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 Friday, November 22nd. The idea is that each staff member will receive one basket containing treats and words of appreciation from students and families.
Here is how you can contribute to the baskets of Thanksgiving:
Items: If you are interested and able to purchase something to show your appreciation, please consider non-perishable items such as: individually wrapped items (popcorn, gummies, trail mix, chips, hot chocolate, pretzels, candy, cookies), gift cards ($5 to Target, Starbucks, etc.), coffee drinks, sparkling water, tea, and any other non-perishable snacks. We need donated items collected by: Wednesday, November 20th. All items can be left in a donation box on the first floor front office.
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 Monday November 14th.
With gratitude for your ongoing encouragement and support,
Russell Stoll, Principal
Kirk Takeyama, Assistant Principal
Korina Barefield, Dean of Student Success and Culture
Today, Wednesday Nov. 6th, at 8am and 5pm join the DVD admin team for our monthly “Coffee with Admin” chat. Simply log on via Zoom and bring any school-related questions, or just sit back, relax, and hear about school updates. This will be our third Coffee with Admin of the 2024-25 school year. Hope to see you there!
Wed, Nov. 6th: 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) DVD Research Partnerships w/ UCLA and America Succeeds, 4) Q&A
As a community member of DVD, we want to remind you that you have a platform to advocate for your student. While there are a lot of ways stay on top of what is happening satchool, the more direct form to be involved is through a student/parent committee.
By state law, a school that has a certain number EL (English Learners) needs to comprise an English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC). For this reason, we are requesting your assistance. This committee needs to be comprised of teachers, parents, and EL students in order to come up with a plan to better serve this student body.
The first meeting will be conducted in English and in Spanish depending on who is in attendance and what individual needs are.
La escuela Davinci Design va a tener su primera cita de ELAC por via de ZOOM, el miercoles, 23 de octubre, del 2024 a las 5pm. Pueden ingresar usando este enlace: https://davincischools-org.zoom.us/j/9907447234
Como padre o guardian de un estudiante considerado/a “E.L. (aprendiendo ingles),” usted tiene una plataforma para saber como le va a su hijo/a. Mientras hay muchas maneras de estar pendiente de los estudios de un alumno, la mas directa manera es formar parte de un comité de escuela.
Por ley, una escuela que tenga mas de 21 estudiantes “English Learners,” necesitan tener un comite de ELAC (English Learner Advisory Committee). Por esta razon, esperamos que podramos contar con usted. Este comite necesita estar formado de padres de familia y empleados de escuela para realizar un plan que mejor ayude nuestros estudiantes que estan aprendiendo ingles o mejorando su ingles.
Asi que por favor ayudenos abogar mejor para su estudiante aprendiendo ingles y acompañenos en esta tarde. Durante esta junta, tambien estaremos votando por miembros oficiales del comite.
Las citas de comite ELAC estaran conducidas en espanol si tenemos suficientes padres en asistencia. Su participacion es muy importante para el bienestar de sus estudiante y de nuestra escuela.
Students are getting ready for Red Ribbon Week® here at Da Vinci celebrated Oct 21-25th. What Is Red Ribbon Week? It is a way for people and communities to unite and take a visible stand against drugs and celebrate healthy lifestyle choices and habits. We hope to have students show their personal commitment to a drug-free and healthy lifestyle through participation in various activities October 21 – 25th. Da Vinci students will see health related content in class through presentations, have an opportunity to learn how to use the life saving medication Narcan for opioid overdoses, take part in a Free vaccination clinic as a preventative health activity and engage in open dialogues around the importance of healthy choices.
This year’s theme is: “Life is a Movie. Film Drug Free”. We hope to strengthen anti-drug-use attitudes and norms through sharing information. Please partner with us and discuss this message at home, at the dinner table, at family outings, and with friends and extended family. Ask your child to tell you about things they hear at school about Red Ribbon Week®!
Save the date Wednesday, October 23rd 330-630pm Da Vinci Schools is hosting a mobile vaccination clinic for those wanting a free Flu shot, updated COVID booster, or TDAP! Located at 201 N Douglas Street in the Blackbox, walk-ins are welcome! Bring your insurance card and students under 18 can walk in if they have a consent form completed by parent.
One fun way to start or continue the conversation about drug prevention and healthy lifestyle choices with your children AND have a chance to win an iPad? National Family Partnership is sponsoring a photo contest. The photo contest is free and you could win an iPad and $1,000 for our school!! Log onto www.redribbon.org and find out more!
Next week is SLC week at Da Vinci Design October 14th-17th, 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 is expected to participate in leading an SLC with a parent/guardian present this semester. SLCs will happen in-person. See below for SLC schedules and details presented by each grade level teaching team.
Reminders for families arriving for SLCs:
Families can find parking anywhere in the lot north of 201 N. Douglas St.
Please check-in on the 1st floor upon arriving to get a name tag and find which classroom to report to
Please arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled time to allow time to check-in
Student Led Conferences (SLCs): Grade Level Resources
Do you want to make a difference at Da Vinci Schools? Do you want a seat at the table? Consider becoming a student board advisor or coordinator and make your voice heard!
Student board advisors present monthly to the Da Vinci Schools Board of Trustees and you will provide perspective, insights and regular school updates.
Your participation gives current and future students a voice for years to come. Click here to apply!
Student board advisors:
Two positions open from each of the following schools (a total of 10 positions)
DV Communications
DV Connect TK-8
DV Connect High
DV Design
DV Science
Student board coordinators:
Two (2) positions open
Can be from any school and assists student board members in preparing for meetings
You may submit applications for both coordinator and advisor roles. For more information and details, please speak with your school’s principal.
*Please note: Students can only access the application using their DV email*
All student board advisors and coordinators meet on the first Monday of the month with Dr. Matt Wunder, CEO of Da Vinci Schools, to discuss students’ daily experiences at school. After the first few meetings with the CEO, the rest will be student-led. The first board presentation will be November 20th.
The number of youth nationally experiencing anxiety and depression has risen 30% in recent years according to U.S. Health and Human Services. In an effort to be more proactive in supporting students’ mental health, a wellness screener will be given on September 16th and September 18th to all students during advisory at Da Vinci Design HS to identify students who may need support. Results from the screener will be used by the counselors to offer students interventions such as coping skills groups, counselor check ins, and referrals for therapy.
Scores will not be shared with students or parents/guardians. Parent/guardian consent is required if a student is referred to receive counseling services delivered by Antioch or Luminarias therapists. If you would like your student to OPT-OUT and NOT PARTICIPATE in the screener, please fill out the form by Monday, September 16th.
Atlas@Design is our school’s travel program that has been traveling for over 12 years all around the world. We are excited to open up enrollment for our next adventure, GREECE, which will take place during Spring Break of 2026. If your student is interested, please join us on Thursday, September 12 at 6:30pm for a Zoom info meeting. You can register for the meeting using the QR code on the flyer or by going to this page: https://bit.ly/3LZPG8O.
Reach out to Frank Solis at fsolis@davincischools.org if you have any questions.
This week was the last week of regular classes at DVD! And, we had so much to celebrate as we wrap up what has been a great year at DVD. We marked our Seniors’ final exhibition with the annual Senior Showcase event on Wednesday night. Then, our Queer Student Union hosted a community dialogue in honor of Pride Month on Friday morning. Finally, we are ending the week by dancing it out with “Banda Night” hosted by our Latinx Student Union. See below for photos from the 12th grade Senior Showcase event!
Presentations of Learning (POLs) are happening NEXT WEEK (5/28 – 6/4). POLs are performance based assessments which give students the opportunity to develop their speaking and presentation skills, and they give students space to reflect publicly on their learning.
Please note: PowerSchool access is locked for students and parents starting 5/28 and through summer for end of semester report card preparation, and in order to prepare schedules for the Fall 2024 semester. If you have questions regarding Spring 2024 report cards or grades, reach out to your counselor via email, and you will receive a reply when school staff return in August.
Because these are formal presentations, students are expected to wear formal attire. Any student in need of formal attire, please contact the front office and we will be happy to accommodate.
Here is the Week 37 + 38 Bell Schedule:
Graduation Ceremony Info for 12th Grade Parents/Guardians and Families:
As graduation nears, we wanted to provide you with specific information regarding the day of the Graduation Ceremony. In order to accommodate everyone for this large gathering and celebration, please review this key information, and click here for more info:
Leading up to POLs, 10th grade students have been receiving information in their Fundamentals of Design 2 class with Mr. Kartez 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.
Key Dates and Upcoming Events
Mon, May 27: NO SCHOOL – MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY
Tues, May 28th – Tues, June 4th: Presentations of Learning (POLs)
Minimum day schedules – school out at 1:45pm
*NOTE: School starts at 8:40am on Friday, 5/31 (not 9:45am) due to POL schedule
Wed, June 5th: Last Day of Classes for 2023-24 School Year
