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Cal Grant Opt Out (Seniors)

August 30, 2024 by Monique Aldrete

Dear Seniors & Parents,

A Cal Grant is money for college you don’t have to pay back. Cal Grants can be used at any University of California, California State University or California Community College, as well as qualifying independent (private) and career colleges or technical schools in California.

To qualify, you must apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (CADAA) by March 2, 2025 and meet the eligibility and financial requirements as well as any minimum GPA requirements. There are three kinds of Cal Grants (A, B and C) but you don’t have to figure out which one to apply for. Your eligibility will be based on your FAFSA or CADAA responses, your verified high school Cal Grant GPA, the type of California colleges you list on your FAFSA and whether you’re a recent high school graduate. To learn more about the qualifications, please visit www.calgrants.org.

Da Vinci Communications is required to submit your student’s verified GPA. By law you have the option to “opt out” of this process if you do not want Da Vinci Communications to submit your student’s verified GPA. If you choose to “opt out”, this means your student will not be eligible to receive a Cal Grant. In order to “opt-out”, please complete the attached form (see below) and return to Ms. Aldrete via email at maldrete@davincischools.org no later than September 25th, 2024.

If you do not return the “opt-out” form, Da Vinci Communications will submit your student’s verified GPA to the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) to determine your student’s Cal Grant eligibility.

To obtain an opt-out form click on this link: GPA Opt Out Form

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Ms. Aldrete via email at maldrete@davincischools.org.

Picture Day is Thursday & Friday!

August 28, 2024 by Erin D'Souza

Dear DVC Families,

Students will take their school pictures on Thursday, 8/29 and Friday, 8/30 during their English class. This means that if they have English during periods 1, 3, or 5, they will take their photo on Thursday. If they have English during periods 2, 4, or 6, they will take their photo on Friday. Makeup picture day is Thursday, 9/19. Please note that 9th grade students who took their photos over the summer at a Wolf Pack Day do not need to retake their school photo.

Thank you,

Erin D’Souza, Principal

DVC is going to the Latino College Expo! (11th & 12th Grade Only)

August 28, 2024 by Monique Aldrete

Good morning DVC students and families,

This year, DVC will be providing transportation to the 12th annual Latino College Expo happening Saturday, September 14th! At the expo, you’ll find a variety of exhibitor booths representing colleges, universities, trade schools, and other educational institutions. These booths often have representatives from the institutions who can answer questions about their programs, admission requirements, financial aid, and scholarships. The expo may offer workshops and seminars on topics such as college application strategies, financial aid and scholarships, career planning, and more. These sessions are typically conducted by experts in the field.

Pickup will be at 9 AM on the 201 N. Douglas campus in front of the school building and we expect to arrive back by 2:10 PM. Students must bring their own lunch or bring money to purchase food on campus.

We only have 35 spots available and are first-come, first serve basis for current Juniors and Seniors.

If interested in attending, please pick up a field trip slip from Mrs. Aldrete and all forms are due Wednesday, September 11th or until all spots are filled.

Mrs. Aldrete

College and Career Counselor

Community Learning Days

August 26, 2024 by Emily Shapiro

Dear Da Vinci Students and Families,

We are excited to introduce a new initiative for the 2024-25 school year called Community Learning Days (CLDs), in response to our community’s desire to provide more opportunities to bring students together across all our high schools. CLDs offer a day of choice and flexibility in learning for Da Vinci families enrolled at Communications, Connect High, Design, RISE, and Science.

Community Learning Days are designed to enrich the high school educational experience and foster a deeper sense of connection between students at all our high schools. CLDs advance our Da Vinci Schools’ vision of empowering a new generation of students prepared to lead, innovate and thrive in the modern world where learning can happen within and beyond the school walls. CLDs are scheduled four times throughout the school year (Oct. 11, Nov. 8, Feb. 10, Apr. 21), offering a unique blend of community, connection, flexibility, creativity, and accountability for both students and staff.

What are Community Learning Days?
CLDs are a new initiative for the 2024-25 school year designed to provide students and families across our schools with a menu of choices, including optional on-campus programming that brings students together from all our schools from 8:00am-12:30pm at our 201 N. Douglas St. campus; extra learning time at home to catch up on schoolwork; or time for your family to take advantage of something that would not normally be available during regular school hours, such as going on college visits, exploring museums, and more.

Based on community input, the decision to introduce CLDs grew out of a desire for additional opportunities to bring together students across our campuses to foster deeper connections, for more student choice in pursuing learning that is most meaningful to them, and for new strategies to promote and support student and staff well-being.

How does it work?
Students will learn more about CLDs this week during Advisory classes. A Student Survey will be launched during the week of September 5 for students and families to make selections about what they would like their first CLD to look like on Friday, October 11. Students and families will make a choice to participate in On-Campus Learning or Off-Campus Learning. Students and families will be notified of their CLD approved selection during the week of September 23.

Students are encouraged to plan their activities thoughtfully and productively. Students will track progress and accomplishments in Canvas, ensuring that these days are both enjoyable and productive. All students will learn and earn attendance but in different ways. Follow-up surveys will help us plan for future CLDs.

What learning can students participate in?
ON-CAMPUS: High school students will have an array of diverse on-campus learning experiences to choose from at the 201 N. Douglas campus, such as:

Explore and engage with hands-on equipment in the Ceramics Studio, CTE Lab, shop materials, and learn how to use advanced tools like laser cutters and 3D printers
College and career workshops
Financial Literacy
Special community service or volunteer field trips
Open Lab (space for students to complete work or study)
Other planned offerings that will be shared in the upcoming survey

OFF-CAMPUS: Students can “leave to learn” and engage in a learning experience off campus independently, such as going on a college visit, service learning, job shadow, internship, etc. Or, students can complete work from home – get caught up or get ahead! A permission slip is required to be signed by the parent/guardian for Off-Campus Learning.

All students – whether they participate in on-campus or off-campus learning – will have access to breakfast and lunch on all Community Learning Days.

How will staff be involved in CLDs?
Staff will create new on-campus learning experiences based on their personal passions, while forming deeper connections with colleagues across our school community. Staff also will have flexible work time to prepare instructional materials and lessons, participate in professional development, and more.

We hope you are excited about Community Learning Days as we are. We believe that CLDs will be a transformative addition to our educational program, fostering a joyful and connected environment for our entire learning community. We look forward to seeing the creative and productive ways our students and staff will utilize these days to grow, learn, and thrive.

Thank you for your support and enthusiasm as we embark on this exciting new journey together.

Sincerely,

Dr. Matthew Wunder
CEO/Superintendent
Da Vinci Schools

Week 2 Schedule

August 25, 2024 by Erin D'Souza

We had a terrific first week of school! You can enjoy lots of pictures of the first day from our awesome photographer, Stacee Lianna, at this link: First Day Photos

Overnighter Recap: On Thursday and Friday, we adventured to the mountains with the awesome Class of 2028 to begin the school year with The Overnighter, a special trip to welcome our 9th graders to DVC. A video celebrating The Overnighter was put together by DVC Media Production Teacher, Tangier Clarke. You can check it out at this link: The DVC Class of 2028 Overnighter Slideshow

Picture Days: Students will take their school pictures on Thursday, 8/29 and Friday, 8/30 during their English class. This means that if they have English during periods 1, 3, or 5, they will take their photo on Thursday. If they have English during periods 2, 4, or 6, they will take their photo on Friday. Makeup picture day is Thursday, 9/19.

Seminars Start Monday: Students are currently being enrolled in seminar classes. Seminars are elective periods that meet on Monday and Fridays (Period MF) or Tuesdays and Thursdays (Period TTH). We do our best to match students with their preferences. New printed schedules will be delivered to students during Period 5 on Monday. Students cannot request a change to their seminar classes until Wednesday, 8/28. If a student would like to request a seminar change, they can use this form when it opens on Wednesday, 8/28: DVC Schedule Change Request Form We will do our best to accommodate as many requests as possible. The form is only accessible by students through their DV google account. Students are required to attend the classes they are assigned unless they are given a new schedule by school staff.

Club Fair: Our annual Club Fair is coming up on Thursday, 9/5 and applications to start a new or returning club are now open! Students: Please fill out this CLUB APPLICATION if you wish to be a club leader this year. ALL clubs must complete an application; both new and returning clubs must apply. Clubs are not considered approved unless the student leader receives an approval email from school administration.

Absence Reporting Reminder: If your student is going to be absent, please email our Attendance Manager, Pattie Foxman, at pfoxman@davincischools.org or call the front office and leave a message: (310) 725-5800.

Metro Passes: Da Vinci Schools is participating in LA Metro’s GoPass Program again this year! This means any DVC student can receive a free Metrocard that, once activated, will allow them to ride on the Metro at no cost until June 30th. Students can pick up a card and instructions to activate their card from Jackie Martinez (jmartinez@davincischools.org) at the DVC Front Desk. Here is more information on the GoPass Program if you are interested.

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