Archives for 2023

TurnUp is a 501(c)(3) non-partisan non-profit organization dedicated to increasing youth civic education, empowerment, and engagement. They were recently featured in Forbes as the 2022 standout non-profit organization. 

TurnUp is offering a Youth Activism Remote Internship. The program’s format is tailored to accommodate the ever fluctuating commitments and responsibilities of a student’s lifestyle, our program is fully remote, has rolling admission and has a flexible time frame and schedule. All students have access to grow into more capable and responsible citizens and to develop their professional skills for a successful future. Here is the application link.

Students join remote teams that are energized by diverse students from around the country who work on amplifying youth civic engagement. Along with our unique curriculum, peer to peer learning and world-renowned speakers deepen their experience.

The program is free and has no costs. Students can count their participation for community service hours and TurnUp is authorized to give out awards and certificates, including The President’s Volunteer Service Award. The internship has also been invaluable for bolstering resumes, widening networking reach, and for earning college letters of recommendation.

We would like to invite students to apply! The application link is here at bit.ly/tuinternship and the deadline for applications is rolling.

Here are a few links to learn more about our program: a flyer, a detailed description of our program, and our website.

If you have further questions, please reach out to Dr. Nancy Shapiro (nancyshapiro@turnup.us). Please feel free to sign up to join an information session here. If none of these times are convenient for you, please reach out to schedule a 1:1 meeting. We would be honored to be placed on your list of recommended internship opportunities.

We had an inspiring and celebratory week at DVC, and we are certainly finishing the school year strong! We hosted a Career Day (11th & 12th grades), the Senior Awards Ceremony (12th grade), Last Lecture Presentations (12th grade), a Film Festival (11th & 12th grades), our annual TED Talks (9th grade) and a Computer Science Showcase (12th grade). Our DVC students are filled with creativity, the pursuit of excellence, and a passion to make the world a better place for all of us. 

Presentations of Learning (POLs) begin on Tuesday, May 30th! You can read all the schoolwide POL policies HERE. Please see this post for more details about POLS, and use the links below to help your student prepare. Please require them to practice their presentation in front of you and other family members and friends several times before the date of their presentation.

• Grade 9 Requirements
• Grade 10 Requirements
• Grade 11 Requirements

Senior Finals & Activities: Our seniors will have finals on Tuesday, 5/30 (English & Financial Literacy) and Wednesday, 5/31 (Math & Economics). All students are expected to attend all their finals in order to be eligible to participate in the scheduled senior activities listed below.

• Thursday, 6/1: Downtown LA Field Trip
• Friday, 6/2: Disneyland Grad Night
• Monday, 6/5: Beach Day 
• Tuesday, 6/6: Graduation Practice

No School Monday, 5/29: There is no school on Monday, May 29th (Memorial Day Holiday). We hope you have a terrific Memorial Day Weekend and wish to extend a special word of gratitude to all those who have served or are currently serving in our country’s armed forces!

Here’s a list of what’s coming up:

• Monday, 5/29: No School – Memorial Day Holiday
• Tuesday, 5/30 – Tuesday, 6/6: Presentations of Learning & Finals (1:50pm dismissal)
• Friday, 6/2: Disneyland Grad Night (12th grade)
• Wednesday, 6/7: Last Day of School (1:50pm dismissal)
• Thursday, 6/8: DVC Class of 2023 Graduation (1pm start time)

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

Happy Last Week of May, DVC Families! Let us join in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, commemorating the remarkable achievements, vibrant cultures, and invaluable contributions of these diverse communities. This month serves as a powerful reminder to honor and uplift these students as they enrich the tapestry of American society!

End of Semester 1: This is it – the last week of classes for the school year! Next week is the start of Presentations of Learning (grades 9-11) and Final Exams (grade 12), and we hope that all of our students finish the school year strong. We encourage them to do their best in these final 3 weeks. Please note that the last day to turn in late or missing assignments is this Friday, May 26th. For our seniors, this is the final day to submit work required for graduation.

POL Information: Presentations of Learning (POLs) begin on Tuesday, May 30th! You can read all the schoolwide POL policies HERE. Please see this post for more details about POLS, and use the links below to help your student prepare. Please require them to practice their presentation in front of you and other family members and friends several times before the date of their presentation.

• Grade 9 Requirements
• Grade 10 Requirements
• Grade 11 Requirements

Hiring Symposium: We are hiring a new Marketing Teacher at DVC for the 23-24 school year as Deepti Reim is relocating to the Pacific Northwest. We are holding a hiring symposium on Thursday, 5/25 from 9am – 12pm, and we would like parents to participate in an interview panel. It is important to us that we hear perspectives from all stakeholders. If you have any interest or availability for this Thursday, 5/25, please complete THIS FORM. 

Summer School: Students expected to attend summer school Session 1 have been notified by email. Please make arrangements for your student to attend if required.If you were expecting an email and didn’t get one, please contact the appropriate counselor below.  If you have questions, please reach out to Jennifer Barba (jbarba@davincischools.org) for current 10th graders and Artia Thomas (athomas@davincischools.org) for current 11th & 12th graders.

• Session 1: June 13-June 30 (8:30 – 11:30am)
• Session 2: July 11-July 27 (8:30 – 11:30am)

The 23-24 School Year: Next year will be the 11th year of Da Vinci Communications! The first day of school is Monday, August 14, 2023. You can find the calendar for next year here: 2023-2024 Da Vinci Communications Calendar

Here’s a list of what’s coming up:

• Wednesday, 5/24: Career Day (11th & 12th Grade)
• Thursday, 5/25: Hiring Symposium (Marketing Teacher)
• Thursday, 5/25: Senior Awards Night @ 5pm (by invitation only)
• Friday, 5/26: Last Day to Submit Work Required for Graduation
• Monday, 5/29: No School – Memorial Day Holiday
• Tuesday, 5/30 – Tuesday, 6/6: Presentations of Learning & Finals (1:50pm dismissal)
• Friday, 6/2: Disneyland Grad Night (12th grade)
• Wednesday, 6/7: Last Day of School (1:50pm dismissal)
• Thursday, 6/8: DVC Class of 2023 Graduation (1pm start time)
• DVC Weekly Schedules Year 10 (2022-2023) & DVC Year 10 Planning Calendar (2022-2023)

Our 9th, 10th, and 11th graders begin Presentations of Learning (POLs) on Tuesday, May 30th! POLs give students the opportunity to develop their speaking and presentation skills and are an opportunity for students to reflect publicly on their learning. You can read all the schoolwide POL policies HERE. Here are a few important notes about POLs:

Presentation Attire: Students are expected to dress in professional attire, detailed as follows:

• Button-down dress shirt (shirt must be tucked in) or or non-revealing blouse (must cover shoulders); Suit jacket (optional)
• Khaki pants or dress pants (no jeans); Dress or skirt that touches tops of knees when standing up straight
• Closed-toe dress shoes (no sneakers or excessively high heels)
• Hair should not cover the face

Requirements: Each grade-level and course has specific requirements for POLs. Please review the links below to help ensure your student prepares well:

• Grade 9 Requirements
• Grade 10 Requirements
• Grade 11 Requirements

Schedule: Students will be assigned their presentation dates and times on Wednesday, May 24th. Any requests for changes to a student’s POL date or time must be made by a student’s parent or guardian on or before Thursday, May 25th. Please make these requests directly to your student’s teachers.

Missed Presentations: It is expected that all students attend their panel presentation at the scheduled date and time. In the event that a student misses the panel presentation for any reason, the following procedures must be followed:

• Parent/guardian contacts the teachers who have been affected by the absence. Email is the preferred method of communication.
• Teacher(s) confirm receipt of the request for a presentation.
• Student schedules a time to meet with the teachers to discuss the missed presentation and potential make-up.
• Teachers determine if and when the student will present at a new date and time. If a make-up is scheduled, parent/guardian and student will be informed via email of the new date and time.

Early Dismissal: School ends at 1:50pm starting on Tuesday, May 30th until the last day of school (Wednesday, June 7th). Students are expected to attend all remaining school days from 8:30am – 1:50pm.

Grades: POLs are terrific opportunities for students to raise their grades in their courses. It is important to note that student performance on their POL can raise or lower a student’s grade in the course.

Visitors: Guardians, families, and special guests are welcome to attend a student’s POL. We request that parents/guardians notify your student’s teacher in advance if you are planning to attend to be sure that the presentation date and time is accurate.

Looking forward to seeing the excellent work of our students in these final weeks of school!