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Student to Student |
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Hey Prospective Students,
I’m Abe Reynolds, a
senior who has attended The Davidson Academy for four years.
When my family moved to Reno from Las Vegas, I needed to
decide on a high school. I chose to attend the Academy in order to challenge myself and experience
educational opportunities which I could not find elsewhere.
By having access to the courses which the University of
Nevada, Reno provides, I was able to spend a great deal of
time exploring my interests and becoming familiar with a
university setting. I quickly grew used to discussing
classes with other college students in the Student Union,
frantically studying for finals, and laughing at the jokes
of particularly funny professors. The University made it
possible to pursue any of my interests, ranging from
psychology to existentialism. The Academy was equally
helpful in exploring these interests.
I found many of the
Academy classes to be as good as the courses which were
offered at the University and a few which surpassed what the
University
offered. Since the classes are tailored to ability levels,
little time is wasted getting all of the students on the
same page. The classes are also smaller, allowing for a
more personal educational environment at a faster pace. What
really attracted me to the school was the organization of
the classes. Each class has a heavy emphasis on primary
sources, using textbooks only when necessary. Many teachers
also encourage discussions by arranging the desks in a
semi-circle and asking the students questions
about the reading material.
Without the experiences I
have had at
The
Davidson Academy, I would not be as prepared or motivated to
pursue academic challenges. The school rewards hard work
and encourages students to put their abilities to the test.
The smaller class sizes also allow students to get to know
their instructors on a first name basis and see them more as
equals. This solidified the purpose of the education I
received, which was not to pass on curriculum as absolute
truth but to cultivate and practice our analytic skills.
~
Abe Reynolds, Fourth Year Davidson Academy Student
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Program Updates |
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2012-2013 Application Available
If you think The Davidson Academy of Nevada may be the right fit
for you, consider applying for the 2012-2013 school year! Visit the
How to Apply page to download the application PDF files.
 The Academy is specifically designed to meet the needs of profoundly
gifted middle and high school students who score in the
99.9th percentile on IQ or college entrance tests, such
as the SAT or ACT. Please review the
Qualification Criteria page of our website as these scores are mandatory for student eligibility. On the
Application Review Process page, you will find
detailed information about the on-site assessment.
Upcoming Tours for Prospective Students
Each month during the school year, The Davidson Academy hosts a tour for prospective students and their parents. At these tours, visitors meet current Academy students, parents, faculty and staff, and ask specific questions about the school. Our upcoming school tours will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the following Fridays:
- Jan. 27, 2012
- Feb. 24, 2012
- March 30, 2012
- April 27, 2012
For details, including directions to The Davidson Academy and RSVP information, please visit our
Tours page. If you would like more information, please
contact us at
outreach@davidsonacademy.unr.edu.
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Student
Activities |
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Davidson Academy students
in the Crafts for Causes Club (pictured right) recently donated hats, scarves and mittens to the homeless family shelter. The Crafts for Causes Club makes and donates crafts to community charities and organizations while exploring techniques with other crafters.
Davidson Academy students Courtney Shinagawa,
Maya Gupta and Amanda Bak will participate in the Washoe County Spelling Bee in
February. Students Taryn Apel and Valary Zvyagin will serve
as alternates. Congratulations to all!
Students recently
had a blast dancing the night away at the Academy's Winter Masquerade Dance! It was an exciting,
fun-filled night for all involved.
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Meet Ms.
Coleman, Academy Instructor |
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 What
subjects do you teach at the Academy and what clubs
are you involved with?
I teach
both Fitness and the Yearbook course.
What is your favorite part about working with Academy students?
With one of the Academy’s core values being pursuit of knowledge, academic rigor and challenge are very important to our students. My favorite part of teaching electives is to take our students out of that rigor and focus on some of the other core values including
leadership, respect and balance (figuratively and literally!). Fitness allows their brains to take a break while they challenge and improve their bodies, cardiovascular health, coordination and sports skills. We play a lot of team games in Fitness, allowing students to work together establishing rules, fairness and working through conflict. Most importantly, we laugh and have fun. Fitness offers students the opportunity to blow off steam, be outside and
have fun.
What are a few of the more interesting or challenging projects that you have assisted Academy students
with?
At the beginning of every school year, I present to my class the seemingly impossible task of creating a yearbook. My role is to give them the tools, keep them on task, and provide them the freedom to let their creativity and ideas come to life. Students often sign up for yearbook to pursue their love of taking photos, but quickly realize there is so much more involved. Yearbook provides students the opportunity to learn and build upon fundamental aspects of journalistic writing, photography, graphic design, fundraising and budget management. Of course, as with many new and challenging projects, students often encounter frustration and procrastination. Ah, the dreaded deadline! However, as the advisor, it is wonderful to observe student growth, increased responsibility, and the great reward they feel when they see the final product.
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In the News |
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Davidson Academy student
Taylor Wilson was featured in the recent Huffington Post
article,
Top 11 Kids Who Made A Difference In 2011.
Taylor built a liquid-based radiation detector, which he believes can play a critical role in the fight against
terrorism.
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“One of the great things about The Academy is that it has a really diverse group of kids when it comes to pretty much everything. Not everyone here is completely engrossed in schoolwork, so if you’re like me, and you like to play sports more than you like school, there’s a place for you here. But, the even cooler thing is, if you are really into school, there is just as big of a place here for you.”
Lindsey Shoenhard, Fourth Year Davidson Academy Student
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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.
For more prospective student
information, visit
The Davidson Academy
Tours page.
The Davidson Academy
eNewsletter
Archive.
The Davidson
Institute has more than 2,200 "Likes" on
Facebook
and 1,500 followers on
Twitter.
Are you one of them? The Davidson Institute also has a number of
YouTube
videos!
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