|
Student to Student |
|
Dear Prospective Student,
 My name is Brittany Percin and this is my third year at The Davidson Academy. Coming to the Academy was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. I would essentially have to leave behind all of my friends that I had known since preschool, and I would have to change swim teams. And in return? An academically rigorous school, which I thought would further infringe upon my social life, with kids who I believed to be way smarter than
me and perhaps unwilling to socialize. Looking back, I am astounded that I chose to go here with the information I had. However now that I am here, I found
that the Academy lived up to all expectations of an advanced education, without any of the detriments that I had worried about.
In order to get into the Academy, you have to be pretty smart, which can tend to give the school a reputation for exceedingly “nerdy” students (as if that’s a bad thing). However, at
the Academy, being bright doesn’t necessarily mean antisocial and nonathletic. In fact, there are a large number of kids who play football at lunch, or who participate competitively in after-school sports. In that way, we have the best of both worlds. Not only can I debate politics or talk about the newest innovations in science with my peers, but we can get together after school and actively have some fun without worrying about how “nerdy” we sound. Last summer for instance, two of my friends and I put together a team for a triathlon representing the Academy.
Other than the social aspect of the Academy, the school itself is truly exceptional. I have the best teachers I have ever had, who are not only willing to help me, but thrilled to do so.  Furthermore, my teachers promote collaboration and working together. Sometimes my classmates and I will go up to the board to work out a particularly
difficult math problem. Or in history, we will put on skits for the rest of the class during a presentation. Where else can you do that? Also, perhaps one of the best things about the Academy is that the counselors work with me to choose the best classes that
coincide with my schedule outside of school.
Coming to The Davidson Academy was one of the best things I could have done. The Davidsons have generously donated their time and money to make this school work for its students. I hope that you can join us here next year and enjoy it as much as I do.
~ Brittany Percin, Third Year Davidson Academy Student
|
|
|
Program Updates |
|
 What
Sets The Davidson Academy Apart?- Students are
appropriately challenged while learning
at a pace and depth consistent with the
knowledge, skills and motivation.
- Students develop Personalized Learning Plans (PLPs) to guide them through a rigorous core
curriculum and choose electives.
- Students can earn college credits while accessing resources and mentorship
opportunities at the University of Nevada, Reno.
- Students build friendships and pursue extracurricular
activities with same-age intellectual peers.
- Students regularly meet one-on-one with an academic advisor, who has
experience working with profoundly gifted youth.
2013-2014 Application Available
If you think The Davidson Academy of Nevada may be the right fit for you, consider applying for the 2013-2014 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 recently updated
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.
Upcoming school tours will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the following Fridays:
- Nov. 30, 2012
- Dec. 14, 2012
- Jan. 25, 2013
- Feb. 15, 2013
- March 8, 2013
For details, including directions to The Davidson Academy and RSVP information, please visit the
Tours page. If you would like more information, please contact us at
outreach@davidsonacademy.unr.edu.
|
|
|
Davidson News |
|
2013 Davidson Fellows Scholarship
 Category requirements for the 2013 Davidson Fellows scholarships are
available online. Young people 18
and younger have the opportunity to earn a $50,000, $25,000 or $10,000 scholarship in recognition of a significant piece of work in the categories of Science, Technology, Mathematics, Music, Literature and Philosophy, or a project that represents Outside the Box thinking. The application deadline is
February 6, 2013.
2013 THINK Summer Institute
 The THINK Summer Institute is a three-week residential summer program on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno where students can earn up to six college credits by completing two university courses. The 2013 THINK Summer Institute will run from July 13 through Aug. 3. Tuition is $3,250 and covers course credits, books and materials, room and board and the cost of planned activities. Need-based scholarships are available. To qualify, students must be 13 to 16 years old during THINK and must meet or exceed composite SAT score of 1130 (excludes writing portion) or ACT score of 26. The application deadline is March 1, 2013. Homeschooled students are eligible to apply.
|
|
|
Student
Activities |
|
The Davidson Academy's DECA team
recently hosted a Nightmare Before Christmas themed dance,
which included everything from pumpkins with Santa hats to skeleton-adorned trees.
Students arrived in Halloween costumes, ugly holiday sweaters
and other creative ensembles!
Academy
students recently participated in
Hoops for Heart, a
fundraising event sponsored by the American Heart
Association. It was a fun way to raise donations to help
build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and
stroke.
|
|
|
Meet Mr. Bahn, History Instructor |
|
 What is your favorite part about working with Academy students?
The Academy students tend to be highly motivated, curious, and inquisitive, which creates a classroom energy that makes teaching here a lot of fun. We also have a well-rounded student body that gives me a fun group of kids to play some football, Frisbee, or guitar with during a lunch hour.
How do you make studying
history both interesting and fun?
Honestly, I try to make it interesting by making it challenging, by emphasizing primary sources, critical analysis, and synthesis. I also try to cater my class to student interests. But most of all,
history is an inherently social subject in two ways: it assumes a shared past, but our analysis of the past is also a group effort. So my students get a fair share of time to work with each other as historians, as authors of history.
Why did you decide to become a
history teacher?
This is largely something that happened by chance, but was fortuitous nevertheless. I have experience doing history and have always enjoyed imparting that experience to my students. Doing history involves a lot of things that I enjoy about life in general: a blend of dialogue and debate, a blend of creative and analytical thinking, a blend of reading and writing.
Exploring history with young people always adds some vibrancy to it.
How long have you taught at the Academy, and how has the school changed since you started?
This is my fourth year at the Academy. Since I’ve been here, I’ve seen the school expand in the types of clubs and extracurricular activities it offers its students. Student-teacher camaraderie seems to be at an all-time high this year, too, and I’m seeing a student body increasingly interested in taking control of its social and academic opportunities.
|
|
|
In the News |
|
 Academy Students
to Help Employ Pedestrian Safety Awareness Campaign
The Davidson Academy of Nevada has partnered, for the third year in a row, with University
of Nevada, Reno Police Services to implement a Pedestrian Safety Awareness Campaign on high-traffic streets near campus.
The program, created by Academy students, was just
awarded an $18,000 highway safety grant approved by
the Nevada Department of Public Safety, and carries
the motto of “Look Up, Unplug, Stay Safe.” Sources:
Reno Gazette-Journal,
KTVN
|
|
|
 “I came to the Academy during my freshman year of high school, and just like many of my friends and classmates, I was surprised to find not only by far the best educational experience I’ve ever had, but also a place where I could grow and mature with some of the best people I’ve ever met.”
Brendan Beemer, Davidson Academy Graduate (pictured, left)
|
|
|
