DaVinci Connection – May 19, 2023

Talking to our children or students about sensitive topics can be very difficult as a parent or teacher. I recently finished a book study with other school principals on a book by Dr. Nancy Dome called “Let’s Talk About Race and Other Hard Things”. It was a helpful book that had suggestions for framing conversations with our kids or other adults that helps strengthen relationships and set clear boundaries. The author was quick to point out that these are conversations that happen over time and are not “one-and-done” situations.

Dr. Dome suggests the RIR protocol of Recognize it, Interrupt it, and Repair it. We learn to recognize things that may be hurtful to another group and to speak up to interrupt the hurtful language. We also learn practical ideas on how to best repair relationships. As teachers and parents, we continue to grow in our knowledge of how best to communicate with our students, and with each other. This book is a good place to grow in that knowledge.

You are invited to DaVinci Academy’s musical performance of The Little Mermaid Jr.!  Join us on Saturday, May 20 at 12:00 p.m. for catchy music, gorgeous costumes, and a beautiful set as students in grades 5-8 bring this classic tale to life on stage. Tickets can be purchased at the door with cash or check!

• $10 Adults
• $8 Students, Seniors, Military ID
• Free Under Age 5

Little Mermaid Jr. Flyer

We hope to see you there!

Majestic Oaks Golf Club
701 Bunker Lake Blvd NE
Ham Lake, MN 55304 Get directions

12:30 p.m. Shotgun Start

• 11:00 a.m. Registration
• 12:30 p.m. Shotgun Start
• 5:30 p.m. Social Hour
• 6:00 p.m. Dinner
• Silent Auction/Program

Interested in a Business Sponsorship?

Do you own a business or work for a company that would be interested in helping to sponsor this event? Follow this link to learn more about our sponsorship opportunities.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Our Spring Scramble is right around the corner and we are working hard on building our silent auction and raffle bundles. Historically, families have generously donated new items to help us create these baskets. Below is a list of basket/bundle ideas for each grade level. If you would like to help support this event by donating any items for your student(s) grade bundle, please send items to school with your student(s), or drop off donations at the main office.

Thank you in advance for your gracious support!

Come and join the fun at our end-of-year celebration, hosted by DaVinci’s PTO!

Date: Friday, June 2

Time: 5-7 p.m.

Live music, inflatables, food trucks, and more! 

We Hope To See You There!

We had a super fun intersession week at DaVinci Academy! 250 students participated in 16 arts and/or science-based classes. Fun and learning united for an adventurous, activity-filled 4-day week.

The week featured science experiments, student-created films, live theater, set building, animals, arts and crafts, a campfire cookout, tie-dye, 11 field trips, and so much more! Check out the pictures below to see the fun!

We could use a few more volunteers to help with our swing-set community build next Thursday, May 25. If you can help in any of the following ways, please email Lindsey Gable so she can add you to the list of volunteers.

• 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 keeping the site clean/safe. Organize and assemble “kits”, etc.

Thanks!

Take me out to the ball game! Charter School Day at the St. Paul Saints will be Sunday, June 11. This is the second year for Charter School Day @ a Saints game. Tickets for the June 11 St. Paul Saints vs. Iowa Cubs game are only $18 each, which includes a St. Paul Saints Baseball Cap.

All charter school staff and families are invited to participate in this fun event.

To purchase tickets, go to: saintsgroups.com and use the password: charter2023  

This summer, the Free Meals for Kids mobile app will help families and kids find free meals at schools and other sites across Minnesota. Only a click away! 

How it works:

1. Download the Free Meals for Kids app to your cell phone.
2. Use the app to find the nearest site providing meals by GPS.
3. Click on the nearby site and use the Site Updates tab for more details.
4. Share the app with friends, neighbors, and on social media. 

Free Meals for Kids can be downloaded at Apple or Google Play stores. 

There are free meal sites across the state at schools and community locations. The app provides location, directions to the site, and hours and days of operation. More sites are added daily. For more information, visit www.hungerimpactpartners.org.

Why did you decide to start volunteering at DaVinci?

The truth is, it’s in my daughter’s best interest to have a great school environment and that means lots of involvement from parents who care. In order for the teachers and staff to do their best, parents need to pitch in wherever and whenever they can.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering at DaVinci?

Nothing compares to the direct interaction with the kids, many of whom I’ve known for 6 years now. Whether it’s helping them with school projects, having fun with them or even helping to positively adjust their behavior, being involved with the kids makes volunteering worthwhile.

What is your favorite volunteer activity?

I’ve been blessed to chaperone field trips, work with the musical classes, and just generally assist with student and even teacher projects, but being the middle school volleyball team coach has been the long-term commitment that I will surely miss when my time at DaVinci is over.

We have an exciting line-up of events for our upcoming Arts and Science Week!

Tuesday, May 30

Visitors from the Bakken Group will be presenting Small Stuff, Big Deal to students throughout the day. Considered to be the cutting edge of STEM research today, nanoscience explores some tiny things that may have a big impact on our lives. Engaging topics such as surface area, chemical reactions, and measurement, this funny, fast, and fiery show will invite students to explore how things behave differently when they are small.

Wednesday, May 31

The Wildlife Science Center with be doing a Raptor show in the PAC 

• 8:30-9:30 for grades 3, 5, and 6
• 9:45-10:45 for grades 2, 7, and 8
• 11-12 for grades K, 1, and 4

The Bakken Group will also be here on Wednesday to do some hands-on labs with our 3rd and 4th graders!

Thursday, June 1

We will wrap up the week with an egg drop from the roof. All classes will work independently to build their egg drop contraptions, which will be dropped from the roof Thursday afternoon. The goal is for each class to design a landing craft that protects the “egg passenger” when it’s dropped from up high. The egg drop is a great experience that builds creativity, critical thinking, and teamwork! 

Classes can create and build their “egg flyers” from a variety of materials; many of which we have at DaVinci. However,  we could use help from our families to build out our inventory of supplies. We are collecting the following materials from families.

• Drop Cloth
• Clean Coffee filters
• Straws
• Plastic wrap
• String/yarn
• Rubber bands
• Packing peanuts
• Bubble wrap
• Eggs (Not needed until Wednesday, May 31)
• Paper cups ( bigger than dixie cups)
• Cleaned out milk cartons
• Empty Kleenex boxes
• Cotton balls
• Popsicle sticks
• Brown lunch bags
• TP rolls or paper towel rolls

Please send items to school with your student(s), or drop off donations at the main office.

If your family plans to move on from DaVinci at the end of this school year, please contact enrollment@davincicharterschool.org to let us know. We understand that life happens, and moves are sometimes unpredictable. We appreciate you sharing any enrollment change details as soon as possible. Filling vacancies is easier if we are aware of these before the summer. Thank you.