DaVinci Connection-July 30, 2021

DaVinci Academy

Staff Directory

Food Service

School Calendar

School Supplies

Volunteer Information

Anti-Bullying Policy

Subject to change-see online calendar

8/5 Open House 3:00-7:00 PM

8/10 School Starts 1-8

8/12 Kindergarten Starts

To the left, you will find helpful links to important pages on our website.

Dear Families,

I look forward to welcoming you back to campus in person on Thursday, August 5 for Open House! In the mail you received a welcome letter from me containing information about the upcoming school year. On Monday, August 2 we will be sharing finalized information regarding our Covid-19 guidelines for the 21-22 school year. I’m excited to introduce to you our 21-22 leadership team. We will all be working together to ensure our staff and students have an exceptional year!

School Principals

Elementary Principal, Andrea Halverson

Middle School Principal, Jack Shields

K-8 Academics and Support

Academic Director, Terry Moffatt

Director of Teaching and Learning, Kelly Zender

Special Education Director, Kari Peterson

Schoolwide

Operations Director, Holly Fischer

Human Resources Director, Jenny Kopecky

Sincerely,

Ahava Silkey-Jones

A Message For Our Elementary Families

Hello DaVinci Families!

We are so excited to welcome our students back to DaVinci for the 2021-2022 school year! We have been busy preparing our building and our staff to welcome you back to campus.

Our Open House is scheduled for Thursday, August 5th from 3:00-7:00 pm. We are excited to have you meet your child’s teacher, visit the classroom, and drop off school supplies.

We will be using Bloomz to send communications to families again this year. If you haven’t already downloaded the app, please consider doing so. Teachers will use Bloomz as their primary method of communication and will use it to send weekly updates and any last minute changes that happen over the course of the school year. I will use Bloomz to send out schoolwide notices as well; however, I would encourage you to contact me via email if you need to contact me directly as I’m able to respond more quickly that way.

I wanted to share an exciting update with you. We have added a STEM Specialist position to our elementary program. This teacher will teach students in a rotating schedule along with our existing art, music, and PE classes. We created this STEM class to further support our focus as an arts and science school. We are excited to be able to provide more STEM opportunities for our K-5 learners during the school day.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me at ahalverson@davincicharterschool.org. I look forward to seeing you next week!

Andrea Halverson

Elementary Principal

DaVinci Academy

A Message For Our Middle School Families

Friday, July 30, 2021 

Dear Middle School Families,

Welcome to the 21-22 school year at DaVinci Academy. My name is Jack Shields, and I am the Middle School Principal. This is my fourth year at DaVinci Academy, and I look forward to serving the staff, students, and families again this year. Please feel free to contact me by phone or email if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child or our program.

This week we welcomed our new staff members to DaVinci. It was great to grow through professional development activities and to get to know one another as colleagues. Next week, our returning staff will join us as we prepare for the upcoming school year. I would like to invite you to our Open House on Thursday, August 5, anytime from 3:00-7:00pm. At the Open House, you and your child will receive their class schedule, meet their advisor and teachers, as well as be able to connect with classmates and other families. Your child’s advisor is your main point of contact with general school questions, so please stop by and introduce yourself. Your child’s advisor will send you an invitation to sign up for Bloomz to make communication seamless. You may also contact any of your child’s teachers through email. Please consider downloading Bloomz on your phone, or saving it on your computer to ensure convenient and timely communication. 

On Thursday, August 5, you will also be able to log in to Infinite Campus to see your child’s schedule. If you need help accessing Infinite Campus please contact our school office. We have created this Middle School Curriculum Guide with class descriptions and academic information for you to review.

I look forward to seeing you next week, and please contact me with any questions.

Sincerely,

Jack Shields

jshields@davincicharterschool.org

763.754.6577 x1315

Back to School

We are excited to welcome new and returning students very soon! If you haven’t checked out our back-to-school page you can view important information here: Back to School 2021-22

The updated 2021-2022 Student Handbook is now available here: Student Handbook

Watch your mailboxes next week for your Back to School Packet.  It will include:

• Your Silent Dismissal Family Car Tag and instructions for updating your information in the progam
• An Educational Benefits Registrations form
• Your bus tag (if you reserved a seat on the bus for your child)
• A Welcome letter from Ahava Silkey-Jones
• Information about the new payment portal change

Open House – All Students

We are very excited to welcome families back in to the building on Thursday, August 5th for our Back to School Open House.  You will meet the teachers and get your child’s schedule, get information about lunch, after school offerings, and sports, get help with Silent Dismissal and Infinite Campus, pick up your school calendar magnet, drop off school supplies, and most importantly connect with everyone face to face again. Come any time from 3:00-7:00 PM!

Uniform Swap

If you have gently used uniform shirts or pants that your child has outgrown, bring them to school before the open house on Thursday, August 5 and we will include them in the uniform swap.

Kindergarten Family Conferences

Kindergarten teachers will be contacting all families of Kindergarten students to schedule in-person conferences which will take place August 10th & 11th. Families and students will have a chance to see the classroom, drop off school supplies and meet with their teacher to discuss the upcoming year.  Kindergarten families are of course also welcome to join us at Open House night on the 5th.

Athletics at DaVinci Academy 21-22 School Year

We are pleased to be able to offer athletic opportunities at DaVinci Academy this school year! Our school will run our own cross country program in the fall, basketball program in the winter, and track and field program in the spring. We are working with community organizations to offer a wide variety of recreational athletic opportunities throughout the school year. In the fall, we have partnered with programs for soccer, volleyball, and competitive cheer. The table below has links to the information and registration forms for each of the programs we are partnering with for recreational athletics. Please contact Jack Shields, jshields@davincicharterschool.org with any questions.

Fall Sports in Partnership with Other Programs

DaVinci Academy Run Sports

Cross Country

The middle school cross country team will practice or have meets two times per week starting in late August. Practices will be held after school from 3:30-4:30 on our school property. We are in the process of finalizing the meet schedule, and we will publish that when complete. 

Basketball

We are excited to be able to offer our basketball program again this year. This program relies on parent volunteer coaches as well as staff coaches to run an excellent program. Families may choose the recreational program, and our DaVinci teams compete with other teams from Blaine, Coon Rapids, and Spring Lake Park. The recreational program is a skill development program that encourages equal playing time for each player. We will hold tryouts for students in grades 4-8 in the fall for those students interested in our competitive traveling basketball program. Both our recreational and travel teams practice at our school one or two evenings during the week and play games on the weekends in area gyms. More information will be sent out before tryouts.

Track and Field

The middle school track and field team will practice or have meets two times per week in the spring. Practices will be held after school from 3:30-4:30 on our school property. More information will be sent out before the season begins.

Transportation

Buss Routes Posted for the 21-22 School Year

BUS ROUTES for the 21-22 school year are complete. We based the routes on the number of students who signed up for each bus stop and adjusted stops accordingly to keep student numbers well below the 77 student max. Bus spacing, as we were required to do during the hybrid months last year, is not a mandate this year. But, we did want to try to keep the numbers lower if it was possible to do so. With the addition of a 10th school bus, stops have been shifted to new routes so you will want to pay close attention to those changes. 

If you reserved a bus seat for your child at the end of last school year, you will be receiving a bus tag to place on your student’s backpack. Your child will also receive a seat assignment on the first day of school.

If you did not reserve a bus seat yet, you may still do so by completing this form. Note that you will be charged a $25.00 late fee per child and may have to wait to see if there is sufficient room on the route before your child will be allowed to ride.

Here is the link to the Interactive Bus Stop map which includes stop times and bus colors.

Here is a Word version of these stops and times. 

If you have any questions or concerns about these routes please visit the Bus table at Open House night, or email Holly Fischer at hfischer@davincicharterschool.org. 

Parking Lot Announcements – New Staggered Dismissal Times

• Doors will open for students to enter the school at 7:30 AM. Students will be allowed to go directly to their classroom or to breakfast at that time.
• PM drivers will have the option to exit onto Bunker from the east parking lot this year. After you pick up your child wait to be waved in to the bus lane.  The will alleviate more of the traffic congestion in the neighborhood across the street and allow for families to more easily head north or east out of the parking lot.
• Dismissal time is 3:00 this year and students will not be dismissed to the parking lot before then so please plan accordingly.
• Students with last names beginning with the letters A-L will be the first students dismissed to the parking lot.  If your last name begins with the letters M-Z we ask that you do not enter the parking lot until 3:10 so that we can stagger vehicles in the lot and reduce the cars waiting on Jefferson.  Thank you for your cooperation with this.

Silent Dismissal – Bus Tracking Feature

DaVinci Academy office staff have been piloting a GPS tracking system in Silent Dismissal for some time now to determine if it is ready for parent use. We are now happy to report that it is! Families who use the Silent Dismissal app can view the map by tapping the drop down menu and selecting “Locate”. Displayed will be a map of all of the buses and where they are located.  The app updates every 30 seconds so refreshing the screen is important. 

If you are interested in getting the Silent Dismissal app it will need to be activated by the school office so that there is no charge to you.  Here are the steps:

Using the app store on your phone, download the Silent Dismissal app.  Make sure that it is the most current version. Then, email the school at office@davincicharterschool.org and request access to the app. Please include the type of phone you have (Android or iPhone). The app allows you to locate busses, make changes to your child’s dismissal schedule, and dismiss your child when you enter the line for pickup. Please call the office with any questions.

Food Service

Dietary Accommodations

Is your child Lactose Intolerant or have special dietary accommodations? Special dietary meals must be placed a week in advance. Your first order is due 8/3/2021 by 3:00 pm. Please email Crystal Higgins, chiggins@davincicharterschool.org. 

Medical Statement for Children with Lactose Intolerance Needs  

Special Diet Statement with a Disability   

Special Diet Statement without a Disability  

Our school has chosen to use and operate the SSO waiver which enables us to provide meals free of charge for all students. No application is required to receive this free meal benefit. However, your child(ren) may qualify additional benefits such as reduced fees or the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) which is a federal temporary emergency nutrition benefit that is loaded onto electronic cards for families to purchase food. At public schools, your application also helps the school qualify for education funds and discounts. 2021-22 Application for Educational Benefits  

School Nurse

Immunizations:

The state of Minnesota requires children enrolled in school to be immunized against certain diseases depending on age OR to provide documentation of conscientious objection or medical exemption.  Here are the requirements:

Age 5-11 years (Entering grades K-6):

DTaP/DT:  5 doses 

Polio (IPV/OPV):  4 doses

Hep B:  3 doses

MMR:  2 doses

Varicella (Chicken Pox):  2 doses

Age 12+ (Entering 7th and 8th grade):

All of the above vaccinations

Tdap 

Meningococcal

Immunization/Exemption forms can be found on the school website under the health forms tab in the Students & Parents section.  

Please make sure your student is current on immunizations and that the updated immunization record or exemption form is given to the school as soon as possible so that enrollment status is not affected.  

Medications:

If your child will need to take any medications while at school, please fill out the proper form(s) for the medication required.  The forms can be found on the DaVinci website as you follow the Student/Parents tab>>Forms and Information tab>>Health Forms. 

Medications must be brought to the school by a parent and delivered to the nurse.  Only medications with the proper forms and signatures will be accepted.  

*Over-the-counter medication forms need only a parent/guardian date and signature.  

*Prescription medication forms must have BOTH a doctor’s date and signature and a parent/guardian date and signature.  

For any child with asthma or anaphylaxis, the action plan forms can be used in lieu of the prescription medication forms if all the necessary medications can be listed on the plans.  

Medication brought to the school must be in its original container and not expired.  Medication will not be accepted if it is expired, not in its original packaging, or is not accompanied with the correct forms.

If you have any questions you may contact nurse Julie at the school.

Support Space

Hey DaVinci Community!

Welcome back to a new school year!! We hope you had a wonderful summer and are ready for a great year ahead. As your Mental Health Team, we want to help your family get started on the right foot! 

Here are some healthy habits to kick off the new year:

• Start each day with a nutritious breakfast 
• Establish a healthy sleep routine 
• Set up a designated homework space
• Create a family schedule for the week to eliminate surprises
• Use a planner or virtual calendar to stay organized day-to-day
• Help your child stay connected with their peers on evenings or weekends
• Remember to have fun!

If you want support with creating healthy habits and routines, feel free to connect with a member of our Mental Health Team.

Phoenix Hathaway (K-4 School Counselor) www.calendly.com/mshathaway (763)-754-6577 ext. 1204

Courtney Rowe (K-8 School Social Worker) www.calendly.com/msrowe (763)-754-6577 ext. 1215

Parent Communication

New Campus Portal Payment Processing Vendor

On March 8, 2021, Infinite Campus (our parent portal) announced it was switching payment processors for all online payment functions in the Campus Portal. We chose to make the switch on 6/25/2021. This change has minimal impact to you; however, any payment methods you’ve set up for your credit cards or eCheck accounts were deleted to ensure the security and confidentiality of your data. Due to this switch, you will be asked to enter your payment methods into the Parent Portal.

Any recurring payments you may have set up (if you intend to continue making payments this way), will also need to be updated to use the new payment methods you create. There are no other changes in the way you will experience online payments. The instructions below will walk you through the process of setting up your payment methods and updating you recurring payments.

This change will improve financial reporting efficiency for the district, as well as the support experienced by district staff when researching reported issues.

Add Payment Methods

If you need assistance adding payment methods, please follow these instructions

Add Recurring Payments

If you need assistance with recurring payments, please view these instructions.

Make a payment

If you need assistance making a payment, please follow these instructions:

•       Fee Payment
•       Recurring Payment
•       Optional Payment

STEM Builders

STEM Builders of Blaine provides after school options for your student with 3x and 5x a week options and convenient bussing from DaVinci Academy.  Additionally, a portion of your enrollment funds come back to the school.

Pricing for K-4 is $399 for 3x a week, $499 for 5x a week, 3:30-530pm.  Pricing for the 5-8th grade program is $449 for 3x a week, $549 for 5x a week, to cover materials and registration fees of the competition.

Employment

Unlicensed Positions for 21-22 School Year

• Lunch & Recess Monitor (Part Time)

• After School Assistant (DaVinci Den) (Part Time)

• Special Education Paraprofessional – Substitute

Licensed Positions for 21-22 School Year

• Physical Education Teacher

• Health Education Teacher (FTE 0.5)

• On-Call Substitute Teacher