DaVinci Connection-March 26, 2021

DaVinci Academy

Staff Directory

Food Service

School Calendar

School Supplies

Volunteer Information

Anti-Bullying Policy

(subject to change-see online calendar)

3/29  Board Meeting, 6 p.m.

4/1  Spring Conferences, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

4/1-4/6  No School

4/20  PTO Meeting, 6:30 p.m.

4/26  Board Meeting, 6 p.m.

Parents should call the attendance line at 763-252-6130 before 9:00 a.m. of the day your child will be absent. This phone number is available 24 hours a day to leave a message. Please leave the following information on the recording:

• Date your child will be absent
• First and last name of your child
• Reason for the absence
• Name of the parent/guardian who is calling

If you know your child(ren) will be gone more than three 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.

Attendance Update

Please review the latest Attendance Update along with the details outlined below for using the attendance line. This update is for both distance and in-person learners.

You may view your child’s attendance record in your Campus Parent account.

To the left, you will find helpful links to important pages on our website.

Dear DaVinci Families:

I hope you had a great spring break. Welcome to our final trimester of the 20-21 school year! We are excited to provide a robust educational experience for students this spring as well as re-introducing extracurricular programming including after-school activities and intersession. Our students experienced great success in recent weeks as you will see outlined in our newsletter today with ZOOMS STEM Design Challenge and Quiz Bowl. DaVinci students continue to shine!

Continue to be diligent in your mitigation practices as we work to protect our students and staff from the spread of Covid-19. It has been an extraordinarily challenging year and we feel hopeful as we head into this spring.

My very best to you,

Ahava

Need to Know

Intersession 2021

Intersession is an optional, fee-based opportunity for students and staff to focus on subject areas that they are passionate about. Learn more about intersession here.

Registration for intersession will open on Thursday, April 1, and the deadline to register is Friday, April 16. No late registrations will be accepted. See the classes we are offering for intersession here.

We will continue to use the School Store in Infinite Campus to accept intersession registrations. Fees are due at the time of registration. In order to be approved for a fee reduction, families must have an approved Educational Benefits application on file with the school. Access the application for Educational Benefits in Infinite Campus if you do not already have one on file. (You need to complete and submit a new application each school year.)

If an intersession class becomes full, you will not be able to register for it. To join the waitlist for a class, contact Julie Kresh.

*DaVinci Academy DOES NOT offer bus transportation during intersession, as these are not school days. 

*DaVinci Academy DOES NOT offer school lunches during intersession, as these are not school days.   

Any students not registered for intersession have the week of May 10 off from school.

CEAP Food Drive 

DaVinci Academy is participating in the Community Emergency Assistance Program’s (CEAP) Community Challenge! Now through Friday, April 9, please send in your nonperishable food and personal care items with your students. All items can be dropped off in the Atrium and are greatly appreciated. 

Needed items include but are not limited to:

Peanut butter and jelly, cereal, canned meats, canned fruits, canned veggies, canned meals and soups, flour and sugar, oil (vegetable and olive), potatoes, rice, pasta, spaghetti sauce, mac & cheese, dried beans, canned beans, baby food and formula, cleaning products, and personal care products.

Every donation matters and DaVinci PTO will donate $1 for every pound of items collected! 

Thanks in advance for your help!

DaVinci Academy PTO

Recess Attire Reminder

With spring comes fluctuating temperatures and unknown weather. Please help your child be prepared for all types of weather so they can enjoy their recess to its fullest.

• 60°F or higher—short/long sleeve shirts
• 45-60°F—light jacket/hooded sweatshirts
• 44°F or lower—winter coat, hats, and gloves
• Snow pants and boots are required when there is snow

Nice to Know

Accident on Jefferson

In addition to a DaVinci bus having to slam on the brakes to avoid a DaVinci parent taking a fast left out of the parking lot yesterday afternoon, two cars needed to be towed away this morning after an accident. DO NOT TAKE A LEFT OUT OF THE PARKING LOT WHEN THERE ARE CARS WAITING TO ENTER.

We will be making a request at the next Ham Lake City Council meeting to designate a school zone on that road to reduce speeds at that interchange.  Please drive carefully and be aware of others around you.

ZOOMS Competition

Congratulations to our ZOOMS competition winners! Since October, 7th and 8th grade Honors Science students have been working on their ZOOMS projects under the direction of Ms. Brown and Ms. Ginder. Every year there are about 3,000 students across the state that participate. The following DVA students won awards at the state competition this year. 

• • Conservation Award: Ruchira P., Reeha I., Seno O., and Ava S. (7th Grade)
    • A project that emphasized conservation, through theme or through research and provided impressive and creative incorporation of ‘action-based’ tips for guests and goals for saving the species.
    • Prize: 4 pack of zoo passes, t-shirt, award certificate
  • Innovation Award: Saivya S. (7th Grade)
    • This award focuses on the idea and recognizes a design that was ‘out of the box’, and completely original in comparison to current enrichments used at the zoo. The approach to the design is also creative and based on unique research of the animal.
    • Prize: 4 pack of zoo passes, t-shirt, award certificate
  • Wolf Pack Award: Chloe Z., Tenzin T., and Kaitlyn P. (8th Grade)
    • This project highlights a team that demonstrated collaboration throughout the design process in a purposeful and enthusiastic way, and incorporated ongoing external or peer feedback as a means to modify and improve their design.
    • Prize: 4 pack of zoo passes, t-shirt, award certificate

Quiz Bowl

Congratulations to our Middle School Quiz Bowl teams on wrapping up a great season! Under the direction of Ms. Severson, these students met virtually to practice as well as compete in the competitions. Student participants include: 6th graders Ani, Anushka, Caleb E., Carson, Elijah, Noah T., Yona, and 7th graders Daniel, Ruchira, Saivya, Seno, Izze, and Reeha.

Support Space

Equity for All Learners

Hello DaVinci Community!

Here at DaVinci Academy, we are working hard to promote equity for all learners. March 21 marks the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. This is important to our Mental Health & Equity Teams, because the more we feel safe and comfortable in our environment, the more we thrive, both individually and as a community. 

DaVinci’s Equity Committee has the vision to provide safety, belonging, and equitable opportunities for all students, with a mission for learners to discover their unique potential by: 

• Creating an environment that builds safety and belonging.
• Embracing difficult conversations and providing guidance and tools to support those conversations.
• Working to eliminate predictability of academic outcomes by subgroups (isolating for race). 
• Increasing appreciation of, and exposure to, diversity in our community.

To learn more about navigating conversations with your child around these topics, click the link below:

https://www.pbs.org/education/blog/10-tips-on-talking-to-kids-about-race-and-racism

Please reach out if you have questions or concerns. If your family is faced with new or ongoing needs and challenges throughout this time, please let us know by filling out this survey and someone from our team will reach out to further assist your family!

Phoenix Hathaway (K-4 School Counselor) www.calendly.com/mshathaway (763) 200-1338

Melissa Derby (5-8 School Counselor) www.calendly.com/msderby (763) 200-1281

Courtney Rowe (K-8 School Social Worker) www.calendly.com/msrowe (763) 200- 6081

Nutritional Services

Ongoing

COVID-19 Updates:

Minnesota Department of Health—March 25, 2021 Bulletin

Community Testing

• Testing is free, you do not need insurance or identification.
• You can get tested even if you don’t have symptoms of COVID-19.
• To avoid long lines, people are encouraged to pre-register for a time slot, using the registration link listed for each location.

Vaccine Tracking

Minnesota has launched a public vaccine data dashboard to detail the progress of COVID-19 vaccine allocation, distribution and administration across Minnesota. The dashboard provides a visual and user-friendly way to view key vaccination data. The dashboard includes information on the number of doses promised (allocated) to the state by the federal government; shipped to Minnesota providers; and administered to Minnesotans. Information is updated daily at 11 a.m.

View Minnesota’s dashboard for vaccine tracking

COVID-19 Testing Resource for Families

MDH recommends all school-age youth returning to school, youth sports, or extracurricular activities, and their families, get tested every two weeks through the end of the school year. While it is not a requirement, regular testing complements other safety measures already in place, such as masking and social distancing. 

For more information, please visit COVID-19 Testing for Kids and Families. Getting tested every two weeks from now until the end of the school year can help keep schools open and sports operating, and ensure we are limiting the spread of COVID-19.

Help Wanted