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Get to Know Us |
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 It
is hard to believe the 2009-2010 school year will begin in only a
couple weeks! Since we are on the same academic calendar as the University of Nevada, Reno, the fall semester begins Aug. 24. We
are working on a new Davidson Academy brochure that
we hope will be posted to our website by the end of the month. Also, look for applications for the 2010-2011 school year to be posted Sept. 1.
We hope you will consider applying once applications are available, or attending one of our fall tours on Sept. 18, Oct. 15, Nov. 12, or Dec. 10.
~ Colleen Harsin, Director of The Davidson Academy of Nevada
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Program
Updates |
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Upcoming Tours
of the Academy
Prospective students and their families will soon be able to visit
The Davidson Academy for informational monthly tours! Taking a tour provides the opportunity to hear from current students and Academy parents, familiarize yourself with faculty and staff, network with others, and ask specific questions.  Visit the Academy for a tour on one of the following dates:
- Friday, Sept. 18, 2009
- Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009
- Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009
- Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009
RSVP is required for these tours. If you would like more information, please email
explore@davidsonacademy.unr.edu.
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Reno
Relocation |
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 Opportunity for Younger Siblings through Washoe County’s SWAS
When considering moving to Reno because of The Davidson Academy, parents often ask if there are any local options for younger siblings who are gifted but not ready to attend the Academy. The local Washoe County School Districts’ (WCSD) gifted program and School Within A School (SWAS) program for highly gifted students offer some options.
Students may be considered for immediate placement in the WCSD
Gifted and Talented Program (GATE) if they qualified for gifted and talented (GT) services in another district or state with test scores at or above the 98th percentile on an individually administered general intellectual ability test. If the student’s out-of-district’s test scores are below the 98th percentile on an individually administered test of general intellectual ability, the student must be evaluated and/or retested utilizing WCSD GT eligibility criteria.
Parent authorization (PDF) must be completed prior to testing.
School Within A School (SWAS) is a gifted program for students in grades 3-6 who are identified as highly gifted (possessing a full-scale IQ score in the 99.5th percentile). It is located at three magnet sites within the district and provides a self-contained classroom environment, helping to meet the needs of these students in lieu of their regular classroom placement. The District provides transportation for SWAS students.
The following are some of the beliefs of the WCSD GATE Program:
- A highly gifted child is a child with special needs
- General classrooms are unable to provide support services
- The more the child’s abilities vary from the norm, the greater the need for an individually tailored program and support
- Students benefit from special provisions and teachers with special training
- Gifted learners have the right to learn new concepts in school everyday
 Curriculum in the SWAS program is rigorous and differentiated, employing instructional techniques such as acceleration and compacting, to meet the needs of these extraordinary learners. It is project-based, encourages autonomous learning, includes higher level thinking skills, problem-solving, and investigative techniques, and offers additional enrichment.
Read the GATE program’s
Parent Handbook.
Other Relocation Resources
For
more helpful information about relocating to Reno, be sure
to check out the
Reno Relocation page on the Academy website.
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Student
Activities |
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 Benjamin Lokshin, about to enter his fourth year at The Davidson Academy, will present a clarinet recital Saturday, August 22, in Nightingale Concert Hall at the University of Nevada, Reno. The recital will feature solos, duets and trios and include works by Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Gordon Jacobs, Vaughn Williams and others. The recital will help benefit the
Reno Big Band Education Program, which provides free music lessons to students in the Washoe County School
District.
Read more
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Gifted
Education News |
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Davidson
Academy News
A
recent Associated Press article about The Davidson Academy and THINK Summer Institute, “Reno academy caters to really smart kids,” describes the distinctive educational and social opportunities the Academy provides gifted students.
Other News
 "What Ever Happened to Grade Skipping?",
was recently published in Education Week as an Op-Ed by journalist and author, Richard Whitmire,
and Laura Vanderkam, host of the
Gifted Exchange blog and
co-author of
Genius Denied. If you are unable to access the Ed Week
article, Mr. Whitmire posted the piece on his blog,
whyboysfail.com.
The
State Journal-Register published an Op-Ed,
"Proficiency ought not be our main education goal",
about the importance of meeting the
needs of our nation's highest-achieving students.
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"Educating our gifted and talented children so they can reach their full potential should be a non-negotiable cornerstone of America’s education system."
Sally Walker and Nancy Green, State Journal-Register
article
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If you have been forwarded this Davidson Academy
Prospective Student eNewsletter,
and wish to receive future
newsletters, sign-up
here.
The Davidson Institute for Talent Development
Supporting our nation's brightest young minds.
9665 Gateway Drive, Suite B, Reno, Nevada 89521
Phone: 775-852-3483 Fax: 775-852-2184
Email:
administrator@davidsongifted.org
Web:
www.DavidsonGifted.org
www.DavidsonAcademy.UNR.edu
Request a Brochure online.
Visit
The Davidson Academy
Explore page.
Explore The Davidson Academy
Newsletter
Archive.
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