As we near the end of the school year, that means it is time to celebrate our graduating Class of 2025! This week, we celebrated students at Senior Awards Night for their academic and service achievements. Next week, we are celebrating our Class of 2025 for their Senior Project accomplishments at the annual Senior Showcase! Senior Showcase is a special off-campus Exhibition where Seniors display the hard work they have been doing for the last several weeks to use their design skills to have a positive impact on the community. Please join us for Senior Showcase on Wednesday, May 21st from 5:30pm – 7:30pm at WWOO Concrete Outdoor Kitchen. This event is open to the public and all are welcome!
NOTE: Please excuse a typo on the letter sent home to families with progress reports stating that Senior Showcase is a morning event; the correct time is 5:30pm-7:30pm.
The Bell Schedule for Week 35 is here:
Upcoming Events and Key Dates:
Mon, May 19th: Last week of Seminar Classes (P7 & P8)
Tues, May 20th: Parent Advisory Committee #7
5pm via Zoom
Agenda: 1) Welcome, Introductions and Public Comment, 2) LCAP Annual Feedback Review, 3) 25-26 PAC Preview
Join young leaders from more than 30 organizations across the South Bay to connect, collaborate and uplift our voices together at our annual South Bay Leadership & Wellness Conference. This event will include conversations about advocacy, mental health, wellness and important topics facing our generation today.
You’ll also have the opportunity to share these priorities with local, state and federal leaders who will join us to kick off the event.
Picture this: young people sharing their concerns, their priorities and the ways we want to care for and support one another towards a healthier future. Through workshops and engaging wellness activities, the Conference is an opportunity to develop and expand your leadership skills and gain innovative tools to engage your peers in conversations that matter to them.
For young people ages 12-25. Free food and prizes are included! Plus, get community service hours.
Please RSVP by Sunday May 18, 2025. Please see attached flyer.
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! On behalf of the teaching staff from Da Vinci Design, THANK YOU to our students and families for making this such a great week for our amazing staff. Teachers were feeling the love all week via notes, gifts, and SO many treats! We are so lucky to have such a caring community of families and students.
This week we celebrated Asian American Pacific Islander heritage month by ending with a special CD hosted by our AAPI student union. The whole CD was themed after the show “Squad Games”, and student leaders sported special outfits and 3d printed accessories as we hosted a series of games. See photos below!
Today we are mailing home the final round of Progress Reports. Families can expect a progress report in the mail by next week. The purpose of progress reports 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.
Yesterday and today, messaging is being sent to all Da Vinci Schools families informing you of a concerning and dangerous trend called the “Chromebook Challenge”. It is currently circulating on social media platforms, particularly TikTok, and has recently impacted schools across the country—including Da Vinci. Please review these messages, and help us keep our campus safe by talking openly with your child about the dangers of participating in harmful online trends.
Here is the Bell Schedule for Week 34 at Da Vinci Design:
Thank you to the families who joined us on Wednesday for our last “Coffee with Admin” meeting of the year! 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 May 2025.
We Want to Hear From You – Take the Da Vinci Family Survey! Look for an email or a text from “Kelvin”. Your voice matters. Your feedback plays a vital role in shaping the learning environment at your child’s school and across our entire organization. The spring survey includes questions about school culture, teaching and learning, student experiences, and overall satisfaction—including how likely you are to recommend Da Vinci to others. Your honest input helps us celebrate what’s working and identify areas where we can improve. Please take the survey by Friday May 21.
Upcoming Events and Key Dates:
Fri, May 9th: Progress Reports Mailed Home
Wed, May 14th: Senior Awards Night
Mon, May 19th: Last week of Seminar Classes (P7 & P8)
Wed, May 21st: Senior Showcase
Monday, May 26th: NO SCHOOL – Memorial Day Holiday
Today, Wednesday May 7th (at 8am and 5pm) join the DVD admin team for our final “Coffee with Admin” chat of the year. Simply log on via Zoom and bring any school-related questions, or just sit back, relax, and hear about school updates. Hope to see you there!
Wed, May 7th: Coffee w/ Admin
All DVD parents and guardians welcome! Join for brief school updates and open Q&A with the DVD admin team.
Teacher Appreciation Week is right around the corner — May 5th–May 9th, 2025 — and we’re excited to celebrate our incredible staff! We’d love your help in making the week extra special by providing some treats or words of appreciation for our staff to enjoy. If you’re interested and willing, please use the links below to support Staff Appreciation Week.
If you are willing to write notes of appreciation Your kind words mean so much to our team! NOTES HERE
If you’d like to bring a treat, please sign up below to drop off goodies on select mornings during the week of May 5–9. TREATS HERE
NOTE: Please label all items “For DVD Teacher Appreciation” and deliver them to the first-floor reception area. We’ll make sure they make it up to the fourth floor for our staff to enjoy!
Here is the Bell Schedule for Week 33 at DVD:
With the end of the semester and POLs approaching soon, it is time for our last round of progress reports. Progressreports are being mailed home next week on May 9th. The purpose of progress reports 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.
Upcoming Events and Key Dates:
Mon, 5/5 – Fri, 5/9: Teacher Appreciation Week!
If you are willing to write notes of appreciation your kind words mean so much to our team: NOTES HERE
If you’d like to bring a treat, please sign up below to drop off goodies on select mornings during the week of May 5–9: TREATS HERE
Mon, 5/5 – Fri, 5/9: Asian American Pacific Islander Spirit Week, CD on Fri 5/9
Mon, 5/5 – Fri, 5/9: Make-up CAASPP Testing
Wed, May 7th: 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, 2) Upcoming Calendar Events, 3) End Of Year Updates, 4) Q&A
Did you know Da Vinci is launching a new adult program in Fall 2025, called LifeLaunch, designed for graduating seniors who are interested in pursuing a career in Healthcare or Aviation?
Students will gain valuable skills, certifications and licenses, earn college credits through El Camino College, and receive personalized career planning and coaching — all while staying connected to their community at Da Vinci Schools, at no cost to students and families.
We are thrilled to announce that both Da Vinci Design and Da Vinci Communications have been awarded six-year accreditations—the highest level possible—by the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC). This recognition reaffirms Da Vinci’s unwavering commitment to delivering high-quality education and promoting long-term success for all students.
Last year, Da Vinci Connect and Da Vinci RISE also earned full six-year accreditations. Next week, WASC will be visiting Da Vinci Science as part of its ongoing accreditation process.
WASC accreditation is a voluntary process through which schools demonstrate that they meet rigorous standards of educational quality and excellence. This well-respected accreditation can impact important factors such as credit transferability, eligibility for federal financial aid, and overall institutional credibility.
The Commission granted accreditation for Da Vinci Design and Da Vinci Communications through June 30, 2031. Each school underwent a rigorous evaluation process that included a comprehensive self-study, peer review, and the successful completion of an on-site, three-day accreditation visit by a team of experienced educators.
“We are incredibly proud of Da Vinci Design and Da Vinci Communications for earning this highest level of accreditation,” said Dr. Matthew Wunder, Da Vinci’s CEO/Superintendent. “This achievement reflects the dedication of so many team members who contributed to this outstanding result and who work every day to ensure the quality and impact of Da Vinci’s programs and services.”
“I wish to extend my deep appreciation to all the staff, faculty, and student leaders at Da Vinci Design and Da Vinci Communications, and especially to the Da Vinci leaders who led the WASC accreditation process, including DVD Principal Russell Stoll, DVC Principal Erin D’Souza, and Michelle Rainey, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction,” Dr. Wunder continued.
Visiting team members identified the following strengths about Da Vinci Design, including:
Da Vinci Design has a welcoming environment that gives access to opportunity through real world experiences, industry collaborations, and a focus on collaboration and presentation skills.
Project-Based Learning engages students and connects them to real-world ideas and the outside community.
DVD students feel prepared for adulthood.
Da Vinci Design is fostering a culture of inclusivity, providing robust counseling support, implementing positive behavioral interventions and supports and restorative practices, and high behavioral and academic expectations for all students.
All staff genuinely care about students and students feel the support.
Presentations of Learning and other performance-based assessments allow for students to be self-reflecting learners and provide a real world element of professionalism.
Staff are passionate about the ability to be creative and innovative in their instruction.
Visiting team members identified the following strengths about Da Vinci Communications, including:
DVC provides a safe, inclusive environment that offers an opportunity for students to engage in a diverse, rigorous curriculum designed to help them succeed in life beyond high school.
DVC’s culture prioritizes student well-being, academic success, collaboration, and respect to create a positive learning experience for all and make it a happy place.
DVC has positive, supportive student-to-student and student-to-teacher interactions that support student success.
The staff at DVC is diverse, welcoming and collaborative.
DVC does an outstanding job communicating to its families.
Students feel that DVC is a safe environment where teachers really care about their success.
Project-Based Learning creates meaningful, real world-learning experiences that engage students and prepare them for post-secondary success.
Please label all items “For DVD Teacher Appreciation” and deliver them to the first-floor reception area. We’ll make sure they make it up to the fourth floor for our staff to enjoy!
Here are some of our staff’s favorite treats:
🥯 Bagels/breads
🍩 Donuts
🍪 Cookies/Brownies/Pastries/muffins
🍎 Fruit
💧 Sparkling Waters
☕ Coffee
🍟 Chips/pretzels/popcorn
Thank you for helping us celebrate and show our staff how much they mean to our community! Your support truly makes a difference.
Next week is testing week at DVD. Students in Grades 9 and 10 will be participating in MAP growth testing on Monday and Tuesday. Students in Grades 11 will take CAASPP state tests in Reading and Math. Attendance is very important during this week so please make sure your student arrives to school on-time on these days. 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 testing week, please reach out to Asst. Principal Kirk Takeyama: ktakeyama@davincischools.org.
Here is the Bell Schedule for Week 32 at DVD:
Upcoming Events and Key Dates:
Mon, Apr. 28th – Thurs, May 1st: Testing Week
11th: CAASPP ELA and Math Testing
9th/10th: MAP Testing
Fri, May 2nd: Staff Professional Development Day (PD) – No Classes
As a reminder, we invite all juniors and their families to join the DVD Counselors tomorrow Wednesday 4/23 at 5:00 p.m. for the 11th Grade College Planning Information Session. The meeting will be held on the first floor of the Da Vinci campus in the Blackbox.
