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   Student to Student
 
Dear Prospective Davidson Academy Students,

If you are looking for a traditional middle school or high school experience, The Davidson Academy is certainly not for you. If you are looking for something different, something more personal and, in my opinion, more exciting, then the Academy might be just what you are looking for.

I came to the Academy in August of 2007 from Southern California after a rather traumatic one-month experience in a public high school and subsequent homeschooling. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect: the Academy was still new at that point, just starting its second year of operation. I need not have worried, however, because from the start I was able to take the classes I wanted to take and do the things I wanted to do. The Academy offers unparalleled flexibility in fulfilling the requirements for a high school diploma, and so in the two years I’ve been here, I’ve been able to pursue my interests while still getting a general education of excellent quality. As you probably already know, the Academy’s partnership with the University of Nevada, Reno, makes it possible for Academy students to take nearly any class at the University they want to. The courses that I’ve taken, both at the University and the Academy, have challenged me and taught me how to think. I am confident that my Academy education has strengthened my intellectual abilities and more than adequately prepared me for the next stage of my educational journey.

However, the opportunities at the Academy aren’t just academic. One of the most treasured parts of my experience here has been my involvement and participation in the Academy community. I’ve made deeper friendships here than I ever have in the past, because the students at the Academy are friendly, open, and very, very smart. Because it is such a small community, everybody knows everybody, and I feel like the students at the Academy are my second family. I’ve also been involved in other ways – as Vice President of the Academy’s Student Council, I’ve gotten the chance to both connect with students here and learn an enormous amount about leadership, and in the environmental club I co-founded, I’ve been able to connect with other people who share my concern for environmental issues. There are so many ways that you can become involved in the vibrant community here, and it is easy to do so.

The Davidson Academy is unique, because it is simultaneously academically rigorous and exceptionally nurturing. I encourage you to consider it if you are a motivated student looking for an environment that will help you to develop your whole self, not simply your intellect.

                                                                             ~ Melanie Malinas, Recent Davidson Academy Graduate 

     Program Updates

   
Summer Tour for Prospective Students – August 14
Hear from current students and Academy parents, familiarize yourself with our faculty and staff, and network with others considering the Academy. The next public tour is scheduled for August 14 with additional fall tour dates to be announced soon. RSVP is required for tours. If you would like more information, please email explore@davidsonacademy.unr.edu.

The Right Fit for You?
While the deadline to submit applications for the 2009-2010 school year has passed, it’s not too early to think about applying for 2010-2011. If you are looking for an environment to better fit your social and academic needs, the Academy may be the perfect fit for you.

The Academy is specifically designed to meet the needs of profoundly gifted middle and high school students at the sixth grade level and beyond who score in the 99.9th percentile on IQ or college entrance tests. Please review the Test Score Criteria page as these scores are mandatory for student eligibility. Visit the Application Review Process page to learn more about the admissions process. The 2010-2011 application will be available in September.
 

   Student Activities

 
New Davidson Academy Color and Logo
The Davidson Academy website was recently revamped to reflect a new, cleaner logo and color scheme. The old teal look has been replaced with burgundy to match the actual school colors of burgundy and gold. The “man and stars” logo has also been replaced. Check it out today!

The Davidson Academy's First Graduating Class
Eight students were recently recognized as the first class to graduate from The Davidson Academy in an unforgettable ceremony at the school. Of the eight graduates, six have attended the Academy since its opening in 2006. The Davidson Academy’s graduating class of 2009 and the colleges they will attend are:
 
  • Annalisee Brasil – University of Washington
  • Rachel Ellison – Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Andrew George – University of Nevada, Reno
  • Melanie Malinas – Oberlin College
  • Cody Nolan – University of Nevada, Reno
  • Emma Schmelzer – Bennington College
  • Kestrel Schmidt – University of Nevada, Reno
  • Andy Wei – University of Nevada, Reno
Fun in Black and White!
 






    Photo courtesy of the Reno Gazette-Journal.

         
Prior to the end of the school year, Academy students attended The Black and White, a fun, highly-successful dinner and dance. Members of the student council planned every aspect of the event, and their hard work paid off. It was a superb example of students working together to create an entertaining, incredible night.

 
  

   Meet Ms. Simmons, English Instructor
   
Why did you decide to become an English teacher?
Human communication absolutely fascinates me. More specifically, written language, or the combination of symbols with sounds (and their associated meaning), interests me intently. Who wouldn’t want to study that? I realize that some may raise their hands here, but that’s the way I feel about my field. Even more, as a teacher, I get to be an insatiable scholar and learner, share the found nuggets with students and encourage them to do the same.

What purpose does English and writing have in our increasingly digital world?
There is definitely a heightened awareness in the fields of English, Composition, and Rhetoric that we live in an increasingly digital, and thus written, world. Subsequently, there’s a sharpened focus that students need to develop strong writing, critical reading and critical thinking skills to succeed. Each younger generation becomes exponentially more engaged in this digital world. As the digital culture moves to the forefront of our global culture, it’s a healthy and necessary challenge to teach applicable skills for our modern world in conjunction with the tried-and-true traditional models.

If you were trapped on a desert island, what three books would you bring?
This list is always changing based on whim and mood (and please don’t exile me to a desert island), but right now:

  1. Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God – Lyrical and loaded with imagery, this book is by a gifted Harlem Renaissance writer about the trajectory of a woman’s life; love, power, subjugation, self-worth and loss are at its nexus.


  2. A compilation of Aristotle’s and Plato’s writings – These texts, from Aristotle’s On Poetics to Plato’s Phaedreus, are so layered, dense, and cerebral in addition to just great masterpieces, I could re-read them for decades and contemplate the ideas presented.


  3. J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings – Tolkien intended this epic fantasy to appear in one volume, and some copies exist, so that is the one I would bring. This is truly an epic tale and decoding the languages Tolkien constructed along with the histories of various groups in Middle Earth would keep me entertained and challenged.
 
   In the News
 
Reno Gazette-Journal
The Reno Gazette-Journal published an article about the first class of students to graduate from The Davidson Academy on May 6 in Academy's first class set to accept diplomas.

Taylor Wilson (left), a first-year student at the Academy, was featured in an article about the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) that recently took place in Reno. Taylor was interviewed about his project, “Subcritical Neutron Multiplication in a 2.5 MeV Neutron Flux,” which could help protect America from nuclear attacks. View the article.

Taylor was the top finisher locally at ISEF, and was also interviewed in this article.

 
After winning the Nevada State Geographic Bee, Academy student Alex Wade (right) recently participated in the national competition in Washington D.C., finishing in 12th place! View the article.

 

"The academic degree program is the main reason I came here, but my favorite part has definitely been the social atmosphere. The other kids are amazing. And the teachers and the staff have been willing to listen to me as an adult, which I really appreciate..."

~ Rachel Ellison, Davidson Academy Graduate, Reno Gazette-Journal article 



 


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