Week 16 & POL Information
Happy Friday, DVS Families! It was a terrific week coming back from Thanksgiving break, and the end of the semester is quickly approaching! This post/email is a bit longer than usual because there is a lot of info to share about the last 2 weeks of the semester:
Student Grades: This is an important time to sit down with your student and check their grades in their classes in Powerschool. Click here for the Powerschool website; login information was included on the grade reports that were sent home earlier this semester and you can email Brittany Alvarez at balvarez@davincischools.org if you need your child’s username and password. The last day for students to submit late work is next Friday, 12/10.
Presentations of Learning: “POL” preparation begins next week for students in grades 9-11! (Seniors will be taking final exams instead of doing POLs.) Click here for an information sheet for families with details about presentations of learning. The Presentation of Learning (“POL”) is a tradition at the Da Vinci Schools in which students prepare and deliver a formal presentation to a panel of their teachers. POLs give students the opportunity to develop their speaking and presentation skills and are an opportunity for students to reflect publicly on their learning and in some cases are a final opportunity for students to demonstrate their understanding and mastery of a topic. Because these are formal presentations, students are expected to wear formal attire.
Each student will earn a letter grade for his/her POL based on the total score and the grade scale shown. This letter grade will be reflected on the student’s transcript but is not calculated into their GPA. The POL is worth one credit, which is the same amount of credit earned for most seminar courses. All POLs will be scheduled between Monday 12/13 and Thursday 12/16.
CHYA Presentations: The health & sexual education curriculum (“CHYA”, or “California Healthy Youth Act”) presentations by Dr. Green will begin during advisory class on Monday. Click this link for a list of the topics that will be covered; the content of sessions 2,4,5, and 6 will be covered in a webinar during advisory on Monday 12/6 and the content of sessions 1,3, and 7-10 will be covered during POL week. 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 Steve Wallis at swallis@davincischools.org.
First semester report cards will be mailed home on Friday, 12/17. Students will have a 3-week winter break, and the second semester begins on Monday, January 10th:
As always, please let us know how we can best be supporting your student in the last 2 weeks of the semester!