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Advancement Wishlist

"...where quality and the individual count..."

Wish List

(Updated August 9, 2012)

The Regent staff is dedicated to providing the quality education that is La Reina's tradition. The following items and opportunities, identified by the staff, will greatly enhance the students' learning and personal growth in many different areas. Full or partial donations for any of these needs will be greatly appreciated.

To donate a wish list item online, follow this link, and indicate the Item Number and/or Item Name in the field marked with an asterisk.

The students and staff are also very grateful to parents and friends who donated funds for WISH LIST items in the recent past, such as ceiling-mounted digital video projectors, infant simulators for psychology classes, digital cameras, reference books, computer software and video/DVD sets.

ITEM 1.1: Adopt-a-Regent

Consistent with the philosophy of the Sisters of Notre Dame and La Reina High School, every effort is made to provide a quality education for deserving students, regardless of the family's financial situation. Benefactors are invited to "Adopt-a-Regent," underwriting tuition costs for the 2012-13 school year. (Please note, these amounts reflect the annual tuition divided by the specific time period.) Currently, more than 90 students are receiving financial aid.

For the year: $11,000
For one semester: $5,500
For one quarter: $2,750
For one month: $1,100
For one week: $275
For one school day: $63

ITEM 1.2: Kairos Retreat Sponsor

Deserving students need financial aid to assist with the costs of the Kairos Retreat. Donations are appreciated in any amount.

ITEM 1.3: Gina Torrey Memorial Scholarship Fund

Students with marked academic improvement are eligible to receive the Gina Torrey Memorial Scholarship, established in memory of Gina Torrey '73. Donations are appreciated in any amount.

ITEM 1.4: Queen of Angels Scholarship Fund

This scholarship is awarded to La Reina students who have a parent employed as a member of La Reina’s faculty or staff. Donations are appreciated in any amount.

ITEM 1.5: Our Lady of Lourdes Scholarship Fund

Established in 2010, the Lourdes Scholarship Fund provides financial aid for a student with an immediate family member (parent or sibling) with a devastating medical condition that is causing financial hardship for the family.

ITEM 2.1: Staff Development

Maintaining the outstanding La Reina faculty requires a substantial commitment to staff development. Over the years, school-funded in-service opportunities for the faculty have helped to develop:

  • Spiritual growth activities for the students in religion classes, retreats and Campus Ministry activities;
  • The strength of Advanced Placement courses;
  • The integration of technology throughout the curriculum, especially the one-to-one tablet program that will be fully implemented in 2013-14;
  • A variety of teaching methodologies which meet varied student learning styles;
  • Staff skills and certification in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and first aid.

Teachers often share the results of workshops and in-service classes among themselves at the monthly Faculty Meetings, at department meetings, through conferences with department chairpersons and through informal discussion.
COST: $ 250 per teacher or $ 10,000 for the school year - Donations are appreciated in any amount.

ITEM 3.2: Electronic Balances

The Science Department needs five electronic balances which can measure up to 410 grams with 0.01 grams readability. Biology, chemistry and physics classes will use them to measure mass in density and osmosis experiments as well as in separating mixtures. These electronic balances will replace triple beam balances which are inefficient and do not permit the analysis of larger beakers and liquids.
COST: $360 each

ITEM 3.3: Library Books with Bookplate Option

Donations are needed for books and multi-volume sets for the general and reference collections of the library. The list of books cover a wide range of disciplines, including science, sports, literary criticism, and history. Donors who wish to contribute towards the purchase of a specific title may choose to have a bookplate placed in the book in recognition of the donation, with the donor's name or the name of a loved one. Please contact Heather Neidenbach at 805-495-6494, ext. 308 for more information.
COST: ranges from $7.00 - $525.00 and any amount is appreciated.

ITEM 3.4: Classroom Set of The Catholic Youth Prayer Book - Donated and acquired during the summer of 2012 - Thank you to our generous donors!

This prayer book is useful for consistently introducing and leading students in traditional and contemporary prayers. It includes devotions and the Liturgy of the Hours.
COST: $600

ITEM 3.5: World Religions Instructional Materials - New

The "Understanding World Religions" DVD set and Explanation of World Religions Activity Book will be used primarily by junior religion classes, although Religion 7 and any study of world cultures will also find them practical. The DVD set provides an interesting and insightful look at the major religions of the world and their significant components, such as history and beliefs, traditions and practices, ceremonies and holidays, sacred writing and places of worship.
COST: $225

Introduction to the Science Research Elective

During the second semester of 2010-11, a new course, Science Research Elective, was initiated. Research conducted in this class helps students develop digital literacy using 21st century technology. Students will participate in a class research project on Wolbachia to develop hands-on biotechnology skills.

The Wolbachia precollege project explores the control that a bacterium called Wolbachia exerts on the insects whose current habitat is the hill adjacent to the La Reina campus. Students will explore advanced scientific topics, such as insect identification (biodiversity), DNA extraction (molecular biology), polymerase chain reaction (molecular biology), DNA fingerprinting (molecular biology), DNA sequence analysis using BLAST (bioinformatics), and correlation of phylogenies (evolution).

According to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, "The Wolbachia Project leverages the scientific expertise of the Marine Biology Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachuseets with high schools. Wolbachia is a wide-spread bacterium that lives symbiotically in at least 20% of the world's insects. The project's four goals are to: (1) broaden access of high school students to real-world research; (2) promote nationwide participation in the collection and reporting of new scientific data on bacterial endosymbionts; (3) enhance student interest in and understanding of biology through an integrated lab series; and (4) show students what it is like to be a scientist."

Wish list items 3.8 through 3.12 will assist the students with this innovative program.

ITEM 3.8: Proquest

ProQuest is a full-text, online database of peer-reviewed science journals. Science students, including those in the new Science Research Elective, will be able to identify local science mentors for summer internships by reading complete research papers of local professors and industry researchers. This tool will significantly improve students’ college preparedness and La Reina’s collaborative efforts with local universities and technology experts.
COST: $2,500

ITEM 3.9: Reference Books on Insects

Students in the new Science Research Elective (starting in the second semester of 2010-11) will benefit from ten reference books on insects. Topics of these books include tiger beetles, American beetles, the evolution of insects, the natural history and diversity of insects, a photographic atlas of entomology, and a guide to insect classification.
COST: $660

ITEM 3.10: Inspiredata Software

Science students will use InspireData software to investigate, analyze, and represent data and information in dynamic graphs and charts. InspireData tools make it easy to change variables and plot types so students can explore data in multiple, meaningful ways. This encourages them to investigate data analytically, ask more questions, and apply their understanding of the data to form better conclusions and continue exploration.
COST: $640 (software and license for use on 20 computers)

ITEM 3.11: Inspiration 9 Software

Inspiration 9 software will give students the tools to analyze, interpret, illustrate and present complex scientific concepts. Diagrams enable them to see how concepts are related, while outlines assist them to bring writing into the science curriculum.
COST: $895 (software and license for use on 20 computers)

ITEM 3.12: Supplies for Polymerase Chain Reaction Analysis

Students in the new Science Research Elective will use biotechnology equipment to perform polymerase chain reaction. This application of molecular biology will assist in the analysis of insect DNA, using insects whose current habitat is the hill adjacent to the La Reina campus. Supplies needed for this project include chemicals and lab equipment (such as tubes, specimen jars, pestles, etc.).
COST: $1,000

ITEM 3:13: Non-fiction Science Books for LRHS Library

Science literacy, including the ability to understand complex vocabulary and topics, is an essential building block for critical thinking in a scientific context. Approximately 100 additional titles are needed for the La Reina library to expand the holdings in non-fiction science. These volumes will include topics such as shark attacks; diseases such as the bubonic plague, yellow fever, influenza and hepatitis; nature management; viruses; genetics; taxidermy; environmental science; and biographies of major scientists.
COST: $2,500 (donations in any amount will be appreciated)

ITEM 4.8: Specialized Speech Instruction

Professional coaches share their unique skills with members of the LRHS speech team.
COST: $1,000 per month

ITEM 4.9: Publications for Speech Team Research

The following periodicals provide a wealth of resource material for members of the speech and debate teams. Subscriptions are needed for Economics, Foreign Affairs, Newsweek, Time, The Christian Science Monitor and The Wall Street Journal.
COST: $435

ITEM 6.1: Vitamix Immersion Blender

A professional-quality immersion blender will help the cafeteria staff to prepare healthy, innovative, low-fat foods such as soups, sauces and other dishes. This tool will also facilitate food preparation using local, sustainable and when possible, organic foods.
COST: $900


In addition, Legacy & Promise donations underwrite the current greatest needs including financial aid, instructional and activities enrichment, technology upgrades, and capital/campus improvements.

For more information on any of these ways to support La Reina High School, please contact

Sister M. Lisa Megaffin, S.N.D.
Director of Development • La Reina High School
106 W. Janss Rd. • Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
805.495.6494, ext. 382 • 805-402-8623 • lmegaffin@lareina.com

All donations are tax-deductible, subject to Internal Revenue Service limitations and guidelines. Consult a financial or legal adviser for personalized information on tax benefits. La Reina's nonprofit tax identification number is 95-2381453.

Thank you and God bless you for all of your generous support for the current and future Regents!

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