Education that Goes Beyond the Textbook
At DaVinci Academy, we are committed to helping our students develop a set of skills and attitudes that will guide and prepare them through their educational journey towards life long learning. We also strive to promote in our students an appreciation for diversity, a commitment to excellence and a sense of self-reliance and overall responsibility. For more information about this see our Academic Accountability Agreement.
Academic Accountability Guidelines
Curriculum at a Glance
Kindergarten
ELA
Core Knowledge Language Arts
- Nursery Rhymes and Fables
- The Five Senses
- Stories
- Plants
- Farms
- Native Americans
- Kings and Queens
- Seasons and Weather
- Columbus and Pilgrims
- Colonial Towns
- Taking Care of the Earth
Math
Singapore Math
Science
Core Knowledge Sequence
- Plants and Plant Growth
- Animals and their Needs
- The Human Body
- Magnetism
- Seasons and Weather
- Taking Care of the Earth
- Science Biographies
Social Studies
Core Knowledge Sequence
- World Geography
- Native Americans
- Early Exploration and Settlement
- Presidents, Past and Present Weather
- Symbols and Figures
First
ELA
Core Knowledge Language Arts
- Fables and Stories
- The Human Body
- Different Lands, Similar Stories
- Early World Civilizations
- Early American Civilizations
- Astronomy
- The History of the Earth
- Animals and Habitats
- Fairy Tales
- A New Nation
- Frontier Explorers
Math
Singapore Math
Science
Core Knowledge Sequence
- Living Things and Their Environments
- The Human Body
- Matter
- Measurement
- Electricity
- Astronomy
- The Earth
- Science Biographies
Social Studies
Core Knowledge Sequence
- Early World Civilizations
- Mexico
- The American Revolution
- Early Exploration of the American West
- Symbols and Figures
Second
ELA
Core Knowledge Language Arts
- Fairy Tales and Tall Tales
- Early Asian Civilizations
- The Ancient Greek Civilizations
- Greek Myths
- The War of 1812
- Cycles in Nature
- Westward Expansion
- Insects
- The US Civil War
- Human Body
- Immigration
- Fighting for a Cause
Math
Singapore Math
Science
Core Knowledge Sequence
- Cycles in Nature
- Insects
- The Human Body
- Magnetism
- Simple Machines
- Science Biographies
Social Studies
Core Knowledge Sequence
- Early Asian Civilizations
- Japan
- The Constitution
- Westward Expansion
- The Civil War
- North and South America
Third
ELA
Core Knowledge Language Arts
- Wind in the Willows
- Classification of Animals
- Human Body: Systems and Senses
- Ancient Roman Civilizations
- Light and Sound
- The Viking Age
- Astronomy
- Native Americans
- European Exploration
- Colonial America
- Ecology
Math
Singapore Math
Science
Core Knowledge Sequence
- Classification of Animals
- The Human Body
- Light and Optics
- Sound
- Ecology
- Astronomy
- Science Biographies
Social Studies
Core Knowledge Sequence
- Canada
- Ancient Rome and Greece
- The Earliest Americans
- Early Exploration of North America
- Thirteen Colonies
Fourth
ELA
Core Knowledge Language Arts
- Personal Narratives
- “Knowing Myself” Novel Groups
- The Middle Ages + Novel Groups
- Poetry
- Quest: Eureka
- Geology
- Sleepy Hollow
- The American Revolution + Novel Groups
- Treasure Island
Math
Singapore Math
Science
MacMillan/McGraw Hill “Science – A Closer Look”
- Living Things
- Ecosystems
- Earth and Its Resources
- Weather and Space
- Matter
- Forces and Energy
Social Studies
Core Knowledge Sequence
- Western Europe
- The Middle Ages
- Early African Kingdoms
- China Dynasties
- American Revolution
- Early Presidents and Politics
- Reformers
Fifth
ELA
Core Knowledge Language Arts
- Personal Narratives
- “Making Choices” Novel Groups
- Early American Civilizations
- Poetry
- The House on Mango Street
- Adventures of Don Quixote
- Tom Sawyer
- Little Women
- A MidSummer Night’s Dream
- The US Civil War Novel Groups
- Native Americans
Math
Holt Mathematics Course One
Science
MacMillan/McGraw Hill “Science – A Closer Look”
- Diversity of Life
- Ecosystems
- Earth and Its Resources
- Weather and Space
- Matter
- Forces and Energy
Social Studies
Core Knowledge Sequence
- Mayas, Incas and Aztecs
- European Exploration
- Russia
- Feudal Japan
- Westward Expansion
- Civil War
- Reconstruction
Sixth
ELA
Reader’s / Writer’s Workshop
Math
Holt Mathematics Course Two
Science
McGraw Hill iScience
Earth and Space Science
Social Studies
Core Knowledge Sequence
- Ancient Civilizations
- The French Revolution
- Latin America
- American Immigration
- Industrial Revolution
Seventh
ELA
Reader’s / Writer’s Workshop
Math
Holt Mathematics Course Three
Science
McGraw Hill iScience
Life Science
Social Studies
Core Knowledge Sequence
- World War I
- The Russian Revolution
- America from the Twenties to the New Deal
- The Great Depression
- World War II
Eighth
ELA
Reader’s / Writer’s Workshop
Math
Holt Algebra
Science
McGraw Hill iScience
Physical Science (Physics and Chemistry)
Social Studies
Core Knowledge Sequence
- Decline of the British Empire
- The Cold War
- Civil Rights
- Vietnam War
- End of the Cold War
- Apartheid in South Africa
At DaVinci Academy, we believe our school plays a prominent role, in partnership with our parents, in the development of their child(ren).
As a faculty, we commit ourselves to helping our students develop a set of skills and attitudes that will guide and prepare them through their educational journey towards higher learning. We also strive to promote in our students an appreciation for diversity, a commitment to excellence and a sense of self-reliance and overall responsibility.
We encourage and support parent participation and appreciate that parental support and involvement in a child’s education can make a significant difference in how a child views learning, gets along with others, and contributes to his/her community.
Educational Best Practices
- Accelerated Reader: The Accelerated Reader program is used in first through ninth grade. Students read and take quizzes on books they read throughout the school year. Our students read an average of 350,000 words last year and took an average of 16 quizzes per student. This accomplishment earned us a nomination for a national award from Renaissance Learning.
- Small Class Sizes: We continue to cap each class at 26 students in first through sixth, 25 in grades 7 through 9 and 18 in kindergarten. This small class size ensures that students are able to receive more individualized attention from the teachers.
- Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) Curriculum: The CKLA program is used in grades Kindergarten through fifth grade and is based on decades of cognitive science research that shows that reading requires two key “strands” of focus in order for students to achieve proficiency. The first key is decoding skills, which are addressed in the Skills strand of the CKLA program. The second key is oral language, vocabulary, and background knowledge sufficient to understand what is decoded. These are covered in the Listening and Learning strand. Together, these two strands unlock a lifetime of reading for all children. Using this approach, the CKLA program not only meets the Common Core State Standards, it exceeds them. We were the first school in Minnesota to adopt the CKLA program. We are thrilled with the results as students continue to show success and growth in reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
- Math and Reading Groupings: In the areas of math and reading in grades one through five, students are placed in ability groups rather than homeroom groups. This ensures that students who need extra help are able to receive that assistance and that students who need more of a challenge are at a level equivalent to their abilities. Groups for reading and math are kept as small as possible to allow for maximum academic growth in these areas.
- Data-driven Assessments in Math: Friends of Education provided training on data-driven instruction and we then implemented interim assessments in math and reading. These assessments help to ensure the student performance is at the same level of rigor required by state standards. Teachers are also able to see where students are struggling and reteach topics as needed.
- IXL Math: IXL assesses students’ understanding as they practice, and generates detailed performance reports to give valuable insight about students’ abilities. Reports can be generated which include data on grade-level proficiency, trouble spots, and even progress toward meeting state standards.
- Homework Club: Homework Club is offered after school several days per week. Homework Club is staffed by DaVinci teachers and is a time for 3rd through 9th grade students to get extra help in specific academic areas. Homework Club is only for those students who need to use it and, therefore, students must be invited to attend by teachers or they may request an invitation to attend Homework Club from a teacher.