Blog

Dear Da Vinci RISE Families,

We write to forward from reliable sources that emergency room physicians in Los Angles County received an alert yesterday indicating that there is a strong likelihood of a large amount of Ecstasy pills contaminated with Fentanyl that have entered the L.A. illicit drug market. Three L.A. County high school students ingested these drugs over the past several days and although resuscitated, have significant brain damage. The pills were apparently purchased online and delivered to the students. The LA County Department of Public Health is asking for assistance in alerting as many vulnerable groups as possible to ensure we can protect unsuspecting students during this heightened party season with graduations and end-of-the-school-year celebrations.

While we all hope our teenagers already know the dangers of drug use, we urge parents to discuss the significant dangers of ingesting ANY pills at this time, particularly any pills purchased online or given to them at parties.

Thank you for your support,

Erin Whalen
Executive Director/Principal

Da Vinci RISE Family,

I wanted to take a moment this morning to recognize the hurt, fear and frustration being felt across the nation as a result of the violence that happened this week  in Uvalde, Texas. For educators, parents, and students, school violence is something we all feel deeply. As you process, please check in with yourself, recognize how you are feeling affected by this, and don’t hesitate to reach out to colleagues and friends around you if you need support. This includes Naomi, Edith and myself, we are here to support you, even it is simply with a listening ear. I encourage you all to be aware of how students may be affected, as well. I encourage you to give a moment to students to process, to journal, or to check in. Our SSS team and partners are here and available for students who are feeling affected or who are showing signs of stress/anxiety. Please reassure students and each other that these events, while still too common, are rare, and that our school is safe.

Thank you team for your support of each other and our students. I join you in feelings of sadness and frustration, but am encouraged by the collective strength of our school community.

Below are some resources deployed by LACOE:

·     Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth After the Recent Shooting
(The National Child Traumatic Stress Network – English/Spanish)

·     Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers
(National Association of School Psychologists)

·     Helping Children Cope with Frightening News
(Child Mind Institute)

·     Coping in the Aftermath of a Shooting
(American Counseling Association)

·     Trauma and Disaster Mental Health
(American Counseling Association)

·     Teaching in the Wake of Violence
(Facing History and Ourselves)

·     Supporting Employees in Coping with Community Violence
(Employee Assistance for Education –EASE)

In solidarity,
Erin Whalen
Executive Director/Principal

COVID cases are increasing in the wider community and within DV Schools. Please report all COVID cases to egreen@davincischools.org as soon as possible. Please monitor symptoms if you are a close contact, mask for 10 days from exposure and test 3-5 days after last exposure.

Rapid covid tests are available at school sites during school hours, no appointment needed. Students, please pre-register for testing here. It is a rapid test and results are available 15 minutes later.

PCR tests available at 201 N Douglas Street every Monday/Tuesday 8:15am-3:15pm. Results available approximately Wednesday evening. Pre-​registration required https://ihd-patient.preciseq.com/davinci-schools

Home Tests are available at school sites during school hours, please request from health office/front office.

Prevent Spread At Home
School Isolation Quarantine Flow Chart

Dear RISE Families and Stakeholders,

There are many ways to measure your student’s learning at RISE HS and a primary tool that school districts use to measure student’s progress each year is through the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). This statewide test helps us determine whether students have acquired skills in Math, English Language Arts, and Science for specific grade levels. Please be advised that all 11^th grade students will take the following CAASPP tests, depending on their grade level:

• Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments for English Language Arts and Math – Required in 11th grade
• California Science Test (CAST) – Required in 12th grade
• CA Fitness Test- Required in 9^th grade

This year, our state testing will take place during in-person instruction and scheduled Monday, May 2^nd through Friday, May 29^th. We ask that students do all in their efforts to be present on their scheduled school days. Students that are absent during the month of May will be invited to join our Friday academic make-up days on site  from 9am – 12pm. We encourage students to come on site to complete testing on Friday so they can use their scheduled school days for making progress in their courses. Should you have any questions regarding our CAASPP Testing Plan, please do not hesitate to reach out to your site administrator with any questions.

May 2022 – Testing Schedule: LINK HERE

Thank you for your continued partnership in your student’s education.

Sincerely,

Erin Whalen, M. Ed.
Executive Director