Calling all 12th Grade families! Join us for our upcoming DVD Family Community Group: Senior Edition: Helping Your Child Launch with Confidence!
As senior year gets underway, there is a lot to navigate as students prepare for life after high school. This virtual gathering is an opportunity for senior families to connect, ask questions, and learn how to best support their student through this exciting transition.
Wednesday, September 30
7:00–8:00 PM
Zoom
Scan the QR code on the flyer to RSVP and join us!
We hope to see our senior families there as we work together to help the Class of 2027 launch with confidence!
Here we go Week 7! And somehow, we are already heading into October! It’s hard to believe how quickly the first several weeks of the school year have gone.
Before we jump into the week ahead, we want to give a BIG thank you to our entire Design community for another successful week! Week 6 was full of learning, connection, and school spirit, and we appreciate our students and staff for continuing to show up and make Design such a special place.
We also want to give a huge shoutout to everyone who helped make last week’s Club Fair a success! It was awesome seeing our students explore different clubs, connect with one another, and find new ways to get involved on campus. Thank you to our student leaders, club advisors, and everyone who helped bring the energy!
Lockdown Drill – Wednesday
This Wednesday, we will be conducting a Lockdown Drill on campus. Drills are an important part of our ongoing commitment to campus safety and preparedness. Students will receive directions from their teachers and staff, and we appreciate everyone taking the drill seriously and following instructions throughout the process.
Honors Decisions – Friday
A reminder that Honors decisions will be shared this Friday. We know many of our students have been working hard during these first several weeks and are looking forward to receiving their Honors placement decisions. Keep showing up, putting in the work, and finishing the week strong!
October Is Here!
This week also marks the beginning of October! A new month is a great opportunity to check in on goals, celebrate the progress we’ve made so far, and think about how we want to continue growing as we move further into the semester.
Bell Schedule for this Week:
Upcoming Dates:
September 30th: Lockdown Drill
October 7th: Chat with Admin 5pm Via Zoom
October 9th: Professional Development Day No Students
We wanted to make you aware of a slight adjustment to our bell schedule for tomorrow, Friday, September 25. This change will help us better coordinate our shared campus spaces and ensure a smoother experience for our students.
Please take a moment to review the updated Friday bell schedule below:
We appreciate everyone’s flexibility and understanding with this small adjustment. Please make sure your student is aware of the updated schedule before arriving tomorrow.
Thank you for your continued support, and we’re looking forward to a great Friday at DVD!
Designers, we’re heading into Week 6, and there’s a lot happening this week at DVD!
First, A huge thank you to our Leadership students for kicking off our first CD of the year! We appreciate the energy, creativity, and school spirit you brought to our community. It was a great way to bring our Designers together and start building even more connection across campus. Thank you, Leadership, for setting the tone for a great year ahead!
Tomorrow is Career Learning Day (CLD), giving students an opportunity to step outside of their regular schedule and engage in experiences that help them think about their interests, future pathways, and the world beyond high school. We’re excited for our students to learn, explore, and make connections!
Then on Friday, it’s Club Fair! Club Fair is a great opportunity to find something you’re interested in, try something new, and get more connected to our DVD community. Whether you’re into art, culture, gaming, service, leadership—or something completely different—there’s a place for you. Find your people and get involved!
Also happening Friday: Progress Reports! Six weeks in is a great time to check in on your progress. Take a look at where you’re doing well, where you may need to make some adjustments, and what support you need moving forward. Remember—progress reports are a checkpoint, not the finish line!
As we continue to Build What Lasts, keep showing up, getting involved, asking for help when you need it, and taking ownership of your experience.
– ALL dual enrollment/college courses taken during high school MUST be reported to the UC application. You must report courses even if you receive a D or F.
– You must also report courses that were later repeated.
– UC will factor eligible dual enrollment courses into the UC GPA if they meet UC A–G criteria and are completed from the summer after 9th grade through the summer after 11th grade.
– UC-transferable college courses receive an extra GPA point, up to the UC eight-semester maximum.
– Do not omit a course because of a low grade or because it was repeated.
– When completing the UC application, report the complete and accurate college-course history.
Bottom line the UC shared last week: If your student took a college/dual enrollment course while in high school, report it — including D’s, F’s, and courses that were later repeated as they are checking transcripts against the clearing house. They will/have rescinded offers if they receive courses that were not reported.
The Atlas travel program has been sending Da Vinci students across the world for close to 15 years, partnering with EF Educational Tours to create journeys that are as educational as they are unforgettable. Led by teachers Frank Solis and Jennifer Shinn, Atlas has now travelled to more than 16 countries — and every trip positively changes the students who take it. As one student put it: “I would recommend the Atlas trips because it’s a good way to get to see other places around the world with your friends. It’s cool because we learn a lot on the trips but have a lot of fun as well.”
All Da Vinci high school students are welcome on these amazing trips that help connect our educational community and foster a keen curiosity to learn more about the world. As one student named Biannca said, “One of my favorite highlights from the trip was making new friends and meeting people from the different Da Vinci Schools who I didn’t think I’d ever talk to. We got to build connections with people that could last through the rest of your high school years or hopefully even beyond.”
For spring break 2028, Atlas is going to China! Students will immerse themselves in some of the most incredible highlights of China as the visit, Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Dujiangyan, and Shanghai! Wow! Come to the informational meeting on September 24 at 6:30 pm on Zoom. Register here!
Designers, we’re heading into Week 5, and there’s a lot happening at DVD! The foundation has been set, routines are taking shape, and now it’s time to keep building on the strong start we’ve created together.
SEMINARS START MONDAY! We’re excited to officially kick off Seminars this week! Seminars are an opportunity for students to explore interests, try something new, connect with different teachers and students, and add another layer to their DVD experience. Come ready to jump in and make the most of it!
BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT this THURSDAY @ 5:30 PM! We can’t wait to welcome our DVD families to campus for Back to School Night! This is a great opportunity for families to meet teachers, experience a little bit of their student’s day, and learn more about the exciting work happening in our classrooms. See our Blog Post for more information along with the schedule.
There’s so much happening across DVD, and we love seeing our Designers settling in, building relationships, and getting more connected to our community each week.
Five weeks in—and we’re just getting started! 💙
Here is the Bell Schedule for Week 5:
Upcoming Events and Important Dates:
Mon, Sept. 14th: Seminars Start
Thurs, Sept. 17th: Back to School Night @ 5:30pm
Mon, Sept. 21st: Career Learning Day
Fri, Sept. 25th: DVD Club Fair
Fri, Sept. 25th: Progress Reports Mailed Home
Fri, Oct. 9th: Professional Development Day No School for Students
We have our Back to School Night THIS Thursday September 17th. Back to School Night is a great opportunity to hear about classes, make connections with your students’ teachers, and tour classrooms at DVD. Each grade level will begin with an assembly in the Blackbox Theater from their grade-level teams and then head up to the fourth floor to meet and greet teachers in the classrooms. Please note the presentation for the 9th and 10th grade is at 5:30pm and the presentation for the 11th and 12th grade families is at 6:00pm. See the schedule below for more information!
Also please note: DVD 12th Grade College & Career Family Information Night!!! This Thursday 9/17 at 5:00pm, the DVD Counseling Team will be discussing all things College & Career for SENIORS!!! This event is before Senior Back to School Night!
