Dear Families,

Welcome to October! It almost unbelievable that we have been in school for over a month! It is even more unbelievable that we are starting conversations about next school year with future 6th grade and high school transitions - but we most certainly are. Over the next few weeks, I will be speaking with families who hope to become part of our 2023-2024 da Vinci Arts Program. If you know 5th grade students who are artistic, creative risk takers and looking to explore a growing diverse community, please encourage them to join our one of our informational sessions (see flyer below) and to apply to our lottery.

Thank you Families for attending Back to School Night (B2SN)

Thank you to all of the families who were able to attend this year's in person B2SN! With an exception of one hiccup, our B2SN was a success. I always love B2SN because it is an opportunity for staff to brag about all the happenings at da Vinci, connect with families and help families learn all about what students are working on. It was really neat floating throughout the halls and classrooms and seeing our seats filled with adults, learning what it means to be a da Vinci Dragon. I saw families connecting with each other and staff, trying mock classroom activities, such as quick science lab experiments, as well as learning how to stay connected via visiting our PTSA and community partner booths.

If you missed B2SN, one of the things mentioned during our initial "assembly" was that we are currently in our Foundation Gifting Season; our goal is to raise $75,000! It is your donations that help us sustain such a magnificent arts focused program. Last year with the help of your generous donations, our foundation helped pay for additional teachers (FTE). We need your support with continuing with our thriving arts program. It is also your support that allows to keep our class sizes reasonable.

Please review the dV Foundation section of this newsletter for more information on how to support staff and programs at da Vinci.

Enjoy the week,

Principal Davis

PS -

Don't forget to check out the PTSA section of this letter and/or head to our PTSA specific website.

• 10/5- Info Session for 23-24 Enrollment 5 PM - 6 PM
• 10/6 Site Council 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM (join via this link)
• 10/11- Info Session for 23-24 Enrollment 5 PM - 6 PM (in person)
• 10/12- Latinx Heritage Month Assembly, special schedule
• 10/12- Dine Out at Por Que No, PTSA fundraiser, see below
• 10/14- No School, State Educator In-Service Day
  
• 10/19- PTSA Meeting, 6 PM Cafeteria, all welcome

23 - 24 Lottery Dates

Though we are still in the first quarter of this school year, planning starts soon for next year.

We will be holding two in-person events for new families intersted in applying to the lottery for next year. There will be one virtual option that will be recorded. If you have a 5th grade student, you will need to enter the lottery for admission. Current students do not need to do anything to contine through 8th grade. There is sibling priority for students concurrently enrolled. If you have friends who might be interested in da Vinci, encourage them to attend an info session. The Lottery through Enrollment and Transfer opens on November 15th at 8 AM and closes December 16th at 5 PM.

Eighth Graders and High School Forecasting Season

Our current 8th-grade families will be receiving information soon on high school planning. Please make sure your current address is listed in Synergy for your student. If your student shares time in two households, the address listed first will be considered the primary address and used to determine which high school they are forecasted for. Read THIS LETTER from our Counselors with more details.

BSU- Every 1st and 3rd Friday, from 3:20 pm - 4:00 pm

QSA- Every 1st & 3rd Wednesday of the month. 3:15 - 4:15

Latinx There will be a back to School Virtual Meeting with Latino Network on October 13th from 6 pm-7 pm. Ms. Wilson, our Assistant Principal will oversee this partnership. If there are any questions, please don’t hesitate to email her at mwilson5@pps.net. Please sign up on this form if you are interested in joining the Latinx Club: Latinx Sign Up Link

PPS will once again partner with OHSU for weekly Covid screening tests. An email was sent last week from PPS Communications with details. Our collection date at da Vinci is on Thursdays if you are participating. Remind your student to drop off the sample in a red tub by the office door each Thursday morning.

Registration info: Parents/guardians can start enrolling their students through OHSU’s NEW Online Portal. If you are unable to enroll for any reason, please call OHSU Support at (503) 418-8500.​

Visit OHSU's K-12 Screening Program website at http://www.ohsu.edu/k12testing, contact the OHSU support team at k12covidtesting@ohsu.edu,​ or call (503) 418-8500 for more information.

Please see the following instructions for setting up your own account to track assignments and monitor progress. If you have multiple children in PPS, you can set up one account and then add additional students with a separate code for each student.

TAG Support- Parent Office Hours with the TAG Department

Ask questions and receive information related to TAG identification, services, processes, etc.

We will meet on Zoom, 6:00-7:00 PM on 10/26/22, 11/30/22, 1/25/23, 2/22/23, 3/22/23, 4/26/23, and 5/31/23.

Zoom link for Parent Office Hours with the TAG Department

We look forward to seeing you!

Trogdor

Our school rock band, Trogdor, will be holding auditions on Thursday, October 6th at 3:30 in the music building. We are looking for guitarists, drummers, bass players, singers, keyboard players, or anything else that you can rock out on! This group will perform at the winter concert, we will have auditions again in the spring for the spring concert. Questions? Ask Mr. Gerolami or Mz. Daley.

Fall Festival of Shakespeare

If your student is in the cast or crew, be sure to reference the Canvas page for schedules and updates.

Attendance Reporting and Tardies

If your student will be absent from school for any reason, please notify sbryan@pps.net with their name and the reason for the absence. You can also call the main office at 503-916-5356 We receive a high volume of calls and email is preferred. If your student arrives after the tardy bell at 8:45 they need to check in at the main office for a tardy slip.

Breakfast times, and Entrance/Exit Routines

Breakfast will now be available from 8:20 to 8:40 in the morning. Students should enter from the SE corner/playground gate through the garden courtyard if they are coming in early for breakfast. After breakfast, students remain in the cafeteria until the first bell.

At 8:38, students can enter through the front doors and proceed to their lockers and class:

• 6th grade enters the building through the east doors, closest to the playground.

• 7th grade enters the building through the center/main doors.

• 8th grade enters through the west doors, closest to the driveway from the parking lot.

After lunch, students return to the building through these same doors.

After school, students should exit through the closest exit to their classroom.

Cell Phone Policy

Phones and all personal electronic devices should be turned OFF and put AWAY during school hours. We do not want to see earbuds or headphones. The school is not responsible for these items if they are lost or stolen. They should be locked up in the locker. Please do not try to text your student during school hours. If you need to reach them or deliver a message, call the main office and we will give them a message or call them to the office to call you.

Doorbell and building access

For security purposes, the building is locked during school hours. If a student arrives outside of normal arrival hours, or you need to visit, the doorbell rings the main office phone line. We can answer on an intercom and release the door. There is a camera so we can see who is at the door. However, if we are on the phone or attending to a student, we may not be able to answer immediately. Please keep trying if we do not answer immediately.

Early Dismissals

If you need to pick up your student early, please let us know in advance and try to plan your pick-up between periods to reduce the disruptions of calling students from class. It can take a while to reach your student in class, and for them to go to their locker. If we are in an assembly, we cannot easily locate them.

Lockers

Students have been assigned a locker and should use it for their personal belongings during the day. We are still working through a few issues so please reach out to sbryan@pps.net if your student is still not able to use their locker. Lockers should be kept secured and students should not share the combinations. The office does maintain a list of combinations. We are not responsible for valuables brought to school. If students bring phones or other electronic devices, they need to be powered off and remain in their lockers for the entire day (including lunch periods).

ParentVue and the Yearly Verification

If you have not yet done so, please complete the YEARLY VERIFICATION process on ParentVue to update your personal information. It is critical that we have current phone numbers, emergency contacts, relevant health information for your student, and your current address. ParentVue is where you see your student's schedules, attendance, and grade reports (once grades are recorded). If you need help accessing your account, please email sbryan@pps.net.

Traffic Pattern Highlights

We strongly encourage you to work with your community and arrange carpools to reduce congestion and help our environment. Additionally, please follow this guide if possible to help with the traffic flow in front of the school:

Everett St. in front of the school is for 6th graders. Travel EAST, from 24th to 28th Ave. Pull to the curb for your student(s) to get out of the car. Carefully enter the line of traffic.

7th graders can be dropped off and picked up from 24th Ave. Please be careful at the intersection of 24th and Everett and yield to pedestrians.

8th graders can be dropped off on Couch (a one-way headed east) and walk through the park beside the Coco-Cola building.

There is also a driveway entering from 24th and Davis that will exit onto Everett for buses and those with special needs. Parking in the neighborhood and behind the school is very limited.

Please be courteous of our neighbors at all times and do not idle as you are parked.