Senior Photo make-up day is scheduled for:
- November 21
- November 22
- December 3
Appointments are between 9 am-3 pm. Please sign up using the link below:
https://tinyurl.com/davinciseniorportraits
Cal Grant verification and Opt Out option
Dear Seniors & Parents,
A Cal Grant is money for college you don’t have to pay back. Cal Grants can be used at any University of California, California State University or California Community College, as well as qualifying independent (private) and career colleges or technical schools in California.
To qualify, you must apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (CADAA) by the deadline of March 2, 2023 and meet the eligibility and financial requirements as well as any minimum GPA requirements. There are three kinds of Cal Grants (A, B and C) but you don’t have to figure out which one to apply for. Your eligibility will be based on your FAFSA or CADAA responses, your verified high school Cal Grant GPA, the type of California colleges you list on your FAFSA and whether you’re a recent high school graduate. To learn more about the qualifications, please visit www.calgrants.org.
Da Vinci Design is required to submit your student’s verified GPA. By law you have the option to “opt out” of this process if you do not want Da Vinci Design to submit your student’s verified GPA. If you choose to “opt out”, this means your student will not be eligible to receive a Cal Grant. In order to “opt-out”, please complete the attached form and return to your Counselor no later than October 3, 2022.
If you do not return the “opt-out” form, Da Vinci Design will submit your student’s verified GPA to the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) to determine your student’s Cal Grant eligibility. Click links below to obtain the opt out form in either English or Spanish.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your student’s counselor.
Thank you,
Da Vinci Design
FAFSA Workshop Night- October 6th @ 5 pm
Hello Seniors and Families,
On Thursday, October 6th from 5pm – 6pm Da Vinci Counselors from Design, Communications, Science and Connect will be hosting a FAFSA Workshop.
All College applicants must complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to qualify for financial aid (ex. grants, loans, scholarships). The FAFSA opens on October 1st and is due no later than March 2nd for CSUs, UCs, and Community Colleges in California.
The FAFSA deadline for private and out-of-state colleges/universities vary. Please check those school’s financial aid websites and apply early!
This ZOOM webinar event will allow counselors to present step by step instructions on how to complete the FAFSA application. There will also be Q&A in the chat feature on ZOOM.
Please use the link below to join the webinar on October 6th.
https://zoom.us/j/92390271467
To fully sign and submit the FAFSA, student and parent(s) must apply for their FSA ID and have it verified. PLEASE CREATE YOUR FSA ID PRIOR TO THE FAFSA WORKSHOP.
CLICK ON THIS LINK for a helpful video that will walk you through the steps to apply for your FSA ID.
Counselors will be recording this live webinar.
We hope to see you there!
The DV Counseling Team
Week 8 Preview: Coffee w/ Admin Zoom on Wednesday
Happy Friday Designers and Design Families,
Hard to believe that it is already October! We are looking forward to lots of great events in the coming month – including SLCs and Spirit Week. We are excited to end our week next week with a community dialogue focused on celebrating Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month!
Next week, parents/guardians are encouraged to join DVD Administrators Stoll and Tak for an informal “Coffee with Admin” meeting via Zoom on Wednesday, October 5th. There will be time for important DV updates, site specific news, and Q&A with you DVD site leaders. Hope to see you there for either our morning session (at 8am) or our afternoon session (at 5pm) via Zoom. See Zoom link below.
Here is the bell schedule for Week 8 at DVD:
Upcoming DVD Dates and Events:
- October 5th: Coffee w/ Admin (Two Sessions: 8am & 5pm)
- Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/97675511102
- Wednesday, 10/12: PSAT/SAT Testing Day
- Thursday, 10/13 & Friday, 10/14: No School – Staff Development
- 10/17-10/21: Student-Led Conferences (SLCs)
College Visits (Week 8 & 9): Seniors can sign up via Naviance
- University of Southern California – Mon October 3, 2022
- Chapman University – Thu October 6, 2022
- University of La Verne – Fri October 7, 2022
- University of California-San Diego – Tue October 11, 2022
- Soka University of America – Wed October 12, 2022
Blog Post Error (Week 8 Preview)
Good Morning – Please disregard the blog post published a few moments ago titled “Week 8 Preview” – this post was published as a draft before being completed. The full blog post will be published tomorrow. Thank you and have a great day!
FREE SAT/ACT Practice Test + Seminar
PJ Test Prep, the boutique SAT/ACT/Tutoring company is offering FREE SAT/ACT Practice Test + Seminar coming up Oct 2nd (this weekend) and another on December 4th. Details and signups are at http://www.pjtestprep.com/Free-SAT-ACT-Test-Essay-Seminars.html
Announcements from Real World Learning Director (9.28.2022)
Hello Da Vinci Scholars and Families,
Check out the new RWL opportunities below:
For students interested in health and vision care:
Cal State LA is having a Vision Fair on October 15. Students will have an opportunity to learn about careers and majors related to vision and medicine, as well as free vision screenings. The organization Guide Dogs will also be bringing dogs who are in training to help visually impaired folks. For more information visit: https://www.visionfair.org/
For students interested in advertising:
T.E.A.M. Woo (Teens Engaged in Advertising Mentorship) is a customized mentorship program aimed to help expose students who have a passion for creativity to the possibilities of pursuing a career in a creative field! You’ll get a chance to team up with fellow creatives and work on a real-world advertising campaign for Supergoop! while being mentored by seasoned professionals along the way. You’ll also walk away with tons of knowledge on strategy, branding, conception/execution, and presentation skills. The program includes 5 sessions held over 4-6 weeks, each session being three hours (6 PM-9 PM). The program will begin on Monday, January 16th and there are 18 spots available. The deadline is October 15. Apply here.
For students interested in animation:
The deadline to sign up for Story Xperiential is fast approaching! This program starts on October 3rd. Story Xperiential is offering a 9-week online experience that takes you behind the scenes at Pixar and introduces you to world-class storytellers. You’ll follow the Pixar process to create a storyreel of your own short story. You’ll livestream with different Pixar storytellers every Monday, submit your work to a gallery and receive ongoing feedback. At the end, your work will be showcased in an online exhibition. Artistic experience is not required, the program is all about story. The program costs $25 for youth ages (13-18) and $250 for youth ages 18+. To learn more & register, click here.
Week 7 Preview
Greetings Designers and Design Families,
Happy Friday! This week was another exciting week at DVD. Seniors had a chance to hear from visiting college reps like from LMU, Junior architecture students went on a field trip to Sci Arc college, and 9th Graders completed a window design project in their English class. Next week, our Sophomores are going on a field trip to LACMA and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures!
See the Week 7 bell schedule here:
School Site Council Elections: Voting Open until Monday, 9/26 at 4pm
Thank you to the parents/guardians who expressed interest in joining our School Site Council! Now, it is time for all of you to vote. Please use this link to vote for up to four candidates to be a part of our Da Vinci Design School Site Council. Only parents/guardians of students at Da Vinci Design may vote, and may submit the voting form one time. Voting will close at 4pm on Monday, 9/26.
School photos from DVD Picture Day have been uploaded for families to purchase here:
Students are sorted by Advisory so families can navigate to their child’s Advisory and make any purchases they’d like through the gallery.
Upcoming Key Dates & Reminders
- Wednesday, 9/28 @4:30pm: School Site Council Meeting #1
- Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/95944827183
- Agenda: 1) Review Bylaws, 2) Elect Officers, 3) LCAP Review, 4) Review Proposed Agendas for 2022-23
- Wednesday, 10/12: PSAT/SAT Testing Day
- Thursday, 10/13 & Friday, 10/14: No School – Staff Development
- 10/17-10/21: Student-Led Conferences (SLCs)
Free Family Resources
Did you know that Da Vinci Schools are a South Bay Families Connected (SBFC) Partner District? SBFC is a youth mental health and social emotional wellness non-profit providing free online resources, support groups, educational videos and more to families at 115 schools in the South Bay. SBFC has resources, tips, articles, videos and more for both parents and teens regarding issues of stress management, depression, body image, substance abuse, social media and more. All Da Vinci Schools parents, guardians and teens are invited to visit our unique Da Vinci Schools Families Connected to access this resource, free of charge.
Announcements from Real World Learning Director (9.22.2022)
Hello Da Vinci Scholars and Families,
Check out the new RWL opportunities below:
For students interested in the environment:
SOAR Green Leadership Academy is a forward-thinking program that empowers motivated high school students to lead with an environmental mindset. With mentorship and real-world guidance from Grades of Green staff and corporate partners, these students will collaborate together to help develop and drive better environmental standards and outcomes for industries today and for generations to come. Students will emerge from the program with a broad view of global environmental issues through a corporate lens and will prepare to enter college or the workforce with diverse, sustainable, and innovative perspectives.
SOAR is taking off! Join a diverse group of eco-conscious high school peers in the Los Angeles area who can dedicate 5-10 hours per month to this academy. Discover a vast array of industries and the environmental impact they make and gain knowledge to develop and drive better environmental standards, impacts and outcomes. To learn more, click here. You must apply before September 30th.
For students interested in film:
Learn all the ins and outs of filmmaking as you produce short films, music videos, documentaries, and more! You will get hands-on experience with professional film equipment and be mentored by Hollywood pros at Sony, Paramount, Discovery Networks, Roku, and more! The program is 100% FREE and no experience is necessary! After the weekly program, you can intern with Fresh Films! Take your skills to the next level and work on set of TV shows & films (where 93 youth did that this summer!) Classes are available in person at The Boys and Girls Club of Los Angeles Harbor, as well as virtually. Space is limited so apply now. Registration ends October 20. To learn more, click here.
To see a complete list of Real World Learning opportunities, please click here.