Graduation is TODAY! Please read this letter to Senior familiesfor important updates and reminders about receiving graduation cap/gown, details for the graduation ceremony, and other end-of-year updates.
ALL graduates are expected to meet at 4pm near the soccer field at 201 N. Douglas. Families and guests may also arrive at 4pm to line up and being taking seats.
Congratulations Seniors! We are so excited to celebrate with you!
Happy Friday! Thanks for a great week of POLs. It has been great fun to learn so much this week from students and their presentations: from debates in English 10 and dissections in Biology, to insightful presentations about historical events and mathematical functions. Keep up the great work, Designers!
This week, a group of Da Vinci Design Seniors made the news in the Daily Breeze! A group of DVD 12th graders designed and published an activity book in collaboration with the Roundhouse Aquarium on the Manhattan Beach Pier, and were recognized for their impact on the local community. Click here to read the article “Da Vinci high schoolers create kids activity book for Roundhouse Aquarium – Daily Breeze“.
Tomorrow, students from our Fine Arts pathway and Honors Fundamentals of Design 2 will be presenting their work at a special art show at Indivisible Arts. Please join us on Saturday, June 7th from 4pm to 7pm to celebrate our student artists!More info in the flyer below.
Here is the Bell Schedule for Weeks 38 at Da Vinci Design:
End of Semester Announcements:
PowerSchool and Canvas access for students/parents has been blocked starting 6/3 to finalize semester grades. The last day for students to check grades before seeing a final grade on report cards was on Monday, June 2nd.
Report cards are mailed home on Friday, June 13th.
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.
A letter home regarding POL expectations and reminders will be sent to families within the next few days. Click here for the “POL Letter to DVD Families” for important information regarding POLs.
Thank you so much to all of you who have celebrated our educators this week! 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.
10th Grade Design Pathways Selection Resources
Leading up to POLs, 10th grade students have been receiving information about the CTE Pathway Selection process. During POLs, Sophomores will complete a survey selecting their preferences for whether they want to be in the Architecture, Graphic Design, Entrepreneurship, or Fine Arts pathway. This pathway course selection will dictate their schedule for 11th and 12th grade year.
The final decision will be made in their Sophomore design class as part of their POLs. ALL Sophomores must complete the Pathways Selection Survey in order to have their preference considered for their 11th grade courses.
For questions, please reach out to your counselor.
Upcoming Events and Key Dates:
Mon, 6/3 – Tues, 6/10: Presentations of Learning (POLs) – MINIMUM DAYS
Wed, June 11th: Last Day of Semester 2 – MINIMUM DAY
Happy Friday! We are in the final stretch of the school year, and POLs are around the corner.
DVD will followminimum day schedules Tues, June 3rd – Tues, June 10th. School begins at 8:40am and school ends at 1:45pm every day (INCLUDING FRIDAY JUNE 6th). It is important for students to come to school every day during POLs!
A letter home regarding POL expectations and reminders will be sent to families within the next few days. 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 days being a part of panels and giving meaningful feedback to students.
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.
Here is the Bell Schedule for Weeks 37 & 38 at Da Vinci Design:
End of Semester Announcements:
PowerSchool and Canvas access for students/parents will be blocked starting 6/3 to finalize semester grades. The last day for students to check grades before seeing a final grade on report cards will be Monday, June 2nd.
Report cards are mailed home on Friday, June 13th.
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.
10th Grade Design Pathways Selection Resources
Leading up to POLs, 10th grade students have been receiving information about the CTE Pathway Selection process. During POLs, Sophomores will complete a survey selecting their preferences for whether they want to be in the Architecture, Graphic Design, Entrepreneurship, or Fine Arts pathway. This pathway course selection will dictate their schedule for 11th and 12th grade year.
The final decision will be made in their Sophomore design class as part of their POLs. ALL Sophomores must complete the Pathways Selection Survey in order to have their preference considered for their 11th grade courses.
For questions, please reach out to your counselor.
Upcoming Events and Key Dates:
Mon, 6/3 – Tues, 6/10: Presentations of Learning (POLs) – MINIMUM DAYS
Wed, June 11th: Last Day of Semester 2 – MINIMUM DAY
This week, we celebrated our Seniors in their final Exhibition: Senior Showcase! Congratulations to our Seniors and the Senior Team on a successful Senior Showcase last this week. We are so proud of their hard work and some of the positive impact our student had on the community. We also ended our week with a special Community Dialogue hosted by our QSU in honor of LGBTQ Pride Month coming up in June. The club shared fun student lip-sync performances and a game, along with special messages from student leaders and staff.
In two weeks, students from our Fine Arts pathway and Honors Fundamentals of Design 2 will be presenting their work at a special art show at Indivisible Arts. Please join us on Saturday, June 7th from 4pm to 7pm to celebrate our student artists! More info in the flyer below.
The bell schedule for Week 36 at DVD is here:
Upcoming Events and Key Dates:
Mon, May 26th: NO SCHOOL – Memorial Day Holiday
Mon, 6/3 – Tues, 6/10: Presentations of Learning (POLs) – MINIMUM DAYS
Wed, June 11th: Last Day of Semester 2 – MINIMUM DAY
Thurs, June 12th: DVD Graduation Ceremony at 5pm
Week 35 Highlight: 6/7 Art Show and QSU Pride Month CD
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
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
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
Tomorrow (Monday April 21st) is the last Community Learning Day (CLD) of the year! Students should check their Da Vinci email for confirmation of what CLD workshop they will be attending and what classroom / learning space to report to for attendance. All CLD sessions happen at the 201 N. Douglas St. campus and begin at 8:30am. All students, whether they attend an in-person session OR if they work off-campus tomorrow, will be responsible for completing this survey.
We will return for our regular class schedule starting Tuesday, April 22nd.
Hope you all have had a wonderful Spring Break and see you tomorrow!
