Archives for January 2020

Happy Friday, DVC Families!

Please note that students have a four-day week next week as staff have a professional development day on Friday, 2/7. Please find the full details of next week’s schedule here: DVC Week 21 Schedule

We are actively searching for a new counselor, and we would love the input and perspective of parents and guardians. We have approximately four applicants coming in for interviews on Wednesday, February 5th from 9am until 12pm. If you are available and interested in participating in this process, please email me.

Sincerely,

Erin

 

Hi DVC Families,

Please note that our Professional Development days for February and March are as follows: Friday, February 7th and Friday, March 6th. There are some calendars in which the Professional Development Day for March is shown to be on March 13th, but those calendars are incorrect. The actual day for Professional Development in March is Friday, March 6th. There will be no school for students on this date. There will be school on Friday, March 13th. Please adjust any personal or outdated calendars accordingly. You can reference this revised calendar for information about all school days for the remainder of the school year.

Thank you,

Erin

On Tuesday February 11^th, 9^th grade Da Vinci High School students will have the opportunity to see a dramatic performance entitled “What Goes Around.”  This performance is sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. The play tells the story of five students and how their behavior and connections to each other also connect them to other people who are unknown to them.  The play uses visual monitors, text messaging, cellular and computer technology to better reach its audience and to clearly illustrate its message: there are epidemic rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) in the high school age group.

“What Goes Around” provides health information about STDs and students hear the facts and myths about STDs and see how the choices they make have a lasting impact on the lives of other people. The 60-minute play is followed by a 15 minute talkback session in which the actor-educators answer audience questions about sexually transmitted diseases.  The key message points of “What Goes Around” are:

• The option of abstinence
• The importance of testing
• Prevention

For more information about the play you can visit their website: https://etsoutherncalifornia.kaiserpermanente.org/std-prevention/

Also happening in conjunction with this play are additional sex ed-health lessons/curriculum. Health lessons will occur in advisory throughout the second semester. Da Vinci Schools has adopted the Teen Talk curriculum which includes the below core components:

• Covers topics of sexual and reproductive anatomy, conception and fetal development, birth control, pregnancy options, STIs and HIV, gender and sexual orientation, media analysis, relationships, sexual crimes, consent, communication and decision-making
• Establishes a foundation for understanding sexual health and common language for communicating respectfully
• Helps students identify resources (e.g., parents/trusted adults, school personnel, healthcare providers)
• Encourages communication with parents/trusted adults, including an interview assignment
• Uses gender inclusive language

More info on the curriculum used can be found here:  https://www.health-connected.org

9^th grade students will be given a hard copy of the following letter to take home today: DVC Sexuality Education Parent Notification. Parents/guardians have the option of excluding their child from sexuality education instruction. If you do not want your child to participate in comprehensive sexual health and HIV prevention education, please give a written letter to the office. Students who are excused will be assigned study hall for the period. Questions can be directed to the School Nurse, Emily Green at egreen@davincischools.org. 

Hi DVC Families!

This Friday, 1/31, students will be taking group photos with their advisory for the yearbook. There will also be a Senior Class Photo (Class of 2020) to be used in both the yearbook and the graduation program. We will also be taking group photos of all students enrolled in the pathways. Please let me know if you have any questions!

Sincerely,

Erin

Did you know that Da Vinci Schools and South Bay Families Connected have joined forces to bring health and wellness resources to our Da Vinci students and families? We invite students, families, caregivers and anyone committed to helping youth thrive to check out the Da Vinci Schools Families Connected website where there is an abundance of free articles, resources, blog posts, and videos on a wide range of topics, including Social-Emotional Wellness, Mindful Parenting, Substance Abuse Prevention, Depression & Mental Health Challenges, College Admissions Stress, Grief, Suicide Prevention, and more. (The Da Vinci Schools Families Connected website can be accessed on our Da Vinci Schools website under the Resources tab.) Families Connected also hosts a popular speaker series in the South Bay, free parenting workshops, support groups, and weekly parent chats. Some recent topics have included How to Be a Good Friend: Helping Your Child Develop Healthy Peer Relationships; Under Pressure: Stress Resilience When the Stakes Are High; and Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults. Get health and wellness resources and support delivered right to your inbox by signing up here to receive the Families Connected monthly e-newsletter. We are grateful for our partnership with South Bay Families Connected. Together, we are committed to helping youth thrive and stay on a healthy path to maturity.