DaVinci Connection-January 21, 2022
Bed
School Links
Important Dates
Subject to change-see online calendar
January 24, Board Meeting
February 18-22, No School
March 10, End of Trimester 2
March 11, No School Grading Day
Attendance
If your student will be late or absent please call the attendance line 763-252-6130 before 9:00 a.m. Please include:
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
An Extended Absence Form is needed for more than five consecutive absences and is due four to six weeks in advance of the absence.
Recess Attire
Temperatures are getting lower and lower. Please send your student with appropriate (clearly labeled) attire including hats and mittens. Students go outside daily unless either the real temperature or the wind chill temperature is below 0 degrees.
GREETINGS!
To the left and right, you will find helpful links to important pages on our website.
Dear DaVinci Academy Families:
We are also excited to share a story that premiered on North Metro TV this week on the dance residency we’ve been hosting at DaVinci Academy this winter. We thank Mr. Jones for his time and passion for the arts and our young people as the residency comes to a close in the coming weeks.
Ahava Silkey-Jones
2022-23 Enrollment is Now Open
We are now accepting applications for the 2022-23 school year for students who would like to attend DaVinci Academy for grades Kindergarten through 8th grade. All new students who are interested and not currently enrolled at DaVinci Academy, including siblings, must complete an application. Applications are due by January 31, 2022 to be included in the enrollment lottery for the 2022-23 school year. The virtual Enrollment Lottery will take place Monday, February 7, at 5:00 p.m. To complete an application for the next school year click here.
Please feel free to share this information with your family or friends.
Did you Lose Your Family Number?
There were a considerable number of drivers in the parking lot today yelling numbers out the window to the safety staff. It is important for the safety of the students to have your family number posted prominently on your car. If you need a new number sheet please contact the office.
You may have noticed the outside staff using walkie talkies instead of phones in the afternoons. That is because it is way too cold for phones to be effective for entering numbers. So, we really appreciate those of you who have downloaded the Silent Dismissal app! If you are using it, please post this sheet in your front window with your family number added so that the outside duty teachers know that they don’t need to put your number in to the system.
For those of you who still need to download the Silent Dismissal app, below are directions to get you started. Please remember: the Silent Dismissal app will not work until you email or call the school and provide your phone information.
SD Settings and App Instructions
On a related note, we would happily accept donations of hand warmers for our outside staff. Thank you!
Support Space
Hey DaVinci Community!
January is National Thank You Month. Gratitude and appreciation are incredibly important, and so important to teach our kids!
There are many ways that you can show gratitude individually or as a family this month. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
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Send flowers to a loved one
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Write a letter
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Make a gift
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Volunteer and give back
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Pay for the drive-through order (coffee or food) of the car behind you
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Tip extra for great service at a restaurant
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Hold the door for a stranger
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Shovel the driveway of a neighbor
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Bake cookies and give to someone “just because”
If you need further support, information or would like to discuss any questions or concerns with us, please contact us! If your family is faced with new or ongoing needs and challenges, please let us know by filling out this survey and someone from our team will reach out to further assist your family!
Mindfully Yours,
DaVinci Academy Mental Health Team
Phoenix Hathaway (K-4 Counselor) www.calendly.com/mshathaway (763)-754-6577 ext. 1204
Courtney Rowe (K-8 School Social Worker) www.calendly.com/msrowe (763)-754-6577 ext. 1215
Brittany Finley (5-8 School Counselor) www.calendly.com/bfinley-4 (763)-754-6577 ext.1310
Knowledge Bowl
Congratulations to the Knowledge Bowl team on their first place finish. The team had an impressive score of 32/35 on the written round! Way to go Daniel, Izze, Seno, and Ruchira!
Student Council
Food Service
Are you receiving emails saying your student’s food service account is negative?
Payments Using Infinite Campus Online Service
Parents and guardians of DaVinci Academy students can now access even more information online about their student’s child nutrition account. To manage your account, Food Service My Cart Infinite Campus Instructions
- View meal account balances.
- Sign up for automatic recurring payments.
- Receive email notifications of low balances.
- Make payments with a credit, debit card or direct bank account withdrawal.
- View a student’s purchase history for the preceding 90 days.
Families that need help with their username and/or password can contact our Infinite Campus Coordinator Pam Carlson, pcarlson@
Recess Attire
Arts Committee
Our school name tells you that we value the arts. As we continually work to incorporate the arts into all aspects of DaVinci, we do so for the benefit of our students, now and for their futures. Studies show that arts education has a strong relationship with student engagement and achievement. Furthermore, creativity is now a top skill sought by employers. Arts can assist in preparing our students for the present and future.
Source: “Synopsis of Arts Education Research.” Perpich Arts High School
School Performance Auditions
We are excited to announce the auditions for Annie, Jr. for grades 5-8!
Monday, February 7 & Tuesday, February 8: General Auditions
Wednesday, February 9: Callbacks
*Students will know Tuesday evening if they need to come to callbacks on Wednesday. It will be a smaller group of students.
If you are interested in auditioning, please read through all the information on this sheet prior to auditions. Audition materials and sign ups will be posted outside of Ms. Tinawi’s room starting on January 20! Once casting is complete, students who receive a part in either the cast or crew will have the play fee added to their Infinite Campus account. For more information please reach out to Ms. Tinawi at etinawi@davincicharterschool.org.
Athletics
We do not have our own wrestling team at DaVinci, however, we’d like to share two options for families of students that may be interested. The Andover Huskies Youth Wrestling Program is registering students grades prek-age 14. The Blaine Wrestling Takedown Club is also currently accepting registrations. Although we are not affiliated with either program, we do have students that wrestle for those clubs and have many positive things to say. Each of those websites has contact information for you to reach out to ask any questions you may have, and registration ends soon.
Additional Community Events
Volunteer Opportunity
Are you just itching to find a creative outlet? We’ve got some bulletin boards that could use sprucing up. Please contact Holly Fischer if your DIY cravings need a fix. We can provide you with the materials and the ideas if you need some inspiration. Thank you in advance.
COVID-19 Updates
‘Kids Deserve a Shot’ Vaccine Incentive Program for Minnesotans 5-11 Years Old
Vaccines are the strongest tool we have to prevent serious disease and death from COVID-19. Vaccines are now available for Minnesotans ages 5 and older at no cost. On January 11, Governor Tim Walz announced the launch of the next phase of the ‘Kids Deserve a Shot’ vaccine incentive program to encourage Minnesota families to get their kids 5- to 11-years-old fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
$200 Visa Gift Cards
Minnesota families who get their 5- to 11-year-old fully vaccinated in January and February can get a $200 Visa gift card. To be eligible, Minnesotans 5-11 must receive their first and second dose between January 1 and February 28. Families can register their 5- to 11-year-old once they have completed their two-dose series.
$100,000 Minnesota College Scholarship Drawings
Later this spring, there will be drawings for five $100,000 Minnesota college scholarship drawings for all Minnesotans 5-11 years old who are fully vaccinated. All Minnesotans 5-11 years old who completed their first and second doses at any point up to the registration deadline will be eligible to be entered for a chance to win a $100,000 college scholarship. Details on the drawings will be announced in the coming months.
How families can find a shot for their child:
- Visit gov/vaxforkids to find clinic locations near you.
- Check with their pediatrician, family medicine clinic, or local pharmacy about appointments.
- Watch for vaccination clinics being offered at schools or other community locations around Minnesota.
Boosters Recommended for People Aged 12 and Older
As a reminder, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced now recommend booster shots for those aged 12 and older five months after the completion of the primary series of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, for some immunocompromised children aged 5-11 years old, CDC also recommends an additional dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to complete the primary series – a total of three doses.
Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests. Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days.
Order your tests now so you have them when you need them.
In addition, beginning on January 6, the community testing site at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in Saint Paul will have 50% more testing capacity.
Please share the following information with families:
- Walk in or schedule an appointment for a test at one of the state’s free community testing sites across Minnesota: COVID-19 Community Testing Sites.
- Order a test through the state’s free at-home COVID-19 testing program: COVID-19 Test at Home.
- Find a testing option near you through the state’s Find Testing Locations map: Find Testing Locations.
Find a COVID Vaccine: The COVID-19 vaccine is widely available. There are many options for places to get a vaccine. Here are some different
ways to find a COVID-19 vaccine:
For more on the COVID Vaccine click here:
Families must fill out this form regardless of their or their students’ vaccination status if one of more of the following is true:
1. Student or household member has tested positive for COVID-19
2. Student or household member has symptoms related to COVID-19
3. Student or household member has had close contact with someone who has tested positive for or has symptoms relating to COVID-19
Find out more about vaccine availability in Anoka County by visiting the county website: https://www.anokacounty.us/4047/COVID-19-Vaccination
Kids Deserve a Shot!
Minnesotans 5-11 years old who start and complete their two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series in January and February are eligible to receive a $200 Visa gift card through the ‘Kids Deserve a Shot’ vaccine incentives program.
In order to be eligible, Minnesotans 5-11 must receive their first and second dose between January 1 and February 28.
Minnesotans must be:
- at least 5 years old at the time of one or both shots
- and 11 or younger at the time of their first shot.
The reward registration form will open at 10:00 a.m. on January 24, 2022. The registration form will stop accepting requests for $200 Visa gift cards at 11:59 p.m. on February 28. Gift card requests will be fulfilled beginning on March 1, 2022 and throughout the month of March 2022.
Please allow up to six weeks after March 1, 2022 to receive your Visa card in the mail.
For more information click here: Kids Deserve a Shot
Minnesotans with questions about the vaccine can also call the Minnesota Department of Health COVID-19 Public Hotline at 1-833-431-2053. The hotline is available Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
For unique ways of talking to your kids visit The ABC’s of the Covid-19 Vaccine hosted by Sesame Street
All Minnesotans age 12 -17 are recommended to get a booster shot at least 5 months after their primary series of vaccine. To find where to get your booster shot, refer to Find Vaccine Locations.
Minnesotans looking to start the vaccination series their child can:
- Visit mn.gov/vaxforkids to find clinic locations near you.
- Check with their pediatrician, family medicine clinic or pharmacy about appointments.
- Go to a community vaccination clinic at Mall of America. For more details and to register click here: Mall of America Community Vaccination
Minnesotans with questions about the vaccine can also call the Minnesota Department of Health COVID-19 Public Hotline at 1-833-431-2053. The hotline is available Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Employment
Unlicensed Positions for 21-22 School Year
Special Education Paraprofessional, Substitute
Special Education Paraprofessional
Lunch / Recess Monitor (Part Time)
Licensed Positions for 21-22 School Year
Special Education Teacher, ABS, ASD, or SLD
Special Education Teacher, DCD and/or ASD, SLD or ABS
Speech and Language Pathologist (FTE .7 – 1.0)
On-Call Substitute Teacher
In-House (FT) Substitute Teacher
Visit DaVinci Academy’s Employment Portal to learn more about open positions and apply online.
