Dear Parents/Guardians and Students of the Class of 2023,
We’d like to inform you about an exciting opportunity for the senior class. Your student will be a part of the next class of Da Vinci graduates to experience Senior Projects. This student-driven project will give Da Vinci Designers the opportunity to explore a project topic of their choosing, and each student will design a project meant to address a need of the Da Vinci Schools or of our local community. Working in a group, students will collect research, take action through fieldwork and consult with experts or target groups off campus. Each group will be assigned an advisor to guide them through the project design process, and through a series of POLs. The project will culminate in an exhibition with students explaining their research and solutions that they have created in response to their topic.
To learn more about the Senior Project process, you can access the full letter shared with students here: Senior Project Family Letter
We know that you likely have several questions about the senior project experience. You are invited to attend an informational meeting via Zoom. Please use the link below to join us.
To attend the parent information webinar on Thursday, February 23rd at 6:30 pm, please use this link: https://zoom.us/j/97930487772
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.
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.
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
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!
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 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
Beach Cities Partnership for Youth Coalition is hosting an in-person community forum that will include a film screening of Dead on Arrival, a fentanyl documentary by Dominic Tierno and Christine Wood, followed by a panel discussion.
