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Archives for April 2023

Week 33 Schedule

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Week 33 is short but exciting! There is no school on Friday, 5/5 due to staff professional development. We have two big events for our seniors this week: (1) College & Career Signing Day on Thursday, 5/4 & (2) Da Vinci Schools Prom on Friday, 5/5!

Last week was also a terrific week, from the visit by State Superintendent Tony Thurmond to Mr. Jackson’s Financial Literacy class to the return of our Marketing students from their competition in Florida to the 11th grade trip to the NACAC College Fair to the 12th Grade Computer Science Showcase! We are happy to celebrate the good work of our students and help them explore possibilities for after high school. See some pictures below!

Re-Enrollment: We are asking families to log into their existing SchoolMint account and select RETURNING or NOT RETURNING for the 23-24 school year. This Intent to Return is a one-click process that secures your child’s spot for the upcoming school year. Please DO NOT create and submit a new application. If you have any questions, please reach out to enrollment@davincischools.org. 

Here’s a list of what’s coming up:

  • Monday, 5/1 – Thursday, 5/4: Mathematics CAASPP Testing during US History Classes (11th grade)
  • Tuesday, 5/2: Field Trip to 72andSunny (12th grade- Marketing)
  • Wednesday, 5/3: Field Trip to Moonwater Farms (Environmental Science Class)
  • Thursday, 5/4: College & Career Signing Day (12th Grade)
  • Friday, 5/5: No School Professional Development Day
  • Friday, 5/5: Da Vinci Schools Prom @ The Proud Bird
  • Monday, 5/8: Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week Begins
  • Wednesday, 5/10: School Site Council Meeting @ 5pm on Zoom
  • Thursday, 5/18: Field Trip to Museum of Tolerance (10th grade)
  • Wednesday, 5/24: Career Day (11th & 12th Grade)
  • Thursday, 5/25: Senior Awards Night @ 5pm (by invitation only)
  • Friday, 5/26: Last Day to Submit Work Required for Graduation
  • Thursday, 6/8: DVC Class of 2023 Graduation (1pm start time)
  • Summer School Dates (for credit recovery): Session 1: June 13-June 30 Session 2: July 11-July 27
  • DVC Weekly Schedules Year 10 (2022-2023) & DVC Year 10 Planning Calendar (2022-2023)

DVC Career Fair Volunteers Needed

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Greetings,

DVC will be hosting a Career Fair on Wednesday, May 24 from 8:15 am-11:45 am. We are looking for guest speakers to share their careers and work experiences to expose our students to a variety of careers. You do not need a degree and/or certificate to be a part of  the DVC Career Fair. We are seeking guest speakers in the following areas:

  • Women in STEM
  • Mental Health and Athletes
  • Entrepreneur
  • College Bound- First Generation and Higher Education
  • Welding/Contractor/Electrician
  • Trucking
  • Transferring from a Community College
  • Navigating an Artist’s world (Music, Art, Dance)
  • Nursing
  • Flight Attendant/Pilot
  • Real Estate
  • Financial Literacy – How to pay for college
  • Entertainment
  • or any other careers not listed above

If interested, please fill out this google form: Career Day Interest Form (google.com) by Friday, May 12th.

Career Fair Flyer

 

Thank you,

DVC Counselors

Ms. Aldrete (College & Career Counselor: maldrete@davincischools.org)

Ms. Barba (10th & 12th Grade Counselor: jbarba@davincischools.org)

Ms. Thomas (9th & 11th Grade Counselor: athomas@davincischools.org)

TIME SENSITIVE: Snap Lens Lab @ Otis College – Summer Scholarship

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For a second year, Otis College of Art and Design and Snap are partnering on Snap Lens Lab @ Otis College, a groundbreaking two-week, fully funded, Augmented Reality (AR) workshop. Otis and Snap are teaming up to bring high school students in LA County from underserved communities an exciting hands-on learning lab, giving them the chance to combine the power of AR, 2D and 3D industry-standard design tools, and their own creativity to develop dynamic interactive experiences. Students will also connect with industry professionals to learn about potential careers in art and design that focus on these new technologies.

FIND OUT MORE TONIGHT! A Virtual Info Session on Zoom is being held on Tuesday, April 25th from 6:00 – 7:15 p.m. PDT. Interested students, their families, art educators, and counselors are invited to join our team, including a representative from Snap, Otis College faculty, and me, to learn program details and ask questions. RSVP here.

Quick Facts 

  • This Snap x Otis program is geared toward high school students in LA County from underserved communities, and 15 full scholarships are available.
  • Snap Lens Lab @ Otis College runs Monday through Friday, July 17th-28th, 2023 from 9am-4pm.
  • This simple application is due on May 15, so don’t delay! No portfolio required, but be sure to think thoughtfully about the questions, so we get a true sense of the student. Students can submit their application to be considered here.
  • No prior experience or skills are required to participate in this program!

More information about the program can be found at: https://www.otis.edu/snap-lens-lab-otis-college

Have questions? Please contact Crissel Rodriguez, Director of Real World Learning, at crodriguez@davincischools.org.

Click here to see other Real World Learning opportunities.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond Visits Da Vinci Schools

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Today, Da Vinci Schools had the honor and privilege to host State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond as he recognized Da Vinci Schools as a leader in bringing personal finance curriculum to students.

Supt. Thurmond visited 12th grade teacher Christopher Jackson’s College & Career Readiness and Financial Literacy class at Da Vinci Communications and spoke directly with students as part of his effort to tour model schools and promote making personal finance and financial literacy a high school graduation requirement. Da Vinci students take financial literacy as part of their core graduation requirements – fewer than 1% of students in California attend a school that requires them to complete one semester of financial education. Only 27 percent of California high school students attend schools that offer personal finance electives compared with 71% nationwide. Just 18 states nationwide require a financial literacy course to graduate.

“We are so inspired by Superintendent Thurmond’s leadership on expanding financial education to all California students – and also so moved by his personal story. He is authentic, caring and charismatic, and is a tremendous inspiration to our students,” said Dr. Matthew Wunder, Da Vinci’s CEO and Superintendent.

Research shows that students who have access to high-quality financial education have better financial outcomes as adults that result in less debt and a higher quality of life. The CA Department of Education is partnering with CA-based nonprofit Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF) to provide teacher training for financial literacy. DVC financial literacy teacher Christopher Jackson is one of the first 500 NGPF Distinguished Educators who has completed six certification courses. This sets him apart from the 78,000 educators in the NGPF network and in the top 1%! Chris was selected as one of 85 CA  educators selected to attend NGPF’s Closing the Financial Education Gap in March where he met Supt. Thurmond.  > Related article: Teacher Talk with Christopher Jackson

Supt. Thurmond recently announced $1.4 million in financial literacy grants to help deliver financial literacy and personal finance courses to students in California. Ensuring that all young Californians have exposure to financial literacy is a vital step in closing inequality gaps and providing the skills and resources to improve lives.

Supt. Thurmond was joined today by Steve Zimmer, Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction; Tim Ranzetta, Founder of Next Gen Personal Finance; Dr. Matthew Wunder, CEO and Superintendent of Da Vinci Schools; Dr. Jennifer Hawn, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Superintendent of Da Vinci Schools; Erin D’Souza, Principal of Da Vinci Communications; Andrew Daramola, Assistant Principal, Da Vinci Communications; Christopher Jackson, College & Career Readiness and Financial Literacy teacher at Da Vinci Communications; and Dr. Blake Silvers, Superintendent of the Wiseburn Unified School District.

Supt. Thurmond’s funding builds on the $3.5 billion Arts, Music, and Instructional Materials Discretionary Block Grant to county offices of education, school districts, charter schools, and the State Special Schools that can be used to expand financial literacy course offerings.

Week 32 Schedule

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I am thrilled to share that we have a very special visitor on Monday morning: State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond! He will be visiting Mr. Christopher Jackson’s 12th Grade Financial Literacy class. State Superintendent Thurmond is choosing to visit DVC because our program is a model of the financial literacy education he hopes to see throughout California. We will be sure to share pictures of this special visit. If you don’t already follow @davincischools_org and @dvchighschool on Instagram, please start today!

There are just six weeks left of school before POLs (Presentations of Learning) begin. This is a great time to check grades and make plans for improvement (if needed) before the end of the semester. You can check grades on Canvas or PowerSchool, whichever is easiest for you. If you notice any discrepancies, please let the teacher know right away.

DECA Competition in Orlando, Florida: We have several students competing at the DECA International Career Development Conference in Orlando, Florida. They left on Friday and we wish them all the best in their competition. Seniors Eryn Allen and Hilda Donis qualified to compete in the Entrepreneurship Innovation Plan event (check out their project that won 3rd place at state here!) while juniors Alani Flores, Samantha Guevara and Karina Ruiz have been selected to attend the THRIVE Leadership Academy to build their leadership skills and learn how to take our DECA chapter to the next level. These students will be joining approximately 22,000 high school students, advisors, business professionals and alumni for several days of competition, networking, and fun! Check out @dvcdeca on Instagram to follow their adventures in Orlando! This is the first time that students from DVC have qualified for this competition, and we are so proud of them.

College Visits: Our 11th grade had a terrific time visiting Cal Poly Pomona and Loyola Marymount University. We’ve had a great time taking students to college campuses this year! This Friday, we take our 11th graders to the NACAC College Fair at the Pasadena Convention Center. 

Here’s a list of what’s coming up:

  • Wednesday, 4/26: Field Trip to Homeboy Industries & Olvera Street (Ethnic Studies Class)
  • Wednesday, 4/26: Computer Science Senior Project Showcase (12th grade)
  • Friday, 4/28: Field Trip to El Camino College (12th grade)
  • Friday, 4/28: Field Trip to NACAC College Fair (11th grade)
  • Monday, 5/1 – Thursday, 5/4: Mathematics CAASPP Testing during US History Classes (11th grade)
  • Tuesday, 5/2: Field Trip to 72andSunny (12th grade- Marketing)
  • Wednesday, 5/3: Field Trip to Moonwater Farms (Environmental Science Class)
  • Thursday, 5/4: College & Career Signing Day (12th Grade)
  • Friday, 5/5: No School Professional Development Day
  • Friday, 5/5: Da Vinci Schools Prom @ The Proud Bird
  • Monday, 5/8: Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week Begins
  • Wednesday, 5/10: School Site Council Meeting @ 5pm on Zoom
  • Thursday, 5/18: Field Trip to Museum of Tolerance (10th grade)
  • Wednesday, 5/24: Career Day (11th & 12th Grade)
  • Thursday, 5/25: Senior Awards Night @ 5pm (by invitation only)
  • Friday, 5/26: Last Day to Submit Work Required for Graduation
  • Thursday, 6/8: DVC Class of 2023 Graduation (1pm start time)
  • Summer School Dates (for credit recovery): Session 1: June 13-June 30 Session 2: July 11-July 27

DVC Weekly Schedules Year 10 (2022-2023) & DVC Year 10 Planning Calendar (2022-2023)

Da Vinci Communications

201 N. Douglas St. – Floor 3

El Segundo, CA 90245

(310) 725-5800