DaVinci Connection – December 16, 2022

On Thursday, December 8, DaVinci held the 8th grade science fair in the school gymnasium. All 98 eighth grade students participated in the fair. Students presented their scientific problem, hypothesis, experiment and results to volunteer judges as well as families that came in to view the projects. Students shared what they learned, how their hypothesis was supported or not, and what they would change if they did the set of experiments again. We had three students selected to go on to compete at the Twin Cities Regional Science Fair in March. The projects include Sophia M’s project, “Growing Seeds in Microgravity”, Izze W’s project, “The Impact of Climate Change on Brine Shrimp”, and Mia Y’s project, “Are Adults Smarter than 5th Graders?”. The Regional Fair gives the students an opportunity to compete to move on to the state and national competitions. Thank you to 8th grade science teacher, Rebecca Fields, on leading the students through this major undertaking as well as all of the volunteers that came in to judge the exhibits.

The panel of volunteer judges reviewed and listened to student presentations, and then voted for their top project in a variety of categories. Congratulations to these winning students!

• Mia – Best in Behavioral Science
• Sophia M – Best in Botany
• Sofia V – Best in Physics
• Izze – Best in Biology
• Kalden – Best in Food Science
• Alex E & Zomkyi – Best in Chemistry
• Anushkaa – “Whopper” of a Project
• Izze – Most Professional Display
• Zani & Mia – Most Unique Project
• Mia – Most Eye-Catching Display
• Soraya – Most Creative
• Isaac – Student Choice

Family gatherings are supposed to be happy events, but they can sometimes be very stressful. Here are some things parents can do to help them go more smoothly.

A lot of behavior problems can be avoided by telling your kids exactly what you expect of them at a family member’s house. It’s good to be as specific as possible. It’s just as important to let your relatives and friends know what to expect of your child. And it’s good to let them know that it’s not up to them to criticize or fix your kid.

If your child is easily overstimulated by noise and people, it’s a good idea to find a place where they can go to just chill out and take a break. For kids with lots of extra energy, giving them plenty of activities to do in the car and taking breaks to let them run around can help.

Kids who don’t like to be touched or hugged or don’t like to talk around people they don’t know shouldn’t be made to do so. And relatives hosting gatherings should be told what a child’s limits are and not demand more.

If you have a child who’s a picky eater, you might want to bring some food they like, especially if the holiday is centered around a meal. You can still encourage them to try something new, but that way you’ll know they won’t go hungry.

All parents would love it if their kids became best friends with cousins they see at gatherings. But that doesn’t happen just because kids are the same age. Parents can show kids that even if they don’t really like a relative, they still need to be polite.

Know that no family gathering is going to be perfect. If you and your child can come away with one or two good memories, you’ve done a good job.

Adapted from; How to Take the Stress Out of Family Gatherings by Rachel Ehmke. 

Mindfully Yours,
DaVinci Academy’s Mental Health Team

 – Phoenix Hathaway (K-4 Counselor) www.calendly.com/mshathaway (763)-754-6577 ext. 1203
 – Diana Muske (5-8 School Counselor) (763) 754-6577 ext. 1310

Just a few weeks left to register for the next round of Young Rembrandts after-school art classes! This next round of classes begin in January: Awesome Mandalas, Fashion Runway, and Kings & Queens. More information for each class can be found on our website here. Register directly with Young Rembrandts using the links provided online.

Oh the weather outside is frightful. The wind, snow, and cold are not delightful. Please take a moment to help our outside staff stay safe and warm by installing the Silent Dismissal app to your phone. Once you have the app, simply email the office what kind of phone that you have so we can activate the app for FREE.

If you 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

Tuesday, January 10, 2023 6- 8:30PM

All 7th and 8th-grade families are invited to High School Information Night. We will host representatives from four different schools to talk about their high school and the registration process. The three charter schools will each get 20 minutes to share highlights of their school, and two Blaine High School guidance counselors will be here to help the 8th-grade students that need to register for 9th grade. If you know your child is going to Blaine High School, this is your chance to ask questions and get one-on-one help. There will a representative for the general education program and from the CEMS program. The schedule is as follows: 

• Blaine High School from 6-7 PM to share information and assist with registration for CEMS and general education (DaVinci Academy Atrium)
• Northwest Passage from 7:00- 7:20 pm (Performing Arts Center)
• North Lakes Academy from 7:20- 7:40 pm (Performing Arts Center)
• PACT Charter School from 7:40- 8:00 pm (Performing Arts Center)

From 8:00-8:30 pm, we will have the charter school representatives move to three different areas to answer specific questions you may have about their program.

If you have any questions, please contact Diana Muske, 5-8 Guidance Counselor, or Jack Shields, Middle School Principal.

DaVinci Dance was fortunate to have some very special middle school coaches and a tech wizard help out with the program this fall. Read on for some fun facts about them!

Abigail Olowoyo: I have been dancing since the age of 5 and I think that dance is a great way to express myself so being able to introduce this to younger people is a great opportunity. I am 11 years old and in 6th grade.

Azaria Zenkic: I have been in dance for seven years as a dancer and half a year as an assistant coach. I have taught and choreographed several dances with the kids at my mom’s old daycare. I have taken many dance lessons before coming to DaVinci Dance.

Asher Johnson: I love to run sound for DaVinci; I have a decent amount of experience with sound and computers; This wouldn’t be possible without the support of my family and friends.

You are appreciated!