Archive for December 15, 2022

End of Semester 1!

Posted on by

Thank you and congratulations on making it through Semester 1! This week, students exhibited critical thinking, hard work, reflection, and articulation of learning in their Presentations of Learning. They did a great job! We are very proud of our students for working hard and learning well this semester. Semester 1 report cards will be mailed home early next week. 

We hope all students and families have a wonderful, safe, restful, and fun winter break. We will see you back Monday, January 9th. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

-DVS Staff

Posted in Uncategorized

Announcements from Real World Learning Director (12.15.2022)

Posted on by

For students interested in media production:

Fresh Films is now enrolling for their free weekly filmmaking program. In-person classes take place on Thursdays after school at the Boys and Girls Club of the Los Angeles Harbor. Virtual classes are also available. Registration ends December 31st. Fresh Films is also offering participants ages 16 and older are eligible to gain an on-set apprenticeship or paid internship. Click here for more information.

For students interested in mentorship opportunities:

Stanford University’s Qualia Global Scholars Summer Mentorship Program for students in grades 6-12 is now taking applicants. This program is designed to empower students to become future global leaders in the fields of liberal arts and STEM. Students are paired with Stanford mentors. Need-based financial aid is available. Click here for more information.

For students interested in travel and photography:

National Geographic is offering a China expedition to high school students in the summer. Students will be feeding pandas, photographing the Great Wall, going on an overnight camping trek and meeting photo editors at National Geographic magazine’s China Headquarters. To learn more, click here.

For students interested in leadership and social justice:

Apply to be part of Harvard’s Caring Common’s Youth Advisory Board. This board brings together a diverse group of high school students from across the country who are committed to making schools more caring respectful places. As a member you will help create solutions to some of the most pressing social challenges. To learn more, click here. For the application, please email yab@makingcaringcommon.org.

For students interested in tech:

New Earth is offering paid tech training starting in January in the areas of IT Support, Web3, content creation, entrepreneurship training, coding, marketing, and more. To sign up for more information, click here.

The Paradigm Challenge: The Paradigm Challenge, a competition based in Los Angeles, invites students aged 4 to 18 worldwide to submit an idea, invention, mobile app, or any solution that solves real-life problems presented in this year’s Paradigm Challenge. Participants with the top idea from each age division (4-8, 9-13, and 14-18) move up to the next round and compete for The Paradigm Challenge Prize of $100,000. Learn more about it here.

For students interested in entrepreneurship:

The Conrad Challenge: The Conrad Challenge is a purpose-driven innovation competition creating the next generation of entrepreneurs who will change the world. Anyone aged 13-18 is called to expand their collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and communication skills. Design an innovation, solve an important problem, and change the world through this challenge. Registration is now open so register here.

Blue Ocean Competition: Blue ocean competition calls high school students from anywhere in the world to take part in the world’s biggest virtual entrepreneurship competition. Participants need to complete the online Blue Ocean Mini Course before submitting the pitch and they can compete individually or as part of a team (max 5 students per team). Learn more about it here.

 

For more information, please contact Crissel Rodriguez, Director of Real World Learning, at crodriguez@davincischools.org.

Posted in Real World Learning

South Bay Families Connected Resources

Posted on by

Our youth wellness partner, South Bay Families Connected, invites you to connect with their free and accessible online parent and guardian resources to help provide you and your children with self-care and greater connection this holiday season. Below are resources featured this month:

For resources created for students, visit the SBFC Virtual Teen Center where a wide variety of mental health and wellness topics are covered. To see more youth wellness resources provided by Da Vinci Schools and SBFC, please visit Da Vinci Schools Families Connected.

Posted in Uncategorized

Vocal Music/Choir Interest Form

Posted on by

Da Vinci is thrilled to announce we will be offering a new Vocal Music/Choir class on Mondays and Tuesdays from 4:00-6:00PM in the Black Box Theater at 201 N. Douglas St. beginning on January 17, 2023. This class is open to high school students from ALL Da Vinci schools. Students are expected to attend both days each week throughout the 2nd semester. No prior vocal music/choir experience required.

Da Vinci welcomes Alexi Paraschos as our new choir teacher. Alexi has more than 14 years of experience as a music teacher and choir director. Welcome, Alexi!

If you are interested in participating in Vocal Music/Choir, please complete the Interest Form HERE. We can’t wait to get started!

Posted in Student Life

Week 18 Schedule

Posted on by

We had another great and very busy week at DVS! Students finished up their week of core classes and regular schedule and have been preparing for their Presentations of Learning next week. We had a few great field trips as well! 

Biomedical Pathway students went to BioScienceLA in Culver City to engage with professionals in the industry and complete a design challenge.

Civil Engineering Pathway students presented their final Amusement Park and pitched their ideas through story to the Gensler Architect firm in downtown LA. They did a great job working with and impressing our industry partners! 

The entire junior class went to Griffith Observatory to spend some quality time together before POL week.

Next week is the last week of 1st semester! 

  • Da Vinci Fall Surveys: Thank you to those who have already filled out the fall survey. If you have not done so already, please take a few minutes to provide your feedback. We’d love to hear from parents and students, and your voice is vital for our continued growth and success!
  • Fall Parent/Guardian Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/dv_parent_survey_fall22 
  • Student Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/dv_student_survey_fall22
  • Presentations of Learning: We are excited for the beginning of Presentations of Learning for our 9th-11th grade students next week! (12th-grade students will be taking finals) Click here for an information sheet for families with details about presentations of learning. All POLs will be scheduled between Monday 12/12 and Thursday 12/15, and we encourage parents and guardians to come and watch your student’s POL. Please ask your student for their presentation time.
  • PowerSchool Access: Please note that PowerSchool access is turned off while teachers complete final evaluations of students’ grades. 
  • CHYA Presentations: Dr. Green and Nurse Lucero will be presenting the health & sexual education curriculum (“CHYA”, or “California Healthy Youth Act”) to freshmen throughout next week. Click this link to read the notification letter from Dr. Green. If you have any questions about the content that will be covered, please email Dr. Green at egreen@davincischools.org. Parents have the right to “opt-out” of this presentation for their child; if you wish to do so, please email Saya Wai, DVS Dean of Students, at swai@davincischools.org. 
  • First-semester report cards will be mailed home on Monday, 12/19. Students will have a 3-week winter break, and the second semester begins on Monday, January 9th.

Important Upcoming Dates:

  • 12/12-12/15, Monday-Thursday: Presentations of Learning – Early Dismissal at 2:25 all week
  • 12/15, Thursday: Last day of Semester 1
  • 12/16, Friday: Professional Development Day, No School
  • 12/19-1/6: Winter Break (No School)
  • Monday, 1/9: School Resumes & Semester 2 Begins
  • Monday, 1/16: Martin Luther King Holiday
  • Thursday, 1/19: School Site Council Meeting #2 at 4:30 
  • School Calendar Link
Posted in Uncategorized

Announcements from Real World Learning Director (12.7.2022)

Posted on by

For students interested in leadership opportunities:

The Metaverse Leadership Learning Academy is an initiative where students from LA County ages 14 to 18 years (high school students) have an opportunity to participate in a free 6-week Metaverse course and receive a certification. The Academy will be open to only the top 100 applicants across Los Angeles. To learn more, click here.

 

For students interested in art:

Indivisible Arts, a non-profit organization dedicated to arts youth programming in Hermosa Beach, is offering scholarships for students who want to attend their programs. To apply for their scholarship, please click here.

 

For students interested in exploring career options:

Applications are now open for the Airport Police Youth Cadet Program. This program helps instill leadership, academic excellence, life skills, and discipline into its participants. The program also seeks to empower students into maximizing their personal, scholastic, and life potential as well as providing early insight into what a career in law enforcement would be like at the Los Angeles International Airport. In order to join the cadet program a person must be between the ages of 13 and 17, maintain a 2.5-grade point average, have no serious criminal record, obtain a medical examination, and complete the cadet academy. The program is free. Participants do not have to be interested in law enforcement as a career to be part of the program. To learn more and apply, click here.

For more information, please contact Crissel Rodriguez, Director of Real World Learning, at crodriguez@davincischools.org.

Posted in Real World Learning

Cal State Application deadline has been extended

Posted on by

Hello Senior Families!  I want to share an update:

While the November 30 priority deadline has passed, some CSU campuses have extended their Cal State application deadlines for freshman applicants. Deadline extensions may range from mid-December to end of January. If students are still interested in applying to CSU campuses, please review the Application Dates & Deadlines page for more information on which campuses are still open and their deadlines. Some campus deadline extensions are major specific, so please review details. 

If you have additional questions, please reach out to either:

 

Ms. Marquez, College Counselor : fmarquez@davincischools.org

Mr. Perez, College, Career and Life Teacher: rperez@davincischools.org

Posted in College Counseling

El Camino College’s Dual Enrollment Webinar Recording

Posted on by

Hello DVS families! I hope you’ve had a great week and are ready for the weekend.  Thank you to all the students and families that joined El Camino College’s Dual Enrollment Webinar.  Here is the recording and here are the slides.This webinar has general information regarding dual enrollment at El Camino College.  If you need information on Dual Enrollment at DVS, please contact Ms. Marquez directly at fmarquez@davincischools.org

Have a lovely weekend!

 

Posted in College Counseling

Week 16 & 17 Schedules (+CHYA Information)

Posted on by

Hi, DVS Families!

It has been a terrific week coming back from Thanksgiving break, and the end of the semester is quickly approaching! This post/email is a bit longer than usual because there is a lot of info to share about the last 2 weeks of the semester:

Please note that students will be dismissed early at 2:25pm on Thursday 12/8 and Friday 12/9 as well as all week from Monday 12/12 to Thursday 12/15.

Student Grades: This is an important time to sit down with your student and check their grades in Canvas and Powerschool. Click here for the Powerschool website; login information was included on the grade reports that were sent home earlier this semester and you can email Liz Diaz at ediaz@davincischools.org if you need your username and password.  Currently, there may be some discrepancies between Canvas and PowerSchool, we are working with IT on this issue, thank you for your patience. 

Presentations of Learning: “POL” preparation begins next week for students in grades 9-11! (Seniors will be taking final exams instead of doing POLs) Click here for an information sheet for families with details about presentations of learning. All POLs will be scheduled between Monday 12/12 and Thursday 12/15.

Parent Office Hours with Grace & Saya: Parent Office Hours with administration will be held every even week. Since it is Week 16, we will be meeting at this zoom link this Thursday, December 8th from 4:30-5:30. This will be a casual time of updating, chatting, and Q&A.

CHYA Presentations: Dr. Green and Nurse Lucero will be presenting the health & sexual education curriculum (“CHYA”, or “California Healthy Youth Act”) to freshmen throughout POL week. Click this link to read the notification letter from Dr. Green. If you have any questions about the content that will be covered, please email Dr. Green at egreen@davincischools.org. Parents have the right to “opt-out” of this presentation for their child; if you wish to do so, please email Saya Wai, DVS Dean of Students, at swai@davincischools.org. 

First semester report cards will be mailed home on Monday, 12/19. Students will have a 3-week winter break, and the second semester begins on Monday, January 9th:

Important Upcoming Dates:

  • 12/3 Saturday, Winter Fest 11:00-3:00pm
  • 12/8-12/15, Thursday-Thursday: Presentations of Learning – Early Dismissal at 2:25 all week
  • 12/15, Thursday: Last day of Semester 1
  • 12/16, Friday: Professional Development Day, No School
  • 12/19-1/6: Winter Break (No School)
  • Monday, 1/9: School Resumes & Semester 2 Begins
  • School Calendar Link
Posted in Uncategorized