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Week 6 Schedule

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We had a wonderful week at DVC, with highlights including a field trip to the Latino College Expo, a Marketing Pathway trip to Covenant House, 9th and 10th grade Physics and Chemistry experiments, Hispanic Heritage Month presentations during Advisory led by Latino Student Union (LSU) representatives, and a 12th Grade FAFSA Info Night for parents! We are also so thankful for all the families who filled our Wednesday Snack Sign Ups so quickly – thank you for your generosity!

Virtual Parent/Guardian College & Career Info Meetings: We are pleased to offer 3 meetings with our DVC school counselors about college and career preparation. Please join us via zoom on the following dates:

Phone & Personal Device Policy Update: Thank you to all the students who have done a terrific job keeping their phones away during instructional time! We have noticed that students are less distracted and more focused in class with our new policy, and we appreciate the support of our parents and guardians as we strive to create an environment that promotes digital citizenship and academic success. We know that several students bring their own laptops and tablets to school, and we want to be sure that these devices are used with teacher permission for schoolwork only. Students who use laptops and tablets for messaging, gaming, or other off-task activities will lose the privilege of using their own personal device for schoolwork for one month.

FLEX Block: FLEX Block is a designated time during the school day when students can choose which classroom to attend, based on their current teachers and academic needs. To select their FLEX Block, students must use the SmartPass platform (app.smartpass.app) and choose a teacher who is already part of their schedule. Those interested in honors courses should sign up for honors sessions, while students needing extra help are encouraged to select classes where they need additional support. Students are encouraged to sign up on Saturday or Sunday for the next week, and all students are required to sign up no later than Advisory on the first day of the week.

Wolf Pack Counselors: In addition to the school counselors and the outside resources listed here, we have trained a group of 11th and 12th grade students in peer counseling. These students provide in-person, during-the-school-day support for any DVC student, offering both one-to-one counseling sessions and peer mediation sessions. Students: To request to see a Wolf Pack Counselor, students should do one of the steps below:

  1. Go to the front desk and ask Ms. Jackie or Ms. Pattie to see a Wolf Pack Counselor. Only do this step if your matter is urgent.
  2. Put a request at THIS LINK and you will be pulled out of class within 2-3 business days for your counseling session.

Student-Led Conferences: Be on the lookout for communication regarding signing up for Student-Led Conferences! We ask all parents to come in for a conference during the week of October 7th. Students are dismissed at 1:50pm from Monday, October 7th – Thursday, October 10th, and conferences are scheduled from 2:00pm – 3:30pm. We look forward to meeting with you soon!

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

  • Tuesday, 9/24: Makeup & Retake Picture Day (8:45 – 9:30)
  • Wednesday, 9/25: NACAC College Fair Field Trip (12th grade)
  • Thursday, 9/26: 10th Grade Parent College & Career Info Virtual Meeting @ 4pm (ZOOM LINK HERE) 
  • Thursday, 10/3: Hispanic Heritage Month CD
  • Thursday, 10/3: 11th Grade Parent College & Career Info Virtual Meeting @ 4pm (ZOOM LINK HERE) 
  • Friday, 10/4: No School – Local Holiday
  • Monday, 10/7 – Thursday, 10/10: Student-Led Conferences (1:50pm dismissal)
  • Friday, 10/11: Community Learning Day (CLD)
  • Wednesday, 10/16: PSAT (grades 9, 10, 11) & SAT (grade 12)
  • Thursday, 10/17: 9th Grade Parent College & Career Info Virtual Meeting @ 4pm (ZOOM LINK HERE)

Bookmark these links for easy access to school information:

Week 5 Schedule

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What a treat it was to welcome our families to our campus on Thursday evening! Huge thanks to those of you who attended. If you missed it, please review this Back to School Night Slide Deck for schoolwide information. Parents/Guardians: We’d love your feedback on how this event went – please take a moment to complete this short survey.

Mental Health & Wellness: During Back to School Night, we welcomed a representative from allcove, a free in-person community center for youth and families. We have also partnered with Hazel Health and you can find more info at this link. Please check out the many health and wellness resources available to you and your family here: @dvhealth | Linktree 

Contacting School Counselors: We have three amazing school counselors at DVC! If you’re on Instagram, please follow @dvccounselors for info and fun posts! If you’d like to reach out to a school counselor, here are the best ways to contact them:

Latinx Heritage Month: Today marks the start of Latinx Heritage Month, which takes place September 15th to October 15th every year as a time to recognize and celebrate the many contributions, diverse cultures, and extensive histories of the American Latino community. DVC students attended the Latino College Expo yesterday, and our Latino Student Union (L.S.U.) leads the recognition and celebration throughout the next four weeks. Our next CD on Thursday, October 3rd will be led by the Latino Student Union. Students interested in participating should contact Ms. Noemy Carrillo (ncarrillo@davincischools.org).

DVC Clubs: Here’s a list of the 40+ student-led clubs at DVC this year! We hope that all students get connected to at least one club: DVC Clubs (Year 12: 2024 – 2025) 

12th Grade Parent Night: Please plan to join us in the Black Box Theater on Thursday, September 19th for a 12th Grade Parent Night starting at 6pm presented by our counseling team, Monique Aldrete and Jennifer Barba, and our College & Career Readiness Teacher, Christopher Jackson. There will be lots of great information for senior parents at this meeting! 

Fire Drill: We have scheduled a fire drill for Wednesday, September 18th at 9:30am. We will practice a full evacuation of the building during this time. 

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

  • Wednesday, 9/18: Fire Drill @ 9:30am
  • Thursday, 9/19: 12th Grade Parent Night (6-8pm)
  • Tuesday, 9/24: Makeup & Retake Picture Day (8:45 – 9:30)
  • Wednesday, 9/25: NACAC College Fair Field Trip (12th grade)
  • Thursday, 10/3: Latinx Heritage Month CD
  • Friday, 10/4: No School – Local Holiday
  • Monday, 10/7: Student-Led Conferences Begin (1:50pm dismissal)
  • Friday, 10/11: Community Learning Day (CLD)
  • Wednesday, 10/16: PSAT (grades 9, 10, 11) & SAT (grade 12)

Bookmark these links for easy access to school information:

 

Back to School Night is TONIGHT!

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Looking forward to seeing our parents and guardians! We’re starting at 5:15pm in the Black Box Theater and will head up to the 3rd floor for Advisory and more!

The Back to School Night schedule is as follows:

5:15 Welcome & Overview in Black Box Theater (1st floor)

5:45 Advisory

6:00 Period 1

6:15 Period 2

6:30 Period 3

6:45 Period 4

7:00 Period 5

7:15 Period 6

Back to School Night is Thursday, 9/12 at 5:15pm!

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Back to School Night is on Thursday, 9/12! It starts at 5:15pm in the Black Box Theater (1st floor). All parents/guardians are expected to attend.  Students are not required to attend. Parents/guardians will receive information about logging into Canvas and PowerSchool at this event.

New this year: We’ll have community resources (like allcove and Friendship Club), our counselors (including our newest addition, Ms. Almeda for grades 9 & 11), and our real world learning team in the 3rd floor common area for you to visit during the time in between classes!

The Back to School Night schedule is as follows:

5:15 Welcome & Overview in Black Box Theater (1st floor)

5:45 Advisory

6:00 Period 1

6:15 Period 2

6:30 Period 3

6:45 Period 4

7:00 Period 5

7:15 Period 6

Week 4 Schedule

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I hope you are finding ways to stay cool during this heat wave! I am looking forward to being back in our air-conditioned building on Monday. We will allow students to eat lunch inside on the 3rd floor on Monday (just as we did last week) to make sure all students can stay cool.

There is no school on Friday, 9/13 due to Professional Development, and Back to School Night is on Thursday, 9/12 at 5:15pm in the Black Box Theater (1st floor). This is an evening designed for parents and guardians to be in their student’s classrooms and learn about the courses they are taking. Students are not required to attend. Parents/guardians will receive information about logging into Canvas and PowerSchool at this event.

The Back to School Night schedule for Thursday, 9/12 is as follows:

5:15 Welcome & Overview in Black Box Theater (1st floor)

5:45 Advisory

6:00 Period 1

6:15 Period 2

6:30 Period 3

6:45 Period 4

7:00 Period 5

7:15 Period 6

Club Fair Recap: A highlight from last week was Thursday’s Club Fair! It was so much fun to see the quantity (44!) and variety of student-led clubs recruiting students of all grades. We hope that every student signs up for at least one club, and you can find the list of clubs here (more details about meeting dates and times coming soon). Student-led clubs are a fun and easy way to get connected!

Cell Phone Policy Reminder: Thank you for your support of our new cell phone policy! We believe that this new policy will lead to increased digital citizenship and academic success. You can see the entire policy at this link. As a reminder, any cell phone that is seen during instructional time will be confiscated (no warnings) and turned into administration for parent/guardian pick up. 

FLEX Block: FLEX Block is a time in the day where students can choose their own schedule and decide which class they’d like to go to. It is the best time to ask for extra help from a teacher, and it is often the time where teachers hold mandatory sessions for students who are pursuing honors course credit. We are using a new system for signing up for FLEX Block this year. Students can choose their FLEX Blocks by going to app.smartpass.app and logging in using their school email address (and corresponding school google account). You can find information about how to sign up in the Announcements Deck and at this link.

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

  • Thursday, 9/12: Back to School Night @ 5:15pm in Black Box Theater
  • Thursday, 9/12: First CD in the Gym
  • Friday, 9/13: No School – Professional Development Day
  • Saturday, 9/14: Latino College Expo
  • Wednesday, 9/18: Evacuation Drill
  • Thursday, 9/19: 12th Grade Parent Night (6-8pm)

Bookmark these links for easy access to school information:

 

Sincerely,

Erin D’Souza

Principal, Da Vinci Communications

email: edsouza@davincischools.org

appointments: calendly.com/erin_dsouza

school website: dvc.davincischools.org

school: 310.725.5800 ext. 3043

cell: 310.350.7192

Da Vinci Communications

201 N. Douglas St. – Floor 3

El Segundo, CA 90245

(310) 725-5800