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.
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.
WOW – we are almost to the end of the Fall semester! This week, we kicked off POLs and we are so proud of all of our students as they complete these high stakes, end of semester presentations. Good luck on your coming presentations, Designers!
We will continue through next week with our POL schedule, and Friday 12/17 is a no school day for students.
The first day of classes for Semester 2 begins on January 10th, 2022. See the school calendar in the “Resources” section of the blog for more details.
T-Shirt Design Contest Winners announced!
Also – we want to give a BIG congratulations to the four students whose designs were chosen as our finalists for the 2021 T-Shirt Design Contest! Our finalist designers are:
This an opportunity for students to bring their own passions and interests to our seminar programming! Leading a seminar looks great on resumes and applications, and is a great opportunity to show leadership on campus.
For second semester, some seminars that use specialized equipment will require students to complete an application prior. If you interested in Advanced CrossFit, Photography, or Ceramics & Pottery, please complete the interest forms below:
POL’s at Da Vinci Design will begin this Thursday, December 9th and run until Thursday, December 16th. Please note that students will begin class at the regular time 8:55am but will be released at 1:55pm all these days. This includes the coming Friday, 12/10, which will start at 8:55am instead of the usual 9:25am.
Friday, December 17th is a PD day and school is not in session.
If you have any questions or concerns in regards to your students POL time(s) please reach out to their teachers via e-mail directly.
Last but not least, another friendly reminder to please make sure to e-mail Mrs. Irma Rodriguez at irodriguez@davincischools.org if your student will be absent on any given day.
We are officially in the final stretch of the Fall semester! See important information below regarding students grades and Presentations of Learning (aka: POLs) including grade level expectations and schedules.
Student Grades: This is an important time to sit down with your student and check their grades in their classes in PowerSchool. Click here for the PowerSchool website; login information was included on the grade reports that were sent home earlier this semester and you can email Maria Beltran at mbeltran@davincischools.org if you need your child’s username and password.
Presentations of Learning: “POL” preparation begins next week for students in grades 9-12! The Presentation of Learning (“POL”) is a tradition at the Da Vinci Schools in which students prepare and deliver a formal presentations to their teachers and their peers. POLs give students the opportunity to develop their speaking and presentation skills, are an opportunity for students to reflect publicly on their learning, and in some cases are a final opportunity for students to demonstrate their understanding and mastery of a topic. Because these are formal presentations, students are expected to wear formal attire.
All POLs will be scheduled between Thursday 12/9 and Thursday 12/16.
NOTE: Each student will earn a letter grade for their POL based on the total score and the grade scale shown. This letter grade will be reflected on the student’s transcript but is not calculated into their GPA. The POL is worth one credit, which is the same amount of credit earned for most seminar courses.
Dear Design Parents and Families: It is time for us to do our bi-annual parent survey – and we need your feedback! We ask families and students to complete a survey twice each year about how things are going at DVD. Please use the link above or click here to share your experience and thoughts with us. We continually look for ways to improve, and value your assessment of how things are going so far this year. The data collected from parent surveys like this one determines our school goals for this year, and for years to come.
On behalf of the staff at Da Vinci Design, we want to return and express our deep gratitude for our community of students and families. Thank you to everyone who made our staff feel so appreciated with contributions of treats, gifts, and messages of gratitude. DVD was full of smiles today!
In addition to the gratitude bags shared with the staff today, our students also contributed to a tree mural full of messages of gratitude for their friends and staff at Da Vinci Design. We truly have so much to be thankful for here!
See the Week 15, 16 and 17 bell schedules below. When we return from our Holiday Break (on Monday 11/29), we will be just eight school days away from POLs! Stay tuned for more details about POLs after the break. Have a safe, lovely and restful break everyone!
Galleries are all password protected and the passwords are their student ID numbers.
Make-up appointments for cap & gown photos are available during our winter break on January 6-8, 2022. Students can sign up for a makeup appointment using this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F45AFAF28A64-class
If you have any questions specific to your cap & gown photo order, please contact the photographer Stacee Lianna directly at seniors@staceelianna.com. Thank you!
