Da Vinci Design

Design Family, Welcome to Week 10! We have a lot happening! 

Before we get to Week 10, we need to share some pictures from Senior Sunrise 2025!

Senior Sunrise 2025!

Seniors got up early to spend some time together and see the sun come up! More memories to add to your year, Class of 2025!

• • 9th Grade: PSAT 8/9
  • 10th Grade: PSAT/NMSQT
  • 11th Grade: PSAT/NMSQT
  • 12th Grade: SAT (opt-in registration deadline has passed)

Da Vinci School Surveys via KELVIN

We invite you to take a few moments to complete the Da Vinci Schools Family Survey. Your feedback plays a vital role in shaping the learning environment at your child’s school and across our entire organization.

The KELVIN survey will be sent via email on Monday October 20th.

Your honest input helps us celebrate what’s working and identify areas where we can improve.

Thank you for being a valued part of the Da Vinci community!

Parent Advisory Committee (PAC)

We’re looking for parents and guardians who want to lend their voice and ideas to help make Da Vinci Design the best it can be! Our Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) meets throughout the year to provide feedback, share perspectives, and partner with our school team on initiatives that support all students.

If you’re interested in joining or learning more, please reach out to Samantha Navarro, DVD Principal, at snavarro@davincischools.org. Your input truly shapes our community — together, we can continue to strengthen the Da Vinci experience for every student.

• Early Bird: $25 through Sunday, 10/19
• General Admission: $30 from 10/20–10/24

• Semi-formal attire encouraged
• Water will be provided
• Food trucks will be available, but students are encouraged to bring money for food

Design Families!

Next week is SLC week at Da Vinci Design October 13th-16th, and we are excited to have you on campus with us! SLCs are an important time when parents and teachers come together for a meeting led by the student. It is a time to highlight a student’s strengths and hard work, to encourage students to set new goals, and to ask guiding questions so students can take ownership of their learning. Every student is expected to participate in leading an SLC with a parent/guardian present this semester. SLCs will happen in-person. See below for SLC schedules and details presented by each grade level teaching team.

Reminders for families arriving for SLCs:

• Families can find parking anywhere in the lot north of 201 N. Douglas St.
• Please check-in on the 1st floor upon arriving to get a name tag and find which classroom to report to
• Please arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled time to allow time to check-in

Student Led Conferences (SLCs): Grade Level Resources

9th Grade Team Resource:Grade 9 SLC Overview Fall 2025

10th Grade Team Resource: Grade 10 SLC Overview Fall 25

11th Grade Team Resource:Grade 11 SLC Overview Fall 25

12th Grade Team Resource: Grade 12 SLC Overview Fall 25

Multicultural Food Fest Friday and Feeling Well Friday

It was wonderful celebrating both our Multicultural Food Fest Friday and Feeling Well Friday with the seniors today! It was a joyful time to embrace senior life, share meaningful dishes, and simply enjoy time together. Shoutout to Mr. Myles for organizing the Food Fest and the 12 grade teachers for pitching in!!

Week 9 Schedule

Upcoming Dates:

October 13th-16th: Student Led Conferences

October 16th: Great Shakeout Earthquake Drill

October 23rd: PSAT/SAT Test Day

October 24th: PD Day (No Students)

October 24th: Fall Dance 6pm-9pm, Doors Open at 5:30pm; Pre-Order QR Code on Da Vinci’s Social Media

Designers! Thank you for a great week! On to the next!

Design Families!

Next week is SLC week at Da Vinci Design October 13th-16th, and we are excited to have you on campus with us! SLCs are an important time when parents and teachers come together for a meeting led by the student. It is a time to highlight a student’s strengths and hard work, to encourage students to set new goals, and to ask guiding questions so students can take ownership of their learning. Every student is expected to participate in leading an SLC with a parent/guardian present this semester. SLCs will happen in-person. See below for SLC schedules and details presented by each grade level teaching team.

Reminders for families arriving for SLCs:

• Families can find parking anywhere in the lot north of 201 N. Douglas St.
• Please check-in on the 1st floor upon arriving to get a name tag and find which classroom to report to
• Please arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled time to allow time to check-in

Student Led Conferences (SLCs): Grade Level Resources

9th Grade Team Resource:Grade 9 SLC Overview Fall 2025

10th Grade Team Resource: Grade 10 SLC Overview Fall 25

11th Grade Team Resource:Grade 11 SLC Overview Fall 25

12th Grade Team Resource: Grade 12 SLC Overview Fall 25

Please use the above resources to look at the sign up information. We are excited to see you next week!

Dear Da Vinci Design Families,

We wrapped up another exciting week at DVD!

LSU Spirit Week & Community Dialogue
Our LSU Spirit Week and Community Dialogue were a huge success—thank you to everyone who joined in building school pride and student participation.

Coffee with Admin
We loved connecting with families at Coffee with Admin this week. It was such a great turnout, and we’re looking forward to seeing you again at our next Coffee on Wednesday, November 5th.

Upcoming: Student-Led Conferences (SLCs)
Beginning the week of October 13th, we will be hosting our Fall Student-Led Conferences (SLCs). We are excited to welcome families on campus for these important conversations.

SLCs are a powerful opportunity for students to reflect on their learning, highlight their strengths, set goals, and take ownership of their growth. Each student is expected to lead an SLC with a parent/guardian present this semester. All conferences will take place in person.

Please see the Parent SLC Letter SLC Parent Letter.docx

Thank you, as always, for your partnership in supporting our Designers. We can’t wait to see you on campus during SLC week October 13th-16th

Week 8 Bell Schedule:

Attention DVD Senior Parents!

Da Vinci Design and Magdalena Garcia of Circles and Bridges invite you to a Senior Parent Circle Up! Come join fellow DVD senior parents as you navigate this exciting final year! Get the support you need to help your student and yourself to the finish line!

Design Families!

Coffee with Admin October 1st 8:00am and 5:00pm VIA Zoom!

Please join us for an informal gathering with the administrative team. This is a great opportunity to connect, ask questions, and hear updates. Please see the link below to log on!

Dear Da Vinci Design Families,

It was another successful week here at Da Vinci Design! We are proud of the energy, engagement, and spirit our students continue to bring to campus each day.

Here’s a wrap up from Week 6!

Community Learning Day (CLD)
On Tuesday, we held our Community Learning Day (CLD). These days are designed to provide students with opportunities to either participate in meaningful learning experiences here on campus or engage in “leave to learn” activities off campus. Whether through workshops, guest speakers, or community-based experiences, CLDs allow students to connect their learning to the world around them and deepen their understanding as Designers.

Club Fair
We also had an exciting Club Fair this week! Students had the opportunity to explore a wide variety of clubs and sign up for activities that match their interests and passions. From creative outlets to service opportunities, clubs give our Designers a chance to connect with peers and grow outside of the classroom.

Looking Ahead

• Coffee with Admin October 1st 8am & 5pm Via Zoom – Please join us on Wednesday for an informal gathering with the administrative team. This is a great opportunity to connect, ask questions, and hear updates.

• School Holiday Thursday October 2nd Yom Kippur – A reminder that school will be closed on Thursday. We hope everyone enjoys the extra time with family as we head into a new month.

• LSU Spirit Week & CD Friday October 3rd

• Student-Led Conferences (SLCs) – Mark your calendars! SLCs will take place the week of October 13th. These conferences provide students the opportunity to reflect on their learning, share their growth, and set goals moving forward. More details will be shared soon.

Week 7 Schedule:

Thank you, families, for your continued support in helping us build a thriving Designer community. We look forward to another great week ahead!

The 2026-2027 FAFSA is now open!

The Department of Education (ED) officially launched the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2026–27 academic year a week early. The launch came after a successful beta testing period in August.   Students and families can complete the form now, giving them earlier access to financial aid information. Please note that some challenges have been found for mixed-status families.  The ED has not yet provided a permanent solution to identity verification issues, which continues to pose a challenge for these families when attempting to file the FAFSA and privacy concerns.

The 2026–27 CADAA opens October 1:
The California Dream Act Application (CADAA) opens on October 1. The CADAA is available to eligible undocumented Californians and mixed status families. While the CADAA provides access to state and institutional aid, students who file only the CADAA are not eligible for federal financial aid dollars.

The 2026-2027 CSS Profile opens October 1:

The CSS Profile is an online application used by mostly private colleges and scholarship programs to award non-federal institutional aid.  The UCs and CSUs do not use the CSS Profile. Here is list ofcolleges that use the CSS Profile.

If you have any questions please contact your/your students counselor.

Pam Baker: Last names A-GL pbaker@davincischools.org

Nicole Tafoya: Last names Go-O ntafoya@davincischools.org

Omar Sanchez: Last Names P-Z osanchez@davincischools.org