Da Vinci Science

10/3/25 

We hope all students had an enjoyable holiday yesterday! It was also great to see families at the parent coffee on Wednesday. Parent coffees are held on the first Wednesday of the month; all are welcome for a casual time for Q&A and various relevant topics that parents may want to know. Last week’s recording on Mastery-Based Grading will be posted on the blog soon. 

We have a “normal” schedule next week! 

This Week’s Schedule: 

This Week’s Announcements:

• SLC Week is coming up Week 9 (10/13 to 10/17). By now, families should have scheduled their SLC time. Please refer to this SLC Document for grade-level specific information on SLC week. 

• Parent Advisory Committee: We have our first PAC meeting this Wednesday, 10/8, 4:30-5:30. Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/3108950461. On the agenda: LCAP Goals 1 and 2. PAC committee members and all parents are welcome to attend.

• College Counseling:
  • Week 9 College Visits:
    • Tuesday: 10/7: Rochester Institute of Technology
    • Wednesday: 10/8: UC Davis
    • Thursday: 10/9: University of Arizona
    • Friday, 10/10: UC San Diego (8:00am in Mr. Perez’s Room)
    • Friday: 10/10: Harvey Mudd College
  • Thank you to the families who have attended College Planning Information Sessions. We have one more for 12th grade coming up this Wednesday! We welcome 12th grade families for theirCollege Planning Information Session on Wednesday, October 8th from 5:30pm-6:30pm held in-person on the DVS Campus.Come learn about the college application process, the support and services we provide in CCL to help students solidify their college list, personal statements, applying for financial aid and scholarships, and more! Please RSVP here

• DVS Parent Association:

• • Save the Date!  The October DVSPA meeting will be a social gathering, Wed 10/22, 6:00 – 7:30pm at an off site location TBD.  Bring your questions, ideas and enjoy the company of other DVS parents.  .    
  • Is your DVS student interested in art or graphic design?  Check out the details of the Student Design Contest for our next DVSPA Merch Fundraiser design.  More details in this Design Contest Flyer. 
  • DVS Advisories build and support our unique DVS school culture.  DVSPA fundraises for Advisories year-round to support our Advisory Teachers with their community-building activities.  You can make a tax-deductible monetary donation at https://davincischools.networkforgood.com/ Select 07 – DaVinci Science AND write “DVSPA Advisory Fundraiser” as the “Note for Donor Scroll” to support all of our DVS students. 

Important Upcoming Dates: 

• Wednesday, 10/8 Parent Advisory Committee Meeting #1
• Thursday, 10/9 UCLA Blood Drive 
• Friday, 10/10 Honors Commitment Deadline 
• Monday, 10/13 SAT/PSAT School Day
• Wednesday, 10/16 Great California Shakeout
• Monday-Thursday, 10/13-10/17 SLC Week 
• Monday-Friday, 10/13-10/17 CHYA Week for 9th graders 
• Friday, 10/24 PD Day (no school)
• Wednesday, 11/5, Parent Coffee

Helpful Links:

DV/Wiseburn Athletics  

DVS Planning Calendar

DVS News YouTube Channel

DVS Announcements Slide Deck

Da Vinci Photos Link

Some Highlights from the Week:

Arch & Design students taking a walk on the Strand to analyze buildings, shapes, and history

SWE trip with Algalita Marine Research and Education in Seal Beach. Girls did a beach cleanup and audit of the wrackline, sorted micro and macroplastics, and identified native plants in a scavenger hunt.

CEA Resilience & Recovery Trip with John Bwarie:  DTLA & Altadena

We had an eventful and packed week, marked by our first CLD Day, Long Advisories, and our first Community Dialogue in the gym! When speaking with the kids, many of them enjoyed CLD Day and used their time productively. Whether students were at home catching up on homework, working on a project, or going on a college visit, or whether they participated in on-campus workshops like soccer or soap-making, they all had positive things to say about the day. As a reminder, it is pertinent that all students turn in their CLD “Quiz” on Canvas to receive attendance credit for the day. Thank you for your cooperation.

We have another four-day week coming up! 

This Week’s Schedule: 

This Week’s Announcements:

• SLC Week is coming up from 10/13 to 10/17. Be on the lookout for more information and sign-ups from Grade Level teachers.
• DVS Family Coffee Time: Every first Wednesday of the month, we have “Coffee with the Principal,” where parents, guardians, and students can drop in to ask administration and staff questions and receive updates on school happenings. There will also be various topics for discussion as requested by parents. This week’s DVS Families Coffee Time is this Wednesday, 10/1, from 4:30-5:30 using this Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/3108950461. This week’s topic: Mastery-Based Grading

• College Counseling- This Week’s College Rep Visits:
  • Monday, 9/29: High Point University
  • Tuesday: 9/30: Vanderbilt University
  • Wednesday: 10/1: El Camino College

• College Planning Information Sessions: This coming week, we welcome 11th-grade families for their College Planning Information Session on Wednesday, October 1st from 5:30pm-6:30pm via Zoom: Learn about graduation requirements, DVS pathways, college admission criteria, types of colleges and career options, financial aid/scholarships, and more!
  • 11th grade: Wednesday, October 1st from 5:30pm-6:30 pm via ZOOM
  • 12th grade: Wednesday, October 8th from 5:30pm-6:30 pm held in-person on the DVS Campus You may RSVP here . We hope you can join us! Zoom information: https://davincischools-org.zoom.us/j/9301907728 or use Meeting ID: 930 190 7728 (no password needed)

• Get Ready for an Adventure! The DVS Spanish Teachers are heading out on a Yucatán Adventure this coming Spring Break 2026 (March 28 – April 4, 2026)
  • Want to learn more? Join our Informational Meeting:
  • When: Wednesday, October 1st @ 6pm
  • Where: Zoom https://davincischools-org.zoom.us/j/7594747245
  • Take a sneak peek at the trip details here: explorica.com/Magana-3077
• DVSPA- DVS Parent Association (DVSPA) is a fun way to build community with other DVS parents while supporting staff and students.
  • Thank you to all the parents who attended the September DVSPA meeting.  If you couldn’t make it but would like help leading or organizing an upcoming service project, check out the meeting slides HERE.  Save the date, DVSPA October meeting Wed 10/22, time and location TBD.
  • DVSPA Merch is available for pre-order in our two original designs.  A New Student Design Contest has launched this week and the winning design will be voted on by DVS Students. More details in this Design Contest Flyer. 

Important Upcoming Dates: 

• Tuesday, 9/23 Community Learning Day
• Wednesday, 10/1 Parent Coffee (Topic: Real World Learning Program)
• Thursday, 10/2 Local Holiday 
• Wednesday, 10/8 Parent Advisory Committee Meeting
• Thursday, 10/9 UCLA Blood Drive 
• Friday, 10/10 Honors Commitment Deadline 
• Monday, 10/13 SAT/PSAT School Day
• Monday-Thursday, 10/13-10/16 SLC Week
• Tuesday, 10/14 Grades Update
• Friday, 10/24 PD Day 

Helpful Links:

DV/Wiseburn Athletics  

DVS Planning Calendar

DVS News YouTube Channel

DVS Announcements Slide Deck

Da Vinci Photos Link

Some Highlights from the Week:

First CD of the year- Neon Day and a fantastic performance from our WDV Cheer Team

Advanced Physics BTS Horizontal Launch after Lunch

Teletaubes 3rd Annual Wild Wednesday

Art 3 Class – Making Oni Masks

Hello DVS Senior Families:  College application season is in full swing and we want to share important information for those families who will apply for financial aid.

The 2026-2027 FAFSA is now open!

The Department of Education (ED) officially launched the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2026–27 academic year a week early. The launch came after a successful beta testing period in August.   Students and families can complete the form now, giving them earlier access to financial aid information. Please note that some challenges have been found for mixed-status families.  The ED has not yet provided a permanent solution to identity verification issues, which continues to pose a challenge for these families when attempting to file the FAFSA and privacy concerns.

The 2026–27 CADAA opens October 1:
The California Dream Act Application (CADAA) opens on October 1. The CADAA is available to eligible undocumented Californians and mixed status families. While the CADAA provides access to state and institutional aid, students who file only the CADAA are not eligible for federal financial aid dollars.

The 2026-2027 CSS Profile opens October 1:

The CSS Profile is an online application used by mostly private colleges and scholarship programs to award non-federal institutional aid.  The UCs and CSUs do not use the CSS Profile. Here is list ofcolleges that use the CSS Profile.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me Ms. Marquez, College and Career Counselor: fmarquez@davincischools.org 

Students are definitely getting deep into their learning as we head into Week 6. Seminars, Honors, and Clubs are all underway and officially launched! We have our first CLD day coming up next week and our first Community Dialogue coming up this week.

This Week’s Schedule:

This Week’s Announcements:

• CLD Day – Our first CLD Day is coming up this Tuesday, Sept. 23rd. On-campus learning workshops are from 8:30-12:30. Students check-in at the 201 Campus. Here is the List of On-Campus Workshops available on 9/23. If students did not request an on-campus workshop, they can still come and sign up on the day of any open session on campus. Students staying at home should have already turned in and uploaded the parent permission slip. Students should have joined the CLD Canvas Class. On 9/23, attendance will be taken via a “quiz” given on the Canvas Portal. Please note that it is mandatory for attendance credit; otherwise, students will be marked absent for CLD Day. 
• Parent Advisory Committee – The Parent Advisory Committee, previously known as the School Site Council (SSC), provides an opportunity for parents, students, and staff to work collaboratively in reviewing the school program, analyzing data, identifying needs, and making recommendations for the Local Control and Accountability Plan. If you are a parent or guardian interested in joining our Parent Advisory Committee (PAC), please fill out the Parent Advisory Committee PAC Interest Form by Monday, September 22nd. PAC meetings will be held on the following dates: 10/08, 12/17, 2/11, 4/15, and 5/20 from 4:30-5:30 via Zoom. We are still looking for a few more PAC members! 
• College Counseling:
  • 10th grade families for their College Planning Information Session this Thursday, September, 25th from 5:30pm-6:30pm via Zoom: Come learn about graduation requirements, DVS pathways, college admission criteria, types of colleges and career options, financial aid/scholarships and more!
  • 11th grade: Wednesday, October 1st from 5:30pm-6:30 pm via ZOOM
  • 12th grade: Wednesday, October 8th from 5:30pm-6:30 pm held in-person on the DVS Campus
  • You may RSVP here. Zoom Link: https://davincischools-org.zoom.us/j/9301907728 or use Meeting ID: 930 190 7728
• Real World Learning: All students have received an invitation to add the RWL course. The previous course has been removed and will no longer be active. New and returning students need to accept the invitation. Students need to add the RWL course to receive announcements about internships, volunteer opportunities, and other career-related events. For questions, please contact Crissel Rodriguez, RWL Director, crodriguez@davincischools.org

Important Upcoming Dates: 

• Tuesday, 9/23 Community Learning Day
• Thursday, 10/2 Local Holiday 
• Thursday, 10/9 UCLA Blood Drive 
• Friday, 10/10 Honors Commitment Deadline 
• Monday, 10/13 SAT/PSAT School Day
• Monday-Thursday, 10/13-10/16 SLC Week
• Tuesday, 10/14 Grades Update
• Friday, 10/24 PD Day 

Helpful Links:

DV/Wiseburn Athletics  

DVS Planning Calendar

DVS News YouTube Channel

DVS Announcements Slide Deck

Da Vinci Photos Link

Some Highlights from the Week:

Sophomores calculating calories in a Cheeto in Chemistry class:

Pythons can eat! Advisory dinner and dessert at Handel’s

DVS and DVS students at the 12th annual Latino College Expo in La Verne

Physics Motion Graphs Review winners

Advanced Physicists collecting data using force sensors, measuring tapes, and motion detectors at Del Aire Park for Westy’s World project!

First DVS Parent Association Meeting, all are welcome!