Da Vinci Science

Da Vinci Science held our first Neurodiversity Celebration Week last week. As we continue to strive to be a school that embraces diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, we had lessons and lunch activities to celebrate Neurodiversity acceptance. Thank you staff and student leaders for initiating this week and empowering students to embrace and accept all learners. 

Our Sophomores had a great day outdoors at Temescal Canyon. Students built stamina and confidence through rigorous hikes, challenging ropes courses, and archery! Thank you, Fulcrum for leading this team-bonding learning experience for our students. 

Da Vinci Science’s Society of Women Engineers (SWE) club was invited to attend the MUSES Woman of the Year Luncheon at the Jonathan Club in downtown LA yesterday. Dr. Laurie Leshin (first woman director of JPL) was the 2024 honoree. This distinguished geochemist and space scientist shared about her journey from a NASA college internship to her current role managing JPL and Caltech teams that explore space. Thank you to the SMET Foundation for sponsoring our girls! What a treat!

This past week, 9th graders had their college visit to El Camino College. Students had a great time getting a feel for college life and getting a feel for the amazing resources that El Camino has to offer. Thank you, Ms. Marquez and Team 9 for providing students with this opportunity.

Last Friday, juniors had a wonderful immersive pathway experience at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Students had hands-on learning experiences as they engaged in Cal Poly’s motto of “Learn by Doing.” Students in all three pathways had the opportunity to learn from Cal Poly professors and DVS alumni.  

Announcements & Reminders for Week 33:

• PD Day Friday, 5/3: No school Friday due to PD day. 

• Prom Friday, 5/3: Prom is this Friday, May 3 6:00pm – 10:00pm at the Wallis Annenberg Building (3737 S Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90007). Prom contracts should have been signed and sent to Brooke Allyn. Please contact Brooke for any questions, at ballyn@davincischools.org
• DVS Families Coffee Time: Coffee time for May is next week, Wednesday, May 1st, from 4:15-5:15. All DVS parents/guardians, students, and staff are welcome to attend via Zoom or in-person on the DVS floor. Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/3108950461 

• Teachers Appreciation Week-  Teacher Appreciation Week is May 6th -10th, and this year the DVS Parent Association is organizing several different opportunities for families to show their support to our amazing faculty and staff! Please use the link below to sign up to donate items and to help celebrate DVS teachers and staff: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C44AEAF2AA2F49-49310868-dvsteacher#/ 

• 24-25 Da Vinci Calendar can be found on the DV Website linked here: DV 24-25 Calendar 

 

Week 33 Schedule: 

Please note that Week 33 is a 4-day school week with a special schedule.

 

Important Upcoming Dates: 

• Thursday, 5/16: Senior Awards Night, 6:00pm  
• Tuesday-Friday, 5/28-5/31 POL week 
• Wednesday, 6/5, Last Day of School 
• DVS Graduation Day: June 6th, 9:00am

 

Neurodiversity Celebration Week

9th Grade El Camino Visit

10th Grade Fulcrum Day in Temescal Canyon

11th grade Pathways Experience at Cal Poly SLO

SWE at MUSES Women of the Year Luncheon

Hello DVS families,  Thank you to all the families and students who attended our  Answering the Biggest College Admissions Questions: Academics, Internships, STEM and more workshop yesterday.  Here are the presentation slides.

You may also contact Ian Parker from CollegeWise if you have follow-up questions: iparker@collegewise.com 

Week 32 Schedule & Updates 

We are very grateful to our staff and students for all their hard work and dedication to making our school the best for students. Every week is filled with thoughtful classroom activities, project-based learning, community outreach, and real-world learning through field trips and guest speakers.  We encourage students to keep striving and heed every learning opportunity that suits their interests!  

This past week, students from Ms. Jessi’s Aviation seminar visited Torrance Airport (KTOA) where they had an opportunity to tour the control tower to learn about what it takes to become an air traffic controller, visited a flight school to talk to instructors and current students, and most excitingly everyone had a chance to put their flight training to the test by flying in the left seat as student pilot in command. That’s right…students flew real airplanes!

Medical Interventions seniors visited the LA Zoo to get ideas for their Capstone Project. This year, seniors are learning about biomimicry, and innovating biomedical designs inspired by nature. The visit to the LA Zoo gave our seniors inspiration from what nature has already designed and perfected through millions of years of evolution and adaptation. Students will partner with a professor and student mentors from Cal Poly SLO on their final design project.

Students from our Robotics Team, the Vitruvian Bots, and SWE (Society of Women in Engineering) volunteered their time to share the love of STEM with younger kids at Washington Elementary School’s STEAM Night. Team 4201 showcased their robot, Forte, and entertained and impressed families by having the robot “play catch” with them. SWE students engaged students in hands-on learning by showing how chemicals mixed with cold water and color dye can coagulate to form fun and safe jelly-like substances to play with. DVS students did a great job making an impact on the broader community!

Announcements & Reminders for Week 32:

• Neurodiversity Week (4/22-4/26)–This week, we will be celebrating Neurodiversity Week at DVS. From ADHD to autism, dyslexia, and more, the Neurodiversity Planning Committee is excited to host a week celebrating minds of all kinds! Join us in promoting acceptance by stopping by our ND tables during lunch on Tuesday and wearing red on Wednesday. 
• 10th Grade Fulcum Day- Monday, 4/22, Sophomores will have their teambuilding day with Fulcrum. Students will spend the day at Temescal Canyon and engage in outdoor activities such as ropes course, archery, and hiking. We hope the students enjoy the day together at a different setting!
• Collegewise Workshop- Monday, 4/22, 5:00 in Galileo Room. Topic will be: Answering the Biggest College Admissions Questions: Academics, Internships, STEM and more. This workshop is presented by our partners at CollegeWise. Please RSVP here.   
• 9th Grade El Camino Field Trip– 9th graders will have their college visit field trip to El Camino College this Wednesday, 4/24. 
• Parent Advisory Committee Meeting– PAC Committee meeting this Wednesday 4:15-5:15 on this zoom link:  https://zoom.us/j/3108950461. On the agenda: Review of LCAP Goals 4 and 5 and recommendations for 24-25 school year.

This week’s schedule:

 

Neurodiversity Week:

Aviation Seminar- Flying at Torrance Airport

 

 

Vitruvian Bots representing at Washington Elementary STEAM Night:

SWE representing at Washington Elementary STEAM Night:

 

Important Upcoming Dates: 

• Monday, 4/22: CollegeWise College Admissions Workshop 5:00 pm
• Monday, 4/22: 10th Grade Fulcrum Day
• Wednesday, 4/24: Parent Advisory Committee Meeting
• Friday, 4/26: Cal Poly SLO Pathways Field Trip
• Wednesday, 5/1: DVS Families Coffee 4:15 pm
• Friday, 5/3: PD Day and Prom 
• Thursday, 5/16: Senior Awards Night, 6:00pm  
• Tuesday-Friday, 5/28-5/31 POL week 
• Wednesday, 6/5, Last Day of School 
• DVS Graduation Day: June 6th, 9:00am

Helpful Links:

DV/Wiseburn Athletics  

DVS Planning Calendar 

DVS Announcements Slidedeck  

DVS News YouTube Channel

 

DVS had a very eventful week! Students did a great job with MAP testing and SBAC testing this week. We also had meaningful team bonding activities with led by Fulcrum. With the theme of “Team Building and Communication,” 9th grade built towers from straws, put together boats and raced them, and played other fun communication games together. With the theme of “Overcoming Challenges Together,” Team 11 had an active scavenger hunt throughout downtown LA and enjoyed solving problems and completing their tasks together. Students had a great time on their Fulcrum Days.

11th graders also got a taste of college life in their college visits to LMU and USC. DVS Alumni served as their tour guides and it was so special to see successful DVS Alumni sharing their college experiences with our current students.

We also had our wonderful mentors from Rock the Street, Wall Street. Rock the Street, Wall Street is a non-profit organization that partners with schools to inspire future generations of women to consider careers in business and finance. Cetera provided eight female mentors who held financial literacy lessons and workshops throughout the year. Thank you, Rock the Street, Wall Street and Cetera!

Week 31 Announcements & Reminders: 

• • Game Day DVS Physics 4/15- You’re Invited! Come play physicists’ games they designed for the Games for Change competition this Monday, April 15th periods 1-4 in the forum/science hub!

• Opt-In SAT Day– Students who are opting in to take the SAT on Monday, April 15th will be on a schedule day this day. Get plent of rest this weekend and eat a hearty breakfast that morning!

• Parent Association 

• • Meeting Date and Time Change: The Parent Association Meeting date and time has been changed for this month to Wednesday, April 24th at 12pm on the DVS floor. We apologize for any inconvenience. This month, we will be discussing Teacher Appreciation Week! All DVS parents are welcome to attend.
  • Advisory Fundraiser: The DVS Parent Association is fundraising for our advisories. You can use this link:  https://davincischools.networkforgood.com/, select Da Vinci Science, and write “DVS Advisory Fundraiser” in the notes to donate to this fundraiser.
• CollegeWise Workshops: DVS is partnering with CollegeWise to support students and families to prepare for college. CollegeWise will be presenting two workshops this month on the DVS floor. All students and families are welcome to attend! The next workshop is Answering the Biggest College Admissions Questions: Academics, Internships, STEM and more on Monday, April 22th, from 5:00pm-6:00pm on the DVS floor. RSVP here

 

Week 31 Schedule:

Important Upcoming Dates: 

• Monday, 4/15: Opt-in SAT School Day 
• Tuesday, 4/16: Medical Interventions Zoo Field Trip 
• Wednesday, 4/17: Parent Association Meeting 6:15
• Monday, 4/22: CollegeWise College Admissions Workshop 5:00 pm
• Monday, 4/22: 10th Grade Fulcrum Day
• Wednesday, 4/24: Parent Advisory Committee Meeting
• Friday, 4/26: Cal Poly SLO Pathways Field Trip  
• DVS Graduation Day: June 6th, 9:00am

Helpful Links:

DV/Wiseburn Athletics  

DVS Planning Calendar 

DVS Announcements Slidedeck  

DVS News YouTube Channel

9th Grade Fulcrum Day- Tower Building

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11th Grade Fulcrum Day DLTA Scavenger Hunt

Rock the Street, Wall Street Mentors from Cetera

College Visit – LMU

College Visit – USC

Join us for Physics Game Day!

Hello DVS families,  Thank you to all the families and students who attended our How to Choose the Right Major and Explore your Interests workshop on Monday.  Here are the presentation slides.

You may also contact Kate Strzelecki from CollegeWise if you have follow-up questions: KateS@collegewise.com 

Hello DVS Families!  We hope you had a wonderful Spring Break. Please join us TONIGHT, April 8th at 5pm for How to Choose the Right Major and Explore your Interests:  A workshop presented by CollegeWise.  RSVP here

Upcoming Event

Answering the Biggest College Admissions Questions: Academics, Internships, STEM and more. Workshop presented by CollegeWise. Monday, April 22th, 5:00pm-6:00pm. RSVP here. 

We hope to see you tonight! Please contact Ms. Marquez, College and Career Counselor if you have any questions:

fmarquez@davincischools.org 

 

Welcome Back! We hope all families had a wonderful Spring Break. We look forward to welcoming students back to school tomorrow, Monday, April 8th. 

Before the break, the Houseplants 101 Seminar visited the Dodgers Stadium Botanic Gardens where they learned about soil quality, propagation, careers in horticulture, and what it takes to care for the only MLB stadium with a botanic garden designation.

Society of Women Engineers (SWE) students participated in the DV Connect STEAM Carnival on March 27th. They represented chemical engineering with popping boba, biomedical engineering by simulating healthy lungs vs. smoker’s lungs, and mechanical engineering by building claws to get trash out of the ocean. 

We are grateful for real-world learning experiences and community outreach events. We have a very busy and eventful remainder of the semester and we are looking forward to finishing the semester well!

A lot is happening this week!

Week 30 Announcements & Reminders: 

• 9th Grade Fulcrum Day: 9th Grade Fulcrum Day is happening tomorrow, Monday, April 8th. Fulcrum will come to campus and lead our 9th graders in a day of teamwork, communication, and fun! Please dress comfortably.
• DVS Families Coffee Time: This month’s coffee time is this week, Wednesday, April 10th from 4:15-5:15. All DVS parents/guardians, students, and staff are welcome to attend via Zoom or in-person on the DVS floor. Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/3108950461 
• CollegeWise Workshops: DVS is partnering with CollegeWise to support students and families to prepare for college. CollegeWise will be presenting two workshops this month on the DVS floor. All students and families are welcome to attend!
  • Monday, April 8th, 5:00pm-6:00pm at DVS: How to Choose the Right Major and Explore your Interests – RSVP here
  • Monday, April 22th, 5:00pm-6:00pm at DVS: Answering the Biggest College Admissions Questions: Academics, Internships, STEM and more – RSVP here
• 11th Grade State Testing: 11th-grade students at DVS will participate in California State Testing (SBAC and CAST) on Tuesday, 4/9 and Wednesday, 4/10. See the notification letter here. Tests will consist of English Language Arts, Math, and Science. Students can access additional practice tests at this link as a guest user. More information will be shared with students by their teachers.
• 9th and 10th Grade Benchmark Testing: 9th and 10th grade students will complete ELA and math standardized benchmark assessments (NWEA MAP) the week after Spring Break (Week 30). These benchmark assessments provide valuable information on student levels and growth to inform our classroom practice and supports. We encourage students to get plenty of rest, have a healthy breakfast, and to do their best. 
  • 9th grade students will be taking the tests during their English and physics classes
  • 10th grade students will be taking the test during their World History class.
• Parent Association Fundraiser: The DVS Parent Association is fundraising for our advisories. You can use this link:  https://davincischools.networkforgood.com/, select Da Vinci Science, and write “DVS Advisory Fundraiser” in the notes to donate to this fundraiser.

Week 30 Schedule (4/8-4/12): 

Important Upcoming Dates: 

• Friday, 4/13: 11th Grade Fulcrum Field Trip
• Monday, 4/15: Opt-in SAT School Day 
• Thursday, 4/17: Parent Association Meeting 6:15
• Monday, 4/22: CollegeWise College Admissions Workshop 5:00 pm
• Monday, 4/22: 10th Grade Fulcrum Day
• Wednesday, 4/24: Parent Advisory Committee Meeting
• Friday, 4/26: Cal Poly SLO Pathways Field Trip  
• DVS Graduation Day: June 6th, 9:00am

Helpful Links:

DV/Wiseburn Athletics  

DVS Planning Calendar 

DVS Announcements Slidedeck  

DVS News YouTube Channel

Horticulture Seminar- Field Trip to Dodgers Stadium Botanic Gardens

SWE Outreach Event at DV Connect STEAM Night