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:
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- 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:
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- 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
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- 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:
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- 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.]
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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:
