Welcome Back to School, DVS Families!We hope you had a wonderful summer!
Thank you for coming to our Welcome Orientation last night. It was so great to meet new families and reconnect with returning families. We are excited for a great school year!
For those of you who were unable to attend last night’s welcome orientation, the slide deck is available here: Welcome Orientation 2024
Our First Day of School is this Monday, August 19th!
School start time is at 8:50am and dismissal is at 3:55pm. In the morning, students will be in the backyard until 8:50am. We will then have an all-school gathering outside before students head upstairs with their advisory teachers (students, be sure to stay with DVS as other schools will be going inside).
Week 1 Schedule:
A copy of students’ schedules will be given during Advisory at the beginning of the day. Schedule Change Requests are now open. If you would like to make a change to your schedule, please fill out this form Fall 2024 Schedule Change Request. Please allow your hard-working counselors 1-2 school days to process your request. Note that not all requests can be accommodated, but we will do the best we can. All course requests must be submitted by Friday, August 30th 2:30pm.
Have a great weekend and we will see you on Monday!
We are excited to invite you to the DVS Welcome Orientation on Thursday, August 15th!
This will be a time for families (students and guardians) to come to campus by grade level to hear pertinent school information, receive student schedules, and tour the campus. Some staff and student leaders will be on campus to greet and help you. If students are unable to attend this event, they will receive their schedules on the first day of school, Monday, August 19th.
Da Vinci Science’s Welcome Orientation will follow the schedule below:
9th Grade
3:00-3:30 9th Grade Presentation in the Black Box Theatre
3:30-4:00 Schedule Pick-up, Meet & Greet with teachers on the DVS floor (2nd floor)
10th Grade
4:00-4:30 10th Grade Presentation in the Black Box Theatre
4:30-5:00 Schedule Pick-up, Optional Self or Student-led Tour on campus floor (2nd floor)
11th Grade
4:30-5:00 11th Grade Presentation in the Black Box Theatre
5:00-5:30 Schedule Pick-up, Optional Self or Student-led Tour on campus floor (2nd floor)
12th Grade
5:00-5:30 12th Grade Presentation in the Black Box Theatre
5:30-6:00 Schedule Pick-up, Optional Self or Student-led Tour on campus floor (2nd floor)
We hope you are having a wonderful summer thus far. There is still a lot of summer left to be enjoyed! More information to come as we get ready for the 2024-2025 school year. For now, here are some important upcoming “Save the Dates” for your planning purposes:
Welcome Orientation – Thursday, August 15th
9th Grade: 3:00-4:00
10th Grade: 4:00-5:00
11th Grade: 4:30-5:30
12t Grade: 5:00-6:00
First Day of School – Monday, August 19th
Back to School Night – Thursday, August 29th
Freshmen Overnighter- Wednesday-Thursday, September 11-12th
And that’s a wrap! We had a wonderful last day of school yesterday and a Graduation ceremony this morning. As the 2023-2024 school year officially comes to a close, we’d like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude to all of you, parents, guardians, families, and community members. Your unwavering support this school year has been instrumental in our success, and we are truly grateful for it.
It was an honor to celebrate the Class of 2024 this morning. Congratulations to our DVS Class of 2024 Graduates! We wish you all the best in your next adventure in life. You are always welcome to come back “HOME” and visit! Graduation photos have been uploaded for families here – you may access and download them for FREE thanks to our incredible photographer Stacee Lianna: https://staceelianna.smugmug.com/DaVinciSchools/Da-Vinci-Science/
Report Cards:will be sent out through mail early next week. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to front office manager, Liz Valle: ediaz@davincischools.org.
Summer School: (for credit recovery): Session 1: June 11-June 28, Session 2: July 9-July 25. For questions, please contact Summer School Coordinator, Ms. Lodhy: slodhy@davincischools.org.
Class of 2025 Senior Portraits: The class of 2025 should sign up to take their senior portrait with our photographer, Stacee Lianna, this summer at this link: https://book.usesession.com/i/BVNtg0TnF. Questions can be directed to seniors@staceelianna.com.
Monday, August 19th, is the first day of school for students in the 2024-2025 school year. We will see you in August!
From all of us at Da Vinci Science, we wish all of you a wonderful and safe summer break!
Happy last week of school! And just like that, we are at the last few days of the 2023-2024 school year! It is so true that time flies when you’re having fun. This is especially true in our case, as DVS students have been working hard, learning tons, and building and creating new learning experiences together all year. We are so proud of all of our students.
We had a successful POL week this past week. Students did a fantastic job summarizing their learning, articulating their thinking, teaching a new skill, expressing their reflections and growth, and presenting their final research presentations. In addition, during extended learning room sessions, students learned more about the college application from UCLA ambassadors, discussed their leadership style and contributions to DVS school culture, participated in resume building and mock interview panels, received joy and mental health wellness from therapy dogs, and more! Thank you, students, staff, and community partners, for providing real-world learning experiences.
We are gearing up to send off and graduate the DVS Class of 2024! We had a wonderful time at Disneyland Grad Night 2024.
Week 38 Schedule:This is the last week of school! Please note the early dismissal time of 2:25 this week. The last day of school is Wednesday, June 5th.
Announcements & Reminders for Week 38:
Grades and Report Cards:PowerSchool access has been turned off during final grade processing. Access will be returned, and report cards will be mailed home once grades are finalized for the Spring 2024 semester. Teachers will be working on final grades until Friday, June 7th. We appreciate your patience.
Yearbook: Yearbooks have arrived and have been distributed to students who pre-ordered them. If you have not gotten your Yearbook yet, you can pick it up at the DVS front desk.
Class of 2025 Senior Portraits: Rising seniors- it’s your turn! The class of 2025 should sign up to take their senior portrait with our photographer, Stacee Lianna, this summer at this link: https://book.usesession.com/i/BVNtg0TnF. Questions can be directed to seniors@staceelianna.com.
Summer School Notices:Summer School Notices were emailed and sent home with students last week if their grades and course status as of Week 36 demonstrated that they may benefit from attending Summer School. Once grades are finalized, another notice with an updated status will be sent. Please direct any course and summer school scheduling questions to academic counselors.
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.
24-25 Da Vinci Calendarcan 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.
Yearbook
Important Upcoming Dates:
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
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.
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).
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 Calendarcan 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
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 Calendarcan 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.
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
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.
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 Calendarcan be found on the DV Website linked here: DV 24-25 Calendar
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 Calendarcan 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.
