Happy Super Bowl Sunday, DVC! We are gearing up for an exciting spirit week full of events and field trips, and we continue to celebrate Black History Month! Please read below for the highlights.

Spirit Week: We have another spirit week this week! Please join us in the following themed days:

• Monday, 2/13: Sports Day
• Tuesday, 2/14: Wear Red, White, Pink, or Black Day
• Wednesday, 2/15: PJ Day
• Thursday, 2/16: College or Career Day
• Friday, 2/17: Bikers vs. Surfers Day

Blood Drive on Monday: Celebrate the loving spirit of Valentine’s Day and participate in a Blood Drive presented by DVC’s National Honor Society on Monday, February 13th. The Red Cross will be set up in Da Vinci’s Black Box from 9 am to 3 pm, and all Da Vinci School community members are welcome to donate. Invite your friends and family to contribute blood to those in need. You must be at least 16 years old and weigh 110 lbs to donate blood. If you are 16, you will need to complete a parental consent form before you are allowed to donate. Students 18 years old and younger have additional health and weight requirements to follow, so be sure to check that you are eligible to donate. Sign up here!

Field Trips: We are proud to be able to offer our students a variety of off-campus experiences, and we have several field trips scheduled for this week, including the following:

• Monday, 2/13: Computer Science Trip to NAC (12th grade)
• Wednesday, 2/15: Marketing 2/Multimedia Journalism 2 Trip to the Reagan Library (12th Grade)
• Wednesday, 2/15: Environmental Science Field Trip to LA Water Basin (11th Grade)

College & Career Parent Information Nights: Our DVC counselors are hosting a series of webinars about college & career preparation. Please mark your calendars for these virtual events. The webinars will be recorded and made available to families after the event.

• Wednesday, 2/15: 11th Grade College & Career Parent Info Night @ 5pm via Zoom (Meeting Link)
• Wednesday, 2/22: 10th Grade College & Career Parent Info Night @ 5pm via Zoom (Meeting Link)
• Wednesday, 3/1: 12th Grade College & Career Parent Info Night @ 5pm via Zoom (Meeting Link)
• Tuesday, 3/7: 9th Grade College & Career Parent Info Night @ 5pm via Zoom (Meeting Link)

After-School Tutoring: We are thrilled to be able to offer after school tutoring after school on Mondays and Thursdays from 3:35 – 4:35! Our tutor’s name is Alex and he is willing to help with anything but specializes in math and science. This is open to all grade-levels and takes place in Ms. Flower’s Room (3404).

Free GoPass Metro Cards: Da Vinci Schools is committed to providing equitable access and opportunity to all of our students and as part of those efforts we are excited to share that we are able to provide a free GoPass Metrocard, valid through June 30, 2023, to any student who would like one.  Once activated, the GoPass will provide free unlimited rides before school, afterschool, and on weekends on Metro bus and rail, City of Commerce Transit, Culver CityBus, Foothill Transit, Glendale Beeline, GTrans, LADOT Dash, LA County Shuttles, Long Beach Transit, Pasadena Transit, Santa Monica Big Blue Bus and Torrance Transit.  In order to get your free GoPasscard, please visit or contact DVC Office Manager Jackie Martinez (jmartinez@davincischools.org).

Here’s what’s coming up:

• Monday, 2/13: Red Cross Blood Drive Hosted by DVC National Honor Society (sign up here)
• Wednesday, 2/15: 11th Grade College & Career Parent Info Night @ 5pm via Zoom (Meeting Link)
• Monday, 2/20: No School – Presidents’ Day
• Tuesday, 2/21: Senior Class Photo (New Date)
• Wednesday, 2/22: 10th Grade College & Career Parent Info Night @ 5pm via Zoom (Meeting Link)
• Friday, 2/24: Black History Month CD
• Wednesday, 3/1: 12th Grade College & Career Parent Info Night @ 5pm via Zoom (Meeting Link)
• Tuesday, 3/7: 9th Grade College & Career Parent Info Night @ 5pm via Zoom (Meeting Link)
• Monday, 3/13 – Thursday, 3/16: Student-Led Conferences (minimum days)
• Friday, 3/17: No School – Staff Development
• 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)

DVC is applying for a grant and would like to get your feedback! All students and parents are invited to share thoughts on how DVC can improve in the following areas: (1) Integrated Student Supports, (2) Family & Community Engagement, (3) Collaborative Leadership, and (4) Expanded Learning Time & Opportunities.

Please join via zoom (Meeting Link)  on Tuesday, 2/7 at 4pm for a brief overview of the grant and an opportunity to give input. 

We had a great week at DVC! We had a great kickoff to a rocket launch project in 9th Grade Computer Science and Physics in collaboration with the Aerospace Corporation. A big shoutout to our DVC student athletes, as well, especially our seniors who have been celebrating their senior nights! We see you out there representing our school well and making us proud. 

Week 22 Schedule: We are celebrating National School Counseling Week with some fun themed days!

• Monday, 2/6: Wear Your Feelings
• Tuesday, 2/7: Wear College Gear
• Wednesday, 2/8: Wear Pink
• Thursday, 2/9: Wear Sports Gear
• Friday, 2/10: Wear Disney

Please consider writing a message of gratitude to our school counselors this week: 

• Ms. Aldrete, College & Career Counselor, maldrete@davincischools.org
• Ms. Thomas, 9th & 11th Grade Counselor, athomas@davincischools.org
• Ms. Barba, 10th & 12th Grade Counselor, jbarba@davincischools.org

After-School Tutoring: We are thrilled to be able to offer after school tutoring after school on Mondays and Thursdays from 3:35 – 4:35! Our tutor’s name is Alex and he is willing to help with anything but specializes in math and science. This is open to all grade-levels; we will let students know the location of the tutoring during  grade-level homeroom on Monday.

Black History Month: Huge thanks to our Black Student Union for creating and implementing lessons and activities in Advisory for the month of February! The decorations around the campus are terrific, too.

Input Requested for Community Schools Grant Application: DVC is applying for a grant and would like to get your feedback! All students and parents are invited to share thoughts on how DVC can improve in the following areas: (1) Integrated Student Supports, (2) Family & Community Engagement, (3) Collaborative Leadership, and (4) Expanded Learning Time & Opportunities. Please join via zoom (Meeting Link)  on Tuesday, 2/7 at 4pm for a brief overview of the grant and an opportunity to give input. 

College & Career Parent Information Nights: Our DVC counselors are hosting a series of webinars about college & career preparation. Please mark your calendars for these virtual events. The webinars will be recorded and made available to families after the event.

• Wednesday, 2/15: 11th Grade College & Career Parent Info Night @ 5pm via Zoom (Meeting Link)
• Wednesday, 2/22: 10th Grade College & Career Parent Info Night @ 5pm via Zoom (Meeting Link)
• Wednesday, 3/1: 12th Grade College & Career Parent Info Night @ 5pm via Zoom (Meeting Link)
• Tuesday, 3/7: 9th Grade College & Career Parent Info Night @ 5pm via Zoom (Meeting Link)

Here’s what’s coming up:

• Monday, 2/6: National School Counseling Week Begins
• Tuesday, 2/7: Community Schools Grant Application Feedback @ 4pm via Zoom  (Meeting Link) 
• Monday, 2/13: Red Cross Blood Drive Hosted by DVC National Honor Society (sign up here)
• Monday, 2/13: Senior Class Photo
• Wednesday, 2/15: 11th Grade College & Career Parent Info Night @ 5pm via Zoom (Meeting Link)
• Monday, 2/20: No School – Presidents’ Day
• Wednesday, 2/22: 10th Grade College & Career Parent Info Night @ 5pm via Zoom (Meeting Link)
• Friday, 2/24: Black History Month CD
• Wednesday, 3/1: 12th Grade College & Career Parent Info Night @ 5pm via Zoom (Meeting Link)
• Tuesday, 3/7: 9th Grade College & Career Parent Info Night @ 5pm via Zoom (Meeting Link)
• Monday, 3/13 – Thursday, 3/16: Student-Led Conferences (minimum days)
• Friday, 3/17: No School – Staff Development
• 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)

Week 21 is a four-day week for students! There is no school on Friday, February 3rd as it is a Professional Development Day for staff. 

School Site Council: We have our School Site Council Meeting on Wednesday, February 1st at 4:30pm via Zoom  (link here). Our agenda for the School Site Council meeting is as follows:

1. Public Comment
2. School Safety Plan Approval
3. SSC Discussion – Glows and Grows of DVC

Black History Month: Wednesday, February 1st begins Black History Month! We are proud to recognize the experiences and accomplishments of the Black community during February and always. 

Here’s what’s coming up:

• DVC Weekly Schedules Year 10 (2022-2023) & DVC Year 10 Planning Calendar (2022-2023)
• Wednesday, 2/1: School SIte Council Meeting @ 4:30pm via Zoom (link here)
• Thursday, 2/2: Shelter-in-Place Drill @ 10:30am
• Friday, 2/3: No School – Professional Development Day
• Monday, 2/6: National School Counseling Week Begins
• Monday, 2/20: No School – Presidents’ Day
• Friday, 2/24: Black History Month CD

Dear DVC Students & Families,

We are working diligently this year to regularly monitor student progress in academics, socio-emotional well-being, behavior, and attendance to ensure that we are able to communicate with families, respond to concerns, and intervene with supports as quickly as possible when our students are struggling to access the educational opportunities that we provide. In particular this semester, we will be more closely monitoring attendance because research has shown that regular attendance is vital for the success of students in school. Students who are present are more likely to succeed academically, engage with others, and be better prepared for success beyond school. This semester we are increasing our communications with families when a student’s attendance falls below 90%, as that is the state threshold for students being classified as chronically absent. In addition to daily absence notification calls, every two weeks our schools will email or directly call the families of chronically absent students to keep them informed of their student’s attendance status and let them know whether or not their student’s attendance has improved over the past two weeks. Parent meetings may be held for student’s whose attendance fails to improve over the course of multiple weeks, with the goal of coming together as a team to identify the challenges and implement supports to ensure that we are doing all that we can to help get students back on track.

California law states that absences are excused only if the child is ill or there is an excuse that meets the requirements of the California Education Code Section 48205. Even excused absences that cause your child to miss significant amounts of school can cause your child to fall behind in class and can cause them to be classified as chronically absent. Our school will continue to require verification of absences due to illness or quarantine if your child has missed school for three consecutive days. Please be aware that going out of town when school is in session with your child is an unexcused absence.

We hope that all of our students will be in attendance every day, but we also understand that there are times when absences may become a challenge. As we continue our pursuit of our students’ learning and growth, we look forward to strengthening our partnership with our families to ensure that all Da Vincians have the support that they need to access their education and achieve success.

Thank you for your support,

Erin D’Souza

Principal, DVC