Dragon Tales

How is it already May? During every school year there are times it feels the year has taken a long time to unfold, but right now it feels like the year has flown by. The last month of school is busy in any building, but here at da Vinci we have a TON going on. Between our end of the year performances to our 8th grade capstone presentations (not to mention a Talent Show, Oaks Park and Field Day), this month will come and go in a flash.

With all of those activities, it is also important that we all work to keep our students engaged in their academics and focused on following our schoolwide expectations. Our behavior mantra here is ARTS (Accountable, Respectful, Thoughtful and Safe). We reference these points when we remind students of our expectations around attendance and behavior as we get closer to the finish line. Starting May 1st, students may only have 13 tardies (including 1st period) and no Stage 2-3 referrals in order to be eligible for Oaks Park and Field Day activities. Please remind your student of these expectations as well.

As a reminder, school will start 15-minutes later on Tuesday, May 6th. Students may enter through the side gate to get breakfast at 9:15am and the main doors to the building will open at 9:23am. First period begins at 9:30am.

We have made a last minute change to the date and location of 8th grade promotion. 8th grade promotion will now be on Wednesday, June 11th at Benson High School from 6-8pm.

When two additional days were added to the school calendar we were unable, until now, to find a promotion site that could accommodate our needs and that was closer to the last day of school. Thankfully, with the help of Ms. Sprecher, who is the tech director at Benson High School, we were able to get an exception to use Benson High Schoo's amazing auditorium, which is currently unavailable to any other location. Additionally, we are excited for this change as it creates less disruption with our 8th grade capstone events and we have a large number of 8th graders heading to Benson next year.

During an afternoon assembly today, we celebrated those students who were nominated by their peers and staff members for exhibiting our ARTS characteristics. This year, we are reframing our schoolwide climate expectations around being Accountable, Respectful, Thoughtful and Safe.

The assembly is put on by our Leo Leaders and Climate Coach, Ms. Heather and is a fun way to celebrate our students. We also took this opportunity to remind students about our attendance and behavior expectations for the last month of May.

As we head into next week, I want to make sure to acknowledge, and thank, our amazing staff for all they do for our student body. There are many ways you can show your appreciation for our staff. The first is through a short google form that asks you to share a word that comes to mind when you think of your staff. The second is a donation/volunteer sign up form. See links below!

Share Your Feedback Form

PTSA Donation/Volunteer Form

PPS wants to invite you to an informational session about PPS’s transition from single letter grading to a standards-based system for middle school students. The session will take place Thursday, May 8th from 5:30-7pm in the lobby of the Prophet Education Center (503 N. Dixon St., 97227). Click below for more information.

https://secure.smore.com/n/u6v1f-grading-changes-for-middle-schools

We need your support to make this happen. Come help these amazing students. Pick a day and time and sign up to help us out. Please know that if you volunteer you will be able to see your student on stage. Please email me with any questions you may have. Thank you! Pamela.Kreutz@gmail.com

Our 8th Grade Field Trip to Oaks Park is June 5th. We need chaperone and volunteer support to make this day happen. Please click this link to see the ways you can help out.

To celebrate their time at da Vinci Arts, before moving onto their respective high schools, we hope to be able to take our 8th graders on a fun-filled day to Oaks Park on Thursday, June 5th this year!!

With less funds to help cover the cost of the admission ride bracelets and buses, we are requesting a $30 fee for each student. We want all students to attend. If you are able and feel led to sponsor other students to attend the event, your generosity is greatly appreciated! If this fee request poses a hardship please reach out to Jennifer to request accommodations (jehoward@pps.net).

The 8th grade college visit was a resounding success, this past Wednesday. Our 8th graders spent the morning of April 30th on Portland State University's campus touring in small groups.

Our 8th graders were able to craft how they wanted their tour to go with the flexibility of being on self-guided tours. Groups toured the art buildings, saw the new art building being built, the Native American Cultural and resource center, the Science building, the library, the architecture building, the business building, the athletic complex, the recreation center, and many more spaces and places on campus.

This annual college tour is part of PPS's 8th grade redesign and focus on college and career readiness in our students. Already looking forward to taking our upcoming 8th graders for next year!

Franklin HS is holding a sports-specific information night at Franklin for all incoming 9th grade students and their families. All high school coaches and the athletic director will be there to answer questions. The event will take place on May 28th, @ 5pm, in the Main Gym.

Camps, Classes, & After School Programs:

• Portland Parks Teen Nature Team (Saturdays, then weekdays in summer)

• VIBE PDX Spring Break & Summer Art & Music Camps (Jun. 16 - Aug. 29)

• Portland Parks & Rec Teen Force at SW Community Center

• VIBE of Portland Music & Digital Art Classes for Kids

• Portland Parks & Rec Environmental Education Nature Field Trips (flyer for teachers)

Other Opportunities:

• PPS Culture in the Classroom Community Event (Wed. Apr. 30)

• AFS Intercultural Programs: Host an Exchange Student

Summer Camps:

• VIBE PDX Summer Art Camps, various locations & dates (Jun. 16 - Aug. 20)

• VIBE PDX Art in Motion: Animal Moves & Moods (Jun. 16-20, 23-27, Jul. 14-18)

• PCC Summer Teen Program (schedule online Apr. 25, registration opens May 28)

• OSU Summer Reading Program (Jun. 14 - Aug. 16, 2025)

• Cognizart 360Arts Summer Camps (Jul. 7-11, 14-18, & 21-25, 2025)

VIBE PDX East Winds Band Camp (Jul. 21-25, 2025, recorded audition due Jul. 10)