Da Vinci Schools is partnering with VSP Vision to provide free eye exams and glasses to eligible Da Vinci students who have no vision insurance or face barriers to accessing vision care. The mobile eye care clinic will be on-site Oct. 9–10 at Da Vinci’s 201 N. Douglas St. campus, offering students (ages 5 and up) convenient, no-cost access to eye exams and eyewear. In most cases, glasses can be picked up the same day. Each appointment is approximately 45 minutes.
Pre-screening with our health team is required. Please email to receive more information and the sign-up link. No walk-ins allowed.
Students are definitely getting deep into their learning as we head into Week 6. Seminars, Honors, and Clubs are all underway and officially launched! We have our first CLD day coming up next week and our first Community Dialogue coming up this week.
This Week’s Schedule:
This Week’s Announcements:
CLD Day – Our first CLD Day is coming up this Tuesday, Sept. 23rd. On-campus learning workshops are from 8:30-12:30. Students check-in at the 201 Campus. Here is the List of On-Campus Workshops available on 9/23. If students did not request an on-campus workshop, they can still come and sign up on the day of any open session on campus. Students staying at home should have already turned in and uploaded the parent permission slip. Students should have joined the CLD Canvas Class. On 9/23, attendance will be taken via a “quiz” given on the Canvas Portal. Please note that it is mandatory for attendance credit; otherwise, students will be marked absent for CLD Day.
Parent Advisory Committee – The Parent Advisory Committee, previously known as the School Site Council (SSC), provides an opportunity for parents, students, and staff to work collaboratively in reviewing the school program, analyzing data, identifying needs, and making recommendations for the Local Control and Accountability Plan. If you are a parent or guardian interested in joining our Parent Advisory Committee (PAC), please fill out the Parent Advisory Committee PAC Interest Form by Monday, September 22nd. PAC meetings will be held on the following dates: 10/08, 12/17, 2/11, 4/15, and 5/20 from 4:30-5:30 via Zoom. We are still looking for a few more PAC members!
College Counseling:
10th grade families for theirCollege Planning Information Session this Thursday, September, 25th from 5:30pm-6:30pm via Zoom: Come learn about graduation requirements, DVS pathways, college admission criteria, types of colleges and career options, financial aid/scholarships and more!
11th grade: Wednesday, October 1st from 5:30pm-6:30 pm via ZOOM
12th grade: Wednesday, October 8th from 5:30pm-6:30 pm held in-person on the DVS Campus
Real World Learning: All students have received an invitation to add the RWL course. The previous course has been removed and will no longer be active. New and returning students need to accept the invitation. Students need to add the RWL course to receive announcements about internships, volunteer opportunities, and other career-related events. For questions, please contact Crissel Rodriguez, RWL Director, crodriguez@davincischools.org
We appreciate all the 9th grade students and families that attended the College Planning Information Session at the begining of the week. Below are the presentation slides and handouts:
We’re thrilled to share that Da Vinci’s Atlas travel program is heading to Peru: Machu Picchu, Cusco & Lake Titicaca in Spring 2027, and we’d love for your student to join us! This opportunity is open to ALL Da Vinci high school students.
This is an incredible opportunity for students to explore new places, experience different cultures, and gain lifelong skills like independence and confidence. We’ll be sharing all the details, including what we’ll see and do, hands-on learning activities, academic opportunities, trip costs, and how to secure a spot at our informational meeting.
We’ll also open enrollment during the meeting—spots are limited, and we would love to help you secure this experience for your child.
In the meantime, please visit EF’s website to get answers to common parent questions. EF Tours is our trusted travel partner, and they have 60 years of experience helping students explore the world safely and affordably.
We hope to see you there and look forward to sharing how this trip can be a powerful and unforgettable chapter in your child’s life!
Discover the impact of the Atlas travel program in our recap of the 2025 Spring trip to Italy. Read the full story now.
Thank you for a great Back to School Night! We enjoyed seeing parents and guardians on campus and hope families enjoyed getting to know your student’s teachers and getting a little taste of what your student’s day looks like. Parents and Guardians are pertinent to the work that we do. Thank you for partnering with us. It was great to see families at our monthly Parent Coffees as well, hope to see you at the next one!
This week, the 11th graders also had a positive experience at NACAC. Students had the opportunity to hear from a variety of colleges and attend college readiness workshops. All students also participated in our annual Club Fair; see our DVS Club Fair Site for the complete list of clubs. We also hope students had an enjoyable PD Day while teachers spent the time collaborating and planning with grade-level teams and job-alike teams. Next week is a whole 5-day week with the regular schedule.
This Week’s Schedule:
This Week’s Announcements:
Parent Advisory Committee – The Parent Advisory Committee, previously known as the School Site Council (SSC), is an opportunity for parents, students, and staff to work collaboratively to review the school program, analyze data, identify needs, and make recommendations for the Local Control and Accountability Plan. If you are a parent or guardian interested in joining our Parent Advisory Committee (PAC), please fill out the Parent Advisory Committee PAC Interest Form by Monday, September 22nd. PAC meetings will be held on the following dates: 10/08, 12/17, 2/11, 4/15, and 5/20 from 4:30-5:30 via Zoom.
Grade Updates– grade updates can be expected on the Tuesday following PD Days. Next grade update will be on Tuesday, 9/16. Grades can be found on Canvas or Powerschool.
CLD Day – Our first CLD Day is coming up on September 23rd. Students received an email from Da Vinci Schools to sign up for an On-Campus Learning Workshop or to indicate that they will be learning from home that day. Here is the CLD Survey to Sign-Up for CLD Day 9/23 (need Da Vinci email address to access). Here is the List of On-Campus Workshops available on 9/23. Please note that students will need to have a CLD stay-at-home permission slip if they wish to learn from home that day.
Honors – Honors contracts were provided in class and are due to teachers this Friday, 9/19.
American Mathematical Competition: DVS will be administering the American Mathematics Competition (AMC) 10 and 12 on Thursday, November 13th, 2025, from 3pm-5pm(during seminar and after school) to those who sign up.The AMC 10/12 is the first in a series of competitions that may eventually lead to the International Mathematical Olympiad. Find out more at this link: https://maa.org/student-programs/amc/. Interested students should sign up via this form by Friday, September 19th (DV account required).
FREE Metro GoPass for DVS Students:Da Vinci Schools is participating in LA Metro’s GoPass Program again this year! This means each DVS student can receive a FREE metro card that, once activated, can allow them to ride on the Metro for FREE until June 30, 2027. Students should drop by the front desk (not during class time) and ask Liz to pick up a card and instructions to activate their card (one card per student). Find more information on the GoPass Program here.
College Planning Information Sessions:Counselors will be holding college planning info. Sessions. Come learn about graduation requirements, DVS pathways, college admission criteria, types of colleges and career options, financial aid/scholarships and more! 9th grade- 11th grade sessions will be held via Zoom (link will be posted closer to date) and the 12th grade session will be held in-person on the DVS campus. All DVS students and families are invited to attend! Schedule is:
9th grade: Tuesday, September 16th from 5:30pm-6:30 pm via ZOOM
10th grade: Thursday, September 25th from 5:30pm-6:30 pm via ZOOM
11th grade: Wednesday, October 1st from 5:30pm-6:30 pm via ZOOM
12th grade: Wednesday, October 8th from 5:30pm-6:30 pm held in-person on the DVS Campus
DVSPA– DVS Parent Association (DVSPA) is a fun way to build community with other DVS parents while supporting staff and students. The first DVSPA is coming up this week! First DVSPA meeting for 2025-26 is Wed, Sept 17th, 5:30pm on campus. All DVS parents/guardians are welcome to join in supporting DVS staff through our projects (no membership or anything to do to sign up, just show up). Come get to know other DVS Parents and see how we’ll be supporting DVS this year.
DVSPA Merch is available for pre-order. Show your school spirit and support DVS with your T-shirt and Hoodie orders. Samples are available to view at Back to School Night at the DVSPA table, before and after class rotations. Place yourORDER HERE (make sure you’re logged into your MySchoolBucks DaVinci Schools account if you also have a Wiseburn account). Images and more detailsHERE.
Important Upcoming Dates:
Tuesday, 9/16 Make-Up Picture Day
Wednesday, 9/17 DVSPA (DVS Parent Association) meeting; 5:30 on campus
El Segundo Physics Network (ESPN) Science of Sports project launch! Looking forward to connecting concepts of kinematics, forces, and energy to sports scenarios.
We had a great time at the Overnighter! Freshmen and Advisory Leaders did a great job engaging in time away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. This year’s theme was “You’re Golden” –with a focus on being our best, authentic selves; even with our imperfections, we are loved, valued, and accepted. Campers enjoyed the mountains and spent quality time with one another while students on campus continued with their learning, enjoying the calm and quiet campus.
We have another four-day week next week with PD day on Friday.
Week 4 Schedule
This Week’s Announcements:
Back-to-School Night:We are excited to invite parents and guardians to Back-to-School Night on Thursday, September 11th from 5:30pm-7:30pm! 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. An email with specific schedules and information will be sent out soon.
DVS Family Coffee Time: Every first Wednesday of the month, we have “Coffee with the Principal” where parents, guardians, and students can drop in to ask administration and staff questions and receive updates on school happenings. There will also be various topics for discussion as requested by parents. This week’s DVS Families Coffee Time will be held on Wednesday, 9/10, from 4:30-5:30 using this Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/3108950461. This week’s topic: Parent Involvement in High School
Club Fair:Students will participate in our Club Fair this Thursday, 9/11 during Advisory time. Clubs are student led and a great way to be involved with school activities. Clubs are student run and supervised by staff. We are grateful for all our staff advisors for clubs.
Opt-in SAT School Day for 11th and 12th Grade:DVS 11th and 12th grade students will have the option to opt-in to take the SAT during the DVS SAT/PSAT School Day on Monday, October 13th, free of charge to the student , by signing up on this Fall 2025 DVS Opt-in SAT School Day Interest Form (DV account required) by Monday, September 12th. Please note that 11th grade students opting to take the SAT means they would not be taking the PSAT/NMSQT, which is the qualifying exam for the National Merit Scholarship.
American Mathematical Competition:DVS will be administering the American Mathematics Competition (AMC) 10 and 12 on Thursday, November 13th, 2025 from 3pm-5pm(during seminar and after school) to those who sign up.The AMC 10/12 is the first in a series of competitions that eventually lead all the way to the International Mathematical Olympiad. Find out more at this link: https://maa.org/student-programs/amc/. Interested students should sign up via this form by Friday, September 19th (DV account required).
FREE Metro GoPass for DVS Students:Da Vinci Schools is participating in LA Metro’s GoPass Program again this year! This means each DVS student can receive a FREE metro card that, once activated, can allow them to ride on the Metro for FREE until June 30, 2027. Students should drop by the front desk (not during class time) and ask Liz to pick up a card and instructions to activate their card (one card per student). Find more information on the GoPass Program here.
South Bay / Los Angeles College Fair: The Redondo Beach Unified School District (RBUSD), in proud partnership with the Western Association for College Admission Counseling (WACAC) and the Redondo Beach Council PTA, is hosting the 2025 South Bay/Los Angeles College Fair. This event is free and open to the public and will take place on Sunday, September 7, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Redondo Union High School. This dynamic annual fair will bring together 100 colleges and universities from across the country, offering students a one-stop opportunity to explore diverse post-secondary pathways. Representatives from public and private universities, community colleges, and military academies will be available to share insights, answer questions, and help students envision their future. For more information, please visit this WACAC page or contact Dr. Anthony Taranto, Executive Director of Career Pathways, at ataranto@rbusd.org. Please RSVP at this link.
Latino College Expo:DVS is excited to participate in the 12th annual Latino College Expo on Saturday, September 13th from 9am-2:30pm at the University of La Verne. Students of any grade level can attend and do not have to be Latino/Latinx identified. The Expo will host over 75 colleges: public, private, independent, military, and trade schools. Some colleges will accept seniors for admission, waive college application fees and give away scholarships on the spot! Additionally, the expo will offer workshops on topics including college application strategies, financial aid, scholarships, career planning, and more! We will depart from 201 N. Douglas promptly at 9:00 am and we expect to arrive back by 2:30 PM. Students must bring their own lunch or bring money to purchase food on campus. We only have a limited number of spots available and spots are on a first-come, first serve basis. If interested in attending, please pick up a field trip permission slip from Ms. Marquez. Permission slips are due by Wednesday, September 10th at 3:30pm to Ms. Marquez or until all spots are filled.
College Planning Information Sessions:Counselors will be holding college planning info. Sessions. Come learn about graduation requirements, DVS pathways, college admission criteria, types of colleges and career options, financial aid/scholarships and more! 9th grade- 11th grade sessions will be held via Zoom (link will be posted closer to date) and the 12th grade session will be held in-person on the DVS campus. All DVS students and families are invited to attend!
9th grade: Tuesday, September 16th from 5:30pm-6:30 pm via ZOOM
10th grade: Thursday, September 25th from 5:30pm-6:30 pm via ZOOM
11th grade: Wednesday, October 1st from 5:30pm-6:30 pm via ZOOM
12th grade: Wednesday, October 8th from 5:30pm-6:30 pm held in-person on the DVS Campus
Save the Date –First DVSPA meeting for 2025-26 is Wed, Sept 17th, 5:30pm on campus. All DVS parents/guardians are welcome to join in supporting DVS staff through our projects (no membership or anything to do to sign up, just show up). Come get to know other DVS Parents and see how we’ll be supporting DVS this year.
DVSPA Merch is available for pre-order. Show your school spirit and support DVS with your T-shirt and Hoodie orders. Samples are available to view at Back to School Night at the DVSPA table, before and after class rotations. Place yourORDER HERE (make sure you’re logged into your MySchoolBucks DaVinci Schools account if you also have a Wiseburn account). Images and more detailsHERE.
Important Upcoming Dates:
Monday, 9/1 Labor Day Holiday – No School
Tuesday, 9/2 Critical Incident Drill
Thursday, 9/4 – Friday, 9/5 Class of 2029 Overnighter
Tuesday, 9/9 11th Grade NACAC Field Trip
Thursday, 9/11 Club Fair during Advisory and lunch
Thursday, 9/11 Back-to-School Night 5:30pm-7:30pm
Friday, 9/12 Professional Development Day – No School
Tuesday, 9/16 Make-Up Picture Day
Wednesday, 9/17 DVSPA (DVS Parent Association) meeting; 5:30 on campus
Hello DVS Families! DVS is excited to host various colleges throughout the fall semester to support students in their college search. Visits from college representatives start tomorrow and will continue throughout the semester.
CSU Dominguez Hills will be at DVS tomorrow, September 4th. This presentation will be at lunchtime in Mr. Perez’s classroom and is open to all DVS students grade 9th-12th.
Future college representative visits will be included in the “Week Preview” as well as on the student’s Grade Level Canvas page. We encourage students to come learn about the majors, programs and services of universities they are interested in. All grade-levels are welcome!
Please contact Ms. Marquez, College and Career Counselor, if you have any questions: fmarquez@davincischools.org
School is in full swing, and this week marked the start of Seminars. We have amazing Seminar choices including Soccer, Pickleball, Sewing, Collegiate Mathematical Thinking, Intro. to Sign Language, Makerspace, Chess, Acting, and many more. Check out the full Seminar List below. Week 3 will be busy with Shelter in Place Drill, Honors roll out, and Freshmen Overnighter–all after a Happy Labor Day Weekend!
Week 3 Schedule:
Week 3 Announcements:
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 Tuesday, September 2nd. 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. Drill expectations and procedures were reviewed during announcements this week.
Freshmen Overnighter: Freshmen overnighter will take place from 9/4-9/5. Advisory Leaders leave 9/3. All Overnighter permission slips and Medical Release forms should have been sent home. Please return ASAP. The Overnighter info document can be found here.
Back-to-School Night:We are excited to invite parents and guardians to Back-to-School Night on Thursday, September 11th from 5:30pm-7:30pm! 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. An email with specific schedules and information will be sent soon.
Seminars:Students can request a seminar change through this Seminar Change Request Form (DV account required) until 2:30pm next Friday, September 5th. Requests for schedule changes will not be accepted after the deadline (certain exceptions apply). Seethis Seminar Descriptions & Statuses document for options. Please allow counselors at least two full school days to process your request, and note that although we will do our best, not all requests can be accommodated.
Opt-in SAT School Day for 11th and 12th Grade:DVS 11th and 12th grade students will have the option to opt-in to take the SAT during the DVS SAT/PSAT School Day on Monday, October 13th, free of charge to the student , by signing up on this Fall 2025 DVS Opt-in SAT School Day Interest Form (DV account required) by Monday, September 12th. Please note that 11th grade students opting to take the SAT means they would not be taking the PSAT/NMSQT, which is the qualifying exam for the National Merit Scholarship.
American Mathematical Competition:DVS will be administering the American Mathematics Competition (AMC) 10 and 12 on Thursday, November 13th, 2025 from 3pm-5pm(during seminar and after school) to those who sign up.The AMC 10/12 is the first in a series of competitions that eventually lead all the way to the International Mathematical Olympiad. Find out more at this link: https://maa.org/student-programs/amc/. Interested students should sign up via this form by Friday, September 19th (DV account required).
FREE Metro GoPass for DVS Students:Da Vinci Schools is participating in LA Metro’s GoPass Program again this year! This means each DVS student can receive a FREE metro card that, once activated, can allow them to ride on the Metro for FREE until June 30, 2027. Students should drop by the front desk (not during class time) and ask Liz to pick up a card and instructions to activate their card (one card per student). Find more information on the GoPass Program here.
South Bay / Los Angeles College Fair: The Redondo Beach Unified School District (RBUSD), in proud partnership with the Western Association for College Admission Counseling (WACAC) and the Redondo Beach Council PTA, is hosting the 2025 South Bay/Los Angeles College Fair. This event is free and open to the public and will take place on Sunday, September 7, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Redondo Union High School. This dynamic annual fair will bring together 100 colleges and universities from across the country, offering students a one-stop opportunity to explore diverse post-secondary pathways. Representatives from public and private universities, community colleges, and military academies will be available to share insights, answer questions, and help students envision their future. For more information, please visit this WACAC page or contact Dr. Anthony Taranto, Executive Director of Career Pathways, at ataranto@rbusd.org. Please RSVP at this link.
Latino College Expo:DVS is excited to participate in the 12th annual Latino College Expo on Saturday, September 13th from 9am-2:30pm at the University of La Verne. Students of any grade level can attend and do not have to be Latino/Latinx identified. The Expo will host over 75 colleges: public, private, independent, military, and trade schools. Some colleges will accept seniors for admission, waive college application fees and give away scholarships on the spot! Additionally, the expo will offer workshops on topics including college application strategies, financial aid, scholarships, career planning, and more! We will depart from 201 N. Douglas promptly at 9:00 am and we expect to arrive back by 2:30 PM. Students must bring their own lunch or bring money to purchase food on campus. We only have a limited number of spots available and spots are on a first-come, first serve basis. If interested in attending, please pick up a field trip permission slip from Ms. Marquez. Permission slips are due by Wednesday, September 10th at 3:30pm to Ms. Marquez or until all spots are filled. Please reach out to Ms. Marquez (fmarquez@davincischools.org), College and Career Counselor, with any questions.
UCLA Blood Drive:The DVS Red Cross Club is partnering with the UCLA Blood and Platelet Center for another blood drive on Thursday October 9, 2025! This blood drive is taking place in the DV Black Box Theater. Donating blood saves lives; every unit donated can save three lives! Every donor will receive a $10 Gift Card redeemable at AMC/Regal Theaters, Chipotle, Amazon, Starbucks, Panda Express, Shake Shack, Subway, McDonald’s, or Target! Schedule your appointment at this link. Note: Donors must be at least 16 years old and weigh a minimum of 110 lbs. at the time of donation. 16-year-old donors must present a signed Parental Consent Form that can be obtained from Mr Besina.
Parent Association:
Save the Date – First DVSPA meeting for 2025-26 is Wed, Sept 17th, 5:30pm on campus. All DVS parents/guardians are welcome to join in supporting DVS staff through our projects (no membership or anything to do to sign up, just show up). Come get to know other DVS Parents and see how we’ll be supporting DVS this year.
DVSPA Merch is available for pre-order. Show your school spirit and support DVS with your T-shirt and Hoodie orders. Place your ORDER HERE (make sure you’re logged into your MySchoolBucks DaVinci Schools account if you also have a Wiseburn account). Images and more details HERE. Questions to DVS parent Lori, lj.bowk@gmail.com.
Important Upcoming Dates:
Monday, 9/1 Labor Day Holiday – No School
Tuesday, 9/2 Critical Incident Drill
Thursday, 9/4 – Friday, 9/5 Class of 2029 Overnighter
Tuesday, 9/9 11th Grade NACAC Field Trip
Thursday, 9/11 Club Fair during Advisory and lunch
Thursday, 9/11 Back-to-School Night 5:30pm-7:30pm
Friday, 9/12 Professional Development Day – No School
Welcome! My name is Crissel Rodriguez, and I’m proud to serve as the Director of Real World Learning at Da Vinci Schools. I’m excited to share a brief update on how your child can stay informed about upcoming career-connected learning opportunities.
Your student has been invited to join a Real World Learning course on Canvas. Please note: this is not an academic course and does not include assignments. Instead, it serves as a communication hub where we share timely announcements about volunteer opportunities, internships, career events, job shadows, and more.
To ensure they don’t miss out, we encourage your child to accept the Canvas course invitation and enable notifications.
In addition, our team maintains a live Google document featuring a running list of real-world learning opportunities, organized by career sector. We regularly update this document as new experiences become available. You can view the document, by clicking here: bit.ly/44KDlPL
If you or someone you know is interested in partnering with us—whether by speaking in a classroom, hosting a company tour, or offering a student job shadow or internship experience—we’d love to connect. Please feel free to reach out to me directly at crodriguez@davincischools.org.
We’re honored to support your student on their journey of career exploration and look forward to a great year ahead!
Warm regards,
Crissel Rodriguez
Director of Real World Learning
