became fully coeducational with the admittance of women to the Day Division.

Notable Alumni

La Salle College High School has produced numerous notable alumni in various fields, including:

Politics and Government: James J. A. Gallagher, John Lehman, Jr., Brig. Gen. Joseph J. Reppert, Charles T. McIlhinney Jr., and Joe Webster
Sports: Jim Phelan, Jack Bauerle, Fran McCaffery, Matt Rambo, Ryan Winslow, Kyle Shurmur, Andrew Cossetti, and Abdul Carter
Other: Michael Smerconish, John Butler, and Darius Madison

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