Next week is SLC week at Da Vinci Design October 14th-17th, and we are excited to have you on campus with us! SLCs are an important time when parents and teachers come together for a meeting led by the student. It is a time to highlight a student’s strengths and hard work, to encourage students to set new goals, and to ask guiding questions so students can take ownership of their learning. Every student is expected to participate in leading an SLC with a parent/guardian present this semester. SLCs will happen in-person. See below for SLC schedules and details presented by each grade level teaching team.
Reminders for families arriving for SLCs:
Families can find parking anywhere in the lot north of 201 N. Douglas St.
Please check-in on the 1st floor upon arriving to get a name tag and find which classroom to report to
Please arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled time to allow time to check-in
Student Led Conferences (SLCs): Grade Level Resources
Next week we are kicking off our very first Community Learning Day (CLD) on Friday, October 11th. This is an opportunity for students to come together for an on-campus learning experience with friends from other campuses; or to take advantage of a “leave to learn” activity off campus. All parents will be receiving a permission slip and a agreement form to sign in order to give students the option to learn off-campus that day. If a student signed up for an on-campus learning session, they will receive confirmation of their choice early next week. For more information on CLDs, click the “Coffee with DVD Admin” slides link below.
Also, next week will be having students in all grade levels participate in free PSAT / SAT testing on Thursday, 10/10. Students in Grades 9/10/11 will all take the PSAT, and students in Grade 12 will have the option to take the SAT. Please make sure your student(s) get a good night of sleep and eat a good breakfast before test day to make sure they are ready to test. For questions about PSAT/SAT testing day, please reach out to Asst. Principal Kirk Takeyama: ktakeyama@davincischools.org.
Thank you to the families who joined us for our Coffee with Admin meeting on Wednesday! It is great getting the chance to meet with families, hear what is on your mind, and share the great things happening at DVD. If you did not get a chance to meet with us this week, click here for the Coffee with DVD Admin slides from October 2024. Coffee with DVD Admin happens at 8am and 5pm via Zoom on the first Wednesday of every month.
Here is the Week 8 Bell Schedule for DVD:
Upcoming Events and Key Dates:
Thursday, Oct. 10th: PSAT / SAT Testing Day
Friday, Oct. 11th: Community Learning Day
Mon, Oct. 14th – Thurs, Oct. 17th: Student Led Conference (SLCs) *MINIMUM DAY SCHEDULE*
College Rep Visits (Week 8, 9 & 10): Seniors can sign up via Naviance
Tomorrow, Wednesday Oct. 2nd, at 8am and 5pm join the DVD admin team for our monthly “Coffee with Admin” chat. Simply log on via Zoom and bring any school-related questions, or just sit back, relax, and hear about school updates. This will be our second Coffee with Admin of the 2024-25 school year. Hope to see you there!
Wed, Oct. 2nd: Coffee w/ Admin
All DVD parents and guardians welcome! Join for brief school updates and open Q&A with the DVD admin team.
8am or 5pm, via Zoom
Agenda: 1) Campus Updates, Highlights & Calendar Events 2) Short Term Ind. Study, 3) Community Learning Days (CLDs), 4) Q&A
This week, we had our annual DVD Club Fair! On Thursday afternoon, we had over 20 DVD student-run clubs host booths at our club fair to get Design students excited about joining. This year we had a wide variety of clubs to join on a range of topics and which celebrate academics, culture, and fun hobbies. See pictures from our DVD Club Fair below.
We ended our week with our first Community Dialogue assembly (aka: “CD”) of the new school year! At CD, we introduced our Advisory names and mascots, had an “Advisory Olympics” competition, and had our new staff play Blind Musical Chairs. This year, as we focus on increasing school attendance, we are rewarding Advisories with the best attendance each month with exclusive access to watch CD from the SkyBox in the WDV Gym. Congrats to Sr. V and Mr. Schilp’s advisories this month for having the best attendance! It was a great day for building spirit and community at DVD. See pictures from our first CD below.
DVD Picture Day photos are now ready for review! We are using a new platform to host photos this year that allows for each student to have their own individual gallery and gives them the option to choose the photo they’d like for the yearbook. Families were emailed directly with information to access the gallery, but you can also access your individual gallery here: https://my.photoday.com/s/staceelianna/davincischools
El Camino College is offering Cloud Computing Career Pathway for 10th, 11th and 12th graders. Please click here for complete flyer: Cloud Computing El Camino
Do you want to make a difference at Da Vinci Schools? Do you want a seat at the table? Consider becoming a student board advisor or coordinator and make your voice heard!
Student board advisors present monthly to the Da Vinci Schools Board of Trustees and you will provide perspective, insights and regular school updates.
Your participation gives current and future students a voice for years to come. Click here to apply!
Student board advisors:
Two positions open from each of the following schools (a total of 10 positions)
DV Communications
DV Connect TK-8
DV Connect High
DV Design
DV Science
Student board coordinators:
Two (2) positions open
Can be from any school and assists student board members in preparing for meetings
You may submit applications for both coordinator and advisor roles. For more information and details, please speak with your school’s principal.
*Please note: Students can only access the application using their DV email*
All student board advisors and coordinators meet on the first Monday of the month with Dr. Matt Wunder, CEO of Da Vinci Schools, to discuss students’ daily experiences at school. After the first few meetings with the CEO, the rest will be student-led. The first board presentation will be November 20th.
Next week, DVD is hosting our annual DVD Club Fair! At the end of the day on Thursday, 9/26, student club leaders will set up booths and introduce their clubs. This is a great opportunity for students to find a club to join as well as meet other students that share their interests. This year we have a wide variety of clubs to join on a range of topics and which celebrate academics, culture, and fun hobbies. Clubs can also be great way for students to collaborate on ways to complete service learning with other students in a club setting. See the full list of clubs this year (so far) below!
DVD Picture Day photos are now ready for review! We are using a new platform to host photos this year that allows for each student to have their own individual gallery and gives them the option to choose the photo they’d like for the yearbook. Families were emailed directly with information to access the gallery, but you can also access your individual gallery here: https://my.photoday.com/s/staceelianna/davincischools
Enter your student name and their 5-digit ID number
Access your photos and make your selection
The deadline to choose photos for the yearbook is next Friday, September 27th. This will give students who take make-up portraits next week on Tuesday, Sept. 24th the option to select their photo as well. If you have any questions regarding photos, please email photographer Stacee Lianna directly at stacee@staceelianna.com for support.
Progressreports are being mailed home today, September 20th. The purpose of this is to give families the opportunity to have a snapshot of student progress, and to be able to have a conversation at home with students about how to stay successful in school. This information will also be used by teachers and counselors in their plans to support all students. Please follow up with your child’s teachers directly with any questions about assignments or grades.
If you do not receive a progress report in the mail by Friday, 9/27, please reach out by calling Da Vinci Design at 310-725-5800, or send an email Office Manager Maria Beltran at mbeltran@davincischools.org to request a digital progress report for your child.
Here is the Bell Schedule for Week 6 at DVD:
Upcoming Events and Key Dates:
Friday, Sept. 20th: Progress Reports Mailed Home
Tuesday, Sept. 24th: Make Up Picture Day at DVD
Thursday, Sept. 26th: DV Club & Service Learning Fair
Wednesday, Oct. 2nd: Coffee w/ Admin @8am and @5pm via Zoom
The number of youth nationally experiencing anxiety and depression has risen 30% in recent years according to U.S. Health and Human Services. In an effort to be more proactive in supporting students’ mental health, a wellness screener will be given on September 16th and September 18th to all students during advisory at Da Vinci Design HS to identify students who may need support. Results from the screener will be used by the counselors to offer students interventions such as coping skills groups, counselor check ins, and referrals for therapy.
Scores will not be shared with students or parents/guardians. Parent/guardian consent is required if a student is referred to receive counseling services delivered by Antioch or Luminarias therapists. If you would like your student to OPT-OUT and NOT PARTICIPATE in the screener, please fill out the form by Monday, September 16th.
