From Your Administrative Team |
Greetings Connect TK-8 Families,
First, I want to extend a big "Thank You!" to Jahmal, Grace, Michelle, DJ Henry, and middle school student Julia for pulling off such a fantastic Dance Party and movie night on Friday! I've heard from so many students and families that this event brought so much joy into their homes, and we can't wait for the next opportunity to groove with DJ Henry! Thank you for a great community building event for our entire K-8 community!
As part of our Black History Month Celebration and in collaboration with International Day of Women and Girls in Science, HERE is a list of 10 Black Female Pioneers in Science everyone should know! You can further explore these women in Science with THIS read aloud of Mae Among the Stars, and in movies like Hidden Figures. Don't stop there--check out THIS list of films to watch during Black History Month (and ANY time!) curated by our Social Worker intern, Jocelyn--there's something for everyone in the family to enjoy!
Finally, a reminder that our application deadline for NEW families (re-enrollment info for current families is coming soon) is February 28! If you have a friend/neighbor who is interested, are part of a local homeschooling group, or have presence on social media, please spread the word! You can direct people to www.davincischools.org>enroll as well as engage with Da Vinci Connect's official FB business page, and/or tag us and share on instagram (@dv_connect)!
Take Good Care,
Kaitlin and Tami
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Learning Log #3 Ends 2/19/21
Deadline to submit is THIS Friday, 2/19 by 11:59pm!
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FAN Meeting THIS WEDNESDAY!
Wednesday, February 17 @ 4:00pm HERE
If you missed our FAN meeting in January, you can check out the recording to catch up (PW staffonly1!) on what you missed! See you there! |
The Parent Center at Da Vinci Connect!
“Community and Connection With a Purpose—Let’s Lift Each Other Up to Cultivate Hope & Joy”
First session THIS Wednesday AM!
FAN and The Parent Center @ DV Connect are partnering to create regular opportunities to come together as a community for connection and support. Join us each first and third Wednesday of the month to gather, discuss, or just “be” as we explore topics all of us are navigating in these challenging times.
In some capacity, all of us have likely experienced loss, grief, struggle (and love and joy) since stay-at-home orders were mandated last March. And, although it looks like there’s hope in sight, it is fair to say that by now many of us are really feeling the domino effect of social distancing that has created isolation from friends, family, school and work--not to mention economic hardships related to job loss/cutbacks, school closures and health concerns--the list could go on!
This workshop series was designed to create a safe space to connect, share, listen and lift each other up. FAN members, Jahmal Durham, Grace Bader, Dominique Seeley, Beth Griffin, Da Vinci parents Johana Mytko & Melissa Liebeskind, as well as DV Connect Staff members Kene Washington and Theresa Leone will take turns offering up content that promotes conversation, exploration, reflection, hope and maybe even a call to action. No matter what, the gathering is meant to feel like home—a place where we all belong.
Dates (all meetings are from 7-7:45am)
February 17th 7:45am Johanna Mytko & Theresa Leone
Moving Forward: How Will We Move Forward?
- First we will begin with a grounding opening activity
- As a group, we will set meeting norms and agreements
- Together we will watch the TED Talk by Cleo Wade, “Want to Change the World? Start by Being Brave Enough to Care”
- As a way to go deeper into the topic, participants will be guided through a journaling protocol, “3/2/1”
March 3rd 7:45am TBD
March 17th 7:45am Jahmal Durham: Affirmations of Thought & Speech
April 21st 7:45am TBD
May 5th 7:45am TBD
May 19th 7:45am TBD
June 2nd 7:45am TBD
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FAN's Kindness Movement!
Hey DV Connect! Grass Roots Neighbors, a food bank and volunteer community organization whose mission is to meet the immediate needs of our neighbors experiencing food and housing insecurity is running low on the following:
*gloves
*rice
*beans
*canned veggies
*canned beans/soup/chili
*macaroni and cheese
*peanut butter and jelly
*canned meats
*bread
*cooking oil
*spices
*almond milk
*tortillas
*bar soap
*toothpaste
*shampoo and conditioner
*toothpaste
*paper towels
*laundry detergent
*dish soap
*kid’s snacks
*granola bars
*diapers, size 6
*pasta sauce
If you’d like to make a donation, you can drop off M-F between 12-1pm at 6804 Vista Del Mar in Playa Del Rey, CA 90293.
Thank you!!!💝
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"Women at Belkin" Panel!
February 24
Portal Schools, a new school organization started by a former Da Vinci leader, is hosting a panel in collaboration with Belkin to give our middle school girls an opportunity to hear from women across a variety of roles within Belkin and ask questions related to careers. We're hoping that this "live" event is inspiring and engaging!
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Art with Mr. Mason!
Mr. Mason will be posting NEW Art Videos each Wednesday in my Google Classroom for everyone to enjoy at their leisure, as well as LIVE Zoom Art on Wednesdays at 2-3pm! Hope to see you soon!
(links)
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RESERVE YOUR 20-21 YEARBOOK TODAY!
It's not just a yearbook, it's YOUR book!
Our yearbook printer, Picaboo Yearbooks, offers 4 FREE personalized pages with each yearbook. To utilize this feature, you must order online (find link in the flyer and below) and follow the instructions. Additional personalized pages are available for additional cost.
Make sure to click on the correct store:
Pricing is based on the number of pages per book:
- Connect K-8 has 100 pages ($25-$33)
- Connect HS has 40 pages ($16-$26)
Do you want to share photos from homeschooling or update your student's portrait?
- You can do that easily through our yearbook stores: Find this button "Share photos with this yearbook"
- All portraits have a soft greenery background, so please use a similar background for your new portrait photo.
- Families may load 2 collage photos of each student
When uploading photos, there is a dropdown button:
- If you want to replace/upload a portrait, then click your child's teacher/grade AND cohort.
- If you want to share a candid photo, then click "Collage" for your child's teacher/grade.
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Once you upload, add a note: Student name, activity
- All uploaded photos will need to be approved by Darlene or Lauren
- 8th Grade Families: Please upload a baby photo and a young (age 5-7) photo with note: Student Name
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Free COVID Testing
LA County is offering free At-Home Covid Test kits to those who qualify through January 15th. A fee may be incurred after this date. Please find all pertinent information HERE
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Da Vinci Schools Families Connected!
We realize that the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with winter days and the holiday season may be impacting our families and community in a variety of ways. If you, your family, or someone you know is struggling, please reach out for support. You can also visit the Da Vinci Families Connected tab on our Parent Resource Site (click HERE) or go to www.dvconnectresources.org (pw is DVConnect2021)>Resources from Da Vinci Connect >Da Vinci Schools Families Connected.
This partnership between Da VInci Schools and Beach Cities Health District provides a multitude of resources and support for students and their families. Feel free to share with anyone in your community who may benefit from this support.
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Receiving our Blog?
We've entered parent email addresses to our K-8 and High School blog so you should now receive blog emails periodically (we've sent out 2 to each group so far). They arrive in your inbox like an email from "Da Vinci Connect" and the subject line is "Da Vinci Connect Updates" (K-8) and "Da VInci Connect High School Updates" (HS).
If you aren't receiving them, check your spam/clutter/junkmail box and if there's nothing there, try subscribing directly on our blog site (you can check back here periodically as well). Connect HS Blog found HERE and Connect K-8 Blog found HERE. |
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