The Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department (LA Civil Rights), in collaboration with Communities In Schools of Los Angeles (CISLA) and Picture Motion, will be hosting a panel discussion and private screening of the film The Space Race, which highlights the stories of Black astronauts striving to overcome social injustice. You can watch the trailer here.
EVENT DATE, TIME, & LOCATION: Saturday, March 2nd @ 10 am PT Regal Cinemas at L.A. Live 1000 W Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015
Special guests include Councilman Curren D. Price, Jr.; Monique Hudson of the California Science Center; Joey Jefferson of JPL; and Capri Maddox of the Los Angeles Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department.
Middle and high-school-aged youth to attend with their families! Admission is free, and swag and refreshments will be available for all attendees.
If you have any questions please contact Ms. Crissel Rodriguez, Director of Real World Learning, at crodriguez@davincischools.org.
Learn more about amazing RWL Opportunities here!
Last week was another action-packed week at DVS. Over last weekend’s President’s Day weekend, 28 Da Vinci Science students participated in the Youth & Government’s Mock Legislature and Court Conference in Sacramento. This four-day event, which drew over 2,000 students from across the state, provided a platform for young minds to debate bills, create proposals, and argue significant issues that affect our state and country.
Nick Alvarez was named Media Delegate of the Year!
Miriam Johnson was awarded Exemplary Appellate Attorney, from over 200 delegates in the program area!
Camila Gomez and her Respondent team in Appellate Court won their court case!
Awishkar Sherstha, Lucia Moreno, and Shawn Park’s budget proposal passed and signed by the Youth Governor!
Phong Nguyen, Jamie Rigor, and Chiagozie Offokansi’s separate bills were passed by both chambers in the Forum program!
Con Con delegates Audrey Miller, Ellaina Kimura, Adrian Luna, and Alex Zakrzewski were able to collect over 100 signatures and create five proposals for the California Constitution!
Sol Jordan successfully argued our Delegation’s bill in committee and ran the Queer Caucus as the Chair for the last three years!
Andrew Charney, Sofia Gallardo, and William Park’s $5 million health proposal was accepted and funded by the California Investment Bank!
All delegates worked incredibly hard, forged new friendships, and came away proud of themselves and each other. Congratulations and a job well done, Y&G!
Also this week, 12th-grade students culminated in their Government/Economics class campaigns and elections unit in a debate between the remaining three presidential candidates. Students have been preparing their platforms, campaigns, and speeches for weeks to demonstrate democracy on our campus. Congratulations to Mano Rajesh for winning the Presidential Campaign and to TJ Kidd for Vice President!
SWE (Society of Women in Engineering) and CIM (Computer Integrated Manufacturing) classes went to AltaSea Ocean Institute in San Pedro. Students learned about various interesting projects including underwater robotics, sustainable surfboards, sustainable seafood, research with Fish and Wildlife, and kelp artists to name a few.
It was also great to see parents and families at the Parent Advisory Committee meeting this week as well as the Parent Advisory Group. We always enjoy time with our parents and families. All families are welcome to join any of those meetings.
We also hope students enjoyed the Spring Dance Friday night!
Week 25 Announcements & Reminders:
College Planning Info Nights:Our College and Career Counselor, Ms. Francisca Marquez, and our Academic Counselors, Ms. Carolyn Ruiz and Ms. Corinne Valle will be hosting grade-level specific College Planning Information Sessions. Come learn about graduation requirements, DVS pathways, college admission criteria, types of colleges and career options, financial aid/scholarships, and more! These meetings will be on the DVS campus. All DVS students and families are invited to attend! Schedule is:
9th Grade Tuesday, March 5th @ 5pm
10th Grade: Thursday, March 7th @5pm
11th Grade: Wednesday, March 13th @5pm
DVS Families Coffee Time:Our March DVS Families Coffee Time is Wednesday, March 6th from 4:15-5:15 in the DVS Galileo Room. All DVS parents/guardians, students, and staff are welcome to attend.
Student-Led Conferences:Spring 2024 Student-Led Conferences (SLCs) are coming up! They will take place from Monday-Thursday, March 18th-21st. More information about SLCs, including the schedule, will be released through grade-level teachers by the first week of March. Due to SLCs, students will be dismissed early at 2:25 pm every day that week.
Exhibition Night:Our Da Vinci Science Exhibition Night is Tuesday, March 26th from 5:30pm-8:00pm! Students of all grade-levels will be showcasing their projects and learnings from this year. All students are expected to attend this event and all families and community guests are welcome to attend!
Honors Certificates:Honors certificates will be passed out next week (there was a slight delay).
Honor roll: 3.5-3.79 Semester 1 GPA
High Honor roll: 3.8 and above Semester 1 GPA
After-School Study Skills: DVS Academic Coaches provide free academic support after school Monday-Thursday 4:00pm-4:30pm. There is now an Academic Coach dedicated to math support for all four days, including pre-calculus! Students can drop by the Robinson Room for academic support in any subject area, no appointment is needed. Please encourage students to make use of this valuable resource.
Parent Association Meetings: Parent Association meetings are on the 3rd Wednesday of every month at 6:15pm. All parents and guardians are included in the DVS Parents Association – there is nothing to formally join. All are welcome! Future meetings:
We are thrilled to announce that Da Vinci Schools will be hosting its first-ever Trades Fair! This event is an excellent opportunity for our students to explore various career paths and gain insights into the world of skilled trades.
Date: Thursday, March 28th Time: 1pm to 5pm (The Trades Fair will be open to parents from 4pm to 5pm) Location: Da Vinci Schools Black Box Theater
201 N Douglas St. El Segundo
At the Trades Fair, students will have the chance to interact with schools from different trades, participate in hands-on activities, and learn about the diverse opportunities available in fields such as aviation mechanics, automotive technology, birthwork, construction, cosmetology and make-up artistry, dental hygienist, fire technology, welding, and more.
Some of our participating schools include:
Make-Up Designory Birthworkers of Color Collective West LA College Savvy Beauty Academy McKallen Medical Training Center El Camino College Universal Technical Institute
If you have any questions please contact Ms. Crissel Rodriguez, Director of Real World Learning, at crodriguez@davincischools.org.
Learn more about amazing RWL Opportunities here!
We had a very packed and fun week this week at DVS! It was joyous to see staff and students dressed up this week to have some fun and show school spirit. We also enjoyed showing love to our students on Valentine’s Day with flowers. 11th graders had a field trip to NACAC (National Association for College Admission Counseling) where students received lots of information and advice about various colleges and their admissions policies. We also want to wish our Youth & Government delegation a wonderful time at the Model Legislature & Court Conference in Sacramento! Thank you for representing Da Vinci Science in civic knowledge, awareness, and action!
We wish everyone a happy three-day weekend. There will be no school on Monday, 2/19, in honor of President’s Day.
Week 24 Announcements & Reminders:
Grade Updates: Grades were updated this week. All coursework and grading information will continue to be through Canvas.
Honors Certificates:honors certificates will be passed our during next week.
Honor roll: 3.5-3.79 Semester 1 GPA
High Honor roll: 3.8 and above Semester 1 GPA
After-School Study Skills: DVS Academic Coaches provide free academic support after school Monday-Thursday 4:00pm-4:30pm. There is now a Academic Coach dedicated to math support for all four days, including pre-calculus! Students can drop by the Robinson Room for academic support in any subject area, no appointment needed. Please encourage students to make use of this valuable resource.
Parent Association Meeting: The next DVS Parent Association meeting is Wednesday, February 21st at 6:15pm on the DVS floor. All parents and guardians are included in the DVS Parents Association – there is nothing to formally join. Just show up to meet other parents and help out the school on various projects whenever you are able. All are welcome!
Parent Advisory Committee:Our third Parent Advisory Committee meeting is on Wednesday, February 21st at 4pm via this Zoom link. We will send members a reminder email next week, but any parent/guardian is invited to attend.
Opt-in SAT School Day: As an opportunity for our students, DVS is hosting an additional, optional SAT School Day in April. DVS 10th and 11th-grade students can opt-in to take the SAT during this school day, free of charge, by completing this Spring 2024 DVS Opt-in SAT School Day Interest Form by Friday, February 23rd (a Da Vinci Google account is required to fill out the form). If there is a lot of interest, priority will be given to 11th-grade students. Please direct questions to DVS Assistant Principal, Saya Wai, at swai@davincischools.org.
Week 24 Schedule:
We love our students!
Pink on Valentine’s Day to share the love
Spirit Week: Soccer moms vs. BBQ dads
NACAC Conference:
Important Upcoming Dates:
Monday, 2/19: President’s Day – No School
Friday-Monday, 2/16-2/19: Youth & Government Conference
Monday-Thursday, 3/18-3/21: Student Led Conferences
Real World Learning Opportunities will now be accessible through Canvas, our online learning platform.
To ensure that your child doesn’t miss out on any of these valuable experiences, we encourage them to enroll in the “Real World Learning Opportunities” course on Canvas. By enrolling, they will receive all the latest announcements regarding real-world learning experiences, including volunteer opportunities, internships, community service projects, and other enriching activities.
Learn more about amazing RWL Opportunities here!
If you have any questions please contact Ms. Crissel Rodriguez, Director of Real World Learning, at crodriguez@davincischools.org.
Hello Junior Families! I hope you had a restful weekend. Tomorrow is the NACAC College Fair. In preparation for the event, I encourage you and your student to review the list of participating institutions. For the event tomorrow, we will ask students to visit at least 5-10 colleges (or more) and ask the admissions representative questions from a College Fair Checklist. Students will receive a physical copy of the checklist tomorrow. These questions are designed to gain more information on admissions requirements, student life, housing options, and much more. This activity encourages students and their families to start exploring which colleges they may apply to. We are looking to incorporate student findings and reflections from the NACAC College Fair during their SLCs.
We are looking forward to attending the NACAC Fair! Please reach out to Ms. Marquez if you have any questions.
We continue to celebrate and honor Black History Month! Students have decorated the campus and our students in BSU (Black Student Union) and NSBE (National Society of Black Engineers) did a beautiful job planning and hosting CD with the whole school. It was so special to see our students perform, sing, and dance to celebrate Black history. It was also fun watching the teachers learn some dance moves and try to keep up with the students.
This week was also National School Counseling Week! We are enormously grateful to our amazing counselors, Ms. Francisca Marquez, Ms. Carolyn Ruiz, and Ms. Corinne Valle, for their dedication to supporting students through their academic, socio-emotional, and college and career planning needs. We love our counselors!
We also celebrated National Signing Day on February 7th. Congratulations to:
Arianna Caldwell: Diving, University of Iowa
Cody Evans: Volleyball, UC Merced
Jillian Silvers: Gymnastics, University of Arizona
Kennedy Crosby: Softball, Chapman University
We are so very proud of you!
Week 23 Announcements & Reminders:
Grade Updates:Grades should be up-to-date on Tuesday, 2/13. All coursework and grading information will continue to be through Canvas.
Spirit Week:Next week (2/12-2/16) is Spirit Week! We are looking forward to seeing our classrooms filled with Spirit Week fun! Please keep in mind that the DVS Dress Code still applies during Spirit Week.
Monday, 2/12: BBQ Dad vs. Soccer Mom
Tuesday, 2/13: Trendy Tuesday
Wednesday, 2/14: On Wednesdays We Wear Pink
Thursday, 2/15: Anything but a Backpack
Friday, 2/16: Iconic Duo
11th Grade NACAC Field Trip:11th-grade students will be taking a field trip to the NACAC (National Association of College Admissions and Counseling) College Fair in Pasadena next Tuesday, February 13th. We hope our juniors will take full advantage of this opportunity to meet college representatives to ask questions and gather information.
Opt-in SAT School Day:DVS is hosting an additional, optional SAT School Day in April. DVS 10th and 11th-grade students can opt-in to take the SAT during this school day, free of charge, by completing this Spring 2024 DVS Opt-in SAT School Day Interest Form by Friday, February 23rd (a Da Vinci Google account is required to fill out the form). If there is a lot of interest, priority will be given to 11th-grade students. Please direct questions to DVS Assistant Principal, Saya Wai, at swai@davincischools.org.
Spring Dance Rescheduled: Due to poor weather conditions forecasted this week, the Spring Dance is rescheduled for Friday, 2/23/24. For all individuals who have already purchased tickets, tickets will be valid for this new date. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact DVS’s school’s Leadership advisor, Brooke Allyn, at ballyn@davincischools.org.
Honors Sign-Up Form:Students should have the information they need to indicate which honors they will be pursuing on the Spring 2024 Honors Sign-Up Form(a Da Vinci Google account is required to fill out the form). The form is due Friday, February 16th.
Yearbook:The yearbook is available for purchase at http://www.yearbookordercenter.com. Use the school code 19656. The current price is $50 (+$5 processing fee) but will be increased to $60 (+$5 processing fee) on March 15th. Orders will be accepted through May 16th or when the last book is sold, whichever comes first. For more information, please contact Travis Wimer, DVS Yearbook Advisor, at twimer@davincischools.org.
Week 23 Schedule:
Important Upcoming Dates:
Tuesday, 2/13: 11th Grade NACAC Field Trip
Wednesday, 2/14: ELPAC Testing
Monday, 2/19: President’s Day – No School
Friday-Monday, 2/16-2/19: Youth & Government Conference
Monday-Thursday, 3/18-3/21: Student Led Conferences
The 25th Annual Los Angeles Black College Expo is happening this Saturday February 10th at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with representatives from a variety of historically black colleges and universities, as well as other educational institutions.
Discover scholarship opportunities, explore academic programs, and get all your questions answered. Meet with over 100 colleges. Whether you’re a high school student or a parent, this event is a must-attend for anyone interested in pursuing higher education. Applications fees waived and Scholarships awarded on the SPOT!
SENIORS: You can get Accepted on the SPOT, if you bring your transcript. Please reach out to Ms. Marquez for a copy. Details are below:
We had a great week! Students are getting settled into their learning and making progress in their projects. Next week will be a short week. Friday, 2/9 is a PD day, there will be no school for students.
Week 22 Announcements & Reminders:
DVS Families Coffee Time:Our February DVS Families Coffee Time is this coming Wednesday, February 7th from 4:15-5:15 in the DVS Galileo Room. All DVS parents/guardians, students, and staff are welcome to attend.
Spring Dance: The Parisian Garden Spring Dance will take place in the West Plaza of the 201 N. Douglas campus on February 9th from 6pm-9pm. Early bird tickets are available for purchase for $25 until 11:59pm on February 4th (after which tickets will be available for purchase for $30 until 12:00pm on February 9th). Buy tickets online at MySchoolBucks.
Honors Sign-Up Form: By the end of Week 22, students should have the information they need to indicate which honors they will be pursuing on the Spring 2024 Honors Sign-Up Form(a Da Vinci Google account is required to fill out the form). The form is due on Friday, February 16th.
Yearbook:The yearbook is available for purchase at http://www.yearbookordercenter.com. Use the school code 19656. The current price is $50 (+$5 processing fee) but will be increased to $60 (+$5 processing fee) on March 15th. Orders will be accepted through May 16th or when the last book is sold, whichever comes first. For more information, please contact Travis Wimer, DVS Yearbook Advisor, at twimer@davincischools.org.
Week 22 Schedule:
Important Upcoming Dates:
Wednesday, 2/7: DVS Families Coffee Time @ 4:15pm in the DVS Galileo Room
Friday, 2/9: Professional Development Day – No School
Friday, 2/9: Spring Dance
Monday, 2/19: President’s Day – No School
Friday-Monday, 2/16-2/19: Youth & Government Conference
Monday-Thursday, 3/18-3/21: Student Led Conferences
Tuesday, 3/26: DVS Exhibition Night
Saturday, 4/14 Optional SAT, priority to 11th graders
Senior Presidential Debates:
