1. Welcome to MOSAICS!

2. “The miracles of nature do not even seem miracles because they are so common. If no one had ever seen a flower, even a dandelion would be the most startling event in the world.” - Unknown

3. Gender Ratio (as of 4-26-11)

4. Our Schedule  Mondays – 4 th am(Berneking & West), 3 rd pm  Tuesdays – 2 nd am, push-in block  Wednesdays – 4 th (both groups separately)  Thursdays – 1 st am, 4 th pm (Massey & Weis)  Fridays – 5 th

5. Beginning Units 1 st – Amazing Oceans 2 nd – Endangered Animals 3 rd – Our Global Village 4 th – Ancient Egypt 5 th – Creative Producers

6. What goes on in MOSAICS? Hands-on learning Student choice in projects Curriculum that caters to student interests Differentiated lessons Affective needs lessons Lots of thinking skills and high math Fun experiments

7. Student Evaluation Student understanding will be assessed each trimester according to the following areas: Research Communication Creative and Critical Thinking Affective Thinking / Responsibility Work Habits

8. Math Curriculum 1st: various problem solving strategies 2 nd : order of operations, negative numbers 3 rd : begin the fundamentals of algebra 4 th : Real World Algebra, Ed Zaccaro math 5 th : Real World Algebra, Ed Zaccaro math

9. Thinking Skills Curriculum Logic puzzles Critical thinking scenarios Strategy games Scavenger hunts Building challenges And more!

10. Research Component Choice in topics (most of the time within a specified subject) Choice in final products Student presentations Utilize technology for a great final outcome Note-card method (4 th and 5 th )

11. Science and Social Studies Our specially-themed units focus heavily on these two areas, but also span into others at times.

12. Writing We focus on…  Writing creatively  Using “sparkle” words  Poetry, interpretation and writing  Grammar  Sentence structure  Metaphors, similes, etc.

13. Spanish LOTS of nouns! Conversational phrases Alphabet Numbers Verb conjugation (upper grades) Months, colors, days of week, etc.!

14. Common Characteristics of the Gifted Sensitivity Trouble transitioning Very curious Preoccupied with fairness Interested/worried about world issues Funny sense of humor, “gets” jokes Perfectionism Sensory issues

15. Continued Prefers adult company Good guesser Enjoys self-directed learning Rushes through work or refuses to do it Complains of boredom Gets upset if they don’t understand quickly Elaborate and creative work

16. Class Rules Be respectful, responsible, and safe. Don’t talk over the teacher. Always follow directions. No inappropriate words or stories. Share your ideas knowing that we are all friends. Have fun!

17. Behavior System 1, 2, 3 system Starts on a green light, moves to yellow, red, blue, and parking spot (hopefully not!) Consequences: Yellow: thinking sheet Red: thinking time, lose choice Blue: 2 nd thinking sheet Parking spot: talk with pricipal Reward stickers for exemplary behavior/green light!

18. Parent Communication o Weekly “Today in MOSAICS” report o Frequent and for good behavior too!

19. Supply List 2 spiral bound notebooks with holes for binder 1 two-pocket folder to take papers home in Flash drive with name on it (optional!)

20. Parent Organizations GAM (Gifted Association of MO) www.mogam.org NAGC (National Association for Gifted Children) www.nagc.org www.nagc.org SAGE (St. Louis Association for Gifted Education) www.giftedsage.com www.giftedsage.com SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted) www. Sengifted.org Parkway PAGE (Parents Advocating for Gifted Education) http://parkwaypage.edublogs.org/ Contact me about joining!!!! http://parkwaypage.edublogs.org/

21. Visitors We love when relatives come to visit us! Just let me know when you would like to come in! We can even arrange for you to work on a special activity with the kids!

22. Thank You… for your continued support!