School Founding

Da Vinci Academy was founded in 2000 to serve intellectually gifted and talented students in grades PK-8.

Enrollment

Enrollment each year is approximately 130 students from Pre-K (includes half-day PK3) through 8th Grade.  Our students and families come from across the Fox Valley region of the western Chicago suburbs.  About 75% of our families come from surrounding towns such as St. Charles, Geneva, Elgin, South Elgin, Bartlett, and Batavia.  The rest are spread across areas in all directions from the school.

Class Size

Maximum class size is 14 in Pre-K (half-day morning PK3 combined with PK4) and in Kindergarten.  Both PK and Kindergarten have full-time assistants who help the grade level teachers and lower the student:teacher ratio to 7:1.  Classes in Grades 1-8 have a maximum of 16 students.  Grades PK-4 have one lead grade level teacher, while grades 5-8 have one teacher for each core subject.  There are individual subject teachers for PK-2 Spanish, 3-8 Spanish, Art, Music, Computer, and Physical Education.

Teacher Credentials

100% of Da Vinci Academy grade level teachers (not including specials teachers or teaching assistants) hold Master's degrees or other graduate level education and training.  Teachers are also active in professional development pursuits such as graduate work, college teaching, gifted summer programs, conferences and seminars, and more.

School Year

The 2012-13 school year begins August 22nd and ends May 30th.  We use an academic trimester system.  We observe major holidays and have days off throughout the year for teacher in-service days and parent-teacher conferences.  We also have a Winter Break in December and a Spring Break the last week of March (breaks generally coincide with those of local public school districts and other local independent schools).

School Day Hours

All grade levels are in session Monday through Friday, with classes beginning at 8:45 AM.  Students may enter the building starting at 8:25 AM.  PK3 students dismiss at 11:15 AM or 12:00 PM.  Dismissal for Pre-K and Kindergarten is at 2:15 PM.  Dismissal for Grades 1-8 is at 3:15 PM.  The school offers Before and After school care every day as early as 7:00 AM and as late as 6:00 PM.

Extra-curricular Activities

Students participate in activities such as athletics, chess, robotics, band, math team, and a variety of after-school classes.

The school's  Summer Camp and enrichments programs are open to the public.

School Mascot

The Da Vinci Knights

School Colors

Blue and White