We hope you all have had a safe, restful and fun Spring Break! We will return for our last Community Learning Day (CLD) on Monday, April 21st. Classes resume on Tuesday, April 22nd.
On Thursday, 4/10, we had our annual Spring Exhibition! Please check out some of the photos below to see the hard work of our students and staff.
Here is the Bell Schedule for Week 31 at Da Vinci Design:
Upcoming Events and Key Dates:
Mon, Apr. 21st: Community Learning Day (CLD) – No Classes
Tues, Apr. 22nd: Classes Resume – Return from Spring Break
Tues, Apr. 22nd: 11th Grade College Field Tips
Fri, Apr. 25th: Senior Beach Day Field Trip
Mon, Apr. 28th – Thurs, May 1st: Testing Week
11th: CAASPP ELA and Math Testing
9th/10th: MAP Testing
Fri, May 2nd: Staff Professional Development Day (PD) – No Classes
Fri, May 2nd: Prom
Fri, May 9th: Progress Reports Mailed Home
Campus Highlight: DVD Spring Exhibition, April 10th, 2025
Thank you to all who attended Exhibition Night last night! Congratulations to our hardworking students and amazing staff on displaying such meaningful and incredible work. Stay tuned for photos coming with next week’s update!
On behalf of all of the Design staff: we wish you all a safe, restful and fun Spring Break! Our campus is closed next week (4/14-4/18) for Spring Break.
We will return for our last Community Learning Day (CLD) on Monday, April 21st. Classes resume on Tuesday, April 22nd.
Here is the Bell Schedule for Week 31 at Da Vinci Design:
The DVD admin team, DVD front office team and central office team will be available via email on from 8am-4pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (4/14-4/16). You can also call Da Vinci Schools at 310-725-5800 to leave a voicemail outside of business hours and someone will get back to you. All administrative staff will be out of office Thursday and Friday (4/17 & 4/18).
For records requests (including work permits): reach out to Office Manager Maria Beltran at mbeltran@davincischools.org
For attendance and student information: reach out to Admin. Support Manager Leslie Alonso at lalonso@davincischools.org
For all other questions or concerns, reach out to Principal Russell Stoll at rstoll@davincischools.org
Upcoming Events and Key Dates:
Mon, Apr. 14th – Friday, Apr. 18th: NO SCHOOL – Spring Break
Mon, Apr. 21st: Community Learning Day (CLD) – No Classes
Tues, Apr. 22nd: Classes Resume – Return from Spring Break
DVD Exhibition Night is next week on Thursday, April 10th! Please join us from 5:30 to 7:30 to celebrate the amazing work of our students! 10th grade will be presenting work in the BlackBox Theater on the first floor, and 9th and 11th grades will be presenting on the 4th floor. See you there!
Here is the Bell Schedule for Week 30 at Da Vinci Design:
DVD Exhibition Night: Thursday, April 10th:
9th Grade – Patterns of Social Justice: This year’s Exhibition for Freshmen will be full of fantastic fashions and important Social Justice statements. Through Fundamentals of Design and English classes, we have helped them create their garments with wearable messages. In Spanish, they’ve designed the Fashion Show Runway while in Physics, they are planning emergency response plans and kits. This will be lit up by fractal designs from Algebra 1. Come and be inspired by the messages and creations of our phenomenal Freshmen.
10th Grade – Global Citizenship:What is your responsibility as a global citizen? Through interdisciplinary projects, students have examined this theme in meaningful ways. In Design 2, students are creating murals based off of the work of Judy Baca that uncover and share an untold history of a community. In Geometry, students created a presentation on a global citizenship issue and a related non-profit organization they researched, designing a polygon-based logo that represented the organization’s values. In Spanish 2, students are studying the history and influential figures of the Mexican and Latin American muralist movements creating info-posters. In Chemistry, they are investigating climate change and its global impact in connection to the novel The Old Man Who Read Love Stories that they read in English class. Students are documenting the design process for all of their projects in English through websites and crafting statements to explain their work. Come see how our students are using art, storytelling, and science to engage with the world around them!
11th Grade – The Individual In The Community: Join us for this year’s 11th Grade Exhibition, “The Individual in the Community”, where students will showcase their interdisciplinary explorations of identity, history, science, and design. Student have worked across subject areas to collaborate in a variety of ways, and here a few examples. Students have been analyzing connections in “The Crucible” to the Red Scare, then crafting historical fiction scenes and theatrical playbills, as students bring literature and history to life. Students have also blended ancient wisdom with modern science by cultivating medicinal plants, preserving cultural knowledge, and creating visual displays through Biology and Spanish. In CTE Fine Arts student will display handcrafted ceramics and fused glass, reflecting the role of community in functional art. Experience how our students contribute to and shape their communities while celebrating individuality through their creative and scholarly work!
Upcoming Events and Key Dates:
Tues, Apr. 8th: Parent Advisory Committee #6
5pm via Zoom
Agenda: 1) Welcome, Introductions and Public Comment, 2) LCAP Goals #5 Review
This week, we ended with our annual community dialogue assembly celebrating diversity, hosted by DVD’s Diversity Council! We played fun games, had a student musical performance from The Hughes, and danced our way to the weekend with a “Boots on the Ground” line dance. Also, the winning Advisory from our March Tech Madness competition, to see which Advisory could decrease their screen time the most in the month of March, got to celebrate during CD in the SkyBox. Congrats to Mr. Schilp’s Advisory class! We are also excited to be hosting the “DaVinciLandia” dance event on campus tonight hosted by Latinx Student Union. See photos from Diversity Council CD below!
Here is the Bell Schedule for Week 29 at Da Vinci Design:
DVD Exhibition Night Coming Soon on Thursday, April 10th! Please join us from 5:30 to 7:30 to celebrate the amazing work of our students!
9th Grade – Patterns of Social Justice: This year’s Exhibition for Freshmen will be full of fantastic fashions and important Social Justice statements. Through Fundamentals of Design and English classes, we have helped them create their garments with wearable messages. In Spanish, they’ve designed the Fashion Show Runway while in Physics, they are planning emergency response plans and kits. This will be lit up by fractal designs from Algebra 1. Come and be inspired by the messages and creations of our phenomenal Freshmen.
10th Grade – Global Citizenship:What is your responsibility as a global citizen? Through interdisciplinary projects, students have examined this theme in meaningful ways. In Design 2, students are creating murals based off of the work of Judy Baca that uncover and share an untold history of a community. In Geometry, students created a presentation on a global citizenship issue and a related non-profit organization they researched, designing a polygon-based logo that represented the organization’s values. In Spanish 2, students are studying the history and influential figures of the Mexican and Latin American muralist movements creating info-posters. In Chemistry, they are investigating climate change and its global impact in connection to the novel The Old Man Who Read Love Stories that they read in English class. Students are documenting the design process for all of their projects in English through websites and crafting statements to explain their work. Come see how our students are using art, storytelling, and science to engage with the world around them!
11th Grade – The Individual In The Community: Join us for this year’s 11th Grade Exhibition, “The Individual in the Community”, where students will showcase their interdisciplinary explorations of identity, history, science, and design. Student have worked across subject areas to collaborate in a variety of ways, and here a few examples. Students have been analyzing connections in “The Crucible” to the Red Scare, then crafting historical fiction scenes and theatrical playbills, as students bring literature and history to life. Students have also blended ancient wisdom with modern science by cultivating medicinal plants, preserving cultural knowledge, and creating visual displays through Biology and Spanish. In CTE Fine Arts student will display handcrafted ceramics and fused glass, reflecting the role of community in functional art. Experience how our students contribute to and shape their communities while celebrating individuality through their creative and scholarly work!
Last Chance to Get Your Grad Nite Tickets: Deadline is TODAY!
Attention all seniors at Da Vinci Design! The clock is ticking down to one of the most memorable nights of your high school experience. If you haven’t already secured your spot, don’t forget that March 28th is the final day to purchase your Grad Nite tickets!
This event is a celebration of all the hard work, achievements, and friendships that have made your senior year unforgettable. Grad Nite offers a chance to enjoy a magical night with your classmates at Disneyland, full of fun activities, music, and memories to last a lifetime.
Whether you’ve already been counting down the days or are just realizing that time is running out, this is the moment to make sure you’re part of this epic night. Don’t miss your chance to be part of the celebration!
Upcoming Events and Key Dates:
Mon, Mar. 31st: NO SCHOOL – Cesar Chavez Holiday
Wed, Apr. 2nd: Coffee w/ Admin
All DVD parents and guardians welcome! Join for brief school updates and open Q&A with the DVD admin team.
It was another great week here at Design! We had some awesome field trips: a Graphic Design field trip to the Brand Library & Art Center, as well as field trips for 10th graders to colleges CSU San Marcos, CSU Fullerton, and Loyola Marymount University. We had an epic guest speaker: animator and show runner Craig Bartlett (Hey Arnold!, Dinosaur Train) came and spoke to students in the Fine Arts pathway and honors art students, sharing industry knowledge and professional sketch book portfolios. We also had a 12th grade movie night and QSU hosted a game night after school!
Next week, DVD’s Diversity Council is hosting a spirit week to celebrate diversity, leading up to a community dialogue celebration on Friday. See the flyer below, as well as photos from field trips and our guest speaker event this week!
Here is the Bell Schedule for Week 28 at Da Vinci Design:
Last Chance to Get Your Grad Nite Tickets: Deadline is March 28th!
Attention all seniors at Da Vinci Design! The clock is ticking down to one of the most memorable nights of your high school experience. If you haven’t already secured your spot, don’t forget that March 28th is the final day to purchase your Grad Nite tickets!
This event is a celebration of all the hard work, achievements, and friendships that have made your senior year unforgettable. Grad Nite offers a chance to enjoy a magical night with your classmates at Disneyland, full of fun activities, music, and memories to last a lifetime.
Whether you’ve already been counting down the days or are just realizing that time is running out, this is the moment to make sure you’re part of this epic night. Don’t miss your chance to be part of the celebration!
Upcoming Events and Key Dates:
Mon, Mar. 31st: NO SCHOOL – Cesar Chavez Holiday
Thurs, Apr. 10th: Exhibition Night!
9th / 10th / 11th Grade presentations
5:30pm – 7:30pm
Mon, Apr. 14th – Friday, Apr. 18th: NO SCHOOL – Spring Break
Mon, Apr. 21st: Community Learning Day – No Classes
Tues, Apr. 22nd: Classes Resume – Return from Spring Break
Campus Highlights, Week 28: College Field Trips and Guest Speaker Craig Bartlett
So much good stuff at DVD this week! We wrapped our awesome production of GREASE this past weekend. Shout out to the hard work and exceptional talent of our students in the musical theater program and our theater director, Diane Feldman. Also, it was great having so many of you all on campus for Student Led Conferences this week. Thank you for participating in such meaningful conversations about student progress and support. We also hosted the annual Da Vinci Schools Career Connected Learning conference. We welcomed 70+ leaders from 35+ schools & organizations from across the region, state, and country to Da Vinci Schools on March 12-14. We are so proud to share our amazing Career Technical Education programing, and are proud of our students for being such a big part of this conference by acting as ambassadors and displaying their incredible work. Lastly, it is the annual FIRST Robotics Competition hosted in the gym this weekend! Go Vitruvian Bots!
Here is the Bell Schedule for Week 27 at Da Vinci Design:
Upcoming Events and Key Dates:
Tues, Mar. 18th: Parent Advisory Committee #5
5pm via Zoom
Agenda: 1) Welcome, Introductions and Public Comment, 2) WASC Wrap-Up, 3) LCAP Goals #2, 3 + 4 Review
This week was a big week for DVD! We successfully completed our WASC visit, fulfilling the requirements for a six-year accreditation cycle. The visiting committee, represented by four volunteer educators from local high schools, spent three days on campus meeting with various school stakeholders as part of a comprehensive process. The committee participated in classroom observations, ran focus groups, and reviewed a written report documenting Da Vinci Design’s core practices. On Wednesday during lunch, the WASC visiting committee shared their findings with the school community in a presentation. They highlighted governance, vision & purpose, teaching practices, school culture and student support amongst DVD’s highly effective practices. The chairperson of the visiting committee recognized Da Vinci Design as a “model school for Project-Based Learning and innovative teaching”. Congratulations Da Vinci Design, and thank you to our amazing school community for participating in this process! See photos below from the WASC VC presentation.
DVD also had a spirit week this week hosted by Black Student Union in honor of Black History Month. It was a wonderful way of showing our visitors fist-hand the kind of spirit and pride we have at DVD. We celebrated this week in multiple ways, including by wearing black-owned brands and apparel, portraying black musicians and artists, and also representing as a “BBQ dad” or “rich auntie” on Wednesday – a crowd favorite. See photos below.
See the Bell Schedule for Week 25 at DVD here:
WDV Performing Arts Presents: GREASE
Don’t miss the electrifying Wiseburn Da Vinci Performing Arts spring musical, GREASE! Join us for a unforgettable story of friendship, love, and adventure through the 1950s. The first show opens Friday, February 28th and runs through Sunday, March 9th. Grab your tickets today–– this is a show you don’t want to miss!
Come show your support for the talented GREASE cast and crew, who have dedicated countless hours to bringing this show to life. Space is limited––get your tickets today!
Upcoming Events and Key Dates:
Wed, Mar. 5th: Coffee w/ Admin
All parents and guardians welcome! Join for brief school updates and open Q&A with the DVD admin team
Student Led Conference (SLC) week at Da Vinci Design is happening March 10th-13th, 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
Today, we celebrated Black History Month with our annual community dialogue celebration hosted by the DVD Black Student Union (BSU). The whole school community shared in the joy as we played games, featured student performances, and highlighted a series of fantastic celebrity impersonations during a fashion show from the likes of Aaliyah to Snoop Dogg. We will end our celebration of Black History Month with a Spirit Week next week. See pictures and spirit week flyer below!
Here is the Bell Schedule for Week 24 at DVD:
WASC Visiting Committee Welcomed to DVD Next Week!
From Feb. 24th – Feb, 26th, DVD is welcoming a visiting WASC committee to spend time on our campus as part of our customary accreditation cycle. The WASC visiting committee will be doing classroom observations and focus groups with various school stakeholders.
DVD’s most recent self-study visit was in March 2019 and DVD received a 6-year accreditation (maximum possible for a self study). The primary goals of accreditation, as stated by the WASC, is certification to the public that the school is a trustworthy institution of learning, and the improvement of the school’s programs and operations to support student learning.
This week was Spirit Week! It’s always so fun to see students engaged in dressing up and showing school spirit. Thanks to our student Leadership team for sponsoring this week, and Latinx Student Union (LSU) for giving this week a sweet ending with the “Conchas Con Carino” fundraiser!
Progressreports are being mailed home today on February 14th. The purpose of progress reports is to give families the opportunity to have a snapshot of student progress, and to be able to have a conversation at home with students about how to stay successful in school. This information will also be used by teachers and counselors in their plans to support all students. Please follow up with your child’s teachers directly with any questions about assignments or grades.
If you do not receive a progress report in the mail by Friday, May 3rd, please reach out by calling Da Vinci Design at 310-725-5800, or send an email Office Manager Maria Beltran at mbeltran@davincischools.org to request a digital progress report for your child.
Here is the Bell Schedule for Week 23:
Upcoming Events and Key Dates:
Fri, Feb. 14th: Progress Reports Mailed Home
Mon, Feb. 17th: NO SCHOOL – Presidents’ Day Holiday
Wed, Mar. 5th: Coffee w/ Admin
All parents and guardians welcome! Join for brief school updates and open Q&A with the DVD admin team
