DaVinci Connection – April 6, 2023

Our annual Dollars-for-DaVinci fundraiser is right around the corner! The event will run from 4/12 – 4/28. Dollars-for-DaVinci is one of our major fundraisers and is an integral part of our annual fundraising strategy. Our goal for this year’s Dollars-for-DaVinci fundraiser is $50,000! Funds raised are used to support both short- and long-term goals and projects aligned with the school’s strategic vision.

Funds raised during Dollars-for-DaVinci will be allocated toward two primary initiatives.

1. Building Security Upgrades & Enhancement. The safety of our students and staff is always our priority. Having the tools and resources to ensure our building is secure is paramount.
2. Middle School Field Trips. Each year, DaVinci middle school students participate in several field trips which support our arts and science focus. These field trips bring many benefits to students, including real-world learning, social-emotional growth, and academic impact.

$50,000 is a big goal, but together, WE CAN DO IT! 

• Each DaVinci student earns $50 = $48,500 raised!
• Each DaVinci student earns $55 = $53,350 raised!
• Each DaVinci student earns $60 = $58,200 raised!

To reach our goal, each grade needs to raise $5,555. If each class raises $1,300 – We will CRUSH our goal!

How are funds raised?

• Doing extra chores around the house
• Asking family, friends, and neighbors for donations
• Helping neighbors or grandparents with chores at their house
• Parent employer corporate matching

Keys to Success!

1. Have your student(s) set a goal for themselves! How much do you want to raise?
2. Help them set a plan to reach that goal! How will you accomplish this?
3. Track and celebrate your progress. Keep up the great work!
4. Victory! You did it! 

More information is going home with students on April 12.

Thank YOU for your support!!!

DaVinci Academy Intersession – Registration Now Open 

DaVinci Academy’s intersession program offers students in all grades additional opportunities to grow and learn. One optional, fee-based intersession is offered per school year and, while not required, the school strongly encourages all students to take advantage of it.

Regular classes are suspended during intersession so that students may focus on and develop a deeper understanding of a particular subject area.

Busing is not available during intersession and school lunch is not served either, as these days are not regular school days.

Registration for intersession will be open through April 19. Check out this page to read more about intersession week, and this one to find the program handbook and preview the options we will offer this year. 

Volunteer Appreciation Week is April 17-21!  If you are volunteering in the building that week, please stop by Lindsey Gable’s desk for a little token of appreciation as a thank you for all you do!  We are so very thankful for all of our volunteers here at DaVinci!!

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities-Spring!  

As the snow melts we are quickly approaching our community-build swing set project, and we are looking for volunteers who want to help with this build.  We need 15 volunteers to help with this project! Our tentative install date is Thursday, May 25. This is a great way to utilize corporate Volunteer Time Off (VTO) benefits, if offered through your employer!  

Some areas you can help include:

• Site Prep Skills – Equipment Operators/Excavation (Bobcat, Dump Truck, Trailer, etc.) Are there any families who own or have access to a skid steer?
• Construction/Installation Skills – Experience working with concrete, concrete footers, etc.
• Basic Construction – Use of socket/ratchet, impact drivers, drills, and basic tools.
• Landscape or general work – Install plastic curbing, landscape fabric, moving mulch, etc.
• Workers for clean-up & Unpacking/Staging Equipment – Unpacking pallets, and keeps the site clean/safe. Organize and assemble “kits”, etc.

This community-build has numerous advantages, including financial savings and building community spirit! 

Please reach out to Volunteer Coordinator, Lindsey Gable, to learn more or to volunteer!

Check out our other volunteer opportunities here.

Please remember to clock in AND out as a volunteer at the front desk computer when you come in for volunteer activities so that we can keep track of volunteer hours in HelpCounter!  If you need assistance in doing this, please ask Lindsey, or one of the front desk staff members to help you. 

Thank you!

It’s Vincent Grammer and I would like to announce that we have exceeded our goal of 500 pounds of recycled plastic! We currently have logged 502 pounds of plastic. This means that we will get our free bench! 

The project is not over until April 22, so keep collecting and bringing in more bags. Here are the current standings for each floor:

• 1st Place – Third floor with 10 bags.
• 2nd Place – Second floor with 8 bags.
• 3rd Place – First floor with 7 bags. 

Remember, for every 10 bags a floor collects, that floor gets a prize! The grand prize for getting the most bags is still up for grabs as well so keep pushing because any floor could take the lead at any time.

Thanks for all of your hard work and contributions,

Vincent Grammer

Hello DaVinci Community,

April is a beautiful time of year: the weather is warming, days are getting longer, and it’s National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Our Mental Health Team wants to equip families with increased knowledge and awareness of child abuse, what it consists of, and how we can prevent it. We believe every child deserves to feel safe and supported, and we value your partnership with this. 

What is considered child abuse? 

Child abuse is any form of mistreatment by an adult, which is violent or threatening for the child. Abuse includes any behaviors that frighten, intimidate, terrorize, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, injure, or wound someone. One way to prevent child abuse is by using protective factors. 

What are protective factors?

These are qualities or environmental situations, when present in individuals, families, and communities, promote well-being and healing. Here are some of the key protective factors:

• Knowledge of parenting and child development.
  •  Parents who understand the usual course of child development are more likely to provide their children with developmentally appropriate limits, consistent rules and expectations, and opportunities that promote independence. 
• No parent can be an expert on all aspects of child development or on the most effective ways to support a child at every age.
  •  As children grow, parents will need to continue to learn and respond to children’s emerging needs. 
• Parenting styles need to be adjusted for each child’s unique temperament and circumstances. 
  • Parents of children with special needs may benefit from additional coaching and support. 

Ways to prevent child abuse from occurring: 

1. Teach children their rights. When children are taught they are special and have the right to be safe, they are less likely to think abuse is their fault and more likely to report an offender.
2. Support prevention programs. Too often, intervention occurs only after abuse is reported. Greater investments are needed in programs that have been proven to stop the abuse before it occurs – such as family counseling and home visits by nurses who assist newborns and their parents.
3. Know what child abuse is. Physical and sexual abuse clearly constitute maltreatment, but so does neglect, or the failure of parents or other caregivers to provide a child with needed food, clothing, and care. Children can also be emotionally abused when they are rejected, berated, or continuously isolated.
4. Know the signs. Unexplained injuries aren’t the only signs of abuse. Depression, fear of a certain adult, difficulty trusting others or making friends, sudden changes in eating or sleeping patterns, inappropriate sexual behavior, poor hygiene, secrecy, and hostility are often signs of family problems and may indicate a child is being neglected or physically, sexually, or emotionally abused.
5. Report abuse. If you witness a child being harmed or see evidence of abuse, make a report to your state’s child protective services department or local police. When talking to a child about abuse, listen carefully, assure the child that he or she did the right thing by telling an adult, and affirm that he or she is not responsible for what happened.
6. Invest in kids. Encourage leaders in the community to be supportive of children and families. Ask employers to provide family-friendly work environments. Ask your local and national lawmakers to support legislation to better protect our children and to improve their lives.

If you know or suspect abuse is happening, please call your county to report, or call Childhelp (800-422-4453) for assistance.

Additional Resources:

Discipline Strategies for Preschoolers

Discipline Strategies for School Age Children

Discipline Strategies for Teens

MN Department of Human Resources

National Child Abuse Prevention Month

 I Can Choose What Works Best for My Children

Mindfully Yours,

DaVinci Academy Mental Health Team

Phoenix Hathaway, K-4 School Counselor, phathaway@davincicharterschool.org 

Diana Muske, 5-8 School Counselor, Dmuske@davincichrterschool.org 

Amy Key, K-8 School Counselor Intern, akey@davincicharterschool.org 

Dom Jefferson, K-8 School Social Worker, djefferson@davincicharterschool.org 

DaVinci’s Equity Team has been working hard to build connections, awareness, and inclusion in our school community. We hosted our first event on Thursday, March 30th, called “Family Night In: Board Game Edition.” Over 400 people attended! It was great to meet and mingle, have fun, and watch students, family, and friends connect. Special thanks to Ms. Tinawi’s husband, Ben Harkins, owner of Floodgate Games (visit floodategate.games to check them out), for donating over 100 board games as a raffle prize for attendees. And thank you to our many volunteers, monetary and food donations, and people willing to help. We appreciate your passion and dedication to our school! At the end of the night, one student asked, “can we do this again next week?” Details are coming soon for our next Equity Event on Thursday, May 4th.

We are working hard to address, interrupt, and eliminate instances of racism in our school. We have heard numerous recent reports about hurtful racially-motivated words and actions, that hurt our school community. On Friday, March 31st and again on Tuesday, April 4th, students in grades 3-8 were taught about diversity, acceptance, and more specifically, the harmful effects of racism. Special thanks to Mrs. Sara Sweeney, Mr. Brandon Morris, Mr. Jake Otterness, and Ms. Phoenix Hathaway, for creating and facilitating the lesson. If you want to view the lesson slides, understand more about the content, and obtain resources to continue the conversation at home, please reach out. 

We are passionate about helping all of our school community members feel seen, heard, and respected for the unique individuals they are. Our goal is to provide all students safety, belonging, and equitable opportunities. We strive to create an environment where everyone feels supported to learn, develop, and interact with themselves and others in a healthy, intentional way. We appreciate your partnership in this endeavor. 

Keep reading for important dates to know for April, with spotlights on Autism Awareness Month, and Satoshi Tajiri, a person with autism and creator of Pokemon. If you have special dates, holidays, or significant people you would like featured, please click here.

April is… 

• National Autism Awareness Month
• Arab American Heritage Month
• Genocide Awareness Month
• National Poetry Month

Dates to Know:

• April 2 World Autism Awareness Day

• April 2 Palm Sunday

• April 7 Good Friday

• April 5-13 Passover

• April 9 Easter

• April 14 Day of Silence

• April 18 Laylat Al-Qadr

• April 17-18 Yom Hashoah/Holocaust Memorial Day

Awareness Spotlight: Autism Acceptance Month

This April, the Autism Society of America celebrates Autism Acceptance Month, which promotes accepting and celebrating autistic people as family members, friends, classmates, co-workers, and community members making valuable contributions to our world. Celebrate Autism Acceptance Month by checking out this list of History’s Most Inspiring People on the Autism Spectrum and practicing Person First language!

Person Spotlight:  Satoshi Tajiri

As a child, Satoshi Tajiri was fascinated by insects and was even nicknamed “Dr. Bug” by other children. As an adult, Tajiri turned that interest into the worldwide phenomenon that is Pokémon — which itself makes him an inspiration to millions of children (and adults!) around the world. But Satoshi Tajiri is also on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum. Though he confirmed that he does indeed have Asperger’s Syndrome, Tajiri does not talk about it in public, choosing instead to let his many accomplishments speak for themselves.

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) provides eligible households a discount of up to $30 per month off their internet bills (or up to $75 per month for households living on Tribal lands), as well as a one-time discount of up to $100 off an eligible connected device like a laptop, desktop computer or tablet. In many cases, households can get high-speed internet without paying a dime by choosing a fully covered internet plan.

This announcement serves as a reminder that a household is eligible to participate in the ACP if a child in the household receives free or reduced-price school meals. Therefore, under the ACP rules, every household with a child attending a school participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program is eligible for ACP benefits.

Households can learn more and apply for the ACP at GetInternet.gov

While this reminder is specific to schools that are participating in CEP, additional information about eligibility for CEP discount benefits can be found in the  School Outreach Toolkit PDF (English  an  School Outreach Toolkit PDF (Spanish). The toolkit provides information about ways households can qualify for the ACP, including through an individual student’s participation in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program providing free or reduced-price meals; through a household member’s participation in a wide range of other federal assistance programs like Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and many others; or based on the household’s income (up to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level).

If your family has plans to move on from DaVinci at the end of this school year, please reach out to enrollment@davincicharterschool.org to let us know.  Filling vacancies is easier if we are aware of these in advance of the summer.

We understand that life happens, and moves are sometimes unpredictable, and we appreciate you sharing any enrollment change detail as soon as possible.

Thank you.

Pam Carlson

DaVinci Academy Enrollment Coordinator