DaVinci Connection-December 17, 2018
School Links
Important Dates
(subject to change – see online calendar)
12/17 Policy Committee Meeting, 3:30 p.m.
12/17 Board Meeting, 6:00 p.m.
12/20-1/1 No School
1/4 Ski Club
1/7 First Day of Session 3 Extracurriculars
1/7 Curriculum/Technology Meeting, 3:30 p.m.
1/9 Policy Committee Meeting, 3:30 p.m.
1/10 School Development Committee Meeting, 5:00 p.m.
1/11 Ski Club
1/14 1st Grade Music Concert, 5:30 p.m.
1/14 2nd Grade Music Concert 6:45 p.m.
1/14 Finance Committee Meeting, 6:00 p.m.
1/18 Ski Club
1/25 Ski Club
1/28 School Board Meeting, 6:00 p.m.
Food Service Program
Current Lunch prices – including milk
Hot, Alt. or Emergency Lunch:
- Full Pay = $3.50;
- Free/Reduced = $0.00
Vegetarian Lunch:
- Full-pay = $4.50;
- Reduced-price = $0.40;
- Free = $0.00
A La Carte Items -charged to ALL students:
- Milk-only = $0.50;
- Emergency meals = $3.50
- Extra Entree (Grade 6-8 only) = $1.50
Current Breakfast Price:
- Full-pay = $1.75
- Kindergarten = $0.00
- Reduced-price = $0.00
- Free = $0.00
Go here to apply for free or reduced-price meals or to find out more about the food service program.
Greetings!
To the left, you will find helpful links to important pages on our website (School Links).
NEED TO KNOW
Winter Break (December 20-January 1)
We hope everyone has a safe and happy winter break.
Remind your children to check the lost and found for any missing items and to bring all their winter gear home over the break. The main lost and found in the atrium is full again and many of the pod areas have a collection of lost items. Parents are welcome to come search through the lost and found Thursday, December 20 and Friday, December 21, anytime between 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Thursday is the Last Day to Register for Session 3 Extracurricular Classes
Update Silent Dismissal 
Session 2 extracurricular activities are now over. Please change your child’s Silent Dismissal settings. It is very important for your child’s Silent Dismissal to be accurate in order for the end of the day to run smoothly.
Ski Club
As of today we have 6 students signed up for the first trip to Trollhaugen. We must have a minimum of 33 students signed up to make the ski trips happen. If you know your child is going to attend, sign up ASAP.
Students in grades 6-8 are invited to participate in Ski Club starting in January. 5th grade students may join as well with the participation of a parent. Trollhaugen will be offering free lessons for the first 3 Fridays and students who sign up for all 8 nights will get a Friday pass to be used on any Friday whether we have school or not. Open the attachment to find out more.
Sign up here.Nominations Form Due 12/31
The DaVinci Academy Board of Directors annual election process has begun. The terms of three board positions are expiring this coming February:
- Parent seat (currently held by Mark Guy)
- Community seat (currently held by Valerie Slaymaker)
- At-Large seat (currently held by Ross Meisner)
We now invite nominations of individuals to fill these positions. The parent seat must be filled by a parent / guardian of a currently enrolled student. The community seat must be filled by someone not otherwise affiliated with the school. And the at-large seat can be filled by a parent/guardian, a teacher, or a community member.
All of these positions carry three year terms, commencing in February 2019. The board asks that you seriously consider getting involved and participate in this rewarding opportunity. Nominate yourself, or nominate someone who you feel has the competence and vision to provide skilled governance for our school. Nominations are due by Monday, December 31.
Please download the nomination form here. A description of the nomination and election process is below, along with a description of current board needs. Our goal is to ensure that individual members of the board bring the necessary skills and commitment to continue our efforts to fulfill the mission, vision, and goals of our school.
Reminder From Our School Nurse 
Our school policy states, if your child has the following signs or symptoms you need to keep them home from school. These symptoms may also warrant you to call your health care provider for further recommendations. If your child is sent home, they can not return to school until the following symptoms have been gone for 24 hours.
- Fever over 100.0 in the past 24 hours. (Your child must be fever free without fever reducing medication for 24 hours before returning to school)
- Vomiting in the past 24 hours
- Diarrhea in the past 24 hours
- Pink eye in the past 24 hours
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Noon.
Cultivating Curiosity and Igniting Excellence in Your Child Over Extended Breaks
Do you often hear the phrases, “I’m bored,” or “There’s nothing to do,” during school breaks? If so, you’re not alone. Children of all ages tend to become restless over extended breaks, and others crave some form of structure.
According to Dr. Shimi Kang, author of The Self-Motivated Kid, “Boredom is a word we stigmatize in our culture as wasting time, but if you look at boredom so many scientific inventions, wonderful poems, literature, come out of what we call relaxed wakefulness or times of contemplation” (CBC News, 2017). When children determine ways to break through their boredom, they’ve used their problem solving, critical thinking and creativity strategies and skills – all of which are essential to their development.
So the question becomes, “How can I help my child bring out his/her creativity and problem solving skills over break?” Below are a few suggestions.
- Ask your child to choose a recipe for a baked item he/she would be interested in making. Have your child create the plan from start to finish with little prompting (determine: necessary ingredients, tools needed, directions, cook time, etc.). When the project is complete, have your child deliver the baked item to a special person in his or her life.
- Collect recycled material (soda cans, newspapers, cardboard, wood pieces, etc.) and have your child create something out of the materials – using glue, scissors and other necessary items. Some children may need ideas from parents for what to build, so here are some popular ideas: robots, cities, masks, dolls, jewelry or card holders.
- Encourage your child to write a book or create a comic strip. If your child is stuck on coming up with an idea, remind your child of a memorable event in his/her life and lead them toward creating a story from that.
- Visit a museum or historical site. Give your child options and let him/her decide where to go. Allow your child to explore freely while learning from the experience.
- Make sure to include time to go outside and play. Encourage your child to use the great outdoors as their playground. Invite friends over and let their imagination run wild.
If you’d like additional ideas to encourage creativity and critical thinking skills over breaks, please feel free to contact Jenelle Moehn – Director of Teaching and Learning.
References
CBC News. (2017). Why boredom could benefit your kids over spring break. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bored-spring-break-1.4023691.
HELP WANTED
Volunteer With a Truck
Landscaping – Deadline for Bids Extended
NICE TO KNOW
Don’t Skip Breakfast 
Top 5 Reasons to Eat School Breakfast:
1. Fuels the brain to get focused for learning.
2. Convenient and easier than making breakfast on your own, or stopping somewhere on the way to school.
3. Time to catch up with friends.
4. Packs a nutritional punch and guaranteed to have whole grains, fruit and milk.
5. Good breakfast = good mood!
Breakfast is served daily at school! Hot Breakfast served every Tuesday. School breakfast will give your child a healthy start to the day and is affordable, too. If you qualify for free or reduced-price school lunch, you also qualify for the breakfast program, with no additional paperwork. Additionally, every kindergarten student is eligible to eat breakfast free of charge.
A.M. Lot Safety Adjustment Starting ASAP!
As we have instituted in the afternoon, the morning traffic in the parking lot will be one way only. If you leave a parking spot you will need to FOLLOW THE DIRECTION OF THE CARS IN LINE and use the passing lane to loop around the lot and exit onto Jefferson. If you are waiting in this middle lane please do not allow your children to exit the vehicle as there will be oncoming traffic to watch for. Thank you.
DVA Spirit Wear – Available Now
ONGOING
Boots Coming Home Every Night
Students should be wearing their snow boots home from school every day so that they are not left to be cleaned around by our night crew. I k
now that it is convenient to have your kiddos leave their outdoor gear here during the week; but, we are hoping that by sending boots home we will have fewer boots in the lost and found and tidier hallways. And, let’s not forget the obvious, it is winter time and boots keep feet warm on the buses and while waiting for parents at the east door. Thank you for reminding your child(ren) to wear their boots home and keep track of their belongings.
2019-2020 Enrollment is Now OpenWe are now accepting applications for the 2019-20 school year for students who would like to attend DaVinci Academy for grades Kindergarten through 8th grade. To complete an application for the next school year click here and click “Online Enrollment”. Sign up through our new online enrollment system to complete and submit the application.
All new students who are interested and not currently enrolled at DaVinci Academy, including siblings, must complete an application. Applications are due by January 31, 2019, to be included in the enrollment lottery for the 2019-2020 school year.
Our next Information Session for prospective families is Tuesday, January 8, at 6:00 p.m. Information Sessions are for those who may be interested in attending DaVinci Academy.
Please feel free to share this information with your family or friends.
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Ever Wonder if your Silent Dismissal Number was Entered in to the System at the End of the Day?The teachers who assist your children at the end of the day in car line would
 be greatly assisted if everyone who picked children up would use the Silent Dismissal app. We often have trouble with phones freezing as teachers are entering numbers on cold days and parents can easily dismiss their children from the warmth of the car using the app. So, if you are able, please contact the office to get set up with the Silent Dismissal app. Thank you! |
