Da Vinci Science

We had our last week of core instruction this week! The students did a great job presenting their final projects – Beats Project in Physics (9th grade), Chemistry of Coffee (10th grade), Biomimicry Prototypes (12th grade), and Civil Engineering Open House celebrating Tiny House 4.0! We are so proud of our student’s hard work and learning this school year. We still have a bit to go with POL week coming up.

We look forward to seeing our students’ Presentations of Learning! Parents are welcome and encouraged to see their student’s POL. We also planned Extended Learning Rooms on non-POL days, including learning activities such as resume building, hearing from college reps, interview skills, mental health workshops, school culture building workshops, Pawsitively Stress-Free Break (play or pet dogs from Paws-to-Share), and more. We expect and hope all students to be in attendance during POL week.    

In observance of Memorial Day Weekend, there will be no school on Monday, 5/27. Thank you to all veterans who served and sacrificed to serve our country. 

Announcements & Reminders for Week 37:

• Summer School Notices: Summer School Notices were emailed and sent home with students this week if their grades and course status as of Week 36 demonstrated that they may benefit from attending Summer School. Please direct any course and summer school scheduling questions to academic counselors.
  • Classes of 2024 and 2026: Corinne Valle (cvalle@davincischools.org)  
  • Classes of 2025 and 2027: Carolyn Ruiz (cruiz@davincischools.org) 
• College Essay Writing Workshops: DVS is partnering with CollegeWise to provide College Essay Writing Workshops at DVS over the summer for the Class of 2025. This is a great opportunity for students to receive support in the most challenging part of the college application process- the essay questions. These workshops will be at no cost for families and will take place on June 24th or August 15th. Students can use this link to sign up for one 2 hour slot. Priority will go to rising 12th grade students.  
• Course Requests for 2024-2025 School Year: It is that time of year to plan for the 2024-2025 school year. Students in 9th, 10th, and 11th grade were given this Course Planning Worksheet this week and instructions to submit this Course Request Form by Friday, May 31st (students should use their Da Vinci Google account to access the form).
• Presentations of Learning: Presentations of Learning (POLs) and Senior Research Presentations (SRPs) will begin the week of May 28th. Click here for an information sheet for families with details about presentations of learning. Specific information about the format, requirements, and preparation process for POLs and SRPs will be communicated from teachers.
• 11th Grade CHYA Presentations: Nurse Titsyana Lucero will be reviewing the health & sexual education curriculum (“CHYA”, or “California Healthy Youth Act”) with juniors in Extended Learning Rooms during 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 Assistant Principal, at swai@davincischools.org. 

• 24-25 Da Vinci Calendar can be found on the DV Website linked here: DV 24-25 Calendar 
• Graduation Ceremony: The DVS Class of 2024 Graduation Ceremony will be held on Thursday, June 6th at 9:00am. Details about the ceremony and guest registration were emailed to graduate families on Monday. Here is a copy of Graduation Ceremony Information.

 

Week 37 Schedule:

Important Upcoming Dates: 

• Monday, 5/27: Memorial Day Holiday – No School
• Tuesday, 5/28 – Tuesday, 6/4: Presentations of Learning (minimum days)
• Wednesday, 5/29: 9th Grade Park Field Trip
• Friday, 5/31: Disneyland Grad Nite
• Monday, 6/3: 11th Grade This DV Life
• Tuesday, 6/4: Senior Breakfast & Grad Rehearsal
• Tuesday, 6/4: 11th Grade Park Field Trip
• Wednesday, 6/5: Last Day of School (minimum day)
• Thursday, 6/6: Class of 2024 Graduation Ceremony @ 9am
• First Day of School 2024-2025 School Year: August 19th 

 

Helpful Links:

DV/Wiseburn Athletics  

DVS Planning Calendar 

DVS Announcements Slidedeck  

DVS News YouTube Channel

DVS Photos Link

 

Good afternoon DVS Families!  Join us tomorrow, May 22nd as we welcome Kim Girard, an author and life coach, as she shares about how to best prepare students for freshmen year of college and how to recognize the early signs that your student might be struggling.  The talk will be hosted in-person at DVS in the Galileo Room at 6 pm on Wednesday, 5/22. 

 

We had a great week celebrating our Class of 2024 Seniors! Seniors enjoyed some sunshine and beach time at Senior Beach Day. They also had fun playing Dodgeball-seniors vs. staff and Volleyball-seniors vs. staff. Decision Day was so special as the whole school cheered on our seniors! The week ended with Soak a Senior during lunchtime. It was an awesome week of highlighting our amazing Class of 2024!

The end is near! There is only one more week of instruction before POL week. We are very proud of our students for making it thus far. We have a bit more to go and hope the rest of the school year finishes strong! 

Announcements & Reminders for Week 36:

• Course Requests for 2024-2025 School Year: It is that time of year to plan for the 2024-2025 school year. Students in 9th, 10th, and 11th grade were given this Course Planning Worksheet this week along with instructions to submit this Course Request Form by Friday, May 31st (students should use their Da Vinci Google account to access the form).
• Presentations of Learning: Presentations of Learning (POLs) and Senior Research Presentations (SRPs) will begin the week of May 28th. Click here for an information sheet for families with details about presentations of learning. Specific information about the format, requirements, and preparation process for POLs and SRPs will be communicated from teachers. We encourage families to attend your student’s presentation. 
• Parent Advisory Committee Meeting: Our last PAC meeting is next Wednesday, 5/22 4:15-5:15 at this Zoom link:  https://zoom.us/j/3108950461. 
• Extended Learning Rooms: When not presenting or watching presentations during POL week, students will be augmenting their learning in Extended Learning Rooms, which will include presentations and activities related to mental wellness, career preparation, and college planning. 
• 11th Grade CHYA Presentations: Nurse Titsyana Lucero will be reviewing the health & sexual education curriculum (“CHYA”, or “California Healthy Youth Act”) with juniors in Extended Learning Rooms during 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 Assistant Principal, at swai@davincischools.org. 

• 24-25 Da Vinci Calendar can be found on the DV Website linked here: DV 24-25 Calendar 
• Graduation Ceremony: Graduation will be held on Thursday, June 6th at 9:00am. Details will be going out to Senior Families on Monday, please be on the look out for that email.
• Stacee Lianna Photography Link: https://staceelianna.smugmug.com/DaVinciSchools/Da-Vinci-Science. Thank you, Stacee for capturing our special moments! 

Week 36 Schedule: 

Important Upcoming Dates: 

• Monday, 5/20: CEA Honors Open House @ 6pm
• Wednesday, 5/22: Parent Advisory Committee @ 4:15pm
• Friday, 5/24: FRC Robotics Banquet
• Monday, 5/27: Memorial Day Holiday – No School
• Tuesday, 5/28 – Tuesday, 6/4: Presentations of Learning (minimum days)
• Wednesday, 5/29: 9th Grade Park Field Trip
• Friday, 5/31: Disneyland Grad Nite
• Monday, 6/3: 11th Grade This DV Life
• Tuesday, 6/4: Senior Breakfast & Grad Rehearsal
• Tuesday, 6/4: 11th Grade Park Field Trip
• Wednesday, 6/5: Last Day of School (minimum day)
• Thursday, 6/6: Class of 2024 Graduation Ceremony @ 9am
• First Day of School 2024-2025 School Year: August 19th 

Senior Awards Night:

Helpful Links:

DV/Wiseburn Athletics  

DVS Planning Calendar 

DVS Announcements Slidedeck  

DVS News YouTube Channel

 

Our community partner, South Bay Families Connected, offers our families a variety of youth wellness resources. For Mental Health Awareness Month, we feature their resource pages covering trending youth wellness topics on the minds of parents and caregivers:

• Supporting healthy social media and screen time management
• Recognizing and supporting mental health challenges
• Understanding and managing stress and anxiety
• Helping youth build healthy relationships and foster empathy and compassion
• Practicing mindful parenting

Visit our own Da Vinci Families Connected page for more youth wellness resources from Da Vinci Schools and SBFC.

For authentic stories from parents and teens about their mental health journey and additional resources, read SBFC’s May Newsletter. Sign-up to receive this free and informative parenting publication.

Teachers and staff had a wonderful Teachers’ Appreciation Week! Thank you to all the parents and students who generously provided snacks, treats, breakfast, lunch, gift cards, and notes to keep our staff smiling and feeling all the warm and fuzzies all week long. We are fortunate to have such supportive DVS families. 

Also this week, DVS seniors in the Biomedical Pathway visited Loma Linda University School of Allied Health Professions. The students had access to the Swatek Anatomy Center, participating in a human cadaver lab to reinforce what they learned in their pathway classes; they received a lecture on embryology and explored the Shyock Embryology Museum, and they learned about various careers in the field of medicine. This is an experience they will take with them for a long time!

May is Mental Health Awareness Month- students enjoyed some de-stressing activities making bracelets today at lunch. We value the physical and mental health of all students. We encourage exercise, healthy eating habits, and talking with trusted adults and peers. Please reach out to a counselor or staff member if you feel you need mental health support.

Progress reports went out through the mail this week. Please be on the lookout for current grades through Canvas and/or PowerSchool as well as the paper copy of the progress report. There are three weeks left of instruction, we hope and expect students to finish the semester well!  

Announcements & Reminders for Week 35:

• Parent Association Meeting: The DVS Parent Association will have its last meeting of the year at Five Point Five Brewery in El Segundo (a local establishment owned by a DVS family)! The meeting is on Wednesday, May 15th at 6:30pm. Five Point Five is located at 137 Nevada Street/ El Segundo, CA. Please stop by this informal meeting to relax, meet other parents from DVS, and help build community. Five Point Five Brewery has pizza for purchase if you want to multitask and grab dinner during the meeting! No RSVP necessary, just show up if you are able.
• Presentations of Learning: Presentations of Learning (POLs) and Senior Research Presentations (SRPs) will begin the week of May 28th. Click here for an information sheet for families with details about presentations of learning. Specific information about the format, requirements, and preparation process for POLs and SRPs will be communicated from teachers. We encourage families to attend your student’s presentation. 

• Extended Learning Rooms: When not presenting or watching presentations during POL week, students will be augmenting their learning in Extended Learning Rooms, which will include presentations and activities related to mental wellness, career preparation, and college planning. 

• 11th Grade CHYA Presentations: Nurse Titsyana Lucero will be reviewing the health & sexual education curriculum (“CHYA”, or “California Healthy Youth Act”) to juniors in Extended Learning Rooms during 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 Assistant Principal, at swai@davincischools.org. 
• Decision Day May 15th: We are very excited for all the accomplishments of our senior students. On May 15th , DVS will host a Decision Day Celebration to celebrate their college acceptances and acknowledge the hard work of the Class of 2024. A group of senior parents would like to invite you to donate items for the celebration event. Please click here to donate items. If you have any questions, please reach out to senior parents: Kristine Ho: kristineho@gmail.com or Diep Seversen: diepseversen@gmail.com

Week 35 Schedule:

Important Upcoming Dates: 

• Monday, 5/13: Senior Beach Day
• Wednesday, 5/15: Senior Decision Day Celebration
• Wednesday, 5/15: Parent Association Meeting at Five Point Five @ 6:30pm
• Thursday, 5/16: Senior Awards Night, 6:00pm  
• Friday, 5/17: UCLA Blood Drive
• Tuesday-Tuesday, 5/28-6/4: Presentations of Learning & Senior Research Presentations
• Wednesday, 6/5: Last Day of School 
• Thursday, June 6th: DVS Class of 2024 Graduation Day @ 9am

 

Helpful Links:

DV/Wiseburn Athletics  

DVS Planning Calendar 

DVS Announcements Slidedeck  

DVS News YouTube Channel

DV 24-25 Calendar 

Teachers Appreciation Week – Thank you, DVS Parent Association

Mental Health Awareness Lunch Activity- Bracelet Making

Loma Linda University School of Allied Health Professions Week

Good morning DVS Families!  Join us on May 22nd as we welcome Kim Girard, an author and life coach, as she shares about how to best prepare students for freshmen year of college and how to recognize the early signs that your student might be struggling.  The talk will be hosted in-person at DVS in the Galileo Room at 6 pm on Wednesday, 5/22. 

We had a beautiful Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) CD! Thank you to all the staff and students who dedicated their time and shared their talents with us. We enjoyed hula, bhangra, vovinam, tinikling, and fan dance performances representing Hawai’i, India, Vietnam, Philippines, and China, and we learned elements of culture, language, and food from Taiwan and Japan. The CD wrapped up with a fashion show displaying clothing from various AAPI cultures.

Senior prom is tonight! Thank you for being flexible and understanding with the change of venue. We are looking forward to a fun, safe, and memorable night for the class of 2024. 

Announcements & Reminders for Week 34:

• Teacher Appreciation Week: Teacher Teal Blue Mental Health Workshop Flyer     Appreciation Week is May 6th -10th, and this year the DVS Parent Association is organizing several opportunities for families to show their support for 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#/

Teachers especially love hearing from students and families. We encourage students to show their appreciation by writing a note to your teacher or staff member about what you appreciate about them!  

• Mental Health Awareness Month: May is Mental Health Awareness month. Every Friday during lunch, there will be a mental health activity. See flyer below. 

• 11th Grade College Planning Information: Please contact college counselor, Ms. Marquez: 
  • 11th Grade Post-DVS Planning Meetings: If you have not done so already, please sign up here.
  • Posse Foundation Scholarship: Posse Scholars are awarded a four year scholarship to attend one of their partner colleges. Juniors, if you are interested in applying for the Posse Scholars program, please submit this form by Friday, May 24, 2024 at 3:00pm. Posse LAs Partner Universities.  Resources for students and parents: Posse Foundation FAQ and Parent Guide.
• Decision Day May 15th: We are very excited for all the accomplishments of our senior students. On May 15th , DVS will host a Decision Day Celebration to celebrate their college acceptances and acknowledge the hard work of the Class of 2024. A group of senior parents would like to invite you to donate items for the celebration event. Please click here to donate items. If you have any questions, please reach out to senior parents: Kristine Ho: kristineho@gmail.com or Diep Seversen: diepseversen@gmail.com

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

This Week’s 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

Helpful Links:

DV/Wiseburn Athletics  

DVS Planning Calendar 

DVS Announcements Slidedeck  

DVS News YouTube Channel

 

AAPI CD

Teal Blue Mental Health Workshop Flyer