Da Vinci Senior Families Update
Posted on 04/28/2020
Class of 2020 Senior UpdateGreetings Da Vinci Seniors and families, 

Well, Da Vinci Seniors and families, this is certainly not the second semester any of us expected or wanted. Throughout this crisis, you and your families have continued to demonstrate the kindness, flexibility, and general positivity for which your class is known. While words in a letter are not nearly sufficient for the gravity of what you are enduring, we still want to share that we care for each of you deeply and are incredibly proud to call you our beloved Da Vinci Senior Class of 2020. Below are some important updates about end-of-year events and how we are currently planning to address them. 

It is with profound sadness that we must inform you that this year’s senior trip is officially cancelled.  We know that you had been working towards this celebration and it breaks our hearts that you won’t have the opportunity to enjoy this time-honoured Da Vinci tradition. The cancellation is based on the current orders from DJUSD, the health recommendations set by the State of California, and the fact that vendors are either closed or are not currently offering certain services. This year, we had incredibly active student participation with fund-raising efforts, and we want to make a special mention to Senior Trip Student Coordinator Mr. John Gill Campi for leading the student portion of fundraising.  We can share with you the good news that the funds raised specifically by you and your fellow students through events such as the Chili Cook-off and Blaze Pizza fundraisers will be used towards enhancing your graduation ceremony.  We also appreciate the incredible generosity that our parent community showed through donating hard earned dollars towards the trip. Those funds are currently held by the DVCA Boosters and you will be hearing details from them shortly about how refunds will be processed.  

On a more positive note, we are in the early stages of planning for an online, streaming graduation ceremony that will be a combination of pre-recorded, live, and interactive content. This event will allow us to celebrate each of you and mark the culmination of your K-12 journey as you view from your homes with family and loved ones. We plan to hold this event on the original graduation date, Thursday, the 11th of June 2020. Many more details will be coming your way about this event in the coming weeks. We would like to make this graduation as personal and student-centered as possible which is why we’d like to emphasize that several elements of your Distance Learning coursework in Political Studies, such as your 15 seconds of fame videos, and graduate write-ups, will comprise portions of the graduation ceremony so it is important that you complete those activities keeping in mind the importance and value of this event. 

As we prepare for wrapping up the school year, we want to inform you of how we are currently planning for some senior-specific activities as well as acknowledge certain issues for which we are still developing answers or plans. With the ongoing health situation and stay-at-home orders in mind, here are the details we are able to share:

  • Graduation Caps & Gowns: We are ordering caps & gowns for all seniors and will provide details on how those will be delivered/picked up in the coming weeks.
  • Yard Signs: The fabulous and incredible DVCA Parent Boosters are planning to provide celebration signs for our graduates. There is no cost. The DVCA Boosters will provide additional information on this project in coming weeks.
  • Returning textbooks, computers and chargers: We are looking into plans for a drop of these items. More details will be provided in the coming weeks. You will be receiving a personalized list of the books checked out to you either by US mail home or by email to help you gather all materials for a drop off, if and when that is possible. If you are unable to locate a book, please note the price of the book and bring your check payable to Da Vinci Charter Academy with you to the drop off to clear your debt. Clearing your debt may include paying your lunch account. 
  • Yearbooks: Yearbooks are being delivered to DVCA on May 21st. We plan to include yearbook dissemination concurrently with the above pick up/drop off, if and when that is possible.
  • Diplomas: We will begin mailing diplomas via registered mail beginning on Monday, June 15th. Student accounts do need to be cleared for diplomas to be mailed out. Our office will reach out to your student and family if there are any accounts that require payment.
  • For Transcripts: If and when a drop off/pick up is possible, the DVCA counselors request that you bring a stamped, addressed envelope for the college that you want your final transcript to be mailed to. This includes both two-year and four-year schools. If a pick up /drop off is not possible, our counseling team will look into other methods for delivery. Remember that if you completed your college application through Common App, your counselor will submit your final transcript electronically for you. 

We realize that news about the changes to the end of your senior year activities can bring up a variety of different emotions. We look forward to celebrating you and your accomplishments at the forthcoming ceremony, and thank you for being part of the Da Vinci community. Please know that your Da Vinci family is here for you and want to encourage you to reach out to your counselor if you would like any additional support.

With gratitude and appreciation,

Tyler Millsap
DVCA Principal

Scott Stephen Bell
DVHS Teaching Vice Principal

Adela Johnson
DVHS Administrative Assistant