“FAFSA Fridays” Workshop Series- FAFSA Essentials for First-Time Parents

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OPEN TO ALL DA VINCI SCHOOLS SENIOR FAMILIES

WHEN: 

  • Friday, November 22nd, 2024 (6-7:30 p.m.)
  • Friday, December 6th, 2024 (6-7:30 p.m.) *Ayuda en Español*
  • Friday, January 17th, 2025 (6-7:30 p.m.)
  • Friday, February 7th, 2025 (6-7:30 p.m.)

Participants should register for ONE workshop as all workshops will cover the same material.

WHERE: 

  • Da Vinci Communications Room 3203

Workshop Description:
Join us for a practical, hands-on FAFSA Workshop designed specifically for parents navigating the FAFSA process for the first time. In this 1 hour and 30-minute session, you’ll learn the essentials of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), including what it is, why it matters for your family’s financial planning, and how to complete it accurately and confidently.

We’ll start by breaking down the FAFSA process, covering everything from basic eligibility requirements to deadlines, key documents, and common questions about financial aid. Then, parents will have the chance to practice filling out a sample FAFSA, with guidance from experts available to answer questions in real-time.

What You’ll Gain From This Workshop:

  • Clear Understanding of FAFSA Basics: Learn the purpose of the FAFSA, how it affects college affordability, and what types of aid your student could qualify for.
  • Step-by-Step Guidance: We’ll walk you through each section of the FAFSA form, demystifying terms, identifying common challenges, and clarifying exactly what information you’ll need to provide.
  • Hands-On Practice: Work on a mock FAFSA application to get comfortable with the format and practice identifying tools, documents, and information you’ll need for the real application.
  • Tools & Tips for Success: Get expert tips on maximizing your student’s financial aid opportunities and take home a checklist of essential resources to keep the process smooth.

By the end of this workshop, you’ll feel equipped and empowered to tackle the FAFSA with confidence and ensure your student gets access to the financial resources they deserve.

REGISTRATION:

Click HERE to register. Participants should register for ONE workshop as all workshops will cover the same material.

For families who speak Spanish/prefer help in Spanish, register for the December 6th workshop.

Familias que necesitan ayuda en español, por favor regístrense para el 6 de diciembre.

Posted in Grade 12

Show Your Gratitude for DVD Staff

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Dear DVD Students, Parents, and Guardians,

As we approach the season of Thanksgiving, we are all grateful for the tremendous work of our school staff – from our teachers to counselors to paraeducators to custodians to front office staff. To show our appreciation, we are organizing Thanksgiving baskets to deliver to our school staff on Friday, November 22nd. The idea is that each staff member will receive one basket containing treats and words of appreciation from students and families.

Here is how you can contribute to the baskets of Thanksgiving:

  1. Items: If you are interested and able to purchase something to show your appreciation, please consider non-perishable items such as: individually wrapped items (popcorn, gummies, trail mix, chips, hot chocolate, pretzels, candy, cookies), gift cards ($5 to Target, Starbucks, etc.), coffee drinks, sparkling water, tea, and any other non-perishable snacks. We need donated items collected by: Wednesday, November 20th. All items can be left in a donation box on the first floor front office.

  2. Words of Appreciation: There is nothing that means more to school staff than words of appreciation or encouragement. Please consider handwriting a note of thanks or typing one digitally here: DVD Staff Appreciation Notes We will be printing these digital messages and including all words of appreciation in the baskets. Handwritten notes can be dropped off by Monday November 14th. 

With gratitude for your ongoing encouragement and support,

Russell Stoll, Principal

Kirk Takeyama, Assistant Principal

Korina Barefield, Dean of Student Success and Culture

Posted in 09 Grade, 10 Grade, 11 Grade, 12 Grade

Week 13 Updates

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Greetings Designers and Design Families,

Last week, we had our second Community Learning Day (CLD) on Friday, November 8th. Students who came to campus for in-person activities got to experience workshops on manufacturing, on college applications, and service learning just to name a few! Please remind your students to complete the CLD reflection form, whether they engaged in learning on or off campus, to make sure they get credit for attendance!

Thank you to the families who joined us for our Coffee with Admin meeting last Wednesday! It is great getting the chance to meet with families, hear what is on your mind, and share the great things happening at DVD. If you did not get a chance to meet with us this week, click here for the Coffee with DVD Admin slides from November 2024. Coffee with DVD Admin happens at 8am and 5pm via Zoom on the first Wednesday of every month.

Here is the Week 13 Bell Schedule for DVD:

Upcoming Events and Key Dates:

  • Fri, Nov. 15th: Community Dialogue (Go Sports!)
  • Thurs, Nov. 21st: DVD Exhibition! (Grade 10 and 12)
  • Mon, Nov. 25th – Fri, Nov. 29th: NO SCHOOL – Thanksgiving Break
  • Mon, Dec. 2nd: School Resumes!
Posted in Weekly Updates

“Coffee with Admin” Zoom for DVD Families Today at 8am and 5pm

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Good Evening DVD Parents and Guardians,

Today, Wednesday Nov. 6th, at 8am and 5pm join the DVD admin team for our monthly “Coffee with Admin” chat. Simply log on via Zoom and bring any school-related questions, or just sit back, relax, and hear about school updates. This will be our third Coffee with Admin of the 2024-25 school year. Hope to see you there!

Wed, Nov. 6th: Coffee w/ Admin

  • All DVD parents and guardians welcome! Join for brief school updates and open Q&A with the DVD admin team.
  • 8am or 5pm, via Zoom
  • Agenda: 1) Campus Updates & Highlights, 2) Upcoming Calendar Events, 3) DVD Research Partnerships w/ UCLA and America Succeeds, 4) Q&A
  • Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/8331212069
Posted in 09 Grade, 10 Grade, 11 Grade, 12 Grade

Week 12 Preview

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Greetings Designers and Design Families,

This week was Spirit Week at Da Vinci Design! We had so much fun in particular with our “Student-Teacher Swap” day, where students and staff got the chance to walk in each others’ shoes. We also held our annual Halloween costume contest on Thursday – congrats to all of our winners! We are ending the week with our fall dance, which is masquerade themed and will be a great way to round out Spirit Week. See Spirit Week photos below.

Here is the bell schedule for Week 12 at Da Vinci Design:

With the end of the semester and POLs approaching soon, it is time for our last round of progress reports. Progress reports are being mailed home next week on Nov. 8th. The purpose of progress reports is to give families the opportunity to have a snapshot of student progress, and to be able to have a conversation at home with students about how to stay successful in school. This information will also be used by teachers and counselors in their plans to support all students. Please follow up with your child’s teachers directly with any questions about assignments or grades.

It is time for our biannual family and student surveys! Next week, you will receive an email from a survey app called Kelvin. This is not spam! Please follow the prompt to complete an online survey from Kelvin to share your feedback on Da Vinci Design. It should take less than 10 minutes to complete the survey. We appreciate your time and your feedback!

Upcoming Events and Key Dates:

  • Fri, Nov. 1st: NO SCHOOL – STAFF DEVELOPMENT
  • Wed, Nov. 6th: Coffee w/ Admin @8am and @5pm via Zoom
    • All DVD parents and guardians welcome! Join for brief school updates and open Q&A with the DVD admin team.
    • Agenda: 1) Campus Updates & Highlights, 2) Upcoming Calendar Events, 3) DVD Research Partnerships w/ UCLA and America Succeeds, 4) Q&A
    • Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/8331212069
  • Fri, Nov. 8th: Community Learning Day #2
  • Fri, Nov. 8th: Progress Reports Mailed Home
  • Mon, Nov. 11: NO SCHOOL – Veteran’s Day Holiday
  • Thurs, Nov. 21st: DVD Exhibition Night! (Grade 10 and 12)

College Rep Visits (Week 12 & 13): Seniors can sign up via Naviance

  • Santa Monica College – Mon, Nov. 4th
  • Woodbury University – Tues, Nov. 12th

Campus Highlight: Spirit Week and Halloween Costume Contest (Week 11)

Posted in Grade 12, Weekly Updates

Week 11 Preview: Spirit Week!

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Greetings Designers and Design Families,

This week at Da Vinci Schools, we celebrated Red Ribbon Week. There were several events on campus to bring awareness to and share resources about drug prevention awareness and health. This year’s theme is: “Life is a Movie. Film Drug Free”. We hope to strengthen anti-drug-use attitudes and norms through sharing information. Especially with Halloween around the corner, we ask all of our students to be safe and make good choices as they engage in holiday festivities and social gatherings. If you would like to review any of the resources shared, please click here.

We are excited to celebrate Spirit Week on our campus next week with dress up days, leading up to our annual Halloween costume contest on Thursday. Please help remind all students that while costumes are encouraged, students are not allowed to bring prop weapons, full face masks, or excessive gore/blood. All costumes must be school appropriate, and students not in costume must adhere to dress code.

Here is the bell schedule for Week 11 at Da Vinci Design:

Upcoming Events and Key Dates:

  • Fri, Nov. 1st: NO SCHOOL – STAFF DEVELOPMENT
  • Wed, Nov. 6th: Coffee w/ Admin @8am and @5pm via Zoom
  • Fri, Nov. 8th: Community Learning Day #2
  • Fri, Nov. 8th: Progress Reports Mailed Home
  • Mon, Nov. 11: NO SCHOOL – Veteran’s Day Holiday
  • Thurs, Nov. 21st: DVD Exhibition Night! (Grade 10 and 12)

College Rep Visits (Week 11, 12 & 13): Seniors can sign up via Naviance

  • University of California San Diego – Thurs, Oct. 31st
  • Santa Monica College – Mon, Nov. 4th
  • Woodbury University – Tues, Nov. 12th
Posted in Weekly Updates

ELAC Meeting Tomorrow Via Zoom at 5pm

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Dear DVD Parents,
DVD will host its very first English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) meeting via Zoom on Wednesday, October 23rd, at 5pm: https://davincischools-org.zoom.us/j/9907447234
As a community member of DVD, we want to remind you that you have a platform to advocate for your student. While there are a lot of ways stay on top of what is happening  satchool, the more direct form to be involved is through a student/parent committee.
By state law, a school that has a certain number EL (English Learners) needs to comprise an English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC). For this reason, we are requesting your assistance. This committee needs to be comprised of teachers, parents, and EL students in order to come up with a plan to better serve this student body.
The first meeting will be conducted in English and in Spanish depending on who is in attendance and what individual needs are.
For any additional questions, please email Mr. Villanueva at:  ivillanueva@davincischools.org
__________________________________________________________________
Estimados Padres,
La escuela Davinci Design va a tener su primera cita de ELAC por via de ZOOM, el miercoles, 23 de octubre, del 2024 a las 5pm. Pueden ingresar usando este enlace: https://davincischools-org.zoom.us/j/9907447234
Como padre o guardian de un estudiante considerado/a “E.L. (aprendiendo ingles),” usted tiene una plataforma para saber como le va a su hijo/a. Mientras hay muchas maneras de estar pendiente de los estudios de un alumno, la mas directa manera es formar parte de un comité de escuela.
Por ley, una escuela que tenga mas de 21 estudiantes “English Learners,” necesitan tener un comite de ELAC (English Learner Advisory Committee). Por esta razon, esperamos que podramos contar con usted. Este comite necesita estar formado de padres de familia y empleados de escuela para realizar un plan que mejor ayude nuestros estudiantes que estan aprendiendo ingles o mejorando su ingles.
Asi que por favor ayudenos abogar mejor para su estudiante aprendiendo ingles y acompañenos en esta tarde. Durante esta junta, tambien estaremos votando por miembros oficiales del comite.
Las citas de comite ELAC estaran conducidas en espanol si tenemos suficientes padres en asistencia. Su participacion es muy importante para el bienestar de sus estudiante y de nuestra escuela.
Si tienen alguna pregunta o comentario, favor de hacerlas al Sr. Villanueva: ivillanueva@davincischools.org
Posted in 09 Grade, 10 Grade, 11 Grade, 12 Grade

Week 10 Preview

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Greetings Designers and Design Families,

So much good stuff happened at DVD this week! From SLCs and spirit week, to the MultiCultural Food Fair and Feeling Well Friday in 12th grade. On Wednesday, students had a chance to go to the annual Aviation Career Day field trip at LAX via our Real World Learning Program. We had a great time wrapping up the week with Community Dialogue, hosted by our Latinx Student Union, in honor of Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month. We played games, had live music, and danced our way into the weekend! See photos from CD below!
Here is the Bell Schedule for Week 10 at Da Vinci Design:

Next week, students are getting ready for Red Ribbon Week® here at Da Vinci celebrated Oct 21-25th. What Is Red Ribbon Week? It is a way for people and communities to unite and take a visible stand against drugs and celebrate healthy lifestyle choices and habits. We hope to have students show their personal commitment to a drug-free and healthy lifestyle through participation in various activities October 21 – 25th. Da Vinci students will see health related content in class through presentations, have an opportunity to learn how to use the life saving medication Narcan for opioid overdoses, take part in a Free vaccination clinic as a preventative health activity and engage in open dialogues around the importance of healthy choices. Reach out to Emily Green (egreen@davincischools.org) our Director of Health Services for more info!

Upcoming Events and Key Dates:

  • Mon, Oct. 21: Baseball Jersey Spirit Day
  • Mon, Oct. 21 (@4:45pm): Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony of the new WDV Soccer Field at 201 N. Douglas Street
  • Wed, Oct. 23rd, at 5pm: English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) meeting
  • Fri, Nov. 1st: NO SCHOOL – STAFF DEVELOPMENT
  • Wed, Nov. 6th: Coffee w/ Admin @8am and @5pm via Zoom
  • Fri, Nov. 8th: Community Learning Day #2
  • Fri, Nov. 8th: Progress Reports Mailed Home
  • Mon, Nov. 11: NO SCHOOL – Veteran’s Day Holiday
  • Thurs, Nov. 21st: DVD Exhibition Night! (Grade 10 and 12)

College Rep Visits (Week 9 & 10): Seniors can sign up via Naviance

  • New York University – Tues, Oct. 22nd
  • Syracuse University – Thurs, Oct. 24th

Campus Highlight Week 9: Community Dialogue in honor of Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month

Posted in Weekly Updates

Next Week is Red Ribbon Week at DV

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Students are getting ready for Red Ribbon Week® here at Da Vinci celebrated Oct 21-25th. What Is Red Ribbon Week? It is a way for people and communities to unite and take a visible stand against drugs and celebrate healthy lifestyle choices and habits. We hope to have students show their personal commitment to a drug-free and healthy lifestyle through participation in various activities October 21 – 25th. Da Vinci students will see health related content in class through presentations, have an opportunity to learn how to use the life saving medication Narcan for opioid overdoses, take part in a Free vaccination clinic as a preventative health activity and engage in open dialogues around the importance of healthy choices. 

This year’s theme is: “Life is a Movie. Film Drug Free”. We hope to strengthen anti-drug-use attitudes and norms through sharing information. Please partner with us and discuss this message at home, at the dinner table, at family outings, and with friends and extended family. Ask your child to tell you about things they hear at school about Red Ribbon Week®!

Parent Resources: 

From our partners at South Bay Families Connected,  Monday October 21, 2023 6-730p in person at Manhattan Beach Middle School What I Wish My Parents Knew: Dangers of Youth Substance Use and Fentanyl — Families Connected (southbayfamiliesconnected.org) featuring a film screening and panel discussion from youth around what they wish their parents knew in order to better support our young people. 

Save the date Wednesday, October 23rd 330-630pm Da Vinci Schools is hosting a mobile vaccination clinic for those wanting a free Flu shot, updated COVID booster, or TDAP! Located at 201 N Douglas Street in the Blackbox, walk-ins are welcome! Bring your insurance card and students under 18 can walk in if they have a consent form completed by parent. 

One fun way to start or continue the conversation about drug prevention and healthy lifestyle choices with your children AND have a chance to win an iPad? National Family Partnership is sponsoring a photo contest. The photo contest is free and you could win an iPad and $1,000 for our school!! Log onto www.redribbon.org and find out more!

Posted in 09 Grade, 10 Grade, 11 Grade, 12 Grade

WDV Soccer Field – Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Set for Monday, Oct. 21

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We are thrilled to invite you to join us for a ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new Wiseburn Da Vinci Soccer Field at 201 N. Douglas Street, which has generated immense excitement throughout our community. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place this Monday, Oct. 21 at 4:45 pm. Following the ceremony, we invite you to watch the WDV Boys Soccer practice.

Everyone is invited to the ribbon-cutting of our new state-of-the-art facility!! We look forward to sharing this beautiful new space with our students, families, and the broader community.

This project is made possible through the support of Wiseburn USD Measure EE funds.

Posted in Sports, Student Life
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