Lasallian Volunteers serve as teachers and teachers’ aides and direct the after school program. They provide other support services as well. Kathleen Glackin (lower library staff, computer teacher, after-school program coodinator) and Maria Shao (upper library staff, music teacher, after-school program coordinator).
De La Salle Elementary at Blessed Sacrament Parish (K-8) is located in the Binghamton area of Memphis, an area with a diverse population of black, white, Hispanic, and Vietnamese populations. Immigrant families come from a wide variety of countries. The school buildings are on the same block as the community house where the volunteers live with the Christian Brothers. Thanks to substantial donations, De La Salle Elementary is operating in new and newly renovated buildings.
Over 90% of the students qualify for the USDA Free and Reduced Lunch Program. Over 50% of the students come from non-English speaking homes. The students begin behind their peers in language and math development. The school is a safe, caring, disciplined, and academically challenging environment for the children, most of whom have experienced a chaotic home and school environment. As a result, the children show dramatic improvements each year, primarily due to the individualized attention they receive.
