Category Archives: Apostolic Works

Students Commissioned to be Agents of Change

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Blessed William Joseph Chaminade said, “We are all missionaries, and we consider ourselves on a permanent mission.” In September, high school and middle school students were commissioned to start or continue their journey of service in a special Apostolic Works Commissioning Mass held on each campus. Throughout each Mass, the message was clear, as a community we must continue the mission of the apostles and follow in the path of Mary and become agents of change.

“No matter what type of service you choose, no matter what organization you help, you are making a difference to someone,” said Chaminade student Gia Frank ’23 during her presentation at the middle school Mass. Frank continued to reflect upon her first experiences as a fifth-grader visiting Chaminade for the first time and how one student recognized her trepidation and made an effort to make her feel welcomed. “I just came here in search of a school, but I found a home and family I didn’t know was missing from m­­y life. I have witnessed the power of God’s love through this community, and it is a powerful thing.”

The Mass was not only a call to action but also a reminder that God has blessed us all with unique talents and gifts to help one another. “If there is one thing God gave you that is powerful and cannot be overlooked, it’s your voices. What you do well, and what you are passionate about, is what makes you special. It is what makes you…you, and it is what makes you a servant leader.”

The Apostolic Works Service Learning Program is rooted in the Catholic, Marianist tradition of being in alliance with Mary’s mission: to nurture Christ in others and communities to transform the world by giving service to those in need through various methods of outreach. It empowers students to discern their gifts and apply them to organizations that expose them to life situations different from their own to become agents of change. From middle school through high school, students will experience a progressive growth in their responsibility of service from one grade level to the next. The program also spurs students to question why service and transformation are necessary, what changes have to be made, who needs to be served, what motivations move one to serve, and how adaptations and changes might be practically affected. Students discover an opportunity to connect the knowledge or skill they learn in a classroom with how it can be used to help others or transform conditions in their community.

Click here if you would like to read Gia Frank’s full reflection.

As May 31 Approaches

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Facebook 2016 10-28

There’s just one week left to support the 2017-2018 Chaminade Fund campaign, and help us reach 100% participation among parents, alumni, and faculty and staff by May 31, 2018. To help us finish the year on a powerful note, please give your gift today. The easiest, quickest way is to give online, or you can call (818) 360-0615 to make your gift over the phone.

The Chaminade Fund is our highest fundraising priority, and allows us to fulfill our promise as a Catholic Marianist school to a Chaminade education affordable to a socioecnomically diverse community. Gifts to Chaminade’s Greatest Needs provide the most flexible funding, and allow Chaminade to respond to learning opportunities as they arise. Gifts may also be designated to support programs that are the most meaningful to you, such as the Wellness Program, financial aid, the arts, athletics, or other student programs.

Join us for High School Open House

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HS Open House 2On Sunday, November 19, Chaminade College Preparatory welcomes families to Open House. This is the perfect opportunity to learn about our high school program, which combines a rigorous academic curriculum with robust course offerings and extra-curricular activities. Open House will be held at our West Hills campus from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

During Open House you can:

  • Take a campus tour and see our facilities
  • Talk to faculty, students, and current parents
  • Learn about our one-to-one tablet technology
  • Visit academic departments and learn more about our innovative learning program
  • Explore our arts and athletics programs
  • Talk to our admissions team and administration

Don’t miss a special performance of Macbeth by William Shakespeare in the Tutor Family Center for the Performing Arts. Families are invited to drop in anytime during Open house and stay for a Q& A after the performance.

If you can’t make it to Open House, please call 818-347-8300 to schedule a tour or visit our website.

Bro. Skip Continues to Inspire Chaminade Students to Serve

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After Bro. Skip’s passing in December 2016, several students proposed putting together a Chaminade service project to keep his memory alive. The inaugural event took place on a Saturday in March, and more than 100 students and faculty from both campuses served three organizations, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, MEND, and Heal the Bay.

The day started in Campus Ministry (West Hills), and the group joined in prayer before leaving on buses to their destinations. The Student Council sponsored bus sponsored headed to the Food Bank, the largest in the United States serving several millions of people each year. Students helped by sorting donated foods and checking expiration dates and quality of canned foods before sending them down a conveyor belt for packaging. By the day’s end, they sorted 29,737 pounds of food!

MEND Poverty volunteers cooked meals and worked in the organization’s mailroom. Their work doubled as a cooking lesson, and they had an opportunity to taste the food MEND clients would be served the next day. This bus was sponsored by Chaminade’s Caring Hearts and Homeless Hearts Clubs.

The Key Club and Environmental Eagles Clubs joined forces to sponsor the third bus, which took Chaminade students and faculty to participate in Heal the Bay activities. With more than 1,000 other volunteers, including Chaminade’s middle school students, the group worked to keep Southern California’s beaches clean.

Chaminade Service Day happened thanks to the efforts and commitment of Keegan Coppola ’17, Nick Sederlin ’17,  Monty Balleweg ’17, Cristian Puente-Ortiz ’17, Tina Najm ’17, Erin Fabian ’17, Tina Pan ’17, and Alec Simoni ’18. High School Principal, Bro. Tom Fahy; Director of Campus Ministry, Shawna Sedik; and Director of Student Activites, Julie La Belle helped the students to determine how the day would unfold. The students each took ownership of a specific project, promoted Service Day, led ice breakers on the bus, and served as group leads at each service site on the day of the event.

Each service group had an amazing experience and impacted their local communities through a few hours of service. Campus Ministry and Student Activities hope to continue to offer Chaminade Service Day, work more with the middle school, and double the number of students who will go out and keep Brother Skip’s legacy alive.

Funds raised during Chaminade Gala’s fund-a-need on April 8 will establish the Bro. Skip Matthews Apostolic Works Endowment. This endowment will help fund projects like Chaminade Service Day, which will ultimately enhance one of the most important parts of the educational experience at Chaminade – Apostolic Works.

 

Bro. Skip Matthews dies at 77: the face of Christ for others, especially for those in need

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bro-skipSince 1994, Bro. Francis “Skip” Matthews, S.M. has been a fixture in the Chaminade family. He has graced the school with his infectious smile, boundless energy, and irreplaceable spirit.

Chaminade College Preparatory is deeply saddened to announce Bro. Skip died on December 14, 2016 in Cupertino, California. He was 77 years-old, with 57 years of religious profession. The entire school family will miss his presence on campus, be it through his work in Campus Ministry, supervisory time in the cafeteria, substituting in the classroom, or to discuss social justice, the Dodgers, or the previous night’s Chaminade basketball game. You could always count on a resounding, “Hello,” if you saw an older, white pick-up truck in the parking lot.

“Bro. Skip meant the world to Chaminade’s Chatsworth community,” says Middle School Principal, Mike Valentine, “To the students he was the official greeter,  the one who woke them up and started their day with an encouraging word and a smile. To the faculty and staff he was a true inspiration, mentor, and  confidant. I can’t think of a single adult on campus from the faculty, to the physical plant crew, to the support staff who didn’t have a special relationship with Bro. Skip.”

A native Angeleno, Bro. Skip was raised in Manhattan Beach. He attended grade school at American Martyrs, and later Junipero Serra High School in Gardena. He professed his first vows in 1959, in Santa Cruz. He studied with the Brothers of St. John of God at their Los Angeles hospital, and learned the fundamentals of nursing and caring for the elderly. In 1962, he made perpetual profession in the Society of Mary.

In his early ministry, Bro. Skip served in health care and directed the Marianist Infirmary in Honolulu, Hawaii. Ten years later, he became a paramedic at a remote facility in Zambia. He served there for 18 years, and also assisted with work at Matero Boys Secondary School, a Marianist school in Lusaka.

Chaminade President Rob Webb reflects, “Bro. Skip traveled the world, taking the charism of Fr. Chaminade with him. He lived a very full life bringing some of the most disenfranchised, disconnected people closer to God. He cherished his time at Chaminade as much as his time anywhere else. We are all blessed to have known him.”

In addition to his ministry at Chaminade, Bro. Skip volunteered at hospice and the Good Shepherd Shelter, a safe house for battered women and children. He also visited Skid Row twice a week to help the homeless and spend time with them. For more than 20 years, from December 1 to 24, Bro. Skip set up a table and offered to write cards to family members and friends of people living on Skid Row. This year, Bro. Skip could not do his usual work, but over the summer he collected clothes for to the Good Shepherd Shelter and cards for the Los Angeles Catholic Worker. The items were recently donated to both organizations by the Marianist Community.

Bro. Skip was honored in 2013 at the Annual Brothers Mass and Banquet with the Annual Brotherhood Award. Archbishop Jose Gomez and Bro. Larry Moen, C.M.F., presented him with the award, “Honoring Bro. Skip’s religious commitment to the service of the Lord as a Marianist Religious Brother and his faithful ministry in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles through education and outreach to the poor and the homeless.”