Join us for a Family Communication Workshop complete with FREE Raising Canes and activities!
DVS, in partnership with Whole Human Wellness Therapy, is excited to present a family communication workshop designed to help participants connect more deeply with themselves and their family members.
This workshop is open to all Da Vinci high school students, families, and staff.
What a week to celebrate the growth and learning of our amazing DVS students!
We started the week with a school-wide SAT/PSAT School Day. We are proud of students for taking advantage of this opportunity to demonstrate their abilities, practice their test taking skills, and enact their testing stamina.
Thank you to all of the parents/guardians, family members, and students who participated in this week’s Student-Led Conferences. We hope your SLC provided a meaningful opportunity for reflection, calibration, and action planning. We value our families’ ongoing partnership in our students’ education and development.
Announcements & Reminders for Week 10:
Wellness Screener: In an effort to be more proactive in supporting students’ mental health, a wellness screener will be given on October 22nd and October 29th to all students during advisory at Da Vinci Science HS to identify students who may need support. Results from the screener will be used by the counselors to offer students interventions such as coping skills groups, counselor check ins, and referrals for therapy. Scores will not be shared with students or parents/guardians. Parent/guardian consent is required if a student is referred to receive counseling services delivered by Antioch or Pepperdine therapists. If you would like your student to OPT-OUT and NOT PARTICIPATE in the screener, please fill out this Opt-Out Form by Friday, October 18th.
Red Ribbon Weekwill be celebrated at Da Vinci next week, 10/21-10/25! Red Ribbon Week is a way for people and communities to unite and take a visible stand against drugs and celebrate healthy lifestyle choices and habits.
For students:
DVS students will receive a presentation during their English class that will explore the impact of opioids on our community. Important information to foster understanding and awareness as well as helpful prevention strategies will be shared.
Students can participate in the National Family Partnership Red Ribbon Week photo contest to win a free iPad. Go to www.redribbon.org for more information.
For parents and the community:
Resources were posted in a recent DVS blog post (linked here).
Da Vinci Schools will be hosting a mobile vaccination clinic for the Flu shot, COVID booster, and TDAP vaccine in the Da Vinci Schools Black Box from 3:30-6:30pm on Wednesday, 10/23. Walk-ins welcome! Students under 18 will need a consent form completed by their parent/guardian.
DVS Parent Association:Thank you to all the DVS parents who came out for the first DVS Parent Association (DVSpa) meeting on Wednesday, 10/16! Here are the slides from the meeting including links to sign up for this year’s projects. Sign up on this form to join the DVSpa mailing list, and this form to express your interest to volunteer for DVSpa. Information about November Gratitude Baskets will be coming soon. The next DVSpa meeting is November 13th, 5:30pm on Zoom.
Week 9 College Rep Visits:As always, students from all grade levels (9-12) are welcome!
Tuesday, October 22nd: UC Irvine and NYU*
Thursday, October 24th: Syracuse University
UCI and Syracuse University rep visits will be in Mr. Perez’s Room during lunchtime. *The NYU rep visit will be at another DV Campus. Please meet Mr. Perez in the atrium (at the top of the orange stairs) and he will walk students to the visit.
Week 10 Schedule (10/21-10/25):
Important Upcoming Dates:
Monday – Friday, 10/21 – 10/25 Da Vinci Red Ribbon Week
Monday, 10/21 12th Grade College Field Trip
Monday – Thursday, 10/28 – 10/31 DVS Spirit Week
Friday, 11/1 PD Day – No School for students
Wednesday, 11/6 DVS Families Coffee Time @ 4:30pm on Zoom
Friday, 11/8 Community Learning Day #2
Monday, 11/11 Veterans Day – No School
Wednesday, 11/13 DVS Parent Association Meeting @ 5:40pm on Zoom (link TBA)
Ms. Taube’s Teletaubes and Ms. Jessi’s Jellyfish had their 3rd annual Tele-Jellies Advisory Dinner at CPK.
Olivia and Kendra representing DVS at Girls Volleyball Senior Night!
11th Grade PLTW Civil Engineering & Architecture students went on a water and transportation tour.
Mr. Jeremy Wong, DVS biomedical science teacher, was invited to attend the Meta Educator Community Summit in Menlo Park!
9th grade physics Mu of the Shoe friction lab using force sensors to determine the coefficient of kinetic friction between different shoes and surfaces as well as relationship between weight and friction.
Students are getting ready for Red Ribbon Week® here at Da Vinci celebrated Oct 21-25th. What Is Red Ribbon Week? It is a way for people and communities to unite and take a visible stand against drugs and celebrate healthy lifestyle choices and habits. We hope to have students show their personal commitment to a drug-free and healthy lifestyle through participation in various activities October 21 – 25th. Da Vinci students will see health related content in class through presentations, have an opportunity to learn how to use the life saving medication Narcan for opioid overdoses, take part in a Free vaccination clinic as a preventative health activity and engage in open dialogues around the importance of healthy choices.
This year’s theme is: “Life is a Movie. Film Drug Free”. We hope to strengthen anti-drug-use attitudes and norms through sharing information. Please partner with us and discuss this message at home, at the dinner table, at family outings, and with friends and extended family. Ask your child to tell you about things they hear at school about Red Ribbon Week®!
Save the date Wednesday, October 23rd 330-630pm Da Vinci Schools is hosting a mobile vaccination clinic for those wanting a free Flu shot, updated COVID booster, or TDAP! Located at 201 N Douglas Street in the Blackbox, walk-ins are welcome! Bring your insurance card and students under 18 can walk in if they have a consent form completed by parent.
One fun way to start or continue the conversation about drug prevention and healthy lifestyle choices with your children AND have a chance to win an iPad? National Family Partnership is sponsoring a photo contest. The photo contest is free and you could win an iPad and $1,000 for our school!!Log onto www.redribbon.org and find out more!
We hope our 9th grade students had an amazing Overnighter experience at Camp Pondo this week! We enjoyed the fun activities, thoughtful discussions, and meaningful time we spent together. We can’t wait to continue to learn and grow with the Class of 2028!
Our Leadership team, clubs, and students groups put on a wonderful, celebratory Hispanic Heritage Month Community Dialogue (CD) this past Thursday. We are grateful to be able to celebrate students’ cultures, talents, and hard work together through this special event.
Friday, 10/11 was Da Vinci Schools’ first-ever Community Learning Day! What a neat experience to see students from all Da Vinci high schools participating in workshops and activities throughout the 201 campus! We hope students who remained off campus also had a productive day to learn and access opportunities. Don’t forget: ALL students MUST fill out this Community Learning Day Attendance Form to receive attendance credit. This form must be completed by a student using their Da Vinci Schools Google account.
Announcements & Reminders for Week 9:
Student-Led Conferencesbegin next week! Conference times were pushed out by Grade-Level teachers. Please check your email and this SLC Information for Families if you have not received your SLC time.
Parent Association Meeting:The DVS Parent Association is in place to build a strong parent community who support the needs of the school as directed by the school administration. Come connect with other DVS parents at our first meeting of the year on Wednesday, 10/16 at 4:30pm in-person on the DVS floor (after SLCs)! You’ll learn more about this year’s projects and ways you can be more involved in the DVS community. Everyone is encouraged to get involved and there is nothing formal you need to do to “join.” Questions or to express interest in helping lead the DVSPA or a project can be directed to parent Lori Bowker at lj.bowk@gmail.com. Future meetings will be held alternating Zoom and in-person. See the DVS Planning Calendar for dates and times.
SAT/PSAT School Day: The DVS SAT/PSAT School Day is on Monday, October 14th! All PSAT and SAT tests will be digitally administered. Practice resources were posted on Canvas. It is crucial that students arrive at school on time. Per College Board rules, students will not be able to participate if testing has already begun. Questions should be directed to Saya, DVS Assistant Principal (swai@davincischools.org).
9th Grade: PSAT 8/9
10th Grade: PSAT/NMSQT
11th Grade: PSAT/NMSQT
12th Grade: SAT (opt-in registration deadline has passed)
Honors Commitment Deadline: Students who submitted their Honors Contracts by 9/20 have until Friday, October 18th to notify their teacher if they choose not to continue with honors in that course. Otherwise, Honors at DVS this year is a semester-long commitment, as noted on the Honors Contracts.
Great California Shakeoutis a statewide initiative to bring earthquake awareness and preparedness to California schools. DVS will be participating in the Great California Shakeout earthquake drill on Thursday, October 11th.
Week 9 College Rep Visits: Both meetings will be in Mr. Perez’s Room. Students from all grade levels (9-12) are welcome!
Friday, October 18th at 8am: UCLA
Friday, October 18th at lunchtime: University of San Francisco
Team Ten celebrated these sophomores with awards this week! Congratulations!
Many students contributed to the Hispanic Heritage Month CD, including our amazing Baile Folklórico Club and students who showcased their beautiful quinceañera dresses.
DVS teachers hosted some CLD workshops, including this Athletics workshop.
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
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.
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:
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.
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. untilSeptember 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.
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 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.
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 studentsbegin 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
