04-06-2025
Gifted DCPS students participate in Insight Academy
OWENSBORO, Ky. (WEHT) — A group of gifted elementary students in Daviess County are getting a unique head start on middle school. For the first time in years, Daviess County Public Schools is launching a summer camp called Insight Academy for high-achieving students.
It's not your typical summer break for these soon-to-be middle schoolers.
At Deer Park Elementary, the Insight Academy offers everything from hands on experiments in kitchen chemistry to navigating history in a titanic simulation.
Less than 50 4th and 5th graders across the district were invited to attend based on teacher recommendations.
'Most of the time, I'm like 'okay, I've done this already. This should be easy'. It usually is. This [the camp] it kind of challenges my brain and it's not as boring as school,' says Clayton Collins, a rising 5th grader enrolled in the Academy.
The week-long summer camp runs from 8:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m..
'Sometimes, you just want to get to the right processes. This allows kids to have to dig a little deeper to get the right answer, but it just constantly that they have to problem solve and persevere when it's hard.,' says Sarah Appleby, a teacher at the academy and county middle school instructional coach.
In those 3 hours, the summer camp is meant to push students to think critically, collaborate with new peers and get a sneak peek of what's waiting from them in middle school.
'Today we're doing Murdle are logic puzzles. They have the riddles, deduction grids, and have to take all the clues and figure out who's the suspect. They have to solve the case,' says Appleby.
Experiences include making their own yogurt and evaluating the composition of foods under a microscope.
Mrs. Standiford, another academy instructor, waited to hear students questions about the titanic before building the curriculum for the entire week.
Tuesday included the construction of a 3D version of the famous ship.
'We are going to look at some of the dinner menus, if you were [in a] different [financial] class, how was your experience different on the ship. We're also going to have to get our water temperature to the temperature of 28 [degrees] so we can see how that would have felt like. We're just gonna have our hands versus your whole body,' says Kristy Standiford.
Officials say the camp is a resource they hope to offer to more grades next year.
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