Showing posts with label Junior High. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Junior High. Show all posts

Thursday, January 25, 2018

GTC: Winter Newsletter & Important Dates

GPS Junior High Gifted Program



The GTC Winter Newsletter has been published to the GPS website.  

Highlights include:
  • Individual Educational Plans with student set SMART goals
  • Gifted Girls (GiGis) lunches
  • Visit from the Society of Women Engineers
  • Student written hi-lights



2018 Important Dates

  • GTC OPEN HOUSE: February 20, 2018 at 7pm in the library at Highland Junior High School. This event will allow for families to meet the teachers, view the campus and understand the curriculum.
  • GTC APPLICATION WINDOW FOR 2018-19 SCHOOL YEAR: March 7- March 30th. The application will be available in March on the GTC page of the GPS website.

Monday, October 30, 2017

Update: Junior High Gifted Talented & Creative Program

2017 Fall GTC Newsletter




After two years in the pilot phase, the GTC program was fully launched fall of 2017 at Highland Junior High.  The full launch was approved by the GPS school board spring of 2017.

The 2017 fall newsletter includes a description of the program, an introduction to the GTC teachers as well as students' perspective of the program.

We wish to thank the district teachers, staff and committee members who helped make the GTC a reality!  We wish to thank the GPS School Board for their support of gifted education in our district.

Click here to view the 2017 Fall GTC Newsletter.

Click here to visit the GTC informational page on the district website.

Sunday, April 24, 2016

UPDATE: Self-Contained Gifted Programs in GPS - Enrollment and Deadlines





The district website with information on the 7th grade program includes a video and slide show of student work and projects.  Highland Jr is the only junior high in the district with a comprehensive gifted program, in that their teachers have received extensive training to work with gifted students and therefore teachers and students collaborate in depth across subjects. 

This has been our experience in the 7th grade gifted program in 2016-17 ...

This current year the gifted 7th graders are grouped together in their core classes of English, Social Studies and Science.  For math they are grouped according to their ability and so many of them are together for math as well.  The teachers for 7th grade gifted honors science and 7th grade gifted honors math involve their students in projects that cross both subjects, providing an opportunity for depth not usually seen in the typical honors classes (student video is on the district website).  The 7th grade gifted English and gifted Social Studies teachers also work together to integrate learning across their two subjects, providing their students with a similar opportunity for depth.  (After their study and role play of Hamlet, SCG students are currently building a scale model of the Globe Theatre - this integrates multiple subjects.  You can see a slide show of their work on Hamlet and the Globe Theatre on the district website.)

The English teacher has a weekly class discussion on social/emotional skills.  I requested to observe class on this particular day during first semester and enjoyed listening to a productive discussion on effort and growth vs. grades along with a teacher led story on growth and advocating for yourself.  The students shared their own insights about the value of learning from mistakes and experiencing growth.  (This supports the GPS Gifted Vision Statement of supporting the needs of the whole child.)

The core teachers of the gifted students have received extensive training in giftedness and gifted education strategies, some having their Gifted Endorsement or Masters in Gifted Education.

We have found that the daily homework load is comparable to what we had in 6th grade, in that because subjects are integrated, students aren't given a mountain of English homework, a mountain of Social Studies homework, etc. each night.  This provides an opportunity to be involved in extra-curricular activities.

The district policy for comprehensive junior high schools for students who are unprepared for class is after school detention, which is called 9th hour.  However, for those gifted students who live outside of the school boundaries, there is no 9th hour bus to bring them home, so their "9th hour" is detention during lunch.  This allows them to take their regular bus home.  (GCA does it differently.  A few years ago when another son attended GCA their 9th hour adaptation was Saturday School.  If still in practice at GCA, then families provide their own transportation to and from Saturday school.)

Class size for the core classes is about 28.

Gifted students take electives with other Highland Jr students - PE, Band, Orchestra, etc. - and my son has enjoyed these classes and making new friends.  The music program at Highland Jr. is top notch.

I hope this information in helpful.

Sincerely,
Stephanie Newitt
President, Gilbert Supporters of the Gifted
gilbertgifted@gmail.com

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

National Summer Gifted Programs

Stanford:  Pre-Collegiate Studies


Stanford | Pre-Collegiate Studies

Find the program that is right for you


Stanford University selects top high school students from around the world to participate in engaging summer academic programs. These programs are ideal for gifted students currently in grades 8 – 12.

Our programs offer highly motivated, intellectually curious students the opportunity to investigate topics not typically taught in secondary schools. Students engage in small classes taught by instructors who are experts in their fields and passionate about teaching. In this setting, students hone their academic skills and form new friendships with intellectual peers. Students in our residential programs get a taste of college life on the beautiful Stanford campus.  Past students have described their Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies experience as life-changing.

Applications are open for all our programs:


STANFORD SUMMER COLLEGE ACADEMY

Students ages 16 – 19 take courses that have three weeks in a live, real-time online class and three weeks on the beautiful Stanford campus.  Students can chose among 21 courses in a variety of subjects and earn Stanford Continuing Studies credit and a Stanford Continuing Studies transcript. This hybrid program is ideal for students wanting college credit yet don’t have a full eight weeks to be on campus. 

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Students currently in grades 10 and 11 explore the big questions at the heart of the humanities in seminars led by distinguished Stanford professors. Students spend the first two weeks intensively studying and researching a topic in history, literature, or philosophy, attending daily lectures by the faculty members, and participating in group discussions and activities in the afternoon. During their third week, students work closely with their professors, graduate students, and writing mentors to produce original research projects.

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Students in grades 9 – 11 engage in courses that stand at the intersection of the arts and science showing that the arts are at the heart of what we do and want to be. Our courses take a multilayered, interdisciplinary approach to understanding our relationship to music, visual design, and performance.  Students can choose among six courses ranging from Music Perception to Architecture, Drawing, and Design.

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For students who have surpassed their high school’s math and physics curriculum, University-Level Online Math & Physics courses are offered throughout the year and are largely self-paced, giving students the opportunity to take a broad array of math and physics courses. Expert instructors are available for optional office hours to meet with students online and offer assistance as they progress through the course material. All courses carry Stanford University Continuing Studies credit, and students earn a Stanford Continuing Studies transcript.

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Students ages 16 – 19 choose from more than 145 college courses in 30 academic departments, earning Stanford undergraduate course credit and an official Stanford University transcript. Students in the residential, commuting, and online Summer College programs create their own course schedules and experience what life is like as undergraduate students at Stanford.

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Students currently in grades 8 – 11 engage in intensive study, single-subject courses with instructors and peers who share their talents, passions, and interests. Coursework is tightly integrated with the social experience in academically themed houses. Courses in areas ranging from biotechnology to entrepreneurship to creative writing are customized to give students deep exposure and hands-on experience.

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An elite group of talented rising high school juniors and seniors from around the world convene for intensive study in advanced mathematics. Students participate in lectures, guided research, and group problem solving.

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Academically-talented students, in grades 7 – 12, engage in a worldwide learning community. Through vibrant, real-time, online seminars, the rigorous curriculum challenges students to reason analytically, think creatively, and argue critically. Stanford OHS offers a number of enrollment options including taking solely a single course. Stanford OHS is a WASC accredited school and course credit is transferable to other WASC accredited schools.

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To Learn More About Stanford Programs, visit: SPCS.STANFORD.EDU/NAGC

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Gilbert Public Schools - Junior High Gifted Academy?

Beginning last school year, Gilbert Public Schools assembled a committee composed of teachers, administrators, directors, coordinators and parents to research the viability of opening a Junior High Gifted Academy. This committee was tasked with researching, planning, and preparing information for the implementation of a Junior High Gifted Academy.

The Gifted Academy Committee narrowed its focus to consider :
  • Starting small, with 2 classes of gifted 7th graders and 2 classes of gifted 8th graders.
  • Housing the Academy in one centralized location.
  • Ensuring the 4 core subject teachers are trained in gifted education.
  • Setting the Student qualification criteria to include a score of 97+ in one of the three areas of giftedness, or a score of 95+ in two of the three areas of giftedness, or an IQ  score of 128. 
 
The committee will present information to the Governing Board at a Work Study meeting on February 9, 2016.  This information will include the committee's research and proposal.  Board members will have the opportunity to ask questions of the committee concerning their research, proposal, and recommendations. At a subsequent Governing Board meeting, Board members will determine if and when Gilbert Public Schools will open a Gifted Academy.  Both the Work Study and the Governing Board meeting will be available for public viewing either in person at the district office or online

Monday, April 20, 2015

Update from the GPS Gifted Education Parent Council - April 2015


Here is an update from the GPS Gifted Education Parent Council (GEPC).

The philosophy of gifted education is to support a student’s strength while also supporting his/her deficits.  The GPS Gifted Education Parent Council (GEPC) encourages parents to become more knowledgeable about giftedness and the changes in GPS gifted program options.  Please note the following events:

Ø  GPS Gifted 101 Class
§     Monday, May 11, 5:30-6:30pm, Community Education Building,  
     6839 E. Guadalupe Rd., Mesa, AZ 85212 (Power and Guadalupe Road)
Ø   Regional ALP Info Meeting
§  Monday, April 20, 6:00-7:00pm, Oak Tree Elementary School,
      505 W. Houston Ave, Gilbert, AZ 85233
§        Monday, April 27, 6:00-7:00pm, Augusta Ranch Elementary School,
       9430 E. Neville Ave, Mesa, AZ 85209
Ø   Towne Meadows Self-Contained - 1101 N. Recker Road, Gilbert, AZ 85234
§       Online applications accepted April 13th – May 13th
§  Tours: Tuesday, April 21, at 10:00am Wednesday and May 6, 1:30pm, Towne Meadows Elementary School
§       Open House: Thursday, May 14, 6:00-7:00pm, Towne Meadows Elementary School 

Ø   7th Grade Self-Contained Open House
§       Wednesday, May 6, 5:00-6:00pm, Highland Junior High School,
      6915 E. Guadalupe Rd., Mesa, AZ 85212

Ø   NAGC 62nd Annual Conference (National Association for Gifted Children)
§  Nov 12-15, 2015
§  Location:  for the first time in NAGC history, this conference will be in Phoenix, AZ.
§  There will be a Parent Day with Children's classes.  More info at - http://www.arizonagifted.org/nagc-2015/

Ø  For more information on giftedness, please visit  www.gilbertgifted.org

Ø  For more information on GPS Gifted Education Program options, visit www.gilbertschools.net à “For Parents” à “Gifted Education”