Our very own Mr. Christopher Jackson, the DVC 12th Grade College and Career Readiness/Financial Literacy students, and c/o 2025 alumni are featured in an article from the Wall Street Journal, “The New Ways High Schools are Teaching Teens About Money.” Mr. Jackson’s work in educating our students about the power of compounding and goalsetting for students’ financial future is highlighted in this article.
Three cheers for Mr. Jackson and our students!
Week 22
We’ve had great energy at Da Vinci Communications this month! Our BSU has created beautiful display posters about prominent Black figures in different fields for every classroom door at our school for Black History Month.
Also, at our staff meeting last Wednesday, we celebrated our amazing counseling team as part of National School Counseling Week! We are so appreciative of counseling team: Ms. Monique Aldrete, Ms. Christine Almeda, Ms. Jennifer Barba, Ms. Jamisyn Williams, and our counseling interns, Mr Adrian Flores and Ms. Angelique Hernandez.
We have our third CLD day of the year on Friday, so this will be another 4-day week (a few of those in February)!
Grades Updated
Grades have been updated for this marking period. Please take a moment to review your students’ progress with them. DVC is a Mastery Based Grading school, where students are assessed on their mastery of Essential Knowledge & Skills (EKS) in every course. As a helpful tool, have your student explain to you their mastery of their current EKS’s in their classroom, in addition to how they did on their graded assignments.
Community Learning Day
The third Community Learning Day (CLD) of the year will take place on Friday, February 13. As a reminder, ALL students must complete the CLD attendance quiz on Canvas.
Parent Advisory Committee Meeting
We have our third PAC meeting of the year on Thursday, February 12th @4:30pm (Zoom link) from 4:30-5:30pm. At this meeting, we will be taking a further look at our school safety plan.
Black College Expo
DVC is going to the Black College Expo again! Seniors, please bring your transcripts as schools have on-site acceptances, with scholarships! All students in grades 9-12 are welcome to attend. Please complete the google form (https://forms.gle/QxAnFx1YiEVs69AHA) if you are interested in attending the Black College Expo. To learn more about the Black College Expo please visit this site: Black College Expo 2026
Students would need to bring their own lunch, or money for lunch, as lunch will not be provided. Students who ride on the bus to the event must also leave on the bus. Only 20 spots available! For any questions or concerns please email Mrs. Aldrete at maldrete@davincischools.org.
Field Trip Details:
10th & 11th Grade Financial Aid Nights
Join our DVC Financial Literacy Teacher, Mr. Jackson, for an engaging and practical workshop covering:
This session is designed to be accessible, informative, and empowering, whether college feels far away or right around the corner.
11th Grade Families
Thursday, February 12th
⏰ 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
DVC Common Area (3rd Floor)
10th Grade Families
Thursday, February 19th
⏰ 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
DVC Common Area (3rd Floor)
WDV Performing Arts Presents: Into the Woods
Spend a few hours in our forest (Blackbox) filled with magic, mystery, and moral twists as we bring this clever, complex, humorous, and moving Tony-Award-winning Broadway Musical with music and lyrics by the celebrated, Stephen Sondheim, and a book by the brilliant, James Lapine, to life. TIX AVAILABLE HERE
Here’s what’s coming up THIS WEEK and beyond:
Bookmark These Helpful Links:
Applications for The Hidden Genius Project are Now Open!
The Hidden Genius Project Pre-Application Presentation
Monday, February 9 · 6:00 – 7:45pm
Time zone: America/Los_Angeles
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/ykh-qscj-zvp
We invite you to join us for a virtual information session to learn more about The Hidden Genius Project and our award-winning Intensive Immersion Program.
This FREE, 15-month, cohort-based program provides Black male high school students with over 800 hours of holistic, trauma- and healing-informed mentorship and intensive training. Through high-touch support, participants develop leadership, coding, and entrepreneurial skills while learning to design tech-enabled solutions to address society’s most pressing challenges.
Join our virtual presentation to discover how The Hidden Genius Project trains and mentors Black male youth in technology creation, entrepreneurship, and leadership skills to transform their lives and communities.
Hello DVC students and families,
DVC is going to the Black College Expo again! Seniors, please bring your transcripts as schools have on-site acceptances, with scholarships! All students in grades 9-12 are welcome to attend. Please complete the google form if you are interested in attending the Black College Expo. To learn more about the Black College Expo please visit this site: Black College Expo 2026
Pickup will be at 9:00 am at the 201 campus and we will return to the 201 campus by 2 pm.
Students would need to bring their own lunch, or money for lunch, as lunch will not be provided.
Students who ride on the bus to the event must also leave on the bus.
Only 20 spots available!
If you are interested please complete the google form below to rsvp (Da Vinci Student login needed to access form). For any questions or concerns please email Mrs. Aldrete at maldrete@davincischools.org.
Week 21
We had an amazing week with our Neurodiversity Week celebrations! Our Neurodiversity club and their advisors did an amazing job with engaging students and staff about the importance of celebrating and honoring neurodiversity. Please see the photos below, as well as additional photos from our Computer Science pathway’s Mobile App Showcase!
In addition, Happy Black History Month! During this month, we celebrate the culture and contributions of Black Americans to the United States. We are excited for our upcoming Black History Month CD and the work of our Black Student Union to promote this important month!
Community Learning Day
The third Community Learning Day (CLD) of the year will take place on Friday, February 13. Students who wish to request an on-campus workshop or indicate that they will be learning off campus that day must complete the 2/13 Community Learning Day Workshop Request Form (DV account is required) by February 4.
FREE Cardiac Screening for Youth & Young Adults
Da Vinci Schools, in partnership with Saving Hearts Foundation and UCLA, invites families and community members ages 12-35 to a FREE cardiac screening event on Saturday, February 7, 2026 in the Da Vinci Schools Blackbox Theater. Pre-registration is encouraged (appointments are seen first), but walk-ins are welcome. See more information on this Instagram post.
10th & 11th Grade Financial Aid Nights
Join our DVC Financial Literacy Teacher, Mr. Jackson, for an engaging and practical workshop covering:
This session is designed to be accessible, informative, and empowering, whether college feels far away or right around the corner.
11th Grade Families
Thursday, February 12th
⏰ 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
DVC Common Area (3rd Floor)
10th Grade Families
Thursday, February 19th
⏰ 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
DVC Common Area (3rd Floor)
Black College Expo
DVC is headed to the Black College Expo this year! This year’s Black College Expo is on Saturday, February 14th at the Pomona Fairplex. All students are welcomed to attend this event. DVC is sponsoring students’ admission and will provide transportation to the event, leaving DVC at 9am and leaving the fairplex from 1:45pm. We will have sign up information soon!
Here’s what’s coming up THIS WEEK and beyond:
Bookmark These Helpful Links:
Scenes from Neurodiversity Week!
Mobile App Showcase
