Scott Etters, Head of School
With Da Vinci since 2012
Welcome to Da Vinci Academy.
What an exciting time this is to be the Head of School. As I
begin my inaugural year at Da Vinci, I am thrilled about the
challenges that come with helping grow an institution. I also
am looking forward to partnering with the Da Vinci community and
establishing long-lasting and meaningful relationships with the
students, teachers, and parents. Finally, I now find myself in a
position that allows me to positively impact a greater number of
students in an area about which I am most passionate - working with
gifted and talented children.
Da Vinci Academy is devoted to
serving the needs of gifted and talented students from grades
PK-8. Why is a school specific to gifted and talented
students necessary? Having been a part of gifted programming
both as a student and a teacher, gifted children are often
overlooked because they are doing "just fine" in the classroom
and/or performing "above expectations" on standardized tests. On
the other hand, gifted children may also be described as
low-performing, disinterested in school, lacking motivation, or
even disruptive (perhaps the class clown). In the latter
cases, these children might be bored because they already "get" it,
don't feel challenged, and/or are misunderstood by classmates when
they share personal thoughts, ideas, or perspectives in
class. In the aforementioned cases, it may come down to
whether a child's teacher is knowledgeable as to what a gifted
child looks like because there is no distinct classification.
The focus at Da Vinci Academy is on
gifted and talented students who think differently…who need (or
desire) new and interesting challenges…who need to be given a
variety of opportunities to learn…who need to be engaged…and who
need to be given the chance to go deeper and broader into their
exploration.
These are some of the more profound
reasons as to why the school was founded in 2000. In just a
short time considerable changes and growth have taken place.
Da Vinci Academy opened with 72 students in its inaugural
year. Around 130 students are expected to be in attendance at
the start of the 2012-13 school year and we are looking to increase
that number over the coming years. Early changes have already
begun as we move in this direction. During the summer months
of 2012, three classrooms were expanded while still maintaining a
low student-to-teacher ratio. The school has hired a new
Director of Admissions who comes to the school with experience,
energy, and enthusiasm. In June the Board of Trustees has
welcomed three new members and all trustees are excited to partner
with me to help move the school forward.
With that being stated, the success
of the school moving forward is built on the foundation of the
teachers and their support staff. Da Vinci Academy staff
members are clearly dedicated to their profession and truly embrace
the "family" community. Teachers possess the ability,
flexibility, and creativity to interweave academic expertise with
diverse professional and personal experiences into their everyday
curriculum. While setting a high expectation level through
the rigor, challenge, and pacing of the program, teachers also
afford the support and confidence-building necessary for student
success. Most important, their desire to shape the whole
child is prevalent on a daily basis and is demonstrated during both
the in-school and after-school activities.
Spanish, the Arts, and Physical
Fitness are also a major part of Da Vinci Academy. Spanish is
taught at all levels. Students are given ample opportunity to
develop their artistic and musical skills, while gaining
perspective about Art and Music appreciation. This is
accomplished during dedicated art and music classes as well as
integrated classwork. Drama is also integrated into the
curriculum, especially at the middle school level. PE classes
provide students physical activity through motion and skill
development.
In addition to the academics
offered, Da Vinci provides many opportunities to participate in a
variety of extra-curricular clubs and activities. Students
participate in activities such as chess, robotics, MathCounts®, athletics (soccer, volleyball,
and basketball), drama and a variety of other after-school clubs
and specialty classes. The 2012-2013 Chess Club will once again be
coached by Illinois Chess Grand Master Nikola Mitkov. Chess
Club, Mathcounts®, and Robotics Club members will enjoy
opportunities to participate in tournaments throughout Illinois. In
addition to these school-year activities, Da Vinci hosts a Summer Camp with a variety of
enrichment programs that are open to Da Vinci students as well as
students who do not attend the school.
Da Vinci Academy offers a unique
learning environment for a unique population of children…perhaps
your child. Feel free to continue perusing our website to
gather additional information, but keep in mind that a website
portrays only a partial picture of what we are about. For
additional information or to schedule a family visit, please
contact our Director of Admissions, Rebecca Malotke-Meslin.
Warm regards,
Scott R. Etters
Head of School
