FAQ - The da Vinci School

Da Vinci offers classes for children 18 months through kindergarten/primer. Admission for a given year is based on a child’s age as of August 31. We strictly adhere to the August 31 age cut-off.

Do you offer classes year-round, and what is the daily schedule?

Our school year runs from late August through mid-May. In the summer we offer Camp da Vinci, in which students may enroll by the week. Both our school and our camp day begin at approximately 8:45 a.m., and end at 12:15 p.m., depending on age. Kindergarten and Primer students’ class day ends at 2:15 p.m. during the school year. Often there is an opportunity for children ages three and older to enroll in after school enrichment classes. All enrichment classes conclude by 2:10 p.m. or earlier. We do not place children in the middle of the school year.

What schools do da Vinci students go on to attend?

Many of our students attend the larger area private schools such as ESD, Good Sheperd, Greenhill, Hockaday, Lamplighter, Parish, St. Marks, and local parochial schools. We also have students who attend their neighborhood schools and magnet schools.

How can I schedule a visit to the school?

Parents should plan to attend either our fall or spring Parent Preview. Our previews allow parents to do self-guided tours, see our classrooms, and speak with our staff and current parents, without disturbing our students’ learning. Previews are on Sunday afternoons. School tours are not offered outside of Parent Previews; however, special visits can be arranged for families coming from out of town. Please call or email the school to inquire. Parent Previews are for parents only. We are not able to accommodate children at previews. More information and registration will be posted on our web site approximately three weeks prior.

What if my child has only recently completed an application? Do they still have a chance to be placed in the school?

If the application has been completed with ample time prior to either Visitation Day (older candidates) or Camp da Vinci (younger toddlers), and there is space available, your child will be able to be observed for admission. If the application is completed during or after these events, there may not be space or time to accommodate your child for the up-coming admission year.

Our main objective is that our students are ready to fully participate in our program. We meet the children at either our Visitation Day or Camp da Vinci. If we have two equally suited candidates, we defer to their application date.

Do you have a waitlist for admissions, and what is the deadline to apply?

We have an application, which asks for contact and other general information about you and your child. It is important to complete an application so that you will receive correspondence from the school about required admissions events (Visitation Day/Camp da Vinci) Parent Preview and other events going on at the school. Families may complete an application at any time after a child is born, via our on-line form. To be considered for placement in a given year, the child must have completed an application prior to Visitation Day and/or Camp da Vinci. The application fee is $95 per child.

What do I need to do to have my child considered for placement in the school?

First, an application, found here, needs to be completed for your child.

Once your child reaches 18 months of age by August 31 in a given year, they are old enough to attend Camp da Vinci. Camp da Vinci takes place in May and June each summer. Toddler children seeking placement in the school are required to attend a week of camp during the same year they wish to be considered, so that they may be observed in a school setting.

Children turning 30 months or older by August 31 of the given year and seeking placement in the fall are required to attend Visitation Day. Visitation Day is a shortened school day, where we can observe children in a school setting. Several Visitation Days are usually held in the spring.

Emails about timing and registration for these events are sent to parents who have completed an application for their child, once the child reaches the appropriate age to participate.

How are placement decisions made?

Our currently enrolled families receive priority placement for their siblings. Since we do not know until late March how many children will be re-enrolling for the following fall, we are generally unable to offer any status reports throughout the school year. Our placement for the school year is influenced by the number of students who graduate from da Vinci and/or go on to programs for older children.

Our main objective is that a child is a good fit with our program. We look at several factors including class make-up, ages, sex (we strive for 50/50 boys to girls), school readiness, etc. and to a lesser extent the admissions profile date. Although we do not formally test the children for admissions, we do need to meet them before placement is considered. We also require a teacher evaluation from a current teacher if the child has been enrolled in another program. Any test scores that are available are also appreciated.

Notifications of school year placement for children two-and-a-half years old and over is made in late spring, following Visitation Day. Additional placements may be made into the summer months.

Toddler placements are made in early July after candidates have been met during Camp da Vinci.

Our school year is late August through mid-May and we do not place children in the middle of the school year.

When will I find out if my child has been admitted?

For children 30 months or older by August 31, some placements are made following Visitation Day, and continue into the first month of camp. For younger children, placement occurs once all candidates have been observed during Camp da Vinci, typically in early July. Placements at all age levels are finalized by mid-July.