Da Vinci Science

Some Highlights from the Week:

Y&G Sacramento Conference

DVS Students across grade levels joined other high schools across the South Bay to attend Day in a Life at UCLA hosted by PREP (Pilipino Recruitment & Enrichment Program)

Ms. Brooke, Mia, Mohamed, and Mikayla represented DVS at the Disneyland Grad Nite Prep Rally last Saturday

Algebra 2 students teaching Algebra 1 students advanced factoring!

Freshmen building and testing water wheels in Physics

Posted in Uncategorized

Week 23 Schedule

Posted on February 14, 2025 by Grace Long

Happy Valentine’s Day to all our DVS Families! We hope our students felt the love as they were welcomed with flowers from our staff.

What an eventful week! The week started off with CLD day- we hope all students had a productive learning day. The learning continued with lots of project work and real-world learning opportunities. We had guest speakers from Johnson & Johnson in our Biomedical Pathway, CEA & CEA Honors field trip to CSULB and learned from Gensler architects about their current design and build project, field trip to UCLA Pilipino Recruitment program, and the UCLA Health Blood Drive to name a few!

We also loved celebrating Black History Month at our schoolwide Community Dialogue. The students did a fantastic job sharing their culture, including music and dance performances. We learned the history of various countries, including Ethiopia, Jamaica, and Nigeria. Thank you, BSU and Leadership team!

Our Youth & Government students are in Sacramento this weekend. We wish DV delegates well at the model legislature and court conference!

Next week is a four-day week. There is no school on Monday, 2/17, in observance of President’s Day. Happy three-day weekend!

Week 23 Schedule:

Week 23 Announcements:

DVS – Parent Association (DVS-PA): Next Meeting: Wed 2/19, 6:30pm on campus. Bring a fellow DVS parent or guardian with you! We’ll have snacks, time to connect, look at our progress and next steps for current projects including Bingo Night and T-shirts. We’d love to see you there!
- Save the Date: DVS PARENT BINGO NIGHT, Sunday, March 23rd, 5-8pm. Wrap up your week with a fun night of Bingo and socializing with fellow DaVinci Science parents. Bingo provided by DVSPA. RSVP HERE
Real World Learning: At the last parent coffee, Crissel Rodriguez, Real World Learning Director, shared this RWL slide deck with resources and information regarding Spring and Summer opportunities.
Grade Updates: All coursework and grading information will continue to be through Canvas.
- Student and Parent/Guardian Canvas Link: https://davincischools.instructure.com
- Additional Canvas resources are available at the bottom of the Academics page on our blog.
Class of 2025 Seniors Activities Contract: Senior Activities and the Senior Activities Contract was shared during CCL class. We hope and expect that every senior will be eligible to participate in these fun activities to make their Senior year the best it can be. Senior contracts were due Feb. 11th.

Important Upcoming Dates:

Friday – Monday, 2/14-2/17: Youth & Government MLC in Sacramento
Monday, 2/17: President’s Day Holiday, No school
Wednesday, 2/19: DVS Parent Association Meeting 6:30 pm on campus
Monday, 2/24: 12th grade Fulcrum Field Trip
Monday, 3/3: 9th Grade Physical Fitness Testing
Friday, 3/14: PD Day, No School
Friday-Sunday, 3/14-3/16 FRC Los Angeles Regionals @ Da Vinci
Monday-Thursday, 3/17-3/20: Student-Led Conferences (SLCs)
Friday, 3/21: Honors Commitment Deadline

Helpful Links:

Some Highlights from the Week:

Black History Month CD

Guests from Johnson & Johnson Orthopedic surgery guided students through a meniscal repair and ACL reconstruction using real surgical tools and techniques

CEA and CEA honors students hearing career stories from Gensler mentors and learning about the most expensive building project in CSU history.

Happy Valentine’s Day from DVS Staff!

Posted in Uncategorized

Week 22 Schedule

Posted on February 7, 2025 by Grace Long

We hope students had a great PD Day. DVS staff continued to work hard and collaborate on how to utilize our strengths to provide quality instruction for all of our students. We also shared the amazing projects our students are working on through our Career Pathways. Our students are producing very impressive work.

This past week was National Counseling Week. We are grateful for our wonderful school counselors, Ms. Valle, Ms. Ruiz, and Ms. Marquez. Our counselors work hard to ensure students are receiving academic support, social-emotional wellness support, and college and career guidance- thank you, counselors!

Week 22 Schedule:

Week 22 Announcements:

Community Learning Day: The next CLD day is coming up this Monday, February 10th! All students should have filled out the CLD survey to let us know where they will be and what workshops students signed up for. All students will need to fill this Community Learning Day Attendance Form on 2/10 to receive attendance credit. Even if students did not sign-up for an on campus CLD workshop, they may come to school and attend if they would like- Here is the list of workshops that will be held on campus.
Grade Updates: Staff update grades on PD days so grades are up-to-date by the Tuesday of the following week. The first grade update of this semester will be Tuesday, 2/11. All coursework and grading information will continue to be through Canvas.
- Student and Parent/Guardian Canvas Link: https://davincischools.instructure.com
- Additional Canvas resources are available at the bottom of the Academics page on our blog.
Class of 2025 Seniors Activities Contract: Senior Activities and the Senior Activities Contract was shared during CCL class. We hope and expect that every senior will be eligible to participate in these fun activities to make their Senior year the best it can be. All students were asked to read, sign, and return the senior contract agreement to Mr. Perez by Tuesday, 2/11.
Honors: work is available for many courses at DVS. Most honors courses are not a separate period but are integrated into the regular coursework. This could look like additional assignments and projects or the requirement to demonstrate higher levels of mastery and understanding. Below is the timeline for the Spring 2025 semester:

- Honors Launch Week: Week 20 (1/27-1/31)
- Honors Contracts due: Week 22 – Friday, 2/14
- Honors Commitment Deadline: Week 27 – Friday, 3/21
- Specific honors requirements for each course can be found in this Honors Programs & Contracts doc. Contract links will be updated after the Honors Launch week.

UCLA Blood Drive: Did you know that every unit of blood saves 3 lives? Sign up at this link to donate at our next Blood Drive on Friday, February 14th! Students who are 16 years old can participate, but will need to have a Parent Consent Form completed. They can get this from Mr. Besina.
Parent Advisory: PAC Committee Meeting #4 Wednesday, 2/12:at 4:15 at this Zoom link
From DVS – Parent Association (DVS-PA): Mark your calendar and plan to bring a fellow DVS parent or guardian to our next parent association meeting, February 19th at 6:30pm on campus.We’ll have snacks, time to connect and look at our progress and next steps for a few projects we’re working on. We’d love to see you there!
Spirt Week 2/11-2/14: Show your school spirit and join the fun this week!

Important Upcoming Dates:

Monday, 2/10: Community Learning Day
Wednesday, 2/12: Parent Advisory Committee Meeting #4 at 4:15 at this Zoom link
Friday, 2/14 Honors Contracts due
Monday, 2/17: President’s Day Holiday, No school
Wednesday, 2/19: DVS Parent Association Meeting 6:30 pm on campus
Friday, 3/14: PD Day, No School
Friday-Sunday, 3/14-3/16 FRC Los Angeles Regionals @ Da Vinci
Monday-Thursday, 3/17-3/20: SLC week

Helpful Links:

Some Highlights from the Week:

EDD students joined Cal Poly students for a tour of Amgen in Thousand Oaks. It’s a beautiful facility, and students had real-world experience in the world of engineering.

Arch & Design students embarked into the Pacific Ocean on a 5 hour sail as their project kickoff.

National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) had the honor of hearing from guest speaker, Micaiah Mayfield, Raytheon Engineer, who shared her pathway towards the field of engineering via HBCU Tennessee State University

10th Grade Bio-Med students learning how to suture wounds

Posted in Uncategorized

Join us for our last FAFSA Friday Workshop TOMORROW, 2/7

Posted on February 6, 2025 by Francisca Marquez

Hello senior families! Our last workshop in the “FAFSA Fridays Workshop Series” is THIS, Friday, February 7th from 6:00pm-7:30pm at Da Vinci Communications (DVC) in Room 3203 . Please see flyer below for details. Please use the QR Code to register or you can register here for upcoming workshops. We hope to see you there!

Posted in Uncategorized

Cupid Shuffle Dance Canceled

Posted on February 4, 2025 by Emily Shapiro

Attention DVS students and families:

We have made the decision to cancel the Cupid Shuffle Dance scheduled for Friday, February 7th.

We know the students were excited about the event, and we’re sorry for any inconvenience. If you’ve already bought a ticket, a refund will be issued.

Thanks for your understanding.

Posted in Events, Student Life

Week 21 Schedule

Posted on January 31, 2025 by Grace Long

We had a successful and wonderful Neurodiversity Week! We are especially grateful to our Neurodiversity Student Committee and staff, who have planned, organized, and presented valuable information to the whole school. We are proud of our students for sharing their experiences and being articulate, honest, and knowledgeable about their identities and abilities. We have all gained a deeper understanding and appreciation for Neurodiversity.

Today, we also enjoyed having El Camino College professor and Dean Emeritus of Engineering visit our school to deepen our partnership. In addition, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo professors and students came on campus to provide guidance and hands-on learning with student projects in the Mechanical Engineering Pathway!

Next week will be a four-day week. Friday, 2/7, is a PD day. However, there will be a Spring Dance that evening at 6:00. See details below!

Week 21 Schedule:

Week 21 Announcements:

CLD day: The next CLD day is coming up Monday, February 10th! All students should have filled out the CLD survey to let us know where they will be and what workshops students signed up for. All students will need to fill this Community Learning Day Attendance Form on 2/10 to receive attendance credit.
DVS Families Coffee: This Wednesday, 2/5. NEW TIME 5:00-6:00 at this Zoom link. Topic: Internship and Volunteering Opportunites from Real World Learning Director, Crissel Rodriguez
Honors: work is available for many courses at DVS. Most honors courses are not a separate period but are integrated into the regular coursework. This could look like additional assignments and projects or the requirement to demonstrate higher levels of mastery and understanding. Below is the timeline for the Spring 2025 semester:

- Honors Launch Week: Week 20 (1/27-1/31)
- Honors Contracts due: Week 22 – Friday, 2/14
- Honors Commitment Deadline: Week 27 – Friday, 3/21
- Specific honors requirements for each course can be found in this Honors Programs & Contracts doc. Contract links will be updated after the Honors Launch week.

UCLA Blood Drive: Did you know that every unit of blood saves 3 lives? Sign up at this link to donate at our next Blood Drive on Friday, February 14th! Students who are 16 years old can participate, but will need to have a Parent Consent Form completed. They can get this from Mr. Besina.
From DVS – Parent Association (DVS-PA): Next DVS PA meeting Wednesday, 2/19 at 6:30 on campus. We hope to see you there!
- Advisory Fundraiser: We are still sponsoring our fundraiser for Advisory with hopes of distributing gift cards to Advisory teachers mid semester. Please consider donating a gift card in any amount to places like Target, Amazon, Trader Joes, etc. by sending it to DVSappreciation@gmail.com. You can make a tax deductible monetary donation at https://davincischools.networkforgood.com/ Select 07 – DaVinci Science AND write “DVS PA Advisory Fundraiser” as the “Note for Donor Scroll.” Learn more about Advisory and why DVS-PA is fundraising for Advisory Teachers HERE.
- SAVE THE DATE – DVS-PA will be sponsoring our first community building event Sunday, March 23rd from 5-8pm for DVS Parents only. More details to come soon.
Da Vinci Science Parents Facebook Group: Join this family-facilitated Facebook group by searching “Da Vinci Science Parents” and look for a green This is Home banner to join.

DV’s Spring Dance: “The Cupid Shuffle” Don’t miss out on a fun-filled night of music, dancing, and memories! Get your tickets early to save, and we’ll see you on the dance floor!
- When: Friday, March 7th, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, with a sensory-friendly hour from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
- Where: Da Vinci West Plaza (201 Campus)
- Ticket Information:

- Presale: $25 (available through MySchoolBucks)
- Deadline for Online Purchase: Thursday, February 6th, at 11:59 PM
- At-the-Door Price: $30 (Friday, February 7th)
- Dress Code: Semi-formal (dress up a little, but keep it comfortable!)
- Who Can Attend: Only currently enrolled Da Vinci students (grades 9-12) – no outside guests permitted

- We are using MySchoolBucks for the purchase of dance tickets and other school activities. Here are some resources you can use to set up your account, if you’ve never used it:

- - Slides explaining MySchoolBucks
  - Video Tutorial explaining MySchoolBucks
  - Food Trucks will be at the event. Students are encouraged to bring money to purchase a meal from the food trucks. [Check out the event flyer here.]

Important Upcoming Dates:

Wednesday, 2/5: DVS Families Coffee Time @ 5:00pm at this Zoom link
Friday, 2/7: No School – Professional Development
Friday, 2/7: Spring Dance
Monday, 2/10: Community Learning Day
Wednesday, 2/12: Parent Advisory Committee Meeting #4 at 4:15 at this Zoom link
Friday, 2/14 Honors Contracts due
Monday, 2/17: President’s Day Holiday, No school
Wednesday, 2/19: DVS Parent Association Meeting 6:30 pm on campus
Friday, 3/14: PD Day, No School
Friday-Sunday, 3/14-3/16 FRC Los Angeles Regionals @ Da Vinci
Monday-Thursday, 3/17-3/20: SLC week

Highlights From the Week:

Neurodiversity Week

Honors Physics-Breaking News presentation about climate change

Teletaube winners of Neurodiversity Kahoot!

El Camino Professor of Engineering and Emeritus Dean of Engineering visit Da Vinci Science for continued partnership and collaboration

Cal Poly SLO fourth-year students work with our Mechanical Engineering students on their projects

Helpful Links:

Applying to El Camino College

Posted in Uncategorized

El Camino College: Spring 2025 Dual Enrollment

Posted on January 30, 2025 by Francisca Marquez

Hello DVS Juniors and Seniors,

This upcoming Spring semester, Da Vinci Schools is offering three dual enrollment courses.

COMS 100- Public Speaking

(Online)

BUS 101- Introduction to Business

(Asynchronous, Online)

HDEV 110

(Asynchronous, online)

In this course, students will compose, present, and evaluate original speeches. Emphasis is placed on audience analysis, topic selection, research, evidence, organization, delivery, and critical analysis of persuasive communication. Students are required to attend out-of-class speaking events.

3 units

Transfer CSU, UC

*meets graduation requirements at most CSUs

Start Date: February 18th, 2024

This course is a survey of organization and management factors influencing the establishment, location, and operation of businesses. This course emphasizes the functional area of accounting as well as the legal framework within which business activities are conducted. The course also emphasizes the principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) in a multicultural and globalized environment.

3 units

Transfer CSU, UC

Start Date: February 18th, 2024

This course provides an exploration of cognitive, psychological, social and physical factors influencing success.
Topics include personal responsibility, critical thinking, motivation, self-efficacy, lifelong learning, health and
wellness, and interpersonal communication in a diverse world. Students will identify and utilize strategies and
resources for success in college, careers, and life.3 units; Transfer CSU, UC

Start Date: February 18th, 2024

Who: Juniors and Seniors from DVC, DVD, and DVS. Based on academic performance and review. 10th grade students will need El Camino dean approval (this means students will need to email the dept. dean at El Camino directly before submitting the dual enrollment form – please see Ms. Marquez for more information).

What: College courses at Da Vinci Schools, through El Camino College. Courses meet transfer requirements for most Cal State and UC campuses, as well as some private colleges and universities.

Why: Get a start on your college credits! It looks great on your college applications.

Cost: Free! The state of California and Da Vinci Schools pick up the costs, including textbook fees. Donations to help cover the cost of the textbooks from families that can are appreciated.

Where: Classes will be held virtually on the El Camino College student portal (Canvas & MyECC).

To be eligible to take a dual enrollment class, the student will need to pass all their academic classes from first semester, have no credit recovery for A-G classes, and be a junior or senior student. Space is limited and we are accepting forms on a first come first serve basis!

For more information click on the following links:

Admission Application Support

Dual Enrollment Application

Please complete ECC application and dual enrollment forms ASAP as the Spring term is starting soon. Please reach out to Ms. Marquez, College and Career Counselor with questions : fmarquez@davincischools.org

Posted in Dual Enrollment

Week 20 Schedule

Posted on January 24, 2025 by Grace Long

It was a very busy four-day week as students started their first week of Semester 2 Seminars. Hopefully, students are getting back into the swing of things with their full schedules. Week 20 is a full, five-day week with a “normal” schedule.

We are also looking forward to our Neurodiversity Celebration Week! The purpose of Neurodiversity Celebration Week is to celebrate how unique and diverse our brains can be. Everyone’s brain works in its special way, and there’s no one correct way to think, learn, or experience the world. We’re celebrating all the different ways people experience life, focusing on understanding disabilities like ADHD, autism, dyslexia, Tourette Syndrome, and more. A special thank you to our Speech Pathologist, Lori Barrett, counselors, and the Neurodiversity Student Committee for planning this special week for our school.

Week 20 Schedule:

Week 20 Announcements:

Parent Advisory Committee: PAC meeting #3 will be this Wednesday, 1/29 at 4:15 at this Zoom link (Topic: School Safety Plan)
UCLA Blood Drive: Did you know that every unit of blood saves 3 lives? Sign up at this link to donate at our next Blood Drive on Friday, February 14th! Students who are 16 years old can participate, but will need to have a Parent Consent Form completed. They can get this from Mr. Besina.
Black College Expo. DVS is going to the Black College Expo! All students are welcome! Space is limited so please see Ms. Marquez ASAP for permission slip.
When: Saturday February 1st.
Time: Leaving DVS at 9am, returning 1:45pm
Location: SoFi Stadium
Cost: Transportation provided
Da Vinci Schools Surveys: Parents/guardians and students, you should have received an email from Kelvin Education during the first week of November with a survey link to provide feedback. Please look in your inbox for “Kelvin Education” to fill out the survey. Surveys close on January 31st.

Honors work is available for many courses at DVS. Most honors courses are not a separate period but are integrated into the regular coursework. This could look like additional assignments and projects or the requirement to demonstrate higher levels of mastery and understanding. Below is the timeline for the Spring 2025 semester:

- Launch Week: Week 20 (1/27-1/31)
- Contracts due: Week 22 – Friday, 2/14
- Commitment Deadline: Week 27 – Friday, 3/21
- Specific honors requirements for each course can be found in this Honors Programs & Contracts doc. Contract links will be updated after the Honors Launch week.

Da Vinci Science Parents Facebook Group: Join this family-facilitated Facebook group by searching “Da Vinci Science Parents” and look for a green This is Home banner to join.
From DVS – Parent Association (DVS-PA): Thank you to those who came out to our DVS PA meeting this week, it was to spend some quality time with fellow DVS Parents. We covered a lot at the DVS-PA meeting. You can find meeting notes HERE.
- Advisory Fundraiser: We are still sponsoring our fundraiser for Advisory with hopes of distributing gift cards to Advisory teachers mid semester. Please consider donating a gift card in any amount to places like Target, Amazon, Trader Joes, etc. by sending it to DVSappreciation@gmail.com. You can make a tax-deductible monetary donation at https://davincischools.networkforgood.com/. Select 07 – DaVinci Science AND write “DVS PA Advisory Fundraiser” as the “Note for Donor Scroll.” Learn more about Advisory and why DVS-PA is fundraising for Advisory Teachers HERE.
- SAVE THE DATE – DVS-PA will be sponsoring our first community building event Sunday, March 23rd from 5-8pm for DVS Parents only. More details to come soon.

Important Upcoming Dates:

Wednesday, 2/5: DVS Families Coffee Time @ 5:00pm at this Zoom link
Friday, 2/7: No School – Professional Development
Friday, 2/7: Spring Dance
Monday, 2/10: Community Learning Day
Wednesday, 2/12: Parent Advisory Committee Meeting #4 at 4:15 at this Zoom link
Friday, 2/14 Honors Contracts due
Monday, 2/17: President’s Day Holiday, No school

Helpful Links: