Da Vinci Science

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.
  • Student and Parent/Guardian Canvas Link: https://davincischools.instructure.com
  • Additional Canvas resources are available at the bottom of the Academics page on our blog.
  • 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:
    • PSAT 8/9 (9th Grade) Understanding Scores for Students and Families
    • PSAT/NMSQT (10th & 11th Grade) Understanding Scores for Students and Families
    • SAT (12th Grade) Understanding Scores and More SAT Score Resources

• 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
• Semester 1 end date: December 21
• Winter Break: December 22- January 15.
• First day of Semester 2: Tuesday, January 16th

Pies for Polio:

Youth and Government:

AMC Participants

Thank you, DVS Families! We are grateful for you!

 

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.

• • Student and Parent/Guardian Canvas Link: https://davincischools.instructure.com
  • Additional Canvas resources are available at the bottom of the Academics page on our blog.
• 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:
  • PSAT 8/9 (9th Grade) Understanding Scores for Students and Families
  • PSAT/NMSQT (10th & 11th Grade) Understanding Scores for Students and Families
  • SAT (12th Grade) Understanding Scores and More SAT Score Resources

Week 14 Schedule (11/13-11/17)

Important Upcoming Dates:

• Friday, 11/10: No School, Veterans Day 
• Monday-Friday, 11/20-11/24 Thanksgiving Break
• Monday-Thursday, 12/18-12/21: POL/Finals Minimum Day Schedule with 2:25pm dismissal
• Semester ends December 21st

Rock the Street, Wall Street Field Trip:

Vitruvian Bots at Beach Blitz:

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)
• Thursday, 11/9: No School for Students, PD Day
• Friday, 11/10: No School, Veterans Day 
• Monday-Friday, 11/20-11/24 Thanksgiving Break

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 Assembly will 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!

• Student Photos: Thanks to our amazing photographer, Stacee Lianna, student photos have been uploaded to SmugMug for families to purchase at this link: https://staceelianna.smugmug.com/DaVinciSchools/DVS-Picture-Day-2023 

Week 11 Schedule (10/23-10/27)

Important Upcoming Dates:

• Monday, 10/23: 10th Grade Field Trips to CSULB or Cal Poly Pomona
• Monday, 10/23: 9th Grade Substance Abuse Prevention Assembly
• Tuesday, 10/24: Parent Substance Abuse Awareness Session 6:30-7:45 pm
• Wednesday, 10/25: LAX Aviation Day Field Trip (for students who sign up)
• 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)
• Thursday, 11/9: No School for Students, PD Day
• Friday, 11/10: No School, Veterans Day 
• Monday-Friday, 11/20-11/24 Thanksgiving Break

 

Thank you for supporting SLCafe!

We hope students enjoyed the day off with PD day at home while teachers and staff engaged in professional development. Students had a blast at Phantom Formal last night, and it was great to see students having fun together with other Da Vinci schools as well! 

This past week, the whole school enjoyed celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month during our CD and we had amazing performances from students and staff! The students also did an amazing job on SAT/PSAT School Day. We are proud of all students for taking advantage of this opportunity to demonstrate their abilities, practice their test-taking skills, and enact their testing stamina. 9th and 11th grade students participated in Kaiser Permanente’s Ghosted mental health resilience program through a play on Monday, October 9th, and a virtual workshop on Wednesday, October 11th. The hope is for students to develop mental health awareness, resilience, and healthy coping strategies. 

Announcements for Week 10 (10/16-10/20)

• 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.
• Student Led Conferences are this week, 10/16-10/19. SLC information has been shared with students, and families should have received an email from teachers during Week 8. Please contact your student’s grade level teachers for specific scheduling questions or email Liz at ediaz@davincischools.org if you did not receive the SLC info email from your teachers.
  • Student and Parent/Guardian Canvas Link: https://davincischools.instructure.com
  • Additional Canvas resources are available at the bottom of the Academics page on our blog.

• Emergency Drills: Students will be participating in a 201 N. Douglas campus-wide fire drill on Monday, October 16th and in the Great California Shakeout, a California-wide earthquake drill on Thursday, October 19th. DVS families, please use this time to discuss emergency preparedness and review your family’s emergency plan.

• 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 info about the field trip in Targeted Support. 

• • 9th Grade Substance Use Prevention Assembly: On Monday, 10/23 9th grade students will participate in a Substance Abuse Prevention Assembly by the LA County Office of Education. 10/23-10/27 is also Red Ribbon Week. More info coming soon.

• Student Photos: Thanks to our amazing photographer, Stacee Lianna, student photos have been uploaded to SmugMug for families to purchase at this link: https://staceelianna.smugmug.com/DaVinciSchools/DVS-Picture-Day-2023 

• Substance Abuse Presentation for Parents/Guardians next Tuesday, 10/24. You are welcome to join us Tuesday, October 24th at 6:30pm in person or on zoom for a parent workshop on Substance Abuse Prevention featuring LA County Dept of Public Health Substance Abuse Counselor Steve Cagle. 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. Located at 201 N Douglas Street. If you have questions or concerns please reach out to Emily Green at egreen@davincischools.org.

Week 10  Schedule (10/16-10/20)

Important Upcoming Dates:

• Monday-Thursday, 10/16-10:19: Student-Led Conferences
• Monday, 10/23: 10th Grade Field Trips to CSULB or Cal Poly Pomona
• Monday, 10/23: 9th Grade Substance Abuse Prevention Assembly
• Tuesday, 10/24: Parent Substance Abuse Awareness Session 6:30-7:45 pm
• Wednesday, 10/25: LAX Aviation Day Field Trip (for students who sign up)
• 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)
• Thursday, 11/9: No School for Students, PD Day
• Friday, 11/10: No School, Veterans Day 
• Monday-Friday, 11/20-11/24 Thanksgiving Break 

Hispanic Heritage Month CD

We hope everyone had a great week. The Da Vinci Robotics Team, The Vitruvian Bots, will be hosting LA Showdown this weekend at the 201 campus. This is a great community event and all are welcome to attend!

Although it is a shorter week, we have a very busy and eventful week. There is no school on Friday, October 13th due to professional development day. As coursework picks up, we encourage students to attend Office Hours in the morning to receive extra support from their teachers.

Announcements for Week 9 (10/9-10/13)

• SAT/PSAT School Day: Wednesday, October 11th is SAT/PSAT School Day! Please help your student prepare by getting ample rest, eating a good breakfast, and being at school on time. Students who arrive after testing has begun will not be able to test per the CollegeBoard policies.
• Kaiser RISE: 9th and 11th grade students will be participating in a two-part mental health and resilience program provided through Kaiser Permanente’s Thriving School Resilience in Schools Environment (RISE) initiative next week. They will be audience members for a play called “Ghosted” on Monday, October 11th and will participate in a virtual workshop on Wednesday, October 13th. Find out more about “Ghosted” and RISE here.
• Student-led conferences will be held Week 10, 10/16-10/19. SLC information has been shared with students, and families should have received an email from teachers. Please contact your student’s grade level teachers for specific scheduling questions or email Liz at ediaz@davincischools.org if you did not receive the SLC info email from your teachers.

• Student Photos: Thanks to our amazing photographer, Stacee Lianna, student photos have been uploaded to SmugMug for families to purchase at this link: https://staceelianna.smugmug.com/DaVinciSchools/DVS-Picture-Day-2023 

Week 9 Schedule (10/9-10/13):

Important Upcoming Dates:

• Wednesday, 10/11: SAT/PSAT School Day 
• Friday, 10/13: PD Day, No School for students
• Monday-Thursday, 10/16-10:19: Student-Led Conferences
• Thursday, 11/9: No School for Students, PD Day
• Friday, 11/10: No School, Veterans Day 

 

There is always a lot happening at DVS so we thank you for reading these long blog posts and hope you find the information helpful. 

We had a great turnout for our college planning meetings. Thank you to all the students and families who came to attend, and a big shout out to our school counselors for providing such valuable information and resources. The slides from the college planning meetings are posted on the blog under resources.

Announcements for Week 8 (10/2-10/6)

• DVS Families Coffee Time: Our second DVS Families Coffee Time is this coming Wednesday, October 4th 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.  
• Student Led Conferences will be held Week 10, 10/16-10/19. Please be on the lookout for SLC times and information pushed out by Grade Level teachers. 
• Parent Advisory Committee (PAC): The Parent Advisory Committee replaces the School Site Council (SSC) but serves a similar purpose. If you are interested in participating in the Parent Advisory Committee, please complete this interest form. PAC is an opportunity for parents, students, & staff to work collaboratively to:

• • review the school program,
  • review data and identify needs, &
  • make recommendations regarding the School Safety Plan & the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). 
• DVS Exhibition Night will be held in the Spring on March 26th for all grades, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th. This year, we are opting to have the whole school together on one night.
• Physicists and Female Engineer Guest Speakers Wanted: The DVS Advanced Physics class and Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is looking for parents/guardians to be guest speakers. If you are a female engineer or have a career related to physics, please email Dr. Jamie Taube at jtaube@davincischools.org. 
• 12th Grade College Planning Meeting: Our counselors and College Career and Life teacher will be hosting a 12th grade college planning meeting on Thursday, October 5th from 5:30-6:30pm on the DVS floor. All DVS students and families are invited to attend!
• DVS Parent/Teacher/Student Organization (PTSO): If you are interested in being a part of the DVS PTSO, please fill out this interest form. The DVS PTSO is a newly formed parent group designed to help support a positive school culture by supporting and planning school events and supporting grade level teachers. We are looking for parent support for all grade levels, Class of 2024, Class of 2025, Class of 2026, and Class of 2027.  

• SAT/PSAT School Day: Wednesday, October 11th is SAT/PSAT School Day at Da Vinci Science. All DVS students will be taking the PSAT or SAT on the Da Vinci Science campus on this day. Students received more information about the PSAT or SAT during Targeted Support on Wednesday, 9/27 and additional preparatory materials were posted on Canvas. 

• Student Photos: are now available! Thank you to our amazing photographer, Stacee Lianna. Photos have been uploaded to SmugMug for families. Everything is available for purchase here: https://staceelianna.smugmug.com/DaVinciSchools/DVS-Picture-Day-2023 
• School Dance: Phantom Formal will be held Friday, October 13th! The event will be with all DV Schools and will take place on campus. 6:00-9:00pm. Tickets can be purchased through My School Bucks here.

Week 8 Schedule (10/2-10/6):

Important Upcoming Dates:

• Monday, 10/2: 12th Grade College Field Trip to UCLA or UC Irvine
• Wednesday, 10/4: DVS Families Coffee Time 4:15-5:15 pm
• Wednesday, 10/11: SAT/PSAT School Day 
• Friday, 10/13: School Dance, Phantom Formal
• Friday, 10/13: PD Day, No School for students
• Monday-Thursday, 10/16-10:19: Student Led Conferences
• Thursday, 11/9: No School for Students, PD Day
• Friday, 11/10: No School, Veterans Day

 

Pickleball Seminar:

Fabrication Lab Seminar:

College Info. Session:

 

We had another smooth week at DVS! Our students and teachers are very busy as clubs and seminars are now running in full force and project cycles continue. 

Announcements for Week 7 (9/25-9/29)

• Grades have been updated. All coursework and grading information will continue to be through Canvas.
  • Student and Parent/Guardian Canvas Link: https://davincischools.instructure.com
  • Additional Canvas resources are available at the bottom of the Academics page on our blog.

• Physicists and Female Engineer Guest Speakers Wanted: The DVS Advanced Physics class and Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is looking for parents/guardians to be guest speakers. If you are a female engineer or have a career related to physics, please email Dr. Jamie Taube at jtaube@davincischools.org. 

• College Planning Meetings: Our college and career counselor, Ms. Francisca Marquez, will be hosting grade-level specific College Planning Meetings. These meetings will be on the DVS campus. All DVS students and families are invited to attend!
  • 9th Grade: Tuesday, September 26th at 5pm
  • 10th Grade: Wednesday, September 27th at 5pm
  • 11th Grade: Thursday, September 28th at 5pm
  • 12th Grade: Thursday, October 5th at 5:30pm

• College Field Trips: All students will be taking a field trip to visit a college campus this year with their grade-level. Seniors will be first to go on Monday, October 2nd, and will be visiting UCLA or UC Irvine. More information about the field trip will be announced to seniors next week.
• DVS Parent/Teacher/Student Organization (PTSO): If you are interested in being a part of the DVS PTSO, please fill out this interest form. PTSO is a parent, student, teacher community group that will work together to:
  • Plan events and activities to build a positive school community
  • Think of ways to support students and staff
  • Communicate about ways to keep families engaged and connected
• SAT/PSAT School Day: Wednesday, October 11th is SAT/PSAT School Day at Da Vinci Science. All DVS students will be taking the PSAT or SAT on the Da Vinci Science campus on this day. This is paid for by the school and free for DVS students. See below for which test will be administered to each grade level. More info about the day (schedule, etc.) will be released closer to the date. 
  • 9th Grade: PSAT 8/9 (online test)
  • 10th Grade: PSAT/NMSQT (online test)
  • 11th Grade: PSAT/NMSQT (online test)
  • 12th Grade: SAT (paper test)
• DVS Exhibition Night will be held on March 26th for all grades, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th. This year we are opting to have the whole school together on one night.
• Performing Arts Survey– Da Vinci School is looking for your thoughts and interests in regards to expanding the performing arts program. Please provide your input by filling out this Performing Arts Survey.
• Student Led Conferences will be held Week 10, 10/16-10/19. SLCs are a time when students and parents have the opportunity to connect with each other and with grade-level teachers about how students are progressing in their courses. 
• Parent Advisory Committee (PAC): The Parent Advisory Committee replaces the School Site Council (SSC) but serves a similar purpose. If you are interested in participating in the Parent Advisory Committee, please complete this interest form. There will be no elections held (as was necessary for the School Site Council), but instead, it is important that we have a Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) that represents the demographics of our school. If you have any questions, please contact Grace Long, Principal, glong@davincischools.org. PAC is an opportunity for parents, students, & staff to work collaboratively to:

• • review the school program,
  • review data and identify needs, &
  • make recommendations regarding the School Safety Plan & the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). 

Ongoing Reminders:

• 9th Grade Families Remind: If you are a 9th grade parent/guardian and have not already, don’t forget to join the 9th Grade Families Remind by texting @dvsfamily to 81010 or use the join code @dvsfamily on the Remind app to stay connected and in-the-loop.
• After-School Study Skills: DVS Academic Coaches provide free academic support after school Monday-Thursday 4:00pm-4:30pm. If students would like a space to do work or a DVS staff member to check in with, they can drop by the Robinson Room, no appointment needed! 

• Attendance Reporting: We encourage students to be in attendance as often as possible to maximize their learning experience. However, if students must be absent, late, or leave early, please use this Attendance Reporting Form. Students leaving early will need to be signed out by their parent/guardian even after submission of the form.

• Breakfast & Lunch Menu: Check next week’s menu here!
• DVS Blog: https://dvs.davincischools.org/ Subscribe for the most up-to-date information!

Week 7 Schedule (9/25-9/29):

Important Upcoming Dates:

• Tuesday, 9/26 9th Grade College Planning Meeting 5pm
• Wednesday, 9/27: 10th Grade College Planning Meeting 5pm
• Thursday, 9/28: 11th Grade College Planning Meeting 5pm
• Monday, 10/2: 12th Grade College Field Trip to UCLA or UC Irvine
• Wednesday, 10/4: DVS Families Coffee Time 4:15-5:15 pm
• Wednesday, 10/11: SAT/PSAT School Day 
• Friday, 10/13: PD Day, No School for students
• Monday-Thursday, 10/16-10:19: Student Led Conferences

This past week, students had the opportunity to explore and sign up for a variety of student-led clubs during the Club Fair this past  Thursday, September 7th! Clubs are a great way for students to find communities with similar interests and passions. You can find the list of clubs and their meeting times here. We are grateful to our student leaders and staff advisors for making this possible.

We also had our first DVS Families Coffee Time this past Wednesday. It was great to meet parents and families to build community together. Thank you, parents, students, and teachers for joining us! DVS Families Coffee Time will be held on the first Wednesday of every month. The next meeting will be Wednesday, Oct. 4th, from 4:15-5:15. If you are interested in joining a newly formed group called DVS PTSO (Parent/Teacher/Student/Organization), please fill out this interest form: DVS PTSO Interest Form

It was also exciting to see students engaged in real-world learning! Thank you, Gensler, for sending professional architects to come work with our CEA students!

Announcements for Week 5 (9/11-9/15)

• No school for students on Friday, 9/15 due to Professional Development Day for staff. Week 5 will be another 4-day week. Please note the special schedule. Things to note:
  • Wed. Seminar is on Monday
  • CD on Wednesday – Community Dialogue (CD) is a celebratory, whole-school gathering
  • Late lunch (1:10-1:40) on Wednesday- bring a healthy snack

• Grand Ave Drop Off: Da Vinci Schools has been piloting an alternative drop-off area on Grand Ave., and DVS will be able to take part in it for two weeks from September 11th to September 22nd. DVS office manager, Liz Diaz, has emailed parents/guardians specific instructions.

• SAT/PSAT School Day: Wednesday, October 11th is SAT/PSAT School Day at Da Vinci Science. All DVS students will be taking the PSAT or SAT on the Da Vinci Science campus on this day. This is paid for by the school and free for DVS students. See below for which test will be administered to each grade level. More info about the day (schedule, etc.) will be released closer to the date. 

• • 9th Grade: PSAT 8/9 (online test)
  • 10th Grade: PSAT/NMSQT (online test)
  • 11th Grade: PSAT/NMSQT (online test)
  • 12th Grade: SAT (paper test)
  • Some important information to keep in mind regarding SAT/PSATs:
    • UC and CSUs are test-blind, meaning SAT/PSAT scores are no longer utilized as part of the admissions process. 
    • Some private schools still do use the SAT/PSAT as part of their admissions process.
    • Some scholarships and awards may still use SAT/PSAT as a qualifier.
    • Starting Spring 2024, the SAT will also only be offered online, but it will be offered as a paper test on Oct. 11th, our SAT School Day. 
    • If your student is a 9th, 10th, or 11th-grade student and is interested in taking the SAT instead of the PSAT 8/9 or PSAT/NMSQT, please reach out to Saya (swai@davincischools.org) by Tuesday, September 12th, 2023. There are considerations for that option that we should discuss (such as the PSAT/NMSQT being the initial screening exam for the National Merit Scholarship) before moving forward.
    • Students can also register and pay on their own to take the SAT on their own through the College Board at this website to take the SAT outside of the SAT School Day.

• After-School Study Skills: DVS Academic Coaches provide free academic support after school Monday-Thursday 4:00pm-4:30pm. If students would like a space to do work or a DVS staff member to check in with, they can drop by the Robinson Room, no appointment needed! 
• Honors: Honors criteria and options are being communicated through teachers in class and Canvas. Students should have the information they need by the end of Week 5 (Friday, 9/15) to fill out this Honors Sign-Up Form by Friday, 9/22 to indicate in which classes they wish to attempt honors.

• Canvas: All coursework and grading information will continue to be through Canvas. 

• • • Student and Parent/Guardian Canvas Link: https://davincischools.instructure.com
    • Additional Canvas resources are available at the bottom of the Academics page on our blog.

• Attendance Reporting: We still encourage students to be in attendance as often as possible to maximize their learning experience. A friendly reminder to use this Attendance Reporting Form to let us know when your student will be absent, late, or leaving early. Students leaving early will need to be signed out by their parent/guardian even after submission of the form.

• Breakfast & Lunch Menu: Check next week’s menu here!

Week 5 Schedule (9/11-9/15):

Important Upcoming Dates:

• Friday, 9/15: Professional Development (PD) Day – No School
• Wednesday, 10/5 DVS Families Coffee Time 4:15-5:15 pm
• Wednesday, 10/11 PSAT/SAT School Day 

A few highlights from this week:

Happy Friday! We had a great and busy week. It has been a joy to see students immersed in their learning environment and getting into the swing of things. The school year is off to a great start! As usual, there is a lot happening as we continue to launch programs.

In honor of Labor Day, there will be no school on Monday, 9/4. We wish everyone a great Labor Day weekend! 

Please note we have a different schedule for Weeks 4 and 5. Week 5 is also a 4-day week for students due to Friday, 9/15 being a PD Day. You can see all weekly schedules for the 2023-2024 school year here. Please note that schedules are subject to change.

• DVS Families Coffee Time: We will be having a casual coffee time with parents, guardians, students, and staff once a month on the first Wednesday of the month. These will be held in person or you can zoom in (use this link: https://zoom.us/j/3108950461). We will have our first DVS Families Coffee Time this Wednesday, 9/6, from 4:15-5:15 in the Galileo Room. This meeting’s focus will be on “Getting to Know You.”
• Seminars: This was the first week of seminars! This semester, students were given a myriad of options including Jiu Jitsu, Yearbook, Breaking into the Music Business, Tabletop Strategy, and Fundamentals of Web Design. See the complete list of seminars in this Seminar Descriptions & Status doc. Students can request seminar changes up to Wednesday, 9/6 through the Seminar Change Request Form.
• Clubs Fair: Student leaders have been busy at work planning for the Club Fair, which will happen during Advisory and lunch next week, Thursday, September 7th. Clubs are a great way for students to find communities with similar interests and passions.
• Attendance Reporting: A friendly reminder to use this Attendance Reporting Form to let us know when your student will be absent, late, or leaving early. Students leaving early will need to be signed out by their parent/guardian even upon submission of the form.
• Canvas: All coursework and grading information will continue to be through Canvas. 
  • Student and Parent/Guardian Canvas Link: https://davincischools.instructure.com

• • Additional Canvas resources are available at the bottom of the Academics page on our blog.
• Honors: Honors criteria and options are being communicated through teachers in class and Canvas. Students should have the information they need by the end of Week 5 (Friday, 9/15) to fill out this Honors Sign-Up Form by Friday, 9/22 to indicate in which classes they wish to attempt honors.
• Measures of Academic Performance (MAP) Testing: 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students have been taking English and Math MAP assessments in their English and Social Studies classes and will continue to do so during the first weeks in September. The results of these assessments will provide valuable information regarding student performance and college readiness in order for our staff to support students more effectively throughout their time at DVS.
• Grand Drop Off: For two weeks at a time, Da Vinci Schools will be piloting an alternative drop-off area on Grand Ave. DVS parents will get a chance to take part on 9/11-9/22. 
• Breakfast & Lunch Menu: Check next week’s menu here!

Week 4 Schedule (9/4-9/8):

Important Upcoming Dates

• Monday, 9/4: Labor Day – No School
• Wednesday, 9/6: DVS Families Coffee Time 4:15-5:15 pm in Galileo Room
• Friday, 9/15: Professional Development (PD) Day – No School
• Wednesday, 10/11 PSAT/SAT School Day 

Students Enjoying Seminars