Damien High School

Welcome back to school!  I hope that you had a restful summer.  Things were obviously hectic here at Damien during the summer months.  We said good bye to Fr. Pat Travers, who was part of the Damien High School community for almost 50 years.  I must say that it is awfully strange walking around the campus and not having him here.  Fr. Pat has been appointed the new Parish Administrator at Holy Innocents Catholic Church in Victorville.  We wish Fr. Pat well as he begins this new phase of his priestly ministry.

It was with joy that we found out this summer that our longtime friend, Fr. Peadar Cronin, SS.CC.,  was appointed Damien’s new President by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.  Fr. Cronin is no stranger to Damien.  He served in a variety of capacities during his tenure at the Big D from 1971 to 2005.  At various times during his 35 years at Damien he taught English and Religion, was the newspaper moderator, Dean of Discipline, and Vice Principal.  It is great having him back.

Damien TV (DTV) Episode 1 features an in depth interview with our new school president Fr. Cronin, the Welcome Back BBQ, Sports, Italy & Germany summer trip footage and more! Check it out now!

You can comment on the Episode on the Damien Spartan Facebook page.

The new drug testing policy is now available online under About Damien->Drug Testing Policy.

The 2011-2012 Bell Schedule has been posted online, under the “About Damien” tab on the school website. As you can see, we’ve decided this year to revise the Block Schedule we’ve used in the past, so that all class periods will meet for 90 minutes on one of the two Block days  (in the past, 4^th period met for 50 minutes on both Block days). In the new schedule, classes in even periods will meet on Block A days: 0 period, 2^nd period, 4^th period, and 6^th period. Classes in odd periods will meet on Block B days: 1^st period, 3^rd period, and 5^th period. In addition, on Block B days, 5^th period will be followed with an “X” period. We are using this period to conduct various activities without cutting into class meeting time. These activities will include rallies, House activities, showings of the DTV school news program, and special assemblies. It is important for parents to know that these activities are MANDATORY, and that students will not be dismissed from school until the activties conclude. That being said, the X period is a flexible period, and students will be dismissed from school at varying times, depending on the length of the planned activity. Also, there will be a few Block B days when no X period is scheduled, and students will be dismissed at 1:11 pm, to facilitate faculty meetings and early dismissals for athletic contests.

 T-dap Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

Immunization is REQUIRED by September 19th or you will not be allowed to attend on the 20th! (Assembly Bill 354 California Law)

THIS IS A REQUIREMENT

Pertussis is widespread, please contact your doctor or health department and schedule a booster shot against the ongoing threat of pertussis and meet the new school requirement..  Adults are also advised to get a pertussis booster shot to protect themselves, their families, and their students.

Do you have hours that have not been turned in yet?
Any service hours completed prior to the beginning of this school year without the proper submission of start up and completion forms must be submitted toMr. Patten by Friday, October 21, 2011 in order to receive credit towards graduation requirements. Hours must be verified by the proper signatures and turned into the Christian Service Office (rm.406). Beginning October 22,2011, any hours older than two weeks after the completion date of a project will not be accepted as counting towards graduation requirements.
Please contact Mr. Patten with questions or concerns regarding this at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Please click here to view the August 2011 Parent Newsletter. There is a lot of important information in this newsletter so please make sure to read it all!