History

St. John Baptist De La Salle School was established in 1953 to serve the L.A. Archdiocese located in the Granada Hills area of the Northern San Fernando Valley.  De La Salle opened its doors in 1955.  The pastor, Monsignor Peter O’ Sullivan, requested the Sisters of St. Joseph of Corondelet to come and administer the school.  Temporary bungalows housed the students until the school construction was completed in 1956.  The new building consisted of eight permanent classrooms, administrative offices, and a Health Room. By 1989, eight additional classrooms, a faculty room and a library were added.  There additions opened areas for a counseling office and an equipment room.

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Corondelet left De La Salle School in 1974 and were replaced by the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  In 1985, the first lay person assumed the position of principal.  This change reflected the trend to lay administrators throughout the Archdiocese.  The Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary remained in the school until 1993.  Since the 1993-1994 school year, the school has been staffed by dedicated lay teachers and administrators.

The 1994 Northridge Earthquake devastated the community including the De La Salle Parish and School.  A major loss was Martinez Hall which was used by the school for Bingo, the Computer Lab, and as the school auditorium.  Seton Hall, which housed the Extended Care Program, and the Convent were also destroyed.  The school; however, sustained minimal damage which was quickly repaired and classes resumed after two weeks.  Four large classroom modulars were moved onto the campus to ease the earthquake situation.  Today, the modulars are used for Kindergarten and Extended Care.  The Charter Kindergarten opened in 1995.  A separate playground adjacent to the modulars was constructed to accommodate the Kindergarten students and a new playground was installed during summer 2004.  A third Kindergarten opened in September, 2004.  Additional basketball courts, volleyball courts, foursquare, and hopscotch areas complete the playground.

The St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Complex was dedicated in 1992.  The school uses the complex for meetings, events for the parents’ organizations, Science Fairs, Awards Assemblies, 8th  grade Graduation Dance, and many other events.

De La Salle Parish and School invested in computers recently to improve the school and parish communications.  The school made a commitment to upgrade its technology development in order to take advantage of both educational and professional guidelines.  In 2005 the school was wired for Internet use and the administration and teachers make good use of this tool. The school is committed to further purchases for computer stations in each room and to provide on-going training for the teachers.  This year, the school hired a consultant to establish a website www.DLSSchool.com.  In 2005 the 1st  Annual Golf Tournament kicked off our Capital Campaign for the new Kindergarten Building.  It will be a permanent building to house our 3 Kindergarten classes and the Extended Care Program.  The school and parish are working closely to fund this project.  Gradually, and with gratitude to our fundraisers, the school is moving forward.

De La Salle School is committed to Catholic Education which instills the students with the knowledge of the Catholic faith and Christian values.  At the same time, the faculty and staff
strive to present a strong academic curriculum, an appreciation for the arts, an awareness of
healthful living and a dedication to a life of service.

St John Baptist de la Salle School celebrated its Golden Jubilee during the 2005-2006 school year.  The school is blessed with a pastor, parish staff, and parishioners who are dedicated to the students and their families.  May God continue to bless De La Salle School.

PAST PRINCIPALS OF DE LA SALLE SCHOOL