We had a great first week back. It was energizing to see students back on campus! Students seemed refreshed and ready to start Semester 2! During the winter break, we loved having our DVS alumni back on campus for our annual DVS luncheon. It brings us much joy to keep in touch with our alumni, hear all about their journeys and accomplishments, and of course, remind them that they are always welcome home.
Week 20 Announcements & Reminders:
Spring 2024 Seminars:Next week is the first week of seminars for the spring 2024 semester! You can see our seminar offerings in this Seminar Descriptions & Statuses document. Students are enrolled in the same fall 2023 seminars by default unless students submitted a change request this week. Students will have an additional opportunity to request seminar changes between Tuesday-Friday, 1/23-1/26, via this form (students must be logged in to their Da Vinci Schools Google account to access the form).
Free Test Prep Seminar: We are offering an SAT and ACT test prep class for Wednesday seminars this semester! This class is free to DVS students and will be taught by Paul Jury of PJ Test Prep. Learn more about PJ Test Prep here. Students still have the opportunity to request the Test Prep Seminar when seminar change requests open back up next week, Tuesday-Friday, 1/23-1/26. We are planning to offer an (optional) opportunity for DVS students to take the SAT on a weekend in April, so this is a great way to prepare!
Ethnic Studies Dual Enrollment Course:We are offering a dual enrollment Ethnic Studies course through CSULB on Saturdays. Classes start tomorrow, Saturday, 1/20! This is for 10th-12th graders. Classes take place on Saturdays from 9:00-12:15. It is not too late to sign up, if you are interested, please contact Ms. Marquez: fmarquez@davincischools.org. The deadline for late registration is 1/26.
Week 20 Schedule:
Important Upcoming Dates:
Tuesday, 1/23: First day of spring 2024 seminars
Wednesday, 2/7: DVS Families Coffee Time @ 4:15pm in the DVS Galileo Room
Friday, 2/9: Professional Development Day – No School
We hope everyone had a wonderful and restful Winter Break. Hopefully, students were able to enjoy some time with family, friends, and loved ones. We also wish all families a great MLK Holiday on Monday,1/15, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.
The students did a great job ending the semester well, with amazing POLs, finals, and a fun CD. We are so proud of all of our students for making it through the first semester! We sincerely hope students can enjoy time with friends, family, and loved ones and take time to rest and recuperate. We wish you and your families a wonderful holiday season!
A few items to note:
Semester two officially begins and classes resume on Tuesday, January 16th.
PowerSchool access has been turned off while final grade processing occurs. Access will be returned and report cards will be mailed home next week.
DVS staff will also be on winter break from December 22nd to January 7th. Staff return for Professional Development on January 8th.
DVS Front Office Hours:
Wednesday, December 27th 10am-12pm
Wednesday-Friday, January 3rd-5th 10am-12pm
For records requests (including work permits): reach out to Front Office Manager, Liz Diaz, at ediaz@davincischools.org
For attendance and student information: reach out to Attendance Manager, Brittany Alvarez, atbalvarez@davincischools.org.
Week 19 Schedule:
Important Upcoming Dates:
Winter Break: December 22- January 15
First day of Semester 2: Tuesday, January 16th
DVS Class of 2024 Graduation Day: Thursday, June 6th
We had a busy last week of regular classes for the semester. Students have been working hard to finish the semester well and did a great job with culminating assessments and projects. Next week is POL and Senior Finals week! Please note that next week is a four-day week and students will be dismissed at 2:25pm every day this week. There is no school for students on Friday, 12/22 (professional development day for staff).
Also, 11th graders had a wonderful time at Griffith Park today where they enjoyed a beautiful hike and gave out Growth Awards to students.
Announcements & Reminders:
Presentations of Learning: Presentations of Learning (POLs) for our 9th-11th grade students are next week (12/18-12/21), while 12th grade students will be taking finals.Click here for an information sheet for families with details about presentations of learning. All POLs and senior finals will be scheduled between Monday 12/18 and Thursday 12/21. Specific information about the format, requirements, and preparation process for POLs and finals have been shared to students via Canvas, during Targeted Support, and in individual classes. We encourage 9th, 10th, and 11th parents and guardians to attend your student’s POL. Please ask your student for their presentation time or check on Grade Level Canvas for POL times.
Semester 1 Grades and Report Cards:Please note that PowerSchool access will be turned off later next week while teachers complete final evaluations of students’ grades. As the last day of the Fall 2023 semester is Thursday, December 21st, report cards will be mailed home the following week.
Parent Association Meeting:The DaVinci Science Parent Association will have its meeting this month at a local establishment owned by a DVS parent. The meeting is on December 20th at Five Point Five Brewery in El Segundo from 6:30 to 7:30. (137 Nevada Street/ El Segundo, CA) Please stop by this informal meeting to meet other parents from Da Vinci Science. 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. Questions can be emailed to annewtittle@gmail.com.
F=ma Exam:DVS will be administering the F=ma exam, the preliminary exam for the U.S. Physics Team on Thursday, February 8, 2024 from 3pm-5pm (during seminar and after school)! The F=ma exam is a 75-minute exam with 25 multiple-choice questions focusing on mechanics, and all DVS students are eligible to attempt it. Interested students can find out more about F=ma and the U.S. Physics Team at this link and should sign up via this formby 2:30pm on Thursday, December 21st. Students don’t have to be fully committed yet when they sign up, but taking the F=ma is a great opportunity to test physics skills and is an amazing resume booster.
Week 18 Schedule (12/18-12/21)
Important Upcoming Dates:
Monday-Thursday, 12/18-12/21: POL/Finals Minimum Day Schedule with 2:25pm dismissal
We had a busy week as students were finishing projects, prepping for POLs, and gearing up for finals. Today, students in Mr. McGregor’s CEA Honors did a great job presenting their projects on an “improbable project in a new world” at Gensler in Downtown LA. Students have been working with Gensler mentors for the past six weeks and gave fantastic and professional final presentations. Thank you, Gensler!
Youth & Government’s Bill Hearing Night last Friday, 12/1, was a great success! Delegates introduced and debated the bills they created, and the audience selected one bill for the Da Vinci Delegation to take to Sacramento. Their bill will be debated among student delegates across the state.
Announcements & Reminders:
Shelter-in-Place Drill:In light of school safety concerns in a neighboring school district, the Da Vinci high schools located at the 201 N. Douglas location (including DVS) will be participating in a Shelter-in-Place Drill next Tuesday, 12/12. Please note that this is NOT an active shooter drill. Shelter-in-Place drills are designed to educate students and staff and to provide practice opportunities for what to initially do in the event of an on-campus or nearby emergency that requires a lockdown. Students will be informed of the start of the drill via the school speaker. They will then go into the nearest classroom if they are not already in one and work together to lock down the classroom. We will review lockdown procedures and expectations during announcements in advisory on Tuesday before the drill.
Presentations of Learning:Presentations of Learning (POLs) for our 9th-11th grade students are 12/18-12/21 (Week 18), while 12th grade students will be taking finals.Click here for an information sheet for families with details about presentations of learning. All POLs and senior finals will be scheduled between Monday 12/18 and Thursday 12/21. Specific information about the format, requirements, and preparation process for POLs and finals have been shared to students via Canvas, during Targeted Support, and in individual classes. We encourage 9th, 10th, and 11th parents and guardians to attend your student’s POL. Please ask your student for their presentation time.
Lunchtime Math Tutoring:Math tutoring by peer math tutors has been thriving! It will continue to be available every day during lunch until Friday, 12/15. There are no sign-ups. Students can just show up. Thank you tutors and tutees for working together!
Semester 1 Grades and Report Cards:Please note that PowerSchool access will be turned off later next week while teachers complete final evaluations of students’ grades. As the last day of the Fall 2023 semester is Thursday, December 21st, report cards will be mailed home the following week.
Parent Advisory Committee:Our second Parent Advisory Committee meeting is on Wednesday, December 13th at 4pm via this Zoom link. We will send members a reminder email next week, but any parent/guardian is invited to attend.
Parent Association Meeting:The DaVinci Science Parent Association will have its meeting this month at a local establishment owned by a DVS parent.The meeting is on December 20th at Five Point Five Brewery in El Segundo from 6:30 to 7:30. (137 Nevada Street/ El Segundo, CA) Please stop by this informal meeting to meet other parents from Da Vinci Science. 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. Questions can be emailed to annewtittle@gmail.com.
12th Grade Advanced Physics Exhibition:Advanced Physicists have taken on the role of playground architects to design safe and unique playground structures toddlers. Join us next week on the afternoon of Tuesday 12/12 to judge the best designs and learn about the forces and kinematics involved in the engineering process. This “Westy’s World” event will be gallery walk/exhibition style in the carpeted forum area on the DVS 2nd floor. RSVP here.
F=ma Exam:DVS will be administering the F=ma exam, the preliminary exam for the U.S. Physics Team on Thursday, February 8, 2024 from 3pm-5pm (during seminar and after school)! The F=ma exam is a 75-minute exam with 25 multiple choice questions focusing on mechanics, and all DVS students are eligible to attempt it. Interested students can find out more about F=ma and the U.S. Physics Team at this link and should sign up via this formby 2:30pm on Thursday, December 21st. Students don’t have to be fully committed yet when you sign up, but taking the F=ma is a great opportunity to test physics skills and is an amazing resume booster.
WinterMusic Showcase:Winter music concert will be held on Tuesday, 12/12 in the Gym of the 201 North Douglas Campus at 6:30. We look forward to hearing studio orchestra and choir students share their talents with the community!
DVS Announcements: Besides Canvas and the DVS blog (please subscribe!), we also share important information with students through live student-led announcements during advisory on Tuesdays. You can find recordings of those announcements on this Youtube channel, courtesy of our DVS News seminar! In addition, these slides are projected on a big screen in the Forum (common space on the DVS floor) every day.
Week 17 Schedule (12/11-12/15)
Important Upcoming Dates:
Wednesday, 12/13: DVS Parent Advisory Committee meeting at 4pm on Zoom
Monday-Thursday, 12/18-12/21: POL/Finals Minimum Day Schedule with 2:25pm dismissal
We hope all DVS families had a wonderful Thanksgiving break! We look forward to seeing students back at school tomorrow, Monday, 11/27. We hope to finish the semester strong with only four weeks left!
In case you missed the post from before the break, here is a repost for Week 15 announcements and schedule:
Progress Reports: Progress reports were mailed out this week via snail mail. The mailing included MAP (9th-11th grade), SBAC (12th grade), PSAT (9th-11th grade), and SAT (12th grade) score reports.
Please continue to reference Canvas for all coursework and grading information.
Students can also access their PSAT and SAT scores throughtheir College Board account at this link. Here are additional resources to understand PSAT and SAT scores:
9th Grade CHYA Presentations: Dr. Emily Green and Nurse Titsyana Lucero will be presenting the health & sexual education curriculum (“CHYA”, or “California Healthy Youth Act”) to freshmen during 9th-grade physics classes on Monday-Wednesday, December 4th-6th.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.
Physics Project Exhibition: Dr. Jamie Taube’s 9th-grade physics classes would like to extend an invitation to their El Segundo Physics Network Science of Sports Exhibition to the DVS community! This in-school project exhibition will be on Thursday, November 30th (9:15-11:55am) and Friday, December 1st (9:15-11:55am). Get ready to learn how understanding forces, motion graphs, acceleration, free fall, and energy transfers can optimize the performance of athletes and teams.Please RSVP using this link. All community members are welcome to attend, so feel free to extend the invite to family and friends. If you have a 9th-grade DVS student, please ask them which physics period they are in before signing up.
Week 15 Schedule (11/27-12/1)
Important Upcoming Dates:
Wednesday, 12/6: DVS Families Coffee Time at 4:15pm in the DVS Galileo Room
Monday-Thursday, 12/18-12/21: POL/Finals Minimum Day Schedule with 2:25pm dismissal
Thank you, DVS Families, for the wonderful Gratitude Baskets that were given to staff. DVS Staff were elated and felt very appreciated to receive baskets with kind notes and goodies! We are grateful for the opportunity to teach and care for your students every day. Thank you for your kindness, thoughtfulness, and generosity.
We hope all families have a Happy Thanksgiving break! We encourage students to take time to rest, sleep in, get outside, and have quality time with loved ones.
Highlights from Week 14 (11/13-11/17)
During Veteran’s Day weekend, 24 DVS students attended their first Youth and Government conference of the year at Camp Roberts, a military base in San Miguel. Within the greater Y&G program, students chose a program area based on their interests, such as Media, Department of Finance, or International Convention. The weekend was a success, and they are excited for their next conference this February in Sacramento!
DVS administered the Mathematical Association of America’s AMC 10 & 12 (American Mathematics Competition) for the first time this week on Tuesday, November 14th. The AMC 10/12 are 75-minute multiple-choice examinations in high school mathematics designed to promote the development and enhancement of problem-solving skills. They are the first in a series of competitions that eventually lead all the way to the International Mathematical Olympiad. We are very proud of the students who signed up to take on this challenge!
The DVS Interact Club held a Pies for Polio event today. They sold raffle tickets throughout the week for students to win a chance to pie a staff member. A total of 15 DVS staff members got pied today! All proceeds will be donated to the global vaccination program in efforts to completely eradicate polio around the world.
Announcements
Progress Reports: Progress reports were mailed out this week via snail mail. The mailing included MAP (9th-11th grade), SBAC (12th grade), PSAT (9th-11th grade), and SAT (12th grade) score reports.
Please continue to reference Canvas for all coursework and grading information.
Students can also access their PSAT and SAT scores through their College Board account at this link. Here are additional resources to understand PSAT and SAT scores:
9th Grade CHYA Presentations: Dr. Emily Green and Nurse Titsyana Lucero will be presenting the health & sexual education curriculum (“CHYA”, or “California Healthy Youth Act”) to freshmen during 9th-grade physics classes on Monday-Wednesday, December 4th-6th. 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.
Physics Project Exhibition: Dr. Jamie Taube’s 9th-grade physics classes would like to extend an invitation to their El Segundo Physics Network Science of Sports Exhibition to the DVS community! This in-school project exhibition will be on Thursday, November 30th (9:15-11:55am) and Friday, December 1st (9:15-11:55am). Get ready to learn how understanding forces, motion graphs, acceleration, free fall, and energy transfers can optimize the performance of athletes and teams. Please RSVP using this link. All community members are welcome to attend, so feel free to extend the invite to family and friends. If you have a 9th-grade DVS student, please ask them which physics period they are in before signing up.
Week 15 Schedule (11/27-12/1)
Important Upcoming Dates:
Monday-Friday, 11/20-11/24 Thanksgiving Break
Wednesday, 12/6: DVS Families Coffee Time at 4:15pm in the DVS Galileo Room
Monday-Thursday, 12/18-12/21: POL/Finals Minimum Day Schedule with 2:25pm dismissal
We hope all students enjoyed the PD day off today and have a Happy Veteran’s Day! We thank all of our veterans and their families for their service to our country. Enjoy the four-day weekend!
Last week, the Vitruvian Bots did an amazon job at the Beach Blitz Robotics Competition. The robot, Gridlock, made it to the playoffs, hundreds of team buttons were passed out, and the team won the Judge’s Award! This award is given to a team whose unique efforts, performance, and/or dynamics deserve special recognition. Way to go, Vitruvian Bots!
Even though it was a short week, it was still a busy week. Seniors in the Rock the Street, Wall Street program visited Cetera, a financial services company, to learn more about careers in finance. Rock the Street, Wall Street is a non-profit organization that empowers women in finance to explore opportunities, mentorships, and internships. Through the program, students participated in a series of workshops on the DVS campus that were taught by volunteers from Cetera.
We also had our first DVS Parent Association this past Wednesday. We are grateful for our parent community and looking forward to continued teamwork to support our school. Parents are always welcome to join and participate in DVS Parent Association meetings. Please reach out to Julia Ehlers (parent volunteer) for more information.
Announcements for Week 14 (11/13-11/17)
Progress Reports: Staff update grades on PD days in order for grades to be up-to-date by the following week. Since Thursday, 11/9 was the PD day of the semester, progress reports will be mailed out during Week 15. Please continue to reference Canvas for all coursework and grading information.
Wellness Screener:In an effort to be more proactive in supporting students’ mental health, a wellness screener will be given on November 14th to all DVS students to identify students who may need support. Results from the screener will be used by the counselors to offer students interventions such as coping skills groups, counselor check-ins, and referrals for therapy.
Scores will not be shared with students or parents. Parent/guardian consent is required if a student is referred to receive counseling services delivered by Antioch, Pepperdine, or Luminarias therapists. If you would like your child to OPT-OUT and NOT PARTICIPATE in the screener, please fill out this form by Monday, November 13th.
Thanksgiving Staff Gratitude Baskets: We will be continuing our tradition of showing appreciation to staff through Thanksgiving Gratitude Baskets. Each staff member will receive one basket containing things they like and words of appreciation from students and parents/guardians. Baskets will be delivered on November 17th. If you wish to contribute to the Gratitude Baskets, here are some ways you can do that!
Items: Please consider using this list of the DVS staff’s favorite things for ideas to purchase gifts for specific staff members. If you’d like to make a general contribution to be shared amongst the whole staff, you can send an e-gift card to dvsappreciation@gmail.com. Your gift will be used to purchase items for the baskets and your name will be included with the baskets.
Words of Appreciation: There is nothing that means more to school staff than words of appreciation or encouragement! Please consider handwriting a note of thanks.
Any items or notes for the Gratitude Baskets can be dropped off in the front office between today and Thursday, November 16th. We will be looking for parent volunteers during the week of 11/13-11/17. If you are available and willing to help, please reach out to our Office Manager, Liz Diaz at ediaz@davincischools.org. Thank you for your support!
Youth & Government Conference: The Da Vinci Delegation will be at the Youth & Government Camp Roberts Training Conference from 11/9-11/12. We are excited for them and wish them luck!
School Apparel:Da Vinci is launching a new Apparel and Merchandise store that will be open for a limited pre-order period on MySchoolBucks until Sunday, November 19th at 11:59pm! Place your order today through MySchoolBucks. Once the pre-ordered items are produced, they will be delivered to each school site for distribution through the front office.
SAT/PSAT Scores:SAT scores for 12th grade students were released on November 1st and PSAT scores for 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students will be available on November 6th. Students are/will be able to access their scores through their College Board account at this link. PDFs of score reports will also be mailed home along with progress reports. Here are some resources to understand scores:
Thank you for your participation and continued support with Red Ribbon Week. We hope for all of our students to be healthy and to make positive choices for themselves.
Announcements for Week 12 (10/30-11/3)
Fall Surveys:We value your voice and input. Parents/guardians and students, you should have received an email from Kelvin Education with a survey link to provide feedback. If you have not done so already, please look in your inbox for “Kelvin Education” to fill out the survey.
Parent Association Meeting:If you are interested in joining DVS PA (Parent association), please contact Julia Ehlers (parent volunteer) at murphyehlers@gmail.com. The first meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, November 8th, 6:00 in the DVS Galileo room.
Cal Poly SLO Trip: Interested seniors, Mechanical Engineering seniors, Society of Women Engineers, and Advanced Physics will go visit a college campus and see what their content may look like at the college level. This will take place on Friday, Nov. 1st.
FRC Beach Blitz: The Vitruvian Bots robotics team will have another weekend competition in San Juan Capistrano, 11/4-11/5 – Go Team 4201!
DVS Families Coffee Time:Our third DVS Families Coffee Time is this coming Wednesday, November 1st from 4:15-5:15. This will be an in-person in the DVS Galileo Room. The purpose of this time is to build connection, community, and communication about what’s happening at DVS! We hope to have parents and students from all grade levels.
Week 13 Schedule (10/30-11/3)
Important Upcoming Dates:
Wednesday, 11/1: DVS Families Coffee Time at 4:15pm at DVS
Friday, 11/3: Cal Poly SLO Field Trip (interested seniors, SWE, Advanced Physics)
Thank you for a great week of SLCs! It was great to see students reflecting on their learning and school experiences thus far and we appreciated connecting with parents and families on an individual basis. We hope you found the time helpful, informative, and enjoyable.
Announcements for Week 11 (10/23-10/27)
Fall Surveys:We value your voice and input. Parents/guardians and students, you should have received an email from Kelvin Education with a survey link to provide feedback. If you have not done so already, please look in your inbox for “Kelvin Education” to fill out the survey.
10th Grade College Field Trips:10th-grade students will be taking field trips to CSU Long Beach or Cal Poly Pomona on Monday, 10/23. Students received permission slips and information about the field trip in Targeted Support.
Red Ribbon Week:10/23-10/27 is Red Ribbon Week! This year’s theme is “Be kind to your mind. Live drug-free.” There will be a slew of activities for students and families to participate in. See the previous blog post for more information.
9th Grade Substance Use Prevention Assemblywill be on Monday, 10/23 during school. This assembly will be presented by Steve Cagle from the LA County Department of Public Health and will cover drug use prevention, the dangers of Fentanyl/Opioids, vaping, and other related mental health topics. He will be sharing some personal stories that may be heavy and difficult to process. This would be a great opportunity to have a conversation with your student before and after the assembly about these topics.
Substance Use Prevention Parent Workshop featuring the LA County Department of Public Health Substance Abuse Counselor Steve Cagle will be on Tuesday, 10/24 from 6:30-7:45pm. Learn about health and social impacts of substance use, what to look for with your own child, how to intervene when you have concerns, and additional resources and support available. This will be in-person at 201 N Douglas Street or on Zoom at this link. If you have questions or concerns please reach out to Emily Green at egreen@davincischools.org.
American Mathematics Competition (AMC):Do you love math and are interested in solving complex math problems? DVS will be administering the AMC 10/12 on Tuesday, November 14th 3 pm-5 pm (during seminar and after school) to those who are interested and sign up. The AMC 10/12 are 75-minute multiple-choice examinations in high school mathematics designed to promote the development and enhancement of problem-solving skills. They are the first in a series of competitions that eventually lead all the way to the International Mathematical Olympiad. Please encourage students to sign up via this form by 2:30pm on Friday, October 27th. This opportunity has been posted on Canvas.
Parent Association Meeting:We are happy to announce the creation of a Parent Association for DVS! Instead of “PTSO” (previously mentioned), this will be “DVS Parent Association (DVSPA).” This has been a goal of ours to increase parent community, parent engagement, and involvement. We are excited about the parent association being formed. All parents and guardians are included in the Parents Association – there is nothing to formally join. Just show up to meet other parents and help out the school on various projects whenever you are able. The Mission Statement of the PA is: “The DVS Parent Association is a service organization intended to create and build a strong parent community who then supports the needs of the school as directed by the school administration.” The first meeting of the Parents Association (PA) will be on Wednesday, November 8th at 6:15 p.m. at DaVinci Science. All are welcome!
