The Director’s Message

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about DaVinci Academy. Each day at our school is an exciting new opportunity to enrich the minds of our students, and we hope your child will join us.

DaVinci Academy welcomes students regardless of race, gender, national and ethnic origin, and is non discriminatory in all our policies. We accept children between the ages of 5 and 13 years old.

There are no specific academic entrance requirements; however, we base admission decisions on many factors, especially your child’s age and suitability for our program.

Please contact us regarding availability for your child, and to schedule your personal tour of our school. We will be happy to answer your questions and provide additional information about our educational programs.

Kind regards,

Amy Erendu
Academic Director

School Demographics

• Type of School: K-8 Charter School
• Location: Ham Lake, MN
• Application Process: Lottery basis. See Admissionsfor more information.
• Enrollment: Serving students in Andover, Anoka, Blaine, Coon Rapids, East Bethel, Ham Lake and Lino Lakes
• Opened: September of 2008
• Authorizer: Friends of Education
• Academic Schedule: Year-round
• Curriculum:
  • Arts & Science Focused
  • Core Knowledge Curriculum
• Teacher to Student Ratio: 14:1 (2015)
• Faculty Profile:
  • 99.2% hold Bachelors or higher degree
  • 97% Fully Licensed
  • 84.6% have 3-10 years of experience

Achievements

• Reward School 6 years in a row (2011-2016)
• 2016 National Blue Ribbon School Recipient
• 2015 National Blue Ribbon School Nominee
• Achieved 20% higher results than state averages on standardized tests (2015)
• Over 80% of students meet or exceed state accountability test standards
• Over 90% Multiple Measurements Rating (MMR)
• Over 80% Student Proficiency in 2015, and well above state averages

See highlights from our School Report Card

Our History

DaVinci Academy began like many other charter schools in Minnesota — by a parent who was looking for a different way for her students to learn. Kathy Reinartz, mother of two, had done extensive research on differentiated education and knew that many children would benefit from such an individualized approach to learning.

Prior to founding DaVinci Academy, Ms. Reinartz was involved in another charter school in Columbia Heights. It was there she learned of the Core Knowledge sequence and curriculum. Core Knowledge provides a clear and sequenced curriculum, building on knowledge year after year.

Because the northern suburbs were home to many technology firms, it seemed logical to give a science and technology priority to the new school. But as Leonardo DaVinci himself knew, the science cannot exist without the arts. As such, DaVinci Academy also gives priority to arts instruction, which fosters creative thought processes and helps students to become more well-rounded individuals.

In July 2007, the charter proposal for DaVinci Academy was submitted to the State Department of Education. Of the 21 other charter proposals submitted at that time, only 11 were approved.

DaVinci Academy opened in September 2008, with 160 students enrolled in kindergarten through sixth grade. By the end of the first year, DaVinci Academy had a student body of nearly 190 students. Seventh grade was added in 2009 and eighth grade in 2010, bringing total enrollment in the 2010-11 school year to 375 students. That enrollment expanded to 410 students in the 2011-12 school year, with two sections of each kindergarten through sixth grades, and one section of grades seven and eight.

The school applied for a replication grant in 2015, based on their status as a high-quality charter school. Because suitable land or a building site that would allow them to financially support two separate K-5 schools could not be found, permission was asked to expand the current school on one campus. DaVinci received 2 years of Federal CSP Expansion funding, and started the expansion planning in 2016.

The 2017-18 school year was a huge expansion year for DaVinci Academy of Arts and Science. The school moved to their new 20-acre Ham Lake campus to start the school year with 720 students in grades K-8, an increase of approximately 300 students. They also doubled their staff, added DaVinci Den after-school care, and the Renaissance Program to serve gifted/talented students. The 104,000 square foot building includes a 3-story classroom, a full-gym, an auditorium, and a cafeteria to better serve our expanding population of students. The school enrolled 914 students in the 20-21 school year.

DaVinci School Pillars

Arts & Science Focus

DaVinci Academy will incorporate an arts and science focus across the curriculum to help students understand and appreciate the significance of these two disciplines in everyday life.

Arts

Research studies point to strong relationships between learning in the arts and fundamental cognitive skills and capabilities used to master other core subjects, including reading, writing and mathematics. Students at DaVinci Academy will follow the Core Knowledge curriculum, which has an increased focus on the arts.

Science

Scientific literacy is increasingly important in the workplace. Jobs at all levels require people to think critically, solve problems and use technology effectively. Furthermore, we need a scientific-literate public to compete successfully in the global marketplace.

Enhanced Learning Experience

DaVinci Academy is committed to delivering an enhanced learning experience to each of its students, every day of the school year. Several key educational tools used at our school help ensure we meet this challenge.

Core Knowledge Sequence

DaVinci Academy utilizes the Core Knowledge Sequence throughout its curriculum. Inherent in Core Knowledge is the understanding that knowledge builds upon knowledge. Students receive a solid foundation in all subjects, and then enhance that knowledge by building on what they already know. The Core Knowledge curriculum provides a clear outline of the specific, important knowledge in all subjects that students need to learn, grade by grade. Through this discipline, students become familiar with a broad range of knowledge, enabling them, regardless of background, to be comfortable in our national literate culture.

Data-Driven Instruction

Data-driven instruction, in which DaVinci Academy utilizes teacher-created, standards-based interim assessments for all students, is another key element of our enriched learning experience. Teachers analyze assessment results for each student to identify standards the student has mastered as well as those requiring additional instruction. Teachers then work with their grade level and/or curriculum teams to effectively re-teach and reassess students for subject mastery. This process is an effective, proven pathway to academic achievement and leads to dramatic gains in student performance.

Intersessions and Innovative Projects

DaVinci Academy incorporates intersessions twice during the year which provide students with an enhanced focus on arts and science in everyday life. Topics vary annually, but have included physics, engineering, sculpture, astronomy, theater, video gaming history and environmental studies, to name a few. Through these experiences, students gain a better appreciation of how the knowledge they master in the classroom translates to things they will encounter throughout their lives.

Teachers also use hands-on approaches to allow students to interact with the subject materials and make it more meaningful for themselves, thereby increasing retention. This approach has included a bartering fair for the first grade students to explain bartering in ancient Egypt; a student puppet show of The Three Bears completed a fairy tale unit; the use of real deer hearts allowed students to explore the circulatory system; students used Skype to communicate with a classroom in Mexico during Spanish class. These are the types of innovative approaches DaVinci Academy teachers use to enrich the learning experience we offer every student at our school.

Differentiated Instruction

Not all students are alike. Based on this knowledge, differentiated instruction applies an approach to teaching and learning that provides students with multiple options for taking in information and making sense of ideas. The differentiated instruction model requires teachers to be flexible in their approach to teaching and in their presentation of information to the learners. Classroom teaching is a blend of whole-class, group and individual instruction. At DaVinci Academy, differentiated instruction is utilized in every subject.

Character Development

DaVinci Academy has established a learning community of students, teachers and parents that model and encourage strong character development. This includes a respect for diversity and a sense of responsibility to the community and all of society. We meet the needs of our students through our curriculum, our unique learning approach and positive student reinforcement which emphasizes the importance of good behavior, builds self-esteem and inspires confidence. This, in turn, assists parents and the community in raising children to be confident, successful adults. They will possess strong problem solving skills, leadership capabilities and an ability to reach their full potential.