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

Save the date!   DVS is hosting in-person College Planning Information Sessions starting next week:

 

If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Marquez, College and Career Counselor, fmarquez@davincischools.org 

We hope to see you there!

The DVS Counseling Team

 

 

Good morning!  We hope you had a wonderful weekend.  Below are the college reps at DVS this week:

Tuesday, 9/19: University of Connecticut 

Wednesday, 9/20: Chapman University

Friday, 9/22: University of San Francisco

Presentation will be at lunch time in Mr. Perez’s classroom.  These presentations are open to all DVS students of all grade levels (9th-12th).

If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Marquez, College and Career Counselor: fmarquez@davincischools.org

We hope to see you there!

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 

Click to read more

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 

 

The Families Connected Parent Chat, established in 2017, will relaunch in September 2023 as a free monthly support group open to all South Bay parents and caregivers. Provided in partnership between South Bay Families Connected, Beach Cities Health District and Thelma McMillen Center, the Parent Chat offers its participants a confidential and supportive space to share their parenting challenges and successes. Dr. Moe Gelbart, Executive Director of the Thelma McMillen Recovery Center, is the lead moderator for the group and offers his professional insight and expertise on a variety of topics. He is joined by Laura Short McIntire, Founder of SBFC. Please note that the Parent Chat is not a therapeutic program, but rather a peer to peer support group with educational guidance from a mental health professional.

Join the Parent Chat the second Tuesday of each month at 10:00 a.m. Please join the next session September 12, 2023.  Click HERE for more information.

SBFC’s parenting resources, videos and blogs are free and accessible to all. Below is a link to the resource pages: https://www.southbayfamiliesconnected.org/parent-resources

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