Da Vinci Science

As usual, DVS had an eventful and busy week! 11th graders had an informative time at NACAC’s College Fair at the LA Convention Center. Over 1800 colleges and universities were represented, and our students had a great time asking questions and checking out different college booths. Counselors also continued to offer college planning workshops for 10th and 11th-grade students. This is the season for seniors going through the application process and all grade levels to explore and plan for post-secondary options. 

Students in the Biomedical Pathway also had the opportunity to visit Loma Linda University. Students took a field trip, toured the high-tech bio simulation lab, and engaged in lectures and an interactive cadaver lab tour. Through Monday’s Blood Drive, many lives were saved through our collaboration with UCLA Health.

Clubs have officially started, and it’s been great to see students pursuing their interests and having fun together during lunch and after school. 

Due to School Holiday, there will be no school this Friday, Oct. 4th.

Announcements & Reminders for Week 7:

• Community Learning Days– Our first CLD Day is coming up Oct. 11th. This week, all students were given a new student survey to fill out. The survey asks students whether they plan to plan to have their learning experience on campus or off campus. If students select the off-campus option, a CLD Off-Campus Permission Slip must be signed by parent/guardian and turned in to the Advisory teacher (students were provided a copy of this permission slip during Advisory this week). All students will need to fill out an attendance form to receive attendance credit for that day.  
  • Student Community Learning Day Survey
  • CLD Off-Campus Permission Slip
• College Planning Information Sessions continue into Week 7! We welcome 12th grade families on Wednesday, October 2nd. Come learn more about solidifying your college list, the college application process, financial aid applications and more! This meeting  is from 5:30pm-6:30pm and held on the DVS floor.  Click here to reserve your spot!
• College Rep Visits: All college rep visits happen during lunch time in Mr. Perez’s Room. Students of all grade levels (9-12) are welcome. College Rep Visits for Week 7:

• Monday, 9/30: CSU Dominguez Hills
• Tuesday, 10/1: Cal Tech
• Wednesday, 10/2: Syracuse University
• Thursday, 10/3: UC Merced

• AMC Math Competition: DVS will be administering the American Mathematics Competition (AMC) 10 and 12 on Tuesday, November 12th 3pm-5pm (during seminar and after school) to those who sign up. The AMC 10/12 are both 25-question, 75-minute, multiple-choice examinations in high school. Find out more at this link: https://maa.org/student-programs/amc/ Interested students should sign up via this form by 9:00am on Monday, September 30th (DV Google account required). For questions, contact Saya at swai@davincischools.org. 
• DVS Family Coffee Time: Every first Wednesday of the month, we will have an open “Coffee Time” where parents, guardians, and students can drop in to ask administration and staff questions and receive updates on school happenings. This week’s DVS Families Coffee Time will be held on Wednesday, October 2nd, from 4:15-5:15 using this Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/3108950461   

Week 7 Schedule (9/30-10/4):

 Important Upcoming Dates: 

• Wednesday, 10/02: DVS Families Coffee Time @ 4:15pm
• Wednesday, 10/02: 12th Grade College Planning Info Session
• Friday, 10/04: No School – School Holiday 
• Tuesday-Wednesday, 10/08-10/09: 9th Grade Overnighter @ Camp Pondo
• Friday, 10/11 Community Learning Day
• Monday, 10/14 SAT/PSAT School Day
• Monday-Thursday, 10/14-10/17 Student-Led Conferences (SLCs)
• Thursday, 10/17 Great California Shakeout @ 10:17am
• Friday, 10/18 Honors Commitment Deadline
• Friday, 11/1 PD Day, No School for students

Helpful Links:

DV/Wiseburn Athletics  

DVS Planning Calendar

DVS News YouTube Channel

DVS Announcements Slide Deck

Da Vinci Photos Link

 Some Highlights from the Week:

We had a wonderful week! The students did a great job and had a great time at the Club Fair. We encourage students to join clubs and to be engaged with the school community while pursuing their interests. Check out our Club Website for more information.   

Announcements & Reminders for Week 6:

• DVS Parent Advisory Committee: The first PAC meeting of this year is next Wednesday, September 25th 4:15-5:15 at this Zoom link. Parent Advisory Committee is an opportunity for parents, students, and staff to work collaboratively to review the school program, review data, identify needs, and make recommendations for the Local Control and Accountability Plan. If you are interested in joining our DVS Parent Advisory Committee, please complete the Parent Advisory Committee Interest Form. PAC Meeting Dates are planned for Wednesdays on Zoom from 4:15-5:15pm on these dates: 9/25, 11/20, 2/12, 3/26, 5/14.
• DVS Parent Association: The DVS Parent Association was formed last year to create and build a strong parent community that supports the needs of the school as directed by the school administration. We are excited about the new projects we plan to bring to our community this school year. Our goal is to have at least one parent from each advisory group participating in the DVSPA meetings/projects. Could that be you?  Everyone is encouraged to get involved and there is nothing formal you need to do to “join.”  We will meet once a month, alternating between in person and on Zoom.  Questions or to express interest in helping lead the DVSPA can be directed to parent Lori Bowker at lj.bowk@gmail.com.  Come connect with other DVS parents at our first meeting of the year to learn more about this year’s projects and ways you can be more involved in the DVS community on Wednesday, 10/16, 4:30pm in person (after SLCs).
• South Bay Families Connected: SBFC is a great resource for our families: “SBFC’s mission is to improve K-12 students’ social-emotional wellness. We do this by connecting parents, guardians, and teens with valuable resources, education, and support, as well as reducing stigma around mental health issues and sparking conversations that inspire people to reach out for help when they need it.” Check out South Bay Families Connected Events Calendar
• PSAT/SAT School Day: The DVS PSAT/SAT School Day is on Monday, October 14th. All PSAT and SAT tests will be digitally administered.
  •  9th Grade: PSAT 8/9
  • 10th Grade: PSAT/NMSQT
  • 11th Grade: PSAT/NMSQT
  • 12th Grade: Opt-in to take the SAT (opt-in form posted on Canvas)

• 11th-grade students interested in taking the SAT instead of the PSAT/NMSQT should reach out to Saya (swai@davincischools.org) by Monday, September 30th, 2024.
• Remember that you can also register to take the SAT outside of the SAT School Day offered at DVS. Register through the College Board at this website: https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/registration 

• College Planning Information Sessions continue into Week 6! We welcome 10th-grade families on Tuesday, September 24th, and 11th-grade families on Thursday, September 26th. Come learn more about college and career readiness, graduation requirements, college admissions tips and more! Meetings are from 5:30pm-6:30pm and are held on the DVS floor.  Click here to reserve your spot!
• Freshmen Overnighter: Overnighter has been rescheduled for October 8-9th. All students should have received a new permission slip from the English class. Please have new permission slips signed and returned by October 2nd. 
• College Rep Visits: All college rep visits happen during lunch time in Mr. Perez’s Room. Students of all grade levels (9-12) are welcome. College Rep Visits for Week 6:
  • Monday, 9/23: United States Air Force

Week 6 Schedule (9/23-9/27):

 Important Upcoming Dates: 

• Monday, 9/23: UCLA Blood Drive
• Tuesday, 9/24: 10th Grade College Planning Info Session @ 5:30pm
• Tuesday, 9/24: Picture Make-Up Day
• Wednesday, 9/25: 11th Grade NACAC College Fair Field Trip in Los Angeles
• Wednesday, 9/25: Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) Meeting #1 @ 4:15pm on Zoom 
• Thursday, 9/26: 11th Grade College Planning Info Session @ 5:30pm
• Wednesday, 10/02: DVS Families Coffee Time @ 4:15pm
• Wednesday, 10/02: 12th Grade College Planning Info Session
• Tuesday-Wednesday, 10/08-10/09: 9th Grade Overnighter @ Camp Pondo
• Friday, 10/11: CLD Day 

Helpful Links:

DV/Wiseburn Athletics  

DVS Planning Calendar

DVS News YouTube Channel

DVS Announcements Slide Deck

Da Vinci Photos Link

Some Highlights from the Week:

Juniors and Seniors attended the Latino College Expo at the University of La Verne last Saturday, 9/14.

Students in Advanced Calculus gave an informal presentation on their classwork from CPM. They shared about finite differences, slope statements, and the patterns they noticed in the graphs.

Advanced Physics successfully pieced together clues to solve a Kimematics Crime and proved who destroyed the historic valuable vase by using free fall acceleration equations

CEA Downtown LA Tour- students presented their research on architectural structures and designs and got to visit Cal Trans!

DVS Club Fair- students had a great time representing and signing up for clubs!

Ichi Ice Cubes Advisory Dinner at Northern Cafe

We hope everyone had a productive and enjoyable PD Day. Due to the San Bernardino Line Fires, we needed to reschedule our overnighter that was scheduled for this week. Thank you, students and families, for your patience and understanding with this. We are close to securing a new date for the Overnighter and will let you know as soon as possible.

We have a regular 5-day week next week! 

Announcements & Reminders for Week 5:

• PSAT/SAT School Day: The DVS PSAT/SAT School Day is coming up on Monday, October 14th! Please note this is a revised date. 9th-11th grade students will be taking the PSAT, while 12th-grade students will have the option to opt-in to the SAT (more info will be posted on Canvas next week). All PSAT and SAT tests will be digitally administered. 
  • 9th Grade: PSAT 8/9
  • 10th Grade: PSAT/NMSQT
  • 11th Grade: PSAT/NMSQT
  • 12th Grade: Opt-in to take the SAT

11th-grade students interested in taking the SAT instead of the PSAT/NMSQT should reach out to Saya (swai@davincischools.org) by Monday, September 30th, 2024.

Remember that you can also register to take the SAT outside of the SAT School Day offered at DVS. Register through the College Board at this website: https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/registration 

• Free SAT/ACT Practice Tests through PJ Test Prep: PJ Test Prep is a small, boutique SAT/ACT prep and tutoring company based here in the South Bay and West LA. They have been providing support to DVS students during Test Prep Seminar this semester, and it has been great! Learn more about PJ Test Prep at www.pjtestprep.com. The SAT/ACT Practice Tests & Results Seminar is FREE to all on Zoom and $10 in-person. The next seminars are scheduled for Saturday, September 28th or Sunday, December 1st! RSVP and get more information at www.pjtestprep/rsvp.
• College Planning Information Sessions start next week!  We welcome 9th grade students and their families on Wednesday, September 18th at 5:30pm.  Come learn more about graduation requirements, pathway courses, college and career options and more! Click here to reserve your spot! Upcoming College Planning Information Sessions:
  • 9th Grade: Wednesday, September 18th @ 5:30pm
  • 10th Grade: Tuesday, September 24th @ 5:30pm
  • 11th Grade: Thursday, September 26th @ 5:30pm
  • 12th Grade: Wednesday, October 2nd @ 5:30pm
• College Rep Visits: We are grateful to have college reps on the DVS campus to give students the opportunity to learn about colleges and universities. All college rep visits happen during lunch time in Mr. Perez’s Room. Students of all grade levels (9-12) are welcome. College Rep Visits for Week 5:
  • Monday, 9/16: UC Davis
  • Tuesday, 9/17: USC
  • Wednesday, 9/18: UC Santa Barbara
  • Friday, 9/20: Harvey Mudd College

• DVS Parent Advisory Committee: Parent Advisory Committee is an opportunity for parents, students, and staff to work collaboratively to review the school program, review data, identify needs, and make recommendations for the Local Control and Accountability Plan. If you are interested in joining our DVS Parent Advisory Committee, please complete the Parent Advisory Committee Interest Form by Friday, 9/20.  PAC Meeting Dates are planned for Wednesdays on Zoom from 4:15-5:15pm on these dates: 9/25, 11/20, 2/12, 3/26, 5/14.

Week 5 Schedule (9/16-9/20):

 Important Upcoming Dates: 

• Wednesday, 9/18: 9th Grade College Planning Info Session @ 5:30pm
• Thursday, 9/19: Club Fair during Advisory and lunch
• Friday, 9/20: Honors Contracts Due 
• Monday, 9/23: UCLA Blood Drive
• Tuesday, 9/24: 10th Grade College Planning Info Session @ 5:30pm
• Tuesday, 9/24: Picture Make-Up Day
• Wednesday, 9/25: 11th Grade NACAC College Fair Field Trip in Los Angeles 
• Thursday, 9/26: 11th Grade College Planning Info Session @ 5:30pm

Helpful Links:

DV/Wiseburn Athletics  

DVS Planning Calendar

DVS News YouTube Channel

DVS Announcements Slide Deck

Da Vinci Photos Link

Some Highlights from the Week:

Robotics class started testing our ramp-climbing robots. Next week we will take the angle of the ramp and calculate the effective coefficient of friction.

Python Advisory Dinner

Human Body Systems class using practicing micropipette skills

Intro to Design class, designing and painting while awaiting the new Overnighter dates

The Linton Leopards and the Ichiroku Ice Cubes are trying to win all the gold coins they can!

We hope all students and families had a great 4-day week of school. Seminars are going well, and we are gearing up for Club Fair Week 5, 9/19. Next week will be another 4-day week for students! Please take note of the special schedule due to PD Day on Friday, September 13th, and the Freshmen Overnighter, September 11-12.

Announcements & Reminders for Week 4:

• Freshmen Overnighter: is happening this week! Overnighter Leaders will leave Tuesday, 9/10, and Overnighter Freshmen Campers will leave Wednesday, 9/11. All students will return on Thursday, 9/12. Information and permission slips have been given in class and posted in Canvas. Here is the link to Overnighter Forms and Permission Slips. Please note that all school policies and expectations apply during the Overnighter. We look forward to spending this precious, formidable, and fun time with the Freshmen! 
• Community Learning Days: A message from the Da Vinci Schools Central Office went out regarding CLDs. A CLD slide deck and interest survey went out to students during advisory this week. The first CLD is Oct. 11th. You can go to this blog post to see more details regarding CLD Days from the Central Office.  
• Honors Launch Week: was this week! Specific honors requirements for each course can be found in this Honors Programs & Contracts doc. 
• Grade Updates: Staff update grades on PD days so grades are up-to-date by the Tuesday of the following week. The first grade update will be Tuesday, 9/17. 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.

• Latino College Expo: The Latino College Expo is Saturday, September 14th from 9am-3pm at the University of La Verne and is open to 11th and 12th grade DVS students. Transportation is available, but space is limited. Interested students should get a permission slip from our college and career counselor, Ms. Francisca Marquez (fmarquez@davincischools.org).

• College Planning Meetings: Our counselors will host grade-level specific College Planning Meetings in person on the DVS floor. 

• • 9th Grade: Wednesday, September 18th @ 5:30pm
  • 10th Grade: Tuesday, September 24th @ 5:30pm
  • 11th Grade: Thursday, September 26th @ 5:30pm
  • 12th Grade: Wednesday, October 2nd @ 5:30pm

• DVS Parent Advisory Committee: Every school year, DVS forms a new Parent Advisory Committee (formerly known as School Site Council). This is an opportunity for parents, students, and staff to work collaboratively to review the school program, review data, identify needs, and make recommendations for the Local Control and Accountability Plan. If you are interested in joining our DVS Parent Advisory Committee, please complete the Parent Advisory Committee Interest Form by Friday, 9/20.  PAC Meeting Dates are planned for Wednesdays on Zoom from 4:15-5:15pm on these dates: 9/25, 11/20, 2/5, 4/2, 5/21.
• Blood Drive: DVS Red Cross Club is partnering with the UCLA Blood and Platelet Center for a blood drive on Monday, September 23rd:

Week 4 Schedule (9/9-9/12):

Important Upcoming Dates: 

• Tuesday, 9/10: Advisory Leaders leave for Overnighter
• Wednesday, 9/11 – Thursday, 9/12: Freshmen Overnighter
• Friday, 9/13: Professional Development Day – No School
• Wednesday, 9/18: 9th Grade College Planning Info Session @ 5:30pm
• Thursday, 9/19: Club Fair during Advisory and lunch
• Friday, 9/20: Honors Contracts Due 
• Monday, 9/23: UCLA Blood Drive
• Tuesday, 9/24: 10th Grade College Planning Info Session @ 5:30pm
• Wednesday, 9/25: 11th Grade NACAC College Fair Field Trip in Los Angeles 
• Thursday, 9/26: 11th Grade College Planning Info Session @ 5:30pm

Some Highlights from the Week: 

Table Top Seminar- Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: the Gathering taught by Jeremy

Advisory- Wong Warriors cooking up and sharing Ramen together

9th graders are wrapping up their Puzzle Cube projects following the design process, learning Onshape, using Sigma to find the standard deviation, and having fun!

9th Grade Physicists graph matching with a motion detector

Advanced Physicists solving motion graph problems and play Capture the Physics Flag

Magana’s LLamas having an Advisory Dinner Night Out at Gen

Transfer Welcome Lunch last week- welcome to DVS!

Helpful Links:

DV/Wiseburn Athletics  

DVS Planning Calendar

DVS News YouTube Channel

DVS Announcements Slide Deck

Da Vinci Photos Link

Hello Da Vinci Science students and families,

We hope you’re all doing well as we move through the semester. We want to remind you about a fantastic opportunity available to adolescents 12-25 years of age—free wellness resources through allcove!

These resources are here to support you, and using them is a proactive step towards maintaining your mental and emotional health. Don’t hesitate to reach out and make the most of these valuable services!

–DVS Counseling Team

allcove

allcove_teenmentalhealth_training

allcove_grief_support

allcove_family_support

We had another great week at DVS! Students started seminars this week and are enjoying the opportunity to explore unique interests. Thank you for a great Back to School Night! It was to see families on campus, and hopefully, parents and guardians could get a taste of their student’s daily experience here at DVS. If you were unable to make it, here are some links that may be helpful (these links are also on the DVS blog site): 

DVS Course Syllabi 

Staff Office Hours and Email Addresses

Directions for Parent & Guardian Access to Canvas and PowerSchool 

We hope all students and families enjoy the well-deserved Labor Day weekend! No School, Monday, September 2nd.

Announcements & Reminders for Week 3:

• Seminars started on Wednesday, 8/28! Students have until Friday, 9/6 at 2:30pm to submit a seminar change request using this form (requires a student Da Vinci Google account). Please note that submitting a seminar change request does NOT guarantee fulfillment of the request; however, we will do our best to honor your interests as long as the request is received before the deadline. Requests received after that time will only be granted in special circumstances with counselor and/or admin approval. Please allow counselors two school days to process requests.

• Honors work is available for many courses at DVS. Most honors courses are not a separate period but are integrated into the regular coursework. This could look like additional assignments and projects or the requirement to demonstrate higher levels of mastery and understanding. Below is the timeline for the Fall 2024 semester:

• • Honors Launch Week: Week 3 (9/3-9/6)
  • Honors Contracts due: Week 5 Friday, 9/20
  • Honors Commitment Deadline: Week 9 Friday, 10/18
  • Specific honors requirements for each course can be found in this Honors Programs & Contracts doc. Contract links will be updated after the Honors Launch week. 

• DVS Family Coffee Time: Every first Wednesday of the month, we will have an open “Coffee Time” where parents, guardians, and students can drop in to ask administration and staff questions and receive updates on school happenings. These coffee times will be held on Zoom; parents are welcome to attend in person. We will have our first DVS Families Coffee Time this Wednesday, September 4th, from 4:15-5:15 using this Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/3108950461  

Week 3 Schedule: 

Important Upcoming Dates: 

• Monday, 9/2: Labor Day Holiday – No School
• Tuesday, 9/10: Advisory Leaders leave for Overnighter
• Wednenesday, 9/11 – Thursday, 9/12: Freshmen Overnighter
• Friday, 9/13: Professional Development Day – No School
• Friday, 9/20: Honors Contracts Due 
• Monday, 9/23: Blood Drive
• Wednesday, 9/25: 11th Grade NACAC Field Trip in Los Angeles 

Some Highlights from the Week: 

Youth and Government Office Retreat at Camp Whittle in Big Bear

Freshmen physicists looking for the relationship between shoe size and height

Chemistry students practice lab skills by making ice cream

Lunch Fun- Wolfie says hello!

Helpful Links:

DV/Wiseburn Athletics  

DVS Planning Calendar

DVS News YouTube Channel

DVS Photos Link

It was a great first week of school! Students were happy to see old friends, meet new friends, and jump right into learning and community building. It’s going to be a great school year! 

We are excited to invite parents and guardians to Back-to-School Night on Thursday, August 29th, 2024. Please note that this is an evening designed for parents and guardians to be in their children’s classrooms and learn about the courses they are taking. Students are not required to attend. Parents and guardians will go directly to classrooms for a meet and greet with teachers (there will be no whole school assembly). Since space in each classroom will be limited, some parents/guardians may need to stand when the room is full.

The schedule for this evening will be as follows:

5:30-5:40 Greetings and Welcome 

5:45-5:55 Period 1

6:00-6:10 Period 2

6:15-6:25 Period 3

6:30-6:40 Period 4

6:45-6:55 Period 5

7:00-7:10 Period 6 

7:15-7:30 Advisory

Please be on the lookout for an email next week with the Back to School Night (BTSN) information and your student’s schedule.

Week 2 Schedule (8/26-8/30):

Have a great weekend and we look forward to seeing you at BTSN next week! 

9th grade Physics – Design Your Own Experiment Vocabulary Activity

Advanced Physics- Frozen T-shirt Challenge 

9th Graders sharing what they want out of their high school experience at DVS

Sophomores racing to complete puzzles during Grade Level Time!

Pre-Calculus Students already grinding as they finish their summer packets! 

Welcome Back to School, DVS Families! We hope you had a wonderful summer!

Thank you for coming to our Welcome Orientation last night. It was so great to meet new families and reconnect with returning families. We are excited for a great school year!

For those of you who were unable to attend last night’s welcome orientation, the slide deck is available here: Welcome Orientation 2024

Our First Day of School is this Monday, August 19th! 

School start time is at 8:50am and dismissal is at 3:55pm. In the morning, students will be in the backyard until 8:50am. We will then have an all-school gathering outside before students head upstairs with their advisory teachers (students, be sure to stay with DVS as other schools will be going inside).

Week 1 Schedule:

A copy of students’ schedules will be given during Advisory at the beginning of the day. Schedule Change Requests are now open. If you would like to make a change to your schedule, please fill out this form Fall 2024 Schedule Change Request. Please allow your hard-working counselors 1-2 school days to process your request. Note that not all requests can be accommodated, but we will do the best we can. All course requests must be submitted by Friday, August 30th 2:30pm.

Have a great weekend and we will see you on Monday!