DaVinci Connection-August 16, 2019
School Links
Important Dates
(subject to change-see online calendar)
8/19 Finance Committee Meeting, 4:30 pm
8/26 Board Meeting, 6:00 pm
8/29 No School, Teacher Workshop
8/30 No School
9/2 No School
9/14 Annual Color Run, 10:00 am
9/16 Finance Committee Meeting, 4:30 pm
9/16-17 6th Grade ELC Trip
9/17-20 7th & 8th Grade ELC Trips
9/20 Picture Day-Uniforms must be worn
9/23 Board Meeting, 6:00 pm
9/30 No School, Teacher Workshop
10/25 Make Up Picture Day
11/21 Retake Picture Day
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.
WELCOME BACK
Dear Students and Families:
We hope you had a great first week of school. We are so grateful to know each and every one of you. It was joyous to have our classrooms and hallways filled with students this week, an energy we missed dearly.
NEED TO KNOW
Bus Tags, Bus Stop Protocol, and Parent Contact Lists
Bus tags are marked with a silver sticker to help bus drivers become familiar with the students who need to remain on the bus until an adult is present at the stop.
Remember, parents must wait at the door of the bus to greet children. This will help parents to get to know drivers and will assist in a safe hand off if there is a substitute driver. It is also critical that parents teach their little one not to get off the bus unless they see their ride at the stop. We want students to feel comfortable telling the driver that they can’t get off the bus without you being there so whatever you can do to help facilitate that conversation would be very helpful.
Creating community at bus stops is so important, and we are hoping that families get to know each other better this year. If you agreed to have your contact information shared with the other families using your bus stop, we have created a contact sheet for you. If you did not pick up a contact sheet at the open house you can grab one in the office.
Extra Curricular Activities – Deadline is Tuesday August 20
There are over 30 after school opportunities for children to participate in this fall. The majority of the options start the week of September 3 and run for the entire trimester. Some of the offerings include new classes like: Destination Imagination, Color Guard, Flag Football, Pottery, and Books & Cooks. And of course, the favorite classes are back as well like: Rock and Roll Club, Nerd Club, Messy Science, Dance, Yoga, and Crazy 8’s Math Club.
Most classes are still $7.00 each day and run from 3:15 – 4:30 this year for an extra 15 minutes of fun. Get more information and sign up here!
Picture Days
This year the picture day schedule is as follows:
- Picture Day: Friday, September 20 (K-6)
- Make-Up Picture Day: Friday, October 25 (7th & 8th Grade + Missing Students)
- Retake Picture Day: Thursday, November 21 (All)
Uniforms must be worn for fall pictures.
We will not be offering non-uniform photos during the school day this year as we have in the past. Valuable educational time was spent moving all students through the photographer’s line and the benefit to the school was limited. However, non-uniform photos through LifeTouch will be offered to families on the Spring Conference Day scheduled on April 9. If you would like to take advantage of that opportunity, you can bring your child to the school that day for pictures.
Morning Drop Off Procedures
Welcome to a brand new year! Here are a few important reminders about the start of the school day that all families dropping off students need to know.
- 7:30 am Doors open for students. Please do not drop your child at school before that time unless they are meeting with a teacher for a special purpose.
- 7:40 am Students can enter the halls to go to their lockers and classrooms. Students will wait in the atrium until they are released to the halls and that is when buses arrive to school.
Left turns out of the parking lot are dangerous - 8:00 am Ready to learn time with students in seats. Screaming in to the parking lot at 7:58 am will not allow your child enough time to get to his/her class on by 8:00 am, so please plan accordingly.
Here is an instructional video that outlines how our morning drop off procedure works. Please view it to refresh your memory.
Magnets are Back!
If you missed the Welcome Desk at Open House night and would like a magnet with the school schedule for this year, please stop by the office. The magnet includes days off and a reminder about school contact information for the office and attendance line.
Student Ethnicity and Race Reporting
In an effort to assist schools in providing targeted programs and services to help all students succeed, districts are required by law to request more detailed student ancestry or ethnic origin information beyond what has been collected under federal law previously. Because of recent changes to Minnesota state law, Minnesota dis-aggregates each category of race or ethnicity into detailed groups to further represent our student populations. Students who identify with the following groups will be required to choose further sub groups under those designations:
• Hispanic/Latino
• American Indian or Alaskan Native
• Asian
• Black or African American
To complete this requirement families will need to access the Infinite Campus Parent Portal, click MORE in the left column, then click DEMOGRAPHICS. This will give you the screen to UPDATE your data.
This information needs to be reported to the State of Minnesota this fall, so it is important that all families who have a child who falls into one of these categories complete this update. Contact the office is you have trouble accessing your Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Thank you.
Only 15 Days Left to Register! 
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.
Silent Dismissal Issues
If you are having any problems with your dismissal settings please give the office a call and we can assist. We believe that the errors that we have been experiencing previously are corrected, but if you are continuing to have problems we definitely want to know about it so that we can follow up. Silent Dismissal allows us to dismiss 840 students to after school activities, buses, and cars safely in 15-20 minutes. But, it only works when it is accurate. So, please make sure that you are keeping your information current and call us if you have any issues.
GPS tracking on the buses is still in the works for the app. We will let you know as soon as we know when that feature will be offered.
Help Wanted
Now Hiring Lunch/Recess Monitors
Food Service Assistant Wanted
Want to join our fun kitchen team every school day from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm? This is a part time position and a great way to get to know the kids. Please apply on our website if interested or contact Cassy Anderson for more information.Position Open for a Finance Specialist
Have an Extra Microwave?
NICE TO KNOW
Food Service Program 
Meal prices have not increased from last year. See the Food Service web-page for details.
ONGOING
Attendance Line: 763-252-6130
Parents should call the attendance line at 763-252-6130 before 9:00 a.m. of the day a student will be absent. This phone number is available 24 hours a day to leave a message. Please leave the following information on the recording:
- The date your student will be absent
- The first and last name of your student
- The reason for the absence
- The name of the parent/guardian who is calling
If you know your child(ren) will be gone more than 3 consecutive days, you will need to fill out an extended absence form four to six weeks in advance. Please send the Extended Absence Form to Ms. Moffatt.
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!
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.
