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At-Home COVID Test Pick-Up Event
January 6 & 7, 2022

This is a reminder that Da Vinci Schools is hosting an At-Home COVID Test Pick-Up event today and tomorrow for families from all Da Vinci school sites. This drive thru event will take place at the Douglas campus at 201 N. Douglas Street, El Segundo.

• Thursday, January 6 / 3:00-6:00 PM
• Friday, January 7 / 7:30-10:30 AM

There is one kit per Da Vinci student available. It contains two tests. Once you receive the kit from the pick-up location, parents/guardians should administer one test at home to their child(ren).The recommendation is to test each student when you receive the kit and then again on Sunday, January 9, 2022 or the day prior to returning to campus.

Please report all at-home results here both positive and negative.

Thank you in advance for your efforts to ensure that our schools remain as safe as possible when students return to our campuses.

Dear RISE community,

It is with profound sadness that I write this letter to inform you that one of our beloved students, Ixchel Gomez passed away on Tuesday, November 30th. Our condolences and thoughts go out to the family and friends of Ixchel. She has been a part of the RISE family since her initial enrollment at our APCH campus in December of 2019. Throughout her time at RISE, Ixchel worked onsite and virtually to make progress towards her goals as she juggled multiple responsibilities. Ixchel brought great love and light into our RISE community. As a young mom, scholar, family member and friend, Ixchel is a true representation of an empowered citizen and has inspired our RISE community.

During this time, as the school community processes this tragic news and copes with grief, we will offer counseling and bereavement services to all of our students and staff in need. Death can be difficult for us to understand, especially when it is sudden. Many of us may be confronted with a variety of emotions, which might include shock, sadness, and confusion.

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 students need to speak to a counselor or other adult, please do not hesitate to call the school and let us know.

If you are interested in providing further support to Ixchel’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.

Ixchel’s GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/funeral-expenses-for-ixchel-gomez

Sincerely,

Erin Whalen
Executive Director/Principal
Da Vinci RISE High School

We hope this message finds you and your families healthy and well.

Return to School

As we prepare for the return to school next week, we are cognizant of the spread of COVID-19, and in particular, the Omicron variant. Today’s update focuses on our return to school plan beginning Monday, January 10, 2022 for in-person learning. Please read this entire email for important information. 

The following new requirements have been enacted at all Da Vinci schools, effective immediately:

• Masking is now required for all outdoor activities where physical distancing is not feasible, except while eating or drinking, due to the new health order from the LACDPH. Students are strongly recommended to wear masks that are well-fitting, non-cloth masks of multiple layers of non-woven material with a nose wire.
• COVID-19 testing is required for all students and staff who are close contacts of a person who has tested positive for COVID due to a school-based exposure, regardless of vaccination or booster status. Affected employees and students may participate in testing at their school site (more info below)
• Staff are required to wear upgraded masks (three-ply surgical masks or higher-level PPE)

COVID Testing 

We strongly encourage students to secure a COVID test prior to returning to campus beginning Monday, January 10, 2022. Below are several options for testing:

• Pick up an At-Home COVID Test Kit on Thursday or Friday of this week.This drive-thru event will take place at 201 N. Douglas Street and is open to families from all Da Vinci school sites:
• Thursday, January 6: 3:00-6:00pm
• Friday, January 7: 7:30-10:30am
• Each kit contains 2 tests. The recommendation is that parents/guardians administer one test at home to their student when you receive the kit and then again on Sunday, January 9 or in the early morning of January 10, 2022.
• Please report at-home test results here
• A negative test is not required for students and staff to return to school on January 10, but in the event your child exhibits any flu-like or cold symptoms, your child should get tested and remain at home.

Additional options for obtaining a test can be found at the following:

• https://covid19.lacounty.gov/testing
• https://www.heal360.com/
• https://samedayhealth.com
• https://911covidtesting.com
• Your healthcare provider
• Local CVS/pharmacy
• Some local urgent care facilities
• An at-home COVID test
• Please note *Wiseburn school sites Tues/Thurs PCR tests previously advertised are now unavailable to the public due to capacity limitations

Once school resumes next week, please report any positive COVID results as soon as possible to the Da Vinci Schools Nurse via email at egreen@davincischools.org in order to determine isolation and return dates.

As we return from the holidays, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) has issued a number of advisories. Please be sure to review the LACDPH travel advisory and guidance.

Get Vaccinated, Get Boosted

To find out about availability of boosters for anyone age 16 and up, or to schedule vaccination appointments for anyone age 5 and up, families are encouraged to visit California’s myturn.ca.gov website. Up-to-date vaccination will provide greater opportunity for all students to remain in school and on campus. Up-to-date vaccination status refers to having received a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine when eligible or having completed a primary COVID-19 vaccine series if not yet eligible for a booster. Students are only considered up-to-date if they have received a booster (when eligible).

We will be communicating with you soon about uploading vaccination documentation. In the interim, please have your child carry either a copy or digital version of their vaccination status at school as it may be required for contact tracing.

Closing Comments

Our priorities remain to reduce transmission, keep our schools open for in-person instruction, and do so safely. We will continue to update you as new information becomes available. For additional questions about Coronavirus in Los Angeles County, please visit the LA County Department of Public Health coronavirus webpage. Thank you in advance for your efforts to ensure that our schools remain as safe as possible when students return to our campuses.

Da Vinci RISE Community,

As you head into winter break, L.A. County Department of Public Health requires that parents and staff report any COVID-19 cases who have been on campus 14 days prior to becoming ill. This means that if your Da Vinci student tests positive anytime over break, please do still report it to Da Vinci Schools Nurse via email at egreen@davincischools.org. This will enable the school to determine isolation period and return to school date as well as support county efforts to track COVID cases.

Thank you all!

Erin Whalen, Executive Director

Da Vinci RISE High School 

Greetings RISE students and stakeholders,

This message is to notify you that Da Vinci RISE High School will be closed from December 20th, 2021, to January 7th, 2022 in observance of winter break. Students will resume their individualized schedules beginning on Monday, January 10th. As a reminder, as an independent studies school, RISE students can continue to complete schoolwork from home on their assigned Chromebooks even when campus is closed. All work can be completed online and will be provided with feedback and graded once teachers return from break. On behalf of the RISE team and family, we wish you all a safe and joyous break.

Best,

Erin Whalen
Executive Director,
Da Vinci RISE High School

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Saludos a los estudiantes y partes interesadas de RISE,

Este mensaje es para notificarle que Da Vinci RISE High School estará cerrada desde el 20 de diciembre de 2021 hasta el 7 de enero de 2022 en observancia de las vacaciones de invierno. Los estudiantes reanudarán sus horarios individualizados a partir del lunes 10 de enero. Como recordatorio, como escuela de estudios independientes, los estudiantes de RISE pueden continuar completando el trabajo escolar desde casa en sus Chromebooks asignados incluso cuando el campus está cerrado. Todo el trabajo se puede completar en línea y se proporcionará retroalimentación y se calificará una vez que los maestros regresen de las vacaciones. En nombre del equipo y la familia de RISE, les deseamos a todos un descanso feliz y seguro.

Mejor,

Erin Whalen
Director Ejecutivo,
Da Vinci RISE High School

If you are in any of the following situations:

• Staying in a shelter
• Sharing housing with others due to loss of housing or economic hardship
• Living in a car, park, campground, abandoned building, or other inadequate accommodation
• Temporarily living in a motel or hotel due to loss of housing
• A student under the age of 18 living apart from parent(s) or guardian

You may qualify for certain rights and protections under the federal McKinney-Vento Act.

Eligible students have the right to:

• Receive a free, appropriate public education
• Enroll in school immediately, even if lacking documents normally required for enrollment
• Enroll in school and attend classes while the school gathers needed documents
  Enroll in the local school; or continue attending their school of origin (the school they attended when permanently housed or the school in which they were last enrolled), if that is their preference.
• If the school district believes that the school selected is not in his/her best interest, then the district must provide the student with a written explanation of its position and inform the student of his/her right to appeal its decision.
• Receive transportation to and from the school of origin, if requested.
• Receive educational services comparable to those provided to other students, according to the students’ needs.

Eligible students have protections:

The fact that a child is homeless or is classified as an unaccompanied minor, as defined in the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, is not, in and of itself, a sufficient basis for reporting child abuse or neglect.

If you believe you may be eligible, contact RISE’s Homeless Liaison to find out what services and supports may be available:

Cherokee Rogers
Da Vinci RISE Homeless Liaison
crogers@davincischools.org

Attention: If your living situation has changed, please contact Ms. Rogers soon as possible.

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Si vives en cualquiera de las situaciones siguientes:

• En un albergue
• En un motel o un sitio para acampar debido a la falta de una alternativa adecuada
• En un auto, un parque, un edificio abandonado, o una estación de trenes o de autobuses
• Compartiendo la vivienda de otras personas debido a la perdida de tú casa o a una dificultad económica

Podrías calificar para recibir ciertos derechos y protecciones bajo la ley federal McKinney-Vento.

Estudiantes elegibles tienen derecho a:

• Recibir una educación pública gratuita y apropiada.
• Inscribirse en la escuela inmediatamente, aunque falten documentos normalmente requeridos para la inscripción.
• Inscribirse y asistir a clases mientras que la escuela obtiene los documentos necesarios.
• Inscribirse en la escuela local; o continuar asistiendo a la escuela de origen (la escuela a la cual asistió el estudiante cuando tenía una residencia permanente, o la última escuela en la cual estaba inscrito), si esto es su preferencia.
• Si el distrito escolar cree que la escuela escogida no es la mejor para el estudiante, el distrito tiene que darle      al estudiante una explicación escrita de su posición e informarle de su derecho de apelar su decisión.
• Recibir transporte a/de la escuela de origen, si se lo pide.
• Recibir servicios educacionales comparables a los que están provistos para otros estudiantes, según la necesidad del estudiante.

Estudiantes elegibles tienen protecciones:

El hecho de que su hijo está sin hogar o está clasificado como un menor no acompañado, está definido en la Ley Federal de McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, no está, en y sí mismo, con bases suficientes para reportarlo como como abuso o negligencia del niño.

Si crees que podrías ser elegible, contacta Birmingham’s Homeless Liaison para averiguar los servicios y ayudas que podrían estar disponibles:

Cherokee Rogers
Da Vinci RISE Homeless Liaison
crogers@davincischools.org

Atención: Si su situación de vivienda ha cambiado, por favor communiquése con Ms. Rogers lo mas pronto posible.

Greeting Da Vinci RISE Families,

This message is a reminder that students are not to report to school next week, Monday November 22^nd through Friday, November 26^th  in observance of Thanksgiving and Fall Break. Students will resume on-campus learning in accordance with their individualized schedule on Monday, November 29^th. Please remember, that RISE students can and should continue to engage in their work even when onsite school is not in session. Students have assignments on their online platforms that can be completed throughout the break. Should you have any question please reach out to your site administrator. Have a safe and joyous holiday.

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Hola Familias de Da Vinci RISE,

Este mensaje es un recordatorio que nuestros estudiantes tendrán vacaciones de otoño y no habra escuela la próxima semana desde el lunes 22 de noviembre hasta el viernes, 26 de noviembre en observancia del Día de Acción. Los estudiantes regresaran a la escuela el lunes, 29 de noviembre. Recuerde que los estudiantes de RISE pueden y deben continuar terminando su trabajo en la computadora. Los estudiantes tienen asignaturas en sus plataformas en línea que se pueden completar durante esta vacación. Si tiene alguna pregunta, comuníquese con el administrador de su escuela. Cuidense muchos y los vemos la última semana de noviembre.

Greetings RISE Families,

We are excited to welcome all of our students and staff back to campus for the beginning of Quarter 2 commencing on Monday, October 18^th. Students will resume their individualized schedules as displayed on their PLP’s. Students will receive their finalized Quarter 1 reports cards to review and reflect on their progress. Copies will also be mailed home to all stakeholders. Should you have any questions, please reach out to your site administrator.

RISE at APCH – Edith Funes (Efunes@davincischools.org)
RISE at Richstone – Naomi Lara (Nlara@davincischools.org)
RISE at New Earth – Erin Whalen (Ewhalen@davincischools.org)

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Saludos familias de RISE,

Estamos muy contentos de dar la bienvenida a todos nuestros estudiantes y personal al campus para el comienzo del segundo trimestre a partir del lunes 18 de octubre. Los estudiantes reanudarán sus horarios individualizados como se muestra en sus PLP. Los estudiantes recibirán sus boletas de calificaciones finalizadas del primer trimestre para revisar y reflexionar sobre su progreso. También se enviarán copias por correo a todos los interesados. Si tiene alguna pregunta, comuníquese con el administrador de su sitio.

RISE at APCH – Edith Funes (Efunes@davincischools.org)
RISE at Richstone – Naomi Lara (Nlara@davincischools.org)
RISE at New Earth – Erin Whalen (Ewhalen@davincischools.org)