da Vinci Arts Middle School

Creative minds
for challenging times.

2508 NE Everett StreetPortland, OR 97232Ph (503) 916-5356Fx (503) 916-2721

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da Vinci News

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  • All new students and families are invited to join us for a special evening at da Vinci!

    Welcome Night for the 2025-2026 School Year

    Date: Wednesday, May 14th  ~  Time:  5:00-6:30 PM

    There will be a presentation in the auditorium about what makes da Vinci unique, as an arts-focused school. Afterward, our leadership students (the Leo Leaders) will be conducting tours of the building!

  • Spring Dance Concert Schedule and Information

    ATTENDANCE DURING APRIL & MAY IS CRUCIAL!  Please ensure your child is present EVERY DAY during their dance class as we work on our dance pieces from now through May 17th. 

    Rehearsals the week of 4/28 - 5/2                                                                                           

    Tuesday, April 29th ~ Dance 2 (Jazz) 4:15-6:15pm

    Thursday, May 1st ~ Dance 2 (Tap) 4:15-6:15pm 

    Spring Dance Concert Volunteer Sign Up ~ We need your help!

    Link to Rehearsal Schedule and Information 

  • 8th Grade End of Year Activities 2025

    This link contains info about the following:

    PSU all-day Field Trip, yearbook purchasing, the Oaks Park Field Trip, the Promotion, the last day of school and yearbook distribution.

  • Mark Your Calendars

    Wednesday, April 30th ~ All day 8th grade field trip to tour PSU

    Friday, May 2nd ~ A.R.T.S. Assembly at 3:40pm

    Tuesday, May 6th ~ Late Start (school begins at 9:30am)

    Wednesday, May 7th ~ One lunch bell schedule for Staff Appreciation Week

    Friday, May 9th ~ AAPI Assembly

    Friday, May 9th ~ SAVE THE DATE for the PTSA "Elements" Event at Union Pine 7-10:00pm

    Wednesday, May 14th ~ 2025/2026 New Student Welcome Night for students and families

    Friday, May 16th ~ Spring Dance Concert (Show A) 7pm

    Saturday, May 17th ~ Spring Dance Concert (Show B) 1pm matinee

     

  • da Vinci Travels 2025 and 2026

    During the summers, Drama Tech teacher Heidi Sprecher and Social Studies teacher Chelsea Blair lead international trips for students to gain awesome life experiences and gain insight into new cultures. 

    They are extremely excited about their Summer 2025 trip to Europe! On this trip, they'll be visiting Munich, Vienna, the Salzburg Region, Bratislava, and ending in Budapest. This trip explores the music and history of these regions. Email Heidi at HSprecher@pps.net to learn more about this trip.

    They're also promoting their Summer 2026 trip to Japan! It will be a 9 day trip that starts in the Kansai region of Japan and travels through Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto. Then they will get to check out Mt. Fuji before ending in several days of experiencing Tokyo! Students can grab a complete itinerary sheet from Heidi's room or Ms. Blair's room. Next info session is coming soon! Email HSprecher@pps.net for questions in the meantime 

    Please note: These trips are through a private company and are not affiliated specifically with da Vinci or PPS - which means that students from any school can sign up for a trip!

Dragon Tales, Weekly Newsletter

District News

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  • HeART of Portland Returns to Portland Art Museum April 16th

     This is the poster for the Heart of Portland event

    HeART of Portland, the annual celebration of local student artists, is returning to the Portland Art Museum (PAM) beginning April 16.

    The two-week fine arts showcase features work by students from across Portland Public Schools and is made possible by the Arts Access Fund, which also supports elementary visual and performing arts educators.

    2025 HeART of Portland kicks off with an opening reception at PAM on April 16 at 6:30 p.m. and concludes with the Miller Family Free Day on April 27. The opening reception will include musical and theatrical performances, as well as a set from the elementary school honor choir – made up of two singers from each PPS elementary – and the debut of the honor dance collective. 

    In addition, the showcase will feature more than 100 works of student visual art, handpicked by PPS arts educators, and a collaborative art project for K-12 students that embraces the rebellious spirit of the current PAM exhibition, Psychedelic Rock Posters and Fashion of the 1960s. 

    The reception and HeART of Portland exhibits are free and open to everyone. Please join us in lifting up our student artists!

  • Join Us for "The Ride Ahead"

    Portland Public Schools is continuing to host a series of events aimed at starting productive conversations about what is possible in the systems we create for our children with disabilities.

    As part of this series, we are excited to welcome you to a free screening of The Ride Ahead on Thursday March 20 at McMenamins Kennedy School. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the movie begins at 7:00.

    The Ride Ahead is a film about adult life with disabilities by a man with disabilities. It is the debut of 21-year-old Samuel Habib who, struggling to find his place in the world, decides to make a film that charts how a group of disabled adults navigate challenges and forge their own unique paths. The film serves as a roadmap for himself and others and illustrates the compelling power of one person truly determined to live life on his own terms.

    In documenting his journey, Samuel is following in the footsteps of his father, the filmmaker Dan Habib. You can learn more about their work here.

    Staff, families, and community members are all invited. Parking is free and McMenamins' full menu is available for ordering. We hope to see you there!

  • To Close or Not to Close? The Many Factors that Go into an Inclement Weather Decision

    In meteorological terms, Portland’s first big weather event of 2024 was the definition of a perfect storm. Frigid temperatures and high winds combined with snow and ice to bring down tree limbs, close roads, scramble traffic, freeze pipes, and knock out power for tens of thousands of residents.

    It was a metaphorical perfect storm for Portland Public Schools as well. Fallen trees cut power to multiple schools and others have suffered water damage from broken pipes. Lack of heat was also a problem, and impassable roads, paired with snowed-in and icy parking lots, made it impossible for buses to run safely. Those same conditions limited how the district’s facilities and operations teams can even assess the scope of the issues, let alone begin working on solutions. And icy sidewalks meant walkers have no safe route to school.

    This week could bring similar conditions to the Portland area, and PPS’s School Closure Team is ready to meet the challenge. The team convenes regularly during inclement weather to take all of the above into careful consideration. By now, families are quite familiar with how the district communicates these decisions. What’s perhaps less known is how district leaders arrive at such decisions in the first place. 

  • Free Screening of "Champions" as Part of Our Series Boosting Belonging, Equity, and Inclusion

    As part of our district's focus on events that center belonging, equity, and inclusion, we have been screening a series of films that we hope will challenge our perceptions about what is possible in the systems we create for our children with disabilities.

    The next film in the series is “Champions,” which will screen on Saturday February 8th at 2:00 PM at Lincoln High School. This event will also include first-hand testimonials from PPS students.

    This movie highlights the journey of a basketball coach who leads a team of players with intellectual disabilities. Through humor and heartfelt moments, the movie emphasizes the strengths, individuality, and value each player brings to the team and how inclusion enriches communities and creates positive, supportive environments.

    Staff, families, and community members are all invited. Parking is free and light refreshment will be provided. We hope to see you there!

     

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