Da Vinci Science

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:

Thank you, students, parents, families, and teachers for a wonderful SLC week! We always enjoy having the opportunity to communicate, connect, and celebrate students’ progress and learning. We also need collaboration and teamwork to support and guide students to success- thank you!

We resume our regular schedule for Week 11, along with college visits.

• Fall Parent Surveys– your feedback is very important to us! If you have not done so already, please complete the Parent/Guardian Survey Fall 2022:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/dv_parent_survey_fall22
• Canvas Support- if students or parents need support with Canvas, please contact IT at studentsupport@davincischools.org 
• Spirit Week is coming up Week 12: 10/31-11/4  

• Semi-formal Dance– “A Night to Remember” will be held November 5th from 6:00-9:00. Tickets are available at myschoolbucks.com

Important Upcoming Dates:

• 11/1, Friday: No School – Veterans Day Holiday
• 11/5, Seminformal Dance
• 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 11 Schedule: 

Hope all students enjoyed the short week and had a nice two days off. We had two great of professional development. DVS teachers and staff attended and presented at the Transforming Learning Conference hosted by the Da Vinci Institute. There were many sessions and discussions around best, innovative practices in order to guide students to successful post-high school lives. We always appreciate learning from our industry partners!

• SLC Week is this Week 10. Oct. 17-21. During SLC week, Monday dismissal will be at 2:55, and Tuesday-Friday Dismissal will be at 2:25. Students should know their SLC times. If not, please see Grade Level communications for specific SLC times and links below:
  • 9th grade 
  • 10th grade
  • 11th grade
  • 12th grade
• Please note, due to SLC week, there will be no college visits this week. 
• Fall Survey for Parents – your feedback, thoughts, and perspective are valuable to us. Please fill out the Parent Fall Survey so we can gather this valuable data. Thank you!
• Parent Office Hours with Grace: Parent Office Hours with administration will be held every even week. Since it is Week 10, we will be meeting at this zoom link this Thursday, October 20th from 4:30-5:30. This will be a casual time of updating, chatting, and Q&A.
• Semi-formal Dance– “A Night to Remember” Will be held November 5th from 6:00-9:00. This will be an all schools event in the backyard. Ticket information to follow from the Student Leadership Team.

Upcoming Events and Important Dates:

• 10/17-10/29, Monday – Thursday: Student-Led Conferences

• 11/11, Friday: No School – Veterans Day Holiday
• 11/5, Semi-formal Dance
• 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 10 Schedule: 

Please see message below from Central Office:

Da Vinci Schools is pleased to announce that Saya Wai has been selected to serve as Dean of Students at Da Vinci Science. Saya will assist principal Grace Long in ensuring that Da Vinci Science continues its trajectory of success. Finding such a highly qualified school administrator in October who knows Da Vinci Science well could have been challenging, which makes this opportunity all the more impactful.

 

Saya is a familiar face at Da Vinci. She has been part of the Da Vinci Science family since 2015, serving as the Biomedical Engineering Pathway Coordinator teaching Principles of Biomedical Science and Medical Interventions. Saya will transition into her new role as soon as a new teacher is selected.

 

Saya received her B.S. in Molecular Environmental Biology from UC Berkeley and a M.A. in Teaching from USC.

 

We are excited to work with Saya in this new capacity

We had another busy, yet great week at DVS. It was great to see some parents during office hours this week. It was also great to meet with our Student Cohesion Team- our students are very insightful and I always enjoy seeing their learning in action.

Week 9’s schedule is a bit different. It is a short week for students! Due to two Professional Development days, there will be no school on Thursday and Friday. 

• PSAT/SAT Day: Testing day is Wednesday, 10/12. It will be a long day of testing and our lunchtime will be pushed back to 1:15 pm. We would like to remind students to get a good night of sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and bring water, a scientific calculator, and healthy snacks. If you are able and interested, we would greatly appreciate any healthy snack donations for students for testing day. If you would like, please drop off healthy snack donations to the front office (granola bars, energy bars, easy-to-eat fruits, etc.) before Oct. 12th. Thank you!  
• SLC Week is coming up in Week 10. Oct. 17-21. During SLC week, Monday dismissal will be at 2:55, Tuesday-Friday dismissal will be at 2:25. Students should know their SLC times. If not, please see Grade Level communications for specific SLC times and links below:
  • 9th grade 
  • 10th grade
  • 11th grade
  • 12th grade
• CommUnity Festival, Saturday, 10/29 11am-3pm.This will be a time for the community to gather on campus for fun, vendors, and fundraising for leadership.
• Semi-formal Dance- “A Night to Remember” Will be held November 5th from 6:00-9:00. This will be an all-schools event in the backyard. Ticket information to follow from the Student Leadership Team.

Important Upcoming Dates:

• 10/12, Wednesday: PSAT/SAT Testing Day

• 10/13, Thursday: No School – Professional Development Day
• 10/14, Friday: No School – Professional Development Day
• 10/17-10/29, Monday – Thursday: Student-Led Conferences
• For SLC Week, Monday Dismissal will be at 2:55, T-Friday Dismissal will be at 2:25
• 10/29, Saturday: CommUnity event

• 11/1, Friday: No School – Veterans Day Holiday
• 11/5, Seminformal Dance
• 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
• 12/16, Friday: Professional Development Day, No School

Week 9 schedule:

Have a wonderful weekend!

Hope everyone had a great week! As always, lots of fun, learning, and things happening at DVS:

• Parent Office Hours with Grace: Parent Office Hours with administration will be held every even week. Since it is Week 8, we will be meeting at this zoom link this Thursday, October 6th from 4:30-5:30. This will be a casual time of updating, chatting, and Q&A.
• School Site Council: We had a great School Site Council meeting last week. Thank you and congratulations to SSC members: Shari Jones (parent), Anne Tittle (parent), Mark Zakrzewski (parent), Trinity Cauton(student), Emma Hattne (student), Adam Tittle (student), Saya Wai (staff), Jessi Snyder (staff), and Carolyn Ruiz (staff). SSC meetings are open to the public and we welcome you to join any of our meetings in the future. Next SSC Meeting will be 1/19.
• Student Board Members: Congratulations and thank you to student board members: Emma Enriquez (12th), Emma Hattne (11th), and Violet Pena Gomez(11th). Student board members will represent DVS at designated school board meetings. We look forward to their leadership and representation. 
• Student Cohesion Team: Congratulations and thank you to student cohesion team members: Harrison Fischer-Huber, Jay Clark, Malachi Smith, Amber Angel, Jasper Jordan, Kan Niya Lorenzo, Emma Hattne, Aiden Corral, Anaya Harrison. Student Cohesion team meets to discuss school programs and school issues, and provide insight from the student perspective to make recommendations for continued school improvement and enjoyment.
• PSAT/SAT Day: Testing day is coming up on October 12th. Although some colleges and universities may vary in the request for SAT scores, we would still like to provide free access and opportunity to these assessments. Test-taking skills continue to be utilized post-high school and it is our hope that students can learn and grow in these skills through their experiences in high school. It will be a long day of testing and our lunchtime will be pushed back to later than usual. If you are able and interested, we would greatly appreciate any healthy snack donations for students for testing day. Again, snack donations are completely optional. If you would like, please drop off healthy snack donations to the front office (granola bars, energy bars, easy-to-eat fruits, etc.) before Oct. 12th. Thank you! Students will also be asked to bring their own calculators. 
• DVS Academic Supports– We hope classes are going well for every student. Attendance, engagement, and feedback from teachers and peers are very important in the learning process. We have many academic supports in place including office hours, targeted support, and before and after school tutoring. We encourage all students to take advantage of these additional learning opportunities. For detailed information and availability please see this flyer: DVS Academic Supports. This information is also available under “Resources” on the DVS Blog page. Any questions about academic support, please contact our Academic Counselor, Ms. Valle, at cvalle@davincischools.org.
• Student Led Conferences: SLCs are coming up Week 10, Oct. 17-21. Please see Grade Level Team’s schedule for details on your student’s specific time and Zoom link. Also please note earlier dismissal times for Week 10.
• Canvas Support: Thank you again for your patience and support with transitioning to Canvas. If you have any technical questions or issues with Canvas, please contact our IT department at studentsupport@davinischools.org for assistance.
• Custodian Appreciation Day, 10/2 – We want to give a shout-out to all our DV custodians. They work so hard to keep our school clean and safe for our students. A special thank you to DVS custodian, Mr. Urbano!

Important Upcoming Dates:

• 10/12, Wednesday: PSAT/SAT Testing Day

• 10/13, Thursday: No School – Professional Development Day
• 10/14, Friday: No School – Professional Development Day
• 10/17-10/29, Monday – Thursday: Student-Led Conferences
• For SLC Week, Monday Dismissal will be at 2:55, T-Friday Dismissal will be at 2:25

• 11/1, 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
• 12/16, Friday: Professional Development Day, No School

Week 8 Schedule: 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Thank you, all for another successful week at DVS! Students continued to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month during their advisories and enjoyed making pinatas to represent their advisory family. College visits continue to be offered during lunchtime in Mr. Perez’s classroom, and senior meetings continue to occur with our college counselor, Ms. Marquez. It was also nice to see some of you during parent office hours! Parent office hours will be held every even week. Updates for this week:

• School photos from DVS Picture Day- Student photos have been uploaded for families to purchase here: https://staceelianna.smugmug.com/DaVinciSchools/DVS-Picture-Day-2022. Students are sorted by Advisory so families can navigate to their child’s Advisory and make any purchases they’d like through the gallery.
• Canvas -Thank you for your continued patience and support as we transition to Canvas. Parents & guardians should have received an email with parent login information. We will also be sending a hard copy of your Canvas Parent Portal information with progress reports this week. Grades can be viewed through Canvas and PowerSchool.
• Progress Reports– This week, we will be sending progress reports home and any CAASPP scores from 21-22 (State Testing results for current 12th graders).
• Academic Supports- We hope classes are going well for every student. Attendance, engagement, and feedback from teachers and peers are very important in the learning process. We have many academic supports in place; including office hours, targeted support, and before and after school tutoring. We encourage all students to take advantage of these additional learning opportunities. For detailed information and availability please see this flyer: DVS Academic Supports. This information is also available under “Resources” on the DVS Blog page. Any questions about academic support, please contact our Academic Counselor, Ms. Valle, at cvalle@davincischools.org.
• School Site Council – First SSC meeting will be held this week, Thursday, Sept. 29th at 4:30 via zoom. Please use this zoom link for the meeting: SSC Zoom Link

Important Upcoming Dates:

• Wednesday, 10/12: PSAT/SAT Testing Day
• Thursday, 10/13: No School – Professional Development Day
• Friday, 10/14: No School – Professional Development Day
• Monday, 10/17 – Thursday, 10/20: Student-Led Conferences
  • For SLC Week, Monday Dismissal will be at 2:55, Tuesday-Friday Dismissal will be at 2:25
• Thursday, 11/10: Exhibition Night (grades 10th, 12th, & Spanish Dept.)
• Friday, 11/11: No School – Veterans Day Holiday
• Monday, 11/21 – Friday, 11/25: No School – Thanksgiving Break

 

Week 7 Schedule: