Da Vinci Science

Thank you for the families and community members who joined us on campus for the 9th grade physics classes’ Science of Sports Exhibitions on Thursday and Friday of this week. The student physicist did an amazing job explaining the relationship between sports and various physics concepts such as velocity, acceleration, force, and friction!

Our Youth & Government Da Vinci Delegation’s Bill Hearing Night is tonight, Friday, 12/1 at 6pm in the Black Box. After debating multiple bills that they researched and wrote, they will select a bill to take to the statewide conference in Sacramento. We are proud of our delegates!

 

Announcements

• 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 9th grade physics classes next 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. 
• DVS Families Coffee Time: Our December DVS Families Coffee Time is this coming Wednesday, December 6th from 4:15-5:15. This will be 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.  All DVS parents/guardians, students, and staff are welcome to attend.
• Parent Advisory Committee: Our second Parent Advisory Committee meeting is on Wednesday, December 13th at 4pm via this Zoom link. We will send members a reminder email next week, but any parent/guardian is invited to attend.
• DVS Announcements: Besides Canvas and the DVS blog (please subscribe!), we also share important information with students through live student-led announcements during advisory on Tuesdays. You can find recordings of those announcements on this Youtube channel, courtesy of our DVS News seminar! In addition, these slides are projected on a big screen in the Forum (common space on the DVS floor) everyday.

 

Week 16 Schedule (12/4-12/8)

 

Important Upcoming Dates: 

• Wednesday, 12/6: DVS Families Coffee Time at 4:15pm in the DVS Galileo Room
• Wednesday, 12/13: DVS Parent Advisory Committee meeting at 4pm on Zoom
• 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

 

Pictures Science of Sports Exhibitions

Students and staff brought their A-game in creativity and fun for Spirit Week this week! Thank you, DVS Leadership, for organizing a week full of energy and spirit. Check out their Instagram @dvs_leadership for pictures and updates.

Our Robotics Team 4201 will be going to San Juan Capistrano this weekend for FRC Beach Blitz competition. Go Vitruvian Bots!

 

Announcements for Week 13 (11/6-11/10)

• Shelter-in-Place Drill: The Da Vinci high schools located at the 201 N. Douglas location (including DVS) will be participating in a Shelter-in-Place Drill on Wednesday, November 8th. Shelter-in-Place drills are designed to educate students and staff and to provide practice opportunities for what to initially do in the event of an on-campus or nearby emergency that requires a lockdown. 
• 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 is our last PD day before the end of the semester, we plan to mail progress reports the following week. 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.
• Parent Association Meeting: The first Parent Association meeting is scheduled for this coming Wednesday, November 8th, 6:15pm in the DVS Galileo room. There is no need to RSVP or sign up, just show up! Please contact Julia Ehlers (parent volunteer) at murphyehlers@gmail.com with questions.
• Thanksgiving 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 17th. 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!
  • 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 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 begin assembling the Gratitude Baskets at the DVS Parent Association meeting on 11/8 and will also 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. 

• 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!
• 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 in the near future. 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 13 Schedule (11/6-11/10)

 

Important Upcoming Dates:

• Wednesday, 11/8: 201 Campus Shelter-in-Place Drill
• Thursday, 11/9: No School for Students, PD Day
• 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

We had our first Community Dialogue (CD) on Wednesday, September 13th! It was a wonderful assembly complete with awards and games. We are grateful for the passion and work of our Leadership students and staff that shape and unify our school culture and community through fun, celebration, and the DVS Chant.

 

Announcements for Week 6 (9/18-9/22):

• Grade Updates: Staff update grades on PD days in order for grades to be up-to-date by the following week – in this case, Monday, 9/18. 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.
• Make-up Picture Day: If students missed our Picture Day during the first week of school, they will be taking their school picture on Tuesday, September 19th during 1st period. Our front office staff will remind those students via email and with physical notices. 
• College Planning Meetings: Our college and career counselor, Ms. Francisca Marquez, will be hosting grade-level specific College Planning Meetings. More info will be posted soon, but save the dates! These meetings will be on the DVS campus.
• • 9th Grade: Tuesday, September 26th at 5pm
  • 10th Grade: Wednesday, September 27th at 5pm
  • 11th Grade: Thursday, September 28th at 5pm
• 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. 
• Honors: Honors criteria and options have been communicated through teachers in class and Canvas. Students should have the information they need to to indicate which honors they will be attempting in this Honors Sign-Up Form by Friday, 9/22.
• Grand Ave Drop Off: DVS will continue to be able to use the drop-off area on Grand Ave. until 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 information to note about SAT/PSAT:
    • 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 qualifiers
    • 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. 
    • 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.

 

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 6 Schedule (9/18-9/22):

 

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 

Hello new and returning Da Vinci Science families,

We are excited to invite you to the DVS Welcome Orientation on Thursday, August 10th! 

This will be a time for families to come to campus by grade level to hear pertinent school information, receive student schedules, and to meet and greet teachers and staff members. If students are unable to attend this event, they will receive their schedules the first day of school, Monday, August 14th.  

Da Vinci Science’s Welcome Orientation will follow the schedule below:

 

9th Grade

5:00-5:30 9th Grade Presentation in the Black Box Theatre

5:30-6:00 Meet & Greet with teachers on the DVS floor (2nd floor)

10th Grade

5:00-5:30 Meet & Greet with teachers on the DVS floor (2nd floor)

5:30-6:00 10th Grade Presentation in the Black Box Theatre

11th Grade

6:00-6:30 11th Grade Presentation in the Black Box Theatre

6:30-7:00 Meet & Greet with teachers on the DVS floor (2nd floor)

12th Grade

6:00-6:30 Meet & Greet with teachers on the DVS floor (2nd floor)

6:30-7:00 12th Grade Presentation in the Black Box Theatre

 

We hope to see you there!

We would like to welcome incoming 9th grade and transfer families to DVS and thank you for attending our New Families Webinar yesterday, Wednesday, June 14th at 6pm.

If you missed the webinar or would like to watch it again, you can find the recording at this link and the PDF of the slides at this link.

We look forward to meeting our new students and families in person very soon!

This was an exciting week for seniors as Monday was National Decision Day! We celebrated their achievements and post-high school plans with cheers, speeches, donuts, and a photo booth in the Black Box. Although knowing we only have a few more weeks with them is bittersweet, we are so proud of our seniors!

• Prom is today, May 5th at 6:00 at the Proud Bird. Contact kramos@davincischools.org with any questions.
• The 10th grade Ocho de Mayo Fiesta is next Monday, May 8th! 10th grade teachers have been communicating with students and families to contribute to the morning potluck festivities.
• May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Our DVS counselors kicked off the month with a photo booth, music, and giveaways at lunch this week. Students, check out the Forum whiteboard next week for more!
• Individual Post-DVS Planning Meeting for 11th grade students begin next week with Ms. Marquez (fmarquez@davincischools.org), the DVS College Counselor. Every Junior is expected to schedule a meeting and have at least one parent/guardian present. If you still need to schedule a meeting, please do so using this link.
• “Ghosted” Kaiser Play and Workshop: This week, 9th grade students participated in a two-part mental health and resilience program provided through Kaiser Permanente’s Thriving School Resilience in Schools Environment (RISE) initiative. Find out more about “Ghosted” and RISE here.
• National Teacher Appreciation Week is May 8-12th. If you are interested in coordinating or helping out with providing breakfast or lunch for staff, please use this SignUpGenius link to sign up or let Liz know at ediaz@davincischools.org. If you are able, we are also grateful for any gift card donations to be used as prizes and purchasing of supplies for staff appreciation week (no obligation, completely voluntary). You can make ecard donations to dvsappreciation@gmail.com or drop off gift card donations to the front office. Thank you in advance for your support! We also encourage students to show appreciation for your teachers, counselors, and staff in the following ways:
  • Monday, May 8th: Fan Mail– Shower your teachers with fan mail! Write a note or card with written words of why you are a fan of them.
  • Tuesday, May 9th:  Selfie and Autographs Day- ask your teachers for their autographs and get a selfie with them. Email the pic to that person. 
  • Wednesday, May 10th: Sweet Movie Treats- Offer a sweet treat for a teacher (boxed candies like at the movies, red vines, etc).
  • Thursday, May 11th: Salty Movie Snacks – Bring a salty snack for a teacher (their favorite popcorn, chips, etc.)
  • Friday, May 12th: Oscar Awards– Award your teacher with something that you enjoy and share with them why you enjoy it! 

Important Upcoming Dates

• Monday, 5/8: 10th grade Ocho de Mayo Fiesta
• Thursday, 5/11: Senior Awards Night 6:00pm (by invitation)
• Thursday, 5/18: School Site Council Meeting #4
• 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. 

Pictures Highlights

National Decision Day Celebration

PC: Kai Golston

 

Mental Health Awareness Month Photo Booth

PC: Kai Golston

Please join us on Thursday, March 30th from 5:30pm-7:30pm for Da Vinci Science High School’s Spring 2023 Exhibition Night!

9th & 11th grade students will be showcasing their learning, and we hope all students will attend. Please invite family, friends, and prospective students! See you there!

We hope SLCs this week provided the opportunity for meaningful reflections and conversations. We appreciated the opportunity to meet families in person or on Zoom. 

Team 4201 is charging it up again this weekend at the LA Regional Competition hosted by Da Vinci Schools. We are excited to see them in action on our campus!

• Spring 2023 Da Vinci Schools Experience Surveys: Your feedback is valuable to us. Please take a moment to complete this semester’s experience surveys.
  • Link for Parents/Guardians: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QLM5T2G
  • Link for Students: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K9CRCP3
• Calling Diabetes Guest Speakers: This year, seniors in the DVS Biomedical Pathway are finishing out their semester with a Design Project on Diabetes (type 1 and 2). Their mission is to use the design process to identify a diabetes-related problem and come up with a subsequent solution. As part of the design process, students will be interviewing individuals who have experiences with diabetes in order to develop empathy and a fuller understanding of diabetes. These individuals can be patients, family/friends, researchers, or medical professionals. These interviews will take place after Spring Break. If you or someone you know may be interested in being a part of this process, please let Saya know at swai@davincischools.org. 
• Da Vinci Schools CARnival: Da Vinci Schools will be hosting our 2nd annual CARnival on Saturday, March 25th 10am-5pm! This fun day of games, food, entertainment, and cars is an important fundraiser that supports student activities and is open to the community! Please join us and invite your friends and family! For more information, check our this CARnival website and please contact Kat Ramos, DVS Leadership Advisor, at kramos@davincischools.org. 
• Senior Activities: Here is the updated Senior Activities list. Please note Prom and Grad Night tickets can now be purchased through MySchoolBucks. Inflation has definitely impacted many families. If you are able able to sponsor other seniors to participate in senior activities, you may do so on MySchoolBucks, and thank you in advance. If you are in need of sponsorship for senior activities, please let Grace Long or Saya Wai know.
• Boeing Internship: Boeing is offering information sessions that provide a high-level overview of their Summer Engineering Program. This opportunity is open to students who are US Citizens entering their senior year in the fall of 2023 that are enrolled in an engineering or computer science pathway. The session will include information on mentor/mentee expectations, as well as a Q&A session. If you would like to attend, please fill out this form to receive the calendar invitation and zoom link. For more information, please contact Crissel Rodriguez, Director of Real World Learning, at crodriguez@davincischools.org.

Week 28 Schedule:

Important Upcoming Dates:

• Friday-Sunday, 3/17-3/19: FRC LA Regionals at Da Vinci  
• Monday, 3/20: Freshmen College Webinar 5:00-6:00
• Tuesday, 3/21: Sophomore College Webinar 5:00-6:00
• Wednesday, 3/22: Medical Interventions Grand Rounds 6:00pm
• Thursday, 3/23: Junior College Webinar 5:00-6:00
• Saturday, 3/25: Da Vinci Schools CARnival 10:00-5:00
• Thursday, 3/30: Exhibition Night for Grades 9 and 11
• Friday, 3/31: Cesar Chavez Holiday – No School
• Monday-Friday, 4/3-4/7: Spring Break
• DVS Graduation: Thursday, June 8th at 5:00pm
• Summer School (for credit recovery): Session 1: June 13-June 30, Session 2: July 11-July 27
• School Calendar Link

Hi, DVS Families!

It has been a terrific week coming back from Thanksgiving break, and the end of the semester is quickly approaching! This post/email is a bit longer than usual because there is a lot of info to share about the last 2 weeks of the semester:

Please note that students will be dismissed early at 2:25pm on Thursday 12/8 and Friday 12/9 as well as all week from Monday 12/12 to Thursday 12/15.

Student Grades: This is an important time to sit down with your student and check their grades in Canvas and Powerschool. Click here for the Powerschool website; login information was included on the grade reports that were sent home earlier this semester and you can email Liz Diaz at ediaz@davincischools.org if you need your username and password.  Currently, there may be some discrepancies between Canvas and PowerSchool, we are working with IT on this issue, thank you for your patience. 

Presentations of Learning: “POL” preparation begins next week for students in grades 9-11! (Seniors will be taking final exams instead of doing POLs) 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.

Parent Office Hours with Grace & Saya: Parent Office Hours with administration will be held every even week. Since it is Week 16, we will be meeting at this zoom link this Thursday, December 8th from 4:30-5:30. This will be a casual time of updating, chatting, and Q&A.

CHYA Presentations: Dr. Green and Nurse Lucero will be presenting the health & sexual education curriculum (“CHYA”, or “California Healthy Youth Act”) to freshmen throughout POL 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:

• 12/3 Saturday, Winter Fest 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