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Student to
Student |
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Ashley and Jason are siblings attending The Davidson Academy of
Nevada. They share their experiences below.
Hey Prospective Students,
My name is Ashley and I am currently in my fourth and senior
year here at The Davidson Academy and I've got to tell you, it's
great here. When I first came to this school, I was one of
the few students coming in from a pretty normal background
of GT public schooling. It was really hard for me to leave a
lot of my friends, but we still keep in touch and visit
whenever we can.
The Academy itself is a school like no
other. As the first public school designated for profoundly gifted
children in the United States, it has many opportunities.
Being on the University of Nevada, Reno campus and being an
official student of the University actually allows Academy students
access to University facilities and classes, helping students
to reach their full potential. Similarly, all the students
are here to learn, so the student body and social life
encourage studying and learning new things above all else.
Hallway conversations tend to revolve around interpretations
of Plato or debates over political theories, helping
students to learn even when they are not in class.
My goal
is to become a teacher. A high school mathematics teacher to
be exact, and having access to the University has really helped me with
that. I get to take classes about education and the
educational system while working on my own research
regarding culture and its influences on student learning.
Overall, the Academy has really helped me with achieving my
goals and with pushing myself beyond what I thought I could
do. The Academy does this for every student, not just me.
~ Ashley Van Havel, Fourth Year Davidson Academy Student
 Hello Prospective Students,
When I first came to The Davidson Academy, I was nervous, especially upon reading about the high standards. They made me feel small even before I entered. I had been a part of a GT (Gifted & Talented) program at my elementary school before I came to
the Academy, but unfortunately, once I graduated, there was no middle school equivalent where I lived.
The Academy was a great match for both my sister and myself, and now we really enjoy it here.
At first, I was worried all the other kids would stomp around, boasting their intelligence, and I would be left in the dust. Well, now I’m well into my fourth year at the Academy, and the other students have been nothing but friendly. I’ve met many amazing people, and the atmosphere is so much better than any school I’ve been to before. The teachers are kind and understanding as well, and many are just as fun to be around as the students. The classes at
the Academy are more than enough to keep me and my classmates engaged in our work.
In short, it is easy for me to say that The Davidson Academy has been my favorite school, and a great choice for myself and Ashley.
~ Jason Van Havel, Fourth Year Davidson Academy Student
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Get to Know Us |
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 As the school year moves forward, it’s hard to believe we are already approaching the midway point of the semester! With
22 of our students graduating in May, we are helping them think about their future and locate the best match
for their future academic and personal options. To accomplish this, we have set up weekly guidelines to assist graduating students throughout this arduous process, and have an independent college consultant working closely with them. For more information, see the College Advising page on the Academy website.
We hope you will consider applying to The Davidson Academy for the 2012-2013 school year, or attend one of our tours (see details below)!
~ Colleen Harsin, Director of The Davidson Academy of Nevada
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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 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
 Hear from current students and Academy parents, familiarize yourself with faculty and staff, network with others and ask specific questions at one of our
upcoming
school tours. Everyone is invited to attend one of the following tour dates below and
RSVPs are required. If you would like more information, please
contact us at
outreach@davidsonacademy.unr.edu.
- Friday, Nov. 18, 2011
- Friday, Dec. 16, 2011
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Student
Activities |
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 Davidson DECA Fall Leadership Extravaganza Award
The Davidson Academy DECA chapter congratulates Amy Bodner, Becki Thompson, and Ikya Kandula for
recently participating in the Fall Leadership Extravaganza event.
The girls’ involvement and positive attitudes landed
the Davidson DECA chapter an award for Nevada’s
“Most Enthusiastic DECA Chapter.” Congratulations!
DECA is an international student marketing association which: 1) encourages students in marketing-related classes to pursue careers in marketing, management, and entrepreneurship and 2) promotes understanding and appreciation of the free enterprise system as well as the responsibilities of citizenship.
In the past, Academy DECA students have taken part in DECA competitions all over the country, such as the International Career Development Conference (ICDC)
last year in Orlando, Fla.
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Amplifying the Voices of the Gifted through Advocacy – Keynote Presentation |
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 As keynote presenter at the New England Conference on Gifted and Talented Education on October 15, Colleen Harsin, Director of The Davidson
Academy, spoke about cost-effective options for gifted
education, educational advocacy examples and tips. Her
presentation featured brief video segments to provide the
audience with the opportunity to hear student, parent and
educator perspectives on addressing the educational needs of
gifted students. Programs, services and resources were also
highlighted. To view Colleen’s PowerPoint presentation
slides, click here.
Educational advocacy is about
supporting and recommending appropriate options for
students, yet all too often, students’ voices are not heard
in this process. During the past 12 years, the
Davidson Institute
for Talent Development has focused on recognizing,
nurturing, and supporting profoundly intelligent young
people, as well as providing opportunities for them to
develop their talents to make a positive difference.
Educational advocacy is essential in addressing this
mission.
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Meet Ms. Walenta, Science Instructor |
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 Please
tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Elizabeth Walenta and I teach science
here at the Academy. I have been teaching science
for about 14 years now. I came to the Academy in
search of continuing my teaching passion with groups
of students that I felt shared the same love of
learning that I do. And basically, I haven't looked
back.
Generally, what is your average class size?
My average class size is about 10 students.
How do you make science interesting and fun?
To try and make science interesting and ultimately more meaningful to my students means trying to make time for as much experimentation and exploration as possible. Helping students find answers to their own questions provides them with a sense of empowerment over their learning that simply giving them answers. Thus, I seek to empower students with the necessary skills to take control of their learning.
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In the News |
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Davidson Academy
co-founder Bob Davidson and Academy director Colleen Harsin
were recently interviewed on Nevada NewsMakers.
During their interview, Bob and Colleen discuss the Academy's recent
accreditation process, how the Academy works to meet
the individualized needs and interests of all
students, this year's graduating class and
much more! View the interview by
clicking here and scrolling down to Tues., Oct. 11, 2011.
 Davidson
Academy student Paul Novak, along with the Reno Philharmonic
Orchestra, recently performed his composition "There Exists
a Light in Spring."
Paul has been working with world-renowned composer Sean Shepherd. Novak
wrote the composition as a member of the Tahoe Symphony
Youth Orchestra, creating the melodies in music camp while
playing the flute and oboe. He was featured in these three
clips (Photo
courtesy of the Reno Gazette-Journal):
Davidson Academy
student Justin Otor was recently
named a semifinalist in the 48th annual National Achievement Scholarship Program!
He was featured in the Reno Gazette-Journal article, 2 local students finalists for national scholarship.
To become finalists, semifinalists must present a record of high academic performance throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by the high school principal, write an essay, and earn SAT scores that confirm previous test performance.
Davidson Academy student Taylor Wilson was recently
featured in the Johns Hopkins' Imagine
Magazine article, Nuclear by Nature.
The article describes Taylor's upbringing in a small
Arkansas town and the path he took to arrive at the Academy.
Also described are Taylor's many accomplishments and
interests in nuclear physics and chemistry.
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“One of the most unique traits about the Academy is the fact that the curriculum is molded superbly to match the interests and abilities of students .
. . the staff and even fellow students are so ready and willing to make sure that you are able to pursue your interests and goals outside of what is taught in the classroom.”
Visesh Ravikumar, Third Year Davidson Academy Student
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