John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School

John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School
Address
615 Twelfth Street
Augusta, Georgia 30901
United States
Coordinates 33°28′26″N 81°58′32″W / 33.473778°N 81.975591°W / 33.473778; -81.975591Coordinates: 33°28′26″N 81°58′32″W / 33.473778°N 81.975591°W / 33.473778; -81.975591
Information
Type Public magnet for the fine and performing arts
Established 1934 (as elementary school)
1981 (as magnet school)
School district Richmond County School System
Principal Dr. Renee Kelly
Grades 6–12
Campus type Urban
School color(s) Maroon and silver
         
Mascot Titans
Nickname DFA
Tuition Free
Website Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School

John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School is a public magnet school for the fine and performing arts located in downtown Augusta, Georgia, United States. It draws students in grades 6 through 12 throughout Richmond County. In addition to a basic curriculum of college preparatory and Advanced Placement academic courses, Davidson offers academic and fine arts courses in the areas of visual arts, music, chorus, dance, cinema production, and theatre. It has been recognized as a National Grammy Signature School, has been ranked as the #1 school in the state of Georgia, and has placed in the top 100 tier of Newsweek's "America's Best High Schools."

History

Davidson was founded in 1934 and named after John S. Davidson (1846-1894), an Augusta native, local educator, and Freemason leader.[1] It was an elementary school from 1934 until 1981. In 1998, Davidson moved from its original site to a new campus one block away between 12th and 13th Street, Walton Way and Telfair Street. Prior to this, the campus had been split across the original building, a converted police substation, several portable classrooms, and a renovated iron works building, spreading across three city blocks. At the time, it crossed the Augusta Canal's second level. Moving to the new location granted a view of the canal's third level.

The new location has a theater for art performances. Due to student demand, the original stained glass windows created by the class of 1983 were also moved to the new location. The school is within walking distance of historical landmarks in Augusta, including Sacred Heart Cultural Center and the Augusta Canal's first level.

Davidson's mascot

The original mascot for Davidson Fine Arts was the "Flaming Rainbows," due to every grade having a specific color. When all the colors combined, they formed a rainbow symbolizing the unity, diversity, and creativity of Davidson. In 2006, after the success of their swimming team, the school administration created an official mascot for sporting competitions. In a school-wide vote, the mascot "Titans" was chosen. Each grade is still represented by a color:

Each grade has a sister class with a similar color, with the exception of 9th grade, whose sister class was the lavender 5th grade class.

Admissions

Admission to Davidson is based upon grades and an audition to determine interest and aptitude in the fine arts. Middle school students audition in all of the fine arts areas and high school students are auditioned in up to two fine arts areas. Classes are admitted to Davidson by racial quotas (45% African American, 45% Caucasian, and 10% other). Overall, there are on average about 700 students split equally among all classes.

Awards and recognition

During the 2004–05 school year and again in 2015, Davidson was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education,[2] the highest award a U.S. school can receive.[3][4]

The school has consistently been named as one of the best in the state of Georgia, and was named the number one academic school in the state each year from 1996 to 2009, a feat due almost exclusively to the high achievement of the students the school accepts.

The school is also known for its music program; the Davidson Concert Chorale has been named among the best high school choral classes in the nation. In 2004, Grammy Foundation selected Davidson as the Grammy Signature School, and granted the program $25,000.[5][6]

Awards and recognitions include:

Clubs

  • Disc Golf Club
  • Drama club
  • Chess team
  • Middle school math club
  • National Honor Society
  • National Junior Honor Society
  • Spectrum Players
  • International Thespian Society
  • Improv Troupe
  • Golf team
  • Tri-M
  • Yearbook staff
  • National Art Honor Society
  • National Junior Art Honor Society
  • Swim team
  • Intramurals
  • Prom committee
  • Academic Bowl
  • Model United Nations
  • High school science club
  • Middle school science club
  • High school math club
  • Middle school math team
  • Mu Alpha Theta
  • Poetry, fiction, and writing club
  • Davidson Chorale
  • Latin Club
  • Spanish club
  • High school student council
  • Middle school student council
  • USITT
  • The Environmental Club
  • Pennies for Peace Committee
  • National English Honor Society

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://jsd677lodge.weebly.com/john-s-davidson.html
  2. ↑ Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 2003 to 2006 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed May 11, 2006.
  3. ↑ CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department, Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve."
  4. ↑ Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test; The Washington Post. September 29, 2005, "For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school."
  5. ↑ http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/050704/met_892071.shtml
  6. ↑ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_/ai_n12940000
  7. ↑ http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/050704/met_892071.shtml
  8. ↑ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_/ai_n12940000
  9. ↑ http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2008/12/27/com_504704.shtml
  10. ↑ https://www.ghsa.net/ghsa-literary-champions
  11. ↑ http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/DMGetDocument.aspx/Georgia%20Schools%20of%20Excellence.pdf?p=6CC6799F8C1371F69E6FB53468D378F2C97B1A5179973F05154BFF12215BB6E7&Type=D
  12. ↑ America's Top Public High Schools | Newsweek Best High Schools | Newsweek.com
  13. ↑ Education Center - US News Education
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