DaVinci Connection-March 4, 2022
School Links
Important Dates
Subject to change-see online calendar
March 10, End of Trimester 2
March 11, No School Grading Day
March 14-18, No School
April 14, Conferences
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.
Turning Around in the Neighborhood Across Jefferson
Are you still doing it? Neighbors are seeing an increase once again in DaVinci drivers using driveways (and the middle of the road) to make U-turns after leaving the school. We have made significant changes to the traffic pattern in the parking lot to accommodate drivers who don’t want to have to go south on Jefferson. Please take advantage of those opportunities instead of turning right out of the parking lot and then using the 136th Lane neighborhood to turn around in. If you are questioning how to exit onto Bunker Lake Blvd after picking up or dropping off your child please reach out to one of the staff members working in the parking lot and they can assist you. Thank you for helping us to be good neighbors.
Student Council
2nd floor – 1,027 books
3rd floor – 193 books
2nd Grade Olympics
Second graders put on their virtual Olympics performance today! Students dressed up as Olympic Athletes. We hope you were able to tune in and watch their wonderful performance. Way to go second graders!
Knowledge Bowl
Notes from Nurse Julie
Student Illnesses:
We are thankful to see a decline in COVID cases, but we are unfortunately seeing an increase in colds, stomach flu, and other illnesses. Please continue to assess your child each day for symptoms and if they are feeling well enough to make it through the school day. In addition, if your child has a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea, they will need to be free of these symptoms for at least 24 hours without the use of medications before returning to school.
Borrowed Clothing:
If your student has borrowed clothing from the nurse’s office, please wash what was borrowed and return so they are available for future use to other students in need.
Boys Pants Needed:
If you have gently used boy’s uniform pants in sizes 8, 10, or 12, please consider donating them to the nurse’s office.
Support Space
This week, March 6-12, 2022 is National School Social Work Week! Courtney Rowe is our school’s social worker! Read below for a brief explanation of her role, and why she is so important to our community.
School Social Work is a specialized area of practice within the broad field of the social work profession. School Social Workers bring unique knowledge and skills to the school system and the student services team. School Social Workers are trained mental health professionals who can assist with mental health concerns, behavioral concerns, positive behavioral support, academic, and classroom support, consultation with teachers, parents, and administrators as well as provide individual and group counseling/therapy. School Social Workers serve as a link between home, school and community to support the needs of all students and their families.
Check out this PDF to learn more about what School Social Workers do for our students and school communities. Ms. Rowe is happy to serve DaVinci Academy, and support our students and families.
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!
Mindfully Yours,
DaVinci Academy Mental Health Team
Phoenix Hathaway (K-4 Counselor) www.calendly.com/mshathaway (763)-754-6577 ext. 1204
Brittany Finley (5-8 School Counselor) www.calendly.com/bfinley-4 (763)-754-6577 ext.1310
Courtney Rowe (K-8 School Social Worker) www.calendly.com/msrowe (763)-754-6577 ext. 1215
Helping Children Cope With Terrorism: Tips for Parents & Educators
Intentional acts of violence that hurt innocent people are frightening and upsetting. Children and youth will look to adults for information and guidance on how to react. Families and school personnel can help children cope first and foremost by establishing a sense of safety and security. As information becomes available, adults can continue to help children work through their emotions and, perhaps, even use the process as a learning experience. Here are some tips for how to help children feel safe and secure in the face of fears surrounding current events.
Every Meal
We are excited to share that we have partnered with Every Meal (formerly Sheridan Project) to provide meals for families in need at DaVinci. This program is free for all families at DaVinci in grades K-8, there is no income qualification, and there is no private information collected.
Families who sign up will receive a 3-5 pound bag of food each week for each school age child they sign up. Families will need to complete a separate form for each child they are enrolling. There are 5 different types of meal bags available for families to choose from. Families can sign all of their children up for the same type of bag or they can sign up for different bags, depending on preference. Meal bags will be placed in your student’s backpack on the last day of each week. Families can sign up or cancel at any time as their needs change.
Use the link here to sign up: https://bit.ly/
Please direct questions to ahalverson@
Spring Fundraiser- March 2nd – 21st
We are selling delicious Butter Braid pastries as a school community to raise funds for our indoor mural project, as we continue to work toward our 2021-22 fundraising goal of $30,000. Orders can be submitted online or with the order form that was sent home on Wednesday, March 2 with your student. Sales will run from March 2 – 21. Orders must be picked up on Tuesday, April 5 between 3:30 – 6:00 PM
DaVinci Academy Golf Tournament
Please join us for our 10th Annual DaVinci Golf Tournament on Friday, June 10, 2022. More information to come.
We are in need of silent auction donations for our golf day! You can promote your company to hundreds of families in the area while helping our school by donating items to be given out to our attendees in the form of auction items, raffle prizes & swag bag goodies for golf participants!
Examples of items that could be donated: gift cards, products, services, merchandise, event tickets, etc.
Please send all inquiries to school_development@davincicharterschool.org
Arts Corner
For more than 30 years, March has been officially designated by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) for the observance of Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM®), the time of year when music education becomes the focus of schools across the nation. 
For more information, check out National Association for Music Education
Daily Prompts – MIOSM Daily Prompts
STEM Builders
Join STEM Builders of Blaine for school release day FUN!
Spring break camp: March 14-18
$269, 9am-4pm, extended care available. Open for grades K-8. Click here to register: Spring Break Information
Summer camp: June 15- August 29. Options for grades K-8. Click here: Summer Camp Information
COVID-19 Updates
For updated vaccination stats for students and staff at DaVinci Academy click HERE
‘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
- Development & Communications Coordinator
- Dean of Students K-5
- Student Success Coordinator K-4
- Food Service Coordinator
- Special Education Paraprofessional
- On Call Substitute Special Education Paraprofessional
Licensed Positions for 21-22 School Year
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Speech Language Pathologist (.7-1.0 FTE)
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Special Education Teacher (ABS, ASD, SLD)
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Special Education Teacher (DCD and/or ASD)
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Long Term Substitute – Middle School Counselor
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On Call Substitute Teacher
Licensed Positions for 22-23 School Year
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Special Education Director
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Kindergarten Teacher
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First Grade Teacher
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Fifth Grade Teacher
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ELL Teacher
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K-5 STEM Teacher
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Health Education Teacher – Middle School (.4 FTE)
Visit DaVinci Academy’s Employment Portal to learn more about open positions and apply online.
