Da Vinci Science

It was great to see the students back in school and in the swing of things. There was a lot of reconnecting with Advisory and a lot of learning with launching new projects. We love seeing our students here! In order to maximize learning opportunities, attendance is important. Thank you for working together with us to promote positive attendance. 🙂

In observance of Martin Luther King Day, we will have no school on Monday, January 16th. We honor and are grateful for Dr. Martin Luther King who championed racial equality, nonviolence, and justice. We strive to be a school where all students experience love, acceptance, equity, inclusion, and celebration for who they are.

Week 19 Schedule:

Important Upcoming Dates:
Monday, 1/16: Martin Luther King Holiday (no school)
Thursday, 1/19: School Site Council Meeting #2 at 4:30 on Zoom
Friday, 2/3: Professional Development Day, No School
Monday, 2/20: President’s Day Holiday (no school)
School Calendar Link

We hope all DVS students and families had a wonderful, restful, healthy, and fun winter break! DVS staff has been working hard this week to get ready for an awesome Semester 2. We are looking forward to seeing our students back tomorrow, Monday, January 9th.

 

School Schedule: As a reminder school begins at 8:50 and dismissal is at 3:55. Students will start their day in their Advisory class tomorrow, Monday 1/9. For the most part, all student schedules will remain the same for Semester 2. Seminars will begin next week and students will receive directions on how to make seminar change requests if needed. 

Parent Office Hours with Grace & Saya: Parent Office Hours with administration will be held every even week. Since it is Week 18, we will be meeting at this zoom link this Thursday, January 12th from 4:30-5:30. This will be a casual time of updating, chatting, and Q&A.

Here is the Week 18 schedule:

Important Upcoming Dates:

• Monday, 1/9: School Resumes & Semester 2 Begins
• Wednesday, 1/11: Bill Hearing Night for Youth & Government Students 
• Monday, 1/16: Martin Luther King Holiday (no school)
• Thursday, 1/19: School Site Council Meeting #2 at 4:30 on Zoom
• Monday, 2/20: President’s Day Holiday (no school)
• School Calendar Link

Thank you and congratulations on making it through Semester 1! This week, students exhibited critical thinking, hard work, reflection, and articulation of learning in their Presentations of Learning. They did a great job! We are very proud of our students for working hard and learning well this semester. Semester 1 report cards will be mailed home early next week. 

We hope all students and families have a wonderful, safe, restful, and fun winter break. We will see you back Monday, January 9th. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

-DVS Staff

We had another great and very busy week at DVS! Students finished up their week of core classes and regular schedule and have been preparing for their Presentations of Learning next week. We had a few great field trips as well! 

Biomedical Pathway students went to BioScienceLA in Culver City to engage with professionals in the industry and complete a design challenge.

Civil Engineering Pathway students presented their final Amusement Park and pitched their ideas through story to the Gensler Architect firm in downtown LA. They did a great job working with and impressing our industry partners! 

The entire junior class went to Griffith Observatory to spend some quality time together before POL week.

Next week is the last week of 1st semester! 

• Da Vinci Fall Surveys: Thank you to those who have already filled out the fall survey. If you have not done so already, please take a few minutes to provide your feedback. We’d love to hear from parents and students, and your voice is vital for our continued growth and success!

• Fall Parent/Guardian Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/dv_parent_survey_fall22 
• Student Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/dv_student_survey_fall22
• Presentations of Learning: We are excited for the beginning of Presentations of Learning for our 9th-11th grade students next week! (12th-grade students will be taking finals) Click here for an information sheet for families with details about presentations of learning. All POLs will be scheduled between Monday 12/12 and Thursday 12/15, and we encourage parents and guardians to come and watch your student’s POL. Please ask your student for their presentation time.
• PowerSchool Access: Please note that PowerSchool access is turned off while teachers complete final evaluations of students’ grades. 
• CHYA Presentations: Dr. Green and Nurse Lucero will be presenting the health & sexual education curriculum (“CHYA”, or “California Healthy Youth Act”) to freshmen throughout next 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 Dean of Students, at swai@davincischools.org. 
• First-semester report cards will be mailed home on Monday, 12/19. Students will have a 3-week winter break, and the second semester begins on Monday, January 9th.

Important Upcoming Dates:

• 12/12-12/15, Monday-Thursday: Presentations of Learning – Early Dismissal at 2:25 all week
• 12/15, Thursday: Last day of Semester 1
• 12/16, Friday: Professional Development Day, No School
• 12/19-1/6: Winter Break (No School)
• Monday, 1/9: School Resumes & Semester 2 Begins
• Monday, 1/16: Martin Luther King Holiday
• Thursday, 1/19: School Site Council Meeting #2 at 4:30 
• School Calendar Link

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving Break and enjoyed the time with your family and loved ones. 

We return to school tomorrow, Monday, 11/28! As a reminder, there are only three weeks left during Semester 1. Grades earned at the end of this semester appear on students’ transcripts, and a new semester begins in January 2023. 

Student Grades: This is an important time to sit down with your student and check their grades in Powerschool or Canvas parent portal. Click here for the Powerschool website; please email Liz Diaz at ediaz@davincischools.org if you need your username and password. For Canvas support please email IT at studentsupport@davincischools.org. 

Presentations of Learning (POLs): POLs are just around the corner! POLs begin on Thursday, 12/8 and continue through Thursday, 12/15; students will be dismissed from school at 2:25pm on these days.

Important Upcoming Dates:

• 12/3 Saturday, Winterfest 11:00-3:00pm – contact Kat Ramos kramos@davincischools.org
• 12/8-12/15, Thursday-Thursday: Presentations of Learning – Early dismissal at 2:25 during POL week. 
• 12/15, Thursday: Last day of Semester 1
• 12/16, Friday: Professional Development Day, No School
• 12/19-1/6: Winter Break (No School)
• Monday, 1/9: School Resumes & Semester 2 Begins
• DVS Planning School Calendar Link

On behalf of Da Vinci Science staff, we would like to thank you for your generous, thoughtful, and wonderful contributions to the Gratitude Baskets that staff received from DVS families. It is a joy and honor to educate your students and we are truly grateful for our students and families. The staff will enjoy reading every note and will enjoy every treat. We wish you all a restful, safe, and fun Thanksgiving Break!

The school will resume the regular weekly schedule Monday, November 28th. 

Important Upcoming Dates:

• 12/3 Saturday, Winterfest 11:00-3:00pm
• 12/8-12/15, Thursday-Thursday: Presentations of Learning – Early Dismissal at 2:25 all week
• 12/15, Thursday: Last day of Semester 1
• 12/16, Friday: Professional Development Day, No School
• 12/19-1/6: Winter Break (No School)
• Monday, 1/9: School Resumes & Semester 2 Begins
• School Calendar Link

We hope you are all enjoying this Veteran’s Day weekend. To our veterans and to our military families: thank you for your service.

Thank you, DVS Sophomores, Seniors, and Spanish students for a fantastic Exhibition Night. The students did an amazing job showcasing their work and engaging guests in fun learning experiences. Thank you to all DVS families and community members that came out to see us! 

This week, a group of DVS students from all grade levels had the exciting opportunity to go to the LAX Aviation Career Day fair. From piloting and TSA to fire department and construction trades, students had an opportunity to learn all about what careers look like in the setting of a huge and local economic driving force: LAX airport. The event was hosted on the LAX tarmac, where students engaged with employers in a range of career fields.

We are also very proud of the Vitruvian Bots! Team 4201 made it to the finals at the Beach Blitz competition and are also hosting a First Lego League competition to support the younger generation of Robotics teams. Also, best wishes to our  Youth and Government Delegation this weekend as they are currently at Camp Roberts for their Training in Elections Conference. 

This week:

• College Information Meetings– College Informational Webinars will take place this week! These college information sessions will be hosted by our college counselor, Ms. Marquez. 
  • Tuesday, 11/15 – 9th Grade College Webinar 5:00-6:00 pm
  • Wednesday, 11/16 – 10th Grade College Webinar 5:00-6:00 pm  
  • Thursday, 11/17- 11th Grade College Webinar 5:00-6:00 pm
  • Here is the zoom link for all college webinar sessions: https://zoom.us/j/9301907728
• Parent Office Hours with Grace & Saya: Parent Office Hours with administration will be held every even week. Since it is Week 14, we will be meeting at this zoom link this Thursday, November 17th, from 4:30-5:30. This will be a casual time of updating, chatting, and Q&A.
• DVS Staff Gratitude Baskets- We appreciate our DVS staff for working hard and caring for our students every day. This week, we will be continuing our tradition of organizing Thanksgiving Gratitude Baskets to deliver to our school staff as they leave for Thanksgiving Break on Friday, November 18th. The idea is that each staff member will receive one basket containing things they like and words of appreciation from students and parents/guardians. Thank you for your continued support in helping our teachers, counselors, academic coaches, paraeducators, and front office staff feel appreciated!
  • If you wish to contribute to the Gratitude Baskets, here are some ways you can do that!
    • Items: If you are interested and able to purchase something to show your appreciation, please consider using this list of the DVS staff’s favorite things for ideas. 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 basket.
    • 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 17th.
    • We are also looking for parent/guardian volunteers to help with assembling the Gratitude Baskets during the week of 11/14-11/18. If you are available and willing to help, please reach out to our Office Manager, Liz Diaz at ediaz@davincischools.org. 

• Link to this week’s Lunch Menu 

Important Upcoming Dates:

• 11/21-11/25, Monday-Friday: No School – Thanksgiving Break
• 12/8-12/15, Thursday-Thursday: Presentations of Learning – Early Dismissal at 2:25 this week
• 12/15, Thursday: Last day of Semester 1
• 12/16, Friday: Professional Development Day, No School
• 12/19-1/6: Winter Break (No School)
• Monday, 1/9: School Resumes & Semester 2 Begins
• School Calendar Link

Week 14 Schedule:

Some fun memories from the week:

Aviation Day

Exhibition Night:

We are looking forward to seeing DVS family, friends, and the community at our Fall Exhibition Night! Exhibition Night will take place tonight, Thursday, November 10th, from 5:30-7:30 pm. Exhibition Night is one of Da Vinci’s signature practices where students have the opportunity to showcase and celebrate their learning with the community. Students in Grades 10, 12, and the Spanish Department have been working hard to prepare for this event. All students are encouraged to attend, and all family, friends, and community members are welcome!

Would you like to tour of inside and outside of the brain? Would you like to see how failures became successes in learning about machine control? Does experiencing what it’s like to respond to a medical emergency sound exciting to you? Or how about having our world champion Robotics team walk you through the process of prototyping their machines? Enjoy coffee shops? Put your creativity to the test by designing your own coffee shop! These are just a few examples of some of the experiences you may have when you join us for Exhibition Night. Looking forward to seeing you there!

DVS had a fun Spirit Week this week! It was great to see students and staff join in on the fun and show school spirit!  We want to thank the student leadership team for organizing that for us. We have many exciting events planned in the coming weeks, including Exhibition Night this week! This is also a short week as we observe Veteran’s day, there will be no school on Friday, 11/11, thank you, Veterans!

We’d like to wish our Youth and Government Delegation good luck this weekend as they head to Camp Roberts for their Training in Elections Conference. 

We also want to wish our awesome Robotics Team 4201 the best of luck at this weekend’s Beach Blitz Competition. Go Vitruvian Bots!  You can follow the action here: https://youtube.com/channel/UCk7hyYFQEHPYnlfD5kSJGPg

Semi-formal dance tomorrow, Saturday, 11/5, 6:00-9:00 pm. Be safe and have fun. 

• Exhibition Night– is this week! We are very excited to be holding DVS Exhibition Night this coming Thursday, November 10th from 5:30-7:30 pm. We invite all students, families, and the community to join us for this exciting night of celebrating student work this semester. Students in grades 10, 12, and Spanish Department will be proudly showcasing their projects and learning! 
• Aviation Day Field Trip– is this Wednesday, 11/9. If students signed up, they must return their permission slip to attend the Field Trip, students need to arrive at school by 8:30 for the bus. 
• College Information Meetings– College Informational Webinars will take place Week 14. These college information sessions will be hosted by our college counselor, Ms. Marquez. 
  • Tuesday, 11/15 – 9th Grade College Webinar 5:00-6:00 pm
  • Wednesday, 11/16 – 10th Grade College Webinar 5:00-6:00 pm  
  • Thursday, 11/17- 11th Grade College Webinar 5:00-6:00 pm
    • Here is the zoom link for all college webinar sessions: https://zoom.us/j/9301907728

• DVS Staff Gratitude Baskets- We appreciate our DVS staff for working hard and caring for our students every day. In the next couple weeks, we will be continuing our tradition of organizing Thanksgiving Gratitude Baskets to deliver to our school staff as they leave for Thanksgiving Break on Friday, November 18th. The idea is that each staff member will receive one basket containing things they like and words of appreciation from students and parents/guardians. If you wish to contribute to the Gratitude Baskets, here are some ways you can do that!

1. Items: If you are interested and able to purchase something to show your appreciation, please consider using this list of the DVS staff’s favorite things for ideas. 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 basket.
2. 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 17th.

• We are also looking for parent/guardian volunteers to help with assembling the Gratitude Baskets during the week of 11/14-11/18. If you are available and willing to help, please reach out to our Office Manager, Liz Diaz at ediaz@davincischools.org. 

 

Important Upcoming Dates: 

• 11/10, Thursday: Exhibition Night (grades 10th, 12th, & Spanish Dept.) All are welcome to attend!

• 11/11, Friday: No School – Veterans Day Holiday
• 11/21-11/25, Monday-Friday: No School – Thanksgiving Break
• 12/8-12/15, Thursday-Thursday: Presentations of Learning
• 12/15, Thursday: Last day of Semester 1
• 12/16, Friday: Professional Development Day, No School
• 12/19-1/6: Winter Break 
• School Calendar Link

We had another fun and eventful week at DVS! Interact Club partnered with our local Rotary Club to hold a “Pies for Polio for Challenge” to raise funds and awareness for those who may be impacted by this crippling disease. Thank you Interact Club, students, and staff for supporting this event!

Many seniors also participated in the Cal Poly SLO field trip this past Friday where students visited the campus and took tours from current SLO faculty and students. DVS students also enjoyed meeting up and seeking college advice from past DVS alumni. It was a great opportunity to learn about college life and explore possible interests for their future.

• Fall Surveys- Thank you to those who have already filled the fall survey out. If you have not done so already, please take a few minutes to provide your feedback. We’d love to hear from parents and students!

• • Fall Parent/Guardian Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/dv_parent_survey_fall22 
  • Student Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/dv_student_survey_fall22

 

• Spirit Week is this week! Hope the students enjoy and have fun promoting a safe, fun, and welcoming school culture. 

• Meal Applications– We need every family to complete a federal Meal Application by October 31st to maximize funding for ALL Da Vinci students.

• • Please fill out the application online at MySchoolApps.com. Only complete one application per family. This information will not be shared or utilized for any other purpose.
  • Based on your circumstances, your family may qualify for P-EBT food benefits, low-cost internet access, utilities assistance, fee waivers for college applications, SAT/ACT and Subject Test fee waivers, scholarships, and more
  • If you need assistance, please contact Sara at meals@davincischools.org or visit www.davincischools.org/meals

• Semi-Formal Dance- Saturday, 11/5, 6:00-9:00 pm Tickets can be purchased through myschoolbucks.com
  • Dance contract is required; submit the contract to Kat.
  • Only current DV students can attend the dance

• Parent Office Hours: Parent Office Hours with administration (Grace & Saya)  will be held every even week. Since it is Week 12, we will be meeting at this zoom link this Thursday, September 3rd from 4:30-5:30. This will be a casual time of updating, chatting, and Q&A.

Important Upcoming Dates: 

• 11/5, Seminformal Dance
• 11/11, Friday: No School – Veterans Day Holiday
• 11/10, Thursday: Exhibition Night (grades 10th, 12th, & Spanish Dept.)
• 11/21-11/25, Monday-Friday: No School – Thanksgiving Break
• 12/8-12/15, Thursday-Thursday: Presentations of Learning
• 12/15, Thursday: Last day of Semester 1
• 12/16, Friday: Professional Development Day, No School
• 12/19-1/6: Winter Break 
• School Calendar Link
  

Week 12 Schedule: 

 

Some fun memories from this week: