From our staff to your families, we wish all of you a happy holiday season. We hope you travel safely, eat well, and get lots of rest!
Semester two officially begins and classes resume on Monday, January 9th. See the calendar below!
Winter Break Front Office announcements:
All DVD offices will be closed for the break starting Tuesday, Dec. 20th until Tuesday, Jan. 3rd. If you need to reach us, please reach out via email and we are happy to assist.
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 Brianna Castaneda at bcastaneda@davincischools.org .
For all other questions or concerns, reach out to Principal Russell Stoll at rstoll@davincischools.org .
Report cards will be mailed to arrive the week of Dec. 19th. If you have questions about final grades, please reach out to teachers directly via email. Grade appeals must be initiated via email within 30 days of the end of the semester. For more information about final grades, see the DVD Student and Family Handbook.
The Da Vinci Schools reception will be open during the break on select days. Please call us at 310-725-5800 between 8am-2pm to speak to someone on campus.
Wishing all of you a safe, restful and fun holiday break!
Fresh Films is now enrolling for their free weekly filmmaking program. In-person classes take place on Thursdays after school at the Boys and Girls Club of the Los Angeles Harbor. Virtual classes are also available. Registration ends December 31st. Fresh Films is also offering participants ages 16 and older are eligible to gain an on-set apprenticeship or paid internship. Click here for more information.
For students interested in mentorship opportunities:
Stanford University’s Qualia Global Scholars Summer Mentorship Program for students in grades 6-12 is now taking applicants. This program is designed to empower students to become future global leaders in the fields of liberal arts and STEM. Students are paired with Stanford mentors. Need-based financial aid is available. Click here for more information.
For students interested in travel and photography:
National Geographic is offering a China expedition to high school students in the summer. Students will be feeding pandas, photographing the Great Wall, going on an overnight camping trek and meeting photo editors at National Geographic magazine’s China Headquarters. To learn more, click here.
For students interested in leadership and social justice:
Apply to be part of Harvard’s Caring Common’s Youth Advisory Board. This board brings together a diverse group of high school students from across the country who are committed to making schools more caring respectful places. As a member you will help create solutions to some of the most pressing social challenges. To learn more, click here. For the application, please email yab@makingcaringcommon.org.
For students interested in tech:
New Earth is offering paid tech training starting in January in the areas of IT Support, Web3, content creation, entrepreneurship training, coding, marketing, and more. To sign up for more information, click here.
The Paradigm Challenge: The Paradigm Challenge, a competition based in Los Angeles, invites students aged 4 to 18 worldwide to submit an idea, invention, mobile app, or any solution that solves real-life problems presented in this year’s Paradigm Challenge. Participants with the top idea from each age division (4-8, 9-13, and 14-18) move up to the next round and compete for The Paradigm Challenge Prize of $100,000. Learn more about it here.
For students interested in entrepreneurship:
The Conrad Challenge: The Conrad Challenge is a purpose-driven innovation competition creating the next generation of entrepreneurs who will change the world. Anyone aged 13-18 is called to expand their collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and communication skills. Design an innovation, solve an important problem, and change the world through this challenge. Registration is now open so register here.
Blue Ocean Competition: Blue ocean competition calls high school students from anywhere in the world to take part in the world’s biggest virtual entrepreneurship competition. Participants need to complete the online Blue Ocean Mini Course before submitting the pitch and they can compete individually or as part of a team (max 5 students per team). Learn more about it here.
For more information, please contact Crissel Rodriguez, Director of Real World Learning, at crodriguez@davincischools.org.
Da Vinci’s youth wellness partner, South Bay Families Connected, invites you to connect with their free and accessible online parent and guardian resources to help provide you and your children with self-care and greater connection this holiday season. Below are resources featured this month:
For resources created for students, visit the SBFC Virtual Teen Center where a wide variety of mental health and wellness topics are covered. To see more youth wellness resources provided by Da Vinci Schools and SBFC, please visit Da Vinci Schools Families Connected.
Da Vinci has received additional at-home COVID-19 test kits. A two-pack of test kits will be available to each student and staff member and are available for pick up this week Thursday on campus. We strongly encourage students to pick up a COVID test kit for use over break as needed to test prior to crowded indoor gatherings, if celebrating with friends or family that are high risk for health complications, if symptomatic and/or prior to returning to campus in January.
A negative test is not required for students and staff to return to school after Winter Break, but in the event your child exhibits any flu-like or cold symptoms, your child should get tested and remain at home.
Please report any positive results obtained over break that are within 14 days of having been on site to TLucero@davincischools.org.
Students who test positive must follow the LA County Isolation guidelines and may not attend school during the required isolation period. The Da Vinci Schools Nurse will follow up with return to school guidance for any positive results reported.
Additional home tests needed over the break can be picked up from 830am-1230pm at the main lobby of 201 N Douglas Street.
Mon-Thurs 12/19-12/22
Mon-Thurs 12/26-12/29
Tues and Thurs 1/3 and 1/5
We thank you and wish you a safe and Happy Holiday!
Da Vinci is thrilled to announce we will be offering a new Vocal Music/Choir class on Mondays and Tuesdays from 4:00-6:00PM in the Black Box Theater at 201 N. Douglas St. beginning on January 17, 2023. This class is open to high school students from ALL Da Vinci schools. Students are expected to attend both days each week throughout the 2nd semester. No prior vocal music/choir experience required.
Da Vinci welcomes Alexi Paraschos as our new choir teacher. Alexi has more than 14 years of experience as a music teacher and choir director. Welcome, Alexi!
If you are interested in participating in Vocal Music/Choir, please complete the Interest Form HERE. We can’t wait to get started!
LACOE and the Los Angeles Department of Public Health (LACDPH) are working together to inform on substance abuse intervention and prevention strategies. LA County families are invited to join LACOE and LACDPH’s Substance Abuse Prevention and Control Division (SAPC) for a special Fentanyl Town Hall.
For students interested in leadership opportunities:
The Metaverse Leadership Learning Academy is an initiative where students from LA County ages 14 to 18 years (high school students) have an opportunity to participate in a free 6-week Metaverse course and receive a certification. The Academy will be open to only the top 100 applicants across Los Angeles. To learn more, click here.
For students interested in art:
Indivisible Arts, a non-profit organization dedicated to arts youth programming in Hermosa Beach, is offering scholarships for students who want to attend their programs. To apply for their scholarship, please click here.
For students interested in exploring career options:
Applications are now open for the Airport Police Youth Cadet Program. This program helps instill leadership, academic excellence, life skills, and discipline into its participants. The program also seeks to empower students into maximizing their personal, scholastic, and life potential as well as providing early insight into what a career in law enforcement would be like at the Los Angeles International Airport. In order to join the cadet program a person must be between the ages of 13 and 17, maintain a 2.5-grade point average, have no serious criminal record, obtain a medical examination, and complete the cadet academy. The program is free. Participants do not have to be interested in law enforcement as a career to be part of the program. To learn more and apply, click here.
For more information, please contact Crissel Rodriguez, Director of Real World Learning, at crodriguez@davincischools.org.
Happy Friday! We are in the final stretch of the semester, and POLs are around the corner. POL Schedules means that we followminimum day schedules Dec. 8th-15th. School begins at 8:40am and school ends at 1:45pm every day (INCLUDING FRIDAY 12/9).
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, 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 12/8/22 to finalize semester grades. The last day for students to check grades before seeing a final grade on report cards will be Wednesday, 12/7.
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 formal attire. Any student with questions or needs regarding formal attire should speak to their counselor ASAP.
Key Upcoming Dates & Events:
12/8-12/15: Presentations of Learning (POLs) – Minimum Day Schedule
UCLA is offering the Riordan Saturday Business Institute program again this year. The SBI exposes 9th and 10th graders to college and business and creates a pipeline to the Riordan Scholars Program. This Program is designed to provide high school students with business exposure, specifically in financial literacy. The SBI provides a pipeline to the Riordan scholars program at UCLA Anderson School of management. The SBI program targets 9th and 10th-grade students who are college-bound and interested in developing the necessary leadership skills to succeed in business, college and beyond.
Below are the dates for 2023:
January 14th, February 11th, March 18th, April 15th, & April 29th.
