A “Welcome Back” Message from DVD Admin

Greetings Designers,

Ms. Acuna and I wanted to extend a quick message to all of our families in preparation for the new school and returning to in-person instruction. We are so excited to be with all of you on campus!

Please review these “What’s New” slides, or watch this short 5-minute video, for important COVID safety updates and important school information. We look forward to meeting all of our new and returning students on Monday!

Yours truly,

Russell and Santa, DVD Admin

REMINDER: Grade Change and Retention requests are due TOMORROW 8/13/21

Important Updates Regarding Grade Change and Retention Requests

 

Governor Newsom recently signed Assembly Bill 104 into law, and we’d like to provide you with important information on how this legislation may relate to your student. AB 104 provides new options to address student learning loss due to COVID-19 school closures and distance learning.  

 

Grade Change Requests – Grades 9-12

Assembly Bill 104 was passed and amended Education Code 49066.5 to provide a parent, guardian (or Educational Rights Holder), or student (if 18 years old) the ability to petition their high school student’s school to change D and F grades received during the 2020-21 school year to Pass or No Pass. The changes apply only to high school students for the 2020-2021 school year. 

 

The following link provides more information, an application to request a grade change, and a list of postsecondary institutions that will accept Pass/No Pass without prejudice. Please be aware that some colleges and universities may not accept Pass/No Pass grades as valid credit. 

 

Grade Change Application Form & Additional Information  

 

The deadline for submitting a grade change request is August 14, 2021. 

 

Retention Consultation Request – Grades K-11

Per Assembly Bill 104, parents of eligible students can request retention in their child’s 2020-21 grade for the 2021-22 school year. Students in grades K-11, who received a D, F, or No Credit grade in at least half of their courses during the 2020-21 school year are eligible. Per AB 104, 12th grade students during the 2020-21 school year are not eligible for retention. If you would like to request a retention consultation meeting, please email your child’s principal and a meeting will be held within 30 calendar days. You can find a list of all Da Vinci principals on the Da Vinci Schools website here

 

More info on Retention Requests  

 

The AB 104 notifications and forms above can also be found on our Public Notices webpage. 

 

Summer School Transcripts

Hello DVD Parents,

If your student recovered classes during summer break at schools outside of Da Vinci Schools, please submit the transcript from that school to your student’s counselor by August 20th.

Thank you,

 

DVD Counseling Team

Welcome Back DVD! First Day Updates and Back to School Night

Greetings DVD Families!

We are officially one week away from the new school year, and we are so excited to be back! Our staff is back on campus and hard at work preparing to welcome students back for an excellent year. Please break out your calendars and take note of the following dates below. I am grateful and humbled to be starting my 12th season with Da Vinci Design this year, and I look forward to making this the best one yet with all of you!

Russell Stoll
DVD Principal

(Note: updated info about the 2021-2022 calendar, our new weekly schedule, and New Family Info can also be found in the “Resources” section to the right.)

The first day of school is Monday, August 16th, 2021. Students will meet their teachers outdoors, begin the day in Advisory, and will receive their class schedules in Advisory. PowerSchool access is temporarily locked while we upload student schedules. This is the DVD Week One Bell Schedule:
DVD Week 1 Bell Schedule

For the Fall 2021 semester, the high schools at 201 N. Douglas are adopting new start times in order to stagger entrance to and from campus. This is one of the many measures we are taking to ensure the health and safety of all of our students as we return to campus from distance learning. The start time for Da Vinci Design is 8:55am Monday-Thursday and the traditional “late start” for Friday is 9:25am. The end time for the school day will remain 3:55pm each day.

DVD’s new family orientation meetings are happening this week! To RSVP for one of the new family orientations happening this week, please use this link to access the New DVD Families FAQs page.

Class of 2022 Cap & Gown photos are 8/12 & 10/15. To reserve a time to take your cap and gown photos, click here. 

DVD plans to host Back-to-School Night on the third week of school on Thursday September 2nd. More details to follow.

As with most things, these events are subject to change based upon evolving COVID health guidelines and policies. We will keep you updated each week!

Update: Per the announcement from CEO/Superintendent on August 14th, 2021, the Overnighter event for 9th and 10th graders has been postponed. See blog post on August 15th for full message and further details.

DVD Class of 2022 Cap & Gown Photo Appointments 8/12 & 10/15

Dear DVD Class of 2022 Families,

We are excited to announce that we have set up dates with our photographer for Seniors to take their “Cap & Gown” photos! You can sign up for your slot now at this Signup Genius link on a first-come, first-serve basis: DVD Senior Cap & Gown Photos 2021

Caps & Gowns will be provided at the photo appointment, and Da Vinci Schools is covering the cost of the “sitting fee” so families only need to pay for photos if they wish to purchase them after seeing them.

Spaces will go quickly, so we encourage all seniors to sign up for their slot as soon as possible! Please contact Maria Beltran at our front office with any questions:
mbeltran@davincischools.org .

Applications Open: Overnighter Camp Leaders and Seminar Directors

Greetings Class of 2022, Class of 2023, and Families,

Are you going to be a Junior or Senior at Da Vinci Design in the coming school year? If yes, then we need you!

We are looking for Overnighter Camp Leaders and Seminar Directors for Fall 2021. Please use the links here (and posted on the blog) to apply for one or both of these exciting opportunities.

Overnighter Camp Leaders: From August 23rd to August 26th, host our incoming 9th and 10th graders at Camp Pondo for the DVD Overnighter Camp! Click here for details and for instructions to apply to be an Overnighter Leader.

Seminar Directors: If you have ever wanted to plan and teach your own seminar class at DVD, this is your chance! Click here for details and for instructions to apply to be a Seminar Director.

Applications for both opportunities are due no later than Wednesday, July 28th. Email your applications to DVD Assistant Principal Santa Acuna at sacuna@davincischools.org .

DVD New Families 2021 Webinar & Slides

Greetings New Students and Families,

Once again, welcome to Da Vinci Design! It was a pleasure sharing a bit of what DVD is all about during our webinar on Wednesday night. If you would like to review any of the information Ms. Acuña and I shared, or if you were not able to watch the webinar live, see the links below for a recording of the webinar and to see the slides that we shared:

After the webinar, there was a Q&A session where we answered clarifying questions. Please check out the DVD FAQs for New Families document here for additional information covered.

Looking forward to meeting you all in the new school year!

Russell Stoll
DVD Principal

Apply to participate in a virtual Job Shadow Day with RIOS (an LA Design Firm)!

WHAT: Join RIOS for a mentoring session with members of RIOS, a multi-disciplinary design firm located in Los Angeles.  These sessions provide a “day-in -the-life” experience to individuals interested in careers offered at RIOS. RIOS is a multi-disciplinary firm located in Los Angeles. Da Vinci students will be paired with a mentor whom they will “shadow” throughout the session. Students will be able to shadow a mentor in any of the following positions: 

-Architect

-Landscape Architect 

-Industrial + Product Designer

-Computational Designer

WHEN: Thursday, August 5th 2021, 1-4pm via Zoom 

WHO: This program is available to Da Vinci Design students who are entering 10th, 11th, or 12th grade.

WHEN: The Shadow Day you’re applying for will be held on Thursday, August 5th, 2021 from 1-4pm via Zoom.

WHERE: This program will be held virtually via Zoom until further notice. (Eventually, we’ll transition to in-person meetings) 

HOW TO APPLY:  Complete this application by Monday, July 18th at 5pm! 

Shadow Day Schedule: Please note this may change as we switch over to in-person sessions (1PM-4PM)

  • 1-1:15pm Group Intro: Overall introduction to RIOS
  • 1:15-2pm Demonstration: Students will meet individually or in small groups with a member of the RIOS team. The RIOS member will give a description of the types of projects they are working on, the software/tools that they use to perform their jobs, and what a typical day looks like for them. 
  • 2-3pm Design Exercise: based on the student’s interests, the RIOS mentor will provide the student with an exercise to complete. This will provide the student with a hands on experience related to their career of interest. At the end of the exercise, the RIOS member will provide one-on-one feedback and support on their skills. 
  •  3-4pm Mentoring Session: The RIOS member will get to know the student. This session will provide a platform for the student to discuss their career goals, concerns and ask any questions they may have.

Shadow Day Student Flyer_20210805[1]

Shadow Day Student Flyer_20210805[2]

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