DaVinci Connection-May 24, 2019
School Links
Important Dates
(subject to change – see online calendar)
5/24-5/28 No School
5/28 Board Meeting, 6:00 p.m.
6/4 Instrument Rental Night, 6:30 p.m.
6/6 School Development Committee Meeting, 4:30 p.m.
6/7 No School
6/7 Spring Carnival, 5:00-7:00 p.m.
6/10 Finance Committee Meeting, 4:30 p.m.
6/14 Golf Tournament
6/14 No School
6/18 Last Day for 8th Grade
6/19 Last Day of School
6/24 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 = $0.00;
- 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
Intersession Week
What an exciting week it has been! The kids have enjoyed hiking, painting and exploring new places.
No School
Reminder, there’s no school until Wednesday, May 29. Also during the month of June, we do not have school on Fridays. The last day of school is Wednesday, June 19.
Spring Carnival
When: Friday, June 7, 5:00-7:00 PM
What: Games, food, prizes and fun!
We still have MANY volunteer spots open for the Carnvial! 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.
3 Weeks More Weeks Until the Golf Tournament
Have you registered?
Updated 2019-20 Academic Calendar
The school board has approved a new calendar for the next school year. Optional Intersession will be May 18-21.
Action Required: Spring Pictures
Students will receive their spring picture packets next week. Please go through the packets and decide which pictures you would like to purchase. You can pay online at mylifetouch.com or send a check or cash back to school in the envelope provided. Make checks payable to Lifetouch. Use exact change only. Return any pictures back to school that you choose not to purchase. All pictures and money envelopes must be returned to the front office by Wednesday, June 19. If the pictures are not returned, you will be charged for the full packet.
If you have questions about pictures, please contact Lifetouch customer service at 800-763-4753.
2019 Family Survey
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.
New this year, 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.
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.
Field Day K-5 Grade 
Field Day is taking place on two different days this year.
When: Wednesday, June 12, for grades 4-5. Grade 4 outside from 8:30 a.m.-10:45 a.m. and Grade 5 outside from 12:15 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Thursday, June 13, for grades K-3. Grades K-1 outside from 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. and Grades 2-3 outside from 12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
Where: DaVinci Academy soccer field and playground
Things to know: This is a non-uniform day for the Kindergartners through fifth grade. Students will be allowed to wear appropriate athletic attire: t-shirts and knee length shorts. No tank tops or t-shirts with inappropriate logos/writing or short-shorts will be allowed. Please send your child to school with a water bottle and sun screen already on. Parents are welcome to join us.
If you have any questions, please contact Ms. LaGuire or Mr. Slechta.
Calling All Seniors
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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
Lost and Found
The lost and found is out of control. Please remind your children to double check for any missing items. Parents are more than welcome to search through it as well. There’s a lot of winter gear that hasn’t been claimed. Any items not claimed by Monday, June 24, will be donated to Samuel’s Closet in Anoka.
NICE TO KNOW
Lunch/Recess Monitor Wanted 
Volunteer Opportunity
Student Accomplishments
Congratulations Madeline S., 8th grade, she received a certificate of recognition from the Promising Young Writers Program. This year, schools nominated 157 students to participate in the PYW Program. Of those, 77 received Certificates of Recognition and 80 received Certificates of Participation.
Please join us in congratulating Saivya S., 5th grade, for his first place award in the Best Prep Stock Market Game. The Stock Market Game gives Minnesota students in grades 4-12 the opportunity to invest a virtual $100,000 in stocks, mutual funds, and bonds. The hands-on, team-oriented style of the program offers a flexible way to engage students in gaining a richer understanding of the U.S. economic system, current events, and teamwork. At the end of each session, students on teams with top-ranked portfolios are recognized at an awards ceremony. Saivya earned an individual first place award in the InvestWrite essay competition for the state of Minnesota in the Elementary division. Congratulations, Saivya!
ONGOING
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.
