DaVinci Connection-May 10, 2019
School Links
Important Dates
(subject to change – see online calendar)
5/10 Talent Show, 6:00 p.m.
5/13 Finance Committee Meeting, 4:30 p.m.
5/14 Spring Pictures
5/14 5/6 Band Concert, 5:30 p.m.
5/14 7/8 Band Concert, 6:30 p.m.
5/16 5/6 Orchestra Concert, 5:30 p.m.
5/16 7/8 Orchestra Concert, 6:30 p.m.
5/20 Board Meeting, 6:00 p.m.
5/20-5/23 Intersession
5/24-5/28 No School
6/6 School Development Committee Meeting, 4:30 p.m.
6/7 Spring Carnival, 5:00-7:00 p.m.
6/10 Finance Committee Meeting, 4:30 p.m.
6/14 Golf Tournament
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 = $0.00;
- 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
Golf Tournament Registration- Early Bird Pricing Has Been Extended Through May 10!!
DaVinci’s Got Talent-Performance Tonight
The 4-8 grade Talent Show will be held tonight at 6:00 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. Come see some amazing singers, musicians, acrobatic and balancing acts, and much more!
Cost: Free! (donations accepted)
Spring Pictures
Picture day is Tuesday, May 14. This is the only day spring pictures will be taken; there will not be a make-up or retake option.
This is a non-uniform day. Clothing should be modest:
- No tank tops
- No spaghetti straps
- No short skirts
- No short shorts
- Shirts should not have inappropriate writing/words
- Hats, however, may be worn for the picture and then returned to their locker
Temporary Bus Riding
The Temporary Bus change form was made available for families to use so that emergency adjustments to a child’s transportation plans could be made – presumably for the remainder of the school year. However, families are using this form to transport students for after school play dates. The buses should not be used for this purpose. Please make alternate transportation arrangements for your child’s after school events that involve children going home with friends. The form has been updated to allow for permanent bus changes only.
For clarification on our busing guidelines, please reference this document.
Busing Timeline
Transportation planning for the 2019-20 school year has begun. Here is a timeline of what you can expect as we prepare for busing for next year.
March 28, 2019: Preliminary Routes
A family survey was emailed and included in multiple newsletters. Parent Survey-Transportation 2019. That feedback has been used to evaluate current routes and stops. In addition to family feedback, we have surveyed Kottke’s bus drivers and safety office staff and added incoming DaVinci Academy family addresses to our routing map. This data is used to optimize the current busing system and make necessary adjustments for the coming school year.
June 3, 2019: Preliminary Routes Published
This bus stop list will have information on stop location and a general guideline for length of bus route and stop times. Parents who wish to use the busing system will need to officially register for a bus stop by July 1, using the 2019-20 Busing Contract Form. All families will need to be signed up for a bus by this deadline so that routing adjustments can be made based on number of students at each stop.
July 1, 2019: Deadline for Busing Registrations
All families, new and returning, including those who used the DaVinci Academy buses for the 2018-19 school year, must complete a 2019-20 Busing Contract Form to guarantee transportation for the first day of school. For final routes to be calculated based on the number of students using each bus stop, all families who will be using busing will need to have the Busing Contract Form submitted. Contracts received after July 1, 2019, will be assessed a $25.00 per student late fee and transportation will not be guaranteed for the first day of school.
August 1, 2019: Final Routes Published
Additional changes to routes after this date will be made only for safety concerns, concerns from the entity that owns the property on which the bus stop is located, or if families discontinue using a stop.
Mr. Shields’ Corner
PBIS Update
Calling All Seniors
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Classroom Placement Reminder
It is school policy that we do not accept parent requests for particular teachers or classmates. Teachers work very diligently to place all students in a classroom which will be beneficial to their needs and learning styles.
The staff regards the annual assignment of students to classrooms to be a very important process and task. Many hours are spent weighing and considering a number of factors
to create a classroom where each student can learn and thrive. Factors considered in recommending a classroom include:
- a balance of boys and girls
- a range of academic abilities
- special needs
- social and emotional development
- learning styles
Final approval of class lists rests with the Academic Director. Parents/students are informed who their child(ren)’s new teacher(s) will be at the annual Open House on Thursday, August 8.
Cafeteria Balances
The end of the year is fast approaching, and we would like to remind you that it is very important to pay your child’s cafeteria balance in full, by June 21, 2019.
If your child is not returning to DaVinci Academy next year and has a positive food service balance, please contact Cassandra Anderson to request the funds be 1) transferred to another sibling/student, 2) donated to the school or 3) refunded to you. Refunds may take four weeks to process and unclaimed balances will automatically be donated to the school.
You can review your child’s food service purchases, set up balance reminders or add funds to their account using a credit card or ACH check transfers with SchoolPaymentPortal.com (transaction fees will be applied). To avoid transaction fees, you can pay by check or cash in the school office; please label all payments as “food service” and include your child’s name.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Sincerely,
Cassandra Anderson
Food Service Coordinator
Spring Carnival
When: Friday, June 7, 5:00-7:00 PM
What: Games, food, prizes and fun!
Flyers will be sent home soon. The PTO needs a lot of volunteers to make the carnival a success. Don’t forget, volunteers receive a free unlimited wristband. Click HERE to volunteer.
Presale tickets available May 13-May 31. Please turn in your presale order form in a sealed envelope with exact cash or check written to DVA PTO to the school office.
NICE TO KNOW
Math Masters
Our fifth grade Math Masters students did a great job! It was wonderful to see how hard they worked and how sharply they focused during the competition. Our school entered four teams in the competition, for a total of 18 competitors. There were a total of 31 teams and 154 competitors from around the metro area in the contest.
Nathan A. tied for second place, overall, in the fact drill round. Nathan also placed third, overall, in the individual round, and he was part of a team that won fourth place in the team round.
That winning team also included Hank K., Ruchira P., Reeha I., and Jack B.
The fifth graders all practiced for months to prepare for the competition, and we had fun enjoying the fruits of our labor.
Thanks for all the support from the staff, parent volunteers, and our amazing DaVinci families! Our wonderful community made this outstanding experience possible.
Volunteer Opportunity
Do You Like Gardening?
The science that is going to happen on this property is going to be amazing to experience! The Maker Space students will be constructing 2 container gardens for the school, and Ms. Arboleda’s class is planting a pollinator garden. Although it’s a short summer, we can’t expect that a new garden will survive through July without some tending. We’re looking for families who live in the area to sign up to water and weed, so that classes coming back in August have something to study when they return. If you are interested in signing, up watch your future newsletters for more information from Profe Lenny.
AM Drop Off – How To Video
Nurse’s Desk
As we approach the last couple months of school year, I want to communicate two important health offices reminders:
- Summer is a great time for youth check-ups/sport physicals but make your appointments soon. It’s not uncommon for some practitioners to be booked out weeks to months Remember students that will be starting Kindergarten and 7th grade in the 2019-2020 school year have immunizations to be updated. Here are the links to information regarding immunization schedule and immunization forms:
https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/immunize/basics/readykidswhento.pdf
https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/immunize/basics/imzform.pdf
- Student’s medication in the nurse’s office will be returned or disposed of at the end of school year. Parent’s please look for communication regarding end of year medication pick-up in early June.
ISO Piano
Our upright piano has outlived its usefulness with us, and we are seeking a replacement. If you know someone who is looking for a place to donate a piano, please have them contact Ben Hanson. Ideally, we’d like an upright that has a shorter upper panel, so that teachers can see their class as they are playing.
Blaine Sports and Summer Opportunities
ONGOING
DVA Spirit Wear-Available Now
