Archives for January 2024

Dual Enrollment Information Session (Da Vinci Schools)

Thursday, January 25^th 2024

5:00-6:00 p.m.

This 1-hour workshop is for prospective high school students and parents to receive an overview of Dual Enrollment in traditional El Camino College classes as well as in classes offered in partnership with your high school.

No registration necessary – join via link below at 5:00 p.m. We hope to see you there!

Join Information Session

or

https://elcamino-edu.zoom.us/j/88291330845

Our first week back ended in recognition of over 235 DVC students! Students were celebrated for making the Honor Roll (3.5 – 3.9 GPA) or High Honor Roll (4.0+ GPA) for Semester 1. Honor Roll certificates will be distributed during Advisory on Monday. DVC staff also gave out End-of-Semester Awards such as the Resilience Award, the Positivity Award, and the POL All-Star Award. Congratulations to all students who were recognized for their hard work and achievement!

Seminars: This week we resume our seminar program on Monday, 1/22 with a slight change in our seminar day pairings. Students will have one seminar that meets on Mondays and Fridays, and another seminar that meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays. As always, we do our best to enroll students in seminars that align with their preferences. Students will receive a schedule with their seminar enrollments on Monday, 1/22 during Period 5. If a student would like to request a seminar change, they will have until Monday, January 29th at 11:59pm to do so via the Schedule Change Request Form (which is linked here, but not yet open). Please note that students must attend the seminars they are enrolled in until they receive a new schedule from their counselor that informs them of a schedule change. 

CHYA Presentations: Dr. Green and Nurse Lucero will be presenting the health & sexual education curriculum (“CHYA” or “California Healthy Youth Act”) to 9th graders starting on Monday, 1/22. Click this link to read the notification letter from Dr. Green. If you have any questions about the content that will be covered, please email Dr. Green at egreen@davincischools.org. Parents have the right to opt-out of this presentation for their child; if you wish to do so, please email Erin D’Souza, Principal at edsouza@davincischools.org. 

Parent Advisory Committee: All are welcome to attend our Parent Advisory Committee on Monday, 1/29 at 4:30pm in person (1st floor, Mona Lisa Room) or via this zoom link. Please see below for the agenda:

1. Public Comment
2. DVC Spotlight: DVC Alumni Updates
3. WASC Introduction
4. Review of Survey Results
5. Meeting Reflection (Plus / Delta)

Here’s what’s coming up THIS WEEK and beyond:

• Monday, 1/22: California Healthy Youth Act (CHYA) Instruction begins for 9th grade
• Monday, 1/22: Semester 2 Seminars begin
• Wednesday, 1/24: Computer Science (10th & 11th grade) Field Trip to Snapchat
• Monday, 1/29: Parent Advisory Committee Meeting – 4:30pm @ 201 N. Douglas or via zoom (link here)
• Monday, 1/29: Last Day to Request a Seminar Schedule Change
• Friday, 2/9: Professional Development – No School
• Friday, 2/9: Spring SemiFormal Dance from 6pm – 9pm (purchase tickets here)
• Saturday, 2/10: Black College Expo
• Monday, 2/12: Blood Drive in Black Box Theater from 9am – 3pm (sign up here)
• Tuesday, 2/13: NACAC College Fair Field Trip (11th grade)
• Wednesday, 2/14: ELPAC Testing
• Wednesday, 2/14: Reagan Library Field Trip (12th grade)

Bookmark these links for easy access to school information:

• DVC Monthly Calendar: tinyurl.com/DVCcalendar23-24
• DVC Weekly Schedules: tinyurl.com/weekly-schedules23-24
• Canvas Login Page: davincischools.instructure.com
• Canvas Help Website: tinyurl.com/dv-parent-canvas-help

Happy new year DVC students and families!

Here are some summer 2024 pre-collegiate opportunities in which students can take classes at college campuses or online and earn college credits. Some of these programs offer financial aid to help with program costs:

1. (Current 9th-11th Grade) Columbia University’s Pre-College Programs
   • About the program: As New York State’s first university, rooted in one of the world’s most influential cities, Columbia University embodies both history and progress. As an institution of higher learning, it represents a similar duality: study and experience. Beyond the classroom, special opportunities such as featured lectures and writing workshops expose students to expert knowledge delivered by world-class instructors. Through guided excursions, students can learn firsthand everything New York City has to teach—from the financial market of Wall Street and celebrated productions on Broadway to renowned landmarks and museums.
     
     Columbia University’s Pre-College Programs emphasize rigorous instruction and critical thinking within a cohort of students from across the globe. With courses in over a dozen subject areas, ranging from programming and mathematics to psychology and art, students are challenged to think independently and creatively.
     
     Outside of class, students can experience our enriching co-curricular activities, from attending college-prep workshops and lectures to preparing for the academic rigors of university life with sessions like Finding the Right College for You and Insider Tips for the Common App.
   • Early Registration Deadline for Summer Session A & B is February 1st, 2024
   • Regular Application Deadline for Summer Session A & B is March 4th, 2024
   • Find more information and start your application HERE.
2. (Current 9th-11th Grade) UCLA Summer Scholars Support
   • Summer Scholars Support award amounts will vary and can cover up to one of the following:
     • One summer course (up to 5 units)
     • One Summer Institute
     • Summer College Immersion Program (SCIP/eSCIP/SCIP+; including only one approved course)

     The Summer Scholars Support scholarship will cover program fees only. For all programs, the scholarship will NOT cover course materials, textbooks, and travel costs. Please be sure to check whether your program includes housing before applying for this scholarship.

   • To apply for Summer Scholars Support, you must meet the following minimum eligibility criteria:
     1. You are 15 years of age or older and attending grades 9 – 11 as of Spring 2024 in a California high school (international or out-of-state students are not eligible; current 12th grade students are not eligible);
     2. You have not received UCLA Summer Scholars Support in the past;
     3. You have a family annual adjusted gross income (AGI) of $100,000 or less; and
     4. You have applied to or enrolled in a 2024 UCLA Summer Sessions program: either a Summer Course, a Precollege Summer Institute, or the UCLA Summer College Immersion Program.
        • Payment of the registration fee is required (with the exception of those applying for Deferred Deposit – for more information, read the “Deferred Deposit” section). The registration fee will be refundable for those who can no longer participate if they are not selected as a recipient of the scholarship.
        • Most programs will take 2-3 weeks to provide you with an acceptance decision. Please be sure to leave enough time to apply to your program and learn of your admission BY the March 15 scholarship application deadline. Students still awaiting for admission decisions after March 15 are at risk of having their scholarship application be ineligible.

   • UCLA will be hosting three webinars to provide an in-depth overview of UCLA Summer Sessions programs, scholarship eligibility requirements, important dates, how to apply and required application materials, and scholarship application tips. The first webinar will be next week on Wednesday, January 24! If you would like to attend any of these webinars, you may RSVP at the links below. 

      ·         Wednesday, January 24 from 5-6pm

     ·         Thursday, February 8 from 5-6pm

     ·         Tuesday, March 5 from 5-6pm

   • APPLY HERE, Scholarship Application Opens: February 1, 2024
   • Scholarship Application Closes: March 15 at 5pm 
3. (Current 10th & 11th Grade) UC Davis Young Scholars Program
   • About the program: The UC Davis Young Scholars Program is a summer residential research program designed to expose approximately 40 high-achieving high school students to the world of original research within the fields of the biological, agricultural, environmental and natural sciences. Participants in the UC Davis Young Scholars Program work one-on-one with research faculty and research groups in state-of-the-art laboratories for six weeks. Each student will work on an individual project and prepare a journal-quality paper and symposium presentation about their work.In addition to scientific research, the UC Davis Young Scholars Program strives to introduce participants to the climate and culture of living and learning on a university campus. Staff make every effort to model the experiences that participants will have during their first years of college.

     All participants will be enrolled in five units of University Group Study Credit. Assignments for the program include research notebooks, a written article of journal quality describing the research project and its conclusions, presentation of the individual project at a research symposium and presentation of research to students at the home high school. All work in the program is graded and credit will be awarded after home presentations are completed.

   • Applicant Eligibility:
     • All participants must be currently enrolled as a sophomore or junior in high school.
     • All participants must be at least 16 years of age by the first day of the program but not 18 years of age at the end of the program
   • APPLY HERE by Friday, March 15th @11:59 pm
4. (Current 9th-11th Grade) USC Annenberg Youth Academy for Media and Civic Engagement
   • About the Program:The Annenberg Youth Academy for Media and Civic Engagement is a four-week summer intensive academy for 26 talented high school students from the communities surrounding the USC University Park and Health Science Campuses. Students are exposed to the equivalent of first-year college-level courses and develop a rich conceptual understanding and practice of the necessary role that media communications and journalism play in fashioning civic-minded thought leaders and innovators.AYA strengthens students’ skills in writing, critical thought, public speech and debate, multimedia production, interviewing and ethnography — all essential competencies required for excellence in and out of the classroom in the 21st century. The students are introduced to USC Annenberg’s undergraduate programs and services and possible careers in media and journalism. They have opportunities to meet the school’s innovative scholars who are advancing issues of race, gender, and ethnicity in communication and journalism communities of practice.AYA 2023 includes:
     • Free breakfast and lunch daily
     • AYA swag
     • One TAP card with a $50 value (if needed)
     • Educational field trips
     • Three periods per day
     • College advising and college essay preparation from the USC Annenberg Admissions Team.
     • Ability to meet new peers and engage with our faculty, students and staff
   • Applicant Eligibility:
     1. Must have completed at least the 9th grade by June 17, 2024.
     2. Should be pursuing a rigorous high school curriculum. 
     3. Must reside and attend high school in Los Angeles County. (Due to the popularity of the program we are not able to consider students from any other county; applications submitted from other counties will not be reviewed.)
     4. If accepted to AYA, you are required to attend all class meetings beginning Monday, June 17, 2023. Late arrivals and early dismissals cannot be accommodated.
   • Application Deadline: Friday, March 22nd at 11:59pm
   • Complete the application HERE
5. (Current 9th-11th Grade) Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies- Online Program
   • Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes is a summer enrichment program that provides passionate and intellectually curious students with intensive study in a single course. Our program covers advanced subjects rarely taught in high school, o ering students a chance to challenge themselves by diving deep into cutting-edge topics.Our summer courses provide in-depth and interactive exploration of academic material. Courses are available in subjects including computer science, math, creative writing, social justice, engineering, and more.Bright peers from around the world create a truly special and unforgettable experience. Study and discuss academic topics alongside peers who share the same interests and curiosity.

     With small class sizes, our online classes allow students to engage in every aspect of a course through real-time discussions in which instructors and students see, hear, and interact with one another.

   • Application Deadline: Friday, March 29, 2024 at 11:59 pm
   • Complete the application HERE. 

Most of these applications require essays and letters of recommendation(s), which can delay the application process if not completed ahead of time.

For any questions/concerns, please contact me: maldrete@davincischools.org

Ms. Aldrete

College and Career Counselor