Leonardo da Vinci ek-8 School

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1 Our son has always been a good student, but here at LdV we have seen a change for the better. Not only have his grades improved, he has the confidence to try new things. He gets to enjoy all the activities of middle school like band, drama, and speech and debate, while we benefit from being in a school environment where our participation is encouraged and we are able to maintain a close relationship with our son and his teachers. First Year LdV Parents of a 7th Grade Student Leonardo da Vinci ek-8 School E d u c a t i n g t h e R e n a i s s a n c e C h i l d E s t

2 Learning never exhausts the mind. ~Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo da Vinci s Middle School is a small learning community limited to 160 students. This small environment allows us to offer a highly personalized, challenging, and enriching academic program in which students thrive. The California Department of Education reports that students enrolled in K-8 schools demonstrate higher self-esteem and are more likely to have overall academic, emotional and social success in school. At LdV the internal community of accountability that develops among teachers, parents, and students promotes a culture of caring and rigor marked by hard work, high aspirations, and an expectation that all will succeed. Middle School students at LdV benefit from teachers who are 100% credentialed, highly qualified, encouraging and accessible. They enjoy a curriculum that s varied and challenging. They find opportunities in a multitude of activities including: six separate class periods, GATE academic core classes, fine art, band and orchestra, P.E., science lab, field trips, assemblies, student government, speech and debate, competitive athletics, and hands-on experiences. Experts agree that the involvement of parents is the key to a student s success. Parent involvement is an essential and required component of our program. LdV parents sign a contract to commit to 40 hours (minimum) of volunteer service at school. Volunteer opportunities are available during the school day, evenings, or weekends. Student permits are granted based on enrollment criteria: excellent attendance, grades, test scores and behavior record. Currently active or have been in the past. Students may organize a club with a teacher advisor. CLUBS & EXTENDED DAY Student Government Shakespeare Club (annual trip to Ashland, Oregon) Drama Club (Shakespeare performance) Young Entrepreneurs (market, manage and staff Café da Vinci) Science Club (Florida Keys, Costa Rica) Competitive Basketball and soccer (3.0 GPA required) Speech & Debate (compete locally and across the State) Robotics Dolphin Yacht Club (work as a team to build and race a full sized solar powered boat) AV Club (DJ dances, film basketball games, run AV for assemblies, rallies, athletics) Chess Club Cheer Band (winter & spring concerts, competitions, field trips) Orchestra Computer classes (web design, Photoshop, PowerPoint, imovie, Garage Band, pod casts) ICDT! LdV Blues Band (play rock & roll at several venues in Sacramento) Art Club Club Live And more

3 ENRICHMENT & FACILITIES Comprehensive Music Program, including band, orchestra, and blues band. Fine Art Elective and Three-Dimensional Art Elective. Computer lab & Three Mobile MacBook Air Carts - Multi-media class including a student produced middle school website. Elective Wheel (American Sign Language, computers, da Vinci Inventions, health, & publications) Dedicated Science Lab Students in all science classes conduct experiments and write science labs, preparing them for the rigor of high school science. Organic Garden Our certified organic garden produces endless learning opportunities for our students as well as provides food for our cafeteria, Art Studio The Art Links program is a parent run art series. All students are welcome and it is free. Lecture Hall - Our dedicated lecture hall seats up to 100 students and affords our students and teachers an excellent space for large group lectures, and guest speakers. Auditorium, Cafeteria, & Gym INTEGRATED THEMATIC INSTUCTION Integrated Thematic Instruction allows students to make connections across the curriculum and fosters application of knowledge. If children can apply what they learn, they will retain the information. While studying Ancient Asian Civilizations in history, they make a Chinese dragon puppet inspired by Chinese artwork in their art class. As they study chemical elements in science, they learn to research and write an informational essay about a particular element in their English class. Seventh graders learn about Medieval Europe in history, read The Prince and the Pauper in English, and attend a theatrical production of The Princess and the Pauper. At the same time they are studying cell structure and function in science, they are creating a cell model in art that they then present to their science class. Eighth graders learn about slavery in history, and in English class they read, discuss, and write about literary works such as The Glory Field and The Narrative of Frederick Douglas.

4 Parent and Student Testimonials When we were choosing a school for our daughter, we could have attended Crocker Riverside, our home school, but chose LdV because we loved that it was a K through 8 school. We also loved the fact that it was a parent participation school. I really felt that if parents were made to be a part of their child's education, if I knew all of the kids in her class and all of the parents of those kids, and in turn they knew me and my child, it would create a nurturing and supportive environment for all of our kids. LdV has lived up to that potential. After sending one child through the mainstream middle school experience and seeing him lost in the sea of 1,000+ 7th & 8th graders, invisible to his teachers, I looked forward to my daughter staying at LdV in a small nurturing community where she could excel socially, academically and athletically. At LdV I have joined student government, speech and debate, and Mathletes. I even speak in front of parents at class meetings every month, although I used to get very nervous speaking publicly. But after the first time, I realized that I know at least one parent in every class and they are all friends of mine, and then I wasn t intimidated at all. My daughter joined the Drama Club at the encouragement of the club leader, a teacher. Being part of the cast performing in a musical in front of the entire school is not something she would have done on her own. Her self confidence soared. Our Mission Leonardo da Vinci ek-8 School is a community dedicated to the development of the whole child as a curious and inventive person, responsible for preserving and creating beauty in our cultural and natural environments. We will foster this Renaissance child of the Arts and Sciences through Integrated Thematic Instruction.

5 FIELD TRIPS, FESTIVALS, EVENTS, & CELEBRATIONS LdV field trips are for everyone, not just clubs, sport teams, or advanced classes. Field trips are tied to the curriculum and provide students the opportunity to see people, places, and cultures outside of their own community. With parent support and involvement, field trips are available to middle school students. One field trip example is that while studying planets, and solar systems in scienc e, the students visit the Chabot Space and Science Center where they work as a team to staff a simulated mission to Mars. Another learning field trip includes reading Child of the Owl in English, a story about a young girl transplanted to San Francisco to live with her grand-parents, the students go on a guided walking tour of Chinatown. Fieldtrips Ashland, Oregon Shakespeare Festival Gibson Ranch Civil War Reenactment Tech Museum, San Jose Florida Keys Chinatown, San Francisco Costa Rica San Francisco Exploratorium B Street Theatre Chabot Science Center Local Places of Worship Festivals, Events, & Celebrations Winter Faire Renaissance Faire Dolphin Stock Quarterly Honor Roll Celebrations Breakfast Around the World Cultural Assemblies Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? Shakespeare Production Dances, Student Government Young Entrepreneurs Athletic Teams LEONARDO DA VINCI S CHAMPIONSHIP ATHLETICS PROGRAM Boys Basketball Girls Basketball Boys Soccer Girls Soccer Boys & Girls Track Student Athletes Here at LdV we believe in educating the whole child and view our athletics program as an extension of this philosophy. Our student athletes are held to a rigorous academic standard, and are role models in school citizenry. Coaching Our award winning coaching staff is the best in the city. Our coaches are credentialed teachers and parents who tirelessly work hard to ensure every student athlete has a memorable, positive experience playing for LdV. Year-Round Camps As a testament to the dedication of our coaches and athletes, students often participate in year-round camps. This keeps our student athletes in shape and their skills sharp.

6 Mastery of Academic Standards Each and every day students are moving forward towards mastery of curriculum that follows the Common Core Standards (formally we had California State Standards). Standards based instruction is important, however, LdV goes beyond the standards goal by expecting more more creativity, more critical thinking, extended reading materials, and more hands-on learning. This high school and college preparatory program is recognized at Leonardo da Vinci. Students, parents, and teachers are committed to excellence in academic achievement. Students work in all subjects to improve their reading, writing, speaking, critical thinking, and listening skills. Math, science, history, art, and language arts are all integrated into our thematic instruction program. The students rotate through six classes taught by different teachers. The students experience the opportunities of a large middle school in a safe, small, and caring environment. The master schedule also includes, PE, visual art, music, electives, and an elective wheel. Language Arts Students are required to be proficient in several modes of academic writing and public speaking. Student reading and writing is supported by regular instruction in vocabulary, grammar, composition, analytical reading, and critical thinking. Physical & Life Sciences LdV boasts a fully-equipped dedicated science and engineering lab. Middle school students study both life and physical science. We host an annual Science Fair for grades 4-8, and our 8 th grade students present their projects and conclusions to a panel of community members. Mathematics We offer many pathways for mathematics for our middle school students, up to, and including geometry. We offer a two-year advanced algebra program and geometry. We are now integrating algebra and geometry into a new SCSD math integration program. Social Studies History comes ALIVE in our history courses. Students participate in historical re-enactments, geography skill builders, primary source investigations, and project-based learning units. We offer both world history and US history.