DAWSON STUDENT LIFE

Challenge Success Week

Dawson’s Challenge Success team of teachers, administrators, and Middle School student leaders Leveled Up during Challenge Success Week in January! With a continued focus on mental health awareness and support, students participated in activities that help create a more balanced and academically fulfilling life for kids. Students enjoyed free dress and pajama days and also spent time outdoors enjoying some unstructured fun.

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards identify students with exceptional artistic and literary talent and present their remarkable work through public exhibitions. In January, 10 of our Middle School students were recognized for their work in writing and photography during a ceremony at the Springs Preserve. In the photography category, three students won Gold Key, four won Silver Key, and five received an Honorable Mention.

Global School Play Day

As a Challenge Success School, we believe that kids of all ages benefit from play – unstructured time for social interactions and playing informal sports, games, and other activities for fun – every day for healthy development. The purpose of Global School Play Day each February is to offer students opportunities to interact with each other, take time away from technology, use their imagination, cooperate, and resolve conflicts.

STEAM Exhibition

In February, Dawson hosted its first STEAM-based career exhibition by inviting practicing professionals to campus to speak with students about potential job paths. This real-world exposure to STEAM allowed students to see value in using their creativity, exploring diverse social elements through partnerships, and developing the intrinsic motivation to succeed. Read more about this event and how STEAM prepares our students for the jobs of the future at adsrm.org/blog.

Early Childhood Peace Parade

In February, our Early Childhood students learned about changemakers and how these individuals work to spread peace, love, and unity. Developmentally appropriate stories helped students understand how their voices can impact, motivate, and uplift others and themselves. In celebration, EC students embarked upon a Peace Parade throughout campus with the rest of our community cheering them on!

National Junior Honor Society

In March, we were excited to induct Dawson’s newest seventh and eighth-grade members to the National Junior Honor Society, led by faculty advisor Neil Ellis with participation from faculty council members Matsuko Freeman, Isis Lopez, Nancy Myster, and Nissa Reynolds. Current NJHS students led the ceremony and spoke about the five pillars of Scholarship, Service, Citizenship, Character, and Leadership.

#AmazingDawsonAlum Alert!

We were honored to welcome back Class of 2013 alum Jacob Langsner to visit one of our third-grade classrooms in March. Jacob was a double major in theater and film at Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, graduating as valedictorian in 2017. He studied political science and art history during his undergrad at Stanford and is now in law school at Stanford, focusing on business and transactional law. Jacob was excited to share his Dawson journey with our current students.

Dawson Family Dance

The Dawson Family Dance is a spring favorite of everyone on our entire campus! The 2023 theme was “Let’s Glow Crazy”, and the Gym was transformed into an awesome glow party. Thank you to the Dawson Parent Association for hosting this event; the DPA’s ongoing efforts are a thriving part of the Dawson experience and a wonderful way to engage, connect, and build our remarkable School community!

EC’s Week of the Young Child

Every April, our youngest Dawson Bears celebrate Week of the Young Child (WOYC), an annual event hosted by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Students spent a fun-filled week

Cooking up Kindness as Master Chefs! They enjoyed activities such as a pancake breakfast and pajama day, a bike day, a cooking competition and kitchen demonstration from Dawson’s own SAGE Dining, an international food tasting experience, and Dawson’s schoolwide Field Day.

7th & 8th-Grade trips to Washington, D.C.

Our seventh and eighth-graders were beyond excited about their traveling field trips in the spring! Students and faculty toured Washington, D.C., and Virginia to learn more about our nation’s history at important places such as Jamestown, Monticello, the U.S. Capitol, and Arlington National Cemetery. These experiential learning opportunities allow our middle schoolers to take healthy risks, develop an understanding of the School’s culture, structure, and goals, and make connections with peers and teachers outside of the classroom.

4th-Grade Leadership Project

During the second semester of the school year, all fourth-graders participated in a weeks-long leadership project centered around the driving question, “Who am I as a leader, and how can I create change using my leadership skills?” Students took an age-appropriate personality assessment to determine their strengths and areas for growth and then chose smaller internship groups to join. Several Dawson administrators and faculty partnered with the students to serve as mentors in areas that included events, cyber-security, health and fitness, library, dining, the health office, and more!

Middle School Student Voice Week

In May, our Middle Schoolers celebrated a special Student Voice Week with daily activities that allowed individuals with similar experiences to share, collaborate, and give time, space, and peer support to sponsor a sense of belonging. The week kicked off with a special presentation by the local organization Poetry Promise. Students participated in lessons in class that raised awareness about mental wellness and neurodiversity with reflections about inclusion and why student voice groups are important.

EC-4 Vocabulary Parade

Our families loved watching words come to life during our annual Vocabulary Parade! Students from Early Childhood through fourth-grade start by picking a word that is new and interesting to them, and then using common materials and items found in their homes, they design costumes and accessories that represent their chosen word of study. Teachers embed vocabulary lessons and books into daily instruction, and this creative event heightens students’ understanding of the importance of word knowledge.