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Dear RISE Family,

As many of you know, Da Vinci RISE High has the privilege of partnering and co-locating with New Earth, an incredible organization dedicated to empowering youth who have been impacted by the justice system. Through this partnership, RISE students are able to access amazing opportunities and services such as arts-based mentorship, trauma counseling, and vocational guidance. 

We are excited to share that New Earth has been chosen as a finalist in the LA2050 Grants Challenge, the winner of which will receive $100,000. 

This grant opportunity is unique in that the winners are chosen through public voting, which means WE NEED YOUR HELP! 

Voting takes less than 5 minutes, and there are only three other finalists, which means that New Earth & RISE have a strong chance of winning these funds to assist in provision of education and wraparound services for students. 

To cast your vote, follow the steps below – by June 28!– ,  and then share with your own networks and ask them to do the same! We deeply appreciate any support you are able to provide and are excited by the opportunity to earn more resources for our students.

Visit this website: https://challenge.la2050.org/2021/learn/new-earth 

Click “Start Voting”

Vote for NEW EARTH in the LEARN Category. 

Enter your zip code

Confirm your vote via text message or email

Forward this email to your networks, and share the sample social media posts on your account to encourage others to vote! (You can also follow RISE on Instagram at DVRISEHigh and repost as we share throughout the week.)

Thank you so much for your support with this! 

The DV RISE Team

Dear RISE community, 

It is with profound sadness that I write this letter to inform you that one of our beloved students, Maximus Laguna, passed this week on Wednesday, May 26th. Our condolences and thoughts go out to the family and friends of Max. He has been a part of the RISE family since his initial enrollment at our Hawthorne campus in August of 2017. Monday, May 24th, marked a celebration of Max’s 20th birthday. Throughout his time at RISE, Max consistently brought a sense of joy, leadership, maturity, and warmth to our school family. He stood as a beacon of courage in our community, and his growth, development, and feedback were pivotal in shaping the foundation and evolution of RISE. 

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. 

Max will be honored in this year’s 2021 June graduation ceremony. If you are interested in providing further support to Max’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. 

Maximus’ GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/32f9c0f5 

Sincerely, 

RISE families, many of you may have heard about mask mandate changes by CDC for vaccinated individuals. Before this takes effect in our school, the state must review and then LA County before any of those recommendations are implemented. Until we receive notice from Los Angeles Department of Health, masks are still 100% required on school sites. Please continue to wear your masks, social distance, and hand wash. Thank you!

Familias de RISE, es posible que muchos de ustedes hayan oído hablar de los cambios en el mandato de las mascarillas por parte de los CDC para las personas vacunadas. Antes de que esto entre en vigencia en nuestra escuela, el estado debe revisar y luego el condado de Los Ángeles antes de que se implemente cualquiera de esas recomendaciones. Hasta que recibamos una notificación del Departamento de Salud de Los Ángeles, las mascarillas siguen siendo obligatorias al 100% en los planteles escolares. Continúe usando sus máscaras, distancia social y lavado de manos. ¡Gracias!

Starting 5/13/21, Los Angeles County vaccination providers begin offering the Pfizer vaccine for 12 to 15-year-olds at vaccination sites that offer the Pfizer vaccine. All eight county run sites will be open and able to vaccinate children 12-17; teens should be accompanied by a parent, guardian or responsible adult, and present a photo ID and verification of age.  For a full list of sites across the county offering Pfizer vaccines, please visit http://bit.ly/PfizerSites . To schedule an appointment, visit www.VaccinateLACounty.com. Walk-ins are welcome at all 8 county-run sites. Parents or teens with questions about the vaccine should contact their healthcare provider or visit the Public Health website for more information on vaccine safety and efficacy.