Welcome to the 2022-23 school year! We are excited to have you as a part of the Da Vinci Connect community and are looking forward to a great year together.

We view your student’s mental health and well-being as a priority for their success at this school. In support of this, we have invested in several resources that you can access whenever you need help. Remember, you are not alone, and it is a true act of bravery and strength to seek help.

We view your student’s mental health and well-being as a priority for their success at this school. In support of this, we have invested in several resources that you can access whenever you need help. Remember, you are not alone, and it is a true act of bravery and strength to seek help.

We encourage students to visit the on-campus resources and save the community resources so they can access them if they or someone they know needs help.

On campus:

• Students can access help by visiting their school counselor. Students can stop by counselors office or email them to set up an appointment.
  • Kene Washington: 9th grade counselor
    • kwashington@davincischools.org
  • Sylvia Soria: 10th grade counselor
    • ssoria@davincischools.org
  • Erin Knott: 11th and 12th grade counselor
    • eknott@davincischools.org

In our community:

Da Vinci Schools has partnered with Care Solace to support our community’s mental health.

If you or a family member is looking for help with mental health or substance use, Care Solace can quickly find treatment options matched to your needs, regardless of the circumstance.

Care Solace’s care navigation services are confidential and complimentary to  Da Vinci Schools’s students, staff, and their families. Care Solace’s team is available 24/7/365 and can support you in any language.

If you would like to use Care Solace to help you find a provider:

• See your school counselor OR
• Call 888-515-0595 available 24/7/365 OR
• Visit www.caresolace.com/davincischools and either search on your own OR click “Book Appointment” for assistance by video chat, email, or phone.

In an emergency:

• Call 911 or and request a Crisis Intervention Trained (C.I.T.) response
• Go to the closest emergency room for support
• Call the National Suicide Prevention & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org
• Text “Hello” or “Home” to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor
• Trevor Lifeline LGBTQQ+ Crisis Support: 1-866-488-7386

Da Vinci Schools’ Robotics Team 4201 The Vitruvian Bots, are having an Information Session on August 18th at 5pm in the DV Black Box OR via zoom at s.team4201.org/zoom.

Check out this website for more information about the team: https://team4201.org/

Thank you Connect students for being diligent about having access to your Canvas accounts for class on Monday.  

In my newsletter I stated that you would get Canvas invites yesterday by 4pm.  Ms. Wells discovered that you will NOT get Canvas invites until school begins on Monday, August 15.

I apologize for the misinformation.  As we launch this school year with Canvas there will be some unforeseen issues, however we are confident that Canvas will better meet the needs of all in our Connect Community!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Tami

(Click here for the 8/11/2022 Newsletter)

We’re excited to welcome 50 new teachers, counselors and support staff to the Da Vinci family. We are honored that so many talented individuals have chosen to make Da Vinci their new home. For some, they are Da Vinci alumni or recent graduates of Da Vinci’s in-house teacher residency program in partnership with the Alder University Graduate School of Education. All total, Da Vinci has 25 alumni employed across our organization.

Da Vinci Schools invests significant resources into supporting new and returning educators who receive approximately 23 days of professional development (PD) each year, including two weeks of training in August at the start of the new school year.

Last week, new teachers from across Da Vinci came together for a full day of new teacher orientation and professional development support with mentor educators from Da Vinci Institute, Da Vinci’s professional learning center. New teachers played team building games, toured all schools, and were introduced to Da Vinci’s signature programs and practices.

With all new and returning educators back at their individual school sites, the focus has been on reflection and goal setting, logistics, project-based and real world learning planning, curriculum building, special education, assessment, school culture, social-emotional learning, restorative justice, addressing equity and opportunity gaps, advisory planning, dual enrollment, all grade level and job-alike planning, and much more. There’s also been plenty of time for fun community building activities and getting spaces ready for students.

This year, teachers and students are transitioning to a new learning management system known as Canvas. Canvas syncs with PowerSchool, our student information system, and is what most colleges use giving students a head-start on knowing how to access course materials and other resources.

Da Vinci is continuing to expand our pool of dedicated educators and support staff. Check out our current openings here. We are so excited to start the new school year! Together, we are preparing students to lead, innovate, and thrive in the modern world.

Hello Da Vinci Scholars and Families,

Please see the announcements below:

For students interested in jobs:
The LA County America’s Job Center will be hosting a Job Fair in South LA, on Wednesday, August 31, 2022 from 1 to 4 pm. To register, please visit this flyer. It is highly suggested to bring several copies of your resume to share with prospective employers!

For students interested in mental health opportunities:
The Fall 2022 Teen Line Training application is available now. As a volunteer for Teenline, you would be helping to take calls and text messages from teens that are going through life challenges. For the Fall training period, Teenline will only accept applications from teens going into the 9th and 10th grade, with the minimum age of 14, living in or near the Los Angeles area. Please visit this link and click on “Apply Now” to be directed to the online volunteer application portal. Applications and references are due before 1pm on Wednesday, August 31, 2022.

For students interested in science and engineering:
The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program places high school students in Department of Navy (DoN) laboratories where they take part in real Naval research for 8 weeks during the summer. SEAP is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors interested in STEM. Students have the opportunity to learn about Naval research and technology while receiving first-class mentoring by top scientists and engineers. SEAP is a competitive program with around 300 placements in more than 30 labs around the country. Interns are selected based upon academic achievement, personal statements, recommendations, and career and research interests. Learn more here. Click here to apply. Applications close November 2.

For students interested in financial literacy and managing money:
Co-founders of Latinas Talking Dinero, are hosting financial literacy virtual workshops that incorporate their lived experiences as Latinas and first-generation college students. They teach financial literacy through an anti-racist lens and cover tops such as the wage gap, credit and interest, and financial trauma. Youth (up to 24 years old) are invited to attend for FREE. Virtual workshops start on Wednesday, August 24. Register here.

Hello Da Vinci Scholars and Families,

I hope you are enjoying the last weeks of summer break. Please see the announcements below:

For students interested in receiving academic credit for their internships:
Students who are interested in receiving 5 academic credits for summer internships/volunteer opportunities, must fill out the Unpaid Internship Agreement and submit a timesheet that demonstrates the completion of 60 hours of service. The Agreement must be turned in before the start of the internship/volunteer opportunity. The timesheet is due August 6, 2022. Please email all documents to Ms. Rodriguez at crodriguez@davincischools.org.

For students interested in art, film, and animation:
The El Segundo Public Library encourages all individuals who live, work and/or play in El Segundo to submit artwork for Summertime, Summertime: A Community Juried Art Exhibition! This art show will feature 2-dimensional artwork, including painting, photography, photo collage, photomontage, collage, drawing, printmaking, etc. that celebrates summer. For information on how to submit your artwork, please click here.

Dreamworks Animation is hosting a Summer Speaker Series from August 8 – August 12 where students will learn about roles in animation, succeeding in the industry, and more. Register here.

For students interested in social change:
The Alliance for Girls is hosting a community-building and healing-oriented event for youth leaders seeking to bring safety to school to address sexual harassment. Alliance for Girls is co-hosting this event with Unity Council to prepare both youth and adult advocates for a new school year prioritizing policies and programs that help sexual assault/harassment survivors. Attendees will also hear from representatives from the Equal Rights Advocate and the Unity Council. The event will be an entirely virtual event and will take place on Saturday, August 6. It is open to all youth and youth champions. $15 Visa Gift cards will be provided to youth 24 and under who RSVP and attend the event. RSVP Here.

For students interested in jobs:
The LA County America’s Job Center will be hosting a Job Fair in South LA, on Wednesday, August 31, 2022 from 1 to 4 pm. To register, please visit this flyer. It is highly suggested to bring several copies of your resume to share with prospective employers!

For students interested in science and engineering:
The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program places high school students in Department of Navy (DoN) laboratories where they take part in real Naval research for 8 weeks during the summer. SEAP is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors interested in STEM the opportunity to learn about Naval research and technology while receiving first-class mentoring by top scientists and engineers. SEAP is a competitive program with around 300 placements in more than 30 labs around the country. Inters are selected based upon academic achievement, personal statements, recommendations, and career and research interests. Click here to learn more. Click here to apply.

Da Vinci Schools is pleased to announce that Robert Anthony III has been selected to serve as the next Assistant Principal of Da Vinci Connect High School.

Robert is an experienced educator with 20+ years of experience in instructional leadership, differentiated instruction, training and assessment.

Robert received a B.A. from Morehouse College in Early Childhood Education and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Walden University.

Welcome, Robert, to our Da Vinci family!

Check out this Fly In Program at Davidson College in North Carolina- one of the top liberal arts colleges in the US! If you apply and get accepted, students can expect this during your visit:

Access Davidson will provide prospective students with an opportunity to hear from current students, faculty and staff over the course of their stay. Sessions may include opportunities to:

• Learn about the diversity, equity, and inclusion work happening on campus
• Hear from those leading Davidson’s affinity student organizations
• Connect with admission and financial aid officers
• Participate in Davidson student activities
• Attend an in-person or virtual class

Priority deadline is August 21, final deadline is September 21. Click on the link above for more info and to apply!

I hope you are all enjoying the last days of summer. I wanted to make sure you are all aware of the start date for school this Fall, August 15, 2022.

Connect HS student orientation will be embedded in your student’s first day of school depending on their cohort.  If your student is assigned to the Monday/Thursday cohort, their first at-school day will be Monday 8/15; if they are assigned to the Tuesday/Friday cohort, their first at-school day will be Tuesday 8/16.  Students’ schedules, identifying their cohort will be sent no later than August 5th.

You can click on this link to find additional important dates for the 2022-2023 school year.

We’re looking forward to welcoming you soon!