VBPS Gifted and Talented Program Newsletter 2007/2008 Volume 4

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OUR CHINESE IMMERSION PROGRAM

We’re just about to wrap up the first year of our Chinese Immersion program and it has been very exciting! However, there have been a few misconceptions about how the educational curriculum fits together with the program. So, let’s clear the air.

• Each child receives a full day’s worth of subjects and activities.
• Half the day is taught in English and half the day is taught in Chinese.
• The Chinese portion of the day is NOT just a rehash of what was taught in English that day.
• The Chinese speaking teacher will aid in language comprehension as well as subject matter for overall success.

Young children absorb languages. It is important to take advantage of their ability to do so. As we age, learning a second language becomes more and more difficult—more of an exercise in immediate translation than natural language use. Why Chinese? We are living in a global economy who’s largest population, 1.3 billion, and 4th largest economy belong to China. The corporate demand for understanding of and fluency in Chinese (officially Mandarin) is great and more and more U.S. schools are filling this demand—beginning in Kindergarten.

Below are a few highlights from an article published in the Cincinnati-based newspaper, The Enquirer. You can read the full article by Michael D. Clark and Cindy Kranz by going to news.enquirer.com and searching for the article titled, “More Schools teach Chinese. ‘Hello’ to growth in study of Mandarin language.”

“China is playing such a huge role in the economics of the planet and it’s a country with a long history and culture,” says Galal Walker, a professor at Ohio State University and director of the university’s statewide Chinese Flagship Program.

Beyond the potential career advantages for college-bound students, many young people are curious about how different the Chinese culture is from the West, Walker says.

Jacque Van Houton, the world language and international education consultant for the Kentucky Department of Education, says the trend is being fueled by international economic reality.

“The trend is a reflection of people’s recognition of our economic competition with China,” says Van Houton.

One reason parents choose Chinese for their children is because of China’s place in the global economy. “They want to make sure their children are prepared for the global world,” she said. “Twenty years ago, we were in a different place. There were [other] countries we were much more involved with, and now China has become what we consider a powerhouse. Travel is easier. Business is much more connected internationally.”

How lucky we are to be on the cutting edge of this trend. Thank you to all involved! It will be interesting to watch our program grow and develop over the next few years.

A KINDERGARTEN PARENT'S GUIDE TO CHINESE IMMERSION

The following information states in clear and measurable terms what students in Chinese Immersion Kindergarten are expected to know and be able to do in both English and Chinese. All items within the categories “Both Chinese & English” and “English” come directly from Michigan’s Grade level Content Expectations (GLCE) which all teachers and students in the State of Michigan are required to follow. The expectations in the category “Chinese” are from the Education for Global Citizenship (EGC) Chinese Immersion expectations for Chinese language development.

What are Language Immersion Programs?

In immersion programs, students aren’t taught the second language. Rather, they acquire the second language much in the same way a child learns his/her first language and that is through experiencing the language. Students are taught all of the same subjects expected in any program with the addition of Chinese Language Arts. The main difference being half of the instruction is in Chinese.

Teaching of Subjects

There is too much curriculum to be covered to teach the same thing in both classrooms. This requires our Chinese and English teachers to co-plan together to ensure that all of the GLCEs are being taught. If Deng lao shi (Ms. Deng) is teaching students to add 2+3, then Mrs. Terranova will not be teaching that same lesson. Rather, Mrs. Terranova will attach the English number words and vocabulary such as plus and equals through problem solving (please see the Mathematics example).

Some GLCEs are taught through implicit instruction. This means that a specific concept is embedded in the lesson. Reading comprehension is one such thing. For example, when stories are read, teachers often point to pictures (use picture clues to understand) and ask questions. This is a normal teaching practice that teachers incorporate into their teaching every chance they get regardless of the language of instruction. Implicit teaching will occur in both classrooms and such areas are not separated into the separate languages.

Skills taught in one language transfer to the other language. Students who learn to ask questions about what is read in English will be able to do so in Chinese and vice versa. As a parent, it is okay not to read Chinese. When you read to your child in English, what you do supports what they learn in school in Chinese.

Vocabulary

The key to immersion education is to attach the English and Chinese labels to the concepts. The English and Chinese teachers will work together to ensure that students are taught the appropriate labels for concepts taught in both the English and Chinese classrooms.

English : dog      Chinese : go

Mathematics

Chinese education is known for their students to have strong mathematical knowledge. Therefore, primary mathematics instruction will occur within the Chinese environment and it focuses on knowledge, concepts, and facts.

Western mathematics is known for its ability to apply mathematical knowledge for problem solving. Therefore, in the English classroom, the teacher will take that mathematical knowledge, attach English labels (e.g. 1 = yi = one), and work with the students using that knowledge to problem solve.

English Classroom

$2 + what = $5

If I have $2 and I need to have $5, how much more money to I need? 2 + ? = 5

Chinese Classroom

Er jia san jun wu

2 + 3 =5

Further information and documentation on our Chinese Immersion Program can be obtained through the school office.

Summer Reading Program at Barnes and Noble!

Hey, kids! Want to earn a free book??? Here's how it works!

1. Kids read any 8 books.
2. Kids use the Summer Reading Journal to tell us their favorite part of each book. A parent/guardian signs it when it’s complete.
3. Students bring their completed journal to a Barnes & Noble store between May 29th and September 2nd, 2008.
4. We’ll give them a coupon for a FREE book! They choose from a list of exceptional paperback titles.*

*Eligible books will be listed on the coupon. Choices must be made from eligible stock. No special orders. Limit of 1 form per school-age child (grades 1—6), please. Incomplete forms will be ineligible for free books.

Hey, Kids! Download your Reading Journal now!

NEWS FROM THE COORDINATOR

What a great year it’s been! I’m continually amazed by the creative projects and activities that the teachers plan for their students. I love walking into the classrooms and seeing the kids engaged in an activity, discovering new knowledge, and enthused about what they are learning.

A special thanks to all the parents who make this program possible. Without your support at home and your volunteering at school, we would not be able to do the great things that we do.

We have finished up the testing and have qualified approximately eighty new students for the Gifted and Talented Program at both Tyler and North. For the first time we will have enough students for a full gifted kindergarten class. Information about our GT Program has traveled around the area. Thanks to all of you who have helped to spread the good news. I can’t stress enough how fortunate we are to have the Van Buren Public Schools support a strong gifted program in a time when many districts are cutting their GT programming.

We are always looking for ways to enhance and improve our Gifted and Talented Program. I will continue to check my e-mail over the summer. Feel free to send me your ideas and thoughts.

Have a wonderful summer!

Barbara Woody
734-697-6370
bwoodygt@yahoo.com

TIME MANAGEMENT

Here are some tips that were discussed at our last GPA Meeting of the year.

Help your child set priorities when “There Just Isn’t Enough Time!”

As you work with your child to help him plan how he wants to spend his time, he may soon discover a problem. There isn’t always time to do everything he’d like to do! Now is the perfect time to help him learn an important time management skill—setting priorities.

Try asking, “What’s the most important thing you have to do today?” Perhaps it’s to study for a history test. It may be to read a chapter in science. Or it could be to complete math homework.

Then suggest that your child do that work first. Ask, “What’s the next most important?” Suggest doing that next. Set priorities on the entire list. Then, you can point out, if he runs out of time, he will have spent his time in the things that were most important.

Talk about how you set priorities yourself. You might say, “I need to finish a report for work. I also need to do laundry, but laundry can wait.”

After making a chart of how his time is being spent, then a chart of how he plans to spend his time, you might suggest making a daily “To Do” list.

It Often Helps to Plan Backward

If your child is always late, maybe she shouldn’t plan ahead. It might be better to plan backward!

Say your child has to be at a music lesson at 5:00. She might plan backward this way:

“I always use the restroom or get a drink when I get there, so I should plan on being five minutes early (4:55).”

“It takes 15 minutes to get there, so I should leave by 4:40.”

“Before I leave, I have to walk the dog. That’s another 10 minutes (4:30).”

“Before that, I need to change clothes and eat a snack. Add another 15 minutes (4:15).”

“Considering the phone might ring (five minutes), that means I should start getting ready about 4:10.”

Do These Time Wasters Live In Your Home?

Here are some of the most common time wasters that can affect students every day. After making a time chart, see how many "time wasters" your child can add to the list.

Oversleeping - lying in bed "just a few more minutes, " forgetting to set the alarm clock.

Deciding what to wear - including having no shirts to wear because he forgot to put them in the clothes hamper.

Hunting for lost items - like shoes, homework papers, library books, school papers to be signed and returned.

Watching whatever is on TV - just to have something to do.

Talking on the telephone - anytime someone calls.

Daydreaming - thinking about something else while reading, doing chores, or homework.

Dozing off or "glazing over" during schoolwork time.

Getting angry or frustrated - thinking over and over about something that makes him mad, or trying and trying and traying something that won't work.

Distractions while doing homework - including watching TV "out of the corner of his eye."

Interruptions - people coming and going, talking, asking him questions, loud noises.

Having to redo messy work - hurrying through to finish it faster, only to have to do it all over again because it is too messy to read.

"Mom, I need a visual!" - Get a Calendar

As kids grow older, they are expected to organize larger blocks of time. Using a big calendar can help.

Get the biggest calendar you can find. It should have lots of space to write on each day.

Encourage your child to mark key upcoming dates. Begin with birthdays, school holidays, visits to teh dentist or planned family outings. Note the days that he regularly has to be somewhere - say soccer practice or Choi Kwang-Do. Next, have your child add teh due dates for homework assignments - especially those that will take time to complete. Write in exam dates.

by looking at the calendar, your child will be able to schedule his time wisely. You might say, "You want to go to Tom's sleep-over, but I see your science project is due on Monday. You'll have to get it finished early if you want to go." Better yet, he may see it himself.

The calendar will help your child keep track of lots of things. But it won't work if he doesn't remember to look at it!

Help him get into the habit of checking what's on for the next day right after dinner each weeknight. Sunday night is a good time to check what's happening the upcoming week. While he's checking the calendar he can also add new things coming up in the days and weeks ahead.

GIFTED RESOURCES

Check out the following website (and the links on these websites) for some phenomenal resources to engage your most curious critter as well as take care of Mom and Dad, too!

http://www.dukegiftedletter.com

http://www.hoagiesgifted.com/resources

http://www.hoagiesgifted.com/magazines

http://www.4kids.org/

http://www.askanexpert.com/

So power up that computer and keep busy this summer. You'll be glad you did!

Elementary GT Classroom News

Mrs. Preuss & Ms. Liu – Kindergarten

Ms. Liu and Mrs. Preuss' students will be using magnifying glasses to examine seeds and labeling the different parts. We will also be discussing the life cycle of the sunflower seed and what it will look like as it grows. We will be planting Mammoth Sunflower seeds and then measuring their growth using centimeter rulers. Last year we had some sunflowers that measured more than 10 feet tall and more than 12 inches in diameter.

Mrs. Dybicki’s First Grade

Mrs. Dybicki’s first grade class learned about simple machines this week in order to prepare the students for the next class project, a “leprechaun trap.” We are hoping to catch that tricky leprechaun with our traps. Each of the traps will include a simple machine like a lever or a pulley. Wish us luck!

Mrs. Anguilm’s First and Second Grade

Thank you for a wonderful and memorable year. Have a great summer!

Mrs. Jedinak's Second Grade

We have been keeping ourselves busy lately. We have just finished typing and illustrating our Time Travel stories to be sent out for publishing. When they come back we will have our very own hardcover books to share with each other. We have worked very hard on our stories, and can’t wait to see how they look as published books! Not only have we been writing our own personal narratives, but we have been trying our hand at beings poets as well. We have written some wonderful haiku poems and some detailed color poems. We are working with Mrs. Falk on an art project to showcase the essence and imagery of our color poems. We have also been writing responses to reading selections where we compare and contrast themes, as well as characters actions and behaviors. We have recently started focusing on the “dramatic” side of literature. We have been reading and putting together puppet show plays to present. It is a lot of fun working together to create a scene and portray characters using our voices and actions.

In math we have been working on multiplication—writing and understanding multiplication story problems as well as learning our facts. We wrote rhymes and poems to help us with the more difficult facts, and we recite the facts each day together to help one another learn them. We are getting really good at it! We have also been working on elapsed time and fractions. We ordered pizza and all had lunch together one day using the pizzas as a wonderful way to compare fractions….that is one math lesson we were all focused on, and it sure smelled good! Ha ha!

We have just finished our unit on economics, learning about production and consumption. We now understand the concept of scarcity, limited resources, supply and demand, and goods and services. It is great to relate other things we learn about to our economic lessons. We are going to start learning about civics and government on a local and national level.

We are starting to learn about the environment, focusing on human interaction with nature, plant and animal interactions, adaptations, survival of the fittest, and plant and animal needs for survival. We are creating a “classroom campground” in which to showcase our new knowledge as we progress through the unit. As an introduction to our discussions we have designed a rainforest community in response to reading The Great Kapok Tree and a forest community that we would find in our backyard to represent the book A River Ran Wild. We hope to end the unit with a campfire and sing-a-long with our families.

All of this learning, creating, and expanding our knowledge is just a continuation of the progress and fun we have had all year long! It doesn’t seem like we are nearing the end already, but when we look back on the year we sure have learned a lot.

Mrs. Mallon’s Second Grade

Mrs. Mallon's class has been working on learning their multiplication facts and cursive letters. They have picked up on both things easily. They have finished their paragraphs comparing and contrasting Belleville with another city that they researched. They are just waiting to complete their final drafts, which are very interesting. Soon, they will be practicing a play too. The second graders are learning about plant and animal cycles, and they will complete that unit with a get-together with their families on May 31st at the Leslie Science Center.

Watch out for these second graders, though, because they can keep a secret! They surprised Mrs. Mallon with a baby shower on May 1st and not one student the secret slip! She was very surprised and everyone had a great time!

Ms. Geshel’s Third Grade

All GT 3rd graders (Geshel & Wozniak's classes) are learning about Egypt! We've made scarab beetles, learned all about the E g y ptian gods and goddesses, and are now beginning our pharaoh mask projects! To end our exciting unit we will be traveling to the Detroit Science Center to watch "Mummies!" on the IMAX screen.

My class is working on Tessellations for part of our Geometry unit. We have begun our individual pieces and soon we will be enjoying the beautiful weather outside and creating tessellations on the sidewalk!

April 21st-28th is National Turn-off your TV week! Each year I challenge my class to compete for the fewest hours, and minutes watched. The student(s) with the fewest minutes wins a lunch of their choice with Ms.Geshel.

Mrs. Wozniak’s Third and Fourth Grade

Mrs. Wozniak’s third and fourth grade class have been busy as the year has approached its end. Early April, Mrs. Wozniak’s class, after working hard for several months, set up their science fair experiments and showed them off to parents and school mates in the Tyler Elementary Science Fair. In mid-April, fourth graders had the opportunity to work as scientists for a day at Earthworks where they studied animals and the effects of changes to their ecological systems.

Also in April, both grades had the opportunity to go to Wayne County Fair Grounds for a free 4-H field trip. On this field trip, students learned all about different aspects of farming and scientific facts about farm animals and plants. For example, we now know that just as we have one-of-a-kind, unique fingerprints as humans, cows have unique nose prints!

At the end of April, third graders wrapped up their ancient culture unit by traveling to the Detroit Science Center to watch an Egyptian IMAX movie which covered much of what the students had been studying! Third graders have also been vigorously learning about energy in its many forms and building the understanding of energy that is renewable and nonrenewable.

In math, third graders have been delving into measurement, geometry, division and fractions, using all they have been taught to celebrate fractions with the fourth graders for the “Great Pizza Caper.” This event allowed students to create their own pizzas and then trade with their classmates using equivalent fractions as their guide. Students task was to make as variegated of a pizza as possible, but maintaining one whole pizza the entire time.

Fourth graders have brought their journey through Michigan history to a close and have been creating their own ABC book on Michigan where students focus on something from Michigan’s history for each letter of the alphabet. Fourth graders are also wrapping up fractions, measurement, as well as decimals in mathematics— challenging the third graders to keep up with them during the “Great Pizza Caper.” Mrs. Wozniak’s fourth graders also delved into the book Hatchet by Gary Paulson, creating “trioramas” (a new take on the diorama) and learning what it would be like to live in the wilderness by themselves.

Together, students in Mrs. Wozniak’s class have created plays through parodying well-known fairy tales. This is the class’s first collaborative writing piece which has been challenging but fun as well! Students also got to perform their plays and worked very hard reaching the point of acting out their creations.

The end-of-year celebrations began as the fourth graders traveled to the water park for a day and third graders ventured to the putt-putt golf course for fun in the sun. The students hard work has paid off, leaving a spectacular summer ahead of them!

Middle School GT Classroom News

GRADE 6

English: One word, Shakespeare! In Enrichment, the students are experiencing their first encounter with one of Shakespeare’s play, Twelfth Night . They are finding it quite interesting, but at the same time very confusing, so we are having a lot of fun trying to figure out what is really going on within the play. One thing is for certain, they are being challenged. Next, we will be moving onto the final unit of the year, which is to create an “Autobiography Book.” This is a unit that involves a lot of work, but is very rewarding and the end product is something the students will treasure for years to come.

As for English, we have just finished reading a wonderful and uplifting story and watching the movie based on the story about doing what you know is right even though at times things can be difficult. The story was centered on World War II and the treatment of the Jewish people. I must say that the children really did enjoy it very much. We will be ending the year with our final novel, Catherine, Called Birdy .

It has been a pleasure working and learning with this group of children and I hope that they will leave sixth grade with fond memories of what they have learned and transfer it to the seventh grade.

Social Studies: Have a great summer! 

GRADE 7

English: Mrs. Porzondek’s GT English class is finishing up their unit on Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. Following the Shakespeare unit, the class will spend about two weeks reading, analyzing, and writing poetry. Students will create their own “Portfolio of Poems.” To finish up the year, the class will read Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper.

This group has been such a delight to work with. They were always eager to learn, always ready to work, and got along with each other very well. They did an excellent job on their “Letters to the Editor” assignment. Many of these will be published in local newspapers providing compliance from the publishers.

Social Studies: Well (what an appropriate beginning), it has been an interesting fourth quarter so far. The entire seventh grade team is working on raising money to have a well drilled in a Sub-Saharan African county. At this point, we are just short of raising enough money for two wells. Students have raised over $6800.00 so far by collecting donations and sponsoring a spaghetti dinner fund-raiser. Thank you to all who have contributed and supported our efforts.

In the classroom students are learning about the geography, culture, economics, history, and governments of Sub-Saharan Africa. They are working in groups on creating African game boards which will use the major concepts and vocabulary of our unit. Students will play their game boards as a review for their final test over Africa which will take place on their day for finals.

It has been a great year in Seventh Grade Gifted Social Studies. I have appreciated each and every student’s participation. Students have performed well and have expanded their knowledge on the Eastern World.

Have a great summer.

Mr. Hudock and Mr. Zheng

GRADE 8

Social Studies: Many thanks to all the parents, students and staff that helped make this year’s trip to Washington D.C. a fun and enjoyable learning experience. Apart from visiting the sights and monuments that document our nation’s history students were able to gain a deeper understanding of the solemnity of war through visiting Arlington National Cemetery. This ties directly in to our last areas of study, The Civil War and Reconstruction, as we examine the division of our country and the ensuing healing that took place to restore our great nation. As we enter the final weeks of the school year I would like to remark that it has been a pleasure teaching this year’s class and I wish everyone the best of luck in their future endeavors.

Mr. Hutchinson

English: Have a great summer!

Elementary GT Classroom News (cont.)

Mr. Hunwick’s Fourth and Fifth Grade

This last month 4th graders went to Mackinac Island. They saw Mill Creek Historical Park, Fort Michilimackinac, and Fort Mackinac. Students also got a chance to explore the island and attend classes on voyagers, Native Americans, logging, as well as hike up to Arch rock , and even talk with someone who grew up on the island.

Fifth graders went to Chicago as part of their architecture unit. The s tudents went to the Museum of Science and Industry, Shed's Aquarium, and the Field Museum. The s tudents also got a tour of Millennium Park, the Sears Tower, and a river tour of the city.

I'm working on a Flickr site to upload all of the pictures I took and give all of the parents access to upload theirs and share in the digital goodness.

Have a wonderful summer!

Ms. Andrew’s Fifth Grade

In Ms. Andrew's 5Th Grade we have started our study of architecture. As part of our exploration we took a two-day trip to Chicago. There we saw some incredible examples of different architectural styles and learned much about the history of a great city. We went on an architectural cruise of the city and had a guided walking tour. We visited many places such as the Museum of Science and Industry, Field Museum, Shed Aquarium, Navy Pier, and the unforgettable Medieval Times. We went to the sky deck of the Sears Tower. Did you know it was built to withstand ga le force winds and can sway up to three feet! It was a very busy and quick two days, but the memories will last a lifetime.

We are also starting to plan our Fifth Grade Farewell and Fifth Grade Picnic. These end of the year activities will be a wonderful way to say good-bye to our elementary school days and help us remember the countless experiences we have had at Tyler. Watch out North! Here we come!

HAVE A GREAT

SUMMER VACATION !!!