Week 22 Preview

Greetings Designers and Design Families,

Happy February! We are kicking this month off with multiple celebrations.

First, we started this week celebrating Black History Month! Students from our BSU started a month long celebration by decorating the atrium staircase at DVD. They are also working on a collaborative mural that will be displayed on the first floor. And, they are hard at work preparing for our annual Black History Month community dialogue assembly. We look forward to recognizing the achievements of Black Americans this month in our classes and curriculum, too.

Next week, we are celebrating National School Counseling Week! Not only is this an opportunity for us to celebrate our amazing school counseling team, but it is also an opportunity to engage our students in a week of activities focused on promoting mental health, college readiness, and socioemotional learning. Take advantage of the spirit of recognizing the importance of school counseling this week, and consider sending a message of support or gratitude to our great team of counselors!

See the Week 22 Bell Schedule below, as well as a progress report update, important Senior updates, and upcoming events:

Academic Progress Report: Grades Updated Today via PowerSchool

Parent/Guardians: Friday, 2/3 is the first “Progress Report” grade update for semester 2. What that means is that during staff development today, teachers for all core classes have updated the “Final Grade” for students in both Canvas and PowerSchool. We encourage all parents/guardians to log in to PowerSchool to see your student’s current academic progress. If there are questions about your student’s progress, please encourage your student to connect with their teachers before/after classes, or you may always reach out directly to teachers with an email.

To log in to PowerSchool: See the link under the Resources section on the blog. And, if you have trouble accessing PowerSchool or Canvas, please reach out to the Front Office at DVD.

Senior Activities Updates:

Attention 12th Grade Students and Families: As we near the end of your final semester with us at Da Vinci Design, we look forward to celebrating you with so many great events! Dates for Graduation ceremony, Prom, and Disneyland Grad Nite can be found at the link below!

In the past week, the Senior teaching team has handed out both a Senior Activities overview, as well as a Senior Contract which reiterates important academic and behavior reminders for Seniors.

Seniors should have shared both the contract and the info sheet with you – see here for a digital copy of the activities sheet.

Do you have questions about any of these events? Please reach out to the contact person listed for each Senior activity or event on the Senior Activities info page.

Key Dates and Upcoming Events:

  • Week 23 (2/13 – 2/17): !Spirit Week! *Details coming soon*
  • Friday, February 17th: Black History Month Community Dialogue
  • Monday, February 20th: NO SCHOOL – President’s Day Holiday
  • Week 27 (3/13 – 3/16): Student Led Conferences (minimum days)
  • Friday, March 17th: NO SCHOOL – Staff Development

Announcements From Real World Learning Director (2.2.2023)

For students interested in pursuing a career in the legal profession:

The Summer Legal Institute is a four-day legal immersion program for high school students across the country. The goal of the SLI is to enhance skill sets that are essential for students to progress successfully through high school, college, and law school. Scholars experience interactive sessions that will develop skills such as reading, writing, critical thinking, professional etiquette, financial literacy, and public speaking. Through a unique curriculum designed to enhance these skill sets, the SLI program inspires diverse students to pursue advanced degrees and careers in the legal profession. The deadline to apply is April 3, 2023. To learn more, click here

For students interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement:

The California Highway Patrol’s Explorer Program is designed for young men and women, 15 to 20 years of age, allowing them to develop the skills and knowledge needed to serve the people of California through discipline and a commitment to serving their community. Explorers assist the CHP both in the office and out in the field. The experience they obtain here will be directly applicable to a future in law enforcement, while building relationships – with other Explorers, in the community they serve, and within the CHP. Explorers receive physical fitness training, medical training, and organizational, and clerical training. As an Explorer, you’ll attend Community Service events, staff DUI Checkpoints, participate in a ride-along in the field, and compete in Explorer Competitions. For more information, please call the California Highway Patrol Office in Torrance at (424) 551-4000. 

For students interested in pursuing a career with the Los Angeles Fire Department:

The LAFD Cadet program is the top tier of a progressive pathway to becoming a Los Angeles City Firefighter. Cadets work side by side with LAFD members to learn the duties and responsibilities of a firefighter. Following an introductory one-day orientation, the youth get assigned to an approved LAFD Cadet Post, located at one of our Fire Stations in the City. Cadet Post activities are organized by firefighters that act as advisors and have completed all youth protection training through the Exploring Program/Boy Scouts of America. Many of the Cadet Post Advisors have been Cadets themselves. Must be 14 years or older. For more information, click here

For more information, please contact Crissel Rodriguez, Director of Real World Learning, at crodriguez@davincischools.org.

DVD Coffee with Admin Tomorrow Morning!

DVD Families,

Tomorrow, Wednesday February 1st, please join us for our monthly Coffee with Admin meeting! These monthly check-ins are to share important school updates and to hear from our DVD parent/guardian community. These meetings are held via Zoom so that you can attend from anywhere.

  • Two Sessions: 8am & 5pm, via Zoom – all parents welcome!
  • Agenda: 1) School Updates, 2) Survey Results/Information, 3) Community Schools Grant Ideas, 4) Parent Q&A
  • Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/96022195877

Hope to see you there!

Important Message about Emergency Drill Planned for Thursday, February 2, 2023

As previously mentioned, Da Vinci Communications, Da Vinci Design, and Da Vinci Science will be conducting a Critical Incident drill on Thursday, February 2, 2023.  This drill is a normal part of our continued efforts each year to maintain a safe and peaceful school environment. The drill will take place at 10:30 a.m. and will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete.  Teachers have been working with students during Advisory classes to prepare for this drill.  

As part of our safety and emergency procedures, Da Vinci Schools has adopted elements of the “Run-Hide-Fight” program designed to provide various options to our students and staff.  Our drill will focus on the “HIDE” component which is also referred to as “shelter in place”.  Other components will be practiced during our Fire Drills planned for next month.  During the drill, students will have a chance to practice the proper response if a critical incident were to occur such as an intruder on campus or any other incident requiring a lockdown of the school.  Please help us by reminding them to:

  • Listen and follow the instructions of their teacher or staff member in the room at the time of the drill
  • Stay quiet during the duration of the drill
  • Silence/turn off their cell phones and to remain off of them during the duration of the drill
  • Wait for the “All Clear” announcement to indicate the drill has concluded

Our School Resource Officer, Officer Josh Gilberts will be joined by other officers from the El Segundo Police Department as well as members of the El Segundo Fire Department who will be joining our site administrators in observing the drill and providing feedback on our processes and procedures.  Staff and students will debrief this week regarding the drill to get their input and recommendations in order to continue to improve our response efforts.  

Please keep in mind that in order for the schools to remain informed and responsive, parents and students are encouraged to report any concerns or potential threats to the school. If you have any questions regarding this drill or any of our other safety procedures, please do not hesitate to contact the administration or front office of your child’s school. Thank you for your continued cooperation and support in maintaining the safety and welfare of our students and staff.

 

Para obtener este anuncio en español por favor mande un correo electrónico con su solicitud a info@davincischools.org. Gracias!

Week 21 Preview

Greetings Designers and Design Families,

This week, we got back to our new normal for this semester as students started attending their new seminars for the Spring semester. Students this semester will engage in a whole range of fun, fitness and academic seminars: from puppet making and ceramics in the Fab Lab, to weightlifting in the CrossFit box, and even using fondant and icing to craft food sculptures in a student-led seminar called “Fakery”!

Speaking of great opportunities for students, we wanted to shout out the great internship and scholarship opportunities announced regularly by our Director of Real World Learning. Keep you eyes open for regular posts to the DVD blog here for our Real World Learning updates and announcements. On this week’s blog post, there is mention of so much great stuff, including a internship-scholarship opportunities through Warner Bros., summer programs at FIDM, and opportunities for students interested it STEM.

See below for the Week 21 bell schedule:

Key Dates and Upcoming Events:

  • Wednesday, February 1st: Coffee w/ Admin Parent Session
        (Two Sessions: 8am & 5pm, via Zoom – all parents welcome!)
  • Friday, February 3rd: NO SCHOOL – Staff Development Day
  • Monday, February 20th: NO SCHOOL – President’s Day Holiday

El Camino College free scholarship webinar

Hello Designers,

El Camino College is presenting a Free Scholarship Workshop on Zoom.

This workshop is open to Junior & Senior High School Students, College Students, U.S. Residents and Non-Residents, Undocumented Students, International Students, counselors, parents, and teachers and etc.

The workshop will:

  • Introduce you to the Sallie Mae Scholarship website
  • Provide key tips on Applying for Scholarships
  • Learn how to create a winning scholarship essay, and more

For dates, times and how to register click the link http://bit.ly/ElCaminoScholarshipWebinar

 

Announcements From Real World Learning Director (1.24.2023)

For students interested in arts, media, & entertainment:

Warner Bros. Discovery awards Honorships, internship-scholarship packages, to graduating high school seniors passionate about the business of media and entertainment. Honorship recipients should have an interest in careers within the corporate and studio side of the entertainment industry ranging from traditional business functions, such as finance, human resources, operations, marketing and communications, to more technical or creative roles such as content development, post-production, sound editing, and games. Must be a graduating senior to apply. The deadline is Wednesday, March 1. To learn more, click here.

For students interested in internship and volunteer opportunities:

The Child Development Early Learning Center connects students to internships and volunteer opportunities that use individual skills and interests to support young children and serve families in a variety of ways. You will help young children and families discover the magic of play to support school readiness. All types of work experiences are welcome. Locations are found in Reseda, Canoga Park, and Tarzana. For more information, click here.

The California Science Center is seeking volunteers in a number of areas including educational floor presenters and gallery hosts. To see the requirements, please click here.

The Aquarium of the Pacific offers a number of volunteer opportunities for teens 13-18 years old. To learn more, click here.

For students interested in STEM:

Avantus Cleantech Career Academy offers opportunities for youth to succeed in California’s green energy future through education, job-readiness, and paid-work-based learning. Youth earn $16.04 an hour while building their knowledge of opportunities in the cleantech sector. The Academy will take place virtually over a 12-week period on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4 to 6:30 pm. Must be 16 years old. The deadline to apply is January 30. Apply here.

The Samuels Family LA-HIP (Latino and African American High School Internship Program) provides students from underrepresented minorities an opportunity to work in the STEM field. Participants are able to experience hands-on laboratory research and gain exposure to professional positions in science and medicine. The internship begins in June and ends with a Science Symposium in early August. The application is due February 3, 2023. To learn more, click here

Girls Make Games is offering a virtual summer camp where you can learn how to design and program your own video game in just 3 weeks! You will receive live gilded instruction, and each participant can submit their game to industry judges to win prizes. You will also get the opportunity to meet industry role experts and learn about careers and pathways in the video games industry. You must be 13-18 years old to participate. No prior coding game development experience needed! Program dates are July 11-29 Monday through Friday. There is 100% need-based financial aid to make the camp accessible to all. To learn more, click here

Hidden Genius is offering a FREE, 15- month, cohort-based training program provides Black males in high school with upwards of 800 hours of holistic, trauma/healing-informed, high-touch mentorship and intensive training that seeks to develop youth into strong and responsible leaders equipped with coding and entrepreneurial skills, who can identify and develop tech-enabled solutions to address society’s most compelling challenges. The deadline is February 19. To apply click here.

LA-Tech offers students paid opportunities to kickstart their tech journeys at a high level. They offer opportunities in technical, creative, business, and marketing pathways. students interested in a tech career? LA-Tech offers students paid opportunities to kickstart their tech journeys at a high level. To learn more, please sign up for an information session here.

Girls Who Code offers two FREE programs in the summer: the Summer Immersion Program and the Self-Paced Program. Applicants can apply for BOTH programs, if eligible, using this application. However, students can only participate in one Summer Program. Apply Here

For students interested in fashion and interior design:

The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising is offering two unique summer programs for high school and college students: a five-day intensive FIDM Summer Program (for one college credit) and a three-day Pre-College Summer Program For High School Students. Scholarships may be available through the admissions office. 

  • The five-day college credit program is designed for high school juniors and seniors, recent high school graduates, and college students looking to experience FIDM as a student. With a focus on sustainability, the lectures and workshops mirror actual college-level discussions and coursework.
  • The three-day program for high school students of any grade has a power-packed lineup of hands-on workshops, engaging presentations, guest speaker panels, campus tours, and more—all structured to offer insight and foster passion for the creative industries.

 

For more information, please contact Crissel Rodriguez, Director of Real World Learning, at crodriguez@davincischools.org.

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