Da Vinci Science

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

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.