Archive for Author Russell Stoll

Week 6 Preview

Greetings Designers & Design Families!

This week, Da Vinci Design ended the week in celebration of the beginning of Latinx History Month! Shout out to our Latinx Student Union for decorating our campus (see below) and for preparing for our Latinx Heritage Month Community Dialogue which will happen on October 7th.

We also had our annual DVD Club Fair on Thursday! Thank you to all of our club leaders and club advisors for continuing to make our school a space where students can come together around such a wide variety of interests, hobbies and identities. See below for some photos from our Club Fair!

The Week 6 Bell Schedule can be found here:

School photos from DVD Picture Day have been uploaded for families to purchase here: 
Students are sorted by Advisory so families can navigate to their Advisory and make any purchases they’d like through the gallery. There will be one final make-up day for school photos on Tuesday, September 20th.

DVD School Site Council is looking for new members! School Site Council is an opportunity for parents/guardians, students, & staff to work collaboratively to review the school program, review data and identify needs, make recommendations for the Local Control and Accountability Plan, and approve the Single/School Plan for Student Achievement.

All submissions will be added to a voting form that will go out to the DVD parent community on September 22nd. School Site Council members will be notified prior to the first School Site Council meeting will be held after school (via Zoom) on Wednesday, September 28. If you have any questions, feel free to send them to me at rstoll@davincischools.org.

Upcoming Key Dates & Reminders

  • Tuesday, 9/20: Final Make-Up Picture Day
  • Wednesday, 9/28 @4:30pm: School Site Council Meeting #1 (via Zoom)
  • Wednesday, 10/12: PSAT/SAT Testing Day
  • Thursday, 10/13 & Friday, 10/14: No School – Staff Development
  • 10/17-10/21: Student-Led Conferences (SLCs)

After-School Tutoring Starts Today!

Greetings Designers and Design Families!

I’m happy to announce that DVD will be working again this year with our tutor Jay Mitsch of Gravity Assist tutors! Jay will be available after-school once again this year, in the 4th floor atrium conference (aka: the “Wooden Room”) after school for homework help and tutoring. See a message below from Jay!

Dear DVD Families,

My name is Jay Mitsch, an educator of 20+ years and owner of Gravity Assist, a customized education company. I’m absolutely excited to work with your Da Vinci students and staff providing academic support for your children. 
Da Vinci Design High School is now offering Individualized Tutoring and After School Support to help students reach their potential. This program is open to all students.  Individualized tutoring will occur during seminar and will require a reservation, or a recommendation from a teacher. The After School Drop-In Support will happen in the Wooden Room at the top of the stairs. No appointment needed… If you have a question or don’t understand what is going on in class, just swing by.   
My specialty is in Math and Science, but I can also help across many other subjects. My goal for every student that I work with is to help the student find their success. Being a tutor gives me insight on many things: how the individual students learn; how the teacher structures the curriculum and class; the measures of success for the students, teachers, and school.
In partnership, 
Jay Mitsch
jmitsch@davincischools.org

Week 5 Preview: After School Tutoring & School Site Council Interest

Greetings Designers and Design Families,

What an exciting week! Our first CD, a Cultural Food Fest in 12th grade, and we had a lovely Back to School Night event. It was so great to have parents, families, and lots of alumni siblings back on campus. If you were not able to join us on campus Thursday night, not to worry – you can find the Back to School Night presentations given from each grade level by clicking on the links here:

Next week, we have a short week due to a scheduled Professional Development Day – there is no school on Friday, 9/16. See the bell schedule for the coming week here:

Please take a moment to review our updated School Year Calendar (also linked in the “Resources Section”) as we have made a few changes and additions including our first School Site Council meeting after school (via Zoom) on Wednesday 9/28.

Da Vinci Design is once again offering Individualized Tutoring and After School Support, Monday-Thursday until 5pm, starting next week! This program is open to all students. The After School Drop-In Support will happen in the Wooden Room at the top of the stairs. No appointment needed! Students: If you have a question or don’t understand what is going on in class, just swing by. For more information, stay tuned for more information coming to the blog, or reach out to tutor Jay Mitsch at jmitsch@davincischools.org for more info.

The School Site Council is looking for new members! School Site Council is an opportunity for parents/guardians, students, & staff to work collaboratively to review the school program, review data and identify needs, make recommendations for the Local Control and Accountability Plan, and approve the Single/School Plan for Student Achievement.

All submissions will be added to a voting form that will go out to the DVD parent community on September 19. School Site Council members will be notified on Friday September 23, and the first School Site Council meeting will be held after school (via Zoom) on Wednesday, September 28. If you have any questions, feel free to send them to me at rstoll@davincischools.org.

Upcoming Key Dates & Reminders

  • Thursday, 9/15: DV Club Fair
  • Friday, 9/16: No School – Staff Development
  • Wednesday, 9/28 @4:30pm: School Site Council Meeting #1 (via Zoom)
  • Wednesday, 10/12: PSAT/SAT Testing Day
  • Thursday, 10/13 – Friday, 10/14: No School – Staff Development
  • 10/17-10/21: Student-Led Conferences (SLCs)

Week 4 Preview: Back To School Night September 8th

Greetings Designers and Design Families,

Happy Friday! We made it to the end of Week 3 – and a three day weekend is just around the corner. See the Week 4 schedule below. And, speaking of “just around the corner”, Back to School Night is Thursday night next week on September 8th!

Back to School Night Information (Sept. 8th, 2022):

Take a look at the times below to see what time you should attend Back to School Night. Each grade will get a special time to meet staff via a presentation in the BlackBox theater, and then will get time to explore classrooms and get one-on-one introductions with teachers.

  • 9th Grade: 5:30pm start time
  • 10th Grade: 6:00pm start time
  • 11th & 12th Grade: 6:30pm start time

NOTE: Back to School Night is a public event that will take place indoors. Our DV Health Team reminds us all that masking is highly recommended, and if you feel any COVID symptoms, please self monitor and stay home.

Week 4 Bell Schedule (9/5-9/9):

Upcoming Key Events (Sept 2022)

  • Monday, 9/5: No School – Labor Day
  • Thursday, 9/8: Back to School Night @ 5:30pm
  • Friday, 9/9: First Community Dialogue in the gym!
  • Thursday, 9/15: DV Club Fair
  • Friday, 9/16: No School – Professional Development Day

Club Leader Info Meeting Friday (Club Applications Open!)

Good Morning Designers!

Would you like to start a club this year? Then use this Google Form to apply to be a club leader!

Please also attend a Club Leader information session during lunch at 12:15pm this Friday, 9/2, in Mr. White’s Room (4205). During this meeting, we will cover information about starting a club, the requirements to be a club leader, and what to do to prepare for our DVD Club Fair on September 15th.

Questions? Send an email to Asst. Principal Kirk Takeyama: ktakeyama@davincischools.org

Week 3 Preview: Flex Block and Seminars Begin!

Greetings Designers and Design Families,

Welcome back for Week 3! Last week, our 9th graders participated in our annual Freshmen Overnighter Camp, and what a great time it was! 9th grade students, student leaders and staff got to connect with each other in the great outdoors. Everyone participated in fun activities, team building games, and important discussions that help prepare our 9th graders to make new friends and to transition into high school. See some pictures from the 2022 Overnighter Camp below!

This week, we have a regular bell schedule, which means that we will participate in two classes for the first time this week: Seminars and Flex Block. For these class periods, students are enrolled based off their preferences and selections. Seminar classes happen at the end of the day on Mon/Wed or Tues/Thurs, and offer students an opportunity to get active, get support, or to connect with other students in a non-academic and fun setting. Flex Block is a class that allows students to get targeted support in a class of their choosing; think of it like focused office hours/study hall time. See the Week 3 bell schedule below for more details.

Upcoming Key Events

  • Week of Monday, 8/29: Seminars and Flex Block Begin
  • Monday, 9/5: No School – Labor Day
  • Thursday, 9/8: Back to School Night @ 5:30pm
  • Thursday, 9/15: DV Club Fair
  • Friday, 9/16: No School – Professional Development Day

Flex Block Sign-Ups: Sept 2022

Good Morning Students!

See below for two important announcements:

Flex Block Sign Ups:

TODAY during Period 1, please complete this form to sign up for our first round of Flex Block:

What is Flex Block? Flex Block is a class that happens during the school day, twice per week, when you can get support from a specific teacher or with a specific subject. Think of it like built-in time for office hours. Students must choose a flex block, and must report to that class for attendance.

If you have questions, or do not see your name in this form, please ask your teacher for help.

Seminar Interest Survey: 

If you are interested in Art Portfolio Development (11th/12th) or in Makerspace: Puppetry (10th/9th), complete this form TODAY (8/26):

Lastly: If you are interested in applying to be a Da Vinci Design Student Board Member, please see the Front Office for more details and for an application today! Applications are due to the Front Office by 9/16.

Seminar Offerings List

Hello Designers,

Please click the link below to see the Seminar classes being offered for the Fall 2022 semester!

Sign-up schedule (during Advisory):

  • Monday, 8/22: Seniors and Juniors
  • Tuesday, 8/23: Sophomores
  • Friday, 8/26: Freshmen (during English classes)

IMPORTANT: Listings will be updated at the end of each day as classes fill up. Students should come prepared with three choices in mind in the event that their first choice class is full. Students should also be aware that some seminars require an application to be enrolled, and students may be pre-enrolled in some seminars that may not be listed here.

This year: all 9th grade students will be enrolled in a “Freshmen Seminar” in addition to one seminar of their choosing.

Week 2 Preview

Good Morning Designers,

It is so good to have everyone back on campus! Week One was a great start to the school year, and we are still feeling the positive energy from our Day One assembly. See some great pictures below from the first day of school as the DVD staff welcomed our students to the 22-23 school year.

This week, we are so excited to be bringing out 9th graders and a select group of leaders to the Freshmen Overnighter! Messaging via email and permission slips have gone out to families, and 9th graders should be bringing permission slips starting Monday. For more information, reach out to the DVD Front Office.

Here is the Week 2 bell schedule:

Upcoming Key Events

  • Wednesday, 8/24: 9th graders leave for Overnighter @ 8:40am
  • Wednesday, 8/25: 9th graders return from Overnighter @ 3:45pm
  • Week of Monday, 8/29: Seminars and Flex Block Begin
  • Monday, 9/5: No School – Labor Day
  • Thursday, 9/8: Back to School Night @ 5:30pm
  • Thursday, 9/15: DV Club Fair
  • Friday, 9/16: No School – Professional Development Day
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