Archive
Just a few days left to register for biology competition
The deadline to enter the USA Biology Olympiad is Feb. 4. USABO is open to students in grades 9-12 who are nominated by their schools.
Participants will be given a multiple choice exam at their school. Those who score in the top 10 percent on the first exam are given a second exam, also administered at their school. From these exams, 20 finalists are chosen for an intensive training program at Purdue University. Four students from these 20 will ultimately represent the United States at the International Biology Olympiad.
Emory hosts video game and technology summer camps for kids 7-17
iD (Internal Drive) Gaming Academy will bring its residential and day camp programs in video game design and other computer-related technologies to the Emory University campus this summer.
Students ages 13-18 can attend iD’s two-week residential camps, which provide intensive training in a single area of game development: 3-D modeling, game programming or level design. Camps will be held July 3-15 and July 17-29. Campers live on campus in Emory dorms. Cost is $3,299 per two-week session.
Emory will also host a number of iD Tech Camps, which are day camps with some overnight options. These week-long camps for kids 7-17 focus on topics in video game design, web design, video editing, programming and robotics. Camp fees are $799-$899 per week.
iD is offering $75 off camp registrations until Jan. 31. They also offer a $50 discount for siblings or for multiple weeks.
(NOTE: Link to this program was removed April 29, 2013, at the request of Internal Drive.)
Saturday School announces spring line-up
Georgia State University’s Saturday School for Scholars and Leaders has released its class list for the “spring B” session. Choices include classes in math, science, writing and drama, dance and interpersonal skills.
Classes will meet on five Saturdays beginning March 12. Sessions are held in the mornings and afternoons, although the morning has two advantages: 1) more choices of classes, and 2) free parent seminars, which are held while the children are in class.
Registration is open now through Feb. 21.
Cobb’s performing arts magnet accepting applications
Cobb County students looking for immersion in the performing arts can apply now to the Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts.
CCCEPA, located at Pebblebrook High School in Mableton, gives students two hours per day of classical training in voice, dance or drama. The school is holding visits and auditions this spring.
Note: If the official visit or audition date for your home school as listed on the schedule has passed, don’t despair. I’ve been assured by Frank Timmerman, the director, that he schedules auditions individually.
Magnet application schedule for Clayton County schools
Registration is open now for Clayton County’s fine arts and science magnet schools, and will open soon for its year-round school.
Fine Arts Magnet High School is accepting applications through this Friday, Jan. 28.
Rex Mill Middle School, Clayton’s science magnet, has opened its registration process for rising 6th graders (current 5th graders). The application deadline is Feb. 25.
Elite Scholars Academy will open its lottery registration — which will be online only — on Feb. 21. Their web site says registration will be open “for several weeks” but doesn’t give a closing date.
For those interested in the International Baccalaureate programs at Lovejoy or North Clayton high schools, I’m afraid I got to this a little late — their deadlines passed earlier this month. Sorry.
For links to the web sites of any of these schools, visit the Clayton County Schools page on this site.
Gwinnett math and science magnet has extended application deadline to Jan. 28
The Gwinnett School of Math, Science and Technology will accept applications from rising freshmen (current 8th graders) until Jan. 28, an extension of the original Jan. 21 deadline.
Located in Lawrenceville, GSMST offers students three tracks of study: bioscience, engineering and emerging technology. The charter school is open to students who live anywhere in Gwinnett County. If there are more applicants than available spaces, seats will be allocated by a random lottery.
School choice application calendar for DeKalb County
The DeKalb County web site lists three dozen magnet, charter and theme schools, offering everything from emphasis in science, to the Montessori teaching method, to magnet schools for high achieving students.
The enrollment season has begun for Arabia Mountain High School and the county’s theme schools. Registration for these schools will close Feb. 11.
The open enrollment period for magnet, charter, Montessori and International Baccalaureate (IB) schools will begin March 14 and end April 1.
Many schools will have more applicants than open spaces. Students will be selected for these schools by a random lottery in the spring.
For more information or to register, visit DeKalb County’s School Choice page.
Magnet school application calendar for Fulton County
It’s open season to apply for magnet schools in Fulton County, although deadlines are fast approaching. Here’s a quick roundup of the application calendar:
Tri-Cities High School – visual and performing arts magnet. Auditions will be held Feb. 12 and 26. The school will host a parent information night this Thursday, Jan. 27. Applications are due by March 3. Open to Fulton County residents only.
Westlake High School – science magnet. Application deadline is Feb. 10. Open to Fulton County residents only.
Riverwood Charter High School – magnet in international studies; also offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. Accepting applications through Jan. 31. Open to Fulton County residents. Although Riverwood has accepted students from outside the county in the past, the school has announced it will not have enough space to take non-residents for the 2011-12 academic year.
North Springs Charter High School – magnet in math/science and visual/performing arts. Applications due Feb. 1. Open to Fulton County residents and residents of other counties. Non-residents must reimburse the school for the cost of attendance. The cost is likely to be between $6,000 and $7,000 per year.
Applications are available at the web site for each school. You can find links to all of these schools on the Fulton County Schools page of this site.
Science enrichment at UWG for elementary and middle-school kids
The University of West Georgia still has some space available for the spring sessions of its IMPACT science program. The classes that still have openings are:
- Water Wonders, for grades 4-5, Feb. 19
- Discovering Gravity, for grades 4-5, March 19
- CSI Club: Computers and Forensics, for grades 6-8, March 19
- Geometric Art, for grades 4-5, April 16
- CSI Club: Biology and Forensics, for grades 6-8, April 16
IMPACT is held on the campus of UWG, which is in Carrollton, about a 45-minute drive from where I-285 meets I-20 on the west side of the Perimeter. In exchange for making this considerable trek, you’ll get a 3-hour program for just $5 per child, which is a bargain in the world of enrichment.
To learn more or register, visit the IMPACT Science page at UWG.
Apply now for Emory’s Pre-College summer program
Current high-school sophomores and juniors can apply now to the Pre-College Program at Emory University.
This summer program gives motivated students the chance to take college classes with college students. Some courses are two-week, non-credit classes; others are six weeks long and earn college credit.
Pre-College students can choose to live on campus in a dorm or commute from home. As with all residential summer programs, living on campus adds to the cost but also enhances the total experience.
The application deadline is May 1. Spaces are filled on a rolling basis, so applying earlier is encouraged. Some need-based financial aid is available. Those seeking financial aid should apply by March 1.
Gifted Atlanta 