In partnership with Rivet School, Da Vinci seniors who choose to continue their journey through the Rivet School Bridge Program will enroll in college at no cost (free!) to the student or their family. Students will participate in a flexible, online accredited degree program with opportunities for in-person meetings and career-connected learning on the Da Vinci Connect High campus. Hear from our very own Ebony Bobadilla in this video on why she thinks Rivet School is a great option for Da Vinci students!
Still, deciding on your next steps for this Fall? There’s still time to apply by the January 26th deadline!
Get started by taking the steps below.
Step 1: Submit an interest form today! (No GPA req, No SAT req, No personal statement)
Step 2: Complete your application in less than 30 minutes! (your application link will be sent to your email)
Happy Friday! We are in the final stretch of the semester, and POLs are around the corner.
DVD will followminimum day schedules Dec. 12th-19th. School begins at 8:40am and school ends at 1:45pm every day (INCLUDING FRIDAY Dec. 13th).
A letter home regarding POL expectations and reminders was emailed to all parent/guardians this week. Click here for the “POL Letter to DVD Families” for important information regarding POLs.
While our students are preparing and presenting the learning they’ve achieved over the semester, our teachers are hard at work viewing and scoring those presentations. For teachers, this also means long, 8 hour days being a part of panels.
One way that we show appreciation for our teachers during these long days is keeping them fed and caffeinated. And we would love your help!
If you would like to donate snacks like breakfast treats and coffee to our teachers, please use the sign-up below to tell us what you will be dropping off.
See the Bell Schedules for Weeks 16 & 17 at DVD here:
Kelvin Surveys are Due Today! Thank you for taking 5-10 minutes today to do the biannual survey via Kelvin. Families can complete this survey via email or text on a computer or mobile device.
Students: Our tutor Jay from Gravity Assist will be offering in-person tutoring during POL Prep Week and during POLs! See Jay’s schedule here:
Monday, 12/9 – Wednesday, 12/11: 3:45-5pm
Thursday, 12/12: 1:45-5pm
Friday, 12/13: NO TUTORING
Monday, 12/16 – Wednesday, 12/18 – 1:45-4pm (Available for after school tutoring – since students are not allowed to leave room for POL’s)
Thursday, 12/19 – NO TUTORING – POL’s are over!
Thank you to the families who joined us for our Coffee with Admin meeting on Wednesday! It is always 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 December 2024. Coffee with DVD Admin happens at 8am and 5pm via Zoom on the first Wednesday of every month.
End of Semester Announcements:
PowerSchool and Canvas access for students/parents will be blocked starting 12/11 to finalize semester grades. The last day for students to check grades before seeing a final grade on report cards will be Tues, Dec. 10th.
Report cards are mailed home on Friday, Dec. 20th.
School will not be in session during Friday, Dec. 20th through Friday, Jan. 10th, 2025. The first day of Semester Two is Monday, Jan. 13th, 2025.
POLs give students the opportunity to develop their speaking and presentation skills and are an opportunity for students to reflect publicly on their learning. Because these are formal presentations, students are expected to wear professional attire. Any student with questions or needs regarding professional attire should speak to their counselor ASAP.
Upcoming Events and Key Dates:
Tues, Dec. 10th: Parent Advisory Committee #2
5pm via Zoom
Agenda: 1) Welcome, Introductions and Public Comment, 2) School Safety Plan Review, 3) WASC Introduction & Report Feedback
Presentations of Learning (POLs) begin next Wednesday 12/11.
One of the expectations for a Presentation of Learning is that students come in professional dress. Professional dress is defined to including the following:
Button-down dress shirt (shirt must be tucked in) or non-revealing blouse (must cover shoulders); Suit jacket (optional)
Khaki pants or dress pants (no jeans); Dress or skirt that touches tops of knees when standing up straight
Closed-toe dress shoes (no sneakers or excessively high heels)
Hair should not cover the face
Other clothing professional to students’ identity and/or culture
We understand that many families may not be able to put together attire that meets these standards in a short timeline. In order to help our families, the DVD has a POL clothing closet for students to borrow from. The clothing closet is in need of a refresh. If you have clothing or shoes that meet these requirements and that you no longer need, please consider donating them to DVD.
We will accept donations of professional clothing to the downstairs front office, and we welcome students to see if there is something donated that fits their need. We are hopeful that this professional clothing exchange helps us work together as a community to ensure that each student feels comfortable and confident in their presentation!
Students can contact their counselor for any questions.
Welcome back from Thanksgiving Break! We are in the final stretch of the semester, and POLs are around the corner. POLs will begin on Wed, Dec. 11th.
DVD will followminimum day schedules Dec. 12th-19th. School begins at 8:40am and school ends at 1:45pm every day (INCLUDING FRIDAY Dec. 13th).
A letter home regarding POL expectations and reminders was emailed to all parent/guardians today. Click here for the “POL Letter to DVD Families” for important information regarding POLs.
While our students are preparing and presenting the learning they’ve achieved over the semester, our teachers are hard at work viewing and scoring those presentations. For teachers, this also means long, 8 hour days being a part of panels.
One way that we show appreciation for our teachers during these long days is keeping them fed and caffeinated. And we would love your help!
If you would like to donate snacks like breakfast treats and coffee to our teachers, please use the sign-up below to tell us what you will be dropping off.
PowerSchool and Canvas access for students/parents will be blocked starting 12/10 to finalize semester grades. The last day for students to check grades before seeing a final grade on report cards will be Tues, Dec. 10th.
Report cards are mailed home on Friday, Dec. 20th.
School will not be in session during Friday, Dec. 20th through Friday, Jan. 10th, 2025. The first day of Semester Two is Monday, Jan. 13th, 2025.
POLs give students the opportunity to develop their speaking and presentation skills and are an opportunity for students to reflect publicly on their learning. Because these are formal presentations, students are expected to wear professional attire. Any student with questions or needs regarding professional attire should speak to their counselor ASAP.
Tomorrow, Wednesday Dec. 4th, 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 fourth Coffee with Admin of the 2024-25 school year. Hope to see you there!
Wed, Dec. 4th: Coffee w/ Admin
All DVD parents and guardians welcome! Join for brief school updates and open Q&A with the DVD admin team.
This week was Exhibition! Our 10th and 12th grade students did a phenomenal job. 10th Grade hosted the 3rd annual Boat Races at the El Segundo Aquatic Center, where our sophomores have used skills and concepts from all classed to design full-scale boats out of reclaimed cardboard and the raced them in the WDV pool. 12th Graders presented their Conscious Consumption Project. Seniors spent time this semester researching how to be conscious consumers, then developed products like lamps, handcrafted tote bags and ad campaigns based off of their research. See photos below from DVD’s Fall 2024 Exhibition!
Next week, 11/25-11/29, there is no school due to Thanksgiving Break. The DVD admin team, DVD front office team and central office team will be available via email on from 8am-4pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (11/25-11/27). You can also call Da Vinci Schools at 310-725-5800 to leave a voicemail during business hours and someone will get back to you. All administrative staff will be out of office Thursday and Friday (11/28 & 11/29).
For records requests (including work permits): reach out to Office Manager Maria Beltran at mbeltran@davincischools.org
For attendance and student information: reach out to Admin. Support Manager Leslie Alonso at lalonso@davincischools.org
For all other questions or concerns, reach out to Principal Russell Stoll at rstoll@davincischools.org
School resumes on Monday, December 2nd. Here is the Week 15 DVD Bell Schedule:
THANK YOU PARENTS AND FAMILIES!
We want extend a BIG THANK YOU to all of the DVD families who made contributions to our DVD staff gratitude baskets; thanks to all of you for donating time, treats, and messages of gratitude to our staff to help send them off on a much deserved break with a little something to let them know how appreciated they are. We love our DVD families!
The Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) had its first meeting of the year on Tuesday Nov. 19th. PAC is an opportunity for parents, students, & staff to work collaboratively to review the school program, review data and identify needs, & make recommendations regarding the School Safety Plan & the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). And this year it will be more important than ever as we gear up for our six-year WASC accreditation cycle and two exciting research partnerships. On Nov. 19th we discussed the purpose of of the committee, “what’s new” for 2024-2025, and research partnerships with UCLA and America Succeeds. If you are interested in seeing the slides and information shared during PAC #1, click here for the meeting slideshow or see the “DVD Parent Info Sessions & Coffee with Admin Slides” document on the DVD blog.
Upcoming Events and Key Dates:
Monday Nov. 25th – Friday Nov. 29th: NO SCHOOL – Thanksgiving Break
Mon, Dec. 2nd: School Resumes!
Mon, Dec. 2nd: English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) meeting #2
5pm via Zoom; Link coming soon
Wed, Dec. 4th: Coffee w/ Admin
All DVD parents and guardians welcome! Join for brief school updates and open Q&A with the DVD admin team.
As we approach the season of Thanksgiving, we are all grateful for the tremendous work of our school staff – from our teachers to counselors to paraeducators to custodians to front office staff. To show our appreciation, we are organizing Thanksgiving baskets to deliver to our school staff on Friday, November 22nd. The idea is that each staff member will receive one basket containing treats and words of appreciation from students and families.
Here is how you can contribute to the baskets of Thanksgiving:
Items: If you are interested and able to purchase something to show your appreciation, please consider non-perishable items such as: individually wrapped items (popcorn, gummies, trail mix, chips, hot chocolate, pretzels, candy, cookies), gift cards ($5 to Target, Starbucks, etc.), coffee drinks, sparkling water, tea, and any other non-perishable snacks. We need donated items collected by: Thursday, November 21st. All items can be left in a donation box on the first floor front office.
Words of Appreciation: There is nothing that means more to school staff than words of appreciation or encouragement. Please consider handwriting a note of thanks or typing one digitally here: DVD Staff Appreciation Notes We will be printing these digital messages and including all words of appreciation in the baskets. Handwritten notes can be dropped off by Thursday November 21st.
With gratitude for your ongoing encouragement and support,
Russell Stoll, Principal
Kirk Takeyama, Assistant Principal
Korina Barefield, Dean of Student Success and Culture
We had a short but sweet week at Design, and ended with fun sports-themed community dialogue to celebrate our student athletes and our upcoming Winter sports season! The highlight was a staff vs student basketball where out students came out on top.
Next week on Thursday, November 21st is Fall Exhibition! Both 10th and 12th grade will be displaying work.
2pm-4:30pm at the El Segundo Aquatic Center, 10th Grade Boat Races:
Sophomores have used skills and concepts from Math and Chemistry class (like surface area and buoyancy) to design full-scale boats out of reclaimed cardboard in their Fundamentals of Design 2 class. And, on the afternoon of Exhibition, they will be racing each other across the ESAC pool for our 3rd annual Boat Race! We hope you can stop by to see who will be our champion this year.
5:30pm-7:30pm at 201 N. Douglas, 12th Grade Conscious Consumption Project:
Seniors spent time this semester researching how to be conscious consumers, and are developing products and ad campaigns based off of their research. 12th graders studied companies and organizations committed to sustainability and environmental awareness. Then, they worked on different deliverables related to their CTE pathway classes. In Graphic Design, they handmade screen printed canvas tote bags. In Architecture, they used the laser cutter to design and craft environmentally conscious lamps. In Entrepreneurship, students have created a media ad campaign around the theme. Come stop by and see the hard work of our Seniors in their final Exhibition!
Here is the Bell Schedule for Week 14 at Da Vinci Design:
Collaborative Research Partnerships 2024-2025
This year, Da Vinci Design is conducting two collaborative research projects with school partners. One research project is in partnership with America Succeeds, a non-profit educational advocacy group, which selected Da Vinci Design as a partner school in its efforts to understand how educational institutions teach students “durable skills”. The other research project is in partnership with UCLA about how schools inform students’ social and academic development.
What does a research partnership look like?
A great opportunity for a school to work with experts in research to better understand our school practices and how we support students
It often means surveys, observations, and/or interviews to collect data
Participation is always voluntary, and always confidential; researchers must go through multiple approval processes before conducting research on campus with students
Da Vinci Design will begin its first round of surveys with students in partnership with America Succeeds next week. On Wed, 11/20 and Thurs, 11/21, students will participate in a 10-minute survey during class with the goal of understanding how DVD teaches durable skills to enhance students’ learning experience and engage in career connected learning. Participation is voluntary.
OPT-OUT: If you would like your student opt-out of this survey, or if you would like more information before they participate, please send an email to Principal Russell Stoll (rstoll@davincischools.org) by Tuesday, 11/19 at 4pm. You may also call or visit the DVD Front Office to request an opt-out form.
As we approach the season of Thanksgiving, we are all grateful for the tremendous work of our school staff – from our teachers to counselors to paraeducators to custodians to front office staff. To show our appreciation, we are organizing Thanksgiving baskets to deliver to our school staff on Friday, November 22nd. The idea is that each staff member will receive one basket containing treats and words of appreciation from students and families.
Here is how you can contribute to the baskets of Thanksgiving:
Items: If you are interested and able to purchase something to show your appreciation, please consider non-perishable items such as: individually wrapped items (popcorn, gummies, trail mix, chips, hot chocolate, pretzels, candy, cookies), gift cards ($5 to Target, Starbucks, etc.), coffee drinks, sparkling water, tea, and any other non-perishable snacks. We need donated items collected by: Wednesday, November 20th. All items can be left on the first floor front office.
Words of Appreciation: There is nothing that means more to school staff than words of appreciation or encouragement. Please consider handwriting a note of thanks or typing one digitally here: DVD Staff Appreciation Notes We will be printing these digital messages and including all words of appreciation in the baskets. Handwritten notes can be dropped off by Monday November 14th.
The Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) is having its first meeting of the year next week. PAC is an opportunity for parents, students, & staff to work collaboratively to review the school program, review data and identify needs, & make recommendations regarding the School Safety Plan & the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). And this year it will be more important than ever as we gear up for our six-year WASC accreditation cycle and two exciting research partnerships. If you are interested in joining the Parent Advisory Committee, please email Russell Stoll at rstoll@davincischools.org for more information!
Agenda: 1) Welcome, Introductions and Public Comment, 2) Purpose of Committee, 3) DVD Spotlight: What’s New for 2024-2025, 4) Research Partnerships with UCLA and America Succeeds
Don’t miss out! Join us for our FREE Cardiac Screening Health Promotion Event tomorrow, November 16, 2024, from 9am – 3pm at Da Vinci Schools. In partnership with the Saving Hearts Foundation and UCLA, we invite all youth between the ages 12-25 to to get an EKG screening. If abnormalities are detected, you’ll have access to a cardiologist for immediate follow-up.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death on school campuses and among athletes. 1 in 300 young individuals unknowingly carries a heart condition that could lead to SCA. Don’t miss this chance to safeguard your health!
Location: Blackbox Theater, 201 N. Douglas Street, El Segundo
Details:
Pre-registration is highly encouraged to secure your spot (walk-ins welcome, but pre-registered attendees will be seen first).
Save lives by taking a proactive step in protecting your heart health!
Attention: DVD Seniors and Families 
Step 1: Submit an interest form today! (No GPA req, No SAT req, No personal statement)
Step 2: Complete your application in less than 30 minutes! (your application link will be sent to your email)
