Archive for April 19, 2020

Important Information Regarding Grading Options & Senior Events

Esta información se presentara en español a continuación.

Dear Families,

We hope that you are all healthy and safe and appreciate all that you are doing to support all of your childrens’ needs and ongoing learning in this time of social distancing. We understand and acknowledge that this global pandemic affects all of us differently, and Da Vinci school leaders and staff have spent much time in the last two weeks examining the information available to us regarding how high schools, colleges, and universities are approaching grading for this term. We have made some changes to our normal policies for this semester, including the following:

1) Students who do not pass their class for the semester will receive an NCR (No Credit) designation on their transcript instead of the usual I (Incomplete) or F (Fail) grade. This means that the NCR grade will not affect a student’s overall GPA. If the class is needed to complete graduation requirements, the student will be required to retake the class and earn a passing grade in order to earn a diploma in their expected year of graduation.

2) We will also be providing an option for students who continue to struggle with the switch to virtual instruction. With parent permission, students who are impacted by COVID-19 and related issues may request to switch all courses for the semester to a CR (Credit) / NCR (No Credit) grading scale. 

This would mean that the student’s grades for this semester would not have any effect on their overall GPA either positively or negatively. The form to request the change is linked here.

We understand that this is a lot of information to digest, so we have compiled it in a Question and Answer format for you, as well. Please read this thoroughly and reach out to your respective school leaders if you have any questions:

Virtual Instruction Grading Policy (English)

Virtual Instruction Grading Policy (Spanish)

We are grateful to our staff, students, and families for their perseverance, feedback, and – most importantly – trust as we strive to ensure an engaging and relevant educational experience for all students. We want to do our best to continue to provide opportunities for students in the long-term while acknowledging that adjustments need to be made in the short-term. We welcome your thoughts and feedback and look forward to encouraging and supporting your students in the weeks to come.

Next week we return to a regular virtual instruction schedule.

Sincerely,

Veronica Rodriguez


Estimadas familias,

Esperamos que todos estén sanos y seguros y apreciamos todo lo que están haciendo para apoyar a sus hijos y el aprendizaje que continua en este momento de distanciamiento social. Entendemos y reconocemos que esta pandemia global nos afecta a todos de manera diferente, y los líderes y el personal de la escuela Da Vinci han pasado mucho tiempo en las últimas dos semanas examinando la información disponible sobre cómo las escuelas secundarias, colegios y universidades estan calificando durante este tiempo. Hemos realizado algunos cambios en nuestras polízas normales para este semestre, que incluyen lo siguiente:

1) Los estudiantes que no pasen su clase durante el semestre recibirán una designación NCR (Sin crédito) en su expediente académico en lugar del habitual I (Incompleto) o Grado F (reprobado). Esto significa que la calificación de NCR no afectará el promedio general de un estudiante. Si la clase es necesaria para completar los requisitos de graduación, el estudiante deberá volver a tomar la clase y obtener una calificación aprobatoria para obtener un diploma en su año de graduación esperado.

2) También ofreceremos  una opción para los estudiantes que continúan teniendo dificultades con la instrucción virtual. Con el permiso de los padres, los estudiantes afectados por COVID-19 y cuestiones relacionadas pueden solicitar un cambio para todos los cursos del semestre a una escala de calificación CR (crédito) / NCR (sin crédito). Esto significaría que las calificaciones del estudiante para este semestre no tendrían cualquier efecto en su GPA general, ya sea positiva o negativamente. El formulario para solicitar el cambio está aqui.

Entendemos que esto es una gran cantidad de información para digerir, por lo que también la hemos compilado en un formato de Preguntas y Respuestas. Lea esto detenidamente y comuníquese con sus respectivos líderes escolares si tiene alguna pregunta:

Poliza de calificaciónes de instrucción virtual (inglés)

Poliza de calificaciónes de instrucción virtual (español)

Agradecemos a nuestros maestros, estudiantes y familias por su perseverancia, comentarios y – lo más importante – confíanza mientras nos esforzamos por garantizar una experiencia educativa relevante e interestante para todos los estudiantes. Queremos hacer nuestro mejor esfuerzo para continuar brindando oportunidades a los estudiantes a largo plazo, y al mismo tiempo reconocer que los ajustes deben hacerse a corto plazo. Agradecemos sus pensamientos y comentarios y esperamos apoyar a sus estudiantes en las próximas semanas.

Atentamente,

Veronica Rodriguez


weekk 29

Virtual College Exploration Week

Hello Jrs,

As you are using your time at home to get ahead of the college application process before Sr year, here is a great week of college exploration to assist you in your search for colleges that are a good fit for you.

Strive Virtual College Exploration Week

Monday, April 20 – Thursday, April 23, 2020

300+ colleges from 44 states and 10 countries
96 sessions over 4 days
Day and evening options
Panel presentations on a range of topics for juniors and underclassmen
Free and open to students nationwide
Registration for students and parents is now live.

Click here or use the link below:

www.strivescan.com/virtual

Welcome Back from Spring Break!

Greetings DVD Community!

Welcome back! We hope you were able to relax and enjoy your break. We missed you and are ready to see everyone back online today. The DVD staff spent the last two days planning on how to make this virtual learning experience engaging, productive, and sustainable. Below is the schedule for the week.

Sincerely,

Veronica Rodriguez

Week 30

Financial Aid Awards

Srs please log into your college portals to locate your financial aid awards. Do not wait to receive this information through email. If you have never created your portal for each college you’ve been accepted to, please check your emails for instructions on creating your portal.  Once you have located your financial aid awards, please contact your counselor if you have questions.

Thank you,

Pam

Spring Break

Greetings DVD Community,

We would like to acknowledge our teachers, staff, students, and parents who are demonstrating extraordinary creativity, patience, and flexibility as we continue with our virtual instruction program. This is a new experience and as a community, we are working together to strengthen our program and provide high-quality instruction for our students. I am incredibly impressed and proud of how our community has come together to find solutions throughout this unpreceded situation.

Next week, we will be on Spring Break! During this week, staff will not be conducting classes or responding to messages. On Monday 4/13 and Tuesday 4/14, our staff will be participating in Professional Development. Virtual instruction will resume on Wednesday, April 15th.

As noted in an earlier update, our physical school campuses will remain closed and virtual instruction will continue for all of our students through the end of the 2019-20 school year. We understand there are many questions left unanswered and many details are still to be worked out. When we return from spring break, we will provide additional information about grading, graduations, senior activities, and more. Rest assured, we are committed to holding promotion and graduation ceremonies on campus/in person when it is safe to do so.

Please remember that although our doors are physically closed, we are here to support you. We need to keep our lines of communication and collaboration open so that our students are supported academically and emotionally. If you have a few minutes, please take some time to provide feedback about our virtual instruction program via our survey: DVD Parent Survey.

Be safe and take care,

Veronica Rodriguez

Important Coronavirus Update: Virtual Learning for the Rest of the School Year (April 2, 2020)

Dear Da Vinci Families and Friends,

As information continues to emerge regarding campus closures during the global coronavirus outbreak, I want to share the latest information.  Last night, Governor Newsom shared in a press conference that students in California will not physically return to school campuses for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.  LACOE Superintendent Dr. Debra Duardo also has recommended that all districts and schools in Los Angeles County plan to provide virtual learning to students through the end of the school year.

Both Da Vinci Schools and the Wiseburn Unified School District will follow the direction of our state and county leaders and will adhere to a continuation of virtual learning through the end of this school year, unless new circumstances emerge requiring a change.

While our physical school campuses are closed, our schools are open. Virtual instruction will continue for all of our students through the end of the 2019-20 school year. Our teachers, counselors, school leaders, IT team and classified staff have done exceptional work to keep our students engaged, learning and connected during this challenging time. We continue to implement best practices in distance learning while tapping into some of the country’s exemplary learning networks of which we are members, as well as to learn from our internal experts at Da Vinci Connect, DVX, and RISE who have been highly successful in blending in-person and remote learning for years.

As noted in an earlier update, we have decided to convert Monday, 4/13 and Tuesday, 4/14 (the two days following Spring Break) into Professional Development days to plan and collaborate in order to meet the needs of all of our students and families.

We understand there are many questions left unanswered and many details are still to be worked out. Over the next few weeks your school leaders will provide additional information about grading, graduations, senior activities, and more. We are committed to holding promotion and graduation ceremonies on campus/in person when it is safe to do so.

Our priority remains to do our part to protect the health and well-being of our students, staff, and the greater community. Please check our Coronavirus Updates web page for the latest information.

We also remind you that we are providing FREE breakfast and lunch for ALL Da Vinci students. Meals can be picked up daily M-F from 10:30am to 12:30pm at Dana Middle School, located at 5504 W. 135th Street, Hawthorne, CA. During Spring Break (April 6-10), meal service at Dana will be closed. Meals during Spring Break may be picked up at any Centinela Valley High School campus. For more information, please visit https://www.centinela.k12.ca.us/.

We are deeply grateful for your partnership, and for all of the ways that our Da Vinci family is coming together to support one another.

Please stay safe and be well,

Matthew Wunder, Ed.D.
Chief Executive Officer

**

Importante actualización del coronavirus: aprendizaje virtual durante el resto del año escolar (2 de abril de 2020)

Estimadas familias y amigos de Da Vinci:

A medida que continúa surgiendo información sobre el cierre de los sitios escolares durante el brote mundial de coronavirus, quiero compartir la información más reciente. Anoche, el gobernador Newsom compartió en una conferencia de prensa que los estudiantes en California no regresarán físicamente a los sitios escolares durante el resto del año escolar 2019-2020. La Superintendente de LACOE, Dra. Debra Duardo, también recomendó que todos los distritos y escuelas del Condado de Los Ángeles planeen proporcionar aprendizaje virtual a los estudiantes hasta el final del año escolar.

Tanto las Escuelas Da Vinci como el Distrito Escolar Unificado de Wiseburn seguirán la dirección de nuestros líderes estatales y del condado y se adherirán a una continuación del aprendizaje virtual hasta el final de este año escolar, a menos que surjan nuevas circunstancias que requieran un cambio.

Mientras nuestros sitios escolares están cerrados físicamente, nuestras escuelas están abiertas. La instrucción virtual continuará para todos nuestros estudiantes hasta el final del año escolar 2019-20. Nuestros maestros, consejeros, líderes escolares, equipo de tecnología y personal clasificado han hecho un trabajo excepcional para mantener a nuestros estudiantes comprometidos, aprendiendo y conectados durante este momento desafiante. Continuamos implementando las mejores prácticas en el aprendizaje a distancia mientras aprovechamos algunas de las redes de aprendizaje ejemplares del país de las cuales somos miembros, así como también aprendemos de nuestros expertos internos en Da Vinci Connect, DVX y RISE que han tenido un gran éxito en la combinación Aprendizaje presencial y remoto durante los años.

Como les mencionamos en una actualización anterior, hemos decidido convertir el lunes 4/13 y el martes 4/14 (los dos días posteriores a las vacaciones de primavera) en días de desarrollo profesional para planificar y colaborar a fin de satisfacer las necesidades de todos nuestros estudiantes y familias.

Entendemos que quedan muchas preguntas sin responder y que aún quedan muchos detalles por resolver. Durante las próximas semanas, los líderes de su escuela proporcionarán información adicional sobre calificaciones, graduaciones, actividades para los estudiantes del grado 12 (seniors) y más. Estamos comprometidos a realizar ceremonias de promoción y graduación en el campus / en persona cuando sea seguro hacerlo.

Nuestra prioridad sigue siendo hacer nuestra parte para proteger la salud y el bienestar de nuestros estudiantes, el personal y la comunidad en general. Consulte nuestra página web de actualizaciones de Coronavirus para obtener la información más reciente.

También le recordamos que ofrecemos desayuno y almuerzo GRATUITOS para TODOS los estudiantes de Da Vinci. Las comidas se pueden recoger diariamente de lunes a viernes de 10:30 a.m. a 12:30 p.m. en la Escuela Intermedia Dana, ubicada en 5504 W. 135th Street, Hawthorne, CA. Durante las vacaciones de primavera (del 6 al 10 de abril), el servicio de comidas en Dana estará cerrado. Comidas durante las vacaciones de primavera se pueden recoger en cualquier campus de Centinela Valley. Para obtener más información, visite https://www.centinela.k12.ca.us/.

Estamos profundamente agradecidos por su asociación y por todas las formas en que nuestra familia Da Vinci se une para apoyarse mutuamente.

Por favor manténgase seguro y esté bien,

Matthew Wunder, Ed.D.
CEO

Accepting Medical Equipment Donations – April 4th

PPE-Pickup Support our local medical professionals in the fight against COVID-19. Da Vinci’s Biomedical Pathway Lead Teacher, Saya Wai, has organized a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) drop-off for this Saturday, April 4. Donate any unused masks, safety goggles, face shields, gloves, disinfectant wipes, and hand sanitizer. Where: 13500 Aviation Blvd., Hawthorne, CA 90250 When: Saturday, April 4, 2020 | 10:00 am – 1:00 pm Curbside drop-off in the parking lot at W. 135th Street & Aviation Blvd. More info: https://tinyurl.com/ppe-donations Contact: Saya Wai | swai@davincischools.org  
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