Da Vinci Science

We had an amazing Week 2 that culminated with an amazing Class of 2027 Freshmen Overnighter! It was a great time to set the tone for a positive, welcoming, and inclusive school culture. We engaged in discussions around embracing our individual stories and accepting and welcoming the stories of others to build our school community and we also had a lot of fun!  We hope all of our students continue to have a positive experience for all four years of high school at DVS. Freshmen overnighter pictures can be found here.

• Measures of Academic Performance (MAP) Testing: 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students will be taking English and Math MAP assessments in their English and Social Studies classes during the first couple of 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.

• Seminars will begin next week! Students signed up for their seminar choices this week. Here is the list of the Seminar choices for Semester 1. Please note that PowerSchool has been turned off, in order to process seminar requests and build student seminar schedules. Students will be able to request seminar changes once they receive their schedules next week. 
• LA Metro’s GoPass Program: Da Vinci Schools is participating in LA Metro’s GoPass Program again this year! This means each DVS student can receive a FREE Metrocard that, once activated, will allow them to ride on the Metro for FREE until June 30, 2024. Students can pick up a card and instructions to activate their card from Summer Munoz (mmunoz@davincischools.org) at the DVS Front Desk. Here is more information on the GoPass Program if you are interested.

Week 3 Schedule:

Important Upcoming Dates

• Tuesday, 8/29: First Day of Seminars
• Monday, 9/4: Labor Day – No School
• Friday, 9/15: Professional Development (PD) Day – No School
• Wednesday, 10/11 PSAT/SAT School Day 

 

We had a wonderful first week of school! Students and staff are getting settled and having fun getting to know their peers and their teachers and counselors. Thank you for your patience as students and staff are settling into their schedules and routines. We have really enjoyed getting to know our new and returning DVS family members!

• 9th Grade Overnighter is next week! 9th grade students will be leaving on the morning of Thursday, August 24th and returning around 3pm on Friday, August 25th. If your 9th grade student has not yet, please make sure to submit permission forms to their English teacher, Jessi Snyder ASAP!
• Measures of Academic Performance (MAP) Testing: 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students will be taking English and Math MAP assessments in their English and Social Studies classes during the first two weeks of 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.
• Seminars will begin Week 3. Students signed up for their seminar choices this week. Here is the list of the Seminar choices for Semester 1. Please note that PowerSchool will be turned off starting Tuesday, August 22nd, in order to allow admin and counselors time to process seminar requests and build student seminar schedules. Students will be able to request seminar changes once they receive their schedules next week. We appreciate your patience.
• LA Metro’s GoPass Program: Da Vinci Schools is participating in LA Metro’s GoPass Program again this year! This means each DVS student can receive a FREE Metrocard that, once activated, will allow them to ride on the Metro for FREE until June 30, 2024. Students can pick up a card and instructions to activate their card from Summer Munoz (mmunoz@davincischools.org) at the DVS Front Desk. Here is more information on the GoPass Program if you are interested.

Week 2 Schedule:

Important Upcoming Dates

• Thursday – Friday, 8/24-8/25: 9th Grade Overnighter
• Monday, 9/4: Labor Day – No School
• Friday, 9/15: Professional Development (PD) Day – No School

 

Week 1 Schedule

Welcome to a new school year at DVS! We hope all students and families had a wonderful summer and we are looking forward to a great school year.

Thank you to the students and families who attended the Welcome Orientation yesterday. Seeing you made us even more excited for the beginning of the year! Find the slides from the presentations here.

We look forward to welcoming our students to the 2023-2024 school year at 8:50am on our first day of school, Monday, August 14th. We will begin our school day with the whole school gathering outside by the lunch tables. Please meet us there! 

Have a great weekend and see you on Monday!

Week 1 Schedule:

 

Important Upcoming Dates

• Monday, 8/14: First Day of School
• Tuesday, 8/15 and Wednesday, 8/16: Student Photo Day
• Thursday – Friday, 8/23-8/24: 9th Grade Overnighter
• Monday, 9/4: Labor Day – No School
• Friday, 9/15: Professional Development (PD) Day – No School

Hello DVS Families, 

We hope everyone is enjoying summer! Please save the date for DVS Welcome Orientation on Thursday, August 10th at 5:00pm (attendance is strongly encouraged, not mandatory). More details to follow, we hope to see you there! 

For incoming Freshman students, please save the dates for Freshmen Overnighter at Camp Pondo, August 24-August 25th. More information about the Freshmen Overnighter will be provided at the Welcome Orientation on August 10th.

Enjoy the rest of summer and we look forward to welcoming you back soon, thank you!

 

Happy Summer, DVS! 

From all of us at Da Vinci Science, we wish all of you a wonderful and safe summer break! Thank you for a wonderful school year, we are so proud of all of our students. 

It was a joy and honor to celebrate the Class of 2023 at yesterday’s Graduation. Congratulations to our DVS Class of 2023 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 from yesterday have been uploaded for families here – you may access and download them for FREE thanks to our incredible photographer Stacee: 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 the front office manager, Liz Valle:  ediaz@davincischools.org.

Summer School: (for credit recovery): Session 1: June 13-June 30, Session 2: July 11-July 27. Please contact Summer School Coordinator Jessi: jsnyder@davincischool.org

Monday, August 14th is the first day of school for students in the 2023-24 school year. We will see you in August!

We are excited to celebrate the Class of 2023! DVS Class of 2023 Graduation will be held on Thursday, June 8th, at 5:00. Please see this document for DVS Graduation Ceremony Information, which was emailed to all senior families last week.

This is a ticketed event; only registered guests are permitted to attend. However, everyone can watch the graduation ceremony live at the following link:

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6Q2Yz9dNE8

We hope you enjoy the celebration of the amazing accomplishments of the DVS Class of 2023!

We are almost there! The students have been doing an excellent job with their POLs. It has been a joy to see students engage in reflection and articulate their learning. We couldn’t be more proud of all of our students for all of their hard work and engaged learning this week and this entire school year.

Grad Night was also a huge success! We had a great time celebrating together at Disneyland. It was a fun and exhausting day, evening, and early morning together. Hopefully, seniors and staff chaperones recovered and caught up with sleep the rest of the weekend.

We have three more days of school remaining! Please note the early dismissal time of 2:35 pm this week. It will be an eventful week and we look forward to finishing well!

• Senior Breakfast and Graduation Rehearsal– We are getting ready for the big day! Tomorrow, Monday, 6/5, staff will be providing breakfast for Seniors at 8:50 am and graduation rehearsal will be at 10:00 in the West Plaza. Graduation rehearsal is required for graduating seniors. Graduation day parking passes and congratulatory lawn signs will be gifted to seniors tomorrow
• Parent Coffee (In person)- We have enjoyed seeing parents at our bi-weekly zoom sessions throughout the year. We will have our last “Parent Office Hours” in person this Tuesday afternoon, 6/7, from 2:45-3:45 pm in Galileo Room. This will serve as a casual time for parents to talk with the principal and for parents to chat with one another. We will summarize and close out Season 14 and discuss thoughts and ideas for the next school year. Coffee and light refreshments will be served. Hope to see you there!
  

• Course Selections for 2023-2024 School Year – Request forms were due last week. Requests were made electronically through this form: 23-24 Course Request Form. Please reference this DVS Career Pathways document for course options. If you have questions regarding course scheduling, please contact your counselor. Corinne Valle (9th and 11th) cvalle@davincischools.org or Carolyn Ruiz cruiz@davincischools.org (10th, 12th). 
• Presentations of Learning- continue this week! Click here for an information sheet for families with details about presentations of learning. Attendance is expected for all days through the last day of school, which is Wednesday, June 8th.
• Extended Learning Rooms: Thank you for your continued attendance and engagement during POL week. Extended learning rooms have been going very well. Students have been learning a lot from guest speakers from various industries and colleges, as well as learning valuable leadership skills for DVS culture.

• Graduation Ceremony Information – DVS Class of 2023 Graduation will be held on June 8th, at 5:00. Please see this document for DVS Graduation Ceremony Information, which was emailed to all senior families last week.

Week 38 schedule:

 

Important Upcoming Dates

• Tuesday, 6/6: 9th Grade Del Aire Park Field Trip
• Thursday, 6/8: DVS Graduation at 5:00pm
• Summer School (for credit recovery): Session 1: June 13-June 30, Session 2: July 11-July 27
• School Calendar Link
• First Day of School for the 2023-2024 school year will be Monday, August 14th.

 

POL Week Extended Learning Rooms:

Junior students planning how they will lead the school in DVS culture as Seniors.

An admissions representative from UCLA provided valuable information about the UC application and admissions process.

Guest speaker, Tarek, from Smoky Hollow Coffee Roasters shared his experience finding his career path and passion for coffee and food as the director of his company.

Seniors and 12th grade staff had a wonderful time at Grad Night 2023 at Disneyland Park.

 

We had a successful last week of core classes! The students have worked very hard this year and we are so proud of them. It was particularly fun to see lab dissections, students designing and making their own headphones during the BEATS competition, and students learning about the chemistry of coffee making and engaging in a taste-testing competition. 

In honor of Memorial Day, there will be no school on Monday, May 29th. Enjoy the three-day weekend! We are looking forward to POL week next week where we continue to celebrate, culminate, and present student learning. 

• Spring 2023 Da Vinci Schools Experience Surveys: Your feedback is valuable to us. Please take a moment to complete this semester’s experience surveys if you have not done so already.
• • • Link for Parents/Guardians: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QLM5T2G
    • Link for Students: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K9CRCP3

• Course Selections for 2023-2024 School Year – 9th grade and 11th grade were provided course selection forms for their class requests for next school year (10th grade will get theirs this week). Requests are made electronically through this form: 23-24 Course Request Form. Please reference this DVS Career Pathways document for course options. If you have questions or need guidance regarding course selections, please see your counselor. Corinne Valle (9th and 11th) cvalle@davincischools.org or Carolyn Ruiz cruiz@davincischools.org (10th, 12th)
• Grade Finalizations: As teachers are grading and finalizing grades, PowerSchool will be turned off this weekend until grades are finalized.

• Presentations of Learning: “POL” preparation begins next week since POLs will begin the week of May 30th! Click here for an information sheet for families with details about presentations of learning. Attendance is expected for all days through the last day of school, which is Wednesday, June 8th. We have lots of meaningful learning activities planned for POL week!

• Extended Learning Rooms: When not presenting or watching presentations during POL week, students will be augmenting their learning in Extended Learning Rooms. 

• • 9th and 10th grade students will be spending most of their time completing standardized (MAP) testing in English and math. This will be valuable information in order to prepare and support them more effectively next year and beyond. In addition, they will have sessions to explore their interests and careers with the Da Vinci Institute staff as well as resources for mental health with guest speakers from Pepperdine.
  • 11th grade students will be in a series of sessions pertaining to career-related guest speakers, college admissions information, and leadership development activities in preparation for their last year in high school.
  • 12th grade students will be ramping up their preparation for graduation, which includes fun, celebratory activities (cap decorating, lei making, photo signing, etc.) as well as sexual and drug awareness education. We believe that this information is essential for seniors as they embark on the next steps in their lives.
    • CHYA Presentations: Dr. Green and Nurse Lucero will be presenting the health & sexual education curriculum (“CHYA”, or “California Healthy Youth Act”) to seniors on May 31st and June 1st. 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 Dean of Students, at swai@davincischools.org. 
    • Drug Awareness and Prevention: Da Vinci Schools is aware and concerned about an increase of substance use and risky behavior in our communities. This mirrors trends that are being recognized across Los Angeles County and the nation. As part of our ongoing efforts to keep the health and well-being of your child and our school community a top priority, seniors will be participating in Drug Awareness and Prevention education on May 31st and June 1st.
    • Graduation Ceremony Information – DVS Class of 2023 Graduation will be held on June 8th, at 5:00. Please see this document for DVS Graduation Ceremony Information.

Week 37 Schedule:

Important Upcoming Dates

• Monday, 5/29: Memorial Day Holiday, no school
• Tuesday, 5/30: 11th Grade Del Aire Park Field Trip, 9th Grade Ice Skating Field Trip
• Tuesday, 6/6: 9th Grade Del Aire Park Field Trip
• Thursday, 6/8: DVS Graduation at 5:00 pm
• Summer School (for credit recovery): Session 1: June 13-June 30, Session 2: July 11-July 27
• School Calendar Link
• First Day of School for the 2023-2024 school year will be Monday, August 14th. 

We are almost at the finish line for this school year! It has been a busy week, and we continue to be grateful for all of our students, families, and staff. We have been working hard and will continue to work hard to finish this year well. Please be assured that Da Vinci Science will continue to thrive, service, and love our students to the best of our abilities. We truly enjoy seeing and being with our students every day. 

Two and a half weeks to go… and we are looking forward to graduating and celebrating the Class of 2023! More details about Graduation specifics to follow.

• Spring 2023 Da Vinci Schools Experience Surveys: Your feedback is valuable to us. Please take a moment to complete this semester’s experience surveys if you have not done so already.
  • • Link for Parents/Guardians: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QLM5T2G
    • Link for Students: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K9CRCP3

• Course Selections for 2023-2024 School Year – 9th grade and 11th grade were provided course selection forms for their class requests for next school year (10th grade will get theirs this week). Requests are made electronically through this form: 23-24 Course Request Form. Please reference this DVS Career Pathways document for course options. If you have questions or need guidance regarding course selections, please see your counselor. Corinne Valle (9th and 11th) cvalle@davincischools.org or Carolyn Ruiz cruiz@davincischools.org (10th, 12th).

• Presentations of Learning: “POL” preparation begins next week since POLs will begin the week of May 30th! Click here for an information sheet for families with details about presentations of learning. Attendance is expected for all days through the last day of school, which is Wednesday, June 8th. We have lots of meaningful learning activities planned for POL week!

• Extended Learning Rooms: When not presenting or watching presentations during POL week, students will be augmenting their learning in Extended Learning Rooms. 

• • 9th and 10th grade students will be spending most of their time completing standardized (MAP) testing in English and math. This will be valuable information in order to prepare and support them more effectively next year and beyond. In addition, they will have sessions to explore their interests and careers with the Da Vinci Institute staff as well as resources for mental health with guest speakers from Pepperdine.
  • 11th grade students will be in a series of sessions pertaining to career-related guest speakers, college admissions information, and leadership development activities in preparation for their last year in high school.
  • 12th grade students will be ramping up their preparation for graduation, which includes fun, celebratory activities (cap decorating, lei making, photo signing, etc.) as well as sexual and drug awareness education. We believe that this information is essential for seniors as they embark on the next steps in their lives.
    • CHYA Presentations: Dr. Green and Nurse Lucero will be presenting the health & sexual education curriculum (“CHYA”, or “California Healthy Youth Act”) to seniors on May 31st and June 1st. 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 Dean of Students, at swai@davincischools.org. 
    • Drug Awareness and Prevention: Da Vinci Schools is aware and concerned about an increase in substance use and risky behavior in our communities. This mirrors trends that are being recognized across Los Angeles County and the nation. As part of our ongoing efforts to keep the health and well-being of your child and our school community a top priority, seniors will be participating in Drug Awareness and Prevention education on May 31st and June 1st. 

Week 36 Schedule:

Advisory Friday!

 

Important Upcoming Dates

• Monday, 5/29: Memorial Day Holiday, no School
• Tuesday, 5/30: 11th Grade Del Aire Park Field Trip, 9th Grade Ice Skating Field Trip
• Tuesday, 6/6: 9th Grade Del Aire Park Field Trip
• Thursday, 6/8: DVS Graduation at 5:00pm
• Summer School (for credit recovery): Session 1: June 13-June 30, Session 2: July 11-July 27
• School Calendar Link
• First Day of School for the 2023-2024 school year will be Monday, August 14th. 

5/12/23

The word to describe this week– is beautiful! It was beautiful to see all the love and appreciation from DVS students and families to our Teachers and Staff. Thank you to all of you for feeding us all week with notes, gifts, treats, snacks, and lots and lots of food! You really made teachers and staff feel like VIPs! Thank you! 

We also had our Senior Awards Night, it was beautiful to celebrate the many accomplishments and achievements of students in the class of 2023. It was a great evening of story-telling and celebrating students for all their hard work and contributions to our school and community. 

We also had a most memorable Community Dialogue celebrating AAPI month with beautiful dances representing Tonga, Tahiti, the Philippines, and Hawaii. Our students and staff did an amazing job representing and sharing their talent and culture with the whole school. 

Last, we would like to wish every mom out there a beautiful and Happy Mother’s Day! 

Week 35 Schedule:

Important Upcoming Dates

• Thursday, 5/18: School Site Council Meeting #4, 4:30-5:30pm using this Zoom Link.  
• Monday, 5/29: Memorial Day Holiday, no school
• Thursday, 6/8: DVS Graduation at 5:00pm
• Summer School (for credit recovery): Session 1: June 13-June 30, Session 2: July 11-July 27
• School Calendar Link
• First Day of School for the 2023-2024 school year will be Monday, August 14th.