Archive for Author Russell Stoll

Community Paint Day, Thanksgiving Holiday and Week 15 Preview

Hello Designers and Design Families!

What an exciting week! Exhibition, boat races, field trips, Alumni Day, CD, paint day – so much great stuff happening at Design this week. Truly feeling so grateful to be part of a learning community that does so much to bring the learning outside of the classroom.

Today, we held an all-day event at DVD: Community Paint Day! Community Paint Day at DVD is the culmination of a partnership with Arts Bridging the Gap and the DVD Diversity Council. The day was be centered around painting a 10’x10′  mural designed in collaboration with DVD’s Diversity Council students, and resident artists/muralists Noah and Georgia, who met over eight sessions do discuss themes of diversity and inclusion which would be the basis of the mural. The day started with a schoolwide community dialogue assembly in the gym hosted by the DVD Diversity Council. Then, students from all grade levels spent the rest of the day in the BlackBox theater space painting the mural under the guidance of our resident muralists. And, a representative from Hart House stopped by to provide gift cards to recognize students working on the mural. It was a great day full of celebration and community, and a great way to send our students off to the holiday break! See pictures below!

The first day of school after the break will be Monday, November 27th – here is the Week 15 bell schedule:

THANK YOU PARENTS AND FAMILIES!

We want extend a BIG THANK YOU to all of the DVD families who made contributions to our DVD staff gratitude baskets; thanks to all of you for donating time, treats, and messages of gratitude to our staff to help send them off on a much deserved break with a little something to let them know how appreciated they are. We love our DVD families! And, we wish all of you a restful, safe, and fun holiday break!

DV Schools Blood Drive on November 29th:
The UCLA Blood and Platelet Center will be coming onto our 201 N. Douglas campus on Wednesday, November 29th from 9am-2pm in the Black Box. Students will be called out of class to donate blood if they are registered and have proper consent forms. See the flyer below for more details, including a QR code where students can register.

Upcoming Events and Key Dates:

  • Nov. 20th – Nov. 24th: NO SCHOOL – Thanksgiving Holiday Break
  • Wednesday, November 29th: DV Schools + UCLA Health Blood Drive
  • Friday, December 1st: Progress Reports Mailed Home
  • Thursday, Dec. 14th – Thursday, Dec. 21st: Presentations of Learning (POLs) – MINIMUM DAYS
    • Early release of students at 1:45pm each day
    • *Special start on Friday, Friday Dec. 15th at 8:40am*
  • Thursday, Dec. 21st: Last Day of Semester One

Week 14 Highlight: Community Dialogue and Paint Day Hosted By Diversity Council

Congrats Designers on Fall Exhibition!

Congratulations 10th and 12th Grade Designers!

Fall 2023 Exhibition was a huge success! Your boats floated, your galleries were glowing, and your murals highlighted so much joy. You went above and beyond this year, and you have made your school community so proud!

See a photo gallery here from your Fall 2023 Exhibition:

Week 14 Updates: Exhibition Week and Community Events!

Good Morning Designers and Design Families,

We hope our students are coming back from the long weekend feeling refreshed and ready for a great week! This week, we have lots of exciting events to look forward to:

Tuesday, November 14th is Fall Exhibition Night! Both 10th and 12th grade will be displaying work.

  • 3pm-5pm at the El Segundo Aquatic Center, 10th Grade Boat Races
    Sophomores have used skills and concepts from Math and Chemistry class (like surface area and buoyancy) to design full-scale boats out of reclaimed cardboard in their Fundamentals of Design 2 class. And, on the afternoon of Exhibition, they will be racing each other across the ESAC pool for our 2nd annual Boat Race! This event was so much fun and brought so much joy that we had to make it annual. We hope you can stop by to see who will be our champion. See the flyer below!

  • 5:30pm-7:30pm at 201 N. Douglas: 12th Grade Mural & Art Gallery Project
    The Mural project was a collaborative effort across Ethnic Studies, English, Government, College & Career Readiness, and Entrepreneurship. It portrays the resilience of an oppressed group, highlighting their joy and triumphs. In Ethnic Studies, students designed and painted their mural. In English, students created engaging websites, audio guides, and artist plaques. Government class delved into the connections between chosen topics and government operations. College & Career Readiness explored diverse art-related career paths, while Entrepreneurship focused on preparing the art for sale. In Statistics, students conducted a data project on art, music, and social media while Calculus students made art pieces that represent how math makes them feel. Graphic Design students crafted personal logos using Adobe Illustrator and students in Architecture collaborated on a real-world project with the Western Museum of Flight, designing a new museum concept for Torrance Airport. Their digital renderings are currently in progress and will be showcased.

Thursday, November 16th is Alumni Sibling and Cousins Day! We look forward to having returning students stop by our campus and to say “hello”.

Friday, November 17th we have both CD hosted by our Diversity Council, and we will be hosting a Community Paint Day in the BlackBox! Community Paint Day at DVD is the culmination of a partnership with Arts Bridging the Gap and the DVD Diversity Council. The day will be centered around painting a 10×10 mural designed in collaboration with DVD’s Diversity Council students and resident artists/muralists. 

DVD STAFF GRATITUDE:

As we approach the season of Thanksgiving, we are all grateful for the tremendous work of our school staff – from our teachers to counselors to paraeducators to custodians to front office staff. To show our appreciation, we are organizing Thanksgiving baskets to deliver to our school staff on Thursday, November 16th. The idea is that each staff member will receive one basket containing treats and words of appreciation from students and parents/guardians.

Here is how you can contribute to the baskets of Thanksgiving:

  1. Items: If you are interested and able to purchase something to show your appreciation, please consider non-perishable items such as: individually wrapped : pop corn, gummies, trail mix, chips, hot chocolate, pretzels, candy, cookies, gift cards ($5) to target, Starbucks, coffee, sparkling water, tea, and any other non-perishable snacks. We need donated items collected by: Tuesday November 14th. All items can be left on the first floor front office.
  1. Words of Appreciation: There is nothing that means more to school staff than words of appreciation or encouragement. Please consider handwriting a note of thanks or typing one digitally here: DVD Staff Appreciation Notes We will be printing these digital messages and including all words of appreciation in the baskets. Handwritten notes can be dropped off by Tuesday November 14th.

Week 14 DVD Bell Schedule:

Upcoming Events and Key Dates:

  • Tuesday, Nov. 14th: DVD Exhibition Night! 3pm-7:30pm
    • 10th Grade Boat Races: 3pm-5pm at the El Segundo Aquatic Center (AKA: the pool at 201 N. Douglas).
    • 12th Grade Mural & Art Gallery Project: 5:30pm-7:30pm in the Senior Hub
  • Friday, Nov. 17th: Diversity Council Community Dialogue & Community Paint Day
  • Nov. 20th – Nov. 24th: NO SCHOOL – Thanksgiving Holiday Break
  • Friday, December 1st: Progress Reports Mailed Home
  • Thursday, Dec. 14th – Thursday, Dec. 21st: Presentations of Learning (POLs) – MINIMUM DAYS
    • Early release of students at 1:45pm each day
    • *Special start on Friday, Friday Dec. 15th at 8:40am*
  • Thursday, Dec. 21st: Last Day of Semester One

Week 13 Preview

Greetings Designers and Design Families!

This week was full of seasonal fun – from spooky lab experiments in Chemistry class to ofrenda building in Spanish class. Our students really had something each day to look forward to this past week at DVD. And, it was so much fun having our annual Halloween costume contest during lunch on Tuesday! Shout out to our winners – see a few photos below!

This week, also had our November edition of “Coffee with Admin”, where parents/guardians can meet with the admin team at DVD to hear updates and ask questions about all things DVD. Our agenda for this month’s edition was 1) Campus Updates & Highlights, 2) Upcoming Calendar Events, 3) Tardy and Absence Updates, 4) Red Ribbon Week: Key Resources, 5) Q&A. If you were not able to attend but would like to see a few campus, you can click here to find the slides from our November Coffee with Admin. Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, December 6th.

See the Bell Schedule for Week 12 here, as well key dates and events below:

Upcoming Dates and Events:

  • Thursday, 11/9: NO SCHOOL – STAFF DEVELOPMENT
  • Friday, 11/10: NO SCHOOL – Veteran’s Day Holiday
  • Tuesday, 11/14: 12th and 10th Grade Exhibition Night
    • 10th Grade: 3pm-5pm
    • 12th Grade: 5:30pm-7:30pm
  • Friday, 11/17: Diversity Council Community Dialogue & Community Paint Day
  • 11/20-11/24: NO SCHOOL – Thanksgiving Holiday Break

Week 12 Campus Highlight – Halloween Costume Contest!

Week 12 Preview

Greetings Designers and Design Families!

This week at Da Vinci Schools, we celebrated Red Ribbon Week. There were several events on campus to bring awareness to and share resources about drug prevention awareness and health. The theme was “Be Kind To Your Mind”. Especially with Halloween around the corner, we ask all of our students to be safe and make good choices as they engage in holiday festivities and social gatherings. If you would like to review any of the resources shared, please click here.

We are excited to celebrate Halloween on our campus next week with a special dress up spirit day on Tuesday! Please help remind all students that while costumes are encouraged, students are not allowed to bring prop weapons, full face masks, or excessive gore/blood. All costumes must be school appropriate, and students not in costume must adhere to dress code. We will be having a costume contest at lunch in the outdoor quad for the most creative costumes!

Here is the bell schedule for Week 12 at Da Vinci Design:

Upcoming Dates and Events:

  • Wednesday, 11/1: Coffee With Admin!
  • Thursday, 11/9: NO SCHOOL – STAFF DEVELOPMENT
  • Friday, 11/10: NO SCHOOL – Veteran’s Day Holiday
  • Tuesday, 11/14: 12th Grade Exhibition Night

Please Help DVD Welcome New Admin Services Manager

Hello Designers and Design Families,

Please join us in giving a big DVD welcome to Vannessa Ramos, our new Administrative Services Manager! Ms. Ramos started with us this week as part of our front office team. Parents/Guardians: there is a good chance that when you call DVD, it will be Ms. Ramos you are speaking to – so please say “hello” and make her feel welcome at our school.

From now on, please email Vannessa Ramos at vramos@davincischools.org for anything related to: excusing absences, excusing tardies, records requests, withdrawing students, or verification of education forms. She will be happy help!

Ms. Brianna Castaneda, formerly in this front office role, is staying with the DVD family and transitioning to her new role as Intervention Specialist in student support services.

One additional note: thank you to all of you who have completed the biannual family survey via Kelvin! We moved to a new platform this year, so please double-check your spam/junk folders, to make sure that you do not miss out on this important feedback opportunity. Your positive feedback helps us stay competitive amongst the best schools in Los Angeles and California! And, your honest constructive feedback helps us grow.

Thank you families and have a great rest of your week!

—DVD Admin Team

Week 10 is SLC Week at DVD

Greetings Designers and Design Families!

Next week, it is SLC week at Da Vinci Design – and we are excited to have you on campus with us! SLCs are an important time when parents and teachers come together for a meeting led by the student. It is a time to highlight a student’s strengths and hard work, to encourage students to set new goals, and to ask guiding questions so students can take ownership of their learning. Every student and parent is expected to participate in leading an SLC this semester. SLCs will happen in-person. See below for SLC schedules and details.

Next week we are also celebrating Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month at Da Vinci Design with events hosted by our Latinx Student Union. We will have a spirit week where students can express and embrace pride in Latinx culture all week long. And, we will end the week with a Community Dialogue assembly (aka: “CD”) CD celebrating Latinx culture.

It is time for our biannual family and student surveys! Today, you should have received an email from a survey app called Kelvin. This is not spam! Please follow the prompt to complete an online survey from Kelvin to share your feedback on Da Vinci Design. We appreciate your time and your feedback!

Student Led Conferences (SLCs): Grade Level Resources

Upcoming Dates and Events:

  • Mon, 10/16 – Thurs, 10/19: Student Led Conferences (SLCs) – Minimum Days
  • Mon 10/16-10/20: LATINX HISTORY MONTH SPIRIT WEEK!
    • Monday 10/16: Represent Your Flag
    • Tuesday 10/17: Jersey Day
    • Wednesday 10/18: Represent Your Favorite Latinx Artist
    • Thursday 10/19: Dress Like A Loteria Card
    • Friday 10/20: Latinx CD Cultural Wear
  • Thursday, 10/19: Great CA Shake Out
  • Thursday, 11/9: NO SCHOOL – STAFF DEVELOPMENT
  • Friday, 11/10: NO SCHOOL – Veteran’s Day Holiday
  • Tuesday, 11/14: 12th Grade Exhibition Night

October 2023 College Visits:

  • Monday 10/16: LA Trade Tech College
  • Tuesday 10/17: Hult International Business School
  • Wednesday 10/18: College for Creative Studies
  • Thursday 10/19: New York University / Arizona State University – Tempe
  • Friday 10/20: UCLA
  • Monday 10/23: University of Southern California
  • Wednesday 10/25: Smith College
  • Thursday 10/26: Syracuse University
  • Friday 10/27: CSU Channel Islands

Week 9 is Spirit Week at DVD! And SLC Info

Greetings Designers and Design Families!

Next week, it’s Spirit Week! In honor of our first dance of the school year, the Phantom Formal, we are having special dress days all next week to build the hype. Tickets for the dance are $25, and are available on MySchoolBucks. Click here for the link to purchase tickets to the DV Fall dance: Phantom Formal! Sign in using your PowerSchool login information.

We are looking forward to a short but packed week!  We are preparing for the PSAT Test Day on Thursday, 10/12. Friday there is no school due to staff professional development.

We are also getting ready for Student Led Conferences (aka: SLCs) the following week (10/16-10/19)! Every student is expected to participate in an SLC presentation with a family member and a teacher. SLCs will happen on campus unless a Zoom meeting is requested. See below for SLC schedules and details.

Important Reminder from the DV Health Team: Key Facts about Influenza

Flu season is here! Our school health team, Dr. Green and Nurse T, want to remind you how to keep your child and others healthy. See the letter to families linked here and above. The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. If your child is diagnosed with Influenza, please let your school health team know as we track clusters and outbreaks. All COVID cases must be reported to the school health team. To reach our Director of Health Services, email Dr. Emily Green at egreen@davincischools.org with questions or health updates regarding your child.

Lastly, thank you to all of our parents who joined us for our Coffee with Admin session on Wednesday, October 4th!  You can find the slides of what we covered here:

Our next Coffee with Admin session will be on November 1st, Wednesday.

Here is the special schedule for Week 9 (10/9-10/13):

Student Led Conferences (SLCs): Grade Level Resources

Click links below to access SLC materials!

Upcoming Dates and Events:

  • Mon 10/9-10/12: SPIRIT WEEK!
    • Monday 10/9: Pajama Day
    • Tuesday 10/10: Decades Day
    • Wednesday 10/11: Soccer Mom vs. BBQ Dad
    • Thursday 10/12: Dress as You Favorite Artist (Musical Artist)
    • Friday 10/13: Phantom Formal School Dance!
  • Tuesday, 10/10: Salve Regina University Rep Visit
  • Wednesday, 10/11: University of the Pacific Rep Visit
  • Thursday, 10/12: PSAT Day (9th/10th/11th Grade)
  • Friday, 10/13: Staff Development – NO SCHOOL
  • Mon, 10/16 – Thurs, 10/19: Student Led Conferences (SLCs) – Minimum Days

Coffee with DVD Admin Tomorrow via Zoom

All DVD parents/guardians are welcome! Please join to hear about important school updates and to have the opportunity for Q&A with our DVD admin team.

Wednesday, 10/4: Coffee w/ Admin (Two Sessions: 8am & 5pm)

For this session, we will focus on positive school culture initiatives, and also on academic supports. We will help parents/guardians understand the different between PowerSchool and Canvas, and how to access these tools.

Hope to see you there!

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