Greetings Connect K8 Families,

Thank you for celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week with us! Every card, picture, note, treat and goody had us feeling all kinds of appreciated! Thank you, thank you! We also want to wish all the moms, in all shapes, forms, memories and roles, a very happy Belated Mother's Day.

Thank you to everyone for your preparation to return to campus successfully! We appreciate how well you and your children have navigates our COVID guidelines, drop off and pick up procedures, Facilitron screening, and more! Last week, our teachers and staff were able to focus on facilitating joy and learning with their "zoomers" and "roomers", and that is in large part thanks to your preparation at home! We look forward to another successful week with ALL of our students!

A quick reminder that our drop off and pick up schedule is staggered to ensure everyone's safety! Please see the staggered schedules HERE. IN particular, please note that afternoon pick up for Core 1-3 is 2:15-2:30, and afternoon pick up for Core 4-5 is 2:30-2:45. Any family with students straddling both pick up times can pick up all children during the 2:30-2:45 pick up window. Thank You!

FREE lunch and breakfast are available to ALL students, regardless of Free/Reduced Meal program status! You can pick up the next day's breakfast through our drive-by service at 201 N. Douglas during the lunch hour drive thru. Hot lunch service has resumed at DV Connect! We encourage all students to take advantage of this free and convenient opportunity!

Please review our Family Handbook (esp. dress code!), our COVID Handbook, and schedules/on-campus procedures, all of which can be found on our LANDING PAGE

https://us02web.zoom.us/s/3105421796 (password = connect) 

We request that you register and complete the Health Check-In for your child as part of our COVID-19 campus screening entry procedures. The Health Check can be completed on a cell phone, desktop or tablet. You will use this same link every day that you come onto campus from April – June 2021 (we recommend you bookmark this link):

The Health Check screening should be done before you arrive on campus. The link will regenerate and be available every morning beginning at 12:01 a.m. The Health Check is valid only for the day on which it is completed. A new Health Check must be completed for each day when you are scheduled to come to school. Additional information regarding procedures for returning to campus and the use of this link to complete the Health Check can be found HERE.

Please note that Facilitron Health Check-ins are not being used for the purpose of taking attendance.

Here is the link that you will use each day you come onto campus from April-June 2021. The link is school-specific.

If you run into any problems with this link, please contact your school’s front office staff for assistance. If you are unable to complete the check-in prior to coming to campus, we have an alternative screening method. We will be here to help you! 

FAN's Kindness Movement Presents: An Evening to Celebrate Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month!

Join us for a night of celebration of Asian American & Pacific Islander heritage on Zoom! Please sign up HERE https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4EABA92FA4FB6-asian if you would like to share a story, poem, artwork or anything you’d like to with our DV Connect community on this very special evening of celebration! Thank you!!!

Graduation is scheduled for June 9th and is fast-approaching! Please check your e-mail for e-mails and reminders from Tami in order to make this event as successful as possible for our graduates and families!

Check out this helpful resource on Internet Safety made just for you by our MSW intern, Jocelyn!

Here are more helpful tips to help you navigate your (and your family's!) mental health and check-in: https://www.onoursleeves.org/mental-health-resources/articles-support/mental-wellbeing

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS WITH ALL WORKSHOPS: LIVE VIRTUAL & ASYNCHRONOUS RECORDINGS

·        There is so much useful content here:

o  Supplemental Curriculum offerings + links and login credentials

o  Curriculum resources like webinar/workshop recordings, quick start guides and lesson planning tools

o  Podcasts

o  Links to articles and webinars + so much more!

·        The link to my SignUp Genius can be found near the top of the Google Classroom and is updated monthly. Here’s the LINK for May 2021!

·        Remember, I am always willing to find a spot that works for your schedule if posted dates/times are not a good fit!

·        ThinkCERCA Middle School Parent + Student Jam (Meets weekly on Thursdays from 12:45-2pm)

o  Hosted by parent educator ThinkCERCA “Champions” Laura Caputo, Lena Garcia & Jahmal Durham. This will be an on-going space for parents and students to collaborate on writing using the CERCA Framework and the ThinkCERCA platform

o  Use this link to join the meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87917820269

o  Password = thinkcerca

Support & Hope in Community (Meets First and Third Wednesdays at 7-7:45am)

·        A book club for Parents and Students!

Thank you to Julie and Andrew Hill for the idea and for championing this event :)

·        We will meet twice a month on Tuesday afternoons, from 1-2pm

1)     Please get your hands on a copy of "How to Read Literature Like a Professor" and "How to Read Literature Like a Professor... For Kids" 

2)     Check out the link on The Parent Center Google Classroom to see options to purchase and check out from the public library!

2) Read accordingly--the more prepared everyone is, the better our conversations will be!

3) Come ready to discuss!

May 5/11 NEXT MEETING!

** STUDENTS AND PARENTS COME TO THE MEETING PREPARED TO SUGGEST THE NEXT TWO CHAPTERS FOR THE GROUP TO READ--WE WILL VOTE TO DECIDE AS A GROUP! ***

5/25: Resources, Appendices, Extras

Project Based Learning (PBL) at Home (ALL GRADES, WE PROMISE!) (Meets on 5/12 from 2-4pm)

·        In this workshop Rita & Theresa will focus on the mindset, framework, strategies, and tools you need to collaborate with your child to create a fantastic project based on your child’s passions!

·        Wednesday, May 12^th from 1-3pm

·        Topics include:

o  How do I involve my child in PBL project planning at home?

o  A deep dive into what PBL IS and what is ISN’T

o  Learner agency: Why it is essential and how to cultivate it in your student and your project

o  Helping your student find their “SUPER POWER”

o  Establishing quality indicators for excellence and the tools to execute

·        Use this link to sign up https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044BA8AF2EA0F85-project

Safe Passage: Coping Strategies for Middle School Students and Parents (Meets on 5/19 from 6:15-7:15pm)

Please join Dr. Scott Harris, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, and Cori Rosenthal, Marriage and Family Therapist for a special presentation entitled "Safe Passage." 

The goal of our time together is to take stock of this last year in a pandemic and begin to unpack the toll it has taken on families, relationships, our children and ourselves. Scott and Cori will help understand the past year through the lens of empathy and compassion as well as offer practical strategies for you and your middle school children to process and prepare for the "new normal" that is emerging as students return to some form of in-person learning.

Also, the presenters welcome your specific questions and concerns in advance of the event. Please submit content for consideration to tleone@davincischools.org Use this LINK to sign up!

Finally, special thanks to Antioch Counseling Intern Desiree Basl for making the opportunity available to Da Vinci Connect families! 

New (or New-Ish) Family Chat (Meets on 6/1 from 3:30-4:15pm)

 If you have recently joined the DV Connect Community—or simply still feel new-ish—join Theresa and parent educator Jahmal Durham to connect and hopefully gain some helpful insights as you head into the end of the school year and begin to think about your plans for summer and beyond. This is also a great opportunity to meet other parents and start building your network at Connect.

Use this link to reserve you spot! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c044ba8af2ea0f85-newor