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Student to
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Anna and Jessi are
sisters attending The Davidson Academy of
Nevada. They share their experiences below.
Dear Prospective Students,
My name is Anna Fuchs, and I have been at The Davidson Academy for six years. This school provides excellent academic opportunities that don’t exist anywhere else, while also creating a relaxed and comfortable learning environment for students.
One of the aspects of the Academy that I appreciate the most is the ability to take classes at the University of Nevada, Reno. This allows students to take courses of interest in almost any subject, even if they aren’t offered at
the Academy. Personally, I have been able to take a variety of biology and psychology classes, and I even took a Calculus class over the summer. While I love taking University classes, I find courses offered at
the Academy to be equally enjoyable. They don’t simply consist of boring lectures as one would expect at a normal high school; my Advanced Rhetoric class involves students in engaging discussions, while in Physics we often conduct lab experiments that are informative and fun, such as measuring the spring constant of one of my beautiful curly locks.
Moving onto the social atmosphere of The Davidson Academy, the first thought that you may have is that you will be missing out on certain elements that are often associated with the typical “high school experience". While it
is true that the Academy isn’t able to hold football games or host crowded Prom nights, I think that the lack of stereotypical high school events is counterbalanced by the actual social environment of
the Academy. Something that is very unique to this school is the closely-knit student body. I find the small population to be a positive characteristic because it is very easy to make friends, and I can honestly say that I know the name of every single student
who attends the Academy. This makes it very fun to attend
Academy events, such as the semi-annual overnight lock-in and our small but still fun dances. We are all comfortable with each other, and this also creates a sense of security. The feeling of trust is so strong that we don’t even use locks on our assigned lockers to protect our belongings. I have probably accidentally left my wallet lying around about five times this week, and every single time it has been returned to me safely, Toys
"R" Us gift card and all.
My experiences at The Davidson Academy have been fantastic, and although I am graduating this year, I know you’ll have a blast when you meet my sweet yet sour little sister, Jessica.
~ Anna Fuchs, Sixth Year Davidson Academy Student
Hello Academy Prospective Students!
My name is Jessica Fuchs and I am a sophomore in my fourth year at The
Davidson Academy. If you’re looking for a school with individualized learning, an amazing and supportive staff, and great academics, then the Academy is a great place for you.
When I first started, I was nervous about whether the classes would be too difficult, or if I wouldn’t be able to find friends, but that all changed the minute I started school. With several four-person classes and incredible teachers eager to teach, I knew I would always have opportunities to seek help if I needed any.
The Academy has some of the best, most flexible teachers I’ve ever had, and I can’t count the amount of times I’ve had the
opportunity to work one-on-one with a teacher if needed.
Then, with the school being full of some of the nicest people I have ever met, it’s easy to make friends with people of any age and even discover new interests. For example, when I first started at
the Academy, I never thought I would join a club for card games and become great friends with people
four years younger than me, or join a business competition club and get to know people
three years older, but these are where some of my greatest
Academy experiences have come from.
So if you’re thinking about applying, I highly suggest it. I’ve never seen such enthusiastic students and staff members that want you to succeed and are glad to help. Coming to
The Davidson Academy was a great choice for me, and it probably will be for you, too!
~ Jessi Fuchs, 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 27 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 2014-2015 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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2014-2015 Application Available
If you think
The Davidson Academy of Nevada may be the right fit for you, consider applying for the 2014-2015 school year. Visit the How to Apply page to
access the new online application system. If you are looking for an environment to better fit your social and academic needs, The Davidson Academy may be the place for you!
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. 15, 2013
- Dec. 13, 2013
- Jan. 31, 2014
- Feb. 14, 2014
- March 14, 2014
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.
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Student
Activities |
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 Make-A-Wish Foundation
Davidson Academy students Natasha Franzen, Divya Tenneti and Emmy Tian are members of the Youth
Leadership Committee of the
Kids For Wish Kids program in Northern Nevada. The students
recently hosted an Ice Cream Day at the Academy in a fundraising effort to raise
money for the program.
Make-A-Wish Northeastern California and Northern Nevada grants wishes to children with
life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human
experience with hope, strength and joy. Kids For Wish Kids
is a program created by Make-A-Wish that gives kids the
opportunity to practice fundraising skills while gaining an
understanding and appreciation for philanthropy work. Through this program, students learn about the gift of giving and
sharing the power of a wish
by giving a simple gift to children and families facing the
most challenging time of their lives.
Davidson Fellow Performs for Academy Students
Academy
students and teachers recently met and participated
in a Q&A session with Reylon Yount, a 2011 Davidson Fellow scholarship recipient. Reylon
was the guest yangqin soloist for recent performances with the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra. The yangqin is a Chinese stringed instrument of the dulcimer, or struck zither family, featuring a trapezoidal wooden body that is played with bamboo beaters.
Click here to read more about Reylon's performances in
Reno.
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Meet Mr.
Guisti, Science Instructor |
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 What subjects do you teach at the Academy?
I currently teach Physical Science, Physics and Advanced Physics. Physical Science is a middle school class and for the majority of my students is a first exposure to the basics of physics and chemistry. Physics is a high school class where we spend of bit of time with the traditional topics of force, motion, energy, etc., but also take time to look at special relativity, optics and thermodynamics. Advanced Physics is a high school course that follows a calculus-based curriculum similar to the university physics courses for scientists and engineers. I am also an adviser for the astronomy club, the environmental club known as GECKO, and I help oversee our Science Olympiad team.
Generally, what is your average class size?
My smallest class this year has
six students and my largest has 12. The average size is
nine.
Why did you want to become a science teacher?
I have loved science for as long as I can remember, but going into teaching never really crossed my mind until I was close to finishing up my undergraduate physics degree. My initial plan was to become a professor, but after spending a couple of years working in the lab I decided that I would prefer a situation with more personal interactions. I also felt that I would be more likely to have a significant impact on high school students than college students, so I decided to go for it.
How
do you make science interesting and fun?
While working through the math associated with physics can be a little arduous at times, the subject certainly lends itself to numerous opportunities to have fun (including investigating flying pigs). In addition to more traditional lab activities we also have a number of projects that tend to be memorable including hot air balloons, catapults, rockets and drag racers.
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Academics -
Pedagogy |
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Teaching methods at The Davidson Academy focus on thinking
skills and a regard for the uniqueness of each individual
learner. In addition to academic aspects, there is a focus
on social dynamics and interactions. The interpersonal and
instructional dynamics at the Academy accommodate both of
these needs in an atmosphere that is vibrant with
intellectual energy and dialogue. Since students of high
ability are homogeneously grouped, instructors are able to
teach classes at very advanced levels and use methods that
provoke understanding, thought and debate. See the
Pedagogy page for more information.
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 “I have never regretted my decision in attending The Davidson Academy of Nevada; it is undoubtedly the best decision I have made in my life. This school offers so much more than normal public schools. I hope you apply, because
the Academy can really impact your future for the better.”
Prem Kumar, Davidson Academy Graduate (pictured, left)
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