Da Vinci Science

Accounts & Access

Students and parents/guardians utilize Google, Canvas, and PowerSchool accounts to organize and optimize the learning experience at DVS.

• PowerSchool: for student schedules, attendance records, and final grades.
• Canvas: for announcements and specific course information including assignments and course resources.
• Google: for email and Google suites such as Google Docs and Slides.

See this Student & Parent/Guardian Account Access document for more information on how to access accounts.

Student Login Links

• • Google
  • PowerSchool
  • Canvas

Additional Resources

• • Da Vinci Canvas PARENT/GUARDIAN Resource Page
  • Da Vinci STUDENT Ed Tech Information Page (Canvas, Google, PowerSchool)
  • Chat with the Da Vinci Students & Families Canvas Support AI Bot

 

Courses

Course Syllabi

See this Course Syllabi document for course syllabi for the 2024-2025 school year.

Course Sequences and Career Pathway Courses

See this DVS Course Planning Worksheet for the course sequence and pathway course options for the 2024-2025 school year.

Honors

Honors level 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 Fall 2024 semester:

• Honors Launch Week: Week 3 (9/3-9/6)
• Honors Contracts due: Week 5 Friday, 9/20
• Honors Commitment Deadline: Week 9 Friday, 10/18

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. 

Seminars

Seminars are an important part of Da Vinci culture. More information on seminars can be found on the Student Experiences page of this blog.

 

Grading

At Da Vinci Science High School, we utilize mastery-based grading to honor the learning process of each student. 

In the mastery-based grading system, students focus on skill development and showing evidence of their mastery rather than calculating points necessary to achieve a letter grade without reference to academic progress. Mastery-based grading gives students and parents/guardians specific feedback about what skills the students have and have not learned, which can be used to direct learning.

(from Da Vinci Schools Board Policy and Procedures)

Students are graded on a four‐point scale, which are connected to the conventional letter-grade system:

Point	Meaning	Letter Grade Equivalent
4	Evidence demonstrates detailed understanding	A
3	Evidence demonstrates understanding	B
2	Evidence demonstrates basic understanding	C
1	Evidence demonstrates partial understanding	I
0	No evidence	I

Grades become final at the end of each semester. Students must earn a “C‐” or higher in an academic course in order to earn credit for that course. A grade of “I” in a course at the end of the semester shall become an “F”. Students will have an opportunity to retake the course through credit recovery options.

For more information on Mastery-Based Grading and how it works, see this DVS Mastery-Based Grading document.

 

Essential Knowledge & Skills

Courses at DVS are assessed based on a student’s ability to demonstrate their learning and growth in each Essential Knowledge & Skills (EKS). EKS descriptions & weighting for each of the courses for the 2024-2025 school year can be viewed in this document.

These descriptions and weightings are subject to change. Please check the document above for the most updated information.

 

Additional Academic Supports

Students are encouraged to reach out to their teachers directly via email or during office hours. Staff emails and office hours can be found on the About page of this blog.

Da Vinci Science Academic Coaches provide tutoring after school Monday – Thursday in the Robinson Room. All students are welcome to attend. No appointment is necessary.

Lunch math tutoring is also available by appointment Monday – Thursday. Students should check in with the front desk in the morning to make an appointment.