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Student to Student |
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Hello prospective Davidson Academy students!
Wow! What can I say? I have only been at The Davidson Academy for four months and so much has happened! It is my first year at the Academy and I love it. My family moved to Reno from Texarkana, Ark./Texas and my brother is also attending the Academy. It was a really hard decision for me and my family to make, and I was really nervous the weeks before school started. But, once it started all my doubts went away! It is so awesome being around peers that are also intellectual, but at the same time it doesn’t awkwardly feel that way. You still get the social aspects that you would get in a normal school environment (this is something I personally like), and it’s not hard to make new friends. I can’t forget to mention, also, that the teachers are very knowledgeable and friendly, and all of the staff is very nice!
My personal obsession is nuclear science. It was
awesome coming to the Academy, because, even though I didn’t expect it, I have
many resources here to further that interest. I have made many friends in the
Physics Department at the University of Nevada, Reno, and have even been given
lab space to work on one of my projects, all thanks to the fact that I am an
Academy student. That’s the thing about the Academy, no matter what you are
interested in, they have the ability to cater to your needs and help you further
that interest!
~
Taylor Wilson, First Year Davidson Academy Student
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Get to Know Us |
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It’s hard to believe we are already
past the midway point of the semester! With a number of our students graduating in May, we
are helping them think about their future and
locate the best match in post-Academy academic and personal options.
To accomplish this task, we have set up weekly deadlines to assist graduating students throughout this
often stressful process, and have an independent college consultant visit and work closely with them.
While we are sad to see students leave the Academy, we take pride in knowing that we have helped guide them on their ongoing academic journeys. We hope what they have learned here becomes a part of their character, and that they always
fondly remember their time at the Academy.
~
Colleen Harsin, Director of The Davidson
Academy of Nevada
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Program Updates
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Fall Tours for Prospective Students - November 21 &
December 11
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Join us for a fall tour on Friday, Nov. 21 or
Thursday, Dec. 11 and see the exciting new features of The Davidson
Academy’s new location on the University of Nevada, Reno campus! The newly renovated, 30,000 square feet building
features 11 classrooms equipped with Wireless Internet, smart technology and
mobile systems, and is symbolic of the ever-growing partnership we have with the
University.
Despite all of the new space, classes are still purposely kept small and students receive one-on-one attention from instructors and staff. The Academy seeks to allow each student to learn and succeed at a pace that is appropriately challenging for them, and our new facility only helps us better achieve this vision. 
If you can't visit this fall, mark your calendar for
one of these 2009 dates:
- Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009
- Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009
- Thursday, March 26, 2009
RSVP is required for all tours. If you would like more information, please email
explore@davidsonacademy.unr.edu.
2009-2010 Academy Applications Available
 If
you've learned a little about The
Davidson Academy of Nevada and think it might be the right fit for you, the
next step is to actually apply! Applications for the 2009-2010 school year can
be found on the Academy
How to Apply page
and consists of three downloadable documents.
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, such as the SAT or ACT. Please review the
Test Score Criteria
page as these scores are mandatory for student eligibility.
Summer Fun and Excitement
 Enjoy three weeks of challenging, college-level work during the summer while making new friends and living on the University of Nevada, Reno campus! If you will be 13 to 16 years old during the THINK Summer Institute which runs, July 11 through August
1, you can apply with test results that meet or exceed designated
SAT or
ACT scores listed at
www.DavidsonGifted.org/Think. THINKers have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the
University campus where The Davidson Academy of Nevada is located, along with some of the professors who teach Academy students. Tuition is $2,700 and includes course credits, room and board, and the cost of planned programs and activities. Financial assistance is available based on need. Applications will be accepted on a space-available basis.
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Fun Clubs |
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Davidson
Academy students are involved with a number of clubs, many that allow them to
participate in local, state, and national competitions. At right, students
celebrate winning an award for the Knowledge Bowl, a local foreign language
competition. See the
Student Activities page for more information on the Academy's various
clubs.
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Cool Spots on Campus |
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The
Mathewson-IGT Knowledge
Center offers assistance from eight librarians, each with a
specialty in specific majors/departments. Additionally, the Knowledge Center
provides multimedia services, a dynamic media lab, wireless internet,
computing labs, instructional design services, and even a used book store.
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Meet Ms. Faker, Science Instructor |
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What subjects do you teach?
I am teaching middle and high school Physical Science
this year at the Academy. These courses integrate
introductory chemistry and introductory physics. In the
past I have had the privilege of teaching Biology and
Environmental Science. I look forward to working
with the students at the Academy in a wide variety of
science subjects in the future.
Why did you want to become a science teacher?
I feel like the most fortunate person in the world because I get to be a science teacher. This profession allows me the opportunity to nurture my extreme interest in the world we live in, along with the chance to work with bright, energetic, and fun young people. Along with the strong content knowledge base I already have, my job gives me the chance to learn new things all the time, which I love doing, and then to creatively introduce all of these topics to students while encouraging them to think deeply. It really can’t get much better than that!
Describe one of the coolest labs that you do in your classroom.
It is so important to encourage critical thinking in the
classroom, as such inquiry activities are integral. Luckily
science intrinsically lends itself to this. Students have
the opportunity to perform labs on a regular basis in my
classroom. I seek to formulate an experience where the
students get to ask questions, and set up experiments in
which to answer these questions. Almost none of these
activities are a fill-in-the-blank type of format. Students are
asked to create a formal lab write-up instead. This is so
important because they really must think about the
scientific process, including gathering background
information about the topic, collecting good scientific
data, and critically analyzing the data and the
process in order to generate new questions, etc. It is very
exciting to see these students becoming incredibly
scientifically literate.
You are an advisor for
The Science Society. What are some of the things you work on in that club?
A number of students recently formed The Science Society club.
It was very exciting to see all those who came to the first meeting because it reflected
our students' strong interest in science. The club will be developing along the way, but
students are currently planning to participate in the Science Fair and to work on some of the NASA Engineering Design Challenges. It should be an excellent enrichment opportunity and I'm excited to be a part of it.
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In the News |
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 First-year
Academy student Alex Wade was interviewed about the move to Reno and his
initial experiences at The Davidson Academy on a recent airing of Nevada
NewsMakers. Alex describes the differences he has experienced both
academically and socially between the Academy and past schools attended,
mentioning that he has a lot of common interests with other Academy
students. Alex's father, Jon, and Academy co-founder Bob
Davidson also participated in the interview.
View the interview here by scrolling down to Nov. 6.
“At The Davidson Academy, the thing that really makes a difference education-wise
is how we are ABLE to go ahead, whereas in the schools I used to go to, you could only go so far
before you had to wait for the other students to catch up.”
~ Second-year
Academy student
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