Da Vinci Communications

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Week 7

This week was full of action, as we had our first Community Learning Day and our annual Back to School Night!  As a reminder for CLD, please have your student fill out the CLD “Quiz” on Canvas to receive attendance credit for the day. 

Thank you for an excellent BTSN – the parent participation, immersive classrooms, and meeting or seeing your faces again was a treat. If you missed it, please review this Back to School Night Slide Deck for schoolwide information.

 

 

Parent Advisory Committee: Parent Advisory Committee – The Parent Advisory Committee, previously known as the School Site Council (SSC), provides an opportunity for parents, students, and staff to work collaboratively in reviewing the school program, analyzing data, identifying needs, and making recommendations for the Local Control and Accountability Plan. If you are a parent or guardian interested in joining our Parent Advisory Committee (PAC), please fill out the Parent Advisory Committee Interest Form by Wednesday, October 8th. PAC meetings will be held on the following dates: 10/23, 12/4, 2/12, 4/23, and 5/21 from 4:30-5:30 via Zoom. 

 

Student-Led Conferences: Be on the lookout for communication regarding signing up for Student-Led Conferences! We ask all parents to come in for a conference during the week of October 13th. Students are dismissed at 1:50pm from Monday, October 13th – Friday, October 17th, and conferences are scheduled from 2:00pm – 3:30pm, except Wednesday, which has a normal schedule and no conferences. We look forward to meeting with you soon!

 

California Healthy Youth Act (CHYA): Dr. Emily Green, Nurse Titsyana Lucero, and guest presenters will be presenting the health & sexual education curriculum (“CHYA”, or “California Healthy Youth Act”) to 9th grade students the week of October 13th-October 17th.  Click this link to read the notification letter from Dr Emily Green. If you have any questions about the content that will be covered, please email Dr. Green at egreen@davincischools.org. Parents have the right to “opt-out” of this presentation for their child. If you wish to do so, please email Elizabeth Ornelas, DVC Assistant Principal, at eornelas@davincischools.org. 

 

PSAT for Grades 9, 10, 11: DVC 9th, 10th, and 11th graders will take the PSAT on Wednesday, October 15th.  At DVC, we believe that it is important to have students try these practice tests and become familiar with them in advance of taking the SAT.  For 11th grade students, there is also the possibility of scholarships and recognition based on PSAT performance. Admin and counselors will be pushing into classrooms in the next few weeks to help students get prepared for the test.  If you have any initial questions or concerns about this test, please reach out to administration, your student’s grade level counselor, or their case manager, if applicable.

Opt-out SAT School Day for 12th Grade: DVC 12th grade students will have the option to opt OUT of taking the SAT during the DVC SAT School Day on Wednesday, October 15th.  Here is the link for opting out.  Please note that any students who choose to opt out will meet with Ms. Aldrete prior to this decision being approved.

 

Here’s what’s coming up THIS WEEK and beyond:

  • Local Holiday (No School) – Thursday, October 2nd 
  • Student Led Conferences – Monday, October 13th – Friday October 17th (1:50pm dismissal, EXCEPT Wednesday @ 2:30)
  • California Healthy Youth Act Courses (9th Grade Only) – Monday, October 13th – Friday October 17th
  • PSAT 9/10/11 & SAT (12) – Wednesday, October 15th
  • Parent Advisory Committee – Thursday, October 23rd
  • Professional Development (No Students) – Friday, October 24th 

Bookmark these links for easy access to school information:

 

Sincerely,

Andrew Daramola

Principal, Da Vinci Communications

 

Back to School Night Photos!

 

   

 

https://dvc.davincischools.org/9265-2/

Come Meet Our Campus Safety Team! (Sept. 30)

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At Da Vinci Schools, the safety and well-being of our students and staff are our top priority. We are fortunate to have a dedicated Safety Team as well as School Resource Officers (SROs) who work closely with our school communities to ensure a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment for all.

Our safety professionals are trusted partners who build positive relationships with students, staff, and families. They provide guidance, mentorship, and resources, while fostering a culture of respect and responsibility.

We invite students and families from all Da Vinci schools to join us for this special event to meet members of our Campus Safety Team and learn more about the important role they play in supporting our students every day. This is a great opportunity to get to know our team, hear about their training and responsibilities, ask questions, and learn about future campus safety initiatives.

📅 WHAT: Community Q&A with our Safety Team and School Resource Officers
🕕 WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 30 | 5:00 – 7:00 PM
📍 WHERE: The Skybox, WDV Gym, 201 N. Douglas St.

Come enjoy a coffee or cold beverage with us. We look forward to seeing you there!

Free On-Campus Eye Exams and Glasses (Oct. 9-10)

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Da Vinci Schools is partnering with VSP Vision to provide free eye exams and glasses to eligible Da Vinci students who have no vision insurance or face barriers to accessing vision care. The mobile eye care clinic will be on-site Oct. 9–10 at Da Vinci’s 201 N. Douglas St. campus, offering students (ages 5 and up) convenient, no-cost access to eye exams and eyewear. In most cases, glasses can be picked up the same day. Each appointment is approximately 45 minutes.

Pre-screening with our health team is required. Please email to receive more information and the sign-up link. No walk-ins allowed.

Communications, Design, Science: TLucero@davincischools.org

Connect, RISE: Egreen@davincischools.org

Week 6 Updates for Families

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Week 6

Hello DVC families!  We are excited for this week’s Back to School Night and to see you all there, as well as our first CLD opportunity.  Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations have already begun, thanks to our Latino Student Union, and we are also looking forward to our next CD, which will feature Hispanic Heritage Month.

Back to School Night: We are excited to welcome parents and families to our Back to School Night this Thursday, September 25th from 5:15-7:30!  The event will begin in the Black Box Theater at 5:15 p.m. This is a great opportunity to meet your students’ teachers, tour our floor, and get a glimpse at DVC culture.  Students are not required to attend.  An email with more information about BTSN will be sent to all parents and guardians soon.

CLD Day: Our first CLD Day is coming up on September 23rd. Students received an email from Da Vinci Schools to sign up for an On-Campus Learning Workshop or to indicate that they will be learning from home that day. Here is the CLD Survey to Sign-Up for CLD Day 9/23 (need Da Vinci email address to access). Here is the List of On-Campus Workshops available on 9/23. Students can still show up on CLD day if they were unable to sign up for an opportunity, and will be placed into an on-campus activity.

New this year: all students should accept the invite for the CLD Canvas course.  Students will need to complete attendance via a “quiz” that will be available on Canvas on 9/23. Please note that students will need to have a CLD stay-at-home permission slip if they wish to learn from home that day.

Hispanic Heritage Month CD: Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations have kicked off at DVC! Thank you to our Latino Student Union for beautifully decorating our floor, and to all students who participated in last weekend’s Latino College Expo.  Our next CD on Friday, October 3rd will be led by the Latino Student Union. Students interested in participating should contact Ms. Noemy Carrillo (ncarrillo@davincischools.org).

Grades Updated: Grades have been updated for all classes, and can be found on Canvas or PowerSchool.  We will have info and a help desk for Canvas/PowerSchool at our Back to School Night this Thursday.

PSAT for Grades 9, 10, 11: DVC 9th, 10th, and 11th graders will take the PSAT on Wednesday, October 15th.  At DVC, we believe that it is important to have students try these practice tests and become familiar with them in advance of taking the SAT.  For 11th grade students, there is also the possibility of scholarships and recognition based on PSAT performance. Admin and counselors will be pushing into classrooms in the next few weeks to help students get prepared for the test.  If you have any initial questions or concerns about this test, please reach out to administration, your student’s grade level counselor, or their case manager, if applicable.

Opt-out SAT School Day for 12th Grade: DVC 12th grade students will have the option to opt OUT of taking the SAT during the DVC SAT School Day on Wednesday, October 15th.  Information on opting out will be sent to students this week.  Please note that any students who choose to opt out will meet with Ms. Aldrete prior to this decision being approved.

Attendance: As a friendly reminder. If your student is going to be absent from school, it’s essential to complete both the Absence Reporting Form (Completed by Parent) and the Short-Term Independent Study (STIS) Form (Completed by Student).  Submitting the Absence Form ensures your absence is properly documented, while completing the STIS Form allows your student to receive credit for the days they missed. This helps keep your student’s attendance and academic records in good standing. Be sure to fill out both forms as soon as possible.  You can find the links under the Helpful Link Tab on the Blog.  Thank you!

 

Here’s what’s coming up THIS WEEK and beyond:

  • Community Learning Day – Tuesday, September 23rd
  • Back to School Night – Thursday, September 25th @ 5:15pm
  • Local Holiday (No School) – Thursday, October 2nd
  • Student Led Conferences – Monday, October 13th – Friday October 17th (1:50pm dismissal, EXCEPT Wednesday @ 2:30)
  • PSAT 9/10/11 & SAT (12) – Wednesday, October 15th

Bookmark these links for easy access to school information:

 

Sincerely,

Andrew Daramola

Principal, Da Vinci Communications 

Da Vinci Students at the Latino College Expo, 9/13/25

An unforgettable adventure awaits your child in Peru: Machu Picchu, Cusco & Lake Titicaca!

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Dear families,

We’re thrilled to share that Da Vinci’s Atlas travel program is heading to Peru: Machu Picchu, Cusco & Lake Titicaca in Spring 2027, and we’d love for your student to join us! This opportunity is open to ALL Da Vinci high school students. 

This is an incredible opportunity for students to explore new places, experience different cultures, and gain lifelong skills like independence and confidence. We’ll be sharing all the details, including what we’ll see and do, hands-on learning activities, academic opportunities, trip costs, and how to secure a spot at our informational meeting.

Meeting details:
📅 Date: September 22
🕒 Time: 6:00 PM
📍 Location: Zoom
👉 RSVP here to join us: https://rsvp.eftours.com/p244a2c

We’ll also open enrollment during the meeting—spots are limited, and we would love to help you secure this experience for your child.

In the meantime, please visit EF’s website to get answers to common parent questions. EF Tours is our trusted travel partner, and they have 60 years of experience helping students explore the world safely and affordably.

We hope to see you there and look forward to sharing how this trip can be a powerful and unforgettable chapter in your child’s life!

Discover the impact of the Atlas travel program in our recap of the 2025 Spring trip to Italy. Read the full story now.

 

Da Vinci Communications

201 N. Douglas St. – Floor 3

El Segundo, CA 90245

(310) 725-5800