DVCA Wecome Back 2020-2021

 

Dear Da Vinci Families,
 

We are excited to connect with the Da Vinci Community and to provide you with information about the upcoming 2020-21 school year. With all the uncertainty and change occurring for schools and across the country, we are grateful that you and your student(s) have chosen Da Vinci and we are eager to reconnect in just a couple of weeks. It has been a busy summer of making adjustments and planning for our modified format due to the restrictions in place for public health and safety. While rather lengthy, the purpose of this communication is to provide you with the answers and resources you need to have a successful and positive launch to the start of school in a distance learning format beginning on Wednesday, August 26th. 

Online Re-Enrollment
The Parent Portal for Online Re-Enrollment 2020-21 is now open. The purpose of Online Re-Enrollment is to grant permissions/preferences, review forms and update contact and medical information for the 2020-21 school year. One parent/guardian must complete this process for each student prior to that student beginning school.
Find details below or you can visit our website at DJUSD Online Re-Enrollment 

To complete Online Re-Enrollment, you will need your personal PIN/PASSWORD to log in to the Parent Portal and complete the Online Re-Enrollment for each student.  Only one LEGAL parent/guardian is required to complete the process.
To get your personal PIN/PASSWORD:

  1. Visit the DJUSD Parent Portal at: https://parentportal.djusd.net/
  2. In the Pin/Password section, click on: “Need Your Login Information?”
  3. Enter your email address that the district has on file.
  4. You will receive an email with your personal pin/password.
Please have your Pin and Password ready when you are ready to complete your Online Re-enrollment for each child.

To begin Online Re-enrollment, follow the easy-to-use Online Re-Enrollment Instructions located on the Parent Portal at: https://parentportal.djusd.net 
              
Have Questions / Need Assistance?
If you would like assistance with completing your Online Re-Enrollment, or do not have computer or internet access, there are several options:

  • Stop by the DJUSD Technology Department (M-F 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.) located at 526 B Street in Davis and use a Chromebook to complete your Online Re-Enrollment or to get your Pin/Password (please bring either a photo ID, medical and/or  insurance information).
  • Call the Online Re-Enrollment Help Desk  8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. 
    • English: (530) 757-5300 x117
    • Spanish: (530) 205-3053 or (530) 205-3163
  • Online Re-Enrollment should be completed by August 17. After that date, you will need to contact your school site directly for support.

TIPS & TRICKS FOR ONLINE RE-ENROLLMENT

  • When possible, do not use the browser “Safari” on a MAC.  Use Google Chrome, Firefox or Explorer.
  •  You may use a cell phone to complete this process this year.
  • Please add at least one emergency contact (who is not the parent or legal guardian).

The DVCA Staff
We are pleased to share that nearly all of our fantastic staff are returning for the upcoming school year but there are a few important changes to share with you. At the Da Vinci High School site, we said goodbye to math teacher Brianna DeRobbio as she moved to a new school in the Bay Area. We welcome former DVHS Student Teacher and Davis Senior High School Math Teacher Michelle Higuera back to the team in her place. Susan Kirby, our longtime Internship Coordinator and Vickie Carr, our longtime IT Specialist are also both retiring and plans are in progress to fill those positions. We thank them both deeply and wish them the best in retirement. We also welcome aboard School Psychologist Karen Slabaugh and part-time registrar Yin Myo-Flores. At the Da Vinci Junior High Site, we said goodbye to long-time counselor Kala Ebbe and welcome aboard our new counselor Marla Bowen who was previously with Korematsu Elementary School. We also welcome our new Speech Pathologist Carly Hopkins to the DVJH Team. Our team has been working diligently these past weeks to conduct professional development for the forthcoming school year and is eager to get started. You can “meet” all of our staff at the following pages on our website: 

Registration and Pick Up Events
Da Vinci High School
What: DVHS will hold a Contactless, Drive-Thru Registration and Materials Pick Up event on 8/21. Students will pick up up a personalized bag of materials which will include the following: textbooks for each of their courses, a student planner, a hard copy of the Quarter Block Schedule and year-long calendar, a DVCA issued laptop & charger (unless your student elects to use a personal device), a Dino Pack Welcome Letter, an Art Supply Packet (if enrolled in an Art course), specialized paper for math courses, and a printed copy of the student’s course schedule.
Who: Da Vinci High School students (grades 10-12); parents are welcome but are optional

  • Seniors: 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
  • Juniors: 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
  • Sophomores: 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
When: Friday, August 21st
Where: Da Vinci High School - 1400 E. 8th Street, Davis, CA. Students may drive or bike and face coverings are required. Students will enter the West Parking Lot with completed registration materials (sent via US mail and linked with this letter) and queue up in the lot. Upon submitting registration paperwork, students will proceed onto the field to pick up the above mentioned items. Cars and bikes will then exit across the black top and through the front parking lot. Staff directions and signage will help guide students through this process.

If your student cannot attend the Registration and Pick Up Event, they can come by the Da Vinci High School Office on Tuesday, August 25th from 9 am to 12 pm to pick up their materials.


Da Vinci Junior High
What: Da Vinci Junior High School will hold a Contactless, Drive-Thru Materials Pick Up event. Students will pick up a personalized bag of materials which will include the following: textbooks for each course, a hard copy of the course schedule and year-long calendar, a Welcome Letter, Art Supply Packet (if enrolled in an Art course), and the student’s course schedule. Chromebooks will be available for checkout, as needed. DVJH students do not need to submit any registration materials/paperwork at this event.
Who: Da Vinci High School students (grades 7-9) and parents should attend with their student.
When: Monday, August 24th
  • 7th Grade: 8:00 - 10:00 a.m.
  • 8th Grade: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
  • 9th Grade: 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
  • After hours pick-up: 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Where: Emerson/Da Vinci JHS Parking Lot (enter at 2121 Calaveras Avenue) Signage will help guide you through the parking lot. Please remain in your vehicle and wear a mask. If you are unavailable to attend on August 24th, students from all grade levels may visit the Emerson/Da Vinci Front Office for assistance on Tuesday, August 25th from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm or during our regularly scheduled office hours on M/W/F 8:00 am-12:00 pm

New Student Orientations
DVHS Dino Pack Connections

Dino Pack is a Da Vinci High School student leadership and mentorship organization that functions under the guidance of our Counseling Department. Typically, the Dino Pack would hold an in-person orientation but that is not possible right now. In place of this event, on August 24th and 25th, members of the Dino Pack will be personally calling each new student to Da Vinci High School to make a connection and share contact information. Additionally, students will remain connected to these Dino Pack Leaders through weekly connections during the new Wednesday morning SEL blocks of time.   

 
Da Vinci/Emerson - 7th Grade Virtual WEB Orientation 
Welcome to Junior High School!! All of us at Da Vinci and Emerson are so excited to get to know our new students! Before school even starts, we will be holding our 7th Grade WEB (Where Everyone Belongs) Virtual Orientation on Tuesday, August 25, 2020. This Orientation will introduce you to our 8th and 9th grade WEB Leaders, let you virtually see some of your fellow classmates, and include exciting information, a virtual school tour, and much more! We will be offering two sessions of the 7th grade orientation. Both sessions will contain the same information and experiences - you only need to attend one.

WEB (Where Everyone Belongs) Virtual Orientation: Tuesday, August 25
Session #1 from 11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Session #2 from 4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.
To RSVP for one of these sessions, please click on our WEB Orientation RSVP Form. The information that you provide in this survey will be used to create a personalized and excellent experience for you on Orientation Day! If you have any questions about this orientation, please contact us at [email protected] or [email protected].


The Secondary Quarter Block Schedule

A significant amount of time was spent this summer developing a consistent secondary daily schedule that promotes the values of equity, access, innovation, continuity, compatibility, and efficacy. The result is the Secondary Quarter Schedule which can be found on our Da Vinci website at https://davincicharteracademyhs.net/resources/daily_schedule.

Secondary Quarter Block Schedules

Included in the Secondary Quarter Block Schedule is a new Advisory/Social Emotional Learning (SEL)/Community Building block of time on Wednesdays from 10:35 - 11:05 am. This was included as a way to encourage connection and engagement that is so important to the school experience. This block of time is going to be dedicated to a variety of activities that focus on building community, addressing students’ social emotional needs, learning essential skills for Da Vinci as well as connecting with students. At DVHS, students will be grouped with their Dino Pack Leaders, 20 mixed-grade level peers, and will be assigned to a specific Da Vinci teacher. At DVJH, students will be grouped within grade level cohorts and assigned to a DVJH teacher. Attendance will be taken during this time block, so attendance is required, but assignments and grades will not be given.

We encourage you and your student to preview this schedule but recognize that you may have questions. The DVCA Administration and the DVCA Boosters are c0-hosting a parent information event on Monday, August 24th at 7:00 pm via Zoom where additional information will be provided (see section below titled Welcome Parent Information Night).


Grading During Distance Learning

Last spring the district utilized a Pass/No Pass grading system during the phase of Emergency Distance Learning. In contrast, this year the district and Da Vinci will return to traditional letter grading for all courses and teachers will resume standard grading practices as outlined in DJUSD Board Policy. Additionally, staff will follow the existing homework policy, progress reports will be issued, and report cards will be sent home.

Learning Management System (LMS) - Transition from Echo to Canvas
With the recent DJUSD adoption of the Canvas LMS, Da Vinci Charter Academy was able to reflect on our own path forward as a leader in using an LMS to promote high-quality, innovative instruction. While Echo has served us well for many years, we ultimately have found many benefits within Canvas and with being unified with the district during this significant transition. As such, DVCA will no longer be using Echo and will be starting in Canvas on day one of the school year. Canvas will be available for students and parents to log in beginning on Friday, August 21st. In addition to the paper schedule received at the pick-up events, students will be able to view their schedules in Canvas. A Re-Start DJUSD Re-Opening Guide will be shared from the DJUSD District Office in the coming days which will provide additional information on accessing and using Canvas. Tutorials are also in development and will be available on the Instructional Technology Digital Tools Webpage. In preparation for the August 21st launch of Canvas, we have provided the specific student/parent login information below:

Email Domain Switch
Along with our transition to Canvas, DVCA is transitioning away from the old @djusdk12ca.org domain to the @djusdstudents.org domain. DVCA students have always had the @djusdstudents.org account but it is likely they relied solely on the @djusdk12ca.org account. However, going forward access to Canvas, Google suite, and school email communications will only be functional through the @djusdstudents.org account. This change will provide more streamlined access for students that co-enroll at other sites and will provide improved security and monitoring. This change does require that DVCA students begin accessing the @djusdstudents.org account prior to the start of school and take care to transfer any essential content from the old account to the new one. We have outlined the processes below for students to complete these tasks:

  • To access our @djusdstudents.org account
    • Go to Gmail
    • Enter your username as follows:
      • first initial, last initial student id number@
      • Ex: ab12345@
      • Default password is your birthdate in this format
      • Please remember to change to a more secure password
    • If you are having issues accessing your account or password, please check out the DJUSD Student Accounts Webpage or email DVCA IT Support Specialist Vickie Carr at [email protected].
    • Transferring Content from djusdk12ca.org to djusdstudents.org
      • Log in to the gmail account that you want to transfer content from: first name.last [email protected]
      • Click on the “grid” icon in the top right hand corner
      • Click on the “account” icon
      • Go to “transfer your content” section
      • Click on “start transfer” and enter email address of where you want all of your things to go
      • Check your email for the verification code and then enter it in the designated spot
      • Follow prompts from there
Welcome Parent Information Night
Hosted by:
DVCA Boosters/DVCA Admin
Who: DVCA Parents and Guardians
What: An informational meeting co-hosted by the DVCA Boosters and Da Vinci Administration to provide important information to launch the school year. The DVCA Boosters will provide an overview of the important work they do in supporting DVCA and offer opportunities to be involved. The DVCA Administration will provide additional details about the daily/weekly schedule, the SEL Block, attendance expectations and other resources for distance learning. A question and answer session will follow.
When: Monday, August 24th at 7 pm
Where: Zoom; a link and flyer will be sent via School Messenger and posted to website prior to the event

DJUSD Communications
Additional communications will be forthcoming as the start of the year approaches. We encourage you to stay connected through the weekly updates and Superintendent Constant Contact Communications that can be found at the DJUSD/Covid-19/Restart DJUSD Webpage

We are thrilled that you and your student(s) are choosing Da Vinci Charter Academy for the 2020-21 school year. We consider it an honor and a privilege to be part of your student’s education. If you have questions please reach out to our DVHS Office at (530) 757-7154 or [email protected] or [email protected] or our DVJH Office at (530) 759-1615 or [email protected] or [email protected].
 
Best regards,

Tyler Millsap's signature
Tyler Millsap    
Principal, Da Vinci Charter Academy

Annie Nelson's Signature
Annie Nelson
Vice-Principal & Site Administrator, Da Vinci Charter Academy Junior High

Scott Bell signature
Scott Stephen Bell
Teaching Vice-Principal, Da Vinci High School