We are excited to host our first annual Da Vinci Staff Health and Wellness Fair on Friday, January 12th, 2024. We are looking for additional vendors and we’re reaching out to our Da Vinci community for businesses that would like to participate.
Participating in the Health and Wellness Fair is an opportunity for your business to connect with our dedicated staff members, showcase your products or services, and contribute to the overall well-being of our school community. Whether you offer fitness classes, nutritional products, wellness consultations, or any other health-related services, your involvement can make a meaningful impact. We welcome your creativity and input to tailor your involvement to best suit your business.
Event Details: Date: Friday,January 12th, 2024 Time: 1pm-3pm Location: Blackbox Theater 201 N. Douglas St. El Segundo, CA 90245
Da Vinci will provide tables and chairs for participants upon RSVP. Reserve your booth today at no cost by emailing Debbie Evans at devans@davincischools.org.
We are looking for parents/guardians and community members to participate in mock job interviews with 11th grade students from 12/14 – 12/21 on campus. Please click here to sign up and see the message below from our English 11 teacher, Mr. Oliver!
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This year’s English 11 POL will be small group job interviews where students will respond to two personal inquiry questions they’ve been writing over the past few weeks. To make the interviews more realistic, I am recruiting two adults to join me in the interview process. Your presence is most important, but if you can also provide some feedback, that would be great! I will have some simple forms where you can leave a comment for the student. To clarify, you would attend an interview for a group of students that doesn’t include your child.
Each POL day consists of roughly three hour-and-a-half long segments, as seen on the sign-up below.
We hope you are all enjoying the fall season! As we continue striving to support all our students to reach their goals beyond high school, we are excited to learn more about the real-world impact our school is having on your lives.
During this semester, our school blogs have been promoting exciting real-world experiences, from eye-opening career events to connecting students to inspiring people. We want to capture the essence of these moments and celebrate the impact they have on our community.
How Can You Contribute?
We invite you to share your personal photos, quotes, anecdotes, or stories related to the real-world experiences we’ve highlighted on our announcements. Your contributions will not only help us create a more vibrant and connected community but also showcase the unique and valuable experiences our school provides.
What to Share:
Memorable photos from school events or outings.
Quotes or reflections from your child about their favorite experiences.
Anecdotes or stories that highlight the positive impact of our real-world learning initiatives.
It was great to be back on campus with students this week as we gear up for the end of the first semester. On Wednesday, our student Leadership team hosted a record-breaking blood drive with the UCLA Health Center. Thank you to all who donated!
Congratulations to all of our Seniors for getting their UC/CSU applications this week! We are expecting big things from the Class of 2024, and are so proud of them as they make their way through the college application process. AND – we could not do it without the amazing work of our counselors and our College and Career Readiness teacher. Thank you Ms. Pam, Ms. Nicole, Mr. Sanchez and Mr. Palafox!
Progressreports are being mailed home today, December 1st. The purpose of this 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, 10/6, 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 16 at DVD:
Presentations of Learning (POLs) are coming in just two weeks! 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.
Here is the Bell Schedule for upcoming POL Weeks 17 & 18:
Upcoming Events and Key Dates:
Friday, December 1st: Progress Reports Mailed Home
Wed, Dec. 6th + Thurs Dec. 7th: Last Day of Seminars
Friday, Dec. 8th: Holiday Community Dialogue!
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*
The Real World Learning Team Presents: RWL Workshops
Career-Learning Opportunity- Today! November 30th, 4-5 PM Real World Learning Center @ 201 N. Douglas
We will be welcoming an exciting guest speaker, Andrea Howard, to share her experiences as a birth and postpartum doula!
Learn more about amazing RWL Opportunities here!
Questions can be directed to Nordia Simmonds, the Real World Learning Coordinator, at @nsimmonds@davincischools.org.
Location:
Angels Gate Cultural Center
3601 S. Gaffey Street
San Pedro, CA 90731
Open Studios Day is a free, all-ages event that provides a glimpse into the process, art, and lives of local artists who create at Angels Gate Cultural Center (AGCC). Over 50 local artists will open their studio doors to the public for a peek into their art practice and an opportunity to purchase their work. The event includes many avenues to engage with art and support local artists, and coincides with an Artist Talk and Gallery Walkthrough of RED EARTH GAZE in the AGCC gallery.
Free events will take place throughout the day, including a Family Art Workshop for all ages, live demonstrations from AGCC’s roster of Community Classes, and a mural unveiling of AGCC’s Teen Mural Club latest large-scale public art piece on site. Visitors will be able to purchase creations by local artists in a Holiday Art Sale in Building H.
For students interested in a career in the film industry:
The NewFilmmakers Los Angeles’ Student Mentorship Program has an upcoming session on Sunday, December 10th, and they still have 6 spots available for students.
Below is a general overview of the program:
Each student is only allowed to participate once and they must be a current LA County-based high school student. Participants will be paired with a production mentor during their time on set and will learn about directing, cinematography, lighting, producing, sound mixing and more. Students will also have the opportunity to meet the filmmakers on set and also receive IMDB credit for their participation.
The program is held on Sundays, once a month, from 9:30 am – 5:30 pm.
Location: TBD
Lunch and snacks will be provided to the students.
What you need to do:
Students must send their application via this link.
Please make sure to inform the student to regularly check their email and respond to the invitation as soon as possible to reserve a spot.
Spots will be assigned on a first come, first served basis. NewFilmmakers will send a confirmation email to the student once they have been admitted to the program, so please remind them to check their inbox/spam folder regularly.
Learn more about amazing RWL Opportunities here!
For more information, please contact Crissel Rodriguez, Director of Real World Learning, at crodriguez@davincischools.org.
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
For students interested in a career in the Cleantech industry:
Join UNITE-LA for our Future Forward Forum on Wednesday, November 29th, from 4:15-6pm, on Zoom. This is a great chance to learn about Apprenticeship, Certification, and Credential opportunities in the Cleantech industry. Leaders from Cleantech will provide an overview of the Cleantech industry, opportunities available, and insight needed to help move your future forward.
For students interested in a career in the medical field:
Cedars-Sinai is hosting an in-person, Healthcare Immersion Program for high school students on Tuesday, December 19th from 9:00am-12:00pm. For students interested in pursuing a career in healthcare, this is an exclusive true-to-life experience often only available to hospital staff. Overall, this program allows students to be exposed to advanced medical experience workshops tailored to train and engage motivated students.
Interested students will need to pay $250 for admission into the event. Please follow this link to learn more.
Location:
Women’s Guild Simulation Center for Advanced Clinical Skills, Pavilion,Street Level
127 S. San Vicente Blvd. Suite A1300, Los Angeles, CA 90048.
The program is delivered in-person and will be led by experienced medical professionals such as Physicians, Nurses, and Allied Health Professionals who are experts in the field. The sessions include a variety of workshops. Below is a list of some of the workshops the program offers:
1. Introduction to Cardiac Arrest 2. Introduction to Airway Management 3. Introduction to Laparoscopic Surgery 4. How to Stop the Bleed 5. Introduction to Labor & Delivery and MORE!
Learn more about amazing RWL Opportunities here!
For more information, please contact Crissel Rodriguez, Director of Real World Learning, at crodriguez@davincischools.org.
The Real World Learning Team Presents: RWL Workshops
Networking Workshop- Today! November 16th, 4-5 PM Real World Learning Center @ 201 N. Douglas
Join the Real World Learning Coordinator, Nordia Simmonds, for conversations about making your network work for you. You can expect to walk away from the workshop with practical tips to grow and maintain a thriving network that you can leverage to launch you into your dream career!
Career-Learning Opportunity November 30th, 4-5 PM Real World Learning Center @ 201 N. Douglas
We will be welcoming an exciting guest speaker, Andrea Howard, to share her experiences as a birth and postpartum doula!
Learn more about amazing RWL Opportunities here!
Questions can be directed to Nordia Simmonds, the Real World Learning Coordinator, at @nsimmonds@davincischools.org.
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: