Academics
Families enroll at Da Vinci seeking the right academic fit for
their children. For some families that means coming to Da
Vinci after not finding a good fit in public school or other
environments. For others, it means starting at Da Vinci in
Pre-K or Kindergarten because they know early on that their
children will need a more challenging program. Delivering a
quality program that meets our students' needs is a balance that
combines what we teach, who teaches it, and how they teach it.
This section of the website includes an overview of our academic
structure, an introduction the outstanding and highly experienced
teachers, curriculum overviews, and other information about what a
family can expect from the classroom experience at Da Vinci.
Our program is organized into three divisions. Early
Childhood includes half-day PreK-3, PreK-4, Kindergarten, and
First Grade. Lower School covers grades 2-4, and Middle School
covers grades 5-8. Across all the grade levels, our specials classes are
Art, Music, Spanish, Computers & Technology, and Physical
Education.
Overall, the curriculum is accelerated and enriched one
grade-level ahead as a starting point. Many students work
beyond that level of acceleration, but not every student is
necessarily a year ahead in every subject area. While working
at an advanced level is important, we also stress depth of
study. We challenge our students to think deeply about
topics, to make connections across subject areas, to ask
higher-level questions, and to embrace the learning process.
The program provides the advantages of small classes and
challenging academics in a well-rounded curriculum, along with a
philosophy that allows teachers to work with students at different
levels according to their interests, talents, and learning
styles. Differentiation is a key component of the Da Vinci
Academy program because it gives our students the freedom to be
challenged appropriately, to build well-rounded skills, and to
reach their full intellectual potential. Students are
challenged to become creative thinkers, problem-solvers, and good
communicators.