Blog

August 29, 2022
Dear RISE community,

It is with a heavy heart that we inform you about a recent loss in our school community. On Sunday, August 15th, one of our beloved students, Joshua Montes DeOca, tragically lost his life due to gun violence. Our condolences and thoughts go out to the family and friends of Joshua during this difficult time. As a student at RISE High School, Joshua remained attentive and actively participated in our instructional program at A Place Called Home campus. Joshua joined our Da Vinci RISE community towards the end of the 21-22 school year and he brought great love and light to all those he encountered at RISE. He was kind, respectful and placed school as a top priority. This was evident even when he was absent, as he would reach out to share his absence or request assignments to complete from home. Joshua was a true representation of a responsabile and empowered citizen and inspired our RISE community.

During this time, as the school community processes these tragic news and copes with grief, we will offer counseling and bereavement services to all of our students and school personnel. We encourage you, as parents and stakeholders, to also feel free to use our resources. Death can be difficult for us to understand, especially when it is sudden. Many of us may be confronted with a variety of emotions, concerns and questions for our entire school, especially our students.

Students may have had no experience in coping with loss of a classmate or for some, this may be far too familiar. We are working to support our students through counseling by our Student Support Services Team (SSS) and our staff through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP). If you feel that your student needs to speak to a counselor or other adult, please do not hesitate to call the school and let us know. We are saddened by the loss to our school community and will make every effort to help you and your student as you need.

If you are interested in providing further support to Joshua’s family, below you can find a GoFundMe link that will collect funds to be contributed to funeral expenses and any other needs the family has at this time. We know that a sudden loss can be jolting, for this reason we want you to know of our care and support.

Joshua’s GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/95k7c-joshua?qid=c554f2caa9df2c900c4014806e2e5be3

Sincerely,

Edith M. Funes, M. Ed.
Assistant Principal
Da Vinci RISE High School

Naomi Lara
Principal
Da Vinci RISE High School

Erin Whalen
Executive Director
Da Vinci RISE High School

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29 de agosto del 2022
Estimada comunidad de RISE, 

Con gran pesar les informamos sobre una pérdida reciente en nuestra comunidad escolar. El domingo 15 de agosto, uno de nuestros queridos estudiantes, Joshua Montes DeOca, perdió trágicamente la vida debido a la violencia armada. Nuestras condolencias y pensamientos están con la familia y los amigos de Joshua durante este momento difícil. Como estudiante de RISE High School, Joshua se mantuvo atento y participó activamente en nuestro programa de instrucción en el campus de A Place Called Home. Joshua se unió a nuestra comunidad Da Vinci RISE hacia el final del año escolar 21-22 y trajo un gran amor y luz a todos los que conoció en RISE. Fue amable, respetuoso y puso la escuela como una prioridad. Esto era evidente incluso cuando estaba ausente, ya que se acercaba para compartir su ausencia o solicitar tareas para completar desde casa. Joshua fue una verdadera representación de un ciudadano responsable y empoderado e inspiró a nuestra comunidad RISE.

Durante este tiempo, mientras la comunidad escolar procesa esta trágica noticia y se enfrenta al duelo, ofreceremos servicios de consejería y duelo a todos nuestros estudiantes y personal escolar. Los alentamos, como padres y partes interesadas, a que también se sientan libres de usar nuestros recursos. La muerte puede ser difícil de entender para nosotros, especialmente cuando es repentina. Muchos de nosotros podemos enfrentarnos a una variedad de emociones, preocupaciones y preguntas para toda nuestra escuela, especialmente para nuestros estudiantes.

Es posible que los estudiantes no hayan tenido experiencia en hacer frente a la pérdida de un compañero de clase o, para algunos, esto puede ser demasiado familiar. Estamos trabajando para apoyar a nuestros estudiantes a través del asesoramiento de nuestro Equipo de Servicios de Apoyo Estudiantil (SSS) y nuestro personal a través de nuestro Programa de Asistencia al Empleado (EAP). Si cree que su estudiante necesita hablar con un consejero u otro adulto, no dude en llamar a la escuela e informarnos. Nos entristece la pérdida de nuestra comunidad escolar y haremos todo lo posible para ayudarlo a usted y a su estudiante según lo necesiten.

Si está interesado en brindar más apoyo a la familia de Joshua, a continuación puede encontrar un enlace de GoFundMe que recaudará fondos para contribuir a los gastos del funeral y cualquier otra necesidad que tenga la familia en este momento. Sabemos que una pérdida repentina puede ser una sacudida, por eso queremos que sepas de nuestro cuidado y apoyo.

GoFundMe de Joshua: https://www.gofundme.com/f/95k7c-joshua?qid=c554f2caa9df2c900c4014806e2e5be3

Sinceramente, 

Edith M. Funes, M. Ed.
Subdirectora
Da Vinci RISE High School

Naomi Lara
Principal
Da Vinci RISE High School

Erin Whalen                   
Director Ejecutivo
Da Vinci RISE High School

Welcome Back Da Vinci Scholars! It’s nice to see you all back on campus. Please see the announcements below.

For students interested in health-related fields: 

Introduction to Ophthalmology Virtual Course: Project InSight is pleased to offer an opportunity for students to participate in Introduction to Ophthalmology where they will learn about the branch of medicine concerned with the study and treatment of disorders and diseases of the eye. The course is open to 20 Los Angeles students interested in the medical field or eye health to join the 12-week virtual course this fall. This course will be taught by California Credentialled Science Teachers and will meet weekly beginning September 13 for one hour online after school on either Tuesday or Thursday. For more specific information, please use this link.

Hello Da Vinci Scholars and Families,

Please see the announcements below:

For students interested in jobs:
The LA County America’s Job Center will be hosting a Job Fair in South LA, on Wednesday, August 31, 2022 from 1 to 4 pm. To register, please visit this flyer. It is highly suggested to bring several copies of your resume to share with prospective employers!

For students interested in mental health opportunities:
The Fall 2022 Teen Line Training application is available now. As a volunteer for Teenline, you would be helping to take calls and text messages from teens that are going through life challenges. For the Fall training period, Teenline will only accept applications from teens going into the 9th and 10th grade, with the minimum age of 14, living in or near the Los Angeles area. Please visit this link and click on “Apply Now” to be directed to the online volunteer application portal. Applications and references are due before 1pm on Wednesday, August 31, 2022.

For students interested in science and engineering:
The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program places high school students in Department of Navy (DoN) laboratories where they take part in real Naval research for 8 weeks during the summer. SEAP is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors interested in STEM. Students have the opportunity to learn about Naval research and technology while receiving first-class mentoring by top scientists and engineers. SEAP is a competitive program with around 300 placements in more than 30 labs around the country. Interns are selected based upon academic achievement, personal statements, recommendations, and career and research interests. Learn more here. Click here to apply. Applications close November 2.

For students interested in financial literacy and managing money:
Co-founders of Latinas Talking Dinero, are hosting financial literacy virtual workshops that incorporate their lived experiences as Latinas and first-generation college students. They teach financial literacy through an anti-racist lens and cover tops such as the wage gap, credit and interest, and financial trauma. Youth (up to 24 years old) are invited to attend for FREE. Virtual workshops start on Wednesday, August 24. Register here.

Hello Da Vinci Scholars and Families,

I hope you are enjoying the last weeks of summer break. Please see the announcements below:

For students interested in receiving academic credit for their internships:
Students who are interested in receiving 5 academic credits for summer internships/volunteer opportunities, must fill out the Unpaid Internship Agreement and submit a timesheet that demonstrates the completion of 60 hours of service. The Agreement must be turned in before the start of the internship/volunteer opportunity. The timesheet is due August 6, 2022. Please email all documents to Ms. Rodriguez at crodriguez@davincischools.org.

For students interested in art, film, and animation:
The El Segundo Public Library encourages all individuals who live, work and/or play in El Segundo to submit artwork for Summertime, Summertime: A Community Juried Art Exhibition! This art show will feature 2-dimensional artwork, including painting, photography, photo collage, photomontage, collage, drawing, printmaking, etc. that celebrates summer. For information on how to submit your artwork, please click here.

Dreamworks Animation is hosting a Summer Speaker Series from August 8 – August 12 where students will learn about roles in animation, succeeding in the industry, and more. Register here.

For students interested in social change:
The Alliance for Girls is hosting a community-building and healing-oriented event for youth leaders seeking to bring safety to school to address sexual harassment. Alliance for Girls is co-hosting this event with Unity Council to prepare both youth and adult advocates for a new school year prioritizing policies and programs that help sexual assault/harassment survivors. Attendees will also hear from representatives from the Equal Rights Advocate and the Unity Council. The event will be an entirely virtual event and will take place on Saturday, August 6. It is open to all youth and youth champions. $15 Visa Gift cards will be provided to youth 24 and under who RSVP and attend the event. RSVP Here.

For students interested in jobs:
The LA County America’s Job Center will be hosting a Job Fair in South LA, on Wednesday, August 31, 2022 from 1 to 4 pm. To register, please visit this flyer. It is highly suggested to bring several copies of your resume to share with prospective employers!

For students interested in science and engineering:
The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program places high school students in Department of Navy (DoN) laboratories where they take part in real Naval research for 8 weeks during the summer. SEAP is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors interested in STEM the opportunity to learn about Naval research and technology while receiving first-class mentoring by top scientists and engineers. SEAP is a competitive program with around 300 placements in more than 30 labs around the country. Inters are selected based upon academic achievement, personal statements, recommendations, and career and research interests. Click here to learn more. Click here to apply.

We’re excited to share that Naomi Lara moved into the Da Vinci RISE High Principal role, effective July 1, 2022. Naomi oversees all three RISE sites along with Assistant Principal Edith Funes. Erin Whalen will continue to serve as RISE’s Executive Director.

Naomi joined RISE as a math teacher in 2018 and became an assistant principal in 2021. As Assistant Principal, Naomi supported the development of partnership programming with RISE’s newest co-location non-profit organization, Richstone Family Center, providing students access to Cooking classes, Gardening, Art classes and music enrichment.

As Principal, Naomi is committed to continuing the revolutionary work at RISE through a focus on Wellness, Advisory Communities, and Interdisciplinary project based learning where students are empowered to be co-designers of their learning experiences.

We are excited to work with Naomi in this new capacity.