VBPS Gifted and Talented Program Newsletter 2007/2008 Volume 1

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NEWS FROM
THE FIRST GPA MEETING
OCTOBER 9, 2007

  • Gifted kids have it made and will succeed in life, no matter what.
  • Gifted kids like school, always get good grades, and greet each new school day with enthusiasm.
  • Gifted kids are good at everything.

Do you believe these statements? These are a few of the common myths about gifted children that were discussed at the first Gifted Parents Association meeting that was hosted by Coordinator Barbara Woody and Psychologist Katie Lamb. There was a great deal of discussion about helping your child adjust to a new grade and a GT class, and building a support system for yourself.

The bottom line: talk to your child’s teacher about any concerns that arise. S/he is invested in your child’s learning and progress and wants to know if your child is having any issues or is struggling with any concepts. Together you will find solutions!

Your child will face challenges in the GT Program. This is a good thing! A person’s brain will develop more completely when that person is challenged appropriately. It is much better for your child to learn how to study and sometimes have to struggle at a young age than to face this when they are in high school or college and not have the coping mechanisms or support systems in place to meet these challenges.

Check out the resources in this newsletter to see what might be helpful for you!

Parent Volunteer Book

Thanks to all the parents who filled out the “Parent Volunteer Form.” These have been compiled into two notebooks – one for Tyler and one for North. Teachers will be using these notebooks when they need volunteers for classroom activities.

If you did not have a chance to fill out a volunteer form, call Barbara Woody (697-6370) to have one sent home.

Midwest Academic Talent Search

Students in grades 4 – 8 received an envelope with information from Northwestern University about the Midwest Academic Talent Search. This is a tremendous opportunity for GT students to take a high level test at a young age. Seventh and eighth graders are eligible to take the SAT and/or the ACT Tests, and fourth through sixth graders may take an eighth grade test called EXPLORE. These tests help students develop a base line, give them confidence, and open up possibilities for programs through Northwestern. All the information is included in the envelope.

(Online information: www.ctd.northwestern.edu )

GT School Picnic

The GT picnic was a great success! Over 250 people attended to enjoy the great company, the nice weather, and the delicious food. Thanks to everyone who helped to make this such a wonderful evening. A special thanks goes to Teri Cooke for donating the paper products and to Jennifer Radtke for ordering and picking up the chicken. Once again Meijers supported the community by giving us a great deal on the price of the delicious chicken. We actually had about $100 in extra money which will be put into the GT account so teachers can use it for classroom activities. Thanks, Everyone! We’re planning another social event for the winter.

GPA (Gifted Parents Association)
2007/08 Meeting Schedule

The parent group meets on the second Tuesday of the month from 7:00 – 8:30 PM in the Tyler Media Center. (That’s a fancy word for “Library.”) The dates for the 2007/2008 school year are:

  • November 13
  • December 11
  • January 15
  • February 12
  • March 11
  • April 8
  • May 13

The topic for November 13 is “Games, Toys, and Competition.” Come and try your skills playing sample strategy games, learn about some toys and games that are great for gifted kids, and join the discussion on how to deal with competition and winning and losing.

The December 11 meeting is “A Night at the Movies.” After viewing several film clips, the discussion will center on how gifted children are portrayed by Hollywood, and how a goal or vision can lead to success for gifted individuals. (We might even have popcorn!)

These meetings are for YOU! Come and be heard Share your suggestions. Bring your ideas – we need to hear from parents from every grade level, including middle school!

Online Resources

Here are some great web sites for information about gifted children and programs. Once you click on a link, you can go to link of link of link . . .

Books

There are many informational books available about gifted children. To look at some titles, check out

www.awpeller.com    and   www.prufrock.com

You can either order from these companies or check our book stores or other online book sellers.

Elementary GT Classroom News

Mrs. Preuss – Kindergarten

The children are becoming more bilingual every day! Thanks to all the parents who attended the meeting with the Chinese Immersion specialists from Michigan State University. The children are learning almost 90% of their instruction in Chinese during the morning. During the afternoon the students have been practicing simple and complex patterns. They read Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Eric Carle, and then wrote their own books following this pattern. Connecting the morning and afternoon sessions, the children are learning nursery rhymes and literature from both America and China and seeing the similarities and differences.

Mrs. Dybicki’s First Grade

The children enjoyed their trip to the apple orchard, which enhanced their study of the life cycle of trees and apples. Did you know that it takes the energy from thirty leaves on a tree to produce one apple? For their social studies lesson, the children took a field trip to the city of Belleville to visit the mayor, other city officials, and some merchants. What a great learning experience! In math, the students are studying elapsed time and making tally marks on graphs.

Mrs. Anguilm’s First and Second Grade

The students enjoyed their trip to Belleville and the visit with the mayor. They also visited the Bayou Grill, the library, and the bank. They learned a great deal about how a city works and the people who run the businesses. The class also went on a trip to the apple orchard. After returning to the classroom, the students did many science and math activities using apples. They measured, weighed, and sorted apples, and studied the variety of apples. As a culminating activity, the students used all their new skills to make applesauce. For their next science unit the first graders are looking forward to studying space, and the second graders will be studying weather.

Mrs. Jedinak’s and Mrs. Mallon’s Second Grade Classes

The students have been working hard! They have been studying fractured fairy tales of The Three Little Pigs and Cinderella. The students were very creative and wrote their own fractured fairy tales of The Three Little Pigs. In science, the students have been studying weather, and they made their own wind socks and rain gauges. They have been using the wind socks to chart the wind for ten days. The second graders have been learning about many topics in math including money, time, pictographs, place value, and adding. It’s been a great beginning to the school year, and we’ve been enjoying our time together!

Ms. Geshel’s Third Grade

The students completed their study of land formations and made a layered multi-colored flip chart of definitions that they will be able to use for further reference. Room 21 has been full of tubs of water and paper as students have been making papier mâché planets. They have been working in teams of three making the planets to scale and painting them in the correct representation. Their next studies will bring them closer to earth as they begin studying the fifty states and learning all the capitals. Start practicing! In November the class is planning a trip to the Leslie Science Center.

Mrs. Wozniak’s Third and Fourth Grade

The students in Room 25 have been studying the literary and historical connections between The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and the events of World War II. In science, the third graders just completed their study of the life cycles of animals and will be presenting their reports from their research papers to the class. The fourth graders will also be doing a presentation; they have been doing research about the landmarks and symbols of Michigan. Mrs. Wozniak is very impressed with how well the third graders are doing with their study of decimals in math, and the fourth graders can do place value to the billions place! All the students are anxiously awaiting the day when they will be “Beatniks” at the “Poetry Café.” This is when all the poets in the class will have the opportunity to share the great poems that they’ve written.

 

Middle School GT Classroom News

GRADE 6

In Social Studies sixth graders have been studying U.S. regions, economics, and state governments. The possible shutdown of Michigan’s government prompted some spirited class discussion. The students received a real-life lesson in economics and government spending. Their studies will soon have the sixth graders moving north to Canada.

Science fiction is the topic in sixth grade English. Students read “The Zoo” from the new English book and made beautiful mosaics to show a connection between literature and the arts. (“The Zoo” is a great story with a surprising twist at the end.) The students are now ready to read the science fiction novel The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm. In Enrichment class the sixth graders are beginning their first research paper. This step-by –step process will have them well-prepared for high school!

GRADE 7

To celebrate our country’s government, seventh graders made artistic and clever birthday cards to the Constitution in social Studies class. The students are studying the history of Europe and communism and the USSR to help prepare them for their study of the remaining regions of the Eastern Hemisphere this year. By understanding these historical influences, the students can better understand the events that helped shape the modern world today.

For English class, seventh graders chose an autobiography to read to enhance their study of biographies, memoirs, and personal narratives. Each student will complete a project, such as a book-signing poster or timeline, to explain and describe the autobiography they read. Seventh graders will soon be reading their second Shakespeare play, The Merchant of Venice.

GRADE 8

In honor of our country’s Constitution, eighth grade students made “Seven Principles” posters to commemorate Americans’ freedoms and rights. All students are currently writing an essay about their personal heroes. The students’ writings will be entered in the “39th Annual Essay Contest – America & Me.” The winner can win $1000! (Essays are due by November 9.)

In English class, eighth graders are working on a science fiction unit. They have read several short stories, and will soon be reading Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. This novel always stimulates good class discussion and gets the students excited! The reading will set the stage for the “Utopian Society” project that the students will be creating.

Elementary GT Classroom News (cont.)

Mr. Hunwick’s Fourth and Fifth Grade

Look outside of Room 31 and you will see the display of books written by the students. The books are entitled A Day in the Life of . . . and contain stories and pictures of the students. The fifth graders spent three days studying science at Cranbrook. Along with the fourth graders, they used their science skills in “Science Court,” an interactive video series, to solve real-life court cases using scientific principles and deductive reasoning. Fourth graders are preparing for their unit on Electricity, while fifth graders will be studying Microbiology. The students have already finished reading their first novel by Jerry Spinelli. The fourth graders read Loser, and the fifth graders read Maniac Magee. This made for a great opportunity to compare two pieces of literature.

Ms. Andrew’s Fifth Grade

The students in Room 32 have been very busy! They visited Cranbrook for three days where they participated in many science activities and experiments. Some of the favorites were the planetarium, mineral gallery, nature hike, botany lesson, physics experiments, and the light and sound demonstration. The students read The Island of the Blue Dolphins and explored possible new endings for the book. Ms. Andrew donned her crown to become the queen of Spain for a social studies lesson about explorers. The students had to petition her to get permission to plan a voyage and get the necessary provisions for their expedition. After learning about explorers, the class studied the Aztec, Inca, and Maya civilizations. Very soon Ms. Andrew will be selecting a script for the fifth grade musical.

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