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Week 16 Schedule: POLs & Finals start Thursday!

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Two weeks left of school this semester! On Friday, we celebrated students who earned All-Star Awards for December as well as played another round of Advisory Olympics during our End-of-Semester CD. Congratulations to the awardees and game winners!

Presentations of Learning (POLs) begin on Thursday, 12/12 and continue through Thursday, 12/19! School dismissal for POL days is 2:00pm. POLs help students improve communication and public speaking skills and empower students to take ownership of their learning. We are excited for our students to take advantage of this opportunity to showcase what they’ve learned this semester! The most important things you can do to help your student prepare for their POLs are (1) assure them that it is ok to make mistakes, (2) have them practice their POLs many times to as many people in your household as possible, and (3) help them prepare their professional dress. 

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

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

There are only 2 weeks left this semester. Grades earned at the end of this semester appear on students’ transcripts, and a new semester begins in January 2025. The last day for students to submit schoolwork for Semester 1 is Wednesday, 12/11. PowerSchool and Canvas access for students/parents will be blocked starting Wednesday, 12/11 to finalize semester grades. The last day for students to check grades before seeing a final grade on report cards will be Tuesday, 12/10.

Free Executive Functioning Webinar: All Da Vinci parents/guardians and staff are invited to Whole Human Wellness’s Executive Functioning Webinar on Tuesday, December 10th from 6:30pm-7:30pm. This webinar is created for parents of pre teens, teens, and young adults, and is hosted by Nikki Wendel, who is the Whole Human Wellness Educational Consultant. You can read more about Nikki’s services here. RSVP at this link.

CHYA Presentations: Dr. Emily Green and Nurse Titsyana Lucero will be presenting the health & sexual education curriculum (“CHYA”, or “California Healthy Youth Act”) to 9th grade during the week of December 12th – December 19th. Click this link to read the notification letter from Dr Emily Green. If you have any questions about the content that will be covered, please email Dr. Green at egreen@davincischools.org. Parents have the right to “opt-out” of this presentation for their child. If you wish to do so, please email Erin D’Souza, DVC Principal, at edsouza@davincischools.org.

FAFSA Friday Workshops for Senior Families: Da Vinci Schools is excited to offer practical, hands-on FAFSA workshops to our senior families. See more information about the workshop on this post on our blog. This will be held on the DV Communications (DVC) floor in Room 3203 and is open to all Da Vinci Schools senior families. Participants should register here for ONE of the following dates as all workshops will cover the same material.

  • Friday, January 17th, 2025 (6-7:30 p.m.)
  • Friday, February 7th, 2025 (6-7:30 p.m.)

DV Performing Arts Program:

  • WDVPA Seminar Night: Come celebrate with all of our Performing Arts seminar classes as they put on their final end-of-semester showcases to highlight everything they have been working on since September. Drum Ensemble, Stagecraft, Music Production, and Acting (Stage and On-Camera) will be in the Blackbox on Tue, 12/10 at 6pm. Admission is FREE—with a $5 suggested donation.
  • Studio Orchestra Winter Concert: Join us for a winter celebration of instrumental music, featuring student Bands, WDV Studio Orchestra, and WUSD Symphonic Band! The Studio Orchestra WInter Concert will take place in the Blackbox on Wed, 12/11 at 6pm. Admission is FREE—with a $5 suggested donation.
  • WDVPA Winter Showcase: You are invited to the Wiseburn Da Vinci Performing Arts Winter Showcase, a heartwarming evening of music and theatre featuring performances by the TK-8 Choir and Theatre groups, the Voices of Da Vinci Choir, and the high school Musical Theatre cast of “GREASE”. The WDVPA Winter Showcase will take place at the El Segundo Performing Arts Center on Fri, 12/13 at 6:30pm. Admission is FREE—with a $5 suggested donation.

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

  • Wednesday, 12/11: Last Day to Submit Work for Semester 1
  • Thursday, 12/12 – Thursday, 12/19: POLs & Finals (2pm dismissal)
  • Thursday, 12/19: Last Day of Semester 1 (grades earned appear on student transcripts)
  • Friday, 12/20 – Friday, 1/10: No School – Winter Break
  • Monday, 1/13: School Resumes & Semester 2 Begins

Please use these links for easy access to school information:

Da Vinci Communications

201 N. Douglas St. – Floor 3

El Segundo, CA 90245

(310) 725-5800