Welcome Parents to PEP/SA GE Curriculu m Night!

Kasie Pranghofer Creekside Elementary PEP/SAGE Teacher M/T/W (425) Connect Site nghofers_sage_site/default.aspx

PEP is an acronym for Primary Enrichment Program

Information about PEP The PEP program is a pullout program in Issaquah School District for highly-capable gifted students in grades K-2. First and Second grade receive an hour of PEP a week. Kindergarten receives 30 minutes a week. There is a PEP program available at each elementary school in the district. This is the second year Issaquah School District will be providing gifted services for students younger than 3rd grade. Current Kindergarten students will be screened in October in their classroom. All students will be retested on the COG-AT/Stanford at the end of their second grade year for eligibility for SAGE services in 3rd,4th,5th.

SAGE is an acronym for Special Approach to Gifted Education Super Awesome Gifted Education Or as the kids call it…

Information about SAGE The SAGE program is a pullout program in Issaquah School District for highly-capable gifted students in grades 3-5. There is a SAGE program available at each elementary school in the district. Students typically qualify in the spring of their second grade year, begin the program in the fall of third grade, and continue through 5 th grade until they leave elementary school. Once a student qualifies for SAGE, they remain in the program until they leave their elementary school. The SAGE class meets once a week for two hours. In those two hours, students work on a variety of activities, including (but not limited to) problem-solving, creative thinking, and a particular academic unit of study.

PEP/SAGE Goals and Objectives Goal 1: Intellectual/Academics To enrich and expand each student’s intellectual horizons. To encourage each student to take responsibility for his/her learning. To make learning a life-long habit. Objectives: The student will learn and practice: Problem solving strategies and the Four-Step Problem Solving Method Information processing skills: classifying, inferring, and predicting; Creative thinking skills: fluency, flexibility, elaboration, and originality; Thinking behaviors: risk-taking, goal-setting, decision making, persistence, inquisitiveness, and self-evaluation.

PEP/SAGE Goals and Objectives Goal 2: Social/Emotional To provide a safe environment for gifted students to interact on a regular basis with others who have similar abilities and interests. Objectives: Confidence, ownership, and independence Work cooperatively in groups, collaborate and work independently Produce quality work reflecting excellence, precision, thoroughness, creative innovation, and best effort Responsibility

In SAGE/PEP, we focus more on the way students THINK than the content. The units we study are a means for practicing thinking skills, problem solving and creativity.

PEP Units of Study K1 st Grade2 nd Grade Lego Unit: More to Math Hands on Problem Solving Group Logic Puzzles Engineering Challenges * Lego Unit: More to Math Hands on Problem Solving Liquid Explorations Discovering Density Oobleck (Spacecraft Challenge) Engineering challenges * Hands on Problem Solving Exemplars Finding Mr. Bear Fingerprinting Chromatography Secret Formulas Engineering Challenges * * Social/Emotional topics are interwoven throughout all curriculum

3 rd Grade4 th Grade5 th Grade Problem Solving SCRATCH Lego We Do Bubbleology Hands on Engineering * Problem Solving Polyhedraville or Topology Paper Towel Testing Hands on Engineering EV3-Lego Mindstorm Basics * Problem Solving EV3-Lego Mindstorm- Advanced Dry Ice Hands On Engineering * SAGE Units of Study * Social/Emotional topics are interwoven throughout all curriculum

Helping Students Achieve Helping Students Achieve

SAGE Self-Assessment Rubric INTELLECTUAL/ ACADEMIC 4321 A. Problem SolvingI always use the problem solving 4 step method to solve problems. I look to it to help me solve problems. I sometimes use the problem solving 4 step method, but not always. I forget about the 4 step method. I am not sure if I use. I am not sure what the problem solving 4 step method is and I don’t think I use it. B. Data and Information Processing I can choose an information processing skill that helps me organize my information and use it to draw a conclusion. I can choose an information processing skill that helps me organize my information. I can use an information processing skill assigned by the teacher. I do not recognize or use information processing skills. C. Creativity I often come up with new ideas that contribute to work we are doing. My ideas are not copies of other ideas. I challenge myself to use my imagination and invent new ideas. Sometimes I come up with new ideas that are imaginative. Other times I don’t bother to push myself to try to be different. Most of the time I am not able to come up with any new ideas. Every once in a while I get an idea that is creative and unique. I am not sure why I don’t come up with new ideas. I do not like to do new things, and I don’t want my work to be original. I am uncomfortable using my imagination. D. PersistenceI keep trying to get the answer or solve the problem. I understand that sometimes I have to persist at a project to complete it. I know that the answer is out there if I try to find it. Most of the time I keep trying to solve the problem. I do not like to give up easily. Occasionally I get frustrated and quit. I get frustrated. I don’t like to keep trying to solve problems and/or I just want to move on. I give up rather than try hard. I always give up and never try hard.

SAGE Self-Assessment Rubric SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL 4321 E. Confident LearnerI am not afraid to try new experiences. I like a challenge. I approach new challenges with excitement and can’t wait to give them a try. I am not worried about making a mistake as long as I try my best. I like a challenger but am not always comfortable with them. I get a little anxious about new challenges, but I always try them. I am a little worried about making mistakes.. I don’t like challenges, but I sometimes give them a try. I am uncomfortable trying new things. I like the class and my work to be the same from day to day. I don’t like to make mistakes. I do not like to try anything new. I am very uncomfortable with challenges. F. Collaborative WorkerI encourage and help others in the group to participate. I accept group suggestions and make improvements. I contribute freely to the group. I help and encourage others in the group. I work in a group only if assigned a job by the teacher. I only work with those people I know well. I do not particpate in or contribute to the group. I do other things and/or cause problems for the group. G. Quality Producer I exceed project expectations. I can self critique my projects and use this information to improve the overall quality. I meet the minimum standards for the project. I turn in the project, but I have not met all the requirements. I do not complete projects. H. ResponsibilityI complete my work on time and do not need reminders to stay on task and finish my work. My work does not need redos. I complete most of my work on time. I need a few reminders to stay on task. My work needs a few redos. I need reminders to finish my work on time and stay on task. My work needs to be redone sometimes. I rarely finish my work. My work needs to be redone often.

Make Up Work Guidelines Responsibilities of the Classroom Teacher 1. Determine which material represents essential new learning for SAGE students and which work may be eliminated as drill beyond mastery. 2. Help SAGE students work out a system for determining what work is necessary to make up. 3. Allow SAGE students ample time to make up work. 4. When possible, schedule special classroom events on a day when SAGE students can participate.

Make Up Work Guidelines (cont.) Responsibilities of the SAGE Teacher 1. Help SAGE students recognize the importance of finding out about missed work in the classroom. 2. Communicate with students, parents, and teachers about maintaining work habits in the home classroom as well as SAGE. 3. Help students learn effective study habits.

Make Up Work Guidelines (cont.) Responsibilities of the SAGE Students 1. Be certain that all assignments are clearly understood both in SAGE and in the home classroom. 2. Find out about missed assignments ahead of “SAGE day” and prepare them on time, if possible. 3. Do all long-term assignments completely. 4. Discuss concerns about the amount or nature of makeup work with teachers in a mature way.

Make Up Work Guidelines (cont.) Responsibilities of the SAGE Parents 1. Encourage students to get complete instructions about any required makeup work as soon as possible. 2. Provide a good study place for students to work at home. 3. Maintain open communication with both the home classroom teacher and the SAGE teacher about required makeup work.