"Anxiety & Depression in Gifted Youth" - Guest Lecture on 9/24/15

Join us for our guest lecture to be held on Thursday, September 24th at 7:00 p.m. in the Greenfield Junior High Library (101 S Greenfield Road, Gilbert).  Note that the location has changed from previous lectures.

Dr. Laura Wingers will be speaking to us about "Anxiety and Depression in Gifted Youth."

Learn about the early signs of anxiety and depression in gifted youth and how parents can appropriately support gifted children who are dealing with these issues.  Dr. Wingers will also share resources that are available to parents.  Please spread the word to other parents and educators.

NAGC 62nd Annual Convention and Exhibition - November 12-15, 2015

In lieu of Gilbert Supporters of the Gifted hosting a November lecture, we encourage you to register and attend the NAGC conference being held right here in the Phoenix area on November 12-15. 

Early Bird Registration closes September 21st.  Visit HERE for more details or to register.

 Please see the graphic below for more details.

NAGC 2015 Annual Convention and Exhibition in Phoenix

Don't forget to register for the largest annual convention devoted to gifted and talented learners.  It will be held on November 12-15 in Phoenix!  It is a rare treat to have this event in Arizona. This event will be hosted by the NAGC (National Association for Gifted Children).

People who would benefit from attending are:

Classroom teachers, gifted/talented coordinators, school administrators, parents, college & university faculty, researchers, and more.

There will be a Parent Day and Kids Program on Saturday, November 14th.  NAGC Parent Day is "a one-day event that gives parents tools, information, and networking opportunities to help them support their children's optimal development and ensure their continued growth." This event is being co-hosted with AAGT (Arizona Association for Gifted Children).  Click HERE for more information.   The Parent Day event will be $45 per person and the Kids Program will be $35 per person (no meals included).

Click HERE to see pricing and register for the annual convention.  Early bird and group discounts available through September 21st.

4 Life Lessons To Teach Your Gifted Kids (and one for you to learn, too)

By Alessa Giampaolo Keener, M.Ed.

Re-posted from the blog "Everyday Learning:  Where curiosity guides your education.

My oldest child turns 21 in one week and I’ve been reflecting back on a lot of childhood memories recently. So, when the request came in to blog for Hoagies’ Gifted Education Page on “lessons learned” along the gifted journey, I kind of chuckled to myself. If we measure ourselves by how many “A’s” we get on the first go-around of “tests” we encounter as parents, I would be no where near the head of the class.

Parenting gifted children can be filled with intensities: The need to know. The need to learn. The need to be right. The need to fight for justice. The need to do things independently.

By the end of many days, especially during that 4-8 year old range, I would find myself just needing a little peace and quiet – especially trying to go to the bathroom with the door closed *without* a running monologue about string theory on the other side.

When you first start out on the gifted journey, you find much to learn about educational advocacy. Achieving the right educational fit can often help resolve many other issues you might find yourself facing with your kids.

All the same, I’m going to gently suggest that too much focus on academics isn’t always the best choice for gifted children. Yes, there’s much to learn in life, but not all of it comes from books.

Life Lessons Worth Learning

Learn to Climb Trees
Unplugging and tuning into nature provides so many benefits for kids – beginning with learning how to self-soothe when you’re not bombarded by intellectual stimulation. (In other words, it teaches your kids to not rely on you to be their 24/7 conversation partner or playmate.) ... see more at Everyday Learning

Regional Bus Stops – Logistics and Friendships

by Stephanie Newitt

School has begun and the morning craziness has started.  Bus stop schedules have been distributed by the district.  Maybe your child has old friends at the bus stop, maybe they have the chance to build new friendships.  Maybe your child attends a neighborhood bus stop or maybe it’s a new regional bus stop.  Whatever the case, it is most likely that they will mirror your parent view of the bus stop experience.

FIRST, LOGISTICS

If you have questions about your child’s bus stop, check out THIS LINK to the GPS Transportation Department.   The number of bus stops, though NOT the number of actual buses, have multiplied for 2015-16 due to the regionalization of ALP, Special Education, and ELL services.  We appreciate that the task of organizing bus routes and bus availability is more complex this year than it has ever been before.  We thank the transportation department for their efforts with this daunting task.

GPS Bus Stop Safety Tips

NOW FRIENDSHIPS

This is our third year attending a regional bus stop.  For our first year, all the children were new to the bus stop.  They made friends.  Though some of the children were in different grades, they connected.  They looked out for each other.  They playfully teased each other and respected one another.  This was their social safety net as they rode the bus to a new school.

What helped make this possible?  As parents we got out of our cars and connected with other parents.  This encouraged our kids to interact as well.  We parents swapped phone numbers so we could notify one another if one of the kids wouldn’t be on the bus one morning or schedule after school play dates at the park.  As parents we supported one another in teaching our children respect for each other, the driver and the property of others.  We shared similar values.  And we got together at least once over each summer so the kids could still feel connected.

 Relationships.  As we model for our children, and also guide them in building positive relationships, they will be able to develop the social skills necessary to navigate a successful life.  The regional bus stop, per our experience, has been an opportunity to build positive friendships.

Webinar - Organizing Chaos: Solutions for Everyday Life in a Gifted Family

From the Summit Center of California ... Organizing Chaos: Solutions for Everyday Life in a Gifted Family

Thursday, September 03, 2015, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Pacific Time) Living in a gifted family can be chaotic. Overwhelmed with schedule and time management? Exhausted trying to keep everything and everyone on track? Frazzled when you can't find what you need? We will explore which organizing methods increase emotional connection and functioning within the gifted family. Learning objectives: ·  Identify how gifted characteristics can be used to help get and keep your family organized ·  How to enlist help from everyone in the family ·  Establishing routines and good habits to get organized ·  Evaluate time management and expectations ·  Learn what can realistically be accomplished CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Gifted Education Parent Council - Gilbert Public Schools

Gathering Information helps us, as parents, to be prepared for the roller coaster of raising a gifted child.  Please join our Gilbert Supporters of the Gifted meetings when there is a guest lecture.  Also, get informed about what is happening with gifted education in Gilbert by contacting your campus’ representative for the Gifted Education Parent Council.  Each school has a parent representative who meets with members of GPS administration monthly, so you can have a voice.  Begin by being informed, and then you will be ready to be involved at any level.