Hello DVD Families,
Know of anyone who may be in need of braces? Hawthorne Dental and Braces is offering free braces to any person without insurance, no proof of immigration status needed. Please see the attached flyer for more information!
Coffee w/ Admin Thurs, 2/3: 8am and 5pm
Greetings Design Families,
Tomorrow at 8am and at 5pm, Ms. Acuna and Mr. Stoll would like to welcome parents and guardians to our February Coffee w/ Admin meeting! For this meeting, we will be discussing Covid-19 updates, annual feedback survey data, an app called MySchoolBucks, and we will also be introducing you to some of our staff members who joined our Design team this semester!
The meeting will be held via this Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/98872918301
Please join us, we look forward to updating you on the agenda topics and answering any questions you may have.
Week 21 Preview
Greetings Designers and Design Families,
This week, we had a great time reconnecting in our seminar classes! Students are gearing up for a fun and productive semester doing everything from screen printing and hand-building ceramics to chalk art and studying character design.
Next week, we have a short week, and students will not be in classes on February 4th due to a staff professional development day.
Also, on Thursday, 2/3, we are welcoming all parents and guardians to meet with DVD administrators for a “Coffee with Admin” session both before and after school. For this “Coffee with Admin” session, we will be discussing school updates and also introducing you to new members of our Da Vinci Design team. Please join us for an AM session at 8am or a PM session at 5pm. A message and a Zoom link will be sent to families via email next week.
Upcoming Key Dates & Events:
- February 2nd: DVD School Site Council Meeting #2
Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/92980112903
Agenda: 1) Comprehensive Site Safety Plan review, 2) Preview of A-G Improvement Grant Draft - February 3rd: Coffee w/ Admin Parent Meeting
Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/98872918301
AM session: 8am, PM session: 5pm - February 4th: Staff Professional Development (No School)
- February 4th & 5th: Make-Up Senior Cap & Gown Yearbook Portraits – please use this updated link to sign up: https://tinyurl.com/FebruaryDVSeniorPhotos
- February 21st: President’s Day Holiday
Sandpipers’ Scholarship Program
Hello seniors!
Here is an upcoming scholarship opportunity for you to apply to! Sandpipers has provided financial assistance to college-bound students since 1941 and is the oldest continuing aid program in the South Bay. Supporting more than 50 students per year, the program is unique in funding qualified recipients throughout the four continuous years of their undergraduate studies. View the video about the Scholarship Program here: https://www.sandpipers.org/scholarships
High school seniors living in the South Bay (both citizens and eligible non-citizens as defined by the U.S. Department of Education) are eligible to apply for a Sandpipers Scholarship for the 2022-23 school year. Detailed eligibility requirements are stated below.
- U.S. Citizen or eligible non-citizen (as defined by the U.S. Department of Education in The Student Guide)
- Cumulative G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher
- Permanent resident of the South Bay area of Southern California (roughly bounded by the 105 and 110 freeways)
- Students residing outside the South Bay area are eligible if they attend a high school in the defined South Bay area
- Demonstrate a financial need
The entire Sandpipers Scholarship Application is online and can now be accessed with this link: https://app.smarterselect.com/programs/78786-Sandpipers
All applications are due on Monday, January 31, 2022 at 5 PM, no exceptions.
Note: children and grandchildren of Sandpipers’ members are not eligible.
If you have any questions, please reach out to your counselor.
Week 20: Seminars Begin
Greetings Designers and Design Families,
This week, we have a full five-day ahead of us and seminars begin! Students were able to select seminar during Week 19 and will start meeting in their seminars this week.
We look forward to another great week!
Note: Students who need additional time to complete MAP testing may be called out during seminar periods or class periods to do so. Students will be notified this week prior. Students with questions may reach out to Asst. Principal Acuna: sacuna@davincischools.org .
Seminar Offerings for Spring 2022 at DVD
Hi Students!
Seminar sign-ups will be happening this week. Please make sure you take a glance at the seminars being offered this semester (via this Google Doc):
Please have at least three options in mind for M/W seminars AND for T/Th seminars before coming to sign up, just in case your top choice gets filled up early. There are lots of great seminars to choose from!
Week 19 Preview
Greetings Designers and Design Families,
Next week is a short week and so we will have a holiday Monday schedule. Please note the change in our bell schedule below for Week 19.
Here are a few other key updates:
- Mon, 1/17: No school in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
- Tues, 1/18 – Thurs, 1/20: MAP testing will continue. Students who do not complete MAP testing by 1/20 will have the opportunity to do make up testing the following week.
- Tues, 1/18 – Fri, 1/21: SEMINAR SIGN UPS will happen during the week. More details including Spring 2022 seminar offerings will be made available soon – stay tuned to the blog for more on seminars!
- Wed, 2/2: DVD’s next School Site Council meeting (via Zoom – rescheduled from 1/19).
- Fri, 2/4: No school – Staff Professional Development day.
Track Tryouts – UPDATED
What: Track & Field TRYOUTS (NEW)
When: Boys: Wed, Jan 19 4-5:15 p.m. Girls: Thurs, Jan 20 4-5:15 p.m.
Makeup (Boys/Girls) Fri, Jan 21 4-5:15 p.m.
Who: Coach Jackson/Coach Mar/Coach Covelman
Where: CrossFit Box (wear running shoes, no spikes)
Wanted: Runners, Jumpers, Throwers, & Team Managers
Girls Beach Volleyball Tryouts 1/18 & 1/20
Interested in playing beach volleyball? Girls beach volleyball is holding tryouts next week. If you haven’t already done so, all athletes must complete the athletic clearance process before attending tryouts. If you have any questions please contact coach Taube jtaube@davincischools.org.
Dates: Tuesday Jan. 18th and Thursday Jan. 20th
Location: Dockweiler Beach
Time: 4:00pm to 5:15pm
Week 18 Preview: Start of Semester 2
Greetings Designers and Design Families!
We hope your families are all healthy and well-rested from our break! We are excited to welcome students back to campus for school on Monday morning. Students will begin the day in their Period 1 classes where they will receive important information related to updated COVID safety protocols and practices. Our schedule for the first week of second semester is shown here. Please note that students will not start Seminar classes until week three of the new semester.
For students who are unable to come to school, class information and assignments will continue to be available via Google Classroom. Students can also contact their teachers about their availability for virtual office hours via Zoom.
Per usual, if you know that your child will be absent for any reason, please call the front office or send an email to Irma Rodriguez, irodriguez@davincischools.org to notify us of the absence.
COVID-19 Health & Safety Information
As we prepare for the return to school next week, we are cognizant of the spread of COVID-19, and in particular, the Omicron variant. We strongly encourage students to take a COVID test prior to returning to campus beginning Monday, January 10, 2022. When you complete the test, please report at-home test results here. A negative test is not required for students and staff to return to school on January 10, but in the event your child exhibits any flu-like or cold symptoms, your child should get tested and remain at home.
The following safety measures are now in place at all Da Vinci schools:
- On-site rapid testing for students with exposure or symptoms will resume for Da Vinci students January 10, 2022 during regular testing hours 8:15am-3:45pm daily. Students are not allowed to leave class to test and must use time before school, during lunch, and after school. Students should pre-register here if this is their first time testing at school.
- Masking is now required for all outdoor activities where physical distancing is not feasible, except while eating or drinking, due to the new health order from the LACDPH. Students are strongly recommended to wear masks that are well-fitting, non-cloth masks of multiple layers of non-woven material with a nose wire.
- COVID-19 testing is required for all students and staff who are close contacts of a person who has tested positive for COVID due to a school-based exposure, regardless of vaccination or booster status. Affected employees and students may participate in testing at their school site (more info below)
Staff are required to wear upgraded masks (three-ply surgical masks or higher-level PPE)We continue to monitor the new protocols for TK-12 schools in a health order and a new exposure management plan from the Los Angeles County Public Health officials to ensure appropriate mitigation strategies are in place during this surge in COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant.
MAP Testing Starts Week 18
MAP Growth tests helps teachers understand what students know today, so goals can be set to improve growth throughout the year. Students cannot pass or fail this test, and this test will not affect grades. This is an adaptive test that changes as students complete it. And, it is good practice for computer-based state assessments in the Fall. Given the challenges of learning from home last year, MAP Growth test results are especially helpful for us this year. These results will help us know what students are ready to learn.
Here are some other details to know about MAP testing during the school day:
- Students will follow a normal schedule and will take the MAP test in their English classes.
- Students will complete the test on a school issued Chromebook; personal devices may or may not be compatible with the test.
- It is important that students complete the test; teachers and students will only receive data if a test is completed.
This is a challenging and uncertain time, and we appreciate your support as we work to keep school open safely for our kids to learn!