“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
Educating the Renaissance Child
Est. 1985
“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.
CLUBS & EXTENDED DAY
Currently active or have been
in the past. Students may
organize a club with a teacher
advisor.
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
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”.
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.
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
LEONARDO DA VINCI’S CHAMPIONSHIP ATHLETICS PROGRAM
Athletic Teams

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.
Language Arts
Mathematics
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.
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.
Physical & Life Sciences
Social Studies
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 8th
grade students present their projects and
conclusions to a panel of community
members.
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.
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.