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

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!

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

Thank you for an amazing Exhibition Night! Seeing the whole school and community together celebrating student work was wonderful! From toy manufacturing to CPR training to democracy in action and poetry, to energy conservation games and Kickstarter projects, to robots, welding, and more, we are proud of all the hard work students put into their projects. Students did a great job sharing their skills and learning with the community.

We hope all DVS students and families enjoy the day off tomorrow in honor of Cesar Chavez Day and have a wonderful Spring Break. The school office will be closed during Spring Break. We hope students can get some rest and enjoy time with loved ones. School will resume on Monday, April 8th. Happy Spring Break! 

 

    

 

 

Thank you for a wonderful week of SLCs! We always enjoy seeing and interacting with DVS families. Thank you for the great conversations about students’ learning and growing. We look forward to a fruitful remainder of the semester. 

We also wanted to celebrate and congratulate our Vitruvian Bots. Last weekend, we had the honor of hosting FRC Los Angeles Regionals on our campus. We ended qualification rounds in rank 6, a testament to our robot performance. We were the team captains for Alliance 5 and made it to the semi-finals. The Vitruvian Bots are also very proud to report that we won the Innovation in Controls Award! Our team worked hard to ensure our robot could incorporate sensors, vision, and shoot-on-the move capabilities. Although we did not win the regional, we are very proud of all the hard work and dedication our students have put into the season. Team 4201 will continue to work together to keep learning, growing, creating, engineering, and having fun!

This week is DVS Exhibition Week! Students are excited to showcase their projects and learnings from this year. Exhibition Night will be this Tuesday, March 26th from 5:30-8:00pm. We welcome all families and community guests to celebrate with our students.

We look forward to seeing you there! 

Week 29 Announcements & Reminders: 

• Exhibition Night: Tuesday, March 26th from 5:30pm-8:00pm! This is a whole school event- students from all grade levels are expected to attend. 
• 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.
• DV Trades Fair: Da Vinci’s Real World Learning Center will be hosting a Trades Fair this coming Thursday, March 28th from 1:00-5:00. Students interested in exploring career opportunities in these fields are encouraged to attend.
• 11th Grade State Testing: 11th-grade students at DVS will be participating in California State Testing (SBAC and CAST) on Tuesday, 4/9 and Wednesday, 4/10. 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 be completing 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.
• Spring Break: Spring Break will be from April 1st – April 5th. School will resume Monday, April 8th at 8:50 am. We hope students and families have a wonderful break. 

Week 29 Schedule: This is a 4-day week. In honor of Cesar Chavez Day, there is no school on Friday, 3/29.

 

Important Upcoming Dates: 

• Tuesday, 3/26: DVS Exhibition Night 5:30-8:00pm
• Thursday, 3/28: Da Vinci Schools Trades Fair 1:00-5:00pm
• Friday, 3/29: Cesar Chavez Holiday – No School
• Monday-Friday, 4/1-4/5: Spring Break – No School
• Monday, 4/8: 9th Grade Fulcrum Day
• Monday, 4/8: Collegewise Presentation 5:00 pm
• Wednesday, 4/10: DVS Families Coffee Time 4:15 pm in person or zoom 
• Tuesday-Wednesday, 4/9 and 4/10 – State Testing for 11th grade 
• Thursday, 4/12: 11th Grade College Field Trip (USC/LMU)
• Monday, 4/15: Opt-in SAT School Day 
• Thursday, 4/17: Parent Assocation Meeting 6:15
• Monday, 4/22: Collegewise Presentation 5:00 pm
• Monday, 4/22: 10th Grade Fulcrum Day  
• DVS Graduation Day: June 6th, 9:00am

 

Helpful Links:

DV/Wiseburn Athletics  

DVS Planning Calendar 

DVS Announcements Slidedeck  

DVS News YouTube Channel

Exhibition Night this Tuesday!

DV Trades Fair:

LA Regionals FIRST Robotics Competition:

DVS had a super fun and action-packed week! A big thank you to our School Leadership Team for putting together our first DVS Davinchella this past Thursday. Students showcased their singing, dancing, and henna art talents, and were rockstars! Students also shared their interest in various clubs and engaged in fun activities such as dodgeball, table tennis, role-playing games, dungeon experiences, and more!  

The Los Angeles Regional (LAR) First Robotics Competition is happening now on campus! Da Vinci is proud to host this LAR event for various FRC teams around the world. Robotics students have been working very hard the past few weeks making adjustments and new additions to our robot, Forte! The event is open to the public, feel free to come cheer on our Vitruvian Bots this Saturday and Sunday (3/16 and 3/17)! We wish Team 4201 the best of luck and are proud of our team for being gracious hosts to the community. Go Bots! 

We are also very proud to announce that Da Vinci Science has been recognized as a California Distinguished School for 2024! Schools were selected to demonstrate excellence and growth in academic achievement and ensure a positive school climate. Schools were selected for exceptional student performance based on achieving exemplary performance in English Language Arts (ELA) and math, reducing suspensions, and demonstrating high graduation rates. Our students and staff work continue to work hard to meet the needs of all learners for positive outcomes and engaging learning experiences. We are grateful for the continued support from our families, industry partners, and the community. 

Week 28 Announcements & Reminders: 

• Student-Led Conferences: Spring 2024 Student-Led Conferences (SLCs) are this week! They will take place from Monday-Thursday, March 18th-21st. By now, all students should know their scheduled SLC time. During SLC week, students will be dismissed early at 2:25 pm every day. SLC Information for all Grade Levels. 
• Parent Association Meetings: Our next Parent Association meeting is this week, Wednesday, 3/20 at 6:15pm on the DVS floor. Parent Association meetings are on the 3rd Wednesday of every month at 6:15pm. All are welcome, no need to sign up! Future meetings:
  • Wednesday, 3/20 @ 6:15pm at DVS
  • Wednesday, 4/17 @ 6:15pm at DVS
  • Wednesday, 5/15 @ 6:15pm at location TBD
• Parent Association Fundraiser: The DVS Parent Association is fundraising to generate funds for our advisories. A more detailed email will be sent to all families separately.
• 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!
• 11th Grade State Testing: 11th-grade students at DVS will be participating in California State Testing (SBAC and CAST) on Tuesday, 4/9 and Wednesday, 4/10. 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 be completing 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. 9th grade students will be taking the tests during their English and physics classes, whereas 10th grade students will be taking the test during their World History class. As always, we encourage students to do their best. 
• Peer Tutoring Available: Peer-tutoring is available at no cost for all students. If you would like to receive tutoring or give tutoring in any subject area, please sign up! Peer Tutoring Sign-Up Form. Students have been paired and will hear from their tutors this week.

Week 28 Schedule: Due to SLCs, students will be dismissed at 2:25pm every day next week.

Important Upcoming Dates: 

• Monday-Thursday, 3/18-3/21: Student Led Conferences 
• Tuesday, 3/26: DVS Exhibition Night 5:30-8:00pm
• Thursday, 3/28: Da Vinci Schools Trades Fair 1:00-5:00pm
• Friday, 3/29: Cesar Chavez Holiday – No School
• Monday-Friday, 4/1-4/5: Spring Break – No School
• DVS Graduation Day: June 6th, 9:00am

 

Helpful Links:

DV/Wiseburn Athletics 

DVS Planning Calendar 

DVS Announcements Slidedeck  

DVS News YouTube Channel

Davincella!

 

We hope everyone had a great first week of March. Students continue to make progress in their learning in their projects. Advanced Physics students enjoyed seeing physics applied in the real world during their visit to Knott’s Physics Day! Students had fun seeing how concepts such as velocity, torque, and acceleration can be applied in an amusement park setting. 

A few students also challenged themselves by opting in to take the F=ma Physics Test and received their results and certificates this week. This is a nationally recognized Physics test that students can participate in and potentially qualify to join the U.S. Physics Team. It is a very challenging test and we are proud of our students for opting in to challenge themselves and engage in physics beyond the classroom! 

Students in the mental health seminar also had an opportunity to visit Beach Cities AllCove. AllCove is a great resource for all students to receive free mental health support. Students had the opportunity to visit the Beach Cities location in Manhattan Beach. To learn more about this free resource, please visit: https://allcove.org/centers/beach-cities/

We also thank all families for coming to college information sessions this past week and enjoyed seeing families in person and at Zoom through DVS Coffee time. We hope to see you at the next one! If you missed the college information session, the slides are posted on the blog on the resources sidebar. 

Congratulations to National Merit Finalist, Josiah Fu! National Merit Finalists are recognized for their high achievement in academics and PSAT performance, top 1%. Finalists may be awarded scholarships from the National Merit Scholars program as well as from their future college. Way to go, Josiah!

Lastly, congratulations and job well done to our Vitruvian Bots! Last week, Forte, flew around the field and did extremely well scoring points with our alliance. Team 4201 was ranked 4 out of 50 teams and made it to playoff matches. It was an exciting playoff round, and although the team did not win the competition, we did win in spirit, learning, and fun. Our team was honored to receive the Gracious Professionalism Award in recognition of all the support Team 4201 gives to the community. DVS student, Natalie Wallis, also won the Dean’s Finalist Award! We are very proud of her leadership, care, and impact on the community.

We wish the Vitruvian Bots the best of luck as they gear up for LA Regionals next week! This competition will be held on our campus, March 15-March 17. Please come out and join the fun and support the Vitruvian Bots! Go Bots!

Week 27 Announcements & Reminders: 

• Davincella: DVS Leadership team is excited to put on our first Davinvella on Wednesday, March 13th. This event will take place during lunch and during Period 6 from 12:40-2:00. This will be a fun time for building positive school culture through performances, games, field activities, and club booths. Some items will be free and some items will be for a small cost. Thank you for supporting DVS leadership and joining in on the fun! 
• 11th Grade College Planning Info Night: Our College and Career Counselor, Ms. Francisca Marquez, and our 11th Grade Academic Counselor, Ms. Carolyn Ruiz, will be hosting a College Planning Information Session for 11th-grade students and families on Wednesday, March 13th at 5 pm. Come learn about graduation requirements, DVS pathways, college admission criteria, types of colleges and career options, financial aid/scholarships, and more! This meeting will be held on the DVS campus. All DVS students and families are invited to attend!  

• Student-Led Conferences: Spring 2024 Student-Led Conferences (SLCs) are right around the corner! They will take place from Monday-Thursday, March 18th-21st. More information about SLCs has been provided by grade-level teachers through email. During SLC week, students will be dismissed early at 2:25 pm every day. SLC Information for all Grade Levels
• Exhibition Night: Our Da Vinci Science Exhibition Night is Tuesday, March 26th from 5:30 pm-8:00 pm! 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!

• Peer Tutoring Available: Peer-tutoring is available at no cost for all students. If you would like to receive tutoring or give tutoring in any subject area, please sign up! Peer Tutoring Sign-Up Form
• Parent Association Meetings: Parent Association meetings are on the 3rd Wednesday of every month at 6:15 pm. All are welcome, no need to sign up! Future meetings:
  • Wednesday, 3/20 @ 6:15pm at DVS
  • Wednesday, 4/17 @ 6:15pm at DVS
  • Wednesday, 5/15 @ 6:15pm at location TBD

Week 27 Schedule: Next week is a 4-day week. There will be no school for students on Friday due to staff professional development day.

Important Upcoming Dates: 

• Wednesday, 3/13: 11th Grade College Planning Info Night @ 5pm
• Friday, 3/15: PD Day
• Friday, 3/15-3/17: FRC LA Regionals @ Da Vinci Schools
• Monday-Thursday, 3/18-3/21: Student Led Conferences 
• Tuesday, 3/26: DVS Exhibition Night 5:30-7:30 pm
• Friday, 3/29: Cesar Chavez Holiday – No School
• Monday-Friday, 4/1-4/5: Spring Break – No School
• DVS Graduation Day: June 6th, 9:00am

 

Helpful Links:

DV/Wiseburn Athletics 

DVS Planning Calendar 

DVS Announcements Slidedeck  

DVS News YouTube Channel

Knotts Physics Day

F=Ma Physics Testers

Beach Cities AllCove Visit

Port Hueneme FRC Regionals

 

We are in March already! We are just about halfway through the second semester. Students continue to work through courses, projects, and assignments and enjoy real-world experiences with field trips. 

DVS is excited to celebrate and honor Women’s History Month. The 2024 Women’s History Month theme established by The National Women’s History Alliance is titled: “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.” This week, our SWE (Society of Women in Engineering) students had the opportunity to celebrate Women in STEM Career Day at LA Harbor College. Students were inspired by a female software engineer from Microsoft, enjoyed STEM activities, and had lunch with industry professionals. They also heard from a panel of women with careers in electrical engineering, marine biology, and chemical engineering.

Our 12th graders also had a wonderful time together on our “Fulcrum Day.” The theme was leadership and empathy. Students enjoyed the outdoors and had the opportunity to go on a hike, challenge themselves with rock climbing, overcome their fears with a high ropes course, and work together on various team-building projects. 

We also want to wish our Robotics team, the Vitruvian Bots,  the best of luck as they compete in their first regional competition happening this now at Port Hueneme. Students have been working hard to design, build, assemble, program, and drive our robot named “Forte.” If you’d like to follow or cheer along at home here’s the livestream site: https://www.thebluealliance.com/. Go Team 4201!

Week 26 Announcements & Reminders: 

• College Planning Info Nights: College planning meetings will be happening this week! 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: DVS Families Coffee Time this week! Per request, DVS Coffee Time will be held on Zoom this week. Families are still welcome to come on campus if you’d like. This will be  Wednesday, March 6th from 4:15-5:15 in the DVS Galileo Room. All DVS parents/guardians, students, and staff are welcome to attend. Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/3108950461
• 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 will be provided by grade-level teachers through email. During SLC week, students will be dismissed early at 2:25 pm every day that week.  SLC Information for all Grade Levels

• 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 were passed out this week. Congratulations to the many students who received honor roll certificates, keep up the great work! 
  • Honor roll: 3.5-3.79 Semester 1 GPA 
  • High Honor roll: 3.8 and above Semester 1 GPA
• Peer Tutoring Available: Peer-tutoring is available at no cost for all students. If you would like to receive tutoring or give tutoring in any subject area, please sign up! Peer Tutoring Sign-Up Form
• 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:
  • Wednesday, 3/20 @ 6:15pm at DVS
  • Wednesday, 4/17 @ 6:15pm at DVS
  • Wednesday, 5/15 @ 6:15pm at location TBD

Week 26 Schedule: 

Important Upcoming Dates: 

• Monday, 3/4: 9th grade Physical Fitness Testing (PFT)
• Tuesday, 3/5: 9th Grade College Planning Info Night @ 5pm
• Wednesday, 3/6: DVS Families Coffee Time @ 4:15pm
• Thursday, 3/7: Advanced Physics Knott’s Berry Farm High School Physics Day Field Trip
• Thursday, 3/7: 10th Grade College Planning Info Night @ 5pm
• Wednesday, 3/13: 11th Grade College Planning Info Night @ 5pm
• Friday, 3/15: PD Day
• Friday, 3/15-3/17: FRC LA Regionals @ Da Vinci Schools
• Monday-Thursday, 3/18-3/21: Student Led Conferences 
• Tuesday, 3/26: DVS Exhibition Night 5:30-7:30 pm
• DVS Graduation Day: June 6th, 9:00am

Helpful Links:

DV/Wiseburn Athletics 

DVS Planning Calendar 

DVS Announcements Slidedeck  

DVS News YouTube Channel

Women in STEM Career Day at LAHC:

12th Grade Team Building Day at Fulcrum

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:
  • Wednesday, 3/20 @ 6:15pm at DVS
  • Wednesday, 4/17 @ 6:15pm at DVS
  • Wednesday, 5/15 @ 6:15pm at location TBD

 

Week 25 Schedule: 

Important Upcoming Dates: 

• Monday, 2/26: 12th Grade Fulcrum Field Trip
• Monday, 3/4: 9th grade Physical Fitness Testing (PFT)
• Tuesday, 3/5: 9th Grade College Planning Info Night @ 5pm
• Wednesday, 3/6: DVS Families Coffee Time @ 4:15pm
• Thursday, 3/7: Advanced Physics Knott’s Berry Farm High School Physics Day Field Trip
• Thursday, 3/7: 10th Grade College Planning Info Night @ 5pm
• Wednesday, 3/13: 11th Grade College Planning Info Night @ 5pm
• Friday, 3/15: PD Day
• Friday, 3/15-3/17: FRC LA Regionals @ Da Vinci Schools
• Monday-Thursday, 3/18-3/21: Student Led Conferences 
• Tuesday, 3/26: DVS Exhibition Night 5:30-8:00 pm
• DVS Graduation Day: June 6th, 9:00am

 

Helpful Links:

DV/Wiseburn Athletics 

DVS Planning Calendar 

DVS Announcements Slidedeck  

DVS News YouTube Channel

Youth & Government:

Field Trip to AltaSea:

Senior Presidential Debates: