Da Vinci Science

Hello DVS Families!  Thank you to all the freshman and sophomore families who joined us this week for their grade level college planning information session.  TONIGHT we welcome DVS junior families to join us from 5pm-6pm for their 11th Grade College Planning Information Session.

On the horizon:

12th Grade Information Session: NEXT WEEK on Thursday, October 5th from 5:30pm-6:30pm

All meetings are held on the DVS Campus. We encourage all students and parents/guardians to attend. We hope to see you there!

Please reach out to Ms. Marquez, College and Career Counselor, if you have questions: fmarquez@davincischools.org

Hello DVS senior families,

As you prepare for the college application process, many of you will apply for financial aid.  One of those funding options is our State Grant, called the Cal Grant.  The Cal Grant is funding for college that students do not pay back. The Cal Grant can be used at any University of California (UC), California State University (CSU) or California Community College, as well as qualifying independent (private) and career colleges or technical schools in California.

To qualify, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (CADAA) by March 2, 2024 and meet the eligibility and financial requirements as well as any minimum GPA requirements.  Eligibility is based on the FAFSA or CADAA responses, your verified high school Cal Grant GPA, the type of California Colleges you list on your FAFSA or CADAA and whether you’re a recent high school graduate. To learn more about the qualifications, you may learn more about the Cal Grant here. 

Da Vinci Science High School is required to submit student’s verified GPA to the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC). By law families can “opt out” of this process if you do not want DVS to submit your student’s verified GPA. If you choose to “opt out”, this means your student will not be eligible to receive a Cal Grant. In order to “opt-out”, please complete the attached form and return to Ms. Marquez via email at fmarquez@davincischools.org no later than October 4, 2023.

If you do not return the “opt-out” form, Da Vinci Science will submit your student’s verified GPA to the CSAC to determine your student’s Cal Grant eligibility.

To obtain an opt-out form click on this link for the Cal Grant Opt Out Form, which is also available in Spanish. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Ms. Marquez via email at fmarquez@davincischools.org.

Hello DVS Families!  Thank you to all the freshman families who joined us last night for their grade level college planning information session.  TONIGHT we welcome DVS sophomore families to join us from 5pm-6pm for their 10th Grade College Planning Information Session.

On the horizon:

11th Grade College Planning Information Session: Thursday, September 28rd from 5pm-6pm

12th Grade Information Session: NEXT WEEK on Thursday, October 5th from 5:30pm-6:30pm

All meetings are held on the DVS Campus. We encourage all students and parents/guardians to attend. We hope to see you there!

Please reach out to Ms. Marquez, College and Career Counselor, if you have questions: fmarquez@davincischools.org 

Hello DVS Families!  Please join us THIS WEEK for the Fall Semester Grade Level College Planning Information Sessions.  All meetings are in-person on the DVS campus:

9th Grade: TONIGHT Tuesday, September 26th from 5pm-6pm

10th Grade: Wednesday, September 27th from 5pm-6pm

11th Grade: Thursday, September 28rd from 5pm-6pm

Join us NEXT WEEK for the 12th Grade Information Session on Thursday, October 5th from 5:30pm-6:30pm

Come learn about college admission criteria, types of colleges and career options, financial aid/scholarships and more!

All students and parents/guardians are welcome!  Please reach out to Ms. Marquez, College and Career Counselor, if you have questions : fmarquez@davincischools.org 

We hope to see you there!

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