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
Graduates from across Los Angeles County will be celebrated during this special event at the Skirball Cultural Center onJune 8th at 3:00 pm.
Scholarship applications for the Los Angeles Urban League Black High School Graduation will open soon. Stay connected to their social media (@LAUrbanLeague_) for official the announcement! #LABlackLegacy
Today at 8am and 5pm, join the DVD admin team for our monthly “Coffee with Admin” chat. Simply join via Zoom and bring any school-related questions, or sit back and hear about school updates. Hope to see you there!
Wed, April 10th: Coffee w/ Admin
All 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) Testing Info and Updates, 4) Teens on Social Media, 5) Q&A
We are getting ready for Student Led Conferences (aka: SLCs) in a few weeks! 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. We look forward to having you on campus!
Every student is expected to participate in leading an SLC this semester with a parent / guardian present. SLCs happen in-person and on campus. Having a family member present is an important part of the process. Thank you for doing your part and showing up for your child for their SLC!
Student Led Conferences (SLCs): Grade Level Resources
Schedule reminder: We have minimum days Mon-Thurs (3/11-3/14) during SLC week. Students will be released at 1:45pm. Friday (3/15) will be a Professional Development day for teachers and school will not be in session.
Da Vinci Design’s Feminism Club is hosting a clothing and supply drive in partnership with the Downtown’s Women’s Center. The drive will run until Feb. 23rd. See more details on the flyer here:
We would like to invite you to a virtual information session to learn more about our Rivet School with Da Vinci program.
Rivet School is a reimagined college and career pathway program. Our college program is designed around the needs of students and provides both flexibility and structured accountability to support students in meeting their goals.
In partnership with Rivet School, Da Vinci seniors who choose to continue their journey through the Bridge Program will enroll in college at no cost (free!) to the student or their family. Students will participate in a flexible, online accredited degree program with opportunities for in-person meetings and career-connected learning on the Da Vinci Connect High campus.
Please join us to learn more about this program and if it may be a good fit for your student!
Rivet School with Da Vinci Student & Family Virtual Information Session
🗓️ Dates: Monday, January 22nd at 6:30 PM
📍 Location: Virtual Session (details provided upon RSVP)
Students will sign up for second semester seminars Wednesday, 1/17 – Friday, 1/19:
Wed, 1/17 during Advisory (8:40am-9:25am): 12th grade Seminar Sign-Ups
Thurs, 1/18 during Flex Block (8:40am-9:25am): 11th then 10th grade Seminar Sign-Ups
Fri, 1/19 during English 9 (P1 + P3): 9th grade Seminar Sign-Ups
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 week at DVD, we wrapped up with lots of holiday cheer and fun at our annual Holiday Community Dialogue event in the gym! We played a ton of great games like antler ring toss, a holiday themed edition of “junkyard”, and we even had a gingerbread house building competition… until the Grinch stopped, by but even he couldn’t ruin the holiday spirit. We also called up our December All-Stars. We will continue our holiday fun during Week 18 when we invite students and staff to participate in a holiday spirit week. See below for photos of our Holiday CD games and our holiday spirit week!
Presentations of Learning (POLs) are next week! 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. 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.
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, 8 hour days being a part of panels.
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, treats, and coffee to our teachers, please use the sign-up to tell us what you will be dropping off.
Here is the Bell Schedule for upcoming POL Weeks 17 & 18:
Early release of students at 1:45pm each day
*Special start on Friday, Friday Dec. 15th at 8:40am*
Special 9th Grade Exhibition: Wednesday, December 20th 5:30pm-6:30pm
On Wednesday, December 20, 2023 from 5:30 – 6:30 our 9th grade students and teachers will be hosting a special Exhibition on-campus at 201 N. Douglas! Students will display and present their lamp projects, narratives, and artwork that they have been working hard on for their first semester POLs. The theme of this project is to develop and share a deeper understanding of the experience of people who are migrants and refugees. See the flyer below – and hope to see you there!
Winter Music Student Showcase: Tuesday, Dec. 12th at 6:30pm *NOW AT THE WDV GYM*
Due to the excitement and enthusiasm from our theater show this past Tuesday (and the incredibly high turnout they generated!), we have a major last-minute change to the venue for our Music Winter Showcase. It will still be on Tue, 12/12 but will now take place in the WDV GYM at 201 N. Douglas St.Doors are at 6pm, and the show will start at 6:30pm. See you there!
Upcoming Events and Key Dates:
Thursday, Dec. 14th – Thursday, Dec. 21st: Presentations of Learning (POLs) – MINIMUM DAYS
