Dragon Tales

It was another exciting week at da Vinci. Although many students' hopes for a snow day were dashed by warmer than expected weather, we still had fun watching snow fall Wednesday morning and feeling the buzz of talk in the halls around potential responses to inclement weather. It appears that we still have more cold weather ahead of us so please continue to send your student with appropriate clothing.

This week also marked the first full week of February and the beginning of Black History Month. It has been exciting to see our students in our Black Student Union working hard to prepare for our upcoming Black History Month Assembly. I'm grateful for our students leading this work and for Hakim, our BSU advisor, who provides a safe space for our Black and African American students to meet on a weekly basis.

I'm also excited to share that our students met our schoolwide goal to reduce tardies this past week and were rewarded with a one-lunch schedule today. While having all students eat at the same time makes the cafeteria a bit hectic, it is so fun seeing students get the chance to eat and hangout with all their friends. Our biggest number of tardies continues to come from 1st period. Please help us decrease that number by making sure your student arrives at school between 9:05-9:10. This appears to be the best window of time to ensure they have time to get to their lockers and to class on time.

Have a great weekend,

Scott

Today concludes National Counselor Appreciation Week. da Vinci students, staff and families are so fortunate to have Ms.Shannon and Ms. Shelby as our school counselors. The ways they support our community are endless and their days are filled with proactive and reactive responsibilities. We are grateful for their efforts to support students in the many ways they do.

Please take a moment to send them a short thank you via email:

Ms. Shannon: sfoxley@pps.net

Ms. Shelby: skugler@pps.net

In case you missed it earlier this week, please take a moment to read Superintendent Dr. Armstrong’s message about the district’s commitment to the safety and well being of our trans and gender diverse students. We are proud at da Vinci to welcome all students and want to ensure all students and families that da Vinci is a safe place for them.

Please take a moment to check out the LGBTQ+ Caregiver Support Guide. At the request and guidance of PPS LGBTQ+ youth, these guides offer families and trusted adults tools and resources to better understand and support the youth in their lives. This project was made possible by PPS LGBTQ+ youth, local partners, and SAY Wellness, a CDC DASH Grant led by the Health and PE Department.

They then applied layout and design techniques to create a Greek Mythology Pennant Project to display their learnings using the art medium of watercolors. From there, they worked collaboratively to learn from one another about each other's project.

One of the District’s big pushes this year is lifting up literacy across the district. Please take a moment to read about this exciting opportunity to find the “Golden Key” inside books at a local literacy hub.

da Vinci is proud to offer a number of different Affinity Groups to support students and ensure they feel a sense of belonging here at school. Affinity Groups at da Vinci are spaces where students with shared identities or backgrounds can come together to create a space where they can connect, advocate and discuss experiences related to their shared characteristic.

Funds donated to these groups will be used to support various projects and activities that the group feels are needed. This might be field trips, food for meetings, invitations to guest speakers, etc. This year, we have a BSU, LatinX, QSA, AAPI, Native American Club and JAC affinity groups that we are hoping to raise money for. These are groups that, at one point or another, were started by students and are supervised by staff. Here are links to make donations:

Donate to our Black Student Union

Donate to our LatinX Affinity Group

Donate to our Queer Straight Alliance

Donate to Asian American and Pacific Islander Group

Donate to our Native American Club

Donate to our Jewish American Club

PPS is hosting a series of events that focus on Belonging, Equity & Inclusive Practices where we will screen powerful movies that will stir, provoke, and challenge each of us about what is possible in the systems we create for our children with disabilities.

As part of this series, we are excited to welcome you to a screening of “Champions” on Saturday February 8th at 2:00 PM at Lincoln High School. This event will also include first hand experience from PPS students.

This movie highlights the journey of a basketball coach who leads a team of players with intellectual disabilities. Through humor and heartfelt moments, the movie emphasizes the strengths, individuality, and value each player brings and how inclusion enriches communities and creates positive, supportive environments.

Staff, families, and community members are all invited.

The first parent engagement session for 6-8 Standards-Based Grading is coming up on February 13th from 5:30 - 7:00. You can attend virtually or in-person at the Prophet Education Center.

As a reminder, PPS is moving to a new Standards-Based Grading System for all 28 middle schools. The purpose is to provide clearer and more meaningful feedback to students. Some of our middle schools are already using this approach, and research supports its benefits. Our K-5 schools have also made progress in this direction with their report cards.

Please click here for more information about our transition to SBG for the 2025-2026 school year at da Vinci.

Camps, Classes, & After School Programs:

• VIBE PDX No-School Youth Sewing Classes (Jan. 27-28, Feb. 17, Mar. 3, Mar. 24-28)

• Cognizart 31st Annual Young Artists Debut! Concert & Showcase (apply by Feb. 24 – Deadline extended again)

• VIBE of Portland Music & Digital Art Classes for Kids

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

Summer Camps:

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

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

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