AZ Gifted Kids Can't Afford to Wait!

Dear Family and Friends of Gifted Children,

Below is a simple way we can make a difference toward bringing back state support of gifted education.

Please act on the suggestion below from AAGT.

Thank you,

Stephanie Newitt

President, Gilbert Supporters of the Gifted

From AAGT ...

Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas, is holding a listening tour around the state.  There are not that many scheduled, but this is the time she is collecting feedback on what is important to people regarding education in the state.

On the Arizona Department of Education website (link below) are instructions to email her now while she is asking for feedback. The website makes it very easy to send an email directly to the Superintendent.

• Email Superintendent Diane Douglas at this website:  http://www.azed.gov/weheardyou/

• Click here for a sample letter containing AAGT talking points that you can copy, paste and personalize.

You can shorten the letter to touch on what is most important to you.  Before you copy and paste, be sure to personalize the letter signature.  If you want to write your own letter with your personal story, do that!  

Important points to include in your letter:

• Be sure to ask her what she (her office) plans to do.
• Be sure to put something about "support gifted education" in the subject line of the email.

This is pretty easy and should take you just a few minutes!  It is vital that many people are asking this question, so please get your friends and family to send emails or attend any of the tour dates listed on the website!

Thank you!

Donna Campbell

President, AAGT

Summer Gifted Testing in Gilbert

Did your child miss the Spring gifted testing deadlines? Are you new to our area and wondering how to find out if your child qualifies for our gifted program?

GPS offers gifted testing during the summer to accommodate your needs. The tests will be July 21st for first and second graders and July 22nd for third through sixth. For more information on how to schedule, what forms are needed and where the test is offered, visit GPS ALP/Gifted Testing page.

Summer Activity Options

Are you still looking for some summer activities for the kids?

The Gilbert Gifted Education Parent Council (GEPC) has gathered some summer program information.  These include summer camps and also online activities.

• Click here to view the list of summer programs.

Please note that these programs are not endorsed by Gilbert Public Schools, or any of its employees, except for programs accessed directly from Gilbertschools.net.  Neither are the programs endorsed by Gilbert Supporters of the Gifted or the GEPC, however the list of programs generated by the GEPC may be of interest to other parents in the area.

Please rely on your own discretion when enrolling your child in extra-curricular activities.

If you have an activity that you would like to see added to the list, you may email GEPC leadership at:  giftededucationparentcouncil@gmail.com

Summer Offering: ALP Bridge Math Class

ALP Bridge Math is a summer course offered to students going into fourth grade who are identified as gifted in math. Since the students will be doing fifth grade math in fourth grade, this course offers the basics of fourth grade math during the summer. It is fast paced and covers a wide range of topics.

Summer school registration is now open.  Registration ends June 1, 2016.

• Click here for GPS elementary summer school registration information.

Final legislative update: Gifted Education Funding in Arizona

To Gilbert Supporters of the Gifted,

A huge thank you for the time you spent writing your own emails and making phone calls and visits to the state capital! And thank you for the time and effort you spent getting other folks to do the same!

From all accounts, what we did in a relative short period of time (and we started out late in the process) was pretty AMAZING! We actually had a bill and then an amendment and support from some of the biggest players in the Legislature!!!! And look at the number of people whom we educated about gifted education!

It is disappointing that neither the House or Senate felt the time was right to offer the amendment to fund gifted education in this budget, but it is understandable since in the final days of the budget process Legislators are looking for consensus.

We sure have learned a lot this year and although this stings, that sting will go away and we will push on. In fact, there is already good news in the legislature toward moving forward on this issue which will help us lots with momentum for next year.

The summer will be taken up with creating our Community Action Network, making sure we have at least one person in each Legislative District to rally the troops, and provide a network to communicate legislative updates and calls to action.

We will also visit with members of the Legislature to continue to educate them on the learning differences of gifted students and the need to respond to those differences with funding.

So our work is not done, there is a lot more fun to come!

AAGT appreciates your commitment to the gifted children of our state and we look forward to continuing our work together!

Sincerely,

Donna Campbell

President, AAGT