DaVinci Connection-August 13, 2021

DaVinci Academy

Staff Directory

Food Service

School Calendar

School Supplies

Volunteer Information

Anti-Bullying Policy

Subject to change-see online calendar

August 23, Board Meeting

September 3-6, No School

September 27,  No School

September 27, Board Meeting

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

Dear DaVinci Families:

Ahava Silkey-Jones

Student Absence Reporting

Parents should call the attendance line at 763-252-6130 before 9:00 a.m. on the day your child will be absent. This phone number is available 24 hours a day to leave a message or email attendance@davincicharterschool.org. 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 five consecutive days, you will need to fill out an Extended Absence Form four to six weeks in advance of the absence.

Transportation

Parking Lot Procedures

Are you wondering how the parking lot works in the morning and afternoon?  Here is a document that walks you through it.  Please reach out to Holly Fischer if you have additional questions or concerns.

Silent Dismissal

Silent Dismissal works well when parents keep settings accurate.  Please log in to your Silent Dismissal account to make sure that it is correct.  Thank you.

Activities

After School Activities

Registration for after school activities opens on Monday, August 16 at 8:00 am and closes on Friday, August 27. Browse opportunities here and register starting Monday!

Athletics at DaVinci Academy 21-22 School Year

We are pleased to be able to offer athletic opportunities at DaVinci Academy this school year! Our school will run our own cross country program in the fall, basketball program in the winter, and track and field program in the spring. We are working with community organizations to offer a wide variety of recreational athletic opportunities throughout the school year. In the fall, we have partnered with programs for soccer, volleyball, and competitive cheer. The table below has links to the information and registration forms for each of the programs we are partnering with for recreational athletics. Please contact Jack Shields, jshields@davincicharterschool.org with any questions.

Fall Sports in Partnership with Other Programs

DaVinci Academy Run Sports

Cross Country

The middle school cross country team will practice or have meets two times per week starting in late August. Practices will be held after school from 3:30-4:30 on our school property. We are in the process of finalizing the meet schedule, and we will publish that when complete. 

Basketball

We are excited to be able to offer our basketball program again this year. This program relies on parent volunteer coaches as well as staff coaches to run an excellent program. Families may choose the recreational program, and our DaVinci teams compete with other teams from Blaine, Coon Rapids, and Spring Lake Park. The recreational program is a skill development program that encourages equal playing time for each player. We will hold tryouts for students in grades 4-8 in the fall for those students interested in our competitive traveling basketball program. Both our recreational and travel teams practice at our school one or two evenings during the week and play games on the weekends in area gyms. More information will be sent out before tryouts.

Track and Field

The middle school track and field team will practice or have meets two times per week in the spring. Practices will be held after school from 3:30-4:30 on our school property. More information will be sent out before the season begins.

Fall Theatrical Production

Bedtime Stories (As Told By Our Dad) (Who Messed Them Up)

Directed by: Profe Lenny and Mr. Mans

It’s Dad’s turn to tell his three rambunctious kids their bedtime stories, but when he gets fuzzy on the details, the classics get creative: a prince with a snoring problem spices up The Princess and The Pea, The Boy Who Cried Wolf cries dinosaur instead, and Rumpelstiltskin helps turn all that pesky gold into straw. You may think you know your fairy tales, but not the way Dad tells them.

We are seeking DaVinci Academy students in grades 5-8 for cast and crew. Auditions will take place on Thursday, August 19 from 3:15-4:30pm (there is no cost to audition).

Rehearsals: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays beginning September 8 from 3:15PM until 4:30PM on school days (no rehearsals Sept 27 and Oct 18-22)

School Performances: Thursday, November 11 during the school day and Friday, November 12 during the school day

Community Performances: Friday, November 12 @ 6:00PM curtain and Saturday, November 13 @11:00AM curtain

Cost is $160 per student (payment due once casting is complete)

School Nurse

Immunizations:

The state of Minnesota requires children enrolled in school to be immunized against certain diseases depending on age OR to provide documentation of conscientious objection or medical exemption.  Here are the requirements:

Age 5-11 years (Entering grades K-6):

DTaP/DT:  5 doses 

Polio (IPV/OPV):  4 doses

Hep B:  3 doses

MMR:  2 doses

Varicella (Chicken Pox):  2 doses

Age 12+ (Entering 7th and 8th grade):

All of the above vaccinations

Tdap 

Meningococcal

Immunization/Exemption forms can be found on the school website under the health forms tab in the Students & Parents section.  

Please make sure your student is current on immunizations and that the updated immunization record or exemption form is given to the school as soon as possible so that enrollment status is not affected.  

Medications:

If your child will need to take any medications while at school, please fill out the proper form(s) for the medication required.  Medication forms must be renewed each school year.  The forms can be found on the DaVinci website as you follow the Student/Parents tab>>Forms and Information tab>>Health Forms. 

Medications must be brought to the school by a parent and delivered to the nurse.  Only medications with the proper forms and signatures will be accepted.  

*Over-the-counter medication forms need only a parent/guardian date and signature.  

*Prescription medication forms must have BOTH a doctor’s date and signature and a parent/guardian date and signature.  

For any child with asthma or anaphylaxis, the action plan forms can be used in lieu of the prescription medication forms if all the necessary medications can be listed on the plans.  

Medication brought to the school must be in its original container and not expired.  Medication will not be accepted if it is expired, not in its original packaging, or is not accompanied with the correct forms.

If you have any questions, you may contact Nurse Julie at the school.  

Support Space

Hey DaVinci Community!

Welcome back to a new school year!! We hope you had a wonderful summer and are ready for a great year ahead. As your Mental Health Team, we want to help your family get started on the right foot! 

Here are some healthy habits to kick off the new year:

• Start each day with a nutritious breakfast 
• Establish a healthy sleep routine 
• Set up a designated homework space
• Create a family schedule for the week to eliminate surprises
• Use a planner or virtual calendar to stay organized day-to-day
• Help your child stay connected with their peers on evenings or weekends
• Remember to have fun!

If you want support with creating healthy habits and routines, feel free to connect with a member of our Mental Health Team.

Phoenix Hathaway (K-4 School Counselor) www.calendly.com/mshathaway (763)-754-6577 ext. 1204

Brittany Finley (Middle School Counselor) (763)754-6577 Ext. 1310

Courtney Rowe (K-8 School Social Worker) www.calendly.com/msrowe (763)-754-6577 ext. 1215

Parent Communication

STEM Builders

STEM Builders of Blaine provides after school options for your student with 3x and 5x a week options and convenient bussing from DaVinci Academy.  Additionally, a portion of your enrollment funds come back to the school.

Pricing for K-4 is $399 for 3x a week, $499 for 5x a week, 3:30-530pm.  Pricing for the 5-8th grade program is $449 for 3x a week, $549 for 5x a week, to cover materials and registration fees of the competition.

K-12 Education Credit

Save your receipts! Save money when you file your taxes! The K-12 Education Credit and Subtraction can lower the tax you pay or increase your refund when filing your Minnesota income tax return. Here are a few examples of qualifying educational expenses:

• pens, pencils, notebooks, and folders
• Tutoring or instructor fees
• Music lessons and instruments
• Computer hardware and educational software

For more information, Click Here.

Employment

Unlicensed Positions for 21-22 School Year

• Lunch / Recess Monitor (Part Time)

• After School Assistant (DaVinci Den) (Part Time)

• Special Education Paraprofessional – Substitute

Licensed Positions for 21-22 School Year

• Health Education Teacher (FTE 0.5)

• On-Call Substitute Teacher