Dragon Tales
May 9th - May 13th
Spoiler Alert: Teacher Appreciation Week THANK YOU! AAPI Heritage Month, Volunteer Site for Dance Concert ...
Good day, da Vinci Families,
Last week was action packed! I will share more information about all that our week entailed, but first, I would like to say, "Thank you to our PTSA and parents" for making our staff at da Vinci feel appreciated, loved and cared for during Staff Appreciation Week. Each day our staff arrived to tasty breakfast, lots of coffee and delicious lunch! Not to mention all of the raffle gifts!
As you might recall, we took our students to Camp Namanu for two days of outdoor learning, during Outdoor School. Our students bonded in the rain, explored and engaged in hands-on experiential science learning. I even joined in on the fun of learning and connecting with kids, while playing Gaga Ball (Tuesday was my first time playing the game - they got me out quickly both times, but still fun! I will be ready on the next go!).
On Saturday, I took some of our Black Student Union (BSU) students to, An African American Requiem at the Arlene Schnitzer Hall. The Requiem was a symphonic capture of the racial violence in America and a direct response the murder of George Floyd - what an experience.
As the year begins to come to a close, our weeks will continue to be pretty packed. Please pay close attention to the Calendar Highlights section of this newsletter.
Take great care,
Principal Davis
da Vinci at An African American Requiem
Outdoor School Reflections
Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month
Kalpana Chawla, Indian American Astronaut and Engineer
Kalpana Chawla was the first woman of Indian descent to go to space, having served as a mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator on the space shuttle Columbia. Sadly, Chawla was one of the seven crew members who died when the spacecraft disintegrated during its re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere in 2003 following the space shuttle Columbia’s 28th mission. Chawla was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, and several streets, universities and institutions have been named in her honor. She is regarded as a national hero in India, where she was born in East Punjab, in 1962.
Source:
https://tinybeans.com/asian-american-historical-figures/slide/14
Thank you, Donors and Volunteers!
Heartfelt thanks to everyone that provided coffee, breakfast treats, lunch, raffle basket items, ice cream, gelato, flowers, and more. Every day, volunteers delivered, set up, and helped clean up. It was a Teacher Appreciation Week to remember and the staff felt the love. Special thanks go to Rebecca Martinez Griffin for all her work coordinating the week.
Volunteers Needed for the Spring Dance Concert, May 20 and 21
We need you! The show is not possible without volunteers. There are two concerts with the same program so consider watching one and volunteering for one if your student is in the show. If you are helping with the front of the house, you will be able to see that show after the concert starts.
Spring Plant Sale Pickup THIS WEEK
Plants will be available for pickup the following days/times.
Wednesday 3 pm - 4 pm
Thursday 3 pm - 4 pm
Where
da Vinci Arts Middle School
2508 NE Everett St, Portland, OR 97232
*Portable A
*Portable A is on the playground. There is a driveway on Everett St, east of the man building. You may drive up OR walk up for your plants.
Dine for Da Vinci - Next Sunday, May 15th from 4 - 10pm Pambiche will be donating 15% of all sales to da Vinci! Pop over for some take out or in restaurant dining.
Da Vinci Auction
Bidding begins on May 20th but the online auction website is up and running now!
View the catalog here (new items added daily).
LAST CALL FOR AUCTION ITEMS
We are accepting donation items from individuals and businesses until this Friday, May 13th. If you or someone you know has an item, service, gift card, etc to donate it can now be completed directly through the website here.
June Ice Cream Social
The PTSA is seeking volunteers to plan and execute an Ice Cream Social and Field Day for our students. The date is TBD but there is plenty of planning and work to do. Let’s send our kids off to summer with a community building event to remember. Sign up HERE
PTSA 2022 - 2023 Board Members NEEDED
Do you have experience on a PTSA board or seeking more consistent involvement in da Vinci Arts Middle School? The board is currently seeking a President or Co-President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer! HERE is where you can understand more about the open roles and HERE is where you can sign up to speak with a current board member to have your questions answered.
Cell Phone and Personal Electronics Policy
As a reminder, phones and other personal electronics are to be
OFF AND AWAY during the school day.
Please help us by not texting your student during school hours. Call the office and we can deliver a message or have your student come to the office to call you. If your student needs to contact you during the day, they should ask to come to the office to make a call or text you.
If phones are out when they are not supposed to be, teachers or other staff members will ask for the phone to be kept in the office until the end of the day. After three occasions, we will be contacting parents/guardians.
Earbuds and headphones generally should not be brought to school unless a student has a Special Education plan for their use.
May 11 and 12, Plant pickup- PTSA
May 15th, 4 - 10 PM, Dine for da Vinci at Pambiche
May 17th, Norse Day Parade, Band students marching
May 20 and 21, Spring Dance Concert
May 20, Online bidding for PTSA Auction opens
May 26th, Spring Music Concert, 7 pm
May 30, Memorial Day Holiday
June 7th, 8th Grade Field Trip @ Oaks Park
June 8th, Portland Jr. Rose Festival Parade, Band students
June 9th, 8th Grade Promotion, 6:00 at Grant HS
June 10, Last Day of School
Attendance Reporting Reminder
If your student will be late or absent for any reason, please notify the main office at 503-916-5356 or email the attendance secretary, Sheli Bryan at
sbryan@pps.net. Because we receive a high volume of calls and the front doorbell also rings the front office, an email notification is preferred. Please let us know the reason for the absence and if your student is ill, a brief explanation of symptoms. We will follow up if needed.
COVID-19 OHSU Screening Continues
If your student needs a kit for this coming week, have them stop in the office or let Sheli in the office know to deliver one to them. Remember to label the bag and the sample. Each week we have at least one sample that is unlabeled!
Safe Oregon
SafeOregon is a program created for Oregon students, parents, school staff, community members and law enforcement officers to report and respond to student safety threats. Please see this brochure for information about how to share information.
PPS Sponsored Family Resources
