Dear DVC Families,

I hope that this email finds you and your family well and enjoying the start of DVC’s winter break! We were able to print and mail report cards on Monday afternoon so you can expect them in the mail shortly. In addition to your students’ grades, you may find the following enclosed:

• Parent/Guardian PowerSchool Access Information: We sent home a copy of the parent/guardian PowerSchool access information so that you can check on your child’s grades and attendance regularly. 
• Semester 2 Calendar: You will find a printed copy of the Semester 2 calendar in the envelope. Please be sure to note that the first day of school for Semester 2 is Monday, January 10, 2022.
• PSAT Scores (grades 9,10, & 11 only): Students who took the PSAT in October will find their scores enclosed with the report card. 

Regarding COVID-19: The L.A. County Department of Public Health requires that parents/guardians report any COVID-19 student and staff cases who have been on campus 14 days prior to becoming ill. This means that if your Da Vinci student tests positive anytime over break, please do still report it to Da Vinci Schools Nurse via email at egreen@davincischools.org. This will enable the school to determine isolation period and return to school date as well as support county efforts to track COVID cases. 

The DVC staff returns for professional development on Monday, January 3, 2022. We look forward to seeing our students at 8:30am on Monday, January 10, 2022. Until then, we wish you and your family the best of health and so much happiness.

Warmly,

Erin D’Souza

Principal

Happy Saturday, DVC Families!

We are so proud of our students who completed the first of their Presentations of Learning this week! It was terrific to see our students giving their presentations. We wish all students the best of luck in their presentations and finals in this last week of the semester.

A few notes:

• Shortened Days – Dismissal at 1:25pm: Students will be dismissed from school at 1:25pm in this final week of the semester.
• No School Friday: Friday, 12/17 is a professional development day, so there is no school on Friday.
• PowerSchool Access: As a reminder, PowerSchool access for students and parents is now turned off. Access will be restored once report cards are sent home during the week of Monday, December 20th.
• Second Semester Starts Monday, 1/10: School starts back up again on Monday, January 10, 2022.

Thank you for your continued support of our school!

Sincerely,

Erin D’Souza

Principal

Dear DVC Families,

The end of the semester is rapidly approaching, and teachers will be working on finalizing their end-of-semester grades starting tomorrow and continuing through next week. We will be disabling student, parent, and guardian access to PowerSchool during this time. We will be sending home a report card with students final grades for the semester during the week of Monday, December 20th. We will restore student and parent/guardian access to PowerSchool shortly after the report cards are sent home. Thank you for your understanding!

Sincerely,

Erin D’Souza

Principal

Dear DVC Families,

We are excited to begin our Presentations of Learning tomorrow! Please note that tomorrow starts a shortened day schedule and students will be dismissed at 1:25pm from tomorrow through Thursday, December 16th (the last day of school for the semester). All students are expected to attend school each day for the remainder of the semester. If your student will be absent, please reach out to our Attendance Manager (Pattie Foxman) at pfoxman@davincischools.org.

Also, we are happy to help students still in need of putting together a professional outfit for their POL! Thank you to all the families who donated professional dress clothes, and we hope that many students who are in need of professional clothing will be able to visit our conference room by the blue stairwell to check out their options.

Wishing all of our students the best of luck as they prepare for Presentations of Learning (POLs) and finals this week and next week!

Sincerely,

Erin D’Souza

Principal

Hi DVC Families,

We are looking forward to the opportunity to prepare students on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for their Presentations of Learning (known as POLs). POLs begin on Thursday, 12/9 and continue through Thursday, 12/16. Most students will have two presentations (2 classes in one presentation, and 2 classes in another presentation). Each presentation will be scheduled on a separate date, so no student is expected to do two presentations on the same date. All information regarding dates and schedules will come from the student’s grade-level teachers during the “POL Prep” class on Monday. Click here for an overview of all policies and procedures related to this semester’s POLs.

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

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

We understand that many families may not be able to put together attire that meets these standards in a short timeline. In order to help our families, the DVC staff is going through their closets this weekend in search of items that can be donated to students in need of professional attire. If you have clothing or shoes that meet these requirements and that you no longer need, please consider donating them to DVC. We will accept donations of professional clothing to our Wolves’ Den (which is the big conference room table at the top of the orange stairs upon entering the 3rd floor), and we welcome students to see if there is something donated that fits their need. We are hopeful that this professional clothing exchange helps us work together as a community to ensure that each student feels comfortable and confident in their presentation!

Parents & Guardians: We also know that Presentations of Learning (POLs) can be a stressful time for students and their families. The two most important things you can do to help your student during their POL is (1) assure them that it is ok to make mistakes and (2) have them practice their POL many times to as many people in your household as possible. And finally, if you are interested in watching your student’s POL, please contact their teachers and let them know. We would like to be sure that you don’t miss this opportunity. Also, please note the visitor policy if you plan to attend: Visitors to Da Vinci Schools must show proof of either a COVID vaccination or negative PCR/Antigen test (taken within the last 72 hours) in addition to wearing a face covering while indoors to ensure the safety of our school community. 

Students: Please know that this presentation, while important, is mainly an opportunity to practice public speaking in front of a live audience. This is an important skill to develop, and teachers understand that you have not had a chance to practice many live presentations due to the pandemic. We ask you to do your best, but we are not expecting perfection. Please practice your presentation for your friends and family as many times as you possibly can. The more you practice, the more confident you will feel on the day of your presentations.

We enter the final two weeks of school for the semester tomorrow. This is the time to encourage students to do their best and put in their best effort at the finish line! Students, we’re all cheering for you!

Warmly,

Erin D’Souza

Principal