September 4th, 2026

Hello Da Vinci Connect Families,

We have had such a full week of connecting, making friends, and forming community! Projects are starting to get off the ground, and there is already some amazing learning and exploring happening across campus.

I want to send a big thank you to Jenny Tan and the rest of the middle school families who helped fix up our hangout spot in the back. It is looking very cool, and the kids are loving spending time there!

Please make sure that you are checking your student’s Canvas account WEEKLY for important calendar events and updates from teachers. This is the main way you will learn what is happening in your child’s classes.

Due to our unexpected change in staffing for the Parent Educator Support Specialist, we are still working on how to support parents in all the different important ways. In the meantime, we have Stephanie Lee (former parent and teacher) supporting parents Tuesday–Thursday. We will get a sign-up out soon for her to support parents with curriculum. We are also needing to postpone PEC #2. We will let you know the new date as soon as we can.

Sign-ups for Theater and Choir are below—classes start the week of 9/14!

Finally—if your student is in 5th–8th grade, you should have received invitations for Astro/Catalina Camp! Check your email and reach out to Nydia with any questions!

Have a wonderful long weekend!

Robin (she/her) and Nydia (she/ her)

No School/ Homeschool on Monday, September 7th and Friday September 11th

Monday, September 7th is Labor day and Friday Septemebr 11th is a Professional Development Day for our staff.

Fall Performing Arts Sign Ups are live!

Classes Start the week of 9/14

We are thrilled to continue offering Choir and Theater to our TK-8 students on their homeschool days this semester! Please read the Choir Syllabus and the Theater Syllabus to fully understand the schedule and commitment. Once you are ready to sign up, you can do so HERE! If you are signing up for multiple students or multiple classes, please complete the form separately for each submission.

Attn: 8th graders- We need two Student Board Member Representatives

Deadline to Apply: 9/18

Each year we are able to select two student representatives who will sit on our board who represent Da Vinci Connect TK8! Our student board representatives are responsible for attending monthly board meetings in the evenings, working with other student board members to create slide decks updating the board of events on campus, and preparing to speak/present at those meetings. If interested, The online application link for students/respondents is here.

Lunch cards/ Procedures

Our lunch team has been working hard to figure out systems that allow them to collect the data they need while also allowing students to quickly get their lunches.

The younger Cores (1–4) will either get their lunch cards from their teachers or from the baskets outside the lunchroom. We are asking Core 5 students to keep track of their own lunch cards. They will be given their own copy of their lunch card next week, and we are asking that they keep track of it and bring it to the lunch line each day to get their lunch.

The lunch staff would also like to request that if your student is getting breakfast, please get them to school as close to 8:55 a.m. as possible so that they have adequate time to get their breakfast and eat before class starts.

Thank you for your support with this!

Family Action Network Meetings!

We are excited to start holding regular FAN meetings for parents to get involved in our community! We would love to see you there!



Join us for the “Family Action Network” Co-Planning Meetings to be held in the Parent Center from 2-3 pm on the following dates: 9/1, 9/3, 9/15, 9/17, 10/1, 10/13, 10/27, 10/29, 12/1, & 12/3. 

Take action in planning the next FAN event by sharing your ideas here: FAN Interest Survey!

If you have questions, feel free to email our Activities Coordinator Jahmal Durham at jdurham@davincischools.org

California State Parks Free Fourth Grade Pass

The California State Parks Department is excited to share that, in time for the 2026–27 school year, incoming California fourth graders can download the Free Fourth Grade Pass, which allows students and their families to enter 54 state parks at no cost. The pass provides unlimited access to parks stretching from the North Coast to Southern California. The pass is valid for up to 13 months. Studies indicate that access to parks and green spaces improves children’s physical well-being, social–emotional learning, and academic outcomes, with students experiencing reduced stress and demonstrating more enthusiasm for school. Access the Free Fourth Grade Pass via the Reserve California web page.

Care and Comfort Kits!

Each year we ask families to provide a Care and Comfort Kit for their student(s) in the case of an emergency on campus. Please see (and print!) this form for directions on how to build your child's care and comfort kit.

Please drop off Care and Comfort Kits during drop off and pick up during the next two weeks!

Art with Mr. Mason!

Wednesdays from 2-3pm via zoom!

Join Mr. Mason each week via zoom for a live art lesson! You can also check out his google classroom below for access to over 350 archived art lesson videos to access at anytime! NEW art videos are posted every week!

Google classroom link:  https://classroom.google.com/c/NTQ5ODk5MTQzNzZa?cjc=3vs27ai

Class code: 3vs27ai

ZOOM link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2029821176

Meeting ID: 202 982 1176

Updates from our Front Office Team!

Guidance for dropping off student lunches:

• Students should bring a lunch to school or plan to get school lunch
• There is no food delivery or fast food on campus
• If your student forgets their lunch, they can get school lunch. If you must drop off a lunch from home after school drop off, please drop off the lunch before your student's lunch time (Cores 1-3 before 11:25 AM and Cores 4-5 before 12:15 PM). The lunch will then be left at the table outside their classroom with their name on it where they can look for it at lunchtime. The same policy will apply to water bottles or other forgotten items. 

Guidance if you need to pick up your student(s) early: 

• Please give yourself extra time when picking up your student before the end of the day - they may be at lunch, body break, or in the middle of a teaching lesson - and will need time to disengage, gather belongings, and come to the front office. We thank you for your patience.
• We cannot accommodate early pick ups after 2:55pm, as the front office closes at 3:00pm for dismissal

Metro Cards Available

We have Metro Tap cards that are available for any of our students that would find them useful. Please reach out to Robin if your student could use one: rbrown@davincischools.org

Daily Read Alouds on Zoom!

M-F 9:00am

Want a connective way to begin your homeschool days? Join Nancy each day at 9:00am on zoom for a virtual read aloud! This invitation is for all ages, regardless of grade level or cohort! You can join her on zoom HERE

Da Vinci Connect Gear!

We are honored to partner with Mychal's Learning Place for our printing needs. Take a look at our online store to purchase Da Vinci Connect t-shirts and hoodies, in youth AND adult sizes!

Email Connect K-8 Front Office |

Email Nydia | Email Robin | Office Phone (310) 725-5800

K-8 Parent Educator Resource Website | Family Handbook| School Calendar