This week, we had a great time reconnecting in our seminar classes! Students are gearing up for a fun and productive semester doing everything from screen printing and hand-building ceramics to chalk art and studying character design.
Next week, we have a short week, and students will not be in classes on February 4th due to a staff professional development day.
Also, on Thursday, 2/3, we are welcoming all parents and guardians to meet with DVD administrators for a “Coffee with Admin” session both before and after school. For this “Coffee with Admin” session, we will be discussing school updates and also introducing you to new members of our Da Vinci Design team. Please join us for an AM session at 8am or a PM session at 5pm. A message and a Zoom link will be sent to families via email next week.
Upcoming Key Dates & Events:
February 2nd: DVD School Site Council Meeting #2
Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/92980112903
Agenda: 1) Comprehensive Site Safety Plan review, 2) Preview of A-G Improvement Grant Draft
February 3rd: Coffee w/ Admin Parent Meeting Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/98872918301
AM session: 8am, PM session: 5pm
February 4th: Staff Professional Development (No School)
Here is an upcoming scholarship opportunity for you to apply to! Sandpipers has provided financial assistance to college-bound students since 1941 and is the oldest continuing aid program in the South Bay. Supporting more than 50 students per year, the program is unique in funding qualified recipients throughout the four continuous years of their undergraduate studies. View the video about the Scholarship Program here: https://www.sandpipers.org/scholarships
High school seniors living in the South Bay (both citizens and eligible non-citizens as defined by the U.S. Department of Education) are eligible to apply for a Sandpipers Scholarship for the 2022-23 school year. Detailed eligibility requirements are stated below.
U.S. Citizen or eligible non-citizen (as defined by the U.S. Department of Education in The Student Guide)
Cumulative G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher
Permanent resident of the South Bay area of Southern California (roughly bounded by the 105 and 110 freeways)
Students residing outside the South Bay area are eligible if they attend a high school in the defined South Bay area
This week, we have a full five-day ahead of us and seminars begin! Students were able to select seminar during Week 19 and will start meeting in their seminars this week.
We look forward to another great week!
Note: Students who need additional time to complete MAP testing may be called out during seminar periods or class periods to do so. Students will be notified this week prior. Students with questions may reach out to Asst. Principal Acuna: sacuna@davincischools.org .
Please have at least three options in mind for M/W seminars AND for T/Th seminars before coming to sign up, just in case your top choice gets filled up early. There are lots of great seminars to choose from!
Next week is a short week and so we will have a holiday Monday schedule. Please note the change in our bell schedule below for Week 19.
Here are a few other key updates:
Mon, 1/17: No school in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Tues, 1/18 – Thurs, 1/20: MAP testing will continue. Students who do not complete MAP testing by 1/20 will have the opportunity to do make up testing the following week.
Tues, 1/18 – Fri, 1/21: SEMINAR SIGN UPS will happen during the week. More details including Spring 2022 seminar offerings will be made available soon – stay tuned to the blog for more on seminars!
Wed, 2/2: DVD’s next School Site Council meeting (via Zoom – rescheduled from 1/19).
Fri, 2/4: No school – Staff Professional Development day.
Interested in playing beach volleyball? Girls beach volleyball is holding tryouts next week. If you haven’t already done so, all athletes must complete the athletic clearance process before attending tryouts. If you have any questions please contact coach Taube jtaube@davincischools.org.
We hope your families are all healthy and well-rested from our break! We are excited to welcome students back to campus for school on Monday morning. Students will begin the day in their Period 1 classes where they will receive important information related to updated COVID safety protocols and practices. Our schedule for the first week of second semester is shown here. Please note that students will not start Seminar classes until week three of the new semester.
For students who are unable to come to school, class information and assignments will continue to be available via Google Classroom. Students can also contact their teachers about their availability for virtual office hours via Zoom.
Per usual, if you know that your child will be absent for any reason, please call the front office or send an email to Irma Rodriguez, irodriguez@davincischools.org to notify us of the absence.
COVID-19 Health & Safety Information
As we prepare for the return to school next week, we are cognizant of the spread of COVID-19, and in particular, the Omicron variant. We strongly encourage students to take a COVID test prior to returning to campus beginning Monday, January 10, 2022.When you complete the test, please report at-home test results here.A negative test is not required for students and staff to return to school on January 10, but in the event your child exhibits any flu-like or cold symptoms, your child should get tested and remain at home.
The following safety measures are now in place at all Da Vinci schools:
On-site rapid testing for students with exposure or symptoms will resume for Da Vinci students January 10, 2022 during regular testing hours 8:15am-3:45pm daily. Students are not allowed to leave class to test and must use time before school, during lunch, and after school. Students should pre-register here if this is their first time testing at school.
Masking is now required for all outdoor activities where physical distancing is not feasible, except while eating or drinking, due to the new health order from the LACDPH. Students are strongly recommended to wear masks that are well-fitting, non-cloth masks of multiple layers of non-woven material with a nose wire.
COVID-19 testing is required for all students and staff who are close contacts of a person who has tested positive for COVID due to a school-based exposure, regardless of vaccination or booster status. Affected employees and students may participate in testing at their school site (more info below)
Staff are required to wear upgraded masks (three-ply surgical masks or higher-level PPE)We continue to monitor the new protocols for TK-12 schools in a health order and a new exposure management plan from the Los Angeles County Public Health officials to ensure appropriate mitigation strategies are in place during this surge in COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant.
MAP Testing Starts Week 18
MAP Growth tests helps teachers understand what students know today, so goals can be set to improve growth throughout the year. Students cannot pass or fail this test, and this test will not affect grades. This is an adaptive test that changes as students complete it. And, it is good practice for computer-based state assessments in the Fall. Given the challenges of learning from home last year, MAP Growth test results are especially helpful for us this year. These results will help us know what students are ready to learn.
Here are some other details to know about MAP testing during the school day:
Students will follow a normal schedule and will take the MAP test in their English classes.
Students will complete the test on a school issued Chromebook; personal devices may or may not be compatible with the test.
It is important that students complete the test; teachers and students will only receive data if a test is completed.
This is a challenging and uncertain time, and we appreciate your support as we work to keep school open safely for our kids to learn!
Da Vinci Families: We hope this message finds you and your families healthy and well.
Return to School
As we prepare for the return to school next week, we are cognizant of the spread of COVID-19, and in particular, the Omicron variant. Today’s email update focuses on our return to school plan beginning Monday, January 10, 2022 for in-person learning. Please read this entire email for important information.
On January 1, 2022, Los Angeles County Public Health officials issued new protocols for TK-12 schools in a health order and a new exposure management plan to ensure appropriate mitigation strategies are in place during this surge in COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant. As we have done throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to carefully monitor and follow all state and local requirements, including the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health protocols for on-campus learning. We will continue to be prepared, flexible and responsive as conditions and County guidelines change.
The following new requirements have been enacted at all Da Vinci schools, effective immediately:
Masking is now required for all outdoor activities where physical distancing is not feasible, except while eating or drinking, due to the new health order from the LACDPH. Students are strongly recommended to wear masks that are well-fitting, non-cloth masks of multiple layers of non-woven material with a nose wire.
COVID-19 testing is required for all students and staff who are close contacts of a person who has tested positive for COVID due to a school-based exposure, regardless of vaccination or booster status. Affected employees and students may participate in testing at their school site (more info below)
Staff are required to wear upgraded masks (three-ply surgical masks or higher-level PPE)
COVID Testing
We strongly encourage students to secure a COVID test prior to returning to campus beginning Monday, January 10, 2022. Below are several options for testing:
Pick up an At-Home COVID Test Kit on Thursday or Friday of this week. This drive-thru event will take place at 201 N. Douglas Street and is open to families from all Da Vinci school sites:
Thursday, January 6: 3:00-6:00pm
Friday, January 7: 7:30-10:30am
Each kit contains 2 tests. The recommendation is that parents/guardians administer one test at home to their student when you receive the kit and then again on Sunday, January 9 or in the early morning of January 10, 2022.
A negative test is not required for students and staff to return to school on January 10, but in the event your child exhibits any flu-like or cold symptoms, your child should get tested and remain at home.
Additional options for obtaining a test can be found at the following:
Please note *Wiseburn school sites Tues/Thurs PCR tests previously advertised are now unavailable to the public due to capacity limitations
On-site rapid testing for students with exposure or symptoms will resume for Da Vinci students January 10, 2022 during regular testing hours 8:15am-3:45pm daily. Students are not allowed to leave class to test and must use time before school, during lunch, and after school. Students should pre-register here if this is their first time testing at school.
Once school resumes next week, please report any positive COVID results as soon as possible to the Da Vinci Schools Nurse via email at egreen@davincischools.org in order to determine isolation and return dates.
As we return from the holidays, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) has issued a number of advisories. Please be sure to review the LACDPH travel advisory and guidance.
Get Vaccinated, Get Boosted
To find out about availability of boosters for anyone age 16 and up, or to schedule vaccination appointments for anyone age 5 and up, families are encouraged to visit California’s myturn.ca.gov website. Up-to-date vaccination will provide greater opportunity for all students to remain in school and on campus. Up-to-date vaccination status refers to having received a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine when eligible or having completed a primary COVID-19 vaccine series if not yet eligible for a booster. Students are only considered up-to-date if they have received a booster (when eligible).
We will be communicating with you soon about uploading vaccination documentation. In the interim, please have your child carry either a copy or digital version of their vaccination status at school as it may be required for contact tracing.
Closing Comments
Our priorities remain to reduce transmission, keep our schools open for in-person instruction, and do so safely. We will continue to update you as new information becomes available. For additional questions about Coronavirus in Los Angeles County, please visit the LA County Department of Public Health coronavirus webpage. Thank you in advance for your efforts to ensure that our schools remain as safe as possible when students return to our campuses.
We were just notified the Wiseburn School COVID testing site(s) is now unavailable for Da Vinci students and Wiseburn community members for the foreseeable future. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. Da Vinci Schools will be sending out more information today regarding testing options prior to returning to campus Monday. Thank you and again, apologies for any confusion/inconvenience.
