DaVinci Connection-July 12, 2019
School Links
Important Dates
(subject to change-see online calendar)
8/8 Back to School Night, 3:00-7:00 p.m.
8/13 First Day of School, Grades 1-8
8/15 First Day of School, Kindergarten
8/29 No School, Teacher Workshop
8/30 No School
9/2 No School
9/14 Annual Color Run
9/16-17 6th Grade ELC Trip
9/17-20 7th & 8th Grade ELC Trips
9/20 Picture Day-Uniforms must be worn
9/30 No School, Teacher Workshop
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
Back to School Information 
If you are looking for information about next year or the open house, please go to the DaVinci Academy home page, hover over “students and parents” and select “back to school 2019-20”.
At this time, you will find information about:
- Important Dates
- Supply Lists
- Food Service
- Student Medications and Immunizations
Each year it is important for families to review School Policies since policies change as the School Board sees fit. This page will be updated throughout the summer so check back often.
Action Required – Back to School Packet Arriving by Mail
The back to school packet will be mailed home the first week of August. It will include the following documents:
- 2019-20 Application for Educational Benefits
- Silent Dismissal instructions and dashboard identification tags – prior to Monday, August 12, ALL families must set transportation specifications (parent pickup/carpool).
- Bus tags (please put on your child’s backpack)
- Infinite Campus Parent Portal access key and instructions. If you have already set up your parent portal account, you will not receive an access key. In order to update household information and to have access to your student’s online information, you must set up a parent portal account on Infinite Campus.
It is important for families to set up their Parent Portal. This allows families the chance to:
- review and update all student, parent and emergency contact and medical information
- view attendance, fees and grades
- receive messages from teachers (Middle School)
Watch your mailbox for more information!
Open House – August 8
Families are invited to join us on Thursday, August 8, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for an Open House. Among other things, you will be able to:
- Drop off school supplies
- Deliver student medication and required forms
- Pay food service and other fees-we accept cash or checks only
- Meet with available teachers
- Receive homeroom teacher assignments or class schedules
Registration is Now Open 
What: 3rd Annual Color Run
When: Saturday, September 14, 10:00 a.m.
Where: DaVinci Academy-this year the Color Run is at our school!
Register by August 30, to guarantee a race bib, color packet and a t-shirt. This is an un-timed color fun run for all.
Media Release – Opt Out Option
We no longer require families to do the Back to School Registration each year. However, if you do NOT give your permission for your child’s image to be used in the different media, both internally and externally, you will need to complete the Media Release form to opt out. This includes, but is not limited to, articles and photographs in a school newsletter, video of a student program shown in school or published to families via an online program, a news story by local media, or something on our web site. Click here for the Media Release Form.
Preliminary Bus Routes Have Been Published
The bus stop list emailed to all families has information on stop location and a general guideline for length of bus route and stop times. Parents who wish to use the busing system were required to officially register for a bus stop by July 1, using the 2019-20 Busing Contract Form. If you need that form emailed to you again please contact the office at school_office@davincicharterschool.org. Contracts received after July 1, 2019, will be assessed a $25.00 per student late fee.
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. All questions about busing should be addressed to Holly Fischer.
Help Wanted
Now Hiring Lunch/Recess Monitors and a Recess Supervision Lead
Food Service Assistant Wanted
NICE TO KNOW
Food Service Program 
Meal prices have not increased from last year. See the Food Service web-page for details.
For families who would like to apply for Educational Benefits, the form is now available online through Infinite Campus. Log in to your Parent Portal > More (bottom of the menu on the left side) > Meal Benefits. Families will need to complete an application for each school year. Applications do not carry over from year to year.
Kindergarten Family Conferences 
Ms. Borg, Mrs. Creary, Mrs. Holle, Mrs. Metty and Mrs. Steinbruckner will contact all kindergarten families through email the beginning of August to schedule in-person conferences. The conferences will will take place on Tuesday, 8/13 or Wednesday, 8/14. Families and students will have a chance to see the classroom, drop off school supplies (if not done on 8/8) and meet with their teacher to discuss the upcoming year. Around the same time teachers will invite parents to their classroom Bloomz communication page. Watch your inbox for more details.
Uniform Donations
Have your children out grown their uniforms? If so, you could drop off your gently used uniforms at school Monday, August 5-Wednesday, August 7, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Please do not donate uniforms with holes or stains. The PTO will have a uniform donation table at the Open House for anyone in need of uniforms.
Volunteer Opportunity
Volunteer Background Checks
Are you one of our awesome DaVinci Academy volunteers or would you like to be a volunteer? Has it been two years or more since you completed a background check consent form? If so, a background check consent form will need to be completed and turned into the school office along with payment of $10. As appropriate for the protection of our students, volunteers who have contact with students will be asked to submit to and successfully complete a background check every two years, at their own expense. If you cannot afford the processing fee at this time, do not let that stop you from volunteering, contact Ms. Silkey-Jones to discuss. Below you will find a copy of the criminal background check consent form. You may also find the form on the DaVinci Academy web site under the volunteering tab, pick one up at the back to school event on August 8, or at the school office at anytime. Once we have your completed form and payment, you will be able to sign into the Helpcounter computer terminal and begin volunteering!
Thank you again to our wonderful volunteers!
ONGOING
Infinite Campus-Is Your Address Current?
Please make sure your information in Infinite Campus is up to date. Please also consider adding your child’s cell phone number to your account as this is helpful for the school in a myriad of ways.
Can’t remember your username or password? Click the links on the screen or call the office at 763-754-6577.
Here are two documents that can help you navigate Infinite Campus.
Summer Food Program
Nutritious free meals are available for children and teens 18 and younger at many locations throughout the nation throughout the summer while school is out of session. Are you a parent or guardian looking for SFSP sites near you? Find a summer site in your community with our Summer Meal Site Finder mapping tool. You can also text “Summer Meals” to 97779 or call 1-866-348-6479 to find a site near you.
Classroom Placement Reminder
It is school policy that we do not accept parent requests for particular teachers or classmates. Teachers work 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.
