1. Welcome to the SIGNET Parent Orientation Meeting Welcome to the SIGNET Parent Orientation Meeting. Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey on your table. I would really appreciate your feedback. Thank you so much!

2. Kelcie Conroy conroykl@pwcs.edu

3. From Pittsburgh My Family My teaching history Excitement for program My learning style/personality

4. About me—What I wish people knew… 4 th Grade— 8 years Gifted Resource Teacher—2 years Mom of 2 boys Married for 4 years Loves to Read Highly Motivated Likes to cook Likes to be busy Faith Jewelry Lady Crafts Lifelong learner Efficient Heart on My sleeve Adopted Attracted to confidence Likes a challenge Not arrogant… confident Organization keeps Me sane! Loves Marvel Based Movies

5. Road to Gifted Ed at Swans Creek Undergrad at Grove City C0llege in PA Master’s Degree from Old Dominion University 8 years of teaching fourth grade at Swans Creek Team Leader Various Goal Committees (Climate, Math, Technology) Math Focus Groups LA Benchmark Committee Baldrige Cadre VISTA Various conferences and trainings Taught at various staff, county, and regional conferences Gifted Certification through Regent University and UVA

6. Have you ever felt like this?

7. Gifted Children May: Learn quickly and easily have the ability to see relationships and think critically. Exhibit verbal proficiency. Have a high energy level. Be very curious. Be persistent on tasks of interest for long periods of time. Exhibit unusual emotional depth and intensity. Be highly sensitive. Be concerned about moral or adult issues. Aim at perfection. Have a keen sense of humor. Have an unusual imagination.

8. But they may also: Become bored and frustrated with repetition. Dominate discussions. Need less sleep and become frustrated with inactivity and lack of challenge. Take on too many activities. Disrupt class routines and be seen as stubborn or uncooperative. Be perceived as immature and use humor inappropriately. Feel failure which inhibits attempts in a new area. Have a tendency to challenge and question authority. Experience social isolation.

9. Schedule  Intervention/Extension Block  Required times/Benefits of Site Based Program 3 rd Grade—Every Tuesday from 1:30-3:00 4 th Grade—Every Wednesday 5 th Grade—Every Thursday

10. SIGNET Units/Areas of Focus Fourth and Fifth Grade Independent Centers Hands on Equations 30 Book Challenge Fourth Grade Color Poems Amazing Almonzo Fifth Grade Outbreak Interact Unit Khan Academy Balderdash

11. We will study the thinking and symbols of systems by studying the amusement parks. We will use the four core disciplines.

14. Why Thinking Maps? Thinking Maps provide a “common visual language” in our SIGNET learning community for transferring thinking processes, integrating learning, and for continuously assessing progress.

15. Throughout the year, your child will also engage in STEM activities in START. Through these activities we will: Learn about design briefs Test and re-test ideas Use the scientific method Make improvements to existing designs Work individually and with groups Work with a range of tools and materials Use technology to enhance our ideas Write about our experiences

16.  What Centers are offered?  What is the goal of centers?  What is a contract?  How many centers must a student complete by the end of the year?  How are students evaluated?  What are teacher expectations?

18. How do I know what gifted services my child receives?

20. What is a DSP? A plan for instruction for the school year for your child Written collaboratively by the classroom teacher and the SIGNET Teacher Plans what activities and practices will be done in the classroom and at SIGNET to meet your child’s needs and specific aptitudes When do I receive the DSP? In November with the first report card At the beginning of the second semester if there are changes to your child’s plan.

21. What will the DSP tell me about SIGNET? Describes what your child has chosen as his/her independent study topic at SIGNET. Describes the unit planned for the school year. *** Please sign and return the DSP to me!!!!

22. Is my child graded in SIGNET?  There are no grades at SIGNET.  Each student’s work is evaluated daily by me  At the end of each semester, parents will receive the DSP as well as rubrics from centers/units/activities done at SIGNET  I evaluate:  Critical thinking  Creative thinking  Independent learning  Interactive learning

23. Critical Thinking Analyzing information Identifying and solving problems by asking questions Recognizing inconsistent thinking Interpreting information Making inferences Sorting, prioritizing, and eliminating unnecessary information Seeing relationships through classifying information and comparing/contrasting Evaluating alternate solutions

24. Creative Thinking Fluency producing multiple ideas Flexibility using multiple perspectives and points of view when creating ideas Originality creating and developing unique ideas and products Elaboration adding details to make a product better or more useful

25. Independent Learning Developing awareness of one’s own thinking process (metacognition) Self-evaluating Accepting responsibility Developing effective time management skills Task commitment and motivation

26. Interactive Learning Collaborating on group work and problem solving Accepting the ideas of others Articulating ideas and opinions Developing leadership and group membership skills

27. Thanks for coming to Back to School Night! Feel free to contact me at any time: conroykl@pwcs.edu