Archives for 2022

Dear DVC Students and Families,

I hope you are enjoying the Labor Day holiday and trying to stay cool and healthy this weekend! Last week, the Class of 2026 had a terrific time at The Overnighter. Students were immersed in DVC culture by building relationships, having fun, playing games, and engaging in meaningful discussions about the type of school they want to have, and the type of people they want to be. Thank you to all the parents, students, and staff that made this event possible! We are especially grateful to the Da Vinci Schools Board of Trustees for approving this special trip.

Week 4 Schedule: We have a busy four-day week ahead of us, including the launch of FLEX Block, Honors, and our School Picture Days!

• FLEX Block: FLEX Block is a time for all students to choose which class they’d like to attend for extra help and support. Students will be presented with their options on the first day of the week during Grade-Level Homeroom. During that time, they will select their FLEX Blocks for the remainder of the week. 
• Honors: The purpose of the honors program at DVC is to allow all students the opportunity to demonstrate deeper learning in a subject area, emulating conditions that best prepare students for a rigorous college or university program upon high school graduation. Students who successfully meet the honors requirements in a course earn an honors designation in that course on their transcript as well as an additional point added to their GPA. Teachers will be explaining how honors will work in their classes starting this week.
• Picture Days: Students will be taking pictures in their English classes on Thursday, 9/8 and Friday, 9/9. Your picture day is whichever day you have English class.
• School Site Council Meeting: We have rescheduled our first School Site Council Meeting and the new date is Wednesday, 9/28. Stay tuned for more information about participating in our School Site Council this year!

Here’s what’s coming up:

• Tuesday, 9/6: FLEX Block Begins
• Thursday, 9/8: DVC Picture Day (during English class)
• Friday, 9/9: DVC Picture Day  (during English class)
• Thursday, 9/15: Club Fair
• Thursday, 9/15: Back to School Night @ 5:30pm
• Friday, 9/16: No School – Professional Development Day
• Wednesday, 9/28: School Site Council Meeting #1 
• Wednesday, 10/12: PSAT for Grades 9, 10, & 11 / 12th Grade College Trip
• Thursday, 10/13: No School – Professional Development Day
• Friday, 10/14: No School – Professional Development Day

Please bookmark this school calendar for the most up to date information. For all weekly schedules, please bookmark this link: DVC Weekly Schedules Year 10 (2022-2023)

Sincerely,

Erin D’Souza, Principal

Hello DVC,

Happy Labor Day Holiday! Here are the list of colleges that will be visiting DVC during lunch this week:

• Thursday, September 8th @ 11:45 am: University of Southern California (USC)
• Friday, September 9th @ 11:45 am: Stanford University

All college rep visits will take place in Mr. Jackson’s room (3203), no sign-up is required to attend. As a reminder, food is not allowed during the college rep visits. Students are able to grab lunch after the presentation as I will give out excuse slips to extend their lunch time.

Students of all grade levels (9-12) can attend the college rep visits.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to email me or stop by my office,

Ms. Aldrete

maldrete@davincischools.org

College & Career Counselor

Hello Da Vinci Scholars and Families,

Check out the new real-world learning opportunities below.

For students interested in mental health:

Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation is offering The Be There Certificate. This is a free, self-paced learning experience designed to increase mental health literacy and provide you with the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to safely support anyone who may be struggling with their mental health. It provides a deep understanding of Be There’s 5 Golden Rules — a simple but actionable framework on how to recognize when someone might be struggling with their mental health, your role in supporting that person, and how to connect them to the help they deserve.

For students interested in animation:

Story Xperiential is offering a 9-week online experience that takes you behind the scenes at Pixar and introduces you to world-class storytellers. You’ll follow the Pixar process to create a storyreel of your own short story. You’ll livestream with different Pixar storytellers every Monday, submit your work to a gallery and receive ongoing feedback. At the end, your work will be showcased in an online exhibition. Next session begins October 3rd. Artistic experience is not required, the program is all about story. The program costs $25 for youth ages (13-18) and $250 for youth ages 18+. To learn more & register, click here.

For students interested in science or are looking for a paying job:

The California Science Center is offering temporary positions for Community Teen Interns paying $16.04 an hour. You must be a sophomore, junior or senior with a minimum 2.0 GPA available to work starting October 1, 2022. See the flyer for details. Fill out this application and email it to hr@cscmail.org to apply.

For students interested in the tech world:

Innovate<her> is offering a free 45-minute virtual course on User Experience Design (UX). Understanding UX is a beginner course for creative thinkers, problem solvers, and game changers! Learn the basics of UX Design and get to know how a designer thinks. You don’t need any prior knowledge or any materials. You only need a computer and internet access. To apply, click here.

Dear DVC Students and Families,

We had a great week at DVC! Students are working on learning the names of every student in their Advisory as it is really important that all students are known, seen, and valued at DVC. Our seminar program began this week, and seminars have been going great! On Friday, we had a fire drill and we were so impressed with the way that our whole school quickly and safely evacuated the building. This school year is off to a great start.

The Overnighter: The whole school is excited for the Class of 2026 as they prepare to leave for The Overnighter on Tuesday, August 30th. The Overnighter Leaders leave on Monday, August 29th to get ready to welcome the 9th graders. Class of 2026 & Families: Please review the linked information below carefully in preparation for the trip.

• DVC Overnighter August 2022 (9th Grade): This packet contains information about the following:
  • Mandatory covid-testing prior to trip departure
  • How to contact us in the event of emergency
  • What to pack for the trip
  • Expected departure and arrival times
  • Student cell phone use during the trip
  • Students who need to take medications during the trip
• Dietary Restrictions for Overnighter: Please complete this link if you have a dietary restriction that the kitchen staff must be made aware of.

Week 3 Schedule: Due to The Overnighter, we have adjusted next week’s schedule. Monday will have both A day and B day classes. Seminars resume on Thursday, September 1st. Please take note of the change. You can view all weekly schedules for the year here: DVC Weekly Schedules Year 10 (2022-2023)

Schedule Changes: The link to request schedule changes is now closed. If you would like to request a change at this time, please contact your counselor. Class of 2023 (12th grade) and Class of 2025 (10th grade), please email Ms. Barba at jbarba@davincischools.org. Class of 2024 (11th grade) and Class of 2026 (9th grade), please email Mrs. Thomas at athomas@davincischools.org. 

PowerSchool Access: Access to PowerSchool has been restored for all returning students. For all incoming students (9th grade and transfer), we will distribute PowerSchool login information at Back to School Night on Thursday,, September 15, 2022 at 5:30pm.

Here’s what’s coming up:

• Monday, 8/29: Leaders leave for Overnighter
• Tuesday, 8/30: 9th graders leave for Overnighter @ 8:30am
• Wednesday, 8/31: 9th graders return from Overnighter @ 2:00pm
• Monday, 9/5: No School – Labor Day
• Tuesday, 9/6: FLEX Block Begins
• Wednesday, 9/7: School Site Council Meeting #1
• Thursday, 9/8: DVC Picture Day
• Friday, 9/9: DVC Picture Day
• Thursday, 9/15: Club Fair
• Thursday, 9/15: Back to School Night @ 5:30pm
• Friday, 9/16: No School – Professional Development Day

Please bookmark this school calendar for the most up to date information.

Enjoy your weekend,

Erin D’Souza, Principal

Dear DVC Students and Families,

We hope that students have enjoyed the first week of our seminar program! If a student would like to request a change to their schedule, please note that the last day to do this is tomorrow (Friday, August 26).

All change requests should be submitted to this link no later than Friday, 8/26: DVC Schedule Change Request Link

Please note that not all class and seminar change requests can be honored. Many seminars are full, but there are some that still have space. Please consult this list for the current available space:

Monday/Thursday Seminars with space currently available:

• Study Hall
• Fantasy Sports
• SAT/ACT Prep (run by PJ Test Prep)
• Strength & Conditioning (run by UCLA EXOS)
• Philosophy 101
• The Evolution of Hip-Hop / Financial Literacy

Tuesday/Friday Seminars with space currently available:

• Study Hall
• Film History & Theory
• Activism Through Film
• Ghibli Film Studies

The link to request schedule changes will be closed on Friday, 8/26 at 4pm. Counselors will work to accommodate as many requests as possible. 

Thank you,

Erin D’Souza, Principal