Tuesday, December 2, 2014 GIFTED AND TALENTED PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT

WELCOME

 Curriculum and Programming for GT  Calendar of Events  Destination Imagination  Volunteer Opportunities  Question and Answer AGENDA

DOES THIS SOUND LIKE YOUR CHILD?

 Current Model  2 week rotations at each elementary building/5 rotations per year  45 minute pull-out sessions for each grade level/group  Book Club: Optional before and after school literature groups  3 rd Grade-  PETS Curriculum (Primary Educational Thinking Skills)  Convergent, Divergent Thinking; Curriculum for higher level thinking  Project Based Learning Activities; projects aligned to science and math standards  4 th and 5 th Grade  Destination Imagination— more details to follow in this presentation  Project Based Learning Activities; projects aligned to science and math standards CURRICULUM AND PROGRAMMING

GT AND RIGOR NOT HIGHER--DEEPER

 Review Current Instructional Practices  Investigate Best Practices in Gifted Education  Make recommendations to the district about direction of the program  Gifted Advisory Council will be created this spring  Ideal Membership:  1 Administrator  1 Teacher of Gifted and Talented  1 classroom teacher from each building  1-2 parents from each building ELEMENTARY LEVEL GIFTED ADVISORY COUNCIL

OUT OF SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES

 These are not school sponsored activities and you are in no way obligated to attend these events, I just want to keep you informed of opportunities that exist outside of school that would enrich your child’s home learning experience.  Shattuck-St. Mary’s: STEM Outreach Programs  Hometown Hi-Tech Tours  Behind the scenes tours of local businesses  District One Hospital, MRG Tool and Dye, Environmental Tillage Systems, Energy Park  Encounters  Saturday Mornings  Monthly Inquiry Challenge Series for young innovators  Other courses and summer classes available OUT OF SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES

 SSC (Southeast Service Cooperative) Rochester  Courses and sessions  Katie Sue Cunningham,  Khan Academy  Free online learning resource for EVERYTHING!  “Hour of Code” December 8-14  Computer Science OUT OF SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES

 Lots of Events in January, February and March— details to follow  GT Showcase Night—sometime in May CALENDAR

Lincoln GT Students Thursday, January 15 9:00-2:00 SHATTUCK FIELD TRIPS Roosevelt and Jefferson GT Students Thursday, February 5 9:00-2:00

SHATTUCK FIELD TRIPS Highlights Visit Engineering Class and the Design Lab Breakout session with International Students What to wear: Tan or Khaki Pants Students will receive a red S-SM uniform t-shirt, that matches other students, theirs to keep Students will experience the Dining Hall at Shattuck (like something out of Hogwarts!)

FAMILY ENGINEERING NIGHT Family Engineering Night Thursday, January 22 5:30-7:30pm Lincoln Elementary All GT Families Welcome

DESTINATION IMAGINATION Saturday, March 7 Harding High School St. Paul

WHAT IS DESTINATION IMAGINATION??

 Have fun, take risks, focus on solving challenges while incorporating STEAM, and the collaborative problem solving process.  Learn 21st century skills including creative and critical thinking, teamwork, perseverance, courage, and respect for others and their ideas. ENCOURAGES TEAMS OF LEARNERS TO:

 Through Challenges!  Student teams choose a challenge they want to solve.  Work on solutions during GT pull out time and additional time as scheduled with GT and classroom teachers.  Teams present their solutions at Regional Tournament. HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?

Saturday, March 7 East Metro Tournament Harding High School, St. Paul  If your child is NOT able to attend, please let me know right away!  “Family” Field Trip – Saturday, February 21  West/Southwest Metro DI Tournament  Maple Grove Senior High School This will allow our students to “experience” a tournament.  Not an official field trip, just a chance for families to expose their child to the tournament environment.  I will be attending and anyone is welcome to join me! DI TOURNAMENT

 Teams who do well at the Regional Tournament may advance to further competition!  MN State Tournament—Saturday, April 11  Champlain Park, MN  Global Finals—May Knoxville, Tennessee IF…If we have students who advance, we will hold specific parent meetings about logistics, costs, etc. DI TOURNAMENT—POSSIBILITY OF ADVANCEMENT…

A big part of the program is the Interference policy: in short, Kids have to imagine, create and develop solutions on their own. Parents, Team Managers, family and friends can’t suggest ideas or force teams in certain directions. Outsiders can only facilitate the acquisition of skills and knowledge. Interference Contract: Your child will bring home this signed contract. Please read it over and sign the parent line with your child. DI—NO INTERFERENCE…

WANT TO VOLUNTEER?

 Shattuck Field Trips  Chaperones: 2-3 parents from each building  Ride the bus with students (times not definite yet)  1-2 Chaperones per student group  Free Lunch!  Family Engineering Night  Activity Volunteers: 5-10 volunteers  The Works Museum staff will train volunteers  Please plan to arrive at 4:30—one hour prior to start time for training  Destination Imagination  At least one parent volunteer for each student group  Help group keep track of time, stay together, cheerleader for them VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

WEBSITES AND RESOURCES  National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)  Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG)  Minnesota Council for the Gifted and Talented

 GirlStart—empowering girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math  Davidson Institute for Talent Development  Minnesota Department of Education Gifted Education

QUESTION AND ANSWER