DVC Class of 2022:

The Johnstone Scholarship was created in 2018 in honor of Dr. Tom Johnstone, retiring Superintendent of Wiseburn Unified School District. Tom and his wife Terry, a retired WUSD teacher from Anza Elementary School, dedicated their careers to delivering quality public education.

Scholarships in the amount of $500.00 will be awarded to graduating seniors from Da Vinci Schools. All applicants must be currently enrolled in Da Vinci Communications, Da Vinci Connect HS, Da Vinci Design, Da Vinci Rise, or Da Vinci Science.

The application deadline is April 19, 2022. No late entries will be accepted. The online application cannot be saved, and must be completed in one sitting. Please prepare and save your question responses and essays in a separate document for your records. Here is the link to the application: Johnstone Scholarship Application

The Johnstone Scholarship Program is administered by the Wiseburn Education Foundation. Application questions can be emailed to willis@wiseburnedfoundation.org.

Exhibition: We are thrilled to welcome all DVC families and friends of DVC to our campus on Monday, 4/4 (tomorrow) and Tuesday, 4/5 from 5:30 – 7:00pm for our Exhibition Nights! Students have been working hard to produce creative displays of their work to engage and teach their audience what they’ve learned. Let’s make sure the students get the support and engagement they deserve! We haven’t had an Exhibition Night since Fall 2019 and we’re thrilled to get the energy back on campus for this special showcase. Please click for a list of some of the awesome exhibits you’ll see on Monday and Tuesday: DVC Exhibition Night Display Summaries (April 2022)

Week 30 Schedule: We have special grade-level schedules for students on Wednesday and Thursday of this week, with many not-to-miss opportunities including team-building fun and a Career Fair. Please be sure all students attend school next week and finish strong in this final week before spring break.

There is no school on Friday, 4/8, and then spring break is the week of Monday, 4/11. School resumes after spring break on Monday, 4/18. Here’s a link to all the weekly schedules for the rest of the academic year: DVC Weekly Schedules  Here’s a link to the DVC Semester 2 Calendar. Please note that we update this calendar regularly and make changes as needed. 

Thank you for your continued support of DVC,

Erin D’Souza

Principal

This was a great week at DVC!  Exhibition prep began in rooms across campus for Exhibition Night and we had our monthly CD, with Academic All Stars awarded. In addition, 9th grade students prepped for TED Talks in Ms. Regina’s class, 10th grade students refined their research papers in Ms. Flower and Ms. Dani’s classes, and 11th grade students completed English CAASPP testing in Hapner’s class.  While hearing back from many of the schools in the UC system, Senior students also enjoyed the addition of our new ping pong table in the Senior Common area!  

9th/10th Grade Retreat at Camp Pondo

We are thrilled to be able to bring back the spirit of the “Overnighter” tradition this year with “Camp Retreats” for our 9th and 10th grade students! These will be full-day (but not overnight) retreats at Camp Pondo, with students leaving the Da Vinci campus at 9am and returning at 9pm. The retreats will include a wide variety of recreational and team-building games and activities including a zipline, skate park, climbing wall, and more! Details of the retreats will be coming next week, but for now you can mark the dates in your calendar if you have a 9th or 10th grade student.

The DVC Camp Retreat days are Wednesday, April 20th for 10th graders and Tuesday, May 17th for 9th graders.

CARnival:

This Saturday, 3/26 we have our first ever CARnival Event from 10am – 5pm in our parking lot and on our campus. You and your family are invited and encouraged to attend! Please see this post for details. 

Exhibition Nights:

We are thrilled to open up our doors and welcome you to DVC where students will showcase their projects for families and community members on Monday, April 4th and Tuesday, April 5th! Please note that masks will be required at Exhibition Nights as these are large indoor events with students, families, staff and community stakeholders present. Please see this email for the comprehensive update on masking, and mark your calendars with the dates and times listed below:

• Monday, 4/4 for Grades 10 & 12, 5:30pm – 7:00pm
• Tuesday, 4/5 for Grades 9 & 11, 5:30pm – 7:00pm

Annual Giving Campaign:

Da Vinci is in the midst of the Annual Giving Campaign! DVC strives to provide an excellent real-world, project-based education to all students that goes above and beyond what students would typically experience in high school. I am excited to share that you can make a contribution that directly supports events and activities at DVC! Please consider donating and selecting Da Vinci Communications as the recipient of your donation. Donations can be made at this link. Thank you for your consideration, support and generosity!

Summer Opportunities:

Thinking about summer plans? Check out this post on our blog about some opportunities available to students this summer!

Career Fair – Volunteers Needed:

We are hosting a Career Fair for students on Thursday, 4/7 and would be grateful if you’d consider volunteering your time. Please see this post for details and sign up here: Career Fair Volunteer Form

State Testing: Each year, our 11th grade students are required to take the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). Testing started this week for all 11th grade students and continues through May 5th. If you have any questions, please contact Assistant Principal Andrew Daramola (adaramola@davincischools.org). Here is the schedule for the state testing:

• California Alternate Assessment (CAA): March 15 – 18
• English-Language Arts: March 17 – March 22
• Science (CAST): March 30 – April 1 
• Mathematics: May 2 – May 5

Upcoming Events & Calendars: 

Here’s a link to all the weekly schedules for the rest of the academic year: DVC Weekly Schedules.  Here’s a link to the DVC Semester 2 Calendar. Please note that we update this calendar regularly and make changes as needed. 

DVC Families:

You are cordially invited to the Da Vinci Schools’ first CARnival! We invite you to a day of fun, games, food, and CARS!

This unique show will feature cars from the Automobile Museum, the Corvette of Choice Club, Army Armored Vehicles, and more. We will also have dunk tanks, carnival games, and many local food trucks. It will be an event you won’t want to miss!

The funds raised at the event will be used to support our senior class across all Da Vinci Schools (Science, Communications, Design, Connect, and RISE) and support our prom, Grad Nite, and graduation. Since many of our school activities were placed on hold during the pandemic, we would like for this event to be a way to bring our community together and celebrate our graduating class of 2022!

EVENT TIME:

Saturday, March 26 from 10am to 5pm

LOCATION:

201 N. El Segundo, CA 90245

There were so many fun projects happening at DVC this week, including a Rocket Launch (Physics & Computer Science, 9th grade) and a Mock Crisis Press Conference (Marketing Pathway, 12th grade). Next week begins preparations for Exhibition Night, one of our favorite signature practices.

Exhibition Returns to Da Vinci: DVC is very excited to announce the return of Exhibition Night! In three weeks, students will showcase their projects for families and community members. Please note that masks will be required at Exhibition Nights as these are large indoor events with students, families, staff and community stakeholders present. Please see this email for the comprehensive update on masking, and mark your calendars with the dates and times listed below.:

• Monday, 4/4 for Grades 10 & 12, 5:30pm – 7:00pm
• Tuesday, 4/5 for Grades 9 & 11, 5:30pm – 7:00pm

Last Call for Surveys: If you have yet to do so, please take a few minutes to share your thoughts on how we’re doing. We value your input and use it to shape our decisions. Use the links below to access the surveys:

DVC Spring Student Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/spring_2022_dvc_student_survey

DVC Spring Parent/Guardian Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/spring_2022_parent_survey

State Testing: Each year, our 11th grade students are required to take the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). Testing started this week for all 11th grade students and continues through May 5th. If you have any questions, please contact the Assistant Principal, Andrew Daramola (adaramola@davincischools.org). Here is the schedule for the state testing:

• California Alternate Assessment (CAA): March 15 – 18
• English-Language Arts: March 17 – March 22
• Science (CAST): March 30 – April 1 
• Mathematics: May 2 – May 5

Upcoming Events & Calendars: Here’s a link to all the weekly schedules for the rest of the academic year: DVC Weekly Schedules  Here’s a link to the DVC Semester 2 Calendar. Please note that we update this calendar regularly and make changes as needed.