Da Vinci Design

Greetings Designers and Design Families,

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.

Click here for slides shared during classroom presentations to students from Principal Stoll this week.

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.

Upcoming Events and Key Dates:

• Mon, Feb. 24th – Wed, Feb. 26th: WASC visiting committee
• 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
  • 8am or 5pm, via Zoom
  • Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/8331212069
• Mon, Mar. 10th – Thurs, Mar. 13th: Student Led Conferences (SLCs)
• Fri, Mar. 14th: NO SCHOOL – Professional Development Day

Campus Highlight: Black History Month celebration & Spirit Week (2/24-2/28)

Greetings Designers and Design Families,

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!

Progress reports 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
  • 8am or 5pm, via Zoom
  • Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/8331212069
• Mon, Mar. 10th – Thurs, Mar. 13th: Student Led Conferences (SLCs)
• Fri, Mar. 14th: NO SCHOOL – Professional Development Day

Greetings Designers and Design Families,

This week was National School Counseling Week! Thank you to our amazing counseling team for planning activities and announcements fitting this year’s theme: “Helping Students Thrive”. Counselors: we appreciate you and all you do for our students!

This week also kicked off Black History Month! Our DVD Black Student Union has decorated our grade-level hubs, and has also designed an installation on display in the atrium on the first floor in collaboration with BSUs from other campuses. We will have our annual Black History Month Community Dialogue assembly on 2/21 with performances, games, and presentations recognizing and honoring Black History Month.

Here is the Bell Schedule for Week 22:

Upcoming Events and Key Dates:

• Fri, Feb. 7th: NO SCHOOL – STAFF DEVELOPMENT
  • *CANCELLED* All-Schools Winter Dance!
• Mon, Feb. 10th: Community Learning Day (CLD) #3
• Tues, Feb 11th – Fri, Feb 14th: Spring Spirit Week!
  • See flyer with Spirit Days below!
• Tues, Feb. 11th: Parent Advisory Committee #4
  • 5pm via Zoom
  • Agenda: 1) Welcome, Introductions and Public Comment, 2) School Safety Plan Review, 3) WASC Updates & Visit Preparations, 4) LCAP: Goal 2 Review
  • Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/8331212069
• Fri, Feb. 14th: Progress Reports Mailed Home
• Mon, Feb. 17th: NO SCHOOL – Presidents’ Day Holiday

Week 22: Spring Spirit Week!

Greetings Designers and Design Families,

This week was Neurodiversity Celebration week at DVD! Throughout the week, students participated in fun and engaging activities designed to celebrate our unique differences. We also unveiled a permanent sensory wall installation created by students which serves as a powerful reminder of disability awareness. We ended the week with a Community Dialogue celebration, with all-stars and games, too. See more pictures below!

Here is the Bell Schedule for Week 21:

The final Da Vinci Schools “FAFSA Fridays Workshop Series” is on Feb. 7th. You can register here for the upcoming workshop. Participants should register for ONE workshop as all workshops will cover the same material. Click here for more information, flyer, and QR sign-up.

Upcoming Events and Key Dates:

• Mon, Feb. 3rd & Tues, Feb. 4th: 9th Grade Physical Fitness Testing
• Wed, Feb. 5th: 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) Staff and Student Survey Feedback, 4) Q&A
  • Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/8331212069
• Fri, Feb. 7th: NO SCHOOL – STAFF DEVELOPMENT
  • Fri, Feb. 7th is also the All-Schools Winter Dance!
• Mon, Feb. 10th: Community Learning Day (CLD) #3
• Tues, Feb. 11th: Parent Advisory Committee #4
  • 5pm via Zoom
  • Agenda: 1) Welcome, Introductions and Public Comment, 2) School Safety Plan Review, 3) WASC Updates & Visit Preparations, 4) LCAP: Goal 2 Review
  • Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/8331212069
• Fri, Feb. 14th: Progress Reports Mailed Home
• Mon, Feb. 17th: NO SCHOOL – Presidents’ Day Holiday

Week 20 Campus Highlight: Neurodiversity Celebration Week

Greetings Designers and Design Families,

We ended out week at DVD by recognizing a stellar group of students at our second annual POL Excellence Awards Breakfast in the Black Box Theater. At this event, students who were nominated for exceptional performances on their Fall 2024 Presentations of Learning got to do a “victory lap” presentation in a TedTalk-style format for families, friends and staff. Students presented game concepts, debate speeches, non-fiction stories, and so much more. Congrats again to our POL Excellence Awards Winners! See more pictures below!

Here is the Bell Schedule for Week 20:

The final Da Vinci Schools “FAFSA Fridays Workshop Series” is on Feb. 7th. You can register here for the upcoming workshop. Participants should register for ONE workshop as all workshops will cover the same material. Click here for more information, flyer, and QR sign-up.

Upcoming Events and Key Dates:

• Mon, Jan. 27th – Fri, Jan 31st: Neurodiversity Celebration Week!
• Mon, Feb. 3rd & Tues, Feb. 4th: 9th Grade Physical Fitness Testing
• Fri, Feb. 7th: NO SCHOOL – STAFF DEVELOPMENT
  • Fri, Feb. 7th is also the All-Schools Winter Dance!
• Mon, Feb. 10th: Community Learning Day (CLD) #3
• Fri, Feb. 14th: Progress Reports Mailed Home
• Mon, Feb. 17th: NO SCHOOL – Presidents’ Day Holiday

Week 19 Campus Highlight: POL Excellence Awards (Jan 2025)

Greetings Designers and Design Families,

Hoping this finds all of you safe, well and rested after the holiday break. We are looking forward to seeing you all back on campus next week. Second semester at Da Vinci Design starts on Monday, January 13th.

From: DV Central Office
Important Information on Indoor Air Filtration Systems

As the devastating fires continue to impact L.A. County and our region, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt thoughts to everyone who has suffered immense loss and to express our deep gratitude to the brave first responders. Please know that our hearts are with you during this difficult time. The following blog post includes resources to support those affected by the wildfires as well as preparedness resources.

We look forward to welcoming our students back to our campuses beginning on Monday, Jan. 13. All Da Vinci schools remain open, but should circumstances change, we will notify families and staff immediately.

A complete message from Da Vinci Schools was sent to all families earlier today; more information can be found in the message sent, or the blog post above.

If you are a DVD family who has been personally affected by the fires or high winds, please reach out to Principal Stoll, your counselor, or DVD Front Office as soon as possible so that we can offer support and resources. The health and safety of our students is our top priority. If you or someone you know is in need of resources at this time, please feel free to share this resource list. 

Next week is a special schedule while we prepare to enroll seminar classes. Here is the Bell Schedule for Week 18:

Semester 2 Seminar Sign-Ups:
Students will see a full list of seminars available on during Advisory on Monday. We will be signing students up for second semester seminars Wednesday, 1/15 – Friday, 1/17:

• Wed, 1/15 during Flex Block (8:40am-9:25am): 12th grade Seminar Sign-Ups
• Thurs, 1/16 during Flex Block (8:40am-9:25am): 11th & 10th grade Seminar Sign-Ups
• Fri, 1/17 during English 9 (P1 + P5): 9^th grade Seminar Sign-Ups

Upcoming Events and Key Dates:

• Mon, Jan. 13th: First Day of Semester Two
• Wed, 1/15 – Fri, 1/17: Seminar Sign Ups
• Mon, Jan. 20th: NO SCHOOL – MLK Jr. Holiday
• Tues, Jan. 21st: Parent Advisory Committee #3
  • 5pm via Zoom
  • Agenda: 1) Welcome, Introductions and Public Comment, 2) School Safety Plan Review. pt. 2, 3) WASC Introduction & Report Summary, 4) LCAP Goal #1 Review
  • Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/8331212069
• Mon, Feb. 3rd & Tues, Feb. 4th: 9th Grade Physical Fitness Testing
• Fri, Feb. 7th: NO SCHOOL – STAFF DEVELOPMENT
  • Fri, Feb. 7th is also the All-Schools Winter Dance!

Seasons Greetings Designers and Design Families!

From our staff to your families, we wish all of you a happy holiday season. We hope you travel safely, eat well, and get lots of rest!

Semester two officially begins and classes resume on Monday, January 13th. See the calendar below:

Winter Break Front Office announcements: 

• All DVD offices will be closed for the break starting Monday, Dec. 23th until Friday, Jan. 3rd. If you need to reach us, please reach out via email and we are happy to assist.
  • For attendance and student records: 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 .
• Report cards will be mailed to arrive the week of Dec. 23rd. If you have questions about final grades, please reach out to teachers directly via email. Grade appeals must be initiated via email within 30 days of the end of the semester. For more information about final grades, see the DVD Student and Family Handbook.
• The Da Vinci Schools reception will be open during the break on select days. Please call us at 310-725-5800 between 9am-2pm to speak to someone on campus.

Collaborative Research Partnership 2024-2025 with UCLA

This year, Da Vinci Design is conducting two collaborative research projects with school partners. One research project is in partnership with University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) about how schools inform students’ social and academic development. The other research project is in partnership with America Succeeds, a non-profit educational advocacy group, which selected Da Vinci Design as a partner school in its efforts to understand how educational institutions teach students “durable skills”.

What does a research partnership look like?

• A great opportunity for a school to work with experts in research to better understand our school practices and how we support students
• It often means surveys, observations, and/or interviews to collect data
• Participation is always voluntary, and always confidential; researchers must go through multiple approval processes before conducting research on campus with students

Da Vinci Design will begin its first round of surveys with students in partnership with UCLA from 1/13-1/17. Students will participate in a 25-minute survey during one class in collaboration with teachers. This study seeks to expand our understanding of how Da Vinci Design’s design-based learning framework and curriculum shapes students’ social and academic outcomes. Participation is voluntary.

OPT-OUT: If you would like your student to opt-out of participating in this survey, or if you would like more information before they participate, please send an email to Principal Russell Stoll (rstoll@davincischools.org) by Thursday, 1/9/25 at 4pm. You may also call or visit the DVD Front Office to request and sign an opt-out form.

For more information, you may also see the slides presented at our most recent “Coffee with Admin” meeting on Nov. 6^th, 2024. These slides are available to families on the “DVD Parent Info Sessions & Coffee with Admin Slides” document on the DVD blog.

Wishing all of you a safe, restful and fun holiday break!

Greetings Designers and Design Families!

This week, we began POLs at Design. It is a joy to see students present such a wide array or talents and skills: from live debates and socratic seminars to art projects and peer critique, students should be SO proud of all the hard work they are accomplishing as they finish the semester strong.

Next week is the last week of the Fall semester. This means that we are only one week away from Winter Break! Next week, to get into the holiday spirit before break, we hope all of our staff and students will participate in a Holiday-themed spirit week! See the dress up days listed below!

DVD will follow minimum day schedules Dec. 12th-19th. School begins at 8:40am and school ends at 1:45pm every day.

A letter home regarding POL expectations and reminders was emailed to all parent/guardians this week. Click here for the “POL Letter to DVD Families” for important information regarding POLs.

See the Bell Schedules for Weeks 17 at DVD here:

• Monday, 12/16 – Wednesday, 12/18 – 1:45-4pm (Available for after school tutoring – since students are not allowed to leave room for POL’s)
• Thursday, 12/19 – NO TUTORING – POL’s are over!

End of Semester Announcements:

• PowerSchool and Canvas access for students/parents will be blocked starting 12/11 to finalize semester grades. The last day for students to check grades before seeing a final grade on report cards will be Tues, Dec. 10th.
• Report cards are mailed home on Friday, Dec. 20th.
• School will not be in session during Friday, Dec. 20th through Friday, Jan. 10th, 2025. The first day of Semester Two is Monday, Jan. 13th, 2025.
• POLs give students the opportunity to develop their speaking and presentation skills and are an opportunity for students to reflect publicly on their learning. Because these are formal presentations, students are expected to wear professional attire. Any student with questions or needs regarding professional attire should speak to their counselor ASAP.

Upcoming Events and Key Dates:

• Mon, Dec. 16th – Wed, Dec. 18th: Presentations of Learning (POLs) (8:40am-1:45pm Minimum Days)
• Thurs, Dec. 19th: LAST DAY of the Semester (8:40am-1:45pm Minimum Day)
• Fri, Dec. 20th: NO SCHOOL – Staff Development
• Mon, Jan. 13th: First Day of Semester Two

Week 17 Campus Highlight: Presentations of Learning (POL)

Greetings Designers and Design Families,

Happy Friday! We are in the final stretch of the semester, and POLs are around the corner.

DVD will follow minimum day schedules Dec. 12th-19th. School begins at 8:40am and school ends at 1:45pm every day (INCLUDING FRIDAY Dec. 13th).

A letter home regarding POL expectations and reminders was emailed to all parent/guardians this week. Click here for the “POL Letter to DVD Families” for important information regarding POLs.

POL Treats for Teachers: Sign Up Here

• 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 like breakfast treats and coffee to our teachers, please use the sign-up below to tell us what you will be dropping off.
• *Click here to sign up to bring a treat for teachers* during POL week! Thanks!

See the Bell Schedules for Weeks 16 & 17 at DVD here:

Kelvin Surveys are Due Today! Thank you for taking 5-10 minutes today to do the biannual survey via Kelvin. Families can complete this survey via email or text on a computer or mobile device.

• Monday, 12/9 – Wednesday, 12/11: 3:45-5pm
• Thursday, 12/12: 1:45-5pm
• Friday, 12/13: NO TUTORING
• Monday, 12/16 – Wednesday, 12/18 – 1:45-4pm (Available for after school tutoring – since students are not allowed to leave room for POL’s)
• Thursday, 12/19 – NO TUTORING – POL’s are over!

Thank you to the families who joined us for our Coffee with Admin meeting on Wednesday! It is always great getting the chance to meet with families, hear what is on your mind, and share the great things happening at DVD. If you did not get a chance to meet with us this week, click here for the Coffee with DVD Admin slides from December 2024. Coffee with DVD Admin happens at 8am and 5pm via Zoom on the first Wednesday of every month.

End of Semester Announcements:

• PowerSchool and Canvas access for students/parents will be blocked starting 12/11 to finalize semester grades. The last day for students to check grades before seeing a final grade on report cards will be Tues, Dec. 10th.
• Report cards are mailed home on Friday, Dec. 20th.
• School will not be in session during Friday, Dec. 20th through Friday, Jan. 10th, 2025. The first day of Semester Two is Monday, Jan. 13th, 2025.
• POLs give students the opportunity to develop their speaking and presentation skills and are an opportunity for students to reflect publicly on their learning. Because these are formal presentations, students are expected to wear professional attire. Any student with questions or needs regarding professional attire should speak to their counselor ASAP.

Upcoming Events and Key Dates:

• Tues, Dec. 10th: Parent Advisory Committee #2
  • 5pm via Zoom
  • Agenda: 1) Welcome, Introductions and Public Comment, 2) School Safety Plan Review, 3) WASC Introduction & Report Feedback
  • Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/8331212069
• Wed, Dec. 11th – Wed, Dec. 18th: Presentations of Learning (POLs)
  • Wed Dec. 11th: Regular Leave Time at 3:45pm
  • Thurs Dec. 12th – Thurs Dec. 19th: *Modified Schedule* (8:40am-1:45pm Minimum Day)
• Thurs, Dec. 19th: LAST DAY of the Semester (8:40am-1:45pm Minimum Day)
• Fri, Dec. 20th: NO SCHOOL – Staff Development
• Mon, Jan. 13th: First Day of Semester Two