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Week 17 Updates for Families

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Week 17

It’s here – the final week of Semester 1!  We have been so impressed by our students as they started their POLs last week, and we know that there are more strong presentations to come this week.  POLs and Finals continue this week, with early dismissal from Mon-Thurs at 2:00pm.  A reminder that Friday, 12/19, is a Professional Development Day (no students).

 

PowerSchool Access & Report Cards

PowerSchool access has been disabled as teachers finalize grades. We will be mailing end-of-semester report cards in the new year (January 2026), but we will restore PowerSchool access for families during the winter break. 

 

DVC Front Office

Our school office will be closed for break from Friday, 12/19 through Friday, 1/2. Our office opens again on Monday, 1/5, and school starts for students again on Monday, 1/12. 

 

Presentations of Learning Continue This Week

School dismissal for POL days is 2:00pm (12/11-12/18). POLs help students improve communication and public speaking skills and empower students to take ownership of their learning. The most important things you can do to help your student prepare for their POLs are (1) assure them that it is ok to make mistakes, (2) have them practice their POLs many times to as many people in your household as possible, and (3) help them prepare their professional dress. 

One of the expectations for a Presentation of Learning (POL) is that students come in professional dress. At DVC, professional dress is defined as including the following:

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

 

Substance Abuse Webinar

Join Da Vinci Schools and our health partners for an important conversation on teen vaping and cannabis use, and how it impacts youth and families, as well as what you can do to start open and supportive conversations with teens. For info, please see the flyer here.

 

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

  • Presentations of Learning (POLs) – Thursday, December 11th – Thursday, December 18th (2:00 dismissal)
  • Last Day of the Semester – Thursday, December 18th 
  • PD Day (No Students) – Friday, December 19th
  • Winter Break – December 22nd – January 9th 
  • First Day of Semester 2 – Monday, January 12th
  • MLK Day Holiday – Monday, January 19th

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Short-Term Independent Study (STIS) Form (Completed by student for absences).

Week 16 Updates for Families

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Week 16

We only have two weeks left of school this semester! On Friday, we celebrated students who earned All-Star Awards for December as well as played another round of Advisory Olympics during our End-of-Semester CD. Congratulations to the awardees (see end of this message) and game winners!

Parent Advisory Committee Recap

We had our second Parent Advisory Committee this past Thursday, December 4th.  We reviewed the Da Vinci Schools School Safety Plan, which was insightful for parents, students, and staff.  If you missed the PAC meeting, you can watch the Zoom recording here!

Presentations of Learning (POLs) begin on Thursday, 12/11!

POLs begin this week!  School dismissal for POL days is 2:00pm (12/11-12/18). POLs help students improve communication and public speaking skills and empower students to take ownership of their learning. We are excited for our students to take advantage of this opportunity to showcase what they’ve learned this semester! The most important things you can do to help your student prepare for their POLs are (1) assure them that it is ok to make mistakes, (2) have them practice their POLs many times to as many people in your household as possible, and (3) help them prepare their professional dress. 

One of the expectations for a Presentation of Learning (POL) is that students come in professional dress. At DVC, professional dress is defined as including the following:

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

End of Semester Notes (PowerSchool/Canvas Access)

Grades earned at the end of this semester appear on students’ transcripts, and a new semester begins in January 2026. The last day for students to submit schoolwork for Semester 1 is Wednesday, 12/10. PowerSchool and Canvas access for students/parents will be blocked starting Wednesday, 12/10 to finalize semester grades. The last day for students to check grades before seeing a final grade on report cards will be Tuesday, 12/9.

 

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

  • Last Day to Submit Work for Semester 1 – Wednesday, December 10th
  • Presentations of Learning (POLs) – Thursday, December 11th – Thursday, December 18th (2:00 dismissal)
  • Last Day of the Semester – Thursday, December 18th 
  • PD Day (No Students) – Friday, December 19th
  • Winter Break – December 22nd – January 9th 
  • First Day of Semester 2 – Monday, January 12th

Bookmark These Helpful Links:

 

Sincerely,

Andrew Daramola

Principal, Da Vinci Communications 

 

Week 15 Updates for Families

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Week 15

Hello DVC Families,

We hope you enjoyed your break!  Already, we are very close to the end of the semester, with only three weeks left.  As we get ready for Presentations of Learning (POLs) and finals, it’s a great time to check in with your student and have them make the final push to do their best this semester.  We are grateful for your continued support and for a wonderful first semester so far.

School resumes on Monday, 12/1 at 8:30am! 

There are only 3 weeks left this semester. Grades earned at the end of this semester appear on students’ transcripts, and a new semester begins in January 2026. The last day for students to submit schoolwork for Semester 1 is Wednesday, 12/10. The easiest way to check your student’s grades is through Canvas. If you need help creating a Canvas account and linking it to your student, please use this website: tinyurl.com/dv-parent-canvas-help and login here: davincischools.instructure.com. 

Parent Advisory Committee Meeting on 12/4

The Parent Advisory Committee, previously known as the School Site Council (SSC), provides an opportunity for parents, students, and staff to work collaboratively in reviewing the school program, analyzing data, identifying needs, and making recommendations for the Local Control and Accountability Plan. We have our next meeting on Thursday, December 4th @ 4:30 on Zoom (link here).

Presentations of Learning (POLs) begin on Thursday, 12/11!

 This is the last full week of school before we begin POLs & Finals. School dismissal for POL days is 2:00pm. POLs help students improve communication and public speaking skills and empower students to take ownership of their learning. We are excited for our students to take advantage of this opportunity to showcase what they’ve learned this semester! The most important things you can do to help your student prepare for their POLs are (1) assure them that it is ok to make mistakes, (2) have them practice their POLs many times to as many people in your household as possible, and (3) help them prepare their professional dress. 

One of the expectations for a Presentation of Learning (POL) is that students come in professional dress. At DVC, professional dress is defined as including the following:

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

 

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

  • Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) – Thursday, December 4th @ 4:30 on Zoom
  • Presentations of Learning (POLs) – Thursday, December 11th – Thursday, December 18th
  • Last Day of the Semester – Thursday, December 18th 
  • PD Day (No Students) – Friday, December 19th
  • Winter Break – December 22nd – January 9th 
  • First Day of Semester 2 – Monday, January 12th

 

Bookmark These Helpful Links:

 

Sincerely,

Andrew Daramola

Principal, Da Vinci Communications 

Happy Thanksgiving: Thank You for Attending Exhibition & for the Gratitude Baskets!

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DVC Families,

It was quite the week at DVC, with our annual Fall Exhibition last Thursday with all grade levels participating. We’d love to hear your feedback on Exhibition Night! Please complete THIS SHORT SURVEY and enjoy a few pics of the evening below. Thank you again for attending!

Also, a big THANK YOU to all of the DVC families and community members who contributed to our staff gratitude baskets.  Your messages, goodies, and time let them know that they are deeply appreciated.  We are very grateful to all of the parents who helped assemble these baskets on Friday.  Our staff loved them – see photos below.

This week, 11/24-11/28, there is no school, and the DVC front office will be closed during this time.  You may contact our front desk team (jmartinez@davincischools.org; pfoxman@davincischools.org) with questions or concerns.

From all of us at DVC, we wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving and Fall Break! 

 

Sincerely,

Andrew Daramola

Principal, Da Vinci Communications

 

Week 14 Updates for Parents — Exhibition is Almost Here!

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Week 14

It’s the last week before the Thanksgiving holiday, and Exhibition Night is almost here! It’s a special week that is always full of energy at DVC.

Exhibition

Please join us for Exhibition Night on Wednesday, November 19th from 5:30 – 7:00pm! We invite all families, friends, and community members to join us for our best night of the year! All DVC students are required to attend, and students in all grade levels will have their projects on display. In addition to checking out our awesome student projects, we have other ways to show support and participate below, if you are able. We hope to see you there!

  • Drop off donations for our Canned Food Drive (National Honor Society) 
  • Drop off books for DECA’s Book Drive (Marketing Pathway)
  • Drop off donations for Staff Baskets of Gratitude
  • Get DVC Merch from DVC Leadership (proceeds fund student activities)
  • Purchase the 2025-2026 DVC Yearbook

 

Gratitude Baskets

Thank you to everyone who has donated or written a line of appreciation.  We are making the final push this week to complete the baskets, and have a special gift for each staff member.  As a reminder, we will have a designated place to drop off contributions during Exhibition Night on Wednesday, 11/19.

Here is how you can contribute to the gratitude baskets:

  • Donations:
    • General Donations:  Please consider non-perishable items such as individually wrapped popcorn, gummies, trail mix, chips, hot chocolate, pretzels, candy, cookies, coffee, sparkling water, tea, any other non-perishable snacks, and gift cards ($5) to Target or Starbucks.
    • Staff-Specific Donations: Please use this list of DVC staff’s favorite things: DVC Staff Favorite Things (November 2025) to send items specific to staff members. Please label the donations with the name of the staff member. 
    • Drop-Off Period: Tuesday, November 4th – Thursday, November 20th
  • Words of Appreciation:  Please consider handwriting a note of thanks or typing one digitally here: DVC Staff Appreciation Notes We will be printing these digital messages and including all words of appreciation in the baskets. Handwritten notes can be dropped off beginning on Tuesday, 11/4.

Here are some ways you can help with assembly of the baskets:

  • Putting Together the Baskets: If you are interested in helping us assemble these baskets on Friday, 11/21 during the school day, we would be very grateful. The assembly sign up is here: Basket Assembly on Friday, 11/21

 

NHS Canned Food Drive @ Exhibition

The National Honor Society is conducting a food drive for those in need this holiday season.  Please consider donating a nonperishable item, if you are able, to this drive.  We will have a bin at Exhibition for these items.

CLD Attendance 

We had a CLD day last week on November 10th.  As a reminder, all students, regardless of whether they came to school or stayed at home, must complete the quiz on Canvas for attendance.

DVC Blood Drive

 It’s time for the DVC NHS x American Red Cross Blood Drive! Join us Friday, Nov 21 at the DV Black Box Theater to help save lives.

Scan the QR code to sign up!

✅ 16 w/ parental consent

✅ 17+ can donate w/o consent

✅ Must weigh 110+ lbs + feel well on donation day

 

 

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

  • Exhibition (All Grades) – Wednesday, November 19th @ 5:30-7:00
  • DVC Blood Drive – Friday, November 21st in Black Box Theater
  • Thanksgiving Break – Monday-Friday, November 24th-28th 
  • Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) – Thursday, December 4th @ 5:30 on Zoom
  • Presentations of Learning (POLs) – Thursday, December 11th – Thursday, December 18th
  • Last Day of the Semester – Thursday, December 18th 
  • PD Day – Friday, December 19th
  • Winter Break – December 22nd – January 9th 

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Da Vinci Communications

201 N. Douglas St. – Floor 3

El Segundo, CA 90245

(310) 725-5800