The halls and classrooms of the Middleburg Community Charter School teemed with excitement on Thursday, as students shared their DaVinci projects with parents, teachers, administrators and fellow students.

The DaVinci Project Day & Night event is the culmination of the students' work each quarter and marks the end of the charter school's first nine weeks. The morning and evening program included drama performances of Aesop's Fables, dance routines, cardboard arcade creations and viewings of a movie-making project.

Students in the upper grades each invented their own planet. Fabric poufs, intricate drawings and complicated paper maché globes lined the halls. This "homework" project invited parents and students to collaborate and was presented as an alternative to traditional homework.

According to Dr. Barbara Smith, school principal, "by explaining their projects and defending their findings and inventions, students grow from novices to experts in subject areas."

The K-2 student hall was full of postcards and stamps that the students had created, building on their study of community.

The charter school opened on August 4th with 120 students. The multi-age learning environment has three Kindergarten through 2nd grade and two 3rd through 5th grade classrooms. The school adopted the Leonardo DaVinci Project as its interdisciplinary curriculum which models learning after the thinking habits of DaVinci: curiosity, persistence and critical thinking.

Other school-wide events this quarter included swimming lessons at Middleburg Community Center and an evening of hands-on science experiments with the Children's Science Museum. Parents filled the cafeteria for the "Leo Talks," monthly gatherings designed to give parents a chance to learn more about the MCCS curriculum, hear the latest in educational research and allow for group discussion.

The first Leo Talk featured school principal Dr. Barbara Smith, who presented research on multi-age classrooms. The second featured Mr. Robert Liscouskski, Former Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary and AJ Pannebianco, Middleburg Chief of Police. The two presented on school safety, including specific emergency plans and procedures for MCCS.

Middleburg Community Charter School is a Loudoun County Public School open to all Kindergarten through 5th grade students residing in Loudoun County. Contact the school at MiddleburgCharterSchool@gmail.com or by calling 540 687-5048.