Dragon Tales

Buckle up! The next few weeks are going to be busy. Between performances, capstone productions/showcases, promotion, field trips, end of the year projects and assessments, the days are going to fly by. This is the time of year when we appreciate, more than ever, your help in reminding your student to finish the school year off on a positive note and to meet schoolwide behavior and attendance expectations. On a daily basis, I remind students that how they finish one school year, impacts how they start the next. This has proved to be so true over the course of my career in education and I would appreciate you joining me in sharing this message with your student.

I also want to acknowledge all the talented musicians in our building. While I wasn't able to attend the Spring Music Concert on Thursday, Ms. Wilson and multiple students told me how great it was. I want to send a huge shoutout to Mr. Gerolami (who teaches so many different music classes) as well as Hakim Muhammad, our amazing African Drumming teacher. I am so grateful for their stewardship of our music program. Below are a few pictures from Thursday night.

Thank you to everyone who has bid and donated so far! If you've been outbid, please consider a direct donation: davinci.schoolauction.net/2025

Last few days to bid on fantastic items, enter raffles, and please donate directly to support our students!

ALL da Vinci classrooms and programs rely on PTSA funding, and with budget cuts coming, da Vinci's programs are at risk. To fund classrooms and departments at current levels, our fundraising goals for this year is $100,000. If families are able to make voluntary contributions, we could get close to or meet our goal. If every family is able to help raise/donate $250 we will meet our goal, but we recognize this isn't feasible for all families. Please consider donating any amount that you are able. Any amount will help and please also share with your family, friends, and neighbors! All proceeds go to essential supplies, materials, and programming--from guitar strings, to fabric, to paint brushes, and more! Let's invest in education, the arts, and the students of da Vinci middle school!

EXTEND OUR REACH: Share the Fundraiser Link with friends and family!

Bidding closes on May 28th at 9pm.

Please join us in the da Vinci auditorium for the Master's Drama showcase "The Skin of Our Teeth" by Thorton Wilder! This ensemble has been hard at work putting together this insane show full of dinosaurs, mammoths and fortune tellers.

You won't want to miss the chaos of the Antribus family as they make their way through the ice age, the flooding of the earth and a world war.

Performances are at 6pm on Thursday the 29th and Friday the 30th. We hope to see you there for a show we are truly pulling off by the skin of our teeth!

Both performances will take place Thursday and Friday beginning at 6:00pm both evenings. Tickets are $10.00 or pay as you're able. We look forward to seeing you there!

On the last day of school in the last two hours we have a rip roaring field day at daVinci. Miss Heather, the climate specialist, needs 12 or more volunteers to run activities. Some examples are: face paint, temporary tattoos, egg race, caterpillar race, sidewalk chalk, and passing out otter pop snacks. If you are interested in helping it would be from 1:30-4:00 on June 12th. The activities are fully stocked and organized. You just need to bring your positive outlook on life and sunscreen.

Please email Heather at hnelson1@pps.net and say, I want to be part of the Field Day Dozenn. Leave a phone number that she could reach you with and she will call and ask about what activity you would like to run. Volunteers will also need to be cleared by the district. This is a fairly easy process. Contact Jennifer Howard (jehoward@pps.net) if you need support with this.

The Junior Rose Parade is Wednesday, June 5th from 1-3pm. If you wish your student to attend, please email or call the office. We will still need families to excuse their student and to sign them out.

If you wish to have your student leave early, and on their own, please send written communication to BOTH jehoward@pps.net and sdibble@pps.net. Once students leave, they are not to return for the day.

Say Cheese and order your copy of the 2024-2025 da Vinci Yearbook for your student. Not only does it contain the Photo Day pictures of all the students, it also has candid shots of the varying different events and productions that have shaped this fantastic school year! It's a favority activity for students to sign one anothers yearbooks on the last day of school.

Your donation will help cover the costs to produce the yearbooks and to ensure every student receives one of these to treasure! Funds raised beyond the production cost will be used for Yearbook Class materials and equipment to build the program.

The suggested donation amount is $20.00. Donate more or less, however you are able.

To celebrate their time at da Vinci Arts, before moving onto their respective high schools, we will be taking 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).

Sign up to chaperone or donate snacks (at this point we mostly need snacks!).

Below are some resources the district is providing as middle schools across the district make the transition to Standards Based Grading.

• Website updates underway - pps.net/SBG

• Family/student-facing videos - Introduction & Understanding Proficiency Levels

• Slide deck from family engagement session

• Updated FAQs coming soon based on last session

Mental Health Awareness Month was established to increase awareness of the importance of mental health and wellness in our lives and to celebrate recovery from mental illness and thriving while living with chronic conditions. Mental Health Awareness Month focuses on increasing awareness about the vital role mental health plays in our overall health and well-being.

Resources for Parents and Families:

• Mental Health Treatment Works

• Help Prevent Suicide

• Resources for Families Coping with Mental and Substance Use Disorders

• Mental Health Myths and Facts

• Talking about Mental Health

• Prevention and Treatment of Anxiety, Depression, and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among College Students

PPS Board of Education approved the investment of $1,030,000 from The Fund for PPS’s Champion PPS Schools on May 6, 2025. We need your help spreading the word about how these investments will impact students.

Funds raised will continue these investments and expand to more schools for future years. We will only be successful if the PPS community joins us in this effort to improve the educational experience for all students. We are Stronger Together! For more information, please click here.